Voting Station

Richard John Neuhaus

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Religious Figure

The Resume

    (May 14, 1936-January 8, 2009)
    Born in Pembroke, Canada
    Lutheran minister turned Catholic priest
    Founder and editor of the monthly journal 'First Things'
    Civil rights, pro-life, and anti-war activist
    Wrote over thirty books including; 'The Naked Public Square: Religion and Democracy in America,' 'The Catholic Moment: The Paradox of the Church in the Postmodern World,' and 'Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy and the Splendor of the Truth'
    Author of Neuhaus' Law which is 'Where orthodoxy is optional, orthodoxy will sooner or later be proscribed'
    Founded the Institute on Religion and Democracy and the Institute on Religion and Society

Why he might be annoying:

    He quit high school to work at a gas station (he did later graduate high school and college).
    He never really laid out real nuts and bolts answers to why he left Lutheranism for the Catholic Church, instead merely saying he found the Catholic Church to be the fulfillment of Christianity.
    In 2005, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in the United States, not realizing that Catholics are not evangelicals.
    He gave most of his books really long titles.
    In contrast to universal Christian teaching (Catholic, protestant, Eastern Orthodox) he wasn't sure anyone had ever gone to hell.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was really, really, really, smart.
    He was constantly involved in the civil rights movement of the sixties, being arrested at least once during a sit in.
    Unlike many people he was consistent about his views; being pro civil rights, pro-life, anti-death penalty, and anti-war.
    As an adviser to President Bush, he was a highly regarded authority on bioethics with his views being referred to by both Democrats and Republicans.
    His journal, 'First Things,' is an outstanding examination of religion, culture, and politics in the public square.
    He believed and promoted the ideal that freedom of religion allowed people to express and incorporate their religious views in public affairs and not have to hide their faith away like some people believe.
    He slammed the materialism of American society.
    He died painfully of colon cancer.
    His integrity was unquestioned, and unlike many clergy in the public eye, was never involved in any type of financial or sexual scandal and most definitely did not favor one political party over another.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 25 Votes: 52.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 91.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 19 Votes: 52.63% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 48 Votes: 52.08% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 24 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 30 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 127 Votes: 50.39% Annoying