Father Jonathan Morris Doubles Down On His Pledge To Die In Pro-Life Opposition To Contraception Coverage

Despite being ridiculed by Jon Stewart for making the jaw-dropping suggestion that clergy should be “ready to die” to fight President Obama’s mandate that health insurers cover birth control, Father Jonathan Morris doubled down on his “pledge” last night on Hannity. “Of course I’m willing to die, of course I’m willing to go to jail, of course I’m willing to pay a fine. That is the most normal, non-radical thing I can think of,” Morris said fervently. I don’t know how the other guest, a rabbi in support of the mandate, didn’t burst out laughing at such ridiculous theatrics. A priest threatening to die in the name of pro-life opposition to contraception coverage in health insurance? Come on! In reality, the mandate wouldn’t even affect Morris’ own church.

Guest host Liz Cheney played a clip of Morris’ original fighting words and woodenly asked, “Where do we go from here?”

Morris pretended he’s about to launch some major protest. “What I’m saying is not radical, what I’m saying is not controversial. What I’m saying is not something out of the ordinary in terms of the big picture of history… The conscience is inviolable and if the federal government is asking any group or individual to violate their conscience… of course I’m willing to die, of course I’m willing to go to jail, of course I’m willing to pay a fine. That is the most normal, non-radical thing I can think of.”

What willing-to-die Morris didn’t mention? He wouldn’t have to because his church (like all churches) is exempt from the mandate.

But Morris wasn’t done with his over-the-top rhetoric. He compared President Obama’s accommodation - having health insurers pay for the coverage - to murder. “We recognize it goes against my conscience to kill. The president is saying, 'You know what? Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to kill that person any more. We’re going to just make sure you pay somebody else to do the bidding for you, to kill that person for you.' That’s an analogy but that’s exactly what it is.”

I’d hate to see anybody die, much less over opposition to something as non-life threatening as health insurance coverage. But Morris might want to save himself to fight his own parishioners. Because a majority of Catholics disagree with him and support the coverage.

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Showing 13 reactions

Antoinette commented 2012-02-16 12:28:54 -0500 · Flag

Of course this fraud in white collar will double down, because he’s a coward, just like High End Hannocchio.

They say one thing, and when challenged, they back off. Hannocchio still owe us a waterboarding.

Morris and Hannocchio are cowards in the catholic church.

Paul Gould commented 2012-02-16 11:48:55 -0500 · Flag

You know, I spent enough years in the Catholic Church (among all my other travels) to come to know some really fine priests who were truly men of faith… these were guys that recognized in themselves that, should it come to it, they’d be really, really afraid, but would be willing to put their lives on the line for the right reason.

There were such fine men as St. Maximilian Kolbe, who took advantage of the concentration camp’s ignorant admin. and gave his own life in the place of another prisoner.

Hell, there was even a certain Polish priest that was heavily involved in putting his skin on the line in the Resistance… a certain Fr. Karol Wojtyla, who became John Paul II…

History is full of people of faith who lived it and died it when it counted and for all the right reasons…

It’s also full of scoundrelss, swindlers and cowards who showed just how shallow their commitments really were…

I think this asshole is firmly in that category, but maybe that’s just me.

el84 commented 2012-02-16 11:27:40 -0500 · Flag

This grandiose, martyr-complex disorder excuse for a priest should just go ahead and get on the cross and crucify himself. This hypocrite is blind to the infinitely greater killers of children – poverty, hunger, abuse, neglect, trauma from priestly pedophilia, toxic pollution, obesity, and so on. This attention-seeking, right-wing anti-Jesus p.o.s. needs to STFU.

Paul Gould commented 2012-02-16 10:59:18 -0500 · Flag

Morris had his “warrior for the faith” bullshit, Romney was apparently doing what he thought was the more important task of converting those heathen upperclass French folks, Cheney had “other priorities” as he said, Bush Jr. had daddy to help him get a berth protecting us from all those evil Vietcong that must’ve been infesting the Gulf of Mexico… Hannity? Oh, please… I can’t even come up with the right idea as to what he’s about, as he’s an empty suit and an empty head filled daily with the ginned up outrage of the day and wound up so he can give it just the right note of hysteria.

There are many I’ve seen over the blogosphere that seem to think that any honor paid to a military servicemember or a vet is somehow selling out to “the man.” I get that… I don’t share it because there’s those little matters of my father having been a combat vet, my Vietnam-era and Cold War service, my son-in-law thankfully back from getting shot at in Iraq (and at 6’ 5", he was a pretty fair-sized target, no doubt) and a stepson somewhere in the wild mountains of Afghanistan… all served honorably, and, for the most part (stepson’s a little twisted, but he’s cool) praying for peace because we have all either prepared for war, trained for war, or actually been there… I was a Nike guy, so pretty much every night was an interesting time with Czech pilots tweaking the border.

The blustering buffoons on Fox have no effin’ idea what they’re talking about, but what’s more infuriating is the sheer number of overly-upholstered, intellectually lazy assholes that buy into it, hook, line and stinker.

Paul Gould commented 2012-02-16 09:36:13 -0500 · Flag

Ellen, I don’t wish any harm on anyone – I’m just amused at how many on the right make this bluster, while knowing if it came to it on the really slim chance their crappy violent wet-dreams came true, it’d be someone else they’d grab and hide behind… the moral and actual cowardice is more an outrage to me than their pseudo-macho faux “heroism.”

Does anyone really think Hannity was really serious about being waterboarded? And in this case does anyone really think the padre’d do anything more than find some willing fool to hide behind?

Ellen commented 2012-02-16 01:01:33 -0500 · Flag

Folks, I can’t allow any wishing for bodily harm to anyone else, even when I know you don’t really mean it.

NewsHounds posted about Father Jonathan Morris Doubles Down On His Pledge To Die In Pro-Life Opposition To Contraception Coverage on NewsHounds' Facebook page 2012-02-16 00:45:25 -0500

In fact, Fr. Morris' church would not even be affected by the mandate he claimed to be willing to die to oppose.

Kent Brockman commented 2012-02-16 00:21:34 -0500 · Flag

@Gooch X

Birth control restricts the supply of “molestibles”.

Kent Brockman commented 2012-02-16 00:19:38 -0500 · Flag

The Frocked Little Monkey senses he can grab the brass ring o’ sainthood by acting like a shit stain.

Gooch X commented 2012-02-15 20:01:16 -0500 · Flag

So is he implying that he’s willing to be killed in a physical confrontation, because he actually believes a physical confrontation will arise from this issue? …or is he threatening a Gandhi-esque “fast unto death” until his demands or met?

It would probably be more meaningful if he said he’s willing to die in order to protect altar boys from being molested by his fellow Catholic priests. But clearly birth control is a much more important problem.

truman commented 2012-02-15 18:09:28 -0500 · Flag

The little propaganda padre will deliver on his ridiculous promise about the same time that KKKlannity delivers on his promise to be waterboarded for charity.

Father Spanky is just adorable when he goes full butch.

Aria Prescott commented 2012-02-15 17:56:20 -0500 · Flag

When the left is offended, they don’t buy the brands that are supporting the trouble maker until the problem is resolved/removed.

When the has a problem, they want you to take to the streets with your guns, threatening everything that moves and preparing to kill or be killed.

The really messed up part of that being that the ones with the guns like to brag about how rational they think they are.