Editing Host desecration (section)

==2008 controversy in the US==
In his July 8 blog entry, [[University of Minnesota Morris]] biology professor [[PZ Myers|Paul Zachary Myers]] criticized the reaction to a [[University of Central Florida]] student's perceived act of host desecration (the student had attempted to bring the host to a friend who was curious about communion). Myers described the level of harassment against the student and expressed his intent to desecrate the host, which the Catholic Church considers a [[grave matter]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/college-student-gets-death-threats-for-smuggling-body-of-christ |title=College Student Gets Death Threats for Smuggling "Body of Christ" |access-date=2016-08-22 |date=2008-07-10 |publisher=[[Fox News]] |archive-date=2020-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129060110/https://www.foxnews.com/story/college-student-gets-death-threats-for-smuggling-body-of-christ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Myers expressed outrage that [[Fox News]] appeared to be inciting viewers to cause further problems for the student and ridiculed reports that armed guards would attend the next Mass. Myers suggested that if any of his readers could acquire some consecrated Eucharistic hosts for him, he would treat the wafers "with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web."<ref name="frackincracker">{{cite web|url=http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/its_a_goddamned_cracker.php |title=It's a Frackin' Cracker! |access-date=2008-07-11 |date=2008-07-08 |publisher=Pharyngula |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201110808/http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/its_a_goddamned_cracker.php |archive-date=2009-02-01 }}</ref>

A number of Catholics immediately reacted strongly. [[William A. Donohue]] of [[Catholic League (U.S.)|the Catholic League]] accused Myers of [[anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]] [[bigotry]],<ref name="holyheck">{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/24313139.html |title=Communion wafer held 'hostage' raises holy heck |access-date=2008-07-11 |date=2008-07-11 |publisher=Star Tribune |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204001624/http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/24313139.html |archive-date=2009-02-04 }}</ref> described his proposal as a threat to [[Desecration|desecrate]] what [[Transubstantiation|Catholics hold to be the Body of Christ]] and sent a letter asking the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Legislature to take action against Myers.<ref name="holyheck"/><ref name="pledge2">{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1459 |title=Minnesota Prof Pledges to Desecrate Eucharist |access-date=2008-07-11 |date=2008-07-10 |publisher=The Catholic League |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080713023423/http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1459 |archive-date=2008-07-13 }}</ref>

Myers pierced a host with a rusty nail, which he also used to pierce a few ripped-out pages of the [[Quran]] and ''[[The God Delusion]]'', put them all in the trash along with old coffee grounds and a banana peel.<ref name="Myers (July 24, 2008)">{{cite web |last=Myers |first=PZ |author-link=PZ Myers |title=The Great Desecration |date=July 24, 2008 |website=[[Pharyngula (blog)|Pharyngula]] |url=http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/24/the-great-desecration/ |access-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503171830/http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/24/the-great-desecration/ |archive-date=May 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> He provided a photograph on his blog of these items in the garbage and wrote that nothing must be held sacred, encouraging people to question everything.{{r|Myers (July 24, 2008)}} In addition, he described the history of allegations of host desecration, emphasizing the frequent use of such allegations in medieval Europe to justify [[anti-Semitism]].{{r|Myers (July 24, 2008)}}

Subsequently, Myers explained to the ''[[Star Tribune]]'' that while his post was "satire and protest", he had received death threats regarding the incident but was not taking them too seriously.<ref name="holyheck"/> The University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) Chancellor defended Myers, and stated: "I believe that behaviors that discriminate against or harass individuals or groups on the basis of their religious beliefs are reprehensible" and that the school "affirms the freedom of a faculty member to speak or write as a public citizen without institutional discipline or restraint."<ref>WALSH, PAUL [http://www.startribune.com/local/25896599.html?location_refer=Homepage:latestNews:4 Morris chancellor defends instructor who defiled Eucharist, tore Qur'an] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827022715/http://www.startribune.com/local/25896599.html?location_refer=Homepage:latestNews:4 |date=2009-08-27 }} Star Tribune, July 25, 2008</ref>