Moore Passion about The Passion

AgapePress, Jan. 17 — A college is preventing its Christian Student Fellowship Group from showing The Passion of the Christ.

According to AgapePress, Johnny Moore, vice president for student affairs at Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Fla., said the decision not to show the Mel Gibson film “had nothing to do with the movie’s religious content.”

Instead, he said, it was because of the college’s policy on R-rated movies for college-sponsored student organizations. Indian River College earlier hosted a play whose title mentions Jesus but is unprintable here. That performance was filled with obscene references to Christ.

David French, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, found it “astonishing” that a college which “said that they’re concerned with young people seeing an R-rated movie” would also permit an obscene performance on campus.

With regard to that performance, Moore said proper procedures were “unfortunately” not followed.

Meanwhile, Gibson’s film was praised by another Moore. Michael Moore, creator of Fahrenheit 911, called The Passion “a powerful piece of filmmaking.” Gibson, according to AP Radio, said he liked Moore’s latest film and commented, “I feel a kind of strange kinship with Michael.”

Two Priests Advocating Homosexual Rights Resign

STAR TRIBUNE, Jan. 13 — Two priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis who have led parishes supportive of homosexual rights are resigning from their pastorates.

According to the Minneapolis daily, the archdiocese in the past has ordered Father George Wertin, pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis, to remove from the parish website so-called “gay pride” materials and to stop permitting non-ordained people to deliver homilies.

The other priest resigning is Father Stephen O’Gara, pastor of the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, also in Minneapolis. Michael Bayly, a coordinator for the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities — described in the article as “a gay-rights group that has hosted a speaker series at St. Thomas, St. Joan and other metro parishes” — said he doesn’t think either priest was forced out.

Review Mag Sees Babies as ‘Uterine Content’

CULTURE & COSMOS, Jan. 18 — Consumer Reports reviews contraceptive products in its February issue, and many pro-life critics have pointed out inaccuracies. Culture & Cosmos, the email bulletin of the Culture of Life Foundation, also finds in it an offensive reference to unborn babies as “uterine content.”

The bulletin said Consumer Reports disparages the Centers for Disease Control’s listing of sexual abstinence as a viable method of birth control. The magazine’s evaluation of 23 condom types doesn’t report on condoms’ permeability to human papillomavirus which, according to the story, the CDC says is the most common form of venereal disease and can lead to cervical cancer.

Andy Alderson, executive director of the Couple to Couple League, said the report also “shows a complete lack of understanding" about natural family planning.

Culture & Cosmos recommends calling Consumer Reports to cancel subscriptions or complain at (914) 378-2029.