The Atlantic Changes Headlines After Backlash Over Comparing Catholic Rosary to Assault Weapons

The Atlantic changed headlines multiple times in response to massive backlash over an op-ed that compared the Catholic rosary to an “assault weapon.”

Authored by Daniel Panneton, the article, originally titled, “How the Rosary Became an Extremist Symbol,” featured a rosary that had bullet holes in place of beads and argued that the Catholic sacramental had become a tool of violent militants.

“Militia culture, a fetishism of Western civilization, and masculinist anxieties have become mainstays of the far right in the U.S.—and rad-trad Catholics have now taken up residence in this company,” he wrote.

“The phenomenon might be tempting to dismiss as mere trolling or merchandising, and ironical provocations based on traditionalist Catholic symbols do exist, but the far right’s constellations of violent, racist, and homophobic online milieus are well documented for providing a pathway to radicalization and real-world terrorist attacks,” he continued.

The article instantly went viral, prompting outrage from Catholics who have historically been portrayed in America as an invading force to be feared. In response, the Atlantic published two headlines linking the rosary to gun extremism before finally settling on an actual photo of the rosary instead of the bullet hole rosary graphic. (Read more from “The Atlantic Changes Headlines After Backlash Over Comparing Catholic Rosary to Assault Weapons” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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