…and this is a 
Me and my cyberpistol
Category: Kooks
Posted on: July 16, 2008 5:44 PM, by PZ Myers
Thomas Foley of Virginia is nuts. This is the delegate to the Republican National Convention who has called for increased security. Why? Because he has an irrational fear of us.
On Friday the Catholic League reported that Thomas E. Foley, a Virginia delegate to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Minneapolis has asked that increased security be considered for the event in light of Myers' threat to acquire and desecrate the Eucharist.
"I just felt security at the Republican National Convention ought to look at him and his followers," Foley told CNA in a phone interview on Wednesday morning. He reported that he had not received an update about his request.
Voicing his concerns about Myers, Foley said: "What I think he has done, he's loaded a cyberpistol and he's cocked it and he's left it on the table. He may have set something in motion that no one can stop. It was irresponsible, a hell of a thing to do."
Foley explained that he thought Myers should not be able to incite such acts with "impunity," saying that he was especially disturbed by the comments posted on Myers' blog. He said it was "eye-opening" to read the people who supported Myers' action. Even at his age of 63, Foley said, he had never "personally encountered such bigotry."
He also objected to Myers' recent description of Catholic League President Bill Donohue as "braying," which Foley, a self-described Irish Catholic, claimed was "a great insult for the Irish."
Foley said he believes Myers was telling his readers to acquire a consecrated Host at Mass, which Foley thought would result in disruptions.
"What's he telling them to do? Consecrated Hosts are not just lying around," he said to CNA, noting that the only other possible way to secure a Host would be to accost a priest, nun, or layman taking the Sacrament to the sick. Even E-bay, Foley emphasized, has prevented the sale of consecrated Hosts.
Wait, what? I'm armed with a cyberpistol? Is that what we atheist brigands use to rob trucks trundling down the tubes of the internet?
I had no idea that "braying" was especially insulting to the Irish. I'm sure it's a word that is used with great frequency in reference to Bill Donohue, though. No ethnic slur was intended, since I was unaware of any association (and still am) — it's really just intended to highlight Donohue's personal attributes as an ass.
I'm baffled by the last paragraph, though. If the crackers aren't just lying around, how come people are having such an easy time getting them? The people who've sent them to me haven't mentioned having to disrupt anything. And if their availability is so limited, why is he calling for increased security at the RNC? Do Republicans get Christ Crackers on registration, or something?
This is precisely the kind of deranged hysteria we have to protest against, I'm afraid.
Politics
Comments
Posted by: James F | July 16, 2008 5:49 PM
Wait, what? I'm armed with a cyberpistol?
You know, on the higher levels you can get an assault rifle, shotgun, grenade launcher, flamethrower, and BFG!
Posted by: t-1000 | July 16, 2008 5:50 PM
Reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNO6G4ApJQY
Guess you're part of the internet hate machine now PZ.
Posted by: HombreMoleculos | July 16, 2008 5:52 PM
Cyberpistol? Happiness is a warm gun.
Posted by: kubenzi | July 16, 2008 5:53 PM
OK i might be out of the loop so correct me if i am wrong,but isnt that particular convention going to have massive protests anyway?
Posted by: soteos | July 16, 2008 5:53 PM
"Even at his age of 63, Foley said, he had never personally encountered such bigotry."
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, a man who has lived in a cave for the past 63 years with his eyes closed and his fingers in his ears.
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | July 16, 2008 5:54 PM
I already got my cyberpistol strapped to my cyberarm, bought a cyberbus cyberticket to Minneapolis, and got a Mohawk cyberhaircut. Watch out, cyberCatholic cyberRepublicans!
Posted by: Coragyps | July 16, 2008 5:54 PM
You've got followers?? Wowzers, Dr Myers!! Are all of 'em squids?
These Cathopublican folks are wacko.....
Posted by: Dustin | July 16, 2008 5:54 PM
It's true! Paul is the voice from the outer world! He is the Mahdi! Ya hya chouhada!Posted by: chrisD | July 16, 2008 5:57 PM
Lying for Jesus, yet again. They know their claims are disingenuously aggrandizing this situation but that's the point! They can get away with it due to the flock swallowing all that is brayed.
Posted by: Alex | July 16, 2008 5:57 PM
So what is it about being insulted anyway? I mean they talk about it like it's a deranged brutal crime. So your sensitivities have been insulted, get over it. The bigotry thing also cracks me up. An atheist thinks the religious world-view is whacko, therefore they're bigots. A religionists world-view has "infidels" burn in hell forever and they're not bigots?
Posted by: Doug | July 16, 2008 5:59 PM
A cyberpistol? That is about as likely to kill someone as cybersex is to getting me laid.
Posted by: Kristine | July 16, 2008 6:00 PM
I, too, wonder what the hell all this has to do with the RNC.
But I hope they make a big stink about it. Fools.
Posted by: George | July 16, 2008 6:00 PM
PZ Myers: "This is precisely the kind of deranged hysteria we have to protest against, I'm afraid."
This is known as projection.
Posted by: Hugh | July 16, 2008 6:01 PM
So you've got some consecrated wafers, PZ. Did they come in bodybags?
Posted by: Glen Davidson | July 16, 2008 6:01 PM
My God, a cyberpistol. Spewing optically-encoded bits at hapless believers in magic.
Watch out Foley, you might be targeted with information. Which apparently is a good deal stronger than magic.
Fear the man with the information, Foley. Oh, that's right, you already do.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Posted by: Mark F. | July 16, 2008 6:02 PM
Can you confirm that the communion wafers sent to you so far have been consecrated? My understanding is that the unconsecrated ones are pretty easy to get. You can order them over the web.
Posted by: Tyler DiPietro | July 16, 2008 6:02 PM
It would have been more impressive if he'd said something like "cybernuke". "Cyberpistol" is just lame, like the default gun on Doom lame.
Posted by: wazza | July 16, 2008 6:02 PM
I think they have Jesits with the wine and cheese course.
Anyway, I'd like to point out what an excellent way this was to reveal how fucking insane everyone over there is.
Good luck at the convention, PZ's Tentacular Army!
Posted by: Amplexus | July 16, 2008 6:03 PM
Why the hell is a catholic republican? evangelicals and catlicks used to hate each other! When did this union form?
YOu know the KKK from blazing saddles!
Posted by: miui | July 16, 2008 6:06 PM
Ebay does not sell them?? What about Jesus on a Cheese Sandwich?
What about these????:
Ebay Wafers #1
Ebay Wafers #2
Ebay Wafers #3
Holy Cyberauctions Batman!
Posted by: Sioux Laris | July 16, 2008 6:06 PM
He's an active "Republican" and therefore stupid, greedy, and consciouly dishonest. Metaphorically, fuck him until he drops dead of his own accord.
Posted by: Matthias | July 16, 2008 6:07 PM
With all these big words flying back and forth, I wonder: Is it time to declare War on Rhetorics?
Posted by: Sili | July 16, 2008 6:09 PM
Needs more Cyberpope.
Posted by: Der Bruno Stroszek | July 16, 2008 6:10 PM
Even at his age of 63, Foley said, he had never "personally encountered such bigotry."
He's been in the Republican party for how long? Did he just stick his fingers in his ears every time Jesse Helms spoke?
Posted by: Hessenroots | July 16, 2008 6:11 PM
Does anyone know of any Atheist groups organized or planning to protest (the legal sort, I promise to leave my cyberpistol at home) at the RNC? I've heard nothing yet from the Twin Cities or Minnesota atheists as yet.
I realize organizing atheists can be a bit like herding cats but there has gotta be someone with the gears already in motion. I'd rather spend time with like minded godless heathens then troll around with Greenpeace or those screechy PETA kids.
Posted by: Maria | July 16, 2008 6:12 PM
An atheist with a cracker is a powerful force.
Posted by: Alejandro | July 16, 2008 6:12 PM
This is getting way too craaaaazy. How come every almost freaking US American politician is crazy?
Posted by: Sharon | July 16, 2008 6:12 PM
I read that and my first thought was "As if PZ would *want* to go".
But then I realized that Foley was probably talking about protesters and not actual attendees and it made a little more sense.
... But then, after all the press about the Expelled screening, maybe he's expecting you to be lurking in the shadows, waiting to pop out during a big speech raving about the cracker. Or perhaps (gasp) DESECRATING a cracker in the middle of the convention! Oh noes!
:)
Posted by: Kampar | July 16, 2008 6:13 PM
Can you confirm that the communion wafers sent to you so far have been consecrated?
Please don't start this one up again - I think there must have been at least 200 posts the last few days on the subject of how to tell (or not) a consecrated from a virgin cracker (is virgin the right term here?)
Posted by: Brian Coughlan | July 16, 2008 6:13 PM
I have no idea why the term "braying" is especially insulting to the Irish, and I am, in fact, Irish.
Donohue however, is not Irish. To be Irish you need to have been born in Ireland. It's sort of the rules. Donohue is overwhelmingly American, and in the worst possible way.
Posted by: Alejandro | July 16, 2008 6:14 PM
And it is still a freaking cracker.
Posted by: Bill | July 16, 2008 6:14 PM
I think Mr. Foley confused the word "bray" with "brogue". The Irish of the world should be deeply offended by his comment.
Posted by: Ted H. | July 16, 2008 6:14 PM
"I just felt security at the Republican National Convention ought to look at him and his followers."
Sounds like we just made the terrorist watch list. Terrorist Fist Jab(TM)!
Posted by: Alan | July 16, 2008 6:15 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought most American Catholics polled Democrat? Why is he worried about the RNC, other than that it's a three hour drive from Morris?
Posted by: Longtime Lurker | July 16, 2008 6:17 PM
"I had no idea that "braying" was especially insulting to the Irish."
The term "donkey" is used, mainly by Irish-Americans, as a derogatory term for recent immigrants from Ireland. An acquaintance of mine with a very Irish last name, once referred to a local tavern as a "donkey bar". Of course, it had better beer and music than the "old man bar" he frequents. "Mick" is the term outsiders use to disparage Irish and Irish-Americans.
Foley's fear-mongering gets at the heart of this whole rigmarole... It's not an Atheist vs. Catholic controversy, but a Liberal vs. Conservative controversy. Donohue has never criticized Jack Chick, or the Evangelicals proselytizing to Catholic service academy cadets, his outrage at Hagee was tepid and short-lived. Donohue is more Republican than Catholic, and he's fomenting a culture war in an attempt to dissuade Catholics from voting overwhelmingly Democratic this November.
Posted by: cory | July 16, 2008 6:21 PM
And being a Repube, he is very concerned about the SIZE of your cyberpistol, whether you hold it to the left or right, whether it's bigger than HIS cyberpistol, and of course where you holster it.
Posted by: Fr. J | July 16, 2008 6:21 PM
I know I said I wouldn't comment futher, but...PZ you are just as nuts as he is. You are nuts for claiming that you are afraid of Catholic faux death threats or some kind of inquisition. Now that's "deranged hysteria" and "irrational fear." When you see the similar things from the other side you think they're nuts. Pot calls kettle black. Frankly I think the GOP does have cause for concern.
What is really nuts is that you, and your allies, believe it's okay to disrupt worship services to protest. This whole mess is the result of your ego, immaturity, and lack of professionalism. Nothing good has come of this and nothing will. It will only increase the hatred that bigots like you thrive on. Those who have stolen consecrated hosts have committed a federal offense, as I pointed out before. Also they may have violated the laws of their State. I hope they are prosecuted, but I doubt they will fess up to the authorities.
I suspect your university is quite displeased. Others will be later when your actions are used by some to justify harassing homosexuals, feminists, or other protected groups. Even atheist groups may find themselves on the receiving end. You are setting the precedent. Someone mentioned the KKK. PZ you are the atheist version of the KKK. I don't see any difference between their ignorant bigotry and yours. Cheers, Fr. J
Posted by: Kampar | July 16, 2008 6:23 PM
To be Irish you need to have been born in Ireland.
Brian ... I can categorically state that that is not how it works in the U.S. and it seems odd to those of us from Europe.
Many U.S. born-and-bred citizens take pride (and rightly so, I guess) in telling you that they are Irish, or English, or German, Italian, Portuguese etc. and they really, honestly mean it. They are of course talking about their ancestry - so if Donahue has any recent Irish ancestry (likely with that surname) I have no doubt he (or others for him) would state that he is Irish. It just seems to work that way!
Posted by: Hessenroots | July 16, 2008 6:23 PM
"Sounds like we just made the terrorist watch list. Terrorist Fist Jab(TM)!"
So I should take the "PZ is my co-pilot" and "My boss is an atheist biologist" stickers off my car before heading near any government buildings? :P
Posted by: Carlie | July 16, 2008 6:23 PM
Can you confirm that the communion wafers sent to you so far have been consecrated?
Well, duh, it tastes like Jesus!
And we're not "followers", we're "minions". Jeez, can't the press get anything straight?
Posted by: Zeno | July 16, 2008 6:24 PM
I thought you referred to Donohue as "braying" because he is an ass. So why did Thomas E. Foley consider it a special ethnic slur aimed at the Irish? In all charity, we should consider the possibility that Foley was too drunk to think clearly.
Posted by: BMcP | July 16, 2008 6:25 PM
"What I think he has done, he's loaded a cyberpistol and he's cocked it and he's left it on the table.
Sounds like someone thinks with far too much phallic imagery to me.
BMcP, who is Irish.
Posted by: Andrés Diplotti | July 16, 2008 6:25 PM
Well, he is a Republican. You just know his definition of "bigotry" will be different from that of normal people.
Posted by: Traffic Demon | July 16, 2008 6:26 PM
Ah, Thomas Foley and Bill Donohue, a pair of undescended testicles on the groin of civilization.
--Traf E. Traf
Automotive Mastermind
Posted by: me | July 16, 2008 6:27 PM
Be aware you may be getting not just plain old unconsecrated crackers, but plain old unconsecrated _Episcopalian_ crackers (and they don't ever transubstantiate, you know).
When I was an altar boy, the parish priest always ordered the Episcopalian church suppliers' crackers because they were fresher and cheaper, we being in a Southern "missionary" church area.
No complaints about being brought up Catholic there, it was the only integrated school system in the state at the time; and to their credit, the Catholics went out and marched with robes and crucifix on the sidewalk each year as the annual city's KKK parade marched down the main street past the church.
It was another country.
Just sayin' there's no difficulty at all getting those little round flatbreads, anybody can buy them who sends the payment to the church supplies place. It's what's done to them later that makes whatever difference you believe in.
You may just have crackers.
Come to think of it, it still is.
Posted by: Joe Bob | July 16, 2008 6:27 PM
PZ, you should do something really horrible to a bunch of crackers, some "consecrated", some not, (e.g., shoot 'em up with your cyberpistol...) and then demand that someone prove which are which.
Posted by: Stuart Weinstein | July 16, 2008 6:27 PM
Got a cyber-pistol in your computer? Or is it just glad to see me?
Posted by: miui | July 16, 2008 6:28 PM
Correction here. Interesting nonetheless. Ebay stopped at some point selling consecrated wafers due to catholics complaining about it. However, Ebay didn't believe there was anything wrong or offensive with it.
http://www.michnews.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/202/8083
However, there are 997 items for sale which come around with the search for "blessed" (240 of which most are catholic in nature). While shopping around I found that there are medals with representations of the eucharist and even antique religious books. Some really interesting objects of much higher value than a blessed eucharyst imo.
Posted by: Pandora | July 16, 2008 6:28 PM
To be honest when I heard the word cyberpistol, my mind superimposed PZ's head on Rambo's and then it cut to a little montage of him shooting in the wild jungles of the internet.
Did this happen to anyone else?
Posted by: Will Von Wizzlepig | July 16, 2008 6:29 PM
CYBERPISTOL!
No more of merely clicking people in the eye, go for the gusto with the manly CYBERPISTOL!
Be the envy of every 11-year-old on your block, with the newest in cock-wagging inventions! CYBERPISTOL!
No home is safe with CYBERPISTOL!
No home is safe without CYBERPISTOL!
Your wife will love you again with CYBERPISTOL!
20% less bad things when you use CYBERPISTOL!
[zzz]
The dim bulbs have found solace in the internet, because it validates their existence: there are other people just as dumb as them.
"When did ignorance become a point of view?" may have to become my new national anthem.
"cock punch" just popped into my head, and I think it's because that's what this Thomas Foley needs- delivered by a bratty kid, maybe one of his own.
Posted by: Michael Kremer | July 16, 2008 6:29 PM
"If the crackers aren't just lying around, how come people are having such an easy time getting them? The people who've sent them to me haven't mentioned having to disrupt anything."
As I'm sure PZ knows, to get a consecrated host, all you have to do is go to any Catholic Church during Mass, wait until communion, then walk up in the procession, and when the priest or eucharistic minister holds up the host and says "The Body of Christ" say "Amen" (that is -- say "yes, that's what it is"). Then the priest or minister puts it in your hand. In a large enough Church, with a lot of people receiving communion, if you don't immediately put the wafer in your mouth you probably won't be noticed and no disruption will take place. Of course in all this there is the understanding that you are a Catholic, have come to the Church with the intention of consuming the Host, and so on, and by processing in the line and saying "Amen" you are agreeing to this, implicitly. But yes, it's easy to get consecrated hosts this way if you're willing to be, shall we say, somewhat duplicitous, and a bad guest to boot. But never mind those niceties -- it's all fun between friends, isn't it?
On the other hand, it is also possible to steal them outright:
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/jul/15/eucharist-taken-cathedral-tabernacle/
If you should receive any hosts from Corpus Christi, TX or environs (yes, that's right, Corpus Christi) you might be receiving stolen goods.
Posted by: Dlux | July 16, 2008 6:30 PM
Oh, for god's sake, you can get those silly wafers anywhere. Do they get delivered by armored trucks now?
http://www.kaufers.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=108
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | July 16, 2008 6:31 PM
Take it, take the damn cake. That's just...I summon Truth Machine to deal with this stoopid...I can't even make fun of it it's so burningly stoopid.
Posted by: craig | July 16, 2008 6:31 PM
Every time someone tried to claim that criticizing ideas is bigotry, we have to fight back and continually explain that it can never be bigotry to criticize ideas.
To claim that it is cheapens the experience of victims of true bigotry, and frankly I don't think these people are doing this by accident. I think it's a calculated move.
Posted by: Tom Piatak | July 16, 2008 6:31 PM
In order to receive a host, one must present oneself for Holy Communion. The only people who are supposed to do that are Catholics in a state of grace, i.e., not conscious of grave sin, and they are supposed to immediately consume the host, not keep it. These rules are well known. Those taking the host with the intention of desecrating it are engaged in fraud and theft.
Posted by: Christopher | July 16, 2008 6:31 PM
You don't have to "accost" anybody to get one of the crackers. Just go to mass and hold out your hand...
Posted by: Lago | July 16, 2008 6:33 PM
"Wait, what? I'm armed with a cyberpistol? Is that what we atheist brigands use to rob trucks trundling down the tubes of the internet?"
Hahhahahahahha,,
Oh, Yeah, my name is Paddy Sean and I have no idea how what you said was supposed to be insulting to the irish.
Posted by: Midnight Rambler | July 16, 2008 6:33 PM
Because at this point, it seems to be a requirement for being elected as a Republican. You know they're in trouble when the only ones who sound semi-connected to reality are Newt Gingrich and Pat Buchanan.Posted by: Norman Doering | July 16, 2008 6:33 PM
PZ, since you can't really be sure if your crackers are consecrated or if they are stolen you should mix in some known unconsecrated crackers and then ask Bill Donohue to identify the consecrated crackers that may have been involved in any crimes. Show him the pictures here on your blog. If he can identify the consecrated crackers he can take them and return them to the churches they came from, but if he insists any of the known unconsecrated control crackers are consecrated and/or stolen he looses his cracker taking opportunity.
Also, when you do decide to abuse a consecrated cracker, it might be best to get the "minister of Life" church guy (see first video on my blog post here) to consecrate a cracker you bought so no crime is involved.
Be safe. You may have nothing to fear from crackers, but you might have a lot to fear from loonies with lawyers.
Posted by: Heathen Matt | July 16, 2008 6:35 PM
Project much, Mr. Foley?
A threat to do unspeakable things to a cracker: oh, noes, we gotta have increased security at the Godbots, Oilmen & Plutocrats convention.
Death threats against PZ Myers: yawn.
Sure got yer priorities straight there, fucknuts.
Posted by: jj | July 16, 2008 6:36 PM
Braying:
merican Heritage Dictionary
bray 1 Audio Help (brā) Pronunciation Key
v. brayed, bray·ing, brays
v. intr.
1. To utter the loud, harsh cry of a donkey.
2. To sound loudly and harshly: The foghorn brayed all night.
v. tr.
To emit (an utterance or a sound) loudly and harshly.
n.
1. The loud, harsh cry of a donkey.
2. A sound resembling that of a donkey: "an endless bray of pointless jocosity" (Louis Auchincloss).
Posted by: Kobra | July 16, 2008 6:36 PM
Is a cyberpistol a way to compensate for a small e-penis?
Sorry, I had to say it.
Posted by: Stark | July 16, 2008 6:36 PM
@ Fr.J #37 -
I hate to feed the trolls... but I do have a question for you.
How, exactly, does one tell the difference between "Catholic faux death threats" and real Catholic (or non Catholic) death threats? Are you saying that any death threat made by a Catholic is fake? REALLY? 'Cause I'm pretty sure I can find more than a few instances of Catholics who followed through on death threats should I care to look.
A death threat is a death threat. Period. Unless these threats said at the end of them "Hey, just kidding! Im' really just a big ass!" they are LEGITIMATE threats. A threat doesn't have to be acted upon for it to be a threat - in fact once it is acted upon it's called murder or attempted murder. Get it?
Posted by: J Myers | July 16, 2008 6:38 PM
He also objected to Myers' recent description of Catholic League President Bill Donohue as "braying," which Foley, a self-described Irish Catholic, claimed was "a great insult for the Irish."
A great insult for the Irish? Well, I'm glad you approve, Mr. Foley.
Posted by: Feshy | July 16, 2008 6:39 PM
What's he telling them to do? Consecrated Hosts are not just lying around
Yea, I mean... it's not like they're just handing them out to anyone who walks up or anything, right? Right?
Clearly, we'll have no choice but to use our cyber pistols to demand them. What would that even entail? E-mailing the word "bang" to someone you don't like?
He also objected to Myers' recent description of Catholic League President Bill Donohue as "braying," which Foley, a self-described Irish Catholic, claimed was "a great insult for the Irish."
It was irresponsible
I object to his description of Myers as "irresponsible" because, as a self-described white male, I find it's a great insult to Caucasians.
Wait... why can everyone else get away with that?
Posted by: Zeno | July 16, 2008 6:39 PM
"Fraud and theft"? My goodness! Let's check the law books. Oops! Not there. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Well, the conditions for receiving communion are there, but nothing about fraud and theft. You know, it looks like it's a sin and not a crime. No need to call 9-1-1 after all.
Posted by: Kobra | July 16, 2008 6:39 PM
Just for the sake of injecting irony into the discussion:
http://www.kobrascorner.com/didyoumean-cyberpistol.png
(I don't feel like implementing the workaround right now.)
Posted by: Phillip Allen | July 16, 2008 6:39 PM
@5
Don't leave out the essential running around in circles and shouting "la la la la la" at the top of this voice. If he doesn't do these vital things there's a tiny chance that something like outside information may leak in.
Posted by: Andrew | July 16, 2008 6:40 PM
Baffling.
Posted by: Greg | July 16, 2008 6:41 PM
One would think that, as a Republican, Mr. Foley would be very supportive of a cybergun. After all, isn't the NRA a major contributer to the Republican Party?
The whole thing reminds me of an old joke - If we get electricity from electrons, do we get morality from morons?
Posted by: David Marjanović, OM | July 16, 2008 6:41 PM
No, no, you misunderstand. Insulting the Catholic faith is especially insulting to the Irish, because that faith is part of the Irish ethnic identity (as opposed to the heretic Englishmen), as it is of the Polish (as opposed to the heretic Germans and Russians) and the Croat ethnic identities (as opposed to the heretic Serbians and Bosnian Muslims), as Orthodoxy is part of the Russian, Greek and Serbian ethnic identities (as opposed to heretic Croats and Poles, heathen Bosnian Muslims, Turks, Tatars, and so on), and as Islam is part of the Bosnian Muslim ethnic identity (created by the communist dictator Tito in the 1950s or thereabouts) (as opposed to Croats and Serbs).
Religion tends to lead to the most violence where it is regarded as one, or even the only, distinguishing quality of ethnic identity. In the absence of violence, you get ridiculous statements like the one you are replying to here.
Nobody did that, especially not Webster Cook, who is himself a devout Catholic and wanted to show the host to a friend who, in his words, "was curious about the Catholic faith".
How many thousands of comments did you simply skip in the last few days?
Wake me up, moron, when PZ starts killing people.
Posted by: Numad | July 16, 2008 6:41 PM
"In order to receive a host, one must present oneself for Holy Communion. The only people who are supposed to do that are Catholics in a state of grace, i.e., not conscious of grave sin, and they are supposed to immediately consume the host, not keep it. These rules are well known. Those taking the host with the intention of desecrating it are engaged in fraud and theft."
Those that consume the host also aren't suppose to eat or drink for one hour afterwards. Also, words don't mean whatever you want them to mean.
Posted by: bio teacher | July 16, 2008 6:42 PM
Fr. J
PLEASE tell my it is a FEDERAL offense to take a consecrated cracker? Pleasepleaseplease!!!!! That may be the funniest thing I've ever heard!!!
Also, as an aside, if I were to be Catholic and want to partake of these awful crackers but can't since I have Celiac disease, how does the church let me stay in the club? Do they make gluten free jeebus crackers? mmmmmmmmm....federally offensive gluten free christ crackers......
Posted by: mayhempix | July 16, 2008 6:43 PM
I phoned his office a few days ago when I first read this and talked to Foley on the phone.
He is just as much a fool as you would expect telling me that he had reason to fear disruption from atheists. When I told him about posted threats to PZ and asked where were the threats from atheists, he hung up.
Posted by: jj | July 16, 2008 6:43 PM
@37
Hey, when did PZ disrupt any service? It never happen. It makes no sense that just because someone disagrees, and decided to make his option public, makes them a bigot. We are all tolerant of you wackos out there. Just because you tolerate something doesn't mean you have to like or agree with it. You can be tolerant of a crying baby on a plane but it can still piss you off (South Park line rip off).
Posted by: bio teacher | July 16, 2008 6:43 PM
It should say "Fr J PLEASE tell me why it is...."
Posted by: James Goetz | July 16, 2008 6:44 PM
PZ, you're no better that Donahue if you carry out your desecration challenge.
Posted by: Calladus | July 16, 2008 6:44 PM
re: Tom Piatak
Are these legal rules? Is it against the law to accept the host in Mass? Or is that just a Church rule that is enforceable by an eternity in Hell?
I'd hate to go to jail, you see.
Posted by: raven | July 16, 2008 6:45 PM
Cyberpistol??? If you are going to possess imaginary weapons why not go in big? Cybernukes would be a good start.
Real cybers carry cyber rayguns anyway. Which will work well until you meet a Jedi Knight with a cyber lightsaber.
Not too familar with Foley. Is he always this stupid?
Posted by: Metro | July 16, 2008 6:45 PM
I want to state that I disagree with what PZ is doing with respect to the whole cracker business.
Requesting that consecrated hosts be taken out of churches (the only way to get them) by people who normally wouldn't wipe manure of their shoes on a temple doormat, in order to discomfit Catholics, most of whom aren't doctrinaire and find the whole business embarrasing, and show support for a student who seems to have misappropriated a host out of sheer daftness, looks to me like the sort of bloviating we accuse believers of daily.
Most times I'm totally with PZ. Not this time.
However, I need to point out to Mr. Foley that if they tighten security too much, the prostitutes may not make it in. Or perhaps the Republicans can just issue them badges this time?
I once read somewhere that hookers can't be bothered with the DNC because "they just screw each other," whereas Republicans wanted really dirty stuff, all on the down-really-low.
Posted by: Feynmaniac | July 16, 2008 6:45 PM
A "cyberpistol" on the "tubes" of "the internets". Why do Republicans have absolutely no idea how the internet works?
Actually I recall another Republican named Foley who managed to his the internet quite effectively.
P.S. Cyberpistol would be a kick ass name for a band
Posted by: Platypus | July 16, 2008 6:45 PM
Even at his age of 63, Foley said, he had never "personally encountered such bigotry."
His lack of personal experience with bigotry would be because Mr. Foley is rich, white, male, and a christian. Well, his lack of experience of being on the receiving end, at any rate.
For him to be quailing in terror at the mere possibility of someone thinking him to be a kook is quite simply pathetic.
Posted by: Kobra | July 16, 2008 6:45 PM
Don't hold your breath on that.Posted by: vespera | July 16, 2008 6:45 PM
Fr. J (#37), you are officially completely off your rocker.
The KKK? Really? You don't see "ANY difference" between PZ and the Ku Klux Klan? Threatening a processed food product (and a nasty one at that, as I can attest from an earlier and unfortunate period in my life) is the functional equivalent of arson, rape and murder?
Only someone without even a pathetic excuse for a moral compass could contemplate comparing the two. Now I just wonder if you are a Catholic priest because you are deranged or deranged because you are a priest.
At this beginning of this whole thing, I thought PZ was, frankly, a jackass for making the threat, and said so. But the longer this goes on the more I see his point. The foul-minded Defenders of the Faith who have come crawling out of the woodwork are a disgrace to all people who attempt to be peaceful and reasonable, and their behavior leaves me with no ammunition left to argue that we should respect their inanities.
Fuck them, and fuck you, Fr. J.
Posted by: Zarquon | July 16, 2008 6:46 PM
Oh no, PZ is a Cyberman. Beware of curly haired men with long multicoloured scarves.
Posted by: Brian Fabian | July 16, 2008 6:47 PM
I really don't care about any kind of apparent problem between you and this other person Mr. Foley, my only concern is the fact that you have something that is simply put the center and heart of the catholic church, and respectively hope you return them un-harmed to the closest Roman Catholic Church, these crackers as you put them mean so very much to allot of people and I would hate to see this kind of treatment be broadcasted onto the internet to prove some theory or point...Thank You
Posted by: Kel | July 16, 2008 6:47 PM
PZ Myers, the level 20 Cyberpunk. Maxed out intelligence, charisma and wisdom. Weapon: Cyberpistol
lol, this is getting quite funny. It just shows how much the church and it's followers want to revert to the 14th century when it could mandate conformity through fear. I guess any institution that has lost it's power and relevance occasionally wants to flex it's muscle to see whether it still can.
Posted by: Rey Fox | July 16, 2008 6:49 PM
"I thought you referred to Donohue as "braying" because he is an ass."
Probably, but have you ever heard him speak? Ah, never mind, I guess the example I'm going on is that link someone made to his appearance on Hardball with Christopher Hitchens. I can't fucking stand cable news because everyone seems to think they have to yell at me. I'm sitting right here, feet away from the TV with its amplified sound system. Hitch came off well in that interview simply because he was the only person in the room who was speaking in a normal voice.
Posted by: Ichthyic | July 16, 2008 6:52 PM
I keep wondering if Donowhore and Foley are covertly being paid by evangelical protestants to do their level best to make Catholicism look ridiculous.
If so, uh, nice job?
Posted by: Friendo | July 16, 2008 6:52 PM
Re: braying
The term "donkey" was historically used by the English to disparage the Irish I believe, as the Irish were/are perceived to have a streak of stubbornness, or so I was led to believe growing up (while I'm Canadian by birth, I have Irish ancestry and citizenship).
If you go to the racial slur database