Fox News to sue ex-'gay' activist? Bill O'Reilly engaged in heated debate with guest

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Friday, January 3, 2003 | By Art Moore

[JohnHuang2]

Friday, January 3, 2003 Quote of the Day by JoeSixPack1

[Lion's Cub]

Since Fox would have no interview without Bennett's participation, I fail to see why he doesn't have as much right to use the interview as Fox does. He's not using the entire show--just the portion that has his interview. Even if the court would disagree with that argument, I'd say Bennett is still protected under Fair Use.

I personally think Fox is making a big mistake by going ahead with this suit. A lot of us think O'Reilly made an ass of himself, and we are entitled to that opinion. I'd actually forgotten about this, but now I see that O'Reilly is just one ass amoung others at Fox.

[Always Right]

Bill O'Reily is an anti-Christian hate-monger. O'Reilly needs to examine his own bigotry and fanaticism on this issue.

[xzins]

I like Fox News and I generally watch a segment or two of O'Reilly.

The fact is, however, that unless Bennett signed some form before appearing on the show that says he has no right to comment or use the segment, that it is a part of his "life."

If it were an outsider using the O'Reilly segment, fine, maybe they shouldn't be able to use it without some restrictions. In this case, however, this is a "live" segment, not a movie or a production. Since the 2 people who appear "live" are O'Reilly and Bennett, either of them should have access to those moments of their own lives.

[patriciaruth]

Bill O'Reily is an anti-Christian hate-monger.

Huh?

What issues that O'Reilly has spoken on show that he is "anti-Christian" in your opinion?

So far I think we can say for certain that O'Reilly hates people who abuse children in any way and Jesse Jackson. Anybody else?

[glory]

He made some pretty heavy accusations of this man who is a former gay ministering to those who are still gay. What O'Reilly accused him of does not even stack up with Mr. Bennett's own words of what his ministry is about. Mr. Bennett even reminds folks that a homosexual should be loved with Christ's love. Mr. Bennett's life mission as a former gay man is to win souls from that dangerous lifestyle. He's no more hateful of homosexuals(as O'Reilly charged) than the minister who works and ministers to the homeless is hateful of the homeless. Is O'reilly suggesting that anyone who takes to ministering to a particular group because of their experience with that group(former drug addicts to drug addicts, former promiscuous people to currently promiscious people, etc) are filled with hate at the very people they minister to? He was was off base and O'Reilly once again proved that he is the one who borders on the fanatical when it comes to this issue.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Since I'm tee vee-less I've only heard O'Reilly on the radio one time. He seemed pretty mild to me, but I've read a lot of threads where he seems like Mike Savage but not had the actual evidence of this. (and I'm a fan of Savage).

O'Reilly is wrong on this, and some people here have said he's a huge bloated egotist (O'Reilly), but he is friends with Rosie O'Donnell (the Irish connection perhaps?) and so that might color his opinion.

I know that O'Reilly seems good on lots of other issues.

He's wrong on this one, and I think a Court of Law, even a very liberal one would see this.

[patriciaruth]

Are you defending Always Right's statement that "Bill O'Reily is an anti-Christian hate-monger"?

I'm not defending O'Reilly's over-the-top style of debate which sometimes causes him to insert his foot in his mouth, just questioning the over-the-top statement from Always Right that O'Reilly is an "anti-Christian hate-monger."

[FreePaul]

I liked O'Reilly until I started listening to him on his radio show. He comes on as arrogant and abusive. I no longer listen to him although I do agree with a lot of what he says. He has taken positions on some things that I think disqualify him as a conservative. I believe that he is trying to gain listeners by being confrontational without regard to the issues.

[Claire Voyant]

Hat to tell you but O'Reilly IS turning into a Christian Hater.....and tilting very pro-gay. He;s against the priests, NOT for being Gay , but for diddling young boys. He;s very SOFT on Homosexual adoptions. I can HARDLY WATCH HIM anymore. He shows NOTHING of his Catholicism on TV.

[TheBattman]

This is the Reason that I'm not a big O'Reily fan. He can't decide what side of an issue he is - he just speaks towards whatever will get an arguement up.

For those that think O'Reily is a conservative - This issue should dispel that rumor.

[patriciaruth]

If someone is not anti-gay does that make them anti-Christian?

[patriciaruth]

Do you have to be anti-gay in order to be conservative?

[Always Right]

What issues that O'Reilly has spoken on show that he is "anti-Christian" in your opinion?

O'Reilly constantly calls people who see gay sex as sinful as religous fanatics and extremists and has no repect for their beliefs in the Bible. O'Reilly is entitled to his beliefs, but his constant name-calling of those he disagrees with is bigotry.

[B. Rabbit]

This is a problem with the conservative party, I think. I'm not for pragmatism, but O'Reilly thinks like most of us with regards to most issues. He differs on a few, and on a couple quite substantially, but this does not make him someone who is "not a conservative" IMHO. I would rather have him have a top rated show than Martin Sheen or some other hardline liberal.

Economics and foreign policy should be (again, IMHO) the rallying points for this party. Everything else is a secondary issue. They are important, don't get me wrong, but liberals can cause much more damage when they control these issues than any other issues, and conservatives can do the most good...

[patriciaruth]

people who see gay sex as sinful have a religious belief. Does this make them bigots?

If O'Reilly has a belief that people who see gay sex is sinful are religious fanatics (a lesser accusation that saying you are a sinner), does that make him an anti-Christian bigot?

[DB]

O'Reilly attacked the man on a TV interview on O'Reilly's turf. It seems only fair that the man be able to use the clips of the events to rebut that attack on his character in basic self-defense.

[Always Right]

Do you have to be anti-gay in order to be conservative?

No, but conservatives do believe that people are ultimately responsible for their behavior. Why does O'Reilly and gay activists angerly insist that it is impossible for someone to stop behaving gay? It really boils their blood pressure at any suggestion that being in the gay lifestyle is anything but genetic.

[B. Rabbit]

No, but conservatives do believe that people are ultimately responsible for their behavior. Why does O'Reilly and gay activists angerly insist that it is impossible for someone to stop behaving gay? It really boils their blood pressure at any suggestion that being in the gay lifestyle is anything but genetic.

And I think that O'Reilly would agree 100% with your first sentence. Individuals should be responsible for their own behavior. This means that if somebody is born gay (genetic argument) or is raised and developed to be gay (societal influences) than they should be left alone with their decision and accountable for their own actions. Leave them alone. (And also, they should leave straight people alone about their sexuality).

[William Terrell]

However, Bennett's legal defense, the American Family Association, maintains that the tape is legal because it uses excerpts from the interview for the purpose of commentary.

FR didn't get very far with that defense. Maybe it'll get to another circuit court of appeals and yield a different ruling. Then we can all go to the Supreme Court.