Religious bigot Bill Maher on Pope Benedict XVI

Bill Maher is tasteless and not very funny.  A bad combination for an aspiring comedian.

He is also a bigot.

If you don’t want to watch this, taking his page from the nasty business with that Mormon cult in Texas he basically called the Holy Father a former Nazi and insinuated that he himself is a child abuser.

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=b_1yqk_d6nw]

So, Bill Maher insults pretty much every Catholic in the world, and the Vicar of Christ too … remember, he grew up Catholic… then, constrained by HBO to issue an apology, he waffled.

The greater problem is not the faux apology, but rather the fact that he said these things in the first place, apparently with the blessing of HBO.

FoxNews’ Bill O’Reilly has a good response to this:

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=XRHJrqJex2w]

My response?  Prayers for Bill Maher, who is a hateful bigot.  He is sore in need of a change of heart.  Perhaps also some act of fasting or almsgiving down the line, since Christ recommends these for some particularly hard cases.

Also, though I don’t watch his show, I will now ask others not to watch it either.  I think expressions of disapproval to HBO are probably in order.

 

 

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18 Comments

  1. peretti says:

    It brings to mind the old saying “he who eats the pope, chokes to death.”

  2. Christopher Sarsfield says:

    I saw the apology and it was not much of one. (He brought up that the Pope was not a Nazi, he was a member of the HItler youth, and made his oath of allegiance to the HItler and not the Nazis. He did imply that the Pope was forced to join, and this is perhaps a legitimate defense. He then went on to say that the Pope should have been placed in jail because of the abuse crisis, and if he were anyone else he would have. He then went on to talk about needlessness of Christ in order to love humanity, comparing Catholics who work with the poor and in many cases give up all to do it, with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Look Maher was baptized and I imagine received Holy Communion at least a few times. This Sacraments give you a great longing to be with Christ, and especially to receive Him in the Eucharist. Sometimes when a man has this yearning but refuses to acknowledge it he ends up becoming the worst type of anti-Catholic bigot. I agree with Fr. Z, prayers and fasting are in order.

  3. Diane says:

    When I watched the clip I noticed a significant drop in audible laughter and clapping the more he slammed the Pope.

    Did anyone else percieve this?

    If he had did this to someone in the Muslim, Jewish or black communities, among others, he would have been gone already. I’ll be surprised to see him sidelined.

    Catholics and good christian people need to call the station, write in, whatever – and ne needs to go.

  4. Tom says:

    There was a time when the Church was strong and the Legion of Decency was in place. That combination would have prevented Bill Maher and his ilk from having been permitted to ply his anti-Catholic bigotry on “mainstream” media outlets.

    But at least in America, only about 15 to 20 percent of Catholics assist each week at Sunday Mass. Therefore, Catholics are simply not in position to leaven American society, at least regarding the realm of entertainment.

    Also…if pressured by the Church on morality issues, “Hollywood” would simply respond with the “Church and sexual abuse” issue.

    Our Churchmen squandered long ago their ability to influence “Hollywood” for the better.

    Bill Maher’s anti-Catholic bigotry is disgraceful.

    Just as disgraceful is the fact that the “American Church” lost Her ability long ago to prevent via “mainstream” media outlets the abuse of Holy Mother Church.

  5. Terry says:

    Former Catholics are the nastiest. I often wonder if it like a foretaste of hell; the wailing of insults and blasphemy along with the gnashing of teeth and all.

  6. Tom says:

    Father Z…okay…we know that Bill Maher traffics in anti-Catholic “entertainment.”

    But what are “we”…the Catholic Church, particularly the Church in America…doing to challenge Maher’s bigotry? We is the Church in America doing to combat “Hollywood’s” anti-Catholic bigotry?

    What did our Churchmen do to the Legion of Decency?

    Have our Churchmen launched a holy moral crusade against improper forms of entertainment?

    Let us not simply knock Bill Maher. Let us ask what the Church, particularly in the United States has done during recent decades to truly confront the anti-Catholic bigotry that has flowed from “Hollywood.”

    When anti-Catholic “entertainment” is presented via movies and television…or anti-Catholic “art” is presented in museums…how many times, for example, do “American Church” leaders declare…”oh, don’t say anything…don’t protest…that just gives more publicity to the (entertainer, movie, TV show, etc.)”

    To their collective credit, various Jewish pressure groups spring into action when Jews and Judaism are assaulted, real or perceived.

    Jewish pressure groups are so successful that they have influenced Popes to tinker with Catholic liturgical prayers.

    Islamic pressure groups respond rapidly and with great vigor to anti-Islamic assaults, real or perceived.

    When the Legion of Decency was in place and the Church was strong, particularly in the United States (when Sunday Mass attendance stood at about 75 percent), Catholic pressure groups responded with great vigor to anti-Catholic assaults.

    When it comes to defending their religion, I believe that the post-Vatican II Catholics could learn a thing or two from Jews and Moslems.

    We could also learn a thing or two from the “old” Church…when we had a Rite that attracted about 75 percent of Catholics to Mass each week…and when the Legion of Decency was a force that helped to leaven “Hollywood.”

  7. Tom says:

    Diane wrote: “If he had did this to someone in the Muslim, Jewish or black communities, among others, he would have been gone already. I’ll be surprised to see him sidelined. Catholics and good christian people need to call the station, write in, whatever – and ne needs to go.”

    Diane, only about 15 to 20 percent of Catholics assist these days at Sunday Mass.

    The Pope and Church have little meaning to about 75 or 80 percent of baptized U.S. Catholics.

    “Hollywood” is aware of that unfortunate reality and realize that they can assault the Holy Father and Holy Mother Church virtually at will.

    Our Churchmen have brought this sorry situation upon us…it all goes back to the liturgical collapse of the (Latin) Church.

    It is throught the Mass that we learn to think and act in traditional Catholic fashion.

    With 80 to 85 percent of Catholics having little interest in the Mass, the Church is all but powerless to combat even the likes of one Bill Maher.

    Wow!

  8. Thomas says:

    Bill Maher had Richard Dawkins on last week and they proceeded to insult believers everywhere for their faith in God. It’s ironic, but watching them interact was one of the best arguments FOR the existence of God that I’ve ever seen.

    They are joyless men who can offer nothing but a sneer. They are so repulsive and unattractive that you intuitively know that there must be something compelling and beautiful that stands against them. And that is Goodness, Truth, and Beauty Himself.

  9. Kradcliffe says:

    I think the days of widespread respect for the Church and decency in the media are gone. But, the Catholic Church was born into a world more hostile than the one we currently live in. I mean, Catholics were burnt as torches to light Nero’s dinner parties. However, while such martyrdom isn’t the norm in most of the world, I think the opposition is finding ridicule to be at least as effective.

    They are trying to shame and embarrass us out of our faith.

    The thing to do is to not become angry, but to pray for these people. And, to be the best Catholics we can be. To love Christ with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves for love of Him.

    It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but Jesus promised us that the Church would withstand the gates of Hell!

  10. Methodiusmonk says:

    It’s how the devil does when he suffers from lack of attention. It’s every catholic’s project to pray for him so that he could experience conversion of mind and heart – sequela Christi…

  11. Mary Margaret says:

    I already commented on this on Mark Shea’s blog, but I’m just gonna repeat myself. I would compare Bill Maher to a horse’s backside, but I actually have a horse, and his backside is quite lovely. That which issues from my horse’s backside is far less offensive than that which issues from Mr Maher’s mouth. :)

    Now, I doubt that the Holy Father would have heard or seen Mr Maher’s hateful screed. But, I am struck with the thought that he has heard and seen some of the comments (they have been legion) from around the world calling him a Nazi. Perhaps I’m rather slow, but it has recently occurred to me just how very painful this must have been for him. After all, unlike us, he saw this incredible evil first hand,it happened in his own beloved country, and it took at least one member of his family, from what I remember, a cousin with Down’s Syndrome.

    God bless him and grant us many more years with him on this earth. And yes, prayers for Mr Maher are in order. May God turn his heart and grant him true peace.

  12. Joyce Boehm says:

    I don’t understand how Maher can accuse the pope of being a nazi. This is very ignorant. My grandparents escaped from Germany luckily so. My grandmothers brothers where stabbed to death they had climbed into hay wagons to try and hide from the soldiers but they took pitchforks and stabbed into the hay and killed them my grandparent left germany and came over to the US. Afraid always of being dubbed at nazies she tried very hard to claim she was russian. Of course when russia became our enemy she again was free to tell stories of the persecutions that went on to young german men. Don’t judge Bill. You are so far away from being our Lord, who is the judge of mankind. Have a good day.

  13. Joyce Boehm says:

    I cannot understand why a learned (so called) man such as Bill Maher could call the Pope a Nazi. My grandparent moved here from Germany and that is the last this they were was Nazi. Grandma would tell me about how her brothers and cousins were killed because they were in hiding so they didn’t have to join the german army. Not all men could hide. They lived on a farm and hid in hay stacks and then were stabbed to death with pitchforks. So don’t judge Maher…only the Lord can judge mankind and I am sure you are being judged. For what sins?????

  14. RBrown says:

    I’ve never thought Bill Maher to be funny. And I’m baffled how anyone could think he is.

    He is a bore.

  15. Asking for Bill Maher’s head will do little, I’m afraid. His anti-Catholicism wasn’t any kind of secret before they gave him the show, so I doubt they’ll do much about it. He’ll get off easier than Imus (who I don’t think should have been fired, by the way) because it’s just fine to bash Catholics and the Pope. When we are wronged, as a group we tend to practice that Spiritual Work of Mercy (bear all wrongs patiently). Plus, then we turn around and do that whole praying for sinners thing.

    As much as I wish they’d fire the guy or cancel the show, I know it’s not going to happen, nor will they get him to make a real apology.

    Father Z, you are right that he needs prayers more than anything. It’s a very sad thing to see when someone turns away from the Truth so willingly.

  16. Louis E. says:

    Side note to “Tom”…the “Website” blank in the comment form is to identify ONE’S OWN website if one cares to have one’s name be a link to it.

    You consistently choose WDTPRS.COM as “your” website…why?

  17. Brian says:

    [sarcasm] But it takes such courage and intestinal fortitude to insult the Pope and the Catholic Church! We should praise his courage to take on this humble man! [/sarcasm]

  18. Okay… let’s maybe take another track now.

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