Prof. Paul Myers calls for blog readers to participate in
deliberate and malicious violence against Holy Eucharist
Washington, D.C. (11 July 2008) – Following the hate-filled blog rant of Paul Zachary Myers, a professor at the University of Minnesota Morris, Judie Brown, president of American Life League, called upon university administrators to fire him.
"It's one thing for someone to express an opinion on a matter," said Brown. "But Paul Myers specifically called on his readers to participate in a deliberate and malicious act of violence against the very center of Catholic worship. That is hate speech, and he should be fired for it."
Myers was reacting to a recent incident surrounding a University of Central Florida student who walked out of a Catholic Mass with the Holy Eucharist and held it hostage for several days. His blog post, entitled, "It's a Frackin' Cracker," called on his readers to steal the Holy Eucharist, revered by Catholics as the actual body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, so that he can show them "sacrilege, gladly, and with much fanfare." Myers said that once obtained, he would treat the Holy Eucharist "with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web."
"When a caricature of Muhammad or report of a flushed Koran surfaces, there is rioting in the streets and plenty of press coverage," said Brown. "But when someone actually calls for physical violence against the most precious Catholic Sacrament, it is ignored."
According to the university's policy statement, "contents of all electronic pages must be consistent with University of Minnesota policies."
"Under their code of conduct, which is one of the university's policies, 'when dealing with others, faculty … must be respectful, fair, and civil,'" said Brown. "What Myers posted was profoundly hateful toward the person of Christ, who is truly present in the Eucharist. We fully expect that the University of Minnesota will follow its own policies and take the appropriate action."
American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Michael Hichborn at 540.226.9178.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- Christian News Wire: Minnesota Prof Pledges to Desecrate Eucharist (07.11.2008)
- WFTV 9: 'Body of Christ' Snatched from Church, Held Hostage by UCF Student (07.09.2008)