Catholic League Demands Special Rights
One argument that fundies keep trotting out in their opposition to gay marriage is that gays should not be given special rights. I’m as confused by that statement as you are. How is giving a group of people the same rights that the rest of us have giving them special rights? Somehow this twisted logic works in the Bizarro World of fundiedom.
Catholic fundies often cling to rantings of Bill Donohue of the Catholic League. Now Donohue is demanding special rights for his own religion. In a press release a couple of days ago, the Catholic League writes:
On his Friday night HBO program, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Maher was joined in a discussion about UFO’s with some of the panelists. Here is what Maher had to say:
“But I think it is much more likely that there could be space ships from outer space, than what a lot of things people believe. People still believe, you know, excuse me I know I may inject religion into every show but UFO’s are a lot more likely than a space god flew down bodily and you know who was the Son of God and you know had sex with a Palestinian woman….”
This actually touches on an article I’ve been meaning to write, where I advocate the exact same thing. Needless to say, I agree with Bill Maher. Let’s find out what Bill Donohue thinks!
Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed Maher’s remark today:
“Last week, we registered a complaint with ESPN regarding the offensive comments made by anchorwoman Dana Jacobson at a celebrity roast; after I had a conversation with ESPN officials, the issue was satisfactorily settled by the end of the week. Moreover, Jacobson made another apology today, her first day back from her suspension. It is worth comparing Jacobson to Maher on several counts.
Yes, let’s look at the Dana Jacobson incident. From what I can tall, she got drunk at a private party and said something vulgar about Notre Dame. The Catholics got into a snit over it. According to this report, there’s a group calling itself the Christian Defense Coalition that wants her fired for hate speech!
These people seriously need to get over themselves.
For some perspective, here’s a parody piece from Serious Sports Network: Jacobson to Catholic group: “It’s not like I molested a little boy”
Let’s get back to Bill Donohue’s blabbering press release:
“Jacobson was drunk, made her first and only bigoted comment in public, apologized twice for her behavior and was punished by her station.
And Bill Donohue is sober. What’s his excuse?
By contrast, Maher was sober, made his umpteenth Christian-bashing remark, did not apologize—he never does—and suffered no consequences. In short, Jacobson’s outburst was an anomaly; Maher’s was not. She is a first-time offender and he is a recidivist.
“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?”
Where in the Constitution is it written that Bill Donohue gets special protection? Since when has Christianity been off limits to criticism? It’s OK for Donohue to give his opinion on everybody else, but nobody else can give their opinions on his beleifs?
Bill Maher’s show is on HBO. People have to make a special decision and pay extra to get it. On top of that, they have to choose to watch his program. Maher’s show is aimed at a specific audience. If you aren’t part of that target demographic, then don’t watch!
Look at the Catholic League’s banner, which I reproduced above. Their slogan is “For religious and civil rights”. Our most fundamental civil right is freedom of speech. Apparently the Catholic League thinks that only applies to them.
February 1st, 2008 at 12:23 pm
ufos are real
February 1st, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Donohue is one of the nastiest pieces of work to come out of fundie land. As a woman I find most of his speech hate speech. Is he therefore suggesting I should prosecute him?
February 1st, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Yeah, why the hell are Christians allowed to insult atheists but not the other way around? Last week, I drove by a Christian church that had on its sign: “Atheists are lost fools with nothing to hold up their values.”
I wasn’t offended, because I think atheists are generally smarter than the average bear.
What would happen if I created a sign that said, “Christians are ignorant people without the ability to think logically.” People would accuse me of hate speech.
Double standards.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
You are so right, Jeremy. I’m so tired of being preached at, but if I try to answer - I’m picking on the Christians. They are NOT the only people in the world with moral standards.
Frankly - I think they are running scared.
February 1st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
For some reason, I just can’t imagine the Pope caring too much what Bill Maher says. So why does Donohue and other Catholic fundies?
February 1st, 2008 at 5:25 pm
What a job! Professional Crybaby.
February 2nd, 2008 at 2:07 pm
From what I can tell, the Catholic League consists of Bill Donohue. He’s a conservative Catholic fundamentalist who makes such statements as “gay death style,” “God forbid we’d run out of little gay kids,” Senator John Kerry “never found an abortion he couldn’t justify,” “Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular,” … “Hollywood likes anal sex.”
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:52 am
The Constitution gives all Americans the freedom to exercise their religion without interference from the government. It also conveys to its citizens the right to free speech. This right protects the speaker from civil penalties in the exercise thereof.
This right to free speech does not mean that the speaker is free from response. When people blaspheme a religion, that religion has an equal right to respond. You misunderstand constitutional rights if you believe that a speaker can blast off on anyone or anyone’s religion and be exempt from a reply. Such a protection would mean the responder does not have an equal freedom of expression.
Further, Dana’s remarks were not an attempt to engage in a meaningful discussion of religious beliefs or practices, it was a defamation directed at the spiritual leader of Christianity and a Catholic University. Reports of her coherency support the conclusion that she just blurted out invectives.
ESPN attempted to sweep it under the rug with the argument that the statements were at a private meeting. After ESPN got serious about the possibility of offending many of its viewers, ESPN responded with a half baked apology but has yet to apologize for the main insult to the spiritual leader of Christianity.
Given the above, Bill Donohue’s response was rather mild compared with the Jacobson blast off but nonetheless effective and appropriate.
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:08 am
Tomor:
Nobody said that the speaker is free from response. Bill Donohue is a stuck-up self-righteous fuckstick who thinks that his religion deserves special protection from criticism. That is what he is demanding here.
Dialogue has nothing to do with it. Dana is free to defame and blaspheme any religion she wants to. Religions get no special treatment in this country. If you want to live somewhere with blasphemy laws, please move to Iran. I will not allow people like you to drag the United States back to the Dark Ages.
February 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I saw a tribute today before the Super Bowl to the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson. This was on Fox (I wonder if Murdoch gets the irony). I couldn’t help but think that Jefferson is rolling over in his grave right now.
Tools like those who STILL support “under God” in the pledge, support a “marriage” amendment, and Donohue himself only further reaffirm my theory of grave rollage.
Tomor - I’m with Ron. I’m not letting this country become a theocracy. It’s too damn close right now for comfort.
February 10th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
You can’t have it both ways ~ look in horrified amazement as the Muslim world goes ape-shit over anything to do with that prophet of theirs (real or imagined) but consider pillorying a drunk sports personality shooting her ill advised mouth off in a social situation. How many drunk Michiganers/Michigan Staters /almost any team, after having Notre Dame destroy their season have said the exact same thing? It’s the college version of fuck you…AND the horse you rode in on.
God, whack her knuckles and get over it.