BISHOPS' PRESIDENT BLASTS 'SOUTH PARK' EPISODE LAMPOONING MARY (Disgusting!)

Catholic News Service ^ | 12/19/2005 | Staff

[FerdieMurphy]

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The president of the U.S. bishops blasted a recent episode of the cable television comedy "South Park" that he said showed Mary in "a tasteless and ugly fashion."

In a Dec. 14 letter to Tom Freston, co-president and chief operating officer of Viacom International, parent company of Comedy Central, the cable channel that shows "South Park," Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., said the channel showed "extreme insensitivity" in choosing to show the episode.

The episode, which first was shown Dec. 7 and had repeat showings in the week following, was titled "Bloody Mary." During the episode, a "South Park" character claims to have been sprayed with blood from a bodily orifice of a Virgin Mary statue.

When Pope Benedict XVI investigates in the show, he declares that she was merely menstruating. The episode's premiere date came the day before the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation for Catholics.

[bonfire]

Didn't we already do this thread a few weeks ago?

[Howlin]

We can start a new wing of the conservative moment called PI for Perverted Imbeciles (as opposed to PC).

It will be the more pragmatic wing of the party; you know, the one who actually manages to get people elected to office. :-)

[AzaleaCity5691]

And Jesus's divinity cannot be proved either, but faith is not a science, now is it. That said, I'll stand with the other billion Catholics in the world in my belief that Mary remained forever virgin.

[churchillbuff]

But everyone uses derisive laughter against their enemies -- including you."""

Not in this case. I don't find the debasement of our culture funny. And that's the point of the Leftist deployment of laughter to mock defenders of tradition. The Leftists know the defenders can't laugh about the issue - because they consider defending tradition and cultural norms so important -- so the Leftists make fun of the conservatives' seriousness. They mock them as "uptight," and gain a rhetorical advantage that's hard to counter. It's being used in classic fashion by the cultural liberals on this thread.

[Texas Eagle]

I'm one of those South Park fans... one of their most adoring fans. And I'm menstruating... I just think it's cool to be a hyphenated person. :~D

Holy frijoles! A South Park fan with an actual sense of humor. Who'da thunk it.

[andyk]

I am surprised scientology didn't actually sue them for that episode (at least I haven't heard of one).

Sue who? John or Jane Smith? I'll have to admit that when I saw the credits, I didn't initially "get" the use of John Smith and Jane Smith... :)

[EveningStar]

Didn't we already do this thread a few weeks ago?

Yes.

[Hildy]

South Park insults EVERYBODY. Don't the Bishops have anything better to do?

[Quick1]

Not only are they imbeciles, but they're hypocrites.

Maybe it's that you aren't as funny as you think you are.

Speaking of hypocritical, I DO find it amusing that you would lambaste a show for being vulgar, while being vulgar yourself. "Do as I say, not as a I do"?

[singfreedom]

I can't remember any about the Holocaust in particular, but the Jews have taken their hits for sure! EVERYONE takes hits.

[msnimje]

What religious philosophy teaches this sort of blessing? The Holier_Than_Thou denomination

It never ceases to amaze me that people will be mean spirited and resort to name calling of people who they deem religiously or ethically inferior.

I missed that brand of "Brotherly Love" teachings in Sunday School.

[Democratshavenobrains]

I would think the episode where Catholic priests were all child molesters would be thought of as worse.

[Adam-ondi-Ahman]

Linguistic literalists like yourself cherry pick Scripture thinking they've found the smoking gun proving that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave birth to other children. ... None of which is surprising in a world of moral relativists.

Look, I don't think it really affects our relationship to God if Mary remained a virigin or not. I just proposed some evidence that Jesus had siblings, and you provided your arguments why he didn't. I respect that. No need to get all angry about it.

However, I'm still lost at how having conjugal relations with one's own wife can be considered adultery? Jesus said that a woman who had been divorced, and not because of adultery, would be guilty of adultery if she remarried. Mary was never divorced, nor had she ever had intimate relations. Thanks for you kind response.

[Howlin]

Hey, I didn't notice that; I have my doubts about some of the '05 joins; especially some that came after the Dan Rather debacle.

[redrock]

You DO realize that the famous "F" word is from old England????(I've seen it's use on letters etc from as early as the 1600's)

Profanity has always been a part of our culture...it's just that it was not on television 'back then'.....mostly because they had no television 'back then'.(Milo Farnsworth hadn't been born yet).

But....those who were offended by profanity...usually left when the cussing started.And you can do the same...just turn off the t.v.

Relax...the world is not going to end just because of some T.V. show.

redrock

[KoRn]

I love SouthPark! They tend to offend everyone equally, you need to go take a walk or something and just cool down a bit.

[Quick1]

defending a show that uses the F word in just about every other sentence

Yet another blatant lie. How very Christian of you.

[MeanWestTexan]

"Don't the Bishops have anything better to do?"

No, all the alter boys were in school.

(Sorry, I apologize; it was too easy.)

[cloud8]

> It's ironic that you then would respond with your own form of righteous indignation.

Righteous indignation at prudishness trumps righteous indignation at raunchiness every time.