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.

[griswold3]

My aunt was a member of the Hitler Youth. There was no option NOT to join.
My mother on the other hand would NOT join. The stories she told about how she survived the war without ‘papers’. She was devoutly Catholic and had dealings with the Waffen SS.
Hitler DID say ‘Jesus was the bastard son of a Jewish whore’. May he burn in hell!!

[AuH2ORepublican]

I think defamation taking place during a cable TV broadcast would be considered libel:

“Slander and libel

The common law origins of defamation lie in the torts of slander (harmful statement in a transitory form, especially speech) and libel[4][5] (harmful statement in a fixed medium, especially writing but also a picture, sign, or electronic broadcast), each of which gives a common law right of action.

“Defamation” is the general term used internationally, and is used in this article where it is not necessary to distinguish between “slander” and “libel”. Libel and slander both require publication.[6] The fundamental distinction between libel and slander lies solely in the form in which the defamatory matter is published. If the offending material is published in some fleeting form, as by spoken words or sounds, sign language, gestures and the like, then this is slander. If it is published in more durable form, for example in written words, film, compact disc (CD), DVD, blogging and the like, then it is considered libel.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libel

[John Leland 1789]

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

---

Not in my opinion. The Vatican should be required to reimburse US agencies for every dime! No non-Catholic citizen should be forced through taxation to pay for any facet of the pope’s work or life, including trips he maks to the States.

And I’ll add that US churches/denominations who request government funded security beyond normal day-to-day police duties should also reimburse the public.

[dragonblustar]

Maher is a perverted devolving beastial freak.

Even that is being too kind to that rodent sucking pus bucket.

[stuartcr]

OK

[Pyro7480]

See post #78. And if you want to “blame” anyone for the U.S. having diplomatic relations with the Holy See, then your person is Ronald Reagan.

[Clear Rivers]

[AnAmericanMother]

You know, he really didn't have much choice, since his family was already on the radar because of his dad -- who had had to move several times to escape persecution (and to get a job to support his family).

As I understand it, a seminary professor covered for him and signed him up, even though he never attended a meeting.

It's very telling that people want to go after a 14 year old kid caught in a reign of terror.

[A_Former_Democrat]

I look forward to Bill Maher’s Judgment Day.

[marshmallow]

And of course, it works both ways. US presidents have been known to visit the Vatican, on occasion, too.

I don't imagine the Vatican does him poorly and gives him water and dried bread to eat or gives the security detail the day off when he's in town.

Of course, Catholics generally don't whine about having their money spent on visits by non-Catholic heads of state.

[AnAmericanMother]

Exactly.

[PGR88]

Does anyone else thing Maher looks like an angry ferret?

[Tex Pete]

“Anti-Catholicism, the last “safe” bigotry.”

As a Baptist, we sure do get more than our fair share of shots from all directions.

[ichabod1]

a cult leader sets himself up as God’s infallible wingman here on Earth

I think he lifted this verbatim from Dennis Miller. He WISHES he could have half of Dennis Miller's talent. Oh, and BTW, Dennis is on the rise, Maher's time done come and gone like Algore.

[Jeff Head]

Mahler is a sel-appointed spokesperson and an ardent liberal believer in principles that produced tyrants as bad or worse than Hitler...and will do so again if we do not stand and keep them in check.

[sargunner]

Thought your might want to comment on this a$$hat.

[Matchett-PI]

"Maher is disturbed. He does deserve our prayers."

Yes he is and yes he does. He's the quintessential example of how people behave when they try to run away from the guilt they feel.

Poor soul.

[ichabod1]

For what credit is it to you to be justly persecuted? One of my favorite Pauline sentiments.

[Hunton Peck]

He's so bitter. But he's not poor or downtrodden, and doesn't cling to religion. He may not even cling to guns. How can this be?

I . . . I'm confused.

[Nihil Obstat]

The Ratzinger family hated the Nazis. Joseph had a young cousin that had Down's Syndrome. The Nazis took him and exterminated him.