Penn & Teller ridicule Christ's crucifixion

WorldNetDaily ^ | Posted: January 20, 2003 | unknown

[Houmatt]

The magic-comedy team of Penn & Teller has performed a stunt parodying the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, offending some attendees of a major magicians' convention, reports columnist Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review.

The skit, performed last week in Las Vegas, included Teller, dressed as Christ on a full-size cross, entering the room on a cart. According to the column, a midget dressed as an angel "performed a simulated sex act on the near-naked Teller." Penn, in a Roman gladiator costume, unveiled the scene by pulling away a "Shroud of Turin" that covered the cross.

A group of people attending the event, billed as a roast of magician Amazing Johnathan, walked out in protest, says Clarke.

According to Rick Neiswonger, a longtime magician and marketing executive, said "the majority" of the 400 who attended the roast were offended.

"They (organizers) warned everybody that something offensive was going to happen, but my God, where do you draw the line? … This was beyond bad taste," Neiswonger told the Review.

One magician, Lance Burton, defended the stunt in an address at the finale luncheon of the conference.

"I told them, 'You were warned ahead of time.' It was a roast; it was held late at night (midnight)," he said, according to the Review column. "Penn & Teller are my dear friends and I would take a bullet for them, and you can write that."

Amazing Johnathan told the Review he was aware that a number of what he called "gospel magicians" walked out of the performance.

"This was performance art," said Johnathan. "I know that Penn is a practicing atheist, and I agree with him that Christianity can be dangerous. Look at the Trade Center. That was done in the name of religion."

Clarke said in his column that Penn & Teller declined comment.

[yendu bwam]

Whoops! My apologies to Siegfried & Roy.

[jlogajan]

You let me know when you hear of any hit pieces in the NY Times or other "news"papers any "art" defaming or making fun of or desiring pain from Atheist exposes of "corrupt" Atheist on the "magazine" news programs

Not sure why you are limiting it to the New York Times or other similar outlets. Atheists are condemned all the time from the pulpits across the US and around the world.

Why should atheists not return fire????

[Red Jones]

don't go watch any magicians at all. These two magicians were allowed to do this at a magician convention. So, boycott them all. Don't make distinctions. Also, stay away from Vegas, this occurred in Vegas. Seriously.

[Pablo64]

""I know that Penn is a practicing atheist,..."

He's so bad at it that he has to practice??? Just how hard is it not to believe in God??? {/sarcasm}

[VetoBill]

Look at the Trade Center. That was done in the name of religion

Religions could be banned and still people would find ways to harm each other. Conservatives vs Leftists, Communist vs. Capitalist, almost any sport activity, etc... almost all have elements that slur, libel, and would, if they could, beat the holy $hit out of each other.

Religion isn't the only thing people latch onto to express their emotions. Removing religion will not decrease intense emotions, it will merely transfer it to something that could be very much worse.

[hardhead]

We may have no rights, but we have Truth.

[sarasmom]

As one who has known several deeply faithfull Christians, I would expect a number of people would sincerely have your attitude

I, OTOH, feel perfectly free to damn them for a grossly innapropriate and dissgusting display of contempt for Christianity.

But before I spend any additional time in joining or advocating a boycott,is there a separate source of corroberation for this?

[nickcarraway]

I agree with him that Christianity can be dangerous. Look at the Trade Center.

Wow

[clintonh8r]

Animal, mineral, vegetable or inanimate, probably....

[nickcarraway]

How would you know?

[Deepest South]

Not to be Politically incorrect but just what do you practice when you are an atheist. As for the guy who would take a bullet for Penn and Teller; if they had trashed Islam he would be watching for tiny red dots appearing on his clothing

[nickcarraway]

Atheists are condemned all the time from the pulpits across the US and around the world.

How would you know?

[CyberCowboy777]

First, I have never heard any hatred, fun making or desire to harm any atheist from any pulpit live or on TV.

I have heard teachings on how to debate the Atheist (never out of hatred but out of a desire to see them come to our view)

And of course an atheist will be lumped into the general "non-believer" status. Which means they will suffer the consequences of their sin unless they accept the pardon paid for by Jesus Christ.

Neither situation is hateful or irreverent, it is love for a fellow man. Jesus said no man can be saved and hate his brother. So any hatred you heard came from a cult or a pagan or a Christian not following the standards of Christ and will be dealt with by God.

Do Atheist have any such standards of Conduct? You know, outside their own concept of right and wrong? What man decides is wrong can easily change. Absolutes are a basis of Freedom.

Second, should atheist return fire? Well, I guess that proves the condition of the heart and mind doesn't it. If real hate was coming from someone you believed to be a Christian then they are not a Christian or are in rebellion to God and will be dealt with. So why retaliate? Especially against words, of course violence should be reported to the police.

I would suggest you become more informed about what it means to be a Christian before you lump us all together with some backslidden Christian or a cult.

By default as a belief system we love all and share the Good News with all (one and the same is it not?). Just because we oppose something does not mean we hate any person. To say otherwise is to distort the facts and only those with losing causes distort facts (that is why the media distorts).

What Penn & Teller did was out of hatred, what else could it be? It satisfied a desire to "get back" at Christians (God) in their own little way. Is that not the way it works? You strike out to mask or to sooth a pain or a longing? Maybe a fear of inadequacies or a rebellion to "certain" rules?

[montag813]

Teller, dressed as Christ on a full-size cross, entering the room on a cart. According to the column, a midget dressed as an angel "performed a simulated sex act on the near-naked Teller.

Teller should have been beaten to death.

[Tulsa Brian]

I wonder if this has anything to do with the left protesting the new Mel Gibson flick?

[CyberCowboy777]

I would also say that any killing done in the name of the Lord was illegitimate and only proves the frailty of man without God.

While we can defend ourselves and even protect our country or other people, we cannot kill others for power, lust, creed, hate, or any gain.

So I can say that Christian following Gods Word have never committed an atrocity and further I can say that any Christian in sin that killed for illegitimate reasons was wrong and I would further question their salvation to begin with.

Was Hitler morally wrong to kill millions of Christians and Jews, by his and many other pagans standards, no? Or Stalin, was Stalin wrong to kill millions upon millions, by his and many other atheist standards, no?

That is the problem with the lack of absolutes, anything goes. And you can never have absolutes within a system of man, it can always change.

If you think they were "wrong" , why?

[Undivided Heart]

He's so bad at it that he has to practice??? Just how hard is it not to believe in God??? {/sarcasm}

I would say it takes a great deal of energy to practice atheism. Intellectually honest atheists have a lot of problems to solve for.

[Skooz]

Ditto.

[Skooz]

To: daiuy

80MM+ in China
50MM+ in the Soviet Union
8MM in Cambodia
1MM in North Korea

And we can leave Hitler out of this, since you are apparently so thick that you don't understand the man's own words. Hitler called Christianity a "social scandal" against the German people and vowed the destruction of the Catholic church after he finished with the Jews.

We can also leave out the slaughter of the French Revolution, with infamous rape of the Vendee (nuns and priests being repeatedly raped to death, that sort of thing).

We can leave out the North Vietnamese communists because no one actually knows how many they killed.

When it comes to killing the innocent, nobody can beat the Atheists.

18 posted on 03/25/2002 9:22 AM CST by cicero's_son

[Kevin Curry]

"I know that Penn is a practicing atheist, . . .

So was Stalin, the greatest mass murderer in the history of mankind.