Catholic Exchange

Time Warner Needs to Check Bill Maher

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Catholic League

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HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher ran a show on May 18 — repeated throughout this week — that began with an attack on the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and then devolved into an assault on Catholicism:

"And it's easy to start a religion! Watch, I'll do it for you: I had a vision last night! A vision! The Blessed Virgin Mary came to me — I don't know how she got past the guards — and she told me it's high time to take the high ground from the Seventh Day Adventists and give it to the 24-hour party people. And what happens in the confessional stays in the confessional. Gay men, don't say you're life partners, say you're a nunnery of two. ‘We weren't having sex, officer, I was performing a very private Mass, here in my car. I was letting my rod and staff comfort him. Take this and eat of it, [our emphasis] for this is my roommate Barry. And for all those who believe there is a special place for you in Kevin."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded this way:

"We are writing to the 14 members who sit on the board of directors of Time Warner (the parent company of HBO) asking each of them whether Maher's gratuitous and highly offensive attack on Jesus Christ merits the same punishment afforded Imus for his racist remark. Maher is a serial anti-Catholic bigot who mocked the Eucharist as recently as April 16.

"Time Warner's Standards of Business Conduct — revised last month by the board of directors — includes the following principle: ‘While our content may sometimes engender controversy, we want no one to question our character.' We know Maher lacks character. What the public needs to know is whether Time Warner's board has any."

Click here to contact HBO.

Comments

  1. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Unbelievable!  It's really outrageous that this anti-Catholic bigotry is tolerated, when these people wouldn't dare make a racial slur.

  2. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Below is a copy of the letter I sent to HBO.  I wonder if it will do any good?   I think if all Catholics responded more strongly to attacks on our faith, some good might come from it.  There really should be a great number of comments posted here, we really need to address this form of hatred in our society, especially for the sake of our children…

    I am completely outraged by Bill Maher's unjust and hateful mocking of my Catholic faith!  His recent comments concerning the Most Holy Eucharist are completely intolerable.  I can write this letter because I have gay friends that I indeed love even though I cannot support their sexual behavior (so it must be known that I am not a bigot).  I am indeed a faithful, orthodox, practicing and completely loving Catholic who by no means fits HBO's or Maher's stereotype of the average Catholic (a religion HBO and Maher cannot possibly understand or it would be treated with greater respect and dignity!)

    And obviously Maher does not understand what a Sacrament is or that Jesus died for our sins or what the Eucharist is because if he did he would never dare mock it and if HBO knew any better, the people in charge would not support him in his unjust belief!!  Look into it sometime, if the powers that be at HBO or Maher are brave enough, and present the American public with a rational argument against such "irrational religious nonsense"  instead of attacking it with fear and cowardice.  But you couldn't possibly look upon Catholicism with a just and accurate eye because then you would be threatened by the fact that the Church is indeed loving and forgiving and the truth would indeed scare Maher from his bitter and hardened heart.  (Oh, by the way, Catholics do NOT believe that the Pope is without sin, he is only incapable of error in teaching faith and morals – pick up a copy of The Catechism of the Catholic Church so that you might insult us Catholics with FACTUAL information and not complete illusions and lies)

    I was horrified to read Maher's ignorant comments and I must protest HBO and it's support of his ridiculous commentary.  HBO has given him sponsorship and a platform for his anti-Catholic slurs.  HBO would never tolerate such comments about muslims or african americans.  would it?  This is a double standard that good and honest people need not tolerate.  I don't care how HBO or Maher feels personally about the Catholic Church but I simply cannot tolerate a public forum where hateful comments are spoken about something so sacred to me and my family.  This kind of publicly broadcast ignorance, fear, and hatred of Catholicism simply breeds ignorance, fear and hatred in it's viewers and for such an "open-minded" television network and show host, this is very hypocritical behavior!

    When I read Maher's comments in a recent internet article I felt as though my own father or even my 14 month old daughter had been physically assaulted before my eyes and I was completely powerless to stop it.  Without truly being aware, HBO and Maher have insulted a most sacred and divine reality and for your ignorance you must be forgiven, but you must also be made aware of what you have done.  And I can do nothing else but feel hurt and saddened by this outrageous commentary from a man that so many Americans find so sadly entertaining and pray, yes, pray and forgive such enemies of my faith and hope that someday Bill Maher might find conversion.   But I do feel the need to express my outrage through a complete boycott of all HBO products and I will be certain to spread the word to all my friends and family, including those individuals who may not agree with me in matters of faith and morals, but at least they respect me because I lead and teach by example, I am no blind follower (I have studied my faith extensively and questioned all the apparent contradictions) and even though I was once a fallen away Catholic, I am no longer and can truly say I am not a hypocrite in my faith or actions.  May we all increase in faith, hope and love.

    Thank you for reading this and God bless.

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