Renowned scientist, atheist, blogger (Pharyngula) and University of Minnesota-Morris professor Dr. Paul "PZ" Myers is embroiled in a war of words with the Catholic League and its president, William Donohue, over communion wafers. The controversy began when Myers weighed in on the story of Webster Cook, a university student who caused a stir by walking out of church with his communion wafer rather than consuming it.

Myers seized the article to highlight the zealotry Cook elicited — including death threats and calls from around the world to have the wafer returned to the church. Myers repeatedly refers to the Eucharist as a "cracker" and solicited his readers to "score" him some "consecrated communion wafers." Myers then vowed to treat the wafers "with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse."

Since his post, Myers has been receiving death threats, and a delegate to the Republican National Convention (RNC) from Virginia has requested extra security for Catholic delegates attending the event.


Donahue, a controversial figure in his own right, blasted Myers’ comments and urged the university to take action.


"It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ," Donohue said. "We look to those who have oversight responsibility to act quickly and decisively."

The hysteria was turned up another notch when a Catholic League press release cited safety concerns for Catholics attending the upcoming RNC in St. Paul.

As a result of the hysteria that Myers’ ilk have promoted, at least one public official is taking it seriously. Thomas E. Foley is chairman of Virginia’s First Congressional District Republican Committee, a delegate to the Republican National Convention and one of two Republican at large nominees for Virginia’s Electoral College. His concern is for the safety of Catholics attending this year’s Republican National Convention in [St. Paul], Myers’ backyard. Accordingly, Foley has asked the top GOP brass to provide additional security while in the Twin Cities so that Catholics can worship without fear of violence. Given the vitriol we have experienced for simply exercising our First Amendment right to freedom of speech, we support Foley’s request.

Myers’ backyard in Morris, Minn., is actually more than 150 miles from St. Paul and the Xcel Energy Center.

Related: MnIndy interview: Unrepentant science-heathen PZ Myers still intends to prove "this cracker is nothing"