Skip to comments.
Penn & Teller ridicule
Christ's crucifixion
WorldNetDaily ^
| Posted: January 20, 2003
| unknown
Posted on 01/20/2003 3:07:38 PM PST by Houmatt
The magic-comedy team of Penn & Teller has performed a stunt parodying the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, offending some attendees of a major magicians' convention, reports columnist Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review.
The skit, performed last week in Las Vegas, included Teller, dressed as Christ on a full-size cross, entering the room on a cart. According to the column, a midget dressed as an angel "performed a simulated sex act on the near-naked Teller." Penn, in a Roman gladiator costume, unveiled the scene by pulling away a "Shroud of Turin" that covered the cross.
A group of people attending the event, billed as a roast of magician Amazing Johnathan, walked out in protest, says Clarke.
According to Rick Neiswonger, a longtime magician and marketing executive, said "the majority" of the 400 who attended the roast were offended.
"They (organizers) warned everybody that something offensive was going to happen, but my God, where do you draw the line?
This was beyond bad taste," Neiswonger told the Review.
One magician, Lance Burton, defended the stunt in an address at the finale luncheon of the conference.
"I told them, 'You were warned ahead of time.' It was a roast; it was held late at night (midnight)," he said, according to the Review column. "Penn & Teller are my dear friends and I would take a bullet for them, and you can write that."
Amazing Johnathan told the Review he was aware that a number of what he called "gospel magicians" walked out of the performance.
"This was performance art," said Johnathan. "I know that Penn is a practicing atheist, and I agree with him that Christianity can be dangerous. Look at the Trade Center. That was done in the name of religion."
Clarke said in his column that Penn & Teller declined comment.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: amazingjohnathan; amazingjonathan; antichristian; atheist; blasphemy; christianity; crucifixtion; jesuschrist; lanceburton; lasvegas; magic; magicians; moronicstatements; offensive; outrage; penn; pennandteller; performanceart; religioushatred; teller; wherestheoutrage
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-80, 81-100, 101-120 ... 141-148 next last
To: Kevin Curry; jlogajan
Hitler was inspired to carry out his monstrous acts by the atheist madman Nietzsche who destested Christianity almost as much as jlogajan does. Right, Kevin Curry! Nietzsche went crazy in his rejection of God. We should pray for better for jlogajan.
To: Undivided Heart
I would say it takes a great deal of energy to practice atheism. Intellectually honest atheists have a lot of problems to solve for. You're right. It is hard work to pick moral axioms from nowhere, to live by them consistently, to defend them and to have faith in them. What's hardest is to discover later in life that one has been walking on an empty and lonely path.
To: CyberCowboy777
What Penn & Teller did was out of hatred, what else could it be? It satisfied a desire to "get back" at Christians (God) in their own little way. Is that not the way it works? You strike out to mask or to sooth a pain or a longing? Maybe a fear of inadequacies or a rebellion to "certain" rules? It is a form of hatred to mock those who believe in Him who taught all of us to love one another (even our enemies).
To: CyberCowboy777
Absolutes are a basis of Freedom. Well said, CyberCowboy777.
To: dasboot
I saw a show in which Penn gave a tour of his home. In one room he, keeps several jars of deformed, stillborm fetuses/babies. Indeed, we should pray for him. Perhaps, like the Grinch, his heart will grow several sizes larger.
To: Bobby777
I would invite all Christians to pray for Penn and Teller ... We are called to do so...
To: Paul_B
But a big bravo to the decent people who walked out, You bet!
To: yendu bwam
And they say Christians are intolerant.
88
posted on
01/20/2003 7:03:54 PM PST
by
oyez
(Is this a great country...........Or what?)
To: Kevin Curry
Hitler was inspired to carry out his monstrous acts by the atheist madman Nietzsche who destested Christianity almost as much as jlogajan does. Almost ......... LOL! True, very true.
89
posted on
01/20/2003 7:29:59 PM PST
by
Skooz
($ This space for rent--Your ad here $)
To: Slyfox
Thing is they will get Press from this ...bad press is good press for them..better than NO press.
To: yendu bwam
Have you read "The Absolutes: Freedom's Only Hope" by James Robinson?
I have the book but have not read it yet. I am still reading "Modern Fascism: Liquidating the Judeo-Christian World View" by Gene Edwards Veith, Jr. for the second time.
I understand that Mr. Robinson is a friend of Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. If these men account him as a friend, I look forward to reading his work.
91
posted on
01/20/2003 7:55:29 PM PST
by
CyberCowboy777
(Extremism in the Pursuit of Liberty is no Vice!)
To: TrappedInLiberalHell
Penn & Teller are huge acolytes of James Randi, who is himself an atheist. I'm not an atheist, but I am a longtime member of a local skeptics' group and have met them all. I am the proud owner of an autographed copy of Randi's "Flim-Flam."
"South Park" does go overboard with the potty humor at times, but the recent episode where they gutted John Edward, showed exactly how he does his stupid act, then had space aliens arrive to give him the award for "Biggest Douche In The Universe" was, IMHO, one of the greatest things ever shown on TV.
92
posted on
01/20/2003 8:39:07 PM PST
by
HHFi
To: HHFi
The point of the comparisons is to show the "outcome" and\or the allowed behavior stemming from various "religions" and the built upon ideologies. Though Christians do not hate anyone who subscribes to any of these religions, we will use history to make valid and vital point.
No man can say that he is a Christian and then kill 30 million people. It is simply impossible; to do so contradicts the very basis of the teachings of Jesus.
He can however be entirely honest if he calls himself an atheist or a pagan. There are no absolutes in either "religion" and either of which have been the foundation of the very ideologies that drove men like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Genghis Kahn and others.
This point is valid in discussions of politics, society, religion, ideology and history. Especially now when so many make claims of "Christian Atrocities" in an effort to debunk, belittle or remove foundation from an argument. Which is what one of the individuals defending Penn & Teller did.
The crutch of the matter is the turn from the Moral Absolutes that the Judeo-Christian worldview brought the world. Without an Absolute Moral Authority we by default must ascribe to a relativism that allows anything and everything. Man only has his own mind to guide himself (and others?) when God is removed from the equation. That may seem like a decent alternative when you consider your own values but when you use logic and history to consider the actual outcome of such a ideology you must in all honesty concede that atheism and paganism lead to nothing but pain and sorrow for a society.
Consider this: if man uses only himself as the authority on moral issues who is to say the ideas of Hitler are wrong? Many agreed with Hitler and in a world of moral relativism you only need garner support to promote an idea. By mans own nature some will agree and some will not, each with their own self-interest. You may disagree with Hitler but you have no Absolute Authority to contradict him. You only have your own idea of morality and that has no more value that Hitlers view. Many may agree with you but it is still only the ideas of men, so you battle to resolve the issue at hand but never place finality on the issue of right and wrong. It becomes even more difficult if you believe all men are equal. Who then decides that one mans ideas is better than anothers? Do you trust popular opinion or the opinion of learned men? Both have been proven to fail. The problem with fascism and communism is at the DNA of the ideology; absence of Moral Absolutes outside man himself.
Man cannot set his own standards of morality. It is the very nature of God that sets Absolutes that we must rely. And that very same nature allows for some to not believe and yet reap the benefits.
This is all very well described and ascribed too by the Founding Fathers of this Great Nation, even those few Deists who granted agreement to the concept though not believing in the Christ. This foundation is also why Jews the world over extended help from abroad in our early struggle for Liberty.
This because the model of a Transcendent God as the Creator of man that through authorship legitimately maintains Absolute Moral Authority is the only proven valid foundation.
93
posted on
01/20/2003 8:52:54 PM PST
by
CyberCowboy777
(Extremism in the Pursuit of Liberty is no Vice!)
To: OKSooner
It's not too late. You don't HAVE to BURN IN HELL, unless you particularly WANT to.
it's too late. they're just a carnie act meant for Hell.
To: yendu bwam; Kevin Curry
Your opinions on #93?
95
posted on
01/20/2003 9:11:16 PM PST
by
CyberCowboy777
(Extremism in the Pursuit of Liberty is no Vice!)
To: PaulJ
Or did he mean Islam can be dangerous?The politically-correct way to bash Islam is to bash Christianity first.
96
posted on
01/20/2003 9:11:31 PM PST
by
xm177e2
To: Houmatt
I can't wait for them to do something similar with Mohammed. I am pleased that much of the crowd left.
To: CyberCowboy777
Cogent and well-stated.
Atheism has no genuine moral standards apart from utilitarianism and hedonism. Individual atheists may ascribe to moral truths that transcend utilitarianism and hedonism, but they are borrowed moral truths. There is no sure-founded well-dug well in atheism from which to draw moral truths.
The most careful and thoughtful atheist thinkers and philosophers, such as Peter Singer, pretend to nothing beyond utilitariansim and hedonism. They have seen atheism clearly in its wretched, spare poverty of moral thought and hold its dour vision honest.
To: clintonh8r
"Sexual perverts, too. Teller's a homo and I have an idea that Penn is omnisexual..."LOL -- well while it's obvious that Penn delights in sexual relations outside his own species, Teller impresses me as the perfect eunuch.
To: Kevin Curry
who destested Christianity almost as much as jlogajan does. Nonsense. Most Christians are as inoffensive as New Agers. Those fundamentalists are pretty awful, though.
If more New Ager's posted here I would be reaming their silly notions as well.
Don't even get me started on the deadly Islamic fundamentalists now out and about trying to use WMD on anything that moves.
No, I get along with modern Christians as well as any goofy religion, be it Ufo worshipers or whatever.
It is just the ones that want to seize state power, or make us pay for their practices or public displays, or follow their dictates that rub me the wrong way. I don't care if they are Christian, Budhist, New Age, Islamic or Atheist -- if they want to use guns to enforce their religious views -- they'll get fire in return.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-80, 81-100, 101-120 ... 141-148 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson