I am compelled to write "Strange Alliance" as a result of what has been happening on the internet the past couple of weeks.
I have tried to stay out of the fray, but I am being sucked into this situation because of the "Strange Alliance" forming against deepertruth and the Catholic Faith.
I have always been all too aware of the "anti-Catholic" going back to the 1970's. I have had my run in with the Jack Chick advocates and the various other groups out there.
There are Protestant denominations built on their foundations against the Catholic Faith.
I have always felt it interesting that many of these groups see the Catholic Faith the real enemy in society as opposed to abortion, homosexuality, pornography, prostitution, or what ever else is there.
Instead of coming together to stand up against the rising tide being formed against Christianity, they continue to place their frontal attacks on the Catholic Faith.
An example of this concerns one of the players attacking the Catholic Faith in particular and deepertruth specifically.
I was speaking with Debra, wanting to put an end to the current round of attacks coming from both sides. I offered Debra the opportunity to say three good things to say about the Catholic Faith and I would have John say three things he admires of Protestants.
Debra could not do it. She really believes in her heart of hearts that the Pope is an anti-Christ. She could not bring herself to say anything good about the man?
When I related this to John Benko, he readily began to speak of positive things he knows from Protestant friends. That is a striking contrast that nobody is reading between the lines.
I really regret the situation taking place between John Benko and Jimmy Z who had been friends for several years. I tried to be a peacemaker because I grew to like Jimmy from his participation in the debates.
I certainly respect his political analysis on the politics of our time. I have recieved more than 50 e-mails from Jimmy Z challenging me which I rarely responded. Instead, I tried to send something positive"
"Jimmy, Jesus said you must love your enemies and turn the other cheek if they hit you. "Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". Blessed are the peacemakers... Jimmy, this is what I tell John, sometimes we have trouble living up to it, but that is my encouragement to you. I never called you a coward, nor do I question your courage. I do challenge you to love John regardless and send him an olive branch. That is exactly what Jesus would want!"
Jimmy's response to me was to leave him alone and not to send him anymore e-mails? Considering I sent maybe 5 or 6 to his 50 plus emails, I just let him do as he wants.
John exposed Debra and included her with other known anti-Catholics on the internet such as Dan Petermann, Zach Kueker, and Matt Slick. I went to Debra's blog and clearly she holds no punches, really a no holds barred view against the Catholic Church.
I asked her, "Debra, how can you love someone if you can't respect them"? I respect my Protestant friends but I attempt to stay issue oriented and try not to get personal.
I am amused that Debra has on her wall a statement saying that when someone is beating us in a debate, we block them? That is so bizarre? I told her that we want our opponents to give their best shot! I want them to perform at their best against us! What makes a good debate is for both sides to be given a good opportunity to get their points out. The Catholic Faith is like a lion in a cage, you let it out it doesn't need defending, it really defends itself. We just simply present it. Just a small example of the misinformation Debra is pushing on her website? Anyone who have followed our debates know this is not true. That is why we asked Jimmy Z to moderate in the first place!
Debra also claims that we wanted to fix the debate so that it would have been unfair towards her claiming I would moderate the debate giving John an advantage. That is so far off the charts. The only reason I participated as a moderator in the past was when Jimmy Z backed out and we needed one. I was totally fair to George Lujack as a moderator. No, we would have ensured a moderator that both sides would have agreed to.
Debra and Jimmy also post a clip of the radio show after John got heated up after being called a coward and Johns reaction was over the line. The point is that they are attacking John for what they themselves had done. Jimmy Z left messages that attacked John which I did not publish because I knew how John would react if he had seen them. You do not know this when you listen to their clip, which is not the ordinary flow of our show. John admits he went over the line, we all make mistakes and John published an apology to our listeners. The purpose of their exploitation is to harm Johns reputation and faith. In the end, Debra is only hurting herself playing the victim.
Jimmy and Debra wanted me to take down any negative response from us but they want to print and say what they will towards us. They have teamed up with virtually every anti-Catholic out there who wants to take a pot shot. The two remaining posts were not about the debate, they are about Debra's anti-Catholic position which was the point of the original challenge. She wanted me to take down those two posts and I said we would if she removed her anti-Catholic rhetoric from her webpage. She was not compelled to do so and so neither am I.
(Editors Note) Debra continues to post misrepresentation on her blog and as expected, she is going after me with her attacks. John specifically groups Debra with already mentioned anti-Catholics. John's accusing them of attacking the Catholic Faith but they run when the opportunity comes to defend their positions. She claims this a "smear" tactic when in reality, a basic truth. She is identified by John as an anti-Catholic. It is what it is, which I was correct, this has nothing to do with the debate on who first challenged a debate. Something that I personally could care less who started it! So, Debra is back to her name calling as she is calling me names on her wall. Also, she accuses me of calling her names? I have only called her "Debra"! Just another small misrepresentation on her part! One more thing to note: Debra claims that I am lying about Jimmy Z first using vulgar language during the the course of the radio show. I was correct. Jimmy Z had sent a vulgar post to deepertruth which I intercepted and deleted. I shared it on the show before Jimmy Z even called on the show. Again, a small misrepresentation on Debra's part. Debra, do you want to try again or are you through with this foolishness?
BTW, Debra, when you call or accuse someone of "lying" that is a name that you are identifying a person with. I have not called you a "liar", you have been spreading misinformation, but I think you believe what you write, I chalk it to being simply misinformed. You also basically called me a "bully" which I consider a name calling as well? I have not said anything bad about you. If you look closer, I states I understood why you would not debate on BTR. But all of this is besides the point. There will not be a debate between you and John. We do have it appears another debate series being drafted. We will let the public know when the details are finalized. That is what should of happened here, but it is what it is.
John has had a history with Jimmy Z and Debra and I know that there is a fire between them and it is hard for me to see this as one sided. Both parties have made mistakes, but I will say to you Debra, when you attack the Catholic Faith as a whole, you attack all of us. I do take that personally. The Saints, the martyrs, the Apostles, everything about the Catholic Faith is part of who you are attacking, ultimately, the Lord Himself. I say this only to let you know that your attacks are personal.
Since Debra likes to call us liars and bullies, she doesn't like being identified as an "anti-Catholic". That does not make us a liar nor a bully, just makes her an "anti-Catholic"!
Debra continues to update her blog modifying it based on what we do. She created a new name (talk about name calling) "Catholic Blogger Bullies", yet she can say or print what she wants about Catholics and that is ok? We spoke for sometime before this latest outbreak, and one of her first comparisons she posed about her and Protestants was about Catholic Priests molesting children? It's ok for her to tell Catholics how she loves them and wants to get them to come out of Rome, but it is wrong for us, even personal to her for us to counter her position? When she wants to bring up the priest scandal, she should look at her own back yard. There are many more on her side of the fense that is guilty of this at a much higher rate. This is deplorable no matter who does it! This is becoming more like a sparing session, I am basically counter punching and she continues a new line of attack. In the end, I've only called her "Debra", you can see what she is calling us!
I have stood out on sidewalks arm in arm with others against abortion, against pornography, standing for America. This idea that some will not participate in these things because Catholics are there I find disturbing.
Now entering the mix is George Lujack who is wanting to jump into this fray. A man who was well treated on deepertruth, given every opportunity to speak his views on all topics, wants to jump on John and deepertruth because he sees it as an opportuity to throw a daggar in the back.
Jimmy Z and George Lujack do not have much in common except their anti-Catholic views. This is a strange alliance, but this is exactly what I see all the time.
George sent me Jimmy's presentation of our show concerning Debra's refusal to debate on BTR. I can understand why she does not want to debate on BTR. She was kicked off BTR and she has bitter feelings towards BTR. I can respect that. If I had something simular happen to me I might feel the same way.
I do not think that there could ever be a debate between deepertruth and Debra because they can't civily debate having a debate. It is us against them? It becomes a back and forth tyraid calling each others "liars, cowards, spineless" and even worse.
Debra can post anything she wants about me, but she will someday have to answer for bearing false witness against her neighbors. I participated in nothing of this argument but I'm in the middle of it. The two articles that John has about Debra were based on her anti-Catholic views. That is free game, but I do not recommend any future debate here because it would not be fruitful, we can't get past who made the first challenge?
As this moves forward, I am not bothered with the name calling and the attack on my person. I offered to give Debra some good pictures if she wants. There are plenty on our blog. I know that there will be a willing audience out there who hate the Catholic Faith. It matters not if the issue is true or not, there is no scholarship, they just google to any anti-Catholic site and use it as if it is true. That is what tickles their ears and the tune they want to hear. Like the Pied Piper, they lead themselves to perdition. The truth is this, they will always draw together because of their "Strange Alliance".
edited emphasis mine ~ John (Donald's words, I just emphasized them in Red)
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