Bill Maher: Pope 'Used to be a Nazi;' Compares Church to Cult, Bear Stearns

NewsBusters.org ^ | 4/14/2008 | Matthew Balan

[Pyro7480]

Bill Maher, true to form on his "Real Time" program on HBO on Friday, went on a tirade against Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church, only days before the Pope’s visit to the U.S.. He stated that the Pope "used to be a Nazi" and compared him to a cult leader. He then went on to call the Church a "child-abusing religious cult" and "the Bear Stearns of organized pedophilia." "And that’s the Church’s attitude: 'We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it,' which is fine, far be it from me to criticize religion."

Following a profanity-tinged one-liner concerning the raid on the Texas compound of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Maher quipped, "In fact, whenever a cult leader sets himself up as God’s infallible wingman here on Earth, lock away the kids. Which is why I’d like to tip off law enforcement to an even larger child-abusing religious cult. Its leader also has a compound, and this guy not only operates outside the bounds of the law, but he used to be a Nazi and he wears funny hats. That’s right, the Pope is coming to America this week and ladies, he’s single!" At the "funny hat" line, Maher displayed a picture of Pope Benedict wearing a wide-brimmed hat called a saturno.

[marshmallow]

Folks, we need to be above Maher's drivel. He's a pathetic Hugh Hefner wannabee whose church is the Playboy Mansion.

The world is never going to love us and life is too short to get bitter and twisted about what every other whacko thinks of the Catholic Church. Maher can't harm the Church from without, but we can harm it from within.

[Pyro7480]

The Archdiocese of Washington is spending $2 million, security included. Of course, any foreign dignitary gets Secret Service protection, so it really doesn’t matter. The President isn’t going to reject a request from any foreign leader who has good relations with the U.S. to come visit, let alone a spiritual leader of a billion.

[wideawake]

The Pope really wasn’t a nazi, was he?

No, he wasn't.

Hitler Youth membership was compulsory for all males over the age of 13 and he was automatically enrolled by law.

In the first days of the HY, membership was voluntary and members automatically became members of the Nazi Party, with all its privileges and preferential treatment in applying for the SS.

By 1936, membership became obligatory, and only HY members who actively participated in the organization were given the privilege of party membership.

Rather than actively participate in HY activities, Ratzinger entered the seminary instead.

At age 16, he was forcibly drafted into the Wehrmacht - had he been an active member of the HY and a party member, he would have normally been mustered into the SS and not the regular army.

Most historians estimate that 12% of the German population were actual party members by 1945.

[Straight Vermonter]

Bill Maher: Pope 'Used to be a Nazi;'

He now sounds like a lot of freepers.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Anti-Catholicism, the last “safe” bigotry.

On FreeRepublic, anyway.

[reagan_fanatic]

There are two types of comedians in the world - those who can make people laugh without being offensive or vulgar, and those who are too bitter or lack the talent to do so.

Guess which category Maher falls into?

[mc5cents]

Well, folks, no one has the freedom to libel someone.”

Indeed, but in this case it would be slander, not libel.

[phil1750]

Maher and the homosexual shows on hbo and showtime is the reason I won’t sign up for their premium channels.

[GladesGuru]

“Bill Maher used to be a human.

Allegedly.”

Uhhhh - and just which DNA laboratory verified your hypothesis?

;-)

[Ranger Warrior]

Another reason not to waste money subscribing to HBO.

[marshmallow]

Who pays for the police security, escorts, and so forth? Does the Vatican reimburse the police agencies and other government agencies involved, or is this at taxpayer expense?

The taxpayer undoubtedly funds part of it. It's money well spent, in my opinion.

There is no figure on the world stage with more gravitas in the fight against secularism, hedonism, paganism and atheism than the Pope. The previous incumbent, John Paul II, for instance, played an enormous role in the downfall of one of this country's main antagonists; the Soviet Union and the communism empire in Eastern Europe, so I'd say you're getting a rather good return on your taxpayer dollar here.

Furthermore, when it comes to spending tax dollars on unworthy causes, Planned Parenthood, public education and worthless handouts to welfare addicts are probably more worthy of your ire.

Catholics pay taxes too. If there was a little box on our tax returns which said "check if you wish to contribute to the Pope's security" would that make you feel better? Heaven forbid that any of your money go to keep a Catholic safe.

[Neoliberalnot]

Bill Maher bears a strong resemblance to Jeffrey Dahmer. Am I alone on this observation?

[stuartcr]

Thanks

[stuartcr]

???

[stuartcr]

Thanks

[ArrogantBustard]

He’ll eventually be found like his “hero” Lenny Bruce

That's depressing and disgusting. I hope and pray that, by the Grace of God, he repents and reforms his life before that happens.

[roses of sharon]

??!!??**

[wideawake]

The question is a valid one, I believe.

One of the federal government's main jobs is to conduct diplomacy - which obviously involves providing security to foreign heads of state who visit the US.

Moreover, the cost of security is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money that will be embezzled from Medicare during the course of the Pope's visit.

In other words, to raise the question is to strain at a gnat while swallowing a camel.

[stuartcr]

The ??? was because I didn’t know what you were talking about or referring to. I still don’t.

[roses of sharon]

Sure.