"Now do you think that's going too far?" Maher asked.Posted on 04/19/2010 3:17:06 PM PDT by NYer
LOS ANGELES, California, April 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Former governor of Minnesota and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura said that the Catholic Church should be prosecuted under federal RICO laws last Friday, during an appearance on Bill Maher's Real Time show.
Maher, who has stated that "religion is a neurological disorder," asked about his "crazy radical friends Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins" and their aim of arresting the pope "when he hits the tarmac" during the pope’s visit to England in September.
"Now do you think that's going too far?" Maher asked.
"I have another alternative," Ventura responded, "Why hasn't the Catholic Church been prosecuted under the federal RICO laws of organized crime?"
RICO stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act; it was passed in 1970 in an effort to dismantle the Mafia and similar organizations displaying a pattern of criminal activity.
Ventura described the Catholic Church as a “predator” and a felonious organization like the mafia, involved in covering up molestation. "That's what the RICO laws were written for," he stated. "Why have they not been charged?"
"They are an organization involved in felonies. ... and they move people around to protect them, and all of that stuff."
Efforts to prosecute the Church under RICO laws have not fared well in the past. In Magnum v. Archdiocese of Philadelphia the court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing under RICO standards.
Real Time Host Bill Maher is known for his rabid anti-Catholicism, having previously described Pope Benedict XVI as a Nazi and suggested that he deserves to be in jail because of cases of child molestation.
Regarding Maher's offensive behavior, Catholic League President Bill Donohue has previously said that there "is no bigger bigot in America today than Bill Maher."
"His serial insults are tolerated on HBO and on late-night television shows because the producers are not outraged by what he says. How else can we explain his ability to offend with impunity?"
See related stories on LifeSiteNews.com
Comedian Maher Backtracks on "Nazi" Remarks, then Claims Pope Protected Child Molesters
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08042106.html
I wish the thugs had real balls and tried that.
A charge like this would quickly explain to American Catholics how much the American Constitution is worth these days.
People don’t seem to respond well to that, for some reason.
Lol ... that moment when you realize just how much you have been duped all these years is like an epiphany. You want to share it with anyone and everyone and shout it from the rooftops. Naturally, unless someone else has been equally enlightened, they take offense at such a notion. "Why that adorable Katie Couric or handsome Matt Lauer wouldn't lie to me!" "CNN or MSNBC twisting facts? Utter nonsense! If we can't trust them, then who? Rush? Bill O'Reilly? Ha" (got carried away with myself there).
Is it any wonder our nation is split in two!
Freakin loon.
Hey Mrs. Tax,
Belated Happy Easter (although it is Eastertide which lasts 50 days and...oh, never mind).
So he is getting lots of teeth, eh? Outstanding! I’ll have to set aside some beef jerkie for him!
I’ll be missing any travel for a while. Have some knee miseries which I need to check out. May be the old wandering meniscus syndrome.
My best to you and yours! Found a nice Italian wine called Altanuta. It is inexpensive and very good for the price.
Cheers!
F
As usual, a celeb has picked a nice safe place to voice their stupidity. Like anybody on Maher’s show would have challenged him. Please.
Celebs and politicians know that the term “liberal” is a dirty word and will always try to distance themselves from being labeled as such. But anybody with an iota of common sense knows exactly who they are.
I love it when people try to claim that they are Libertarians too. Despite the fact that they are bleeding heart liberals. Label yourself whatever you want, you won’t fool me or any other right thinking person.
Yep, many times “Libertarians” are just liberals who like guns.
Feliz Pascua to you to, Mr. Sheed. Sorry about your knee! I’ll pray for you while I “run” about the neighborhood at other people’s walking pace.
You mean unless the person doing the speaking is a student wanting to share his or her religious beliefs at a graduation ceremony?
And, what does you comment have to do with the fact that Ventura is a bigot and jackass whose only talent in life is playing a heel in professional wrestling?
You quoted me: “Try the first amendment. Free speech means freedom to offend. If one were only free to say what offended no one, there would be no freedom of speech.” [Corrected.]
Then you wrote:
“You mean unless the person doing the speaking is a student wanting to share his or her religious beliefs at a graduation ceremony?”
No, it especially means a student expressing his religious beliefs, especially if someone else is offended by it. Free speech that everyone likes doesn’t need to be protected. The exception is private property, of course. No one has a right to use someone else’s platform for their speech.
Then you wrote:
“And, what does you comment have to do with the fact that Ventura is a bigot and jackass whose only talent in life is playing a heel in professional wrestling?”
Some were suggesting penalties for Ventura, which would have violated his free speech. Bigotry is ignorant, but it’s not against the law, nor should it be.
Here’s what I mean, from this article:
http://theautonomist.com/atnmst/jrnl_ii.php?art=95
“The freedom of religion and speech means that every individual is free to express what they believe in any terms they choose, and it does not matter where they are or when it is (except on someone else’s private property), whether in a government school or the chambers of government assemblies, they have that freedom of religion and speech.”
Hank
Students have been denied the ability to express their religious beliefs at graduation ceremonies. That is the point.
No one has suggested a jackass like Ventura be silenced, merely exposed for bigoted moron that he is.
“Students have been denied the ability to express their religious beliefs at graduation ceremonies. That is the point.”
In a government (public school), because students are forced to be there by law, they should be free to say whatever they like, even from graduations platforms.
In a private school the administration has a right to set any standards they like about what can or cannot be said on their platforms. If a student does not like their policy, they should attend a different school. This applies to private schools at all levels.
Colleges and Universities that have any government financing are the problem. Anyone who chooses to attend such a school, especially if they take any government aid, does not get my sympathy. They ought to be able to say what they want, but nothing comes from the government without strings.
Want freedom of speech? don’t take government money, or take advantage of anything government finances.
Hank
It was Minnesota, they elected Senator Al Franken who is serving NOW. Any moron liberal asshat can get elected to any office in Minnesota. Its like a suburb of Massachusetts.
Jesse just might have two; one on each end.
Ventura is wrong. The RCC just came out and said that Bishops should report any sexual assault to the authorities. Other than compensating victims they didn't do that for, that should be the end of it.
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