schoolgirls, drinks called “Holy Water,” and a “Hell Room”rnthat sports a mirrored crucifix. The owners, two sisters from India,rnclaim their gay establishment is not anti-Catholic.rnWhen Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood was installed as the newrnchancellor of the University of California at Santa Cruz, thernschool embarked upon the customary binge of celebrations fitrnfor a queen. For one month, the campus was alive with tributesrnto women of color, Jews, gays. Native Americans, Indonesians,rnJapanese, Chinese, Mexicans, and Filipinos. Indeed, a memorialrnprayer and meditation service for Jews was allowed at thisrnstate school. And for Catholics? They were treated to “Sistersrnof the Visitation,” a play about a reckless young man and his servantrnwho sneak into a convent dressed as a priest and nun, havernsecret tr)’sts, and engage in “a hilarious comedy of errors as wellrnas revelations about secret goings-on within the convent.” Thisrnis what passes for diversity these days on college campuses.rnWhen the Heaven’s Gate cult was exposed, so was the takernthat many in the media have on religion. On Nightline, picturesrnof the Vatican were shown while introducing the subjectrnof religious cults. On talk radio, Ron Kuby, who assisted thernlate William Kunstier, said there was no difference between believingrnthat a spaceship was coming to save cult members andrnbelieving in the Immaculate Conception. Harvard law professorrnAlan Dershowitz contrasted the cult’s beliefs with a belief inrnangels. Best of all, however, was a cartoon concerning the cultrnthat appeared in the Santa Barbara News-Press.rnThe cartoon showed a man clearly dressed as a Catholicrnpriest who, while standing next to a coffin, invites everyone to arnmemorial service at a launch pad. I wrote to the paper andrnasked them to explain why a Catholic priest, as opposed to arnJewish rabbi or a Buddhist monk, was chosen to establish thernlink behveen the crazy cult and religion. I was told that “thernminister” was “meant to be generic.” Now it beats me how thisrnpriest suddenly became a generic minister, but that is probablyrndue to the fact that I have yet to meet any “generic” ministers.rnNow that I know what they look like, I’m even more confusedrnthan before. Should I ever meet one, how will I know he is notrna Catholic priest?rnA similar situation occurred when I complained to the FortrnWorth Star-Telegram about gratuitously mentioning a priestrnwho accidentally struck a girl with his car. I was told there wasrnnothing to my concerns since the priest was an Episcopalian.rnWhy the cheap shots and what effect do they have? ThernCatholic Church is seen by today’s elites as an antiquated, authoritarian,rnsexually repressive, imperialistic institution.rnHence, the steady stream of cheap shots that occur on SaturdayrnNight Live, in MAD magazine, on the Howard Stern show, andrnin countless other places. It is all about power, the power tornchip away at the moral authority of the Catholic Church. Libertyrnwithout limits has already proven to be as false as it is deadly,rnbut some people never learn.rnIt is not going to get much better, not for some time. Thernleading bigots are mostiy decision-makers in our culture, andrnthey do not see themselves as tainted with bias. The Church isrnnot going to make the kinds of changes that Catholic malcontt;rnnts want, and it surely is not going to do anything to please thernbigots. But the smart money will bet on the Church —it has arntrack record for surviving and thriving that no other institutionrncan match.rnANNOUNCING THE 1998rnPHILLIPS FOUNDATION JOLTRNALISM FELLOWSHIPrn• WORKING JOURNALISTS ELIGIBLE FOR $50,000 •rnI f you are a working print journalist with less than five veais of professional experience, a unique opportunity awaitsrn- the chance to apply for a grant to complete a one-year project of your choosing, focusing on journalism supportive ofrnAmerican culture and a free society. The Foundation offers one 150,000 full-time and two $25,000 part-time fellowships.rnrounded in 1990, the Phillips Foundation is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to advance the cause ofrnobjective journalism. The Foundation’s fellowship program sen’es to provide support for journalists who share thernFoundation’s mission: to advance constitutional principles, a democratic society and a vibrant free enterprise system.rniLpplications are now being accepted for the 1998 Phillips Foundation Journalism Fellowships. Applications must bernpostmarked by March 1,1998. The winners will be announced at an awards dinner in Washington in the Spring. The fellowshiprnwill begin on September 1,1998. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.rnFor applications and mors information, write:rnMr. John FarleyrnTHE PHILLIPS FOUNDATIONrn7811 Montrose Road, Potomac, Maryland 20854 • Telephone (301) 340-2100 • E-mail: jfarley^philhps.comrnDead/ine:Marcb 1,1998rn18/CHRONICLESrnrnrn