Did America’s “conservative network” violate its anchor Bret Baier’s religious rights in forcing Legatus pullout?

Did Fox News violate anchor Bret Baier’s religious rights by pressing him to pull out as a speaker at the Catholic Legatus summit? Go to 23:40 mark in the video below. Read HERE about how Baier confirmed that  Fox “requested” he withdraw as a speaker. And go HERE for Peter LaBarbera’s in-depth report for America’s Survival on Fox News’ escalating pro-homosexual bias, 

America’s Survival TV led by veteran conservative media observer Cliff Kincad interviewed AFTAH’s Peter LaBarbera January 21, 2015 about Fox News “requesting” that anchor Bret Baier, a Catholic, pull out as a speaker from a Jan. 28-29 conference by the Catholic group Legatus. [See AFTAH stories HERE and HERE.] Note at about the 24:00 mark how Jerry Kenney raises the specter of whether Fox violated Baier’s religious rights, citing a potential Title VII violation under the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)-enforced code. Here is AS’s write-up:

Published on YouTube Jan 24, 2015
The pressure to conform to the left-wing homosexual agenda has scored a direct hit on the Fox News Channel. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth discusses the scandal surrounding Bret Baier’s forced withdrawal from a Catholic conference. Jerry Kenney and Cliff Kincaid join Peter LaBarbera to discuss whether Bret Baier’s rights to free speech and religious expression were violated by his corporate bosses. Can a legal case be brought against Fox News?

Discuss web-based intimidation network that is wearing down conservatives

Salem Radio host Janet Mefferd interviewed AFTAH’s Peter LaBarbera yesterday (Jan. 20, 2015) about Fox News’ decision to request that its nightly “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier pull out as a scheduled speaker at a Legatus conference after a homosexual activist complained that Legatus, a national Catholic businessmen’s group, is “very anti-gay.” Baier himself is a Catholic, and defended his withdrawal from the event. Fox News is a major donor to a homosexual journalists group. Click HERE for the MP3 audio link to the hour-long interview [or click on the image at right].

It may be easier to listen at Janet’s website audio player: [go HERE].

The two also discussed Hollywood’s current obsession with promoting homosexuality and gender confusion.

Here is Mefferd’s website description of the show:

Janet Mefferd-1/20/2alam015-Hour 1-Janet Mefferd Radio Show

JANUARY 20, 2015 BY JANET MEFFERD SHOW

Hour 1- Fox News anchor Bret Baier pulled out of a speaking engagement for a conservative Catholic group after a homosexual activist labeled the group “very anti-gay.” Peter LaBarbera from Americans for Truth About Homosexuality stops by to discuss his thoughts on the effects of the LGBT Thought Police.

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Related AFTAH Stories:

• “Fox News Throws Catholic Group Legatus Under the Bus” [has full contact information for Bret Baier, Gary Sinise, etc.]
• “Bret Baier Confirms Fox News Requested that He Pull Out of Legatus Event”

Fox News-enforced Political Correctness: Anchor Bret Baier [e-mail: special@foxnews.com] confirms that Fox News requested that he pull out of a Jan 28-29 conference for the Catholic group Legatus. Baier chided a Legatus writer for not being “loving” enough, and for calling homosexuality a “disorder.” Yet the Catholic Catechism teaches that both homosexual behavior and inclinations are “disordered.” Meanwhile, FOX News funds a “gay journalists” group that promotes sexual behavior condemned by the Catholic Church and the Bible. [See Peter LaBarbera’s in-depth report on Fox’s pro-homosexual bias and funding of an activist-minded homosexual journalists association HERE.]

• Anchor cites Pope Francis in agreeing with network decision to withdraw as speaker;

• Baier says Legatus writer not “loving” enough; criticizes calling homosexuality a “disorder” even though that is Catholic teaching;

• Gov. Mike Huckabee, Austin Ruse sign up as new Legatus speakers, defying “Gay Thought Police”

• Do Bret Baier, Gary Sinise and Pete Coors owe Legatus and Catholics an apology?

By Peter LaBarbera

The following e-mail note was sent Friday by Fox News’ “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier [E-mail: special@FOXNEWS.COM] in response to an AFTAH newsletter subscriber who wrote him expressing concern over Baier’s decision to pull out as a scheduled speaker from a conference later this month by the Catholic group Legatus. [See previous AFTAH story on Legatus HERE.]

As you can read below, as justification for abandoning his commitment to Legatus, Baier criticizes a Legatus writer who wrote about “same-sex attraction disorder” for not being “loving” and “accepting” enough–e.g., for referring to homosexuality as a “disorder.” However, Baier, who describes himself as a “lifelong mass attending Catholic,” might want to study up on his own Church’s moral teachings. The Catholic Church Catechism describes the homosexual “inclination” as “objectively disordered,” and same-sex acts as “intrinsically disordered.”

The good news is that Legatus has had no trouble filling the politically correct speakers’ void, with former GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee–a former Fox News host himself–sending a powerful message by leading the pack of new speakers advertised for the January 28-29 summit. Joining Huckabee are Catholic pro-family activist Austin Ruse and ex-CEO and professor Harry Kraemer.

Also, as AFTAH reported, Louisana Gov. Bobby Jindal never buckled to “gay” activist pressure by remaining as a speaker [call Gov. Jindal at 225-342-7015], and New York Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan will say a Mass at the Legatus event.

Bottom Line: Fox News’ Values Upside-Down

Here is the bottom line of this controversy: Fox News directly finances and sponsors pro-“gay” media events that promote homosexual behavior and ideology–including same-sex “marriage”–condemned by the Catholic Church. They also recruit at these activist-oriented events: see their sponsorship of last year’s National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) conference in Chicago, attended by this writer, and my in-depth special report on Fox News pro-“gay” bias and ongoing funding of the NLGJA.

At the same time, Fox News apparently discourages its on-air talent from participating in wholesome, faith-based events that uphold traditional sexual morality, e.g., those espoused by longstanding Catholic Church teachings on sex and marriage.

What a shame. The good news is that more and more Americans despise the upside-down world of political correctness and the emerging “gay activist hecklers’ veto” that demonizes pro-family leaders and groups with the loaded accusation of being “anti-gay” and falsely smears them as being “hateful” merely because they uphold historic Judeo-Christian morality.

Fox Recruits at “Gay Journalist” Event: Fox News recruiting table at homosexual journalists (NLGJA) convention, held last year in Chicago. Photo: Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH; Click to enlarge.

Enough is enough. Thank you, Mike Huckabee and Austin Ruse (Center for Family and Human Rights) for defying the intolerant “Gay” Censors! [Contact Huckabee HERE and Ruse at (202)393-7002.]

Personally, I believe Fox News and Bret Baier–as well as actor Gary Sinise and businessman Pete Coors—owe an apology to Legatus and all faithful Catholics–and defenders of biblical morality everywhere. Here is Legatus’ gracious media statement on the speakers situation. AFTAH will have more on this story. Full contact information to reach Baier and the others can be found HERE.–Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

PS. It is hard to reach Fox News’ higher-ups, but you can send a letter to Fox News President Roger Ailes here:

Fox News Channel
Attn: Roger Ailes
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036

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Following is Baier’s note followed by the short note to him sent by an AFTAH reader:

From: Show -Special [special@FOXNEWS.COM]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2015 2:37 PM
To: [xxxxxx]
Subject: RE: Legatus cancellation

Actor Gary Sinise, beer exec Pete Coors join Baier in withdrawing as speakers from Catholic businessmen’s group after homosexual blogger says Legatus is “very anti-gay”

Fox News’ pro-homosexual bias continues: A homosexual activist blogger charged the Catholic group Legatus with being “very anti-gay,” and within days Fox anchor Bret Baier pulled out as a speaker at a Legatus event scheduled for Jan. 28-29.  Did the “conservative” network push Baier to pull out? In contrast to Baier (and actor Gary Sinise, who also cancelled as a speaker), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ignored political correctness and is fulfilling his promise to speak at the same Catholic event. Call Fox News at 888-369-4762 (ext. #3); contact Baier HERE. Commend Gov. Jindal HERE (225-342-7015). And read Peter LaBarbera’s in-depth report on Fox News’ growing pro-homosexual bias HERE.

[Update: in an email sent to a subscriber to AFTAH’s e-newsletter, Bret Baier confirmed that his employer, Fox News, had asked him to pull out as a speaker at the Legatus summit. Baier said he agreed with the decision (story upcoming….)]

[Correction: we failed to note that Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York joined Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal as among the original “big-name” speakers who did NOT pull out of the Legatus event.]

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TAKE ACTION: Liberty Is At Stake:

1) Contact Fox News and Bret Baier: Call 888-369-4762; hit ext. #3. Contact Page (no form) HERE. E-mail: comments@foxnewsinsider.com. Contact Bret Baier [web page HERE] at special@foxnews.com. Express your deep concern at Fox and Special Report anchor Baier buckling to pro-homosexual activists by pulling out of the Catholic businessmen’s group Legatus’ Jan. 28-29 conference following a homosexual activist blogger’s report that the group is “very anti-gay.” AFTAH is speculating that Fox News—which annually gives sizeable donations to a homosexual journalists association—pressured Baier to withdraw from the Legatus event.

2) Thank Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal: Call 225-342-7015 [Contact page form HERE.] Of the big-name [secular] speakers invited by Legatus, Jindal is the only one not to cave in to the “Gay Thought Police.” Commend him for honoring his commitment and not capitulating like the others:

3) Contact Gary Sinise through his foundation: [Click HERE; Sinise’s Facebook page is HERE.] Sinise does wonderful work raising support for America’s veterans and defending freedom—but what good is liberty if Americans cower before Political Correctness and morality-phobic (and often anti-Christian) “gay” activists?

4) Contact Pete Coors through Coors Brewing:  [Contact Page HERE] Coors was once known as the favorite beer of conservatives, but self-censorship and in the face of leftist pressure campaigns—rather than standing up for one’s beliefs–is hardly conservative.

5) Read my in-depth 2013 report on Fox News’ growing pro-“gay” bias – “Unfair, Unbalance & Afraid: Fox News Growing Pro-Homosexual Bias” –which I wrote for America’s Survival. The report documents Fox News’ troubling drift away from providing even balanced coverage on homosexual issues like —as well as the pro-homosexual remarks of Fox News contributors like Bernie Goldberg–who wrote an awful piece saying Jesus would probably support homosexual “marriage.” Read the report on PDF HERE and in standard web (HTML) format HERE.

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Fox News Throws Catholic Businessmen’s Group Legatus Under the Bus

By Peter LaBarbera; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera

Dear AFTAH Readers,

It grieves me to report that Fox News “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier—of whom I am a fan–has pulled out of a speaking engagement for the conservative Catholic businessmen’s group Legatus–following a report by a homosexual activist blogger who labeled the organization “very anti-gay.”

Joining the Fox News “Special Report” anchor in withdrawing from the annual Legatus summit January 28-29 in Naples, Florida were conservative actor Gary Sinese and Coors Brewing Company Pete Coors. Louisiana Gov. Unlike these three men, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is honoring his commitment to address the Legatus summit [thank Jindal HERE; call him at the Louisiana governor’s office at 225-342-7015].

Legatus is a national Catholic businessmen’s organization with many local chapters across the nation, devoted to fostering “spiritual growth, formation and commitment” among its members. “Legatus” is the Latin word for “ambassador,” and the group seeks to help its members become “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The Catholic Canadian pro-family website LifeSiteNews.com, which broke the story on the Fox News/Baier/Sinise capitulations, reported this about Legatus:

Legatus, which was begun by Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan in 1987 to network Catholic business leaders, is faithful to the Church’s Magisterium and therefore upholds the Church’s teachings on all moral matters including homosexuality.

But none of that mattered to New York City homosexual blogger and GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) writer Jeremy Hooper. What concerned Hooper as a professional “gay” activist is that Legatus upholds the longstanding Catholic teachings that homosexual behavior is “intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law.” The Catholic Church Catechism cites “Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity.” Such acts “do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity,” it states. “Under no circumstances can they be approved.” Regarding marriage: “Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another.”

Hooper’s “Good As You” web post cites two Legatus writings: one opposing homosexual “civil unions,” the other defending ex-“gay” therapy for people trying to overcome homosexual feelings and temptations. Both of Hooper’s examples align with traditional Catholic teachings, and are reproduced at the bottom of this story.

Fox: Baier “unaware” of “controversy”

Fox News issued the following statement on behalf of Baier, as reported Tuesday by the website Raw Story (note the odd Raw Story headline intended to make the Legatus meeting look extreme):

“Bret Baier has withdrawn his participation as a speaker at the upcoming Legatus Summit due to the controversy surrounding some editorial stances in the organization’s magazine,” a statement from Fox News said. “Bret accepted the invitation to speak about his book, his faith, and his son’s congenital heart disease. He was unaware of these articles or the controversy surrounding them.”

Like many conservatives, I am an avid consumer of Fox News, and a fan of Baier’s evening show “Special Report,” with its “all star panel” including Charles Krauthammer—having watched easily over a thousand episodes. However, I have also exposed and documented the growing pro-homosexual bias at Fox News—in contradiction of its slogan (repeated nightly by Baier) to be “Fair, Balanced and Unafraid.” [See my report for America’s Survival HERE.]

Why would a professional journalist like Baier be “afraid” to honor his commitment to speak at a conservative Catholic event—especially since Baier himself is conservative and Catholic? And what do these latest capitulations say about the “Gay Thought Police’s” ability to intimidate people from living out their faith or moral worldview in the Public Square.

File this latest disaster in the pro-family fight against Big Gay Inc. under, “Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory.” As Michael Voris’ notes in his devastating ChurchMilitant.TV video below, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1995 unanimously upheld the right of the Boston St. Patrick’s Day organizers NOT to include a homosexual contingent in their parade.

Funny how homosexual activists didn’t give up after the SCOTUS defeat, but instead set about pressuring their way into such parades, ultimately succeeding in the Big Apple. Now that one homosexual group has been allowed in, many others will join them in coming years–changing the character of the parade and making it by definition less faithful and family-friendly. (What could be more antithetical to Catholic teachings than homosexuals marching proudly down the street, calling attention to their “gayness”–an identity based on sinful, disordered behavior?) Please circulate this video far and wide using the tool on the ChurchMilitant.TV website. –Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH.org; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera

[Video is after the jump]

Writes ChurchMilitant.TV: “Catholic investigative journalist and author, Randy Engel, joins Michael Voris of ChurchMilitant.TV to talk about her landmark book The Rite of Sodomy. Over the course of 1,300 pages and 3,000 footnotes, Engel explains the immensity of the homosexual subculture that has hijacked the Roman Catholic Church.” This program (“Mic’d up”) aired September 20, 2013.

Editor’s Note: I highly recommend Randy Engel’s book for any serious student of the organized homosexuality (“gay”) movement. I am not even a third of the way through it but already I have benefited tremendously from Randy’s insights and research. There is MUCH information in this book that homosexual activists and their allies do not want you to know! I also appeared as a guest on Michael Voris’ “Mic’d Up” program September 25th (2013) to discuss my America’s Survival report on Fox News’ pro-homosexual bias. We will post that video when it is available. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

Buy The Rite of Sodomy:
http://newengelpublishing.com/

Watch ChurchMilitant.TV’s investigative documentary on homosexuality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcmKHq…

Is the pope using language that is easily exploited by the aggressive Sin Movement that calls itself “gay”? Read his full interview HERE.

Dear AFTAH Readers,

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality works closely with conservative Catholics from across the nation, indeed the world, in opposition to the homosexual activist movement. It is my experience that wherever the Catholic Church still has influence, if the Church or its leaders takes a strong stand against pro-“gay” legislation, the bills usually fail — but if Church leaders compromise on doctrine or go AWOL (public policy-speaking), homosexual activists triumph.

Having said that, I acutely recognize — from my perspective as an evangelical (who was raised Catholic) — that there has always been a “friendly distrust” or competition between ministry and the defense of morality. Between Christians who believe that the primary role of believers is compassionate Gospel outreach to lost homosexuals — and “culture war” Christians who (although also loving the Gospel) see religious traditionalists as a crucial force resisting the Sin Movement of homosexuality that so profoundly threatens our culture.

In this context we ponder the meaning and ramifications of Pope Francis’ new rhetoric on homosexuality. Below we reprint portions of an article from our good friends at LifeSiteNews — a Catholic pro-life, pro-family news site and one of the top social conservative websites in the world — on Pope Francis’ much-discussed interview released yesterday [available HERE or as a PDF document HERE]. We note LifeSite’s apprehensive take that:

“Most major media are reporting the statements [by Pope Francis] as a direct challenge to the Church’s way of operating on the moral issues. The comments are very different from those of his two predecessors.”

Yesterday, I sent out the following cautionary tweet in response to the pope’s comments — both in the new interview and a previous one — about the Church being more “welcoming” and less judgmental toward homosexuals:

The tragic reality is that a lack of proper moral “judgments” toward and vigilance regarding homosexually-inclined priest candidates contributed greatly to the horrifying homosexual-predator crisis that has so devastated the Catholic Church. This was exacerbated by liberals such as Milwaukee’s notorious homosexual Archbishop Rembert Weakland (see my report for America’s Survival on Fox News’ pro-“gay” bias).

I dare say that a more sinister plot to undermine the Catholic Church and its reputation could not have been carried out had Satan’s earthly minions spent $100 million devising one:

1. Homosexual men take advantage of more lax standards to enter priesthood.
2. Homosexual priests and male Catholic school officials use their authoritative role to seduce and molest mostly male teenagers and boys.
3. Homosexuals like then-Archbishop Weakland and their sympathizers in the Church cover up priest abuses and transfer predators to new, unsuspecting parishes, where they molest more boys.
4. The homosexual-predator scandal blows up in the media — alienating millions of Catholics from the Church and doing untold damage to its reputation and moral, spiritual and political influence.
5. Homosexuals and liberal allies who advocate for acceptance of homosexuality turn around and say Church is now discredited because it harbored “pedophiles.” Meanwhile, Church officials resist full disclosure of the scandal, thus perpetuating it.
6. Lastly, “gay” activists and their liberal allies continue to insist that the male-on-boy priest abuse scandal has little or nothing to do with homosexuals — but rather was a “pedophile” or “ephebophile” (adult who is sexual attracted to adolescents) problem.

My hunch is that each and every one of those complicit Church apologists for homosexuality, like Weakland, would consider himself “more compassionate” and “more Christ-like” than “anti-gay Catholics” who have been scandalized by the homosexualist advances in their Church. Such is the arrogance of liberals. This despite the untold suffering of boys victimized by sexual deviants masquerading as pastoral guardians of others’ souls. (See Catholic writer Randy Engel’s Rite of Sodomy: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church — one of the best books ever written on homosexuality — and Leon Podles‘ Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church [available through AFTAH; see below to order].)

Below is adapted from my response to William May of Catholics for the Common Good, who told Mercator.net (an excellent resource) that the same-sex “marriage” debate is “not about homosexuality at all.” May is to be commended for his work defending marriage, but I’m afraid he hurts the larger pro-family cause by denying the obvious: that the LGBT push to mainstream homosexuality is behind the aggressive push to radically redefine marriage. Over the years I have observed that the “guilt” is pretty much on one side of this debate — ironically, the side that testifies to absolute truth. Homosexual activists have skillfully manipulated that misplaced guilt to lobby successfully for homosexuals in the military, pro-LGBT programs in schools, “special rights” (so-called nondiscrimination) laws, and other dubious agendas. May’s full interview with Mercator is reprinted below my comment. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

Rarely have I read something as ridiculous as William May’s comment that the national debate over same-sex “marriage” is “not about homosexuality at all.” The ONLY reason we are radically redefining marriage is the aggressive (and successful) advocacy of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) movement — aided increasingly by sympathetic liberals and libertarians (and activist judges). It is not only disingenuous to assert otherwise — it is simply untrue. Do you want to know why we are losing this debate? Because people like May, perhaps well-meaning, are riddled with guilt for doing the right thing. Homosexual activists (uh-oh, I uttered the “H-word”) selfishly aim to redefine “marriage” for their MAIN purpose: winning (even forcing via the State) approval of their aberrant lifestyle.

I can think of no other cultural debate in which such obvious truths are so often denied out of a politically correct fear of being labeled a bigot. (And we all know the most virulent bigots are anti-Christian homosexual activists.) Get over it. We don’t hate people but we oppose homosexual conduct as immoral, unhealthy, unnatural and –the best news of all, as proved by the existence of many ex-“gays” — changeable. (I know dozens of former homosexuals.) Funny how those who are on the side of attaching the noble institution of marriage to a sin — see the Catholic Church’s teachings on homosexuality — do not shy away from asserting that this is all about GAY rights.

PS. Faithful and compassionate Christians must NEVER encourage or sanction homosexual relationships, which are — another hard truth here — essentially the domestication of disordered and sinful behavior, hence destructive to the souls of those involved. — Peter LaBarbera, 9-6-13

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