Bill Maher's New Rule About Catholicism "The Cult" And The Pope

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Huffington Post   |   April 14, 2008 10:36 AM

Read More: Bill Maher, Bill Maher Pope, Polygamy, Pope Benedict XVI, Real Time With Bill Maher, Video, Breaking Media News
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Bill Maher ended his latest episode of "Real Time" with a "new rule" about the pope. Pegged to the recently raided polygamist compound in Texas and the pontiff's visit to the US this week, it had his guests in stitches and left the audience gasping.

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- Average See Profile I'm a Fan of Average

There is NO DEPTH that Maher will not sink. He is the ULTIMATE LOW LIFE>

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:33 PM on 04/16/2008
- bookon See Profile I'm a Fan of bookon

To quote a great american, I used to be an Irish Catholic, but I got better.

Actually, I was an alter boy for several years and NOTHING bad happened. The priests were drunks in my parish, NOT pedophiles.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:34 AM on 04/16/2008
- starcycle See Profile I'm a Fan of starcycle

that you know of...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:27 AM on 04/16/2008
- bookon See Profile I'm a Fan of bookon


I hope they weren't Pedophiles and I just wasn't good enough for them!! Talk about a Bruised Ego!!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:56 AM on 04/16/2008
- Kathei See Profile I'm a Fan of Kathei

Thank you kblsr

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:41 AM on 04/16/2008
- ssaz See Profile I'm a Fan of ssaz

Bill is exactly on target! Thank goodness we have someone in the media that is objective and calls issue the way they are. The catholic church is a cult just like all the others!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:24 AM on 04/16/2008
- kblsr See Profile I'm a Fan of kblsr

Maher shows his unwieldy ignorance not only about the Catholic Church but about the actual facts of this issue. Fortunately, he"s only embarrassing himself in front of thinking people, who apparently he has little contact with, and is probably reacting seized with fear over anyone suggesting there may be objective moral demands placed on all of us that we will someday be accountable for. This is not to apologize for the church committing these horrible crimes by any stretch; any Catholic is far more appalled than anyone, but Maher attributes pedophilia to the fact that the Church is a cult. Now, I don"t know if he considers the public school system a cult, but in ONE decade the rate of pedophilia is estimated at approx. 100 times what the institution he so boorishly bashes had in over FIVE decades of analysis" and it continues. (Protestant clergy and Jewish rabbis have a very slightly higher rate than the Church " 2% to the Church"s 1 " 1.5%.) The Church scandal is mostly about crimes committed decades ago, 80% of which were committed by homosexuals to teenage boys and not little children (pederasty, not pedophilia). This makes Maher"s presentation quite embarrassing and rather un-witty.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:17 PM on 04/15/2008
- Kishadawn See Profile I'm a Fan of Kishadawn

So the argument is that "the school system molested more so we aren't the bad guys?". If a child gets molested in the school system its covered up until the statute of limitations are over? I think that ANY institution that commits those terrible acts against children should have the responsible adult convicted.

However, I also disagree with Maher when he calls the Catholic Religion a "cult". To say the Catholics, who follow a religion because of their belief in the tenants of Catholocism, should quit being Catholics because their leaders are corrupt or inept is ridiculous.

If that's the case while Bush was POTUS I should have quit being an American, even if I do believe in Democracy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:00 PM on 04/20/2008
- HDR See Profile I'm a Fan of HDR

Your attempt to side-step the issue is transparent. The issue is not pedophilia or the Catholic Church. It is HOW the Catholic church heirarchy handled the cases of pedophilia by its priests.

"...any Catholic is far more appalled than anyone,"? What the hell does that mean?!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:52 AM on 04/16/2008
- VOTER See Profile I'm a Fan of VOTER

kblsr

Cardinal Law, is that you?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:29 AM on 04/16/2008
- Everyonepoops See Profile I'm a Fan of Everyonepoops

too bad your wrong about Bill.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:33 PM on 04/15/2008
- lucylou See Profile I'm a Fan of lucylou

errr...the only difference is that...the tyke speaks out, the teachers are arrested. They're not promoted to head the entire School District of Los Angeles.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:00 PM on 04/15/2008
- kblsr See Profile I'm a Fan of kblsr

In response to readreza, below, although I didn't see Bill Maher offering any citations (and would LOVE to, by the way), here are some for you. But this information is completely accessible to anyone who simply takes a small effort to look into it. People can look for themselves; you don't have to take my word, and I'm sure readreza will be relieved about that.

And, the problem is that teachers are NOT being arrested. Apparently it's called "passing the trash":

Readers Digest on "Passing the Trash": http://www.rd.com/columnists/michael-crowley/sexual-predators-being-allowed-to-teach/article31756.html

AP Story on public schools: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21392345/

Others citations:
Rabbi Arthur Gross, Shaefer, professor of law and ethics at Loyola Marymount University , "Sadly our communities reactions up to this point have been often based on keeping things quiet in an attempt to do damage control."

A draft report commissioned by the US dept of education stated in 2004 "Between 6 percent and 12 percent of the nation"s school children had been sexually abused or sexually harassed by school employees and teachers." This is a US department of education statistic that can be looked up.

Rose, Michael S., Goodbye, Good Men : How Liberals Brought Corruption Into the Catholic Church, Regnery Publishing, Inc. (June 25, 2002). ISBN 0-89526-144-8

Drummey, James J. "The Wanderer" Newspaper, Catholic Replies column, Feb. 2, 2006

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:44 PM on 04/15/2008
- LeaveArtieAlone See Profile I'm a Fan of LeaveArtieAlone

Ped is WRONG!!!! Comparing which organization (school or church or WHATEVER) is worse is just SILLY!!!!!! If you (individual, religion, organization, etc) hide ANY adult harming a CHILD you should be JAILED, HUNG out to dry or sent to GITMO!!!!!!! Getting away and/or ignoring these atrocities for ANY reason is ABSURD!!!! There is NO justification for HARMING a child and to defend the horrors children face when they are in the presence of a trusted adult is SICK!!!!!!!!! Truly how can those who do this claim to "love" God???? Defending, denying and ignoring the suffering of children abused by any adult they have trusted, defaces whatever belief system you may uphold! If your belief is so strong YOU SHOULD WANT to get rid of these "evil doers" PERIOD!!! And expose these crimes immediately, not cover your ass. The MORAL thing was to make DAMN sure that those in power who knew be denounced and CHARGEDE!!! Standing behind those that hide the peds is appalling!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:31 PM on 04/16/2008
- readreza See Profile I'm a Fan of readreza

wow... another delusional catholic.
source any of those facts? no? because you made them up? right...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:27 PM on 04/15/2008
- Stephen420 See Profile I'm a Fan of Stephen420

Readreza: First of all, you wrongly assume, like many, that if someone defends the RC church against calumny, he/she must be a "delusional catholic." Many people, like me, are neither.

Second, you complain about lack of citations. Can you read? The cites are right there in the comment.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:23 PM on 04/15/2008
- Stephen420 See Profile I'm a Fan of Stephen420

It's sad to see you continue to embarrass yourself amanda. The following is from real "history books": Kershaw's 2 vol bio of Hitler, mostly in vol 1., and Evan's multi volume history of the 3d Reich, in the 2nd vol, "The Third Reich in Power." Check the indexes of both books and go from there.

Mussolini signed a cynical treaty in 1929 promising to leave the church in Italy alone. Hitler signed a cynical concordat in 1933, promising to leave Catholics alone in the "Reich." Note the dates. Pius XI later condemned the nazis and the fascists in two remarkable enyclical letters delivered in the vernacular (virtually unprecedented): "Non Abiammo Bisogno" (1931), in which he condemned the idea of a totalitarian state and Mussolini's treatment of the Church; and "Mit Brenender Sorge" ("with profound sorrow" [1937]), condemning the Nazi ideology of racism and totalitarianism. The latter had to be smuggled into Germany so it could be read from the pulpit.

Here's a sentence from the latter: "Mark well that in the Catholic Mass, Abraham is our Patriarch and forefather. Anti-Semitism is incompatible with the lofty thought which that fact expresses. It is a movement with which we Christians can have nothing to do. No, no, I say to you it is impossible for a Christian to take part in anti-Semitism. It is inadmissible. Through Christ and in Christ we are the spiritual progeny of Abraham. Spiritually, we [Christians] are all Semites"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:19 PM on 04/15/2008
- mcthorogood See Profile I'm a Fan of mcthorogood

Let's not forget the Catholic Inquisition, or the ethnic cleansing of Orthodox Christians in the Balkans after WWII.

Papst == Heuchler

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:30 AM on 04/16/2008
- HDR See Profile I'm a Fan of HDR

I commend your thorough research but, in the end, these are words, and hollow ones, if history does not support them through actions, or inactions. Did the Catholic church act in a christian manner supportive of these declarations by its heirarchy? I'm asking not to provoke but genuinely curious. Thank you.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:52 PM on 04/15/2008
- JackDanielsBlack See Profile I'm a Fan of JackDanielsBlack

As the great liberal historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. once observed, the only respectable prejudice left in America is anti-Catholicism. Many of the comments here illustrate his point very well.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:00 PM on 04/15/2008
- dsm See Profile I'm a Fan of dsm

anti-Catholicism? Bah, how about anti-superstition as a whole?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:35 PM on 04/15/2008
- mivogo See Profile I'm a Fan of mivogo

To me, that wasn't the offensive part of the show. What I did find offensive was Maher's scoffing about the bullies who beat that girl to a pulp and gave her a concussion. While (justly) attacking the behaviors and writings of this Pope about child abuse in the Catholic Church, he defended child abuse in this case!
Maher can be brilliant, gutsy, but when it comes to children, women and relationships, he just doesn't get it, and for a bright guy, can be amazingly dense and callous.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:28 AM on 04/15/2008
- LBKN See Profile I'm a Fan of LBKN

The biggest problem with the title "Christian"...
unless you are insane enough to equate yourself by title with the "Christ"...

AKA - "CHRIST-ian"

... you are dealing with a title that can't be claimed until you are dead.

Any preemptive self proclamation is ego, vanity, fear, and wishful thinking. Wanna be a Christian... then walk into your death dispassionately and prove it. Until then, grow-up and be responsible for your own soul.
Are you waiting for Jesus to return from the other side? Hello!!!!!!! Read your dogma. He already did. Wasn't that the entire point of the disciples in the anteroom? Didn't Thomas put his finger in the wound?
Do you really need Him to martyr himself again? Wasn't one time enough?
Grow-up.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:12 AM on 04/15/2008
- JackDanielsBlack See Profile I'm a Fan of JackDanielsBlack

Yeah, but He's coming back, baby!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:01 PM on 04/15/2008
- dsm See Profile I'm a Fan of dsm

Wishful thinking and no knowledge to back it up.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:37 PM on 04/15/2008
- totalliberal See Profile I'm a Fan of totalliberal

What other church in the world has a one leader who claims papal infallibility and defends child molestation. Common, these guys were busted in Europe and America. They are still doing this crap in 3rd world counties, where they are still in with the government structure and will never stop.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:54 AM on 04/15/2008
- JackDanielsBlack See Profile I'm a Fan of JackDanielsBlack

Would you care to give a reference or a quotation in which His Holiness "defends child molestation"? . . . I thought not. You are total alright -- totally prejudiced against Catholics.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:04 PM on 04/15/2008
- readreza See Profile I'm a Fan of readreza

not 'catholics'... the catholic church and the oppression and criminal behavior for which it is responsible.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:24 PM on 04/15/2008
- HDR See Profile I'm a Fan of HDR

I think the point is being lost here. The furor isn't against the ordained pedophiles themselves. Pedophiles are in every sector of society. The rage is against a perceived lack of desire from church heirarchy to expose and subject the accused to the same standards that the rest of us are held to. If I worked with children in any capacity and was accused of the rape of a child in my care, my employer would not transfer me to another branch. Any attempt to do so would bring charges against them as well.

It's the cover up that riles many, regardless of the institution.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:00 PM on 04/15/2008
- JackDanielsBlack See Profile I'm a Fan of JackDanielsBlack

If you were a teacher in our public school system, chances are you would be palmed off on another school -- it's called "passing the trash".

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:12 PM on 04/18/2008
- totalliberal See Profile I'm a Fan of totalliberal

I believe when you hire lawyers to defend yourself in court, it is called DEFENCE.
I also believe that your "holiness is a fraud and knows about the offences that still go on all over the world where poor people don't have access to the law and child molesters still carry on their disgusting practices.

PS: I'm not prejudiced against Catholics. I'm against all religions.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:13 PM on 04/15/2008
- Kathei See Profile I'm a Fan of Kathei

totalliberal
Your beliefs are your own. As JackDanielsBlack pointed out, in a previous post with the report on the sexual abuse of children by educators in this country, an estimated 4.5 million children were molested by educators. Sexual abuse of children happens in this country and other countries because some members of the population admit to having feelings for children. Religion has consistently pointed out why this is wrong. Wiithout someone with logic pointing out the virtues and morality, like individuals in organized religion, these people could just start saying well, I believe sexual abuse of children is ok and then they could go about having sex with children.
Before you say you are against all religions you should realize that your society has formed to enable you to have your liberties because of religion.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:42 PM on 04/15/2008
- jinjinpinti See Profile I'm a Fan of jinjinpinti

Normally I'm too busy to comment here...lots of sinning going on these days....angels on strike.....a wing shortage or something, and I'm supposed to be pulling off another creation in the next galaxy, but just want you all to know that I'm not bitter because you've all sold out.

signed,

GAWD

P.S. That hat IS ridiculous, though.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:48 AM on 04/15/2008
- JackDanielsBlack See Profile I'm a Fan of JackDanielsBlack

That hat'll keep the rain off your head.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:04 PM on 04/15/2008
- antaeus See Profile I'm a Fan of antaeus

Bill was at his best in these comments. It's too bad that those who could most benefit from an outside critical view of the RC Church are Catholics themselves who will be either oblivious or immune to Maher's point. But that's to be expected from people who value lock-step conformity and blind obedience above all else. And that goes double for elderly Catholics in Pennsylvania . . . they're too oblivious to be bitter.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:34 AM on 04/15/2008
- totalliberal See Profile I'm a Fan of totalliberal

["simple beliefs are for simple minds"

Yep, like believing in a great fairy in the sky who cares about all living things and yet allows millions to die of wars, starvation and terrible diseases every year...]


Or "intelligently" designing a world where every living thing on it is trying to kill everything else in order to survive, then claims killing is bad. WTF is that all about?

(Even blades of grass are trying to kill other blades of grass in order to get more nutrition and sunlight. Great design huh?)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:34 AM on 04/15/2008
- jinjinpinti See Profile I'm a Fan of jinjinpinti

Maybe he had the munchies that day? Why else would Gawd create a world where everything is eating everything else........to death? Maybe the old saying, "Dog eat dog" was a typo and he meant, "God eat god?"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:33 AM on 04/15/2008
- ErnestineBass See Profile I'm a Fan of ErnestineBass

"Does the Pope wear a funny hat?"

Yep.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:30 AM on 04/15/2008
- normathumb See Profile I'm a Fan of normathumb

All the pope needs is a purple shawl and he could join the red hat ladies.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:08 AM on 04/15/2008
- Mykel See Profile I'm a Fan of Mykel

I love Bill Maher, but, for Heaven's sake!

To resort to Catholic-bashing for laughs?

He'd have more credibility if he spoke out against Israels's atrocities and the racism that is Zionism.

But that won't happen, as he believes criticism of Israel is Jew-bashing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:23 AM on 04/15/2008
- kkj1031 See Profile I'm a Fan of kkj1031

As bad as the pedophilia problem within the Catholic church is, no one should compare it to the holocaust that Israel has brought down on the Palestinian people. There is simply no comparison between the level of atrocities committed by priests and Israeli Zionists.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:42 PM on 04/15/2008