Posted on 05/27/2005 6:27:49 AM PDT by marshmallow
New York, May. 26, 2005 (CNA) - Shareholders in the media giant, Viacom, will be greeted by many unhappy faces as they enter a meeting at New York’s Marriot Marquis Hotel this afternoon.
William Donahue, president of the Catholic League, an organization for religious and civil rights, is leading a charge, railing against the company, and their subsidiary, Showtime, for airing a program which they call “a full frontal assault” on the late Mother Theresa and the Catholic Church.
The program, “Holier than thou”, starring magician entertainers Penn and Teller, paints Mother Theresa and her Sisters of Charity as “cruel, exploitative, self-serving nun[s] who ripped off the poor,” according to Donahue.
“In the 12 years that I have been president of the Catholic League,” he wrote yesterday, “I have never witnessed a more vicious attack on Catholicism than what appeared this week on the Showtime program, ‘Penn and Teller.’ The episode, ‘Holier Than Thou,’ was a frontal assault on Mother Teresa and her order of nuns, Missionaries of Charity (as well as Gandhi and the Dali Lama).”
In the episode, says Donahue, “We are told that Mother Teresa intentionally let the poor suffer, providing neither beds nor bathroom facilities. ‘She had the f—king coin and pissed it away on nunneries,’ says Penn. As for the nuns who worked with Mother Teresa, they are referred to as ‘f—king c—ts.’”
The Catholic League announced yesterday that it would hold a press conference outside of the Manhattan hotel at 1:30 today and that copies of Donahue’s statement regarding the show would be handed out to shareholders as they enter.
Likewise, they said that additional copies would be mailed to bishops and other interested parties throughout the nation.
Donahue continued: “It does not bother me when they call me ‘Catholic Boy’ on the show (though the term ‘Jew Boy’ would never cross their lips), nor does it concern me when they talk about ‘f—kers like Bill Donohue [who] only see good in her.’ But when they mock the Catholic Church’s teaching on the meaning of suffering, and when they say of the poor that ‘They had to suffer so that Mother F—king Teresa could be enlightened,’ then they are behaving like monsters.”
Penn (Jillette) is a fervent atheist and his animus is organised religion in general. Mother Teresa, being one of the most recognizable and universally loved and admired symbols of Christian love, thus becomes a natural target for his potty-mouthed lies.
I don't imagine we'll see this brave man preaching his anti-religion message in Islamabad or Gaza.
Sounds like they went to Christopher Hitchens for some of their prep.
I dare these asses to do the same with Mohammed. Say why haven't we seen the movie version of Satanic Verses?
What better way to start a Friday than with a little righteous indignation?
;O)
Why is this posted in religion?
He would never have the coward to insult Islam the way he insults Catholicism.
He knows Catholics will at most protest, whereas Muslims would behead him.
Heck! Sometimes I think I must live a very sheltered life. I have only seen Penn & Teller a handful of times of regular TV and I liked them. I had no idea they had performances like this one.
The Showtime program won't be seen by me since I don't have cable.
What goes around comes around.
Universal Justice is just something I don't want to encounter too often.
Messages of disgust can be sent to:
nancy.tellem@tvc.cbs.com
press@viacom.com
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