Posted on 09/03/2009 10:25:47 AM PDT by NYer
LOS ANGELES, CA, September 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In all of his 16 years defending the rights of Catholics, the President of the Catholic League has "never seen a more defamatory, obscene and vicious show on TV." League President Bill Donohue was referring to the August 27 edition of the CBS/Showtime program Penn & Teller.
The half-hour show libeled the Catholic Church with impunity, blaming the Church for, as Donohue put it, "every evil in history." Show host Jillette said the "intolerance, greed, paranoia, hypocrisy and callous disregard for human suffering" was the hallmark of the Catholic Church. Others on the show branded the Church as an "amoral" and "power hungry" institution that is just worried about its "cash flow."
Donohue said on Fox News that, "Penn & Teller's Nazi-like assault on Catholicism that took place on August 27 will go down in history as one of the most vile, obscene programs ever aired in any nation. That CBS, which owns Showtime, allows this to go on is positively unbelievable."
Donohue has requested a meeting with CBS officials to discuss the matter. He spoke to one official by phone Monday, but the Catholic League told LifeSiteNews.com that no official meeting has yet been held.
This week the League commenced a mass mailing of DVD copies of the outrageous episode to bishops and religious leaders across the nation. 414 bishops, hundreds of influential Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Orthodox Christian, Muslim and Mormon religious leaders across the United States are to receive the packages.
The League has also posted the complete program on its website here. (WARNING- HIGHLY OFFENSIVE AND FOUL LANGUAGE)
The League is encouraging all people of good will, Catholics and non-Catholics alike to demand that CBS cancel the Penn & Teller show.
Donohue describes just a few of the falsehoods in the program, saying: "Jillette lied about the Vatican's reaction to Sabina Guzzanti, an Italian foul-mouthed comedian who staged an assault on the pope in 2008: the pope never sought to throw 'her sexy ass in jail' and never once sought any punitive measure against her - it's all a bald face lie! Jillette lied about a 1962 Vatican document - it was a statement about penalties for priests who used the confessional to solicit sex: it was not a cover-up for sexual misconduct! He lied about Pope Benedict XVI - he had absolutely nothing to do with overseeing cases of priestly sexual misconduct in the United States! And so on."
The show interviewed anti-Catholic activists who masquerade as Catholics in order to have them bash the Church. Said Donohue, "Spokesmen for Catholics for Choice, SNAP and Dignity - three anti-Catholic groups that lie about their Catholic status - twisted, distorted and ridiculed Church teachings on sexuality."
The League has provided contact information for CBS officials so that they may hear the voices of many requesting that the Penn & Teller show be cancelled.
Contact CBS rep Nancy Tellem at nancy.tellem@tvc.cbs.com
-Or-
Mr. Leslie Moonves
Chairman of CBS
7800 Beverly Blvd., Rm. 23
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2112
Matthew Blank, the Chairman and CEO of Showtime.
Matthew.Blank@Showtime.net
I forgot to mention the Salem witch trials which killed 24 ... yep just 24.
In which case the life that Kennedy had just repented of, i.e. his previous four decades in the Senate, should not have been in focus.
Darn, I thought conservatives were supposed to be all about personal responsibility.
CBS don’t need no viewers anyhow. plus FOX got IMUS, who I can’t stand.
But why? They aren’t advertising during this show, so they aren’t supporting it.
How to turn a minor media event on a second-rate cable network, which most don’t see, into a major news story. Idiots!
And all articles dated in 2009. This mess first hit the world press in 2002; and after 7 years the Church is still taking an active role in aiding and abetting pedophiles. This does not paint a pretty picture for the Church.
Granted, by and large MOST (99.99%) of the membership are fine, outstanding, morally upright people, and the same percentage perform meanwhile, Christ-like and generous activities - but for the Church to be willing to participate in this behavior - still - is simply unacceptable and puts a bad mark on an otherwise fine institution.
The Cardinal in LA is still in power and he was a major abettor. Also, he refused to cooperate with the DA for years.
Yes, and you probably called bull in 2002, too.
See post 40 - those are the facts. Don't shoot the messenger if you don't like the message. I didn't make the message, I don't like the message; but I'm not going to pretend the message doesn't exist either.
Yes, you do make a good point. While at the same time CBS depends on ad revenue to stay afloat and advertiser boycott still appears to be the most potent weapon against the electronic media.
Bush’s fault! P&T are talented. Mixed in with all the Pope bashing was a nice bit of Bush bashing. GWB “granted” the Pope immunity in 2005. The dork even mentions Benedict is the Head of State of Vatican City near the beginning of the program, but then slip this in. I’m sure the rest of the show was equally well-researched...it’s BS all right.
You didn’t say a few people in the Catholic Church. You said the Church. That’s a lie.
The first link
All I can find is that the parish is supporting him just as much. There are stupid people everywhere. That Bishop is not “The Church”.
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/20010.html
Second link from a blog who seems to have a problem with the Obama protest at Notre Dame, states that the Cardinal suspended the Priest. Again THIS Cardinal is NOT the Catholic Church.
The last two are from Dublin between the 30’s and 90’s.
Not exactly today.
However, NONE of these cases are saying that the Catholic Church is STILL doing anything.
But maybe you just read too much of the MSM where the accusation makes it true.
The cardinal has been accused of moving priests accused of abuse to other parishes instead of removing them from ministry. He has also refused access to the church's personnel files.
Two years ago, the archdiocese agreed to pay $660 million to 508 victims of sexual abuse--the largest payout since the scandal broke in the 1990s.
The Los Angeles diocese, unlike the dioceses of Lincoln, Neb. and Tulsa, Okla., is considered to be compliant with the US bishops' child protection charter, which was adopted in 2002 and calls for annual audits.
What I do not understand, is why the Holy Father has not come down like a ton of bricks on this one. All he would have to do (at the very least) is proclaim that anyone associated with the church, at any level, who ever molested a child, lost his Priest-hood the instant the crime was committed, and as such is excommunicated and will be turned over to the local authorities, and that the church will provide full support into the investigation. Yes, it is that black and white.
For reasons I cannot fathom, the Church has not done this; this is a very simple litmus test. Would Christ tolerate this behavior? Would the Holy Virgin? You are judged by the company you keep; a church that tolerates this invited condemnation.
And yes, it's still going on today - this article was written THIS year .... Feb. 2009!!!
Here and I thought Ted Kennedy’s funeral was the most vile and obscene attack on the church.
Guess it’s a good thing that I missed the show!
Saved you the trouble I guess.
Yup, from Catholics for a Free Choice.
Nuff said
... or Bishops Hubbard and Clark or .... there is a fairly long list. For many years, I wondered the same thing. Then, one day, I stumbled upon the following article which helped me gain a better understanding. Hope it is helpful to you as well.
Donahue is not a Canon lawyer; why do you think he would provide any explanation?
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