CBS PETITIONED TO PROBE SHOWTIME

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights ^ | 6-9-05 | Catholic League

[Dancing Jane]

CBS PETITIONED TO PROBE SHOWTIME

Catholic League president William Donohue explained today the league’s strategy for dealing with Showtime, the cable network that recently aired a hate-filled episode of “Penn and Teller”:

“On May 23, 24 and 27, Showtime’s ‘Penn and Teller’ aired the ‘Holier Than Thou’ episode that has so enraged Catholics, as well as people of all faiths (click here). The obscene assault on Mother Teresa, her Missionaries of Charity and the Catholic Church was arguably the most vicious anti-Catholic fare ever shown on television in the United States. An excerpt of this show was sent to 350 persons of influence, including every bishop who commands a diocese. Now we want results.

“Beginning today, we are launching a nation-wide campaign demanding that CBS initiate a probe into this matter. Why CBS? Showtime is owned by Viacom, and Viacom has many subsidiaries in the entertainment and communications industries, none of which is more prominent than CBS. Now it may be that those who work at CBS had nothing to do with the offending Showtime episode. Nonetheless, CBS bears corporate responsibility. Just as important, the famous CBS name has been sullied by what Showtime did.

“We are focusing our attention on two persons: Leslie Moonves, Chairman and CEO of CBS, and Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network (Showtime is a Paramount TV studio that will remain with CBS even if Viacom splits into two entities this summer). The petition (click here) seeks justice: We want those responsible for this bigoted assault on Catholicism to be held accountable for the damage they have done.

“In addition to pushing this petition on our website, we will ask our members to get involved: the July-August edition of Catalyst, our monthly journal, will reprint the petition. We are most proud of the support that we have received from those outside the Catholic community. They know what’s at stake and they look to CBS to correct it.”

[xJones]

I can't personally vouch for their authenticity, because it's not like I've done any research for myself, but it would be nice for those who are criticizing them to at least explain what they've said that is incorrect.

No, no, no, you've never tried debating, have you? If you state something, the burden of proof is on YOU to back it up with facts. That's where Hitchens fails, and repeating unproven slander is equally intellectually dishonest.

For instance, someone who didn't like your beliefs to begin with, could call you a drugged-out pedophile matricide, and state it over and over until gullible readers accept it. But I wouldn't believe it without proof.:)

[Antoninus]

For instance, someone who didn't like your beliefs to begin with, could call you a drugged-out pedophile matricide, and state it over and over until gullible readers accept it. But I wouldn't believe it without proof.:)

Clearly, Moral Hazard must now prove that he's not a drugged-out pedophile matricide. If not, I will assume he's guilty.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"Queer as Folk" is an HBO program.

Nope, it's a Showtime program. As is "The L word", by the way.

[elc]

"No, go back and re-read what I said."

"There are no such thing as Catholic terrorists. Actually, the Catholic League is more like the ADL than CAIR. Do you have a problem with the ADL?"

[68 grunt]

... Read on at your leisure.

Perhaps the statement, "ignore at your leisure" would be more apropos.

[Antoninus]

"There are no such thing as Catholic terrorists. Actually, the Catholic League is more like the ADL than CAIR. Do you have a problem with the ADL?"

How do you read that to mean "The IRA aren't terrorists"? I clarified in later posts that I would not qualify them as Catholics. They are not using terrorism to further the Catholic Church, the way Muslims use it to further Islam. Instead, they're using terrorism to achieve political ends. You did see the article above where the Cardinal Primate of Ireland has called for IRA to disband, didn't you?

[xJones]

Clearly, Moral Hazard must now prove that he's not a drugged-out pedophile matricide. If not, I will assume he's guilty.

Either that or prove that he has finally stopped beating his family.:)

But if we're drawing a strick analogy, we will to have to wait until Moral Hazard is dead and buried before we can slander him.

[Moral Hazard]

In this case it's the Catholic League that is trying to get Bullshit taken off the air. Doesn't that put the burden on them to prove that what they said about Mother Theresa was false? Or are they demanding it be cancelled despite it being truthful?

[JAWs]

Penn and Teller have a debunking show called 'Bullsh--!' they attack fads and fuzzy thinking... things like campus PC and feng shui. I guess they're being confrontational again.

[Bluegrass Conservative]

So what did they do on this show that so offended Catholics?

[xJones]

The multitude of articles on Mother Teresa's works and charities constitute her reputation's burden of proof: Mother Teresa.

The slanders of a handful after her death are in direct contridiction of the vast number of others that say otherwise about her. Her funeral in Calcutta was very sad, the Indian people were distraught and crying over her passing, and the Indian government issued a statement honoring her work. But Chritopher Hitchens opines otherwise, and so you'll believe that.

[Moral Hazard]

"Her funeral in Calcutta was very sad, the Indian people were distraught and crying over her passing, and the Indian government issued a statement honoring her work."

The equivalent could be said about Princess Di and the UK. Does that put her in the same category?

[Antoninus]

I guess they're being confrontational again.

When they have the cojones to put Islam under the microscope, I might agree with you. Until then, I think they're cowards going after the weak, the dead, and those who can't really hurt them physically or economially.

[Melas]

They lampooned the Greens too, and it was hillarious. However, the attack on Mother Theresa was viscious.

[Melas]

Wrong. It's a Showtime program. http://www.sho.com/site/queer/home.do

[AD from SpringBay]

Still waiting for ‘Penn and Teller's Mohammada hammada' episode. That one will be a hoot.

[LowOiL]

"a fat, bloated lard like Mr. Penn .................has done FAR more to advance the human condition than Mother Theresa."

I can't believe you said that.... without sarcasm too...

[orionblamblam]

> I can't believe you said that....

Many people can't believe that education and the exposing of frauds is more important that converting people without their informed consent.

[orionblamblam]

> I think they're cowards going after the weak, the dead, and those who can't really hurt them physically or economially.

They went after Creationists and The Bible. Those two alone defeat your hypothesis.

[LowOiL]

Just how do you convert people without their consent?