Fun Verifiable Facts:Danny Thomas was born Muzyad Yahkoob to Lebanese parents, who later gave him the Americanized name, Amos Jacobs. I only mention this because most fundies are xenophobic in general, and overtly racist toward anyone they perceive as “Arab by association” (Middle east Not Jewish)
In the late 1930’s, as a struggling actor with a child on the way, Danny Thomas visited a local church to pray for a way to pay for his rising hospital bills. Naturally, he prayed to Saint Jude Thaddeus. Saint Jude was the patron saint of: desperate situations, forgotten causes, hospital workers, hospitals, impossible causes and lost causes. How did he know to pray to this particular saint? Danny, far from being a recent convert (as JacobB) would have you believe, was raised Catholic; attending St. Francis de Sales in Toledo Ohio.
We can now see a man, a person just like many of us, who made a desperate deal with God (or the Devil) when things seem unbearable; “Do this one thing for me and I will . . .”
Two years later, Danny had become a mild success. Wanting to take his career to a higher level, he returned to the same church to pray to the same statue of St. Jude. He told the saint,”. . . help me find my way in life, and I will build you a shrine.”
Returning to a church some years later, Danny remembered the promise he had made years ago. Again, he pledged to fulfill his promise.
In the early 1950’s, Danny, now an internationally successful entertainer, discussed with some friends his pledge to honor St. Jude with a shrine. The idea of building the shrine, in the form a research hospital for children was proposed. By 1955 fundraising was well under way.
Requiring more money to support annual operation Danny met with 100 member of the Arab-American community Chicago to form ALSAC® in 1957. Today, ALSAC (not a Christian organization by any stretch of the imagination) is the nation’s second largest health-care charity.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened its doors in 1962. Note that this is some thirty odd years after the, “Please bail out!” prayer. Not to knock Danny Thomas; he did come through. Painting his story as a newly converted Christian suddenly deciding to generously build a hospital is intellectual dishonesty at best; more like an outright lie.
Additionally it should be noted that much of Danny’s influence came from beliefs he gained as a third degree Mason:
“I am grateful now for the larger opportunity which is mine to adopt the tenets of Freemasonry as my own and hopefully be able to have a small part in spreading Masonry’s message of love and caring to a larger audience, for wherever I go, I will be proud to tell others of my work and concern in behalf of all that you are doing, unselfishly, for others. Someone once asked me, "why did I want to be a Mason," and my reply was: "Because Masons care for those who cannot care for themselves." The Shriners have always been a favorite of mine because of their work for crippled and burned children. Also I am excited about efforts proposed at the recent Conference of Grand Masters in regard to drug abuse among young people. It is great to be a Freemason! I am proud of what we are doing. I shall assist in every way I can our work of mercy, and it doesn't hurt to be a Brother with a "big mouth and lots of television cameras" to help get the message across. Masons are people of goodwill who want to "keep our kids alive" and we are doing this throughout the world. Our purpose is noble and humanitarian. Our labors will be crowned with success, for as Freemasons we will bring to our mission the best we have,
regardless of what it demands from us in the way of sacrifice and service. We will make sure that in the tomorrows, life will be better for those who suffer today.
I was a Freemason in my heart long before I was accepted as a member in this great Fraternity. I was an outsider but now I am one of you, and the remaining years of my life will be spent in seeking in some small way to say to all: "Thank you for making me a Freemason." I want always to make you laugh but I trust that I will also make you care and that now, together, we will put melody in the heart of the world that will sing of a better life for all people. The task challenges us to larger efforts and higher goals that will demand from all of us the best we have to make a better life for others. My promise to Freemasons everywhere is that I will give the task my best!” - Danny Thomas 1990
