Ora et Labora

Kathleen gets full credit for coming up with this great idea. It will accomplish a number of goals, but primarily it will enable people -- especially Catholics (1) -- who are a little bit tired of the rampant Catholic bashing over here to turn each bash into a little bit of prayer and action. Every time there's a bash we'll track it here and it will be added to The "Catholic Bash Watchlist" for which I've added a feed on the sidebar. Then you have to say a Hail Mary, or another suitable prayer, in reparation for sins against the Holy Church for each bash. And at the end of the month you multiply the number of bashes by your pledge amount and write a check out to the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights (2).

I'm pledging $1.00 per bash. To start out, at least.

This is not a joke. It is basically in response to a Catholic guy who said "Contras could be doing a lot more for good than simply ganging up on one man and venting their spleen at him and searching for whatever they might bash him with." He went on to say in the same comment "[Grace] will eventually lead these kids to find something else to do with their time, possibly something constructive." (emphasis mine) Well, here is the fulfillment to that prophecy. This "kid", erstwhile Contra Crunchy blog contributor, is finally going to do something instead of just mocking the hysterical rantings of an anti-Catholic like Dreher. I guess Divine Grace must have smacked me upside the head and whispered forcefully, "Time to get to work, say your prayers and shell out the big bucks, Buddy Roe!"

And not a moment too soon. Because, kids, looks like I already owe $2.00 to the Catholic League! We had the Catholic School bash on Monday and the Morally Incoherent Maltese Catholic Leadership bash today. (Kudos to Bill H. and John McG for questioning in the combox whether the Knights of Malta constituted "Catholic Church Leadership".) But don't bog the man down with details, Malta, Rome, Knights, Cardinals.... whatever....

But I'm going to need some help here from the regulars here, so listen up Diane, Andy, et al. If you can't afford to make the donations you can still say the reparation prayers and help me by monitoring the blog. I placed a feed on the side bar to help. And at least consider pledging a dime per bash and throwing a buck in the poor box on Sunday. This can be fun, too, and instructive as it will hopefully "raise awareness" that Jack Chick doesn't have a monopoly on cartoonish Catholic Bashing.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Notes:
(1) Bubba, Barb and other non-Catholics, you can help, too; feel free to select prayers and charities of you're choosing as well as point out bashes of your own religions.
(2) Or any other suitable charity of your choice.

UPDATE: Hilariously enough, sounds like Dreher got his facts confused and the so-called "Church Leadership" (i.e., the Knights of Malta) have not accepted McAuliffe's application as of yet. Reported by Joshua in the combox and he provided this link also. But you see, this still counts as a bash; we'll wait and see how sincere the apology is though. Certainly there will be one, right? I'll let someone else start a drive where folks donate to the press club everytime Rod fails to check a source.