Elena at My Domestic Church reviews the confrontation between Sean Hannity and Father Thomas Euteneuer from Human Life International on the topic of Sean’s public dissent on contraception. This was in response to a column Father Euteneuer wrote taking Sean Hannity to task on this issue. Not surprisingly Elena notes the multiple logical fallacies that Sean Hannity made during the exchange such as Sean talking about his educational background and that contraception reduces abortion. And of course he trotted out the NFP equals contraception argument. The argument is always made as if this was a devastating critique that could not possible be answered by Church teaching. As if the first thing that pops into people’s mind on this subject could not possibly be answered by the Church who has thought long and hard on contraception.
I use to listen to Hannity’s show more frequently, but rarely listen to it now. For one he does not have much to offer in tehe area as a conservative philosopher and his reasoning to defend issues (that I usually agree with him on) are pretty much stock replies that he just uses over and over. His cafeteria Catholicism has repeatedly shown itself in the area of torture and contraception. Mostly his own defense of contraception in his own life was to put off children while he built his radio career. Because obviously children could get in the way of such a lofty goal. Darn those gifts of God for possibly getting in the way of a career. Gee you just might have to make sacrifices, and of course God would never want you to make sacrifices or to perhaps to pick up a cross. In fact it is really quite unfair of God to make us fertile so early and not have it timed to a perfect storm of optimum career path and are willingness of finding that it is time.
Gerald posted the transcript.
Update: Why Fret has some appropriate merchandise.
7 comments
It should not come as any surpise that media darlings like Hannity and Colmes, O’Reilly, et al, whether Right or Left are pretty shallow, preening nincompoops. The late Neil Postman damned most televsion programming, even and especially PBS, as vacuous amusements devoid of any substance. For the most part I agree, although EWTN has done a great job of acting in place of our most of own shallow preening prelates who chose to model their careers on the Vicar of Bray.
Now that Rosie O’Donnell is gone, Sean Hannity has become The Stupidest Person In Media. I wonder how long before he starts alienating his audience, or has he already?
I think Father was fine for writing an article on the topic, but I think he should have declined going on the H&C. While Hannity did use rhetorical fallacies for making his case against the priest, a lot of the viewers won’t recognize that. If anything, it’s likely to misguide viewers even more as to possibly thinking “Well that priest is an extremist and thus not creditable” or moreover bringing on further resentment as Hannity makes it out to be that he’s being personally attacked for something he considers ridiculas.
We have to remember that our Lord instructed us to first make our corrections to people one on one, without bringing them into a humilating situation where others not directly involved will find themselves judging both parties and taking sides with very little knowledge. But considering that the two weren’t close friends and that the priest should have thought it unlikely to be able to speak with Sean privately, than his article served at correcting the problems Sean is calling and clarifying Church teaching as well as responsibility.
His presense on the show did not do this. Granted, perhaps he was ignorant that being a guest on such program does not mean getting the chance to respectively get into your views in depth.
I still have to say that while I disagree with Sean on this issue and that I see his flaws, I think we need to be careful about writing him off. He’s still got a profound powerful influence on other subject areas. He simply needs to be lovingly approached to information such as the theology of the body and what not. He needs our prayers. I don’t think he’s honestly culpable for his views and whenever we feel like someone is attacking us, our pride always takes over. We always hold strong to our opinion and close our mind to any discussion. The only way to break free of that is to come to the person in a way that they are affirmed in what they do have right and to give them information in a way that is “I care about you and I want to give this to you to help you.” If the person sees you as condemning them, they get overwealmed with your expectation and react in defensiveness.
I kinda feel sorry for Sean. He accepts a lot more of the Church’s teaching on contraception than most Catholics, but he employs some form of relativism where non-Catholics need not be held to the same moral standard as Catholics even though Catholicism is the ideal.
I sent him an e-mail. I doubt it will get through to him. I pointed out that Humanae Vitae specifically cites that evil cannot be done, even out of good intentions (such as reducing abortion). Also how canon law prohibits Catholics from dissenting from any Church doctrine. I also tried to explain than correcting others on church teaching is not judging them, but an act of charity and being denied Communion is for one’s own spiritual well-being.
I am tired of the FoxNews method of interviewing which goes something like this:
The host is free to interrupt anyone he wants whenever he wants. However, when the host is interrupted, he says “Excuse me, let me finish my question.” This makes the guest look like a jerk for following the host’s example, and it basically treats the guest like their thoughts are not really worth hearing. It places the host on some throne while the guests are treated like peons.
It’s a wonder anyone even bothers being interviewed by that network.
Fox is a pawn of the Republican Party just as CNN is a pawn of the Democratic Party. There is no news source that just gives the news based upon a Constitutional standard. Hannity chooses what to say based upon what’s going to be best for those supporting him, and loyalty to his Church is not among that standard. Great job on Fr. Euteneuer’s part for standing up for the Truth.
I agree with Angela. As a sister of someone who is a state similiar to Terri Schiavo, I will be forever grateful to the man. Even though he is not 100% devout, God still works through him.