O'Reilly, appearing on 700 Club: Catholic Church "very silent in the culture war"

On the November 30 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Network's (CBN) The 700 Club, during a discussion about Fox News host Bill O'Reilly's views on a purported "culture war," 700 Club host Pat Robertson asked O'Reilly, "[W]hy don't ['traditionalists'] stand up and fight these people ['secular-progressives']?" O'Reilly replied that "I ask that question about my own church. ... The Roman Catholic Church has been very silent in the culture war." Robertson did not respond to O'Reilly's contention about the Catholic Church.

O'Reilly has previously had a different take on the Catholic Church's involvement in the "culture war." As Media Matters for America noted, on the November 14 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, during a discussion about U.S. immigration policy, O'Reilly declared that the Vatican has a "secular-progressive[]" philosophy, stating, "I think it is a one-world philosophy that a lot of secular-progressives ... really believe, that no country has a right to ban anybody or stop anybody from doing anything." When later challenged on that assertion, O'Reilly replied: "The Vatican wants all the illegals to come here, but it does want them to be Catholic." O'Reilly added that the Vatican "opposes any kind of punitive action against people who sneak in here, so ... the Vatican needs to wise up or shut up."

O'Reilly frequently attacks "secular-progressives" in discussions about contentious social issues, or in discussions about what he calls a "culture war" in the United States. O'Reilly's book Culture Warrior (Broadway Books, September 2006) is reviewed here by Media Matters.

From the November 30 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club:

ROBERTSON: When are the traditionalists going to get together? We're doing everything we can to mobilize people, but why don't they stand up and fight these people?

O'REILLY: You know, I ask that question about my own church, the Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church has been very silent in the culture war. Interestingly enough, the lead in the culture war has been taken by evangelical Christians. They're the ones that are most outspoken. But the regular folks and the Catholics, and things like that -- they're afraid. They're afraid because they see what happens to people like you and me. We are demonized across the airwaves, in the newspapers, and, you know, I really don't want that. I really don't want to put myself in the sling.

But I'll tell you what. You just think back. I'm talking to you, Reverend, and all your viewers today, to think back when you were in school, and how different the country is today than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago. And that difference is only going to accelerate unless we stand up and say, "We want our country, we want it to be a traditional country. We respect the value system that we have. We don't need these huge changes."

ROBERTSON: Well, Bill, I appreciate you, and this book, ladies and gentlemen, it's a blockbuster. Bill O'Reilly, Culture Warrior -- it's a gorgeous title, and they're selling like crazy. Is it number one on The New York Times or, or --

O'REILLY: Yeah --

ROBERTSON: -- close?

O'REILLY: -- it's going great. And I just want to say Merry Christmas to you, Reverend, and all your viewers. We can say that here on The Factor.

ROBERTSON: Sure can.

O'REILLY: And hopefully, we'll be able to say that for generations to come.

ROBERTSON: You keep up the fight, culture warrior, and we're right there with you. Thank you so much.

—K.D.