We received a shocking email from a professor at the University of Notre Dame in response to our peaceful protest against their listing of internship opportunities to pro-abortion groups on the University website.
And since we received it, I have been praying and pondering on how to answer it. Would you offer some help, some suggestions on what to say in response?
I have withheld the name of the professor, so there is nothing personal here. It will be a principled and not a personal response. I have also edited one sentence for the sake of propriety.
Here is the email.
Message from ND professor:
Back off, you monsters. I teach at the University of Notre Dame and we are a finer university than you know. Of course we announce internships to organizations like:
Center for American Progress
Emily’s List
Feminist Majority Foundation
Human Rights Watch
Institute for Women's Policy Research
National Women’s Law Center
Think Progress
United Nations Population Fund
Why wouldn't we? These organization each and all do fabulous work. And this university is a university - it participates in all dialogue. That's what a good university does.
Back off -- you should be ashamed of yourselves, with your bullying " oral" tactics. Wake up. Do you think only Christians like you have a purchase on morality? Remember the Inquisition.
Remember the Holocaust when your Pope refused to protect Jews and collaborated with the Nazi. Remember your priests who … and the superior priests who moved them from one parish to the next... and kept their secrets.
Back off with your morality. You wouldn't know what it was if it was poured over your head.
Shame.
REMEMBER WHEN JESUS DIED FOR YOU ON THE CROSS TO FREE US FROM THE SIN LIKE YOU
ReplyDeleteYOU WILL BE JUDGED NOT BY WHERE YOU THOUGHT AS A PROFESSOR BUT WHAT YOU THOUGHT
Because things in the past were held wrong it does not mean we need to repeat their wrong actions again.
ReplyDeleteLets look forward to what Pope Benedict has said, the Bible and scripture has to say about this subject. If it was wrong at that time - it is still wrong to day. I don't believe our heads are in the sand on this subject, take it out if it is, and look around to right rather then repeat wrong.
Why has the Church paid out Millions of dollars because of the wrong then and it is just as wrong today.
Pray the Holy Spriit for guidence.
God bless you all
Michael T. O'Shea
umickey@midrives.com
The Catholic Church spoke out against the Nazi Regime from the beginning AND Pope Pius XII rescued thousands of Jews: http://www.catholic.com/documents/how-pius-xii-protected-jews
ReplyDeleteThis professor is being inflammatory. Besides, past wrongs do not justify present ones.
Pax tecum!
Here is what I would say:
ReplyDeleteDear Prof. X:
I think it is telling that in describing Notre Dame, you call it a "finer" university, you call it "a" university, and you call it a "good" university. Appropriately, you do not call it a Catholic university, for indeed when it promotes and supports organizations that promote and support abortion, it does not deserve that title.
We will not be shamed or silenced for standing up for the Truth.
Wow, I am in shock, such a tone from a professor teaching at a Catholic University. I wonder who is running the university and and kind of environment it harbors for dissents of Church's Teaching. Maybe it is time the Bishops act to strip the university of its Catholics identity to stop any and all the confusion out there.
ReplyDeleteSome people acted erronoulsy in the past, but that does not give anyone the right to do the same.
ReplyDeleteWe have no right to kill. A fetus is not a "tissue", is a human been. He or she can even have a type of blood different of the mother who is carring and norturing that fetus for several months.
Please see the movie "October Baby", just see it. This is not asking too much from anyone.
Thank you and God bless.
First you should verify the person actually is a professor. Could be a student working in that office. Send a copy of his email to the President of Notre Dame and tell him this professor is creating bad publicity for the university. Ask him the same question, "How should I respond, in a loving way, to this professor"?
ReplyDeleteFirst, someone who writes like this person - and I think perhaps you should reveal the identity of the person - is probably NOT a tenured professor. There is way too much ignorance, and lack of tact, in the letter to indicate a tenured professor. (In saying that, you can see I still retain a tiny shred of respect for academics at Notre Dame.) Therefore, working off the fact that this person is not tenured, I would directly email a copy of this letter to his/her department chair and ANY OTHER academic supervisor that might be relevant, so as to limit the possibility of this professor reaching tenure. Why? It is public speech, and it is unacceptable coming from Notre Dame (except from its President).
ReplyDeleteSecond, The writer more probably is a woman.
You would know because you are shielding the identity, and didn't even give a clue as to gender. The lack of tact would indicate someone who feels surrounded and embedded into a like-minded cadre in some department at the University. There are many pro-life activists now at Notre Dame University, and they do not all read your blog :-( I would recommend communicating directly with some of these activists, showing them the letter,
revealing the identity, and asking by way of
inquiry, their suggestions as to what to do.
They will have lots of suggestions !!!
I believe that the anonymous writer of 27 Mar 2012 at 6AM has the best strategy as to how to act on this message of hatred and vitriol.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, thanks for sharing so that we know that the smoke of Satan really has entered the Catholic Church.
The professor's email was filled with lies. Especially the one about the Pope and the jews during WWII. And the organizations he or she lists do not do fabulous work. Especially Emily's List which wholeheartedly supports the killing of INNOCENT unborn babies
ReplyDeleteProfessor? Professor of what? Ahhhh! Professor of buffoonicism... Emeritus of course!
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. ritchie:
ReplyDeleteYou simply don't answer an email like this. This professor is simply closed to any open discussion on the subject. Rather, I think it would be a good idea to expose the email to the Department Dean? the Student body? the University president? The prolife groups in the campus? Be creative!! Something like this cries for punishment. I remember Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in one of his sermons stating that when the sinner does not repent and adamantly insists in his sinful behavior, he places himself before the judgement of God.
Furthermore, I think these people act in the dark, taking advantage of the lack of information on their behavior and thinking that they can get away with it. I think it is a moral duty to expose this shameful rejection of what is good and moral. This cannot be left alone. There is enough material in the email against wholesome and true catholic doctrine. Maybe it is time the University starts to seriously consider going back to its true catholic identity.