Tuesday, July 17, 2007

More on the SBC from the Southern Poverty Law Center

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Paul, I just left this comment at DTF Blog:

As I stated at La Salette Journey Marie, it is important to show both what the Catholic Church IS and what it ISN'T.

Paul has done this admirably. The SPLC article makes it clear that the SBC is NOT affiliated in any way with the Roman Catholic Church. The scandal they cause by their anti-semitism is very damaging. This because it gives rise to the idea that the Catholic Church is anti-semitic. Paul's posts at his Blog have shown time and again that such is not the case, that in fact the Church has consistently condemned anti-semitism as incompatible with the Gospel.

This doesn't mean, of course, that faithful Catholics don't have legitimate concerns and/or disagreements with Judaism and the Jewish People. We recognize Jesus as Savior and Messiah. But in disagreeing with the Jewish People about the Person of Our Savior, we don't hate Jews or relegate them to eternal damnation. It is for God to judge the internal guilt of any person - Jew or Gentile.

I highly recommend the SPLC article.

Anonymous said...

As a resident of Richmond, I have to say that the article was very well thought-out and written. The author took the time to interview various townspeople, both SBC and non-SBC. She spent days looking around the town. The words of Douglas Bersaw & Andre Marie in regards to those of the Jewish faith are both frightening & inciteful. I can only hope that people of other denominations and faiths DO NOT mistake the SBC as being recognized by Rome & therefore think that's how all Catholics feel. It is only this deceitful cult who feels that way.

Anonymous said...

Paul, I want to thank you for your exposes on the SBC and your commitment toward fighting the hateful anti-semitism of this disturbing organization. This story is continuing to unfold.

May our Lady of La Salette keep you under her mantle at all times.

Anonymous said...

The SBC is in no way representative of our community. The majority are honest, thoughtful, hardworking, diverse people who do not want this group infiltrating town government, pushing their anti-semitic, anti-feministic, homo-phobic agenda at us. We are good people.

SBC is holding a festival in Swanzey NH. They call it the "Richmond Buelberry Fiddle Festival." They use the very name of the town they have filed a lawsuit against. And, none of the proceeds go to the town. Rather, all proceeds go to their school. Do you see that on any of the posters they have hung up all over creation? No. The posters do not even say where the monies go. Yet, another deception among so many more.

If any of you have the courage to silently protest at this festival, please hold up a sign and let people know what SBC is and is not.

Anonymous said...

I would also encourage the people of NH to boycott any and all of those businesses which support the SBC. And this includes the Royal Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nashua, where this hate group plans on holding a conference next month (August 17th - 19th).

Let all your friends and neighbors know that the Royal Crowne Plaza Hotel is allowing a hate group to meet on its property.

They may have the right to do this. But we have a right to boycott their hotel.

Sanctus Belle said...

Paul, thank you so much for opening my eyes to this group. In years past I visited their website and ordered their periodical. I honestly didn't see anything out of the ordinary in anything. In fact I found them refreshingly "orthodox" but what doesn't show on the website nor in their "From the Housetops" (or is it rooftops - can't remember) is the anti-semitism. They claim to be Catholic, in line with Rome. I was very shocked to learn the truth about them from your blog.

May Mary keep you and your family safe beneath her mantle. May God bless you abundantly. Amen+

Anonymous said...

I didn't know much about them either Sanctus. But the extent of the organization's anti-semitism is just shocking isn't it? For the life of me, I just cannot understand anyone who can deny the Holocaust when the United States Army documented it with so much film footage and still photography. Douglas Bersaw and Louis Villarrubia come across as both psychologically disturbed and filled with hatred. This is a real tragedy.

Anonymous said...

At the Freerepublic Forum, an individual named Andrew Byler posted the following criticism of a statement Paul made in his interview with the SPLC:

Paul's statement: "The fact that a religious community would be training in martial arts and weapons struck me as odd." Andrew's criticism: "thus displaying his ignorance of the origin of martial arts at the Buddhist Shaolin Temple."

Paul is hardly ignorant of the Shaolin Temple. He is a Black Belt who first began studying martial arts in 1973. He has studied Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do as well as Judo.

Paul was referring to Catholic religious communities. While it may have been necessary for Buddhist monks in centuries past to study martial arts to defend themselves, it is hardly necessary in 21st century America for a religious community which professes to be Catholic to be engaged in martial arts and weapons training (referring to handguns, rifles and automatic weapons).

Andrew is a mental midget.

Anonymous said...

A woman named Terri told readers at the Keene Talkback Forum that:

"Among the things cited [at the SBC website] is how Andre considers the pope & bishops, (the errant, dysfunctional hierarchy) to be the most dangerous enemies."

This is clear evidence of how far this pretend deacon has slipped into pride and possibly madness.

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Thank you all for your comments and especially for your prayers. This story is continuing to unfold. Stay tuned.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully the IRS will investigate the SBC's false claim to be Roman Catholic and its tax exemption status. The SBC claimed (on the tax exemption application) to be Roman Catholic. However, the Diocese of Manchester has said that the SBC has no affiliation with either the Diocese or the Roman Catholic Church.

I think Louis Villarrubia should be censured - or even excommunicated - for falsely asserting that he's an ordained Deacon and for claiming that the SBC is Roman Catholic.

Anonymous said...

You are a traitor to all Christianity, all of our Churches, institutions, families, both Catholic and Protestant, by going to these anti-Christ jews and joining them in a kvetch session.

I bet you support the Iraq war for fear of being an "anti-semite". That's what it's about, enabling their dollar, enabling their military-industrial complex for Israel and their wealth, and hoping for your trickle down of a measly poridge, waiting for the multimillion dollar SPLC to give you "tollerant" people permission to eat, because "anti-semites" shouldn't.

You are an empty capitalist materialist, an Ayn Rand cultist / money changer enabler, who doesn't want some spectre of Christianity haunting your presence with their sense of democracy and local political involvement.

"They're partipating in the democratic process! Shouldn't there be laws against this!"

"Isn't democracy about tolerance, melting pots, MLK and the like as the SPLC says, not this evil and hurtful voting thing! They might take away my sodomy!"

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

If I am a "traitor to all Christianity" for opposing anti-Semitism, then so is the Roman Catholic Church. I would suggest a thorough read of the Catechism, Nos. 597 and 598. No. 597 teaches clearly that, "Jews are not collectively responsible for Jesus' death." This paragraph cites Vatican II on the subject: "...Neither all Jews indiscriminately at that time, nor Jews today, can be charged with the crimes committed during his Passion....The Jews should not be spoken of as rejected or accursed as if this followed from holy Scripture." (597 citing Nostra Aetate, No. 4). Therefore, your reference to "anti-Christ jews" is most unfortunate.


As for your assertion that I am an empty capitalist materialist, "an Ayn Rand cultist / money changer enabler, who doesn't want some spectre of Christianity haunting your presence with their sense of democracy and local political involvement," I am not certain how you come to this conclusion. Kindly enligten me.

Anonymous said...

The SPLC article is just great. It is encouraging that the anti-semitism of this cult is being exposed for all to see. I worry though about reports of automatic weapon fire and night scopes. Is this cult planning something? Or are they simply paranoid like the cultists at Waco? I think Mr. Melanson is justified in his concerns.

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