Tonight Show's Jay Leno Jokes of Priests as Pedophiles Six Times in Five Weeks

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | July 26, 2007 | John-Henry Westen

[monomaniac]

	Abortion Methods

• Politics
• International
• What Can I Do?

• Educational Information
• News Partners
• Culture Features

• Crisis Pregnancy Support

Free Daily E-News

Subscribe Friends

New on LifeSite

Donate

About Us

Contact

Site Map

Thursday July 26, 2007	Printer friendly version	Email to a friend

Tonight Show's Jay Leno Jokes of Priests as Pedophiles Six Times in Five Weeks

By John-Henry Westen

NEW YORK, July 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic League has revealed a sustained attack against the Catholic Church from Jay Leno, host of the Tonight Show.   Describing it as "Jay Leno's obsession," the League points out that in the past five weeks, the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has ridiculed priests six times and the pope once; all of the priest jokes were sexual in nature and painted priests as molesters.

·   June 18: Robin Williams gets into an extended diatribe about priests as pedophiles

·   June 20: Leno cracks a joke about priests as pedophiles

·   June 21: Leno makes a joke about a drunken pedophile priest

·   July 12: Leno ridicules the pope for restating Catholic doctrine on salvation

·   July 18: Leno portrays all priests as pedophiles

·   July 23: Leno jokes about priests using the Harry Potter books as "bait" to lure kids

·   July 23: Leno tells a story about a priest who pays to see a male stripper at a gay nightclub and jokes that the priest was cheating on his altar boy

"Hypocritical priests make for good script, but in the world Jay Leno apparently lives in, priests have a monopoly on hypocrisy," Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented.  "This would seem to suggest that either he is clueless about other expressions of hypocrisy, or there is a strong animus against Catholicism at work. If it's the former, the Catholic League can be of assistance-we track lots of hypocrites, many of whom live in Leno's Hollywood backyard. If it's the latter, we suggest he knock it off."

To express concerns, contact NBC President:

Mr. Jeff Zucker, President
NBC Entertainment
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Phone: (818) 840-4444
Email: nbcshows@nbc.com 

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
NBC Studios
3000 W. Alameda Avenue
Burbank, CA 91523
Phone: (818) 840-3538
Email: TonightShow@nbc.com

---

(c) Copyright: LifeSiteNews.com. Permission to republish is granted (with limitation*) but acknowledgement of source is *REQUIRED* (use LifeSiteNews.com).

NEWS TIPS to lsn@lifesitenews.com or call toll free 1-866-787-9947.

Donate to LifeSiteNews.com at http://www.lifesite.net/contribute/

Send Us News Tips

Other Stories...

Media Misses the Point: Pope Says Have Concern for the Planet Yes, but a Greater Concern for Human Life

Toronto Film Festival Winner "Bella" Finds Major Distributor, Anticipates Opening October 26

Looney England Again - UK Police Increasingly Used as Thought Police to Enforce Political Correctness

Mayor Issues Apology Demanded by Homosexuals - But Not One They Expect

Massive Chinese Recalls, but FDA Silent Over RU-486 Chinese Manufacturers

Canada's Population is Aging at an Alarming Rate: 2006 Census

Americans Urged to Join Nationwide 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting Campaign for an End to Abortion

"PrideFest" Organizer Charged for Soliciting 14-Year Old Boy over the Internet

First Female President of India Calls for an End to Female Abortions

Trickery Used in Granting UN Status for Homosexual Group

View All Stories for Thursday July 26, 2007

---

• Search LifeSite News
• News Archive
• Last 10 Days
• Free Subscription

Free Daily Updates  |  New on LifeSite  |  LifeShop  |  Donate  |  About Us  |  Contact  |  Site Map   All content copyright © 1997-2007 LifeSiteNews.com, all rights reserved.  |  Legal Information |  Privacy Policy

[Bogtrotter52]

Okay, that’s a fair compromise for pre-marriage counseling.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Check out a solidly reformed church.

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." -- 2 Timothy 4:2-5

THE REFORMED DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION
by Loraine Boettner (a guy)

FREEBOOKS.COM has great books by primarily contemporary reformers online, free and complete. The online catalogue is here...

FREEBOOKS.COM

[Dr. Eckleburg]

protection racket and issue avoidance that went on for decades.

"La Cosa Nostra," as Frank Keating called the RCC and their abusive, muscled cover-up.

[nmh]

The fact is that there IS an issue with homosexual priests in the Catholic church. The Catholic church simply moved them to other parishes when there were molestation issues with priests and kids.

Perhaps the HUGE settlements recently by the Catholic church to molestation victims by priests is what prompted these jokes.

[Zon]

It's irrelevant his religious leanings, it's the truth that he is offended by.116

The truth of what?
Someone’s opinion of celebate priests?

This is the post he was talking about.
“I was raised a Catholic but have had nothing to do with the church since I was old enough to make up my own mind. A celibate priesthood is lunacy and does not work. One of the more ridiculous things I can think of is receiving pre-marriage counseling from the church if the one giving the advice is a celibate.And the church leaders decided long ago that in the case of pedophile priests, the survival of the church was more important than the well being of flock. That is why they downplayed the incidents in the past and will still do so when they can. I cheer everytime I hear that they have to pay millions.”

Opinion, not truth.

You're right. Truth is a mushy hydra-headed word. It's meaning changes from context to context. 

I prefer honesty. There's no gray area with honesty. Something is either honest or it's not. 

As it pertains to the United States and its citizens, come the following questions:

Out of the total number of known pedophiles, what percentage of them are not charged and put on trial?

Out of the total number of known pedophiles that are priests, what percentage of them are not charged or put on trial?

What's the average number of years a pedophile is sentenced to imprisonment?

What's the average number of years a pedophile that's a priest is sentenced to imprisonment?

Have pedophile priests names and pertinent information been entered into sex offender lists so that local communities can know their whereabouts?

Plus, there's many questions regarding the people that knew who the priests are that are pedophiles and those that harbored them rather than tell the police that crimes had been committed against children. 

Priests excluded, I query whether, similar to the Church example, there has been an increase in pedophiles being caught whom try to settle out of court. If successful, are they put on the sex offender lists?

It's not honesty that hurts or offends. It's dishonesty that hurts and offends. These questions would be unwarranted if the pedophile priests and certain higher ranking persons in the Church were not dishonest.

[Zon]

I would NEVER under ANY circumstances EVER allow a young male member of my family to be alone with a Catholic Priest. I’m sorry, it’s just not safe...131

...nice little bit of profiling there...gee, let’s see, we got single digit percentages of gay priests out there doing what they’re doing, which leaves 90 plus percent walking the line...and you’re fine with slamming the entire profession...think you’d do that with any other group of people, or are priests just special...

It's the man's family he's determined to protect! Are you like a scout or something working on behalf of pedophile priest -- trying to lead young boys to them to be sexually molested? 

[Grunthor]

I’m just looking out for my family. NO CHURCH is more important than keeping my family from being raped by a man that they ought to be able to trust.

Why are Priests different? Because we as a society expect better. That and the RC does it’s level best to protect these evil monsters.

[Oztrich Boy]

Fix the problem internally and you take away Jay’s ammo.

"You're right! We should stop making these payments"

[Pinkbell]

Sadly, this is a big problem in the Church. Luckily, these pedophiles are finally getting moved out. I don’t see how making dirty jokes about such a sensitive issue or children being molested is funny, though. I don’t see it helping the problem. The Church deserves criticism, but Leno’s kind of criticism is useless.

I’ve seen people mention this would go away if priests were permitted to marry? How would it? If these priests liked women, they’d go out, and pick up women. They don’t like women. They like teenage and young boys. Marriage is not going to solve a homosexual or pedophile problem.

I’m a member of the Church because I believe in the core teachings of the Church. Some bad people have unfortunately infiltrated the priesthood and tried to destroy the Church from the inside out. Luckily, we are weeding these bad apples out, and we are bringing forward a stronger Church rooted in the teachings of Christ and its core beliefs.

[Caipirabob]

OMG - ROTFLMAO!!!

You know, I do the same thing. I've rebuilt the interior of my home and constructed a 100' retaining wall recently rather than pay someone who will do only half as good a job as I would take the time and care to do. The thing is, even if I've never done it before, I just buy a book (something with lots of picture...I like pictures - lol!)

[Caipirabob]

The real scandal isn't about pedophile priests, it's about bishops and church bureaucrats who covered up the pedophilia, and even, essentially, enabled it by shuttling the priests from one job to another.

I agree, yet another level of infiltration by those who are more interested in an alternate agenda other than Christianity. Pedophile priests are only one front of the battle for the soul of the church itself.

[Caipirabob]

Poor victimized pedophile priests. It's not their fault. /s

There's a song in there, I can almost hear the guiter riffs...where Michael Jackson when you need him? ; )

[netmilsmom]

Okay.

““I was raised a Catholic but have had nothing to do with the church since I was old enough to make up my own mind. A celibate priesthood is lunacy and does not work. One of the more ridiculous things I can think of is receiving pre-marriage counseling from the church if the one giving the advice is a celibate.”

All of this is from the ex-Catholic handbook.
I’m glad clear_case guy sees it for what it is, even if you don’t.

[Zon]

I prefer honesty. There's no gray area with honesty. Something is either honest or it's not. 

As it pertains to the United States and its citizens, come the following questions:

Out of the total number of known pedophiles, what percentage of them are not charged and put on trial?

Out of the total number of known pedophiles that are priests, what percentage of them are not charged or put on trial?

What's the average number of years a pedophile is sentenced to imprisonment?

What's the average number of years a pedophile that's a priest is sentenced to imprisonment?

Have pedophile priests names and pertinent information been entered into sex offender lists so that local communities can know their whereabouts?

Plus, there's many questions regarding the people that knew who the priests are that are pedophiles and those that harbored them rather than tell the police that crimes had been committed against children. 

Priests excluded, I query whether, similar to the Church example, there has been an increase in pedophiles being caught whom try to settle out of court. If successful, are they put on the sex offender lists?

It's not honesty that hurts or offends. It's dishonesty that hurts and offends. These questions would be unwarranted if the pedophile priests and certain higher ranking persons in the Church were not dishonest

[IrishBrigade]

Are you like a scout or something working on behalf of pedophile priest — trying to lead young boys to them to be sexually molested?...

...this is what you get out of my response? That I’m recruiting children for priests? I respond to the guy lumping every single Catholic priest into this sexual scandal, which strikes me as virulent profiling...and you come out with this garbage...amazing...

[Zon]

The man is protecting his children and you chastise him for it. That the pedophile priest and the attempted cover up and big money out of court settlements, all done at the will and backing of the Church. And you're trying to convince him that's it's okay to send his young male child into that corrupt institution alone with a priest and have him believe its safe. 

Grunthor can correct me if I've misunderstood him.

[Grunthor]

IrishBrigade - The man is protecting his children and you chastise him for it. That the pedophile priest and the attempted cover up and big money out of court settlements, all done at the will and backing of the Church. And you’re trying to convince him that’s it’s okay to send his young male child into that corrupt institution alone with a priest and have him believe its safe.

Zon - Grunthor can correct me if I’ve misunderstood him.

---

I could not say it any better than the Irishman did.

[Scotswife]

“This is not persecution, it is current news and they deserve the criticism.”

except this “criticism” is factually inaccurate.

Most of these priests were not “pedophiles”.
Pedophiles prey upon pre-pubescent children.

Most of the abusive priests were homosexual ephebophiles.

Leno won’t acknowledge the homosexuality - so he uses a factually inaccurate term knowing most people don’t understand the difference.

[Zon]

Zon wrote: The man is protecting his children and you chastise him for it. That the pedophile priest and the attempted cover up and big money out of court settlements, all done at the will and backing of the Church. And you're trying to convince him that's it's okay to send his young male child into that corrupt institution alone with a priest and have him believe its safe. 156

Zon wrote: Grunthor can correct me if I've misunderstood him.156

I could not say it any better than the Irishman did.

Did you mistake what I wrote above for what the Irishman wrote?