Some atheists are not content to believe what they choose.
They're not satisfied with exercising their freedom not to worship God.
They demand that others be prohibited from exercising their right to worship. They want references to God be completely stripped from the public square.
They refuse to tolerate others' free exercise of religion.
Atheist groups are so intolerant that they are making an issue out of a Brooklyn street named in honor of seven firefighter heroes who died on 9/11, "Seven in Heaven Way."
To honor seven dead 9-11 firefighters, a portion of Richards Street has been ceremonially renamed “Seven in Heaven Way” — prompting tributes to the heroes and complaints from critics who say that the government should not be in the business of advancing one religion’s notion of the afterlife.
“It’s improper for the city to endorse the view that heaven exists,” said David Silverman of American Atheists. “It links Christianity and heroism.”
Local atheists also insisted that public signs should be non-sectarian. “It falls under the umbrella of Church and state,” added Ken Bronstein of NYC Atheists.
The new street sign — which city officials hung last Saturday at Seabring Street — honors seven firemen assigned to Engine 202 and Ladder 101, who were killed after at the Twin Towers.
Teary-eyed widows, dozens of uniform-clad firemen and civic leaders paid respects outside the firehouse at the intersection, explaining the men were killed while pulling victims from burning rubble.
“They are heroes and should be rewarded in a place like heaven,” said Tom Miskel of Community Board 6, which unanimously supported the name change in December 2009.
“Almost every religion has some form of heaven,” he added. “It’s not just specific to Christianity.”
The “Seven in Heaven” firemen — Joseph Gullickson, Brian Cannizzaro, Salvatore Calabro, Thomas Kennedy, Patrick Byrne, Joseph Maffeo, and Terence McShane — were among the first firefighters called to the towers, making it there before the second airplane hit.
“They gave up everything to help — and that’s what sets them apart,” said Ralph Gullickson, Joseph’s brother.
...First Amendment caselaw suggests that government must allow both religious and non-religious speech when it opens a forum for expression — provided it’s clear that religious references are attributed to the individuals making the expression, not the government.
New York City Atheists’ president Kenneth Bronstein told reporters, “There should be no signage or displays of religious nature in the public domain,” adding that it was “insulting” to use the word heaven in the street sign. “We’ve concluded as atheists there is no heaven and there’s no hell,” Bronstein explained.
As common sense and U.S courts have pointed out, however, merely feeling insulted does not a constitutional argument make.
...As for the sign constituting a government endorsement of religion, applying the same scrutiny to other publicly named places would necessitate renaming streets, towns, and cities across the country, a multitude of which have religious connotations.
Secularists’ insistence on eradicating any allusion to religion or religious beliefs from the public sphere distorts the foundational American idea of freedom of—not from—religion. Atheists’ argument in the Brooklyn sign situation, like the National Day of Prayer case and Pledge of Allegiance case, misunderstands the First Amendment’s intent to allow robust religious freedom in the public sphere, not hermetically seal it within the walls of churches, mosques and synagogues.
These people are so intolerant.
They've concluded that there is no heaven or hell.
Good for them.
Others have reached a different conclusion. Why don't atheists respect that?
They are attempting to infringe on the right of individuals to exercise their religious beliefs, as well as the right to freely express their beliefs.
Is that simple street sign really so offensive to the atheists that they can't bear to live with it in place?
I find the atheists' dismissal of the First Amendment to be extremely offensive.
The atheists are offended.
So what?
It's not insulting to use the word "heaven" in a street sign. But if they are insulted, too bad.
They have to learn to embrace diversity and show religious tolerance instead of forcing their will on others.
I don't think they understand what it means to be an American.
NBC on Sunday decided to cut the words "under God" from the reading of the Pledge of Allegiance that accompanied the beginning of its coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Championship.
In fact, this happened twice during the show's introduction (video follows courtesy Mark Finkelstein with partial transcript):
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, with liberty and justice for all.
Seconds later, the Pledge was repeated with even more words omitted:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, with liberty and justice for all.
According to the Washington Post, NBC responded to criticism for its shameful choice.
NBC apologized for cutting the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance in its leadup to coverage to the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club.
The move quickly drew criticism Dan Hicks said, during the broadcast of Open action:
“We began our coverage of this final round just about three hours ago and when we did it was our intent to begin the coverage of this U.S. Open Championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being held in our nation’s capital for the third time. Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone and we’d like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it.”
What horrible judgment!
That taped segment was meant to be a dramatic, patriotic tribute to our nation's values.
"They are the virtues that have been passed down through generations, that live on in the great halls of this country."
Apparently, NBC decided it would be appropriate to edit "under God" out of those virtues passed down through generations.
TWICE, the Pledge of Allegiance was butchered.
"Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out."
Yeah. Regrettably. It was only regrettable because NBC had to deal with a lot of pissed off people.
"It was not done to upset anyone...."
I think it was done to make the "no God" Leftists at NBC happy.
It wasn't an accident. It was a choice made TWICE.
The liberal network is painfully out of touch with the country and its values.
NBC is certainly clueless when it comes to understanding the demographics of the U.S. Open audience.
Editing the Pledge of Allegiance to omit "under God" TWICE was an incredibly idiotic move!
At a congressional hearing on Muslim radicalization in U.S. prisons, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said that investigators needed to analyze Christian militants in America because they too might try to “bring down the country.”
In an exchange with witness Patrick Dunleavy, the former deputy inspector of the criminal intelligence unit, New York Department of Correctional Services, Rep. Jackson Lee mentioned the case of a man who blew up an abortion clinic and proposed that this perhaps was an attempt to undermine U.S. law that allows a woman to procure an abortion.
Rep. Lee then said, “As we look to be informational, we should include an analysis of how Christian militants or others might bring down the country. We have to look broadly, do we not?”
Dunleavy answered: “I don’t know that Christian militants have foreign country backing or foreign country financing.”
Lee then said, “I don’t think that’s the issue. The issue is whether or not their intent is to undermine the laws of this nation. And I think it is clear that that is the case. So it’s not -- your distinction is not answering the question.”
Good grief.
Democrat Lee reveals herself to be clueless regarding radical Islam and the threat of terrorism.
Scores of area congregations are expected to join with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and city and county law enforcement officials to promote nonviolence as part of the 7th annual Cease Fire Sabbath this weekend.
Barrett, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm will kick off the initiative at breakfast with faith leaders Thursday at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 128 W. Burleigh. And Barrett and Chisholm will speak at six area churches on Sunday.
"The police department and district attorney have done a magnificent job in reducing violent crime in Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. But in all honesty, we can't do this alone," Barrett said at a Wednesday news conference at City Hall.
"We need the cooperation of faith leaders and the community."
Chisholm said strong families and faith communities play an important role in keeping young people from becoming involved in crime. "The more mentors and faith-based relationships we have, the better we'll succeed as a community," he said.
...Barrett and Chisholm will speak at the following churches on Sunday:
Barrett will be at New Covenant Church, 2315 N. 38th St. at 9:30 a.m.; Greater Galilee Missionary Baptist Church at 2432 N. Teutonia Ave. at 10:30 a.m.; St. Patrick Parish, 723 W. Washington St., at 11:20 a.m.; and St. Adalbert Parish, 1923 W. Becher St. at 12:45 p.m.
Chisholm will appear at Parklawn Assembly of God, 3725 N. Sherman Blvd., at 7:50 a.m.; and Jerusalem Missionary Baptist church, 2505 W. Cornell St., at 11 a.m.
Although the thugs most likely won't be in church today, people who know them may be. The good people might be able to encourage the thugs to follow a nonviolent path.
Also, children, the next generation of thugs, may be attending today's church services and be influenced by hearing the messages of Barrett and Chisholm and faith leaders in the community.
Who knows?
It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. _________________
Here's Tom Barrett's May 20, 2011, e-mail message on the topic:
Dear Friends,
This weekend marks my 7th Annual “Ceasefire Sabbath” in which I ask clergy and faith leaders to promote a common message of peace and non-violence in their weekend services. I believe faith is the cornerstone of a healthy and productive community and, as history has shown us, it is often religious leaders who lead the charge for social justice and change. I believe the same holds true today.
Just this week, District Attorney John Chisholm, Police Chief Flynn and I met with more than 100 pastors and other faith leaders who serve our city. We agreed that violence prevention and community building comes in many forms. Mentoring a young family, providing summer jobs to teens, extending a hand to a reentering ex-offender and recommitting our efforts to stem the flow of illegal guns are among just a few of the many strategies offered that will make a difference in the lives of Milwaukee residents.
Everyone who cares about keeping our neighborhoods safe in this City has a role to play. A full-on community effort in cooperation with the police department is essential to the success of our common goal to strengthen the community, reduce crime and promote peace. We need to show strength and unity in spreading the message that violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods.
Below is the schedule of churches that I will be visiting:
8:45 am - 9:50 am Greater New Birth Church 10:30 am - 11:50 am Greater Galilee MBC 11:20 am – 11:50 am St. Patrick Parish 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm St. Adalbert Parish
District Attorney Chisholm will be visiting the following churches:
8:00 am Parklawn Assembly of God 10:20 am Canaan Missionary Baptist Church
I’m pleased we have made great progress in making our communities safer and I’m grateful to the police department, District Attorney Chisholm and the countless community members who have helped in our efforts.
"There’s going to be a huge earthquake that’s going to make the big earthquake in Japan seem like a Sunday School picnic," said the 89-year-old founder of Family Radio, an independent ministry that has broadcast his forecast around the world.
Camping is basing his prediction on decades of studying the Bible and his belief that the Noah’s Ark flood happened in the year 4990 BC.
He claims that since 2 Peter 3:8 says that one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day to God, there will be seven thousand years between Noah's flood and the end of the world.
The seven days come from Noah having seven days to warn people about the coming disaster, so he assumes there will be seven days, translated to 7,000 years, between the flood and the destruction of earth.
So 4990 plus 2011, minus one because there was no year '0', equals 7,000 years.
I have plans this weekend.
The end of the world would be very inconvenient for me today.
As our society has changed, so have the challenges facing women raising families. Many American women are raising children at home while caring for an elderly parent, holding down two jobs, serving as the sole parent in a family, or defending our country overseas as a service member. Our Nation's mothers not only look after our needs and teach us to be compassionate and responsible, but also manage households, build careers, and improve our neighborhoods and communities. While the roles and responsibilities of mothers have evolved, their guidance and care remains as strong and constant as ever.
On Mother's Day, we celebrate the extraordinary importance of mothers in our lives. The bond of love and dedication a mother shares with her children and family is without bounds or conditions. Whether an adoptive mom or grandmother, mother or partner, the women who raise us show us that no hurdle is too high, and no dream is beyond our reach. As sons and daughters, we show our gratitude for the women in our lives who care for us, shape our values, and set us on the path to a limitless future.
Throughout our history, mothers have made remarkable sacrifices for the well-being of their loved ones. Nearly a century ago, Anna Jarvis, who had suffered the loss of her beloved mother, campaigned with many other Americans to make Mother's Day a recognized holiday and pay respect to all women raising children. Today, we continue to celebrate the influence, love, and nurturing our mothers provide in our lives and in our national life.
To support the parents who are raising tomorrow's leaders, my Administration is committed to doing all we can to create jobs and economic opportunities for families across America. We are striving to help mothers in the workplace by enforcing equal pay laws and addressing workplace flexibility as families balance the demands of work, child and elder care, and education. My budget strengthens the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help families afford the cost of quality childcare. The tax-cut package we passed last December extended expansions of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, providing a tax cut for 15.7 million families with about 29.1 million children. The Affordable Care Act gives women more access to health care and better resources to protect the health of their families by requiring new insurance plans to cover wellness benefits for children, ending the exclusion of pre-existing conditions by insurance companies, and extending parents' health coverage for young adults up to age 26. First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative is also providing mothers with helpful tools to support their children's healthy growth.
Mothers are the rocks of our families and a foundation in our communities. In gratitude for their generous love, patient counsel, and lifelong support, let us pay respect to the women who carry out the hard work of motherhood with skill and grace, and let us remember those mothers who, though no longer with us, inspire us still.
The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 8, 1914, (38 Stat. 770), has designated the second Sunday in May each year as "Mother's Day" and requested the President to call for its appropriate observance.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 8, 2011, as Mother's Day. I urge all Americans to express their love, respect, and gratitude to mothers everywhere, and I call upon all citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
The beatification ceremonies of Pope John Paul II will be available with streaming video.
The Vatican is offering broadcast coverage of the beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1, and the prayer vigil at the Circus Maximus on Saturday evening.
Both events will be available on radio to listeners in Rome and the surrounding Lazio region, on 105 FM. For those further away, the broadcasts--in English, with streaming video and commentary--will be made available at this internet address:
What has been described in Catholic circles as the ‘Big Weekend’ is now upon us. This Sunday the Venerable John Paul II will be proclaimed Blessed by his friend and successor to the Chair of St Peter, Benedict XVI. Rome’s army of council workers are labouring around the clock to ensure that everything will be all right on the night and the day after, with giant screens and loud speakers being hauled into place ahead of Saturday’s “White night of prayer” and Sunday’s Beatification Mass.
The Eternal City has been draped with banners depicting the ‘Pope from a far off country” who became more Roman than the Romans themselves and its streets and public buses carry posters with quotes from Poland’s favourite son. Rome is ready, so the question remains, where will you be for the Beatification? Wherever you maybe, you can experience it all first hand here, with Vatican Radio.
...The Vigil from Circus Maximus (20.00 hrs CET) with commentary in English will be carried live for radio listeners in the Rome and Lazio area on 105 FM. It will be streamed with full video and optional commentary on http://player.rv.va/vaticanplayer01.asp?language=en&visual=Tv.
The Beatification Mass (10.00hrs CET) with commentary in English will be carried live for radio listeners in the Rome and Lazio area on 105 FM. It will be streamed with full video and optional commentary on http://player.rv.va/vaticanplayer01.asp?language=en&visual=Tv.
President Obama failed to release a statement or a proclamation recognizing the national observance of Easter Sunday, Christianity's most sacred holiday.
By comparison, the White House has released statements recognizing the observance of major Muslim holidays and released statements in 2010 on Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajj, and Eid-ul-Adha.
The White House also failed to release a statement marking Good Friday. However, they did release an eight-paragraph statement heralding Earth Day. Likewise, the president's weekend address mentioned neither Good Friday or Easter.
...In 2010, Obama was criticized for releasing an all-inclusive Easter greeting. He reached out to Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and people of no faith at all in a statement about a holiday that is uniquely Christian.
"All of us are striving to make a way in this world; to build a purposeful and fulfilling life in the fleeting time we have here," Obama said in his 2010 "Easter" message. "A dignified life. A healthy life. A life, true to its potential. And a life that serves other." "These are aspirations that stretch back through the ages – aspirations at the heart of Judaism, at the heart of Christianity, at the heart of all the world’s great religions," the president added.
When the White House released statements about Muslim holidays, no attempts were made to include Christianity or to mention a spirit of inclusivity. For example, in his 2010 statement on Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha, Obama made no references to Christianity or any other religion.
By contrast, former President Bush traditionally included Scripture passages in his Easter messages and made a point to explain what Easter is about. Like Obama, though, he did not release statements marking Good Friday.
In 2007, he said, “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event of the Christian faith.” “On this powerful day, let us join together and give thanks to the Almighty for the glory of His grace,” he added.
In his 2008 Easter message, President Bush said: “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ reminds people around the world of the presence of a faithful God who offers a love more powerful than death. Easter commemorates our Savior's triumph over sin, and we take joy in spending this special time with family and friends and reflecting on the many blessings that fill our lives. During this season of renewal, let us come together and give thanks to the Almighty who made us in His image and redeemed us in His love.”
Why didn't Obama notice the failure to issue an Easter statement or proclamation?
Wouldn't you think Team Obama would be falling all over themselves to assert his Christianity?
Q: Thanks, Jay. Just a quick question. You guys traditionally put out statements or proclamations on various religious holidays and I don’t think I saw one from the President on Easter yesterday and was just wondering if there’s any reason one didn’t go out.
MR. CARNEY: You know, the President went to the church yesterday; it was well covered. I’m not sure if we put out a statement or not, but he obviously personally celebrated Easter with his family and went to church to celebrate that. And -- *
Q: Wait a minute. The highest Christian holiday and you don’t know if he put out a statement?
Q: Jay, come on. (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: I’m glad you’re asking these key important questions, guys. The fact is, the President took his family to church in a very high-profile way to celebrate Easter. I think it was highly visible to most Americans. And he -- as a devoted Christian, he believes it’s a very important holiday for him personally, for his family and for Christians around the country.
Carney's answer was such a disaster that the White House amended the transcript. It needed an asterisk.
This is at the top of the transcript:
See below for an answer to a question (marked with an asterisk) posed in the briefing that required follow up.
*Last Tuesday, the President delivered remarks about Easter at an Easter breakfast he hosted in the East Room. The transcript of the President’s remarks can be found HERE.
What's funny about this is there's no link to "HERE," nothing to click as of 7:45 PM CDT.
Come on, White House. Get your act together. _________________
UPDATE, April 26, 2011: Transcript asterisk link now works. "HERE."
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thank you. Please, please have a seat.
Well, it is absolutely wonderful to be here with all of you today. I see so many good friends all around the room.
Before I begin, I want to acknowledge one particular member of my administration who I’m extraordinarily proud of and does not get much credit, and that is USAID Administrator, Dr. Raj Shah, who is doing great work with faith leaders. (Applause.) Where’s Raj? Where is he? There he is right there. Raj is doing great work with faith leaders on our Feed the Future global hunger program, as well as on a host of other issues. We could not be prouder of the work that he’s doing. I also want to acknowledge Congressman Mike McIntyre and his wife, Dee. (Applause.) Mike -- as some of you know, obviously, North Carolina was ravaged by storms this past weekend, and our thoughts and prayers are with all the families who have been affected down there. I know that Mike will be helping those communities rebuild after the devastation.
To all the faith leaders and the distinguished guests that are here today, welcome to our second annual -- I’m going to make it annual, why not? (Laughter and applause.) Our second Easter Prayer Breakfast. The Easter Egg Roll, that’s well established. (Laughter.) The Prayer Breakfast we started last year, in part because it gave me a good excuse to bring together people who have been such extraordinary influences in my life and such great friends. And it gives me a chance to meet and make some new friends here in the White House.
I wanted to host this breakfast for a simple reason -– because as busy as we are, as many tasks as pile up, during this season, we are reminded that there’s something about the resurrection -- something about the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ, that puts everything else in perspective.
We all live in the hustle and bustle of our work. And everybody in this room has weighty responsibilities, from leading churches and denominations, to helping to administer important government programs, to shaping our culture in various ways. And I admit that my plate has been full as well. (Laughter.) The inbox keeps on accumulating. (Laughter.)
But then comes Holy Week. The triumph of Palm Sunday. The humility of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. His slow march up that hill, and the pain and the scorn and the shame of the cross.
And we’re reminded that in that moment, he took on the sins of the world -- past, present and future -- and he extended to us that unfathomable gift of grace and salvation through his death and resurrection.
In the words of the book Isaiah: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
This magnificent grace, this expansive grace, this “Amazing Grace” calls me to reflect. And it calls me to pray. It calls me to ask God for forgiveness for the times that I’ve not shown grace to others, those times that I’ve fallen short. It calls me to praise God for the gift of our son -- his Son and our Savior.
And that’s why we have this breakfast. Because in the middle of critical national debates, in the middle of our busy lives, we must always make sure that we are keeping things in perspective. Children help do that. (Laughter.) A strong spouse helps do that. But nothing beats scripture and the reminder of the eternal.
So I’m honored that all of you have come here this Holy Week to join me in a spirit of prayer, and I pray that our time here this morning will strengthen us, both individually as believers and as Americans. And with that, let me introduce my good friend, Bishop Vashti McKenzie, for our opening prayer. (Applause.)
Christian pilgrims from around the world are crowding the cobblestone alleyways of old Jerusalem to mark Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus 2,000 years ago.
The verdict? Sort of a non-verdict, actually. Joerres stated that all of the station’s contractual obligations to Maher’s promoters have been satisified, and the issue is now moot. There is nothing “left to be done,” he said. He said it was “a moot point” and “behind us.”
It may be moot, but as of 5:55 PM today, WKLH is still listed as Bill Maher's sponsor at the Riverside's site.
Nothing left to be done? Not exactly moot.
________________
John McAdams has an update on WKLH's sponsorship of Bill Maher's July 24, 2008 show at the Riverside in Milwaukee.
WKLH sent him the following e-mail:
Hi John,
Thank you for contacting us regarding the Bill Maher show. I’ll call you shortly, but first a little background about our promotional involvement.
Our agreement with Pabst/Riverside was a term agreement whereby we partnered to promote several shows within a calendar window.
We are involved in actual artist booking & recommendation ONLY for those shows that benefit station-specific events or charities such as our Christmas for Kids benefit or Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin fundraisers.
At the time of the arrangement Mr. Maher had not made his insensitive remarks, although we will not hide behind that circumstance as an excuse.
The vast majority of shows we have promoted have been well received and non-controversial, including the many that have supported our Dave & Carole Miracle Marathon for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Christmas for Kids.
Mr. Maher’s comments have obviously offended many people. While we usually let the market dictate the success or failure of a given show, we will reconsider our promotional involvement with this show.
Thank you for sharing your comments.
Bob Bellini Program Director 96.5 WKLH Milwaukee
Bellini certainly is playing up WKLH's charity efforts. The station deserves credit for all it does for the community's children. To be sure, it's God's work. It stands in stark contrast to Maher's message.
McAdams writes that "the people who run WKLH will be meeting later today to decide what to do about this situation."
He suggests:
A call to 414-978-9000, or an e-mail to Tjoerres@mkeradiogrp.com (station manager Tom Joerres) with a civil statement about how the station should distance itself from this kind of bigotry would be in order.
This is from the Riverside's page promoting Bill Maher's appearance.
Bill Maher is one of the most politically astute humorists in America today. His unflinching honesty and commitment to never pulling a punch have garnered him the respect and admiration of millions of fans. In 2003, Maher launched a new show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," on HBO, a network that's a perfect fit for his irreverent style. The hour-long show airs live at 11:00PM on Friday nights.
"Real Time with Bill Maher" has received multiple Emmy nominations as well as nominations from the Writer's Guild of America. Some of the outstanding guests who have appeared on the show include Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Robin Williams, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Whitford, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gen. Wesley Clark, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Gary Hart, Pat Buchanan and George Carlin. Each week, Bill's hilarious opening monologue, incisive interviews and stimulating panel discussion, as well as his extremely popular "New Rules" segment, serve to wrap up the week's most important events in a way that makes you think, as well as laugh.
That's not my take on Maher, not even close.
I don't consider what Maher spews to be "politically astute" and I certainly don't think of him as a "humorist." He's a vulgar hatemonger, plain and simple.
From the Riverside's page:
Charming!
The sponsors for Maher's Milwaukee appearance are WKLH and the Shepherd Express. Americanwas a sponsor, but no longer.
One wonders why American would have ever allowed its name to be attached to someone like Maher.
After being a topic of discussion on blogs and talk radio, American decided to pull its sponsorship.
A statement from American's Wyn Becker, public relations:
We regret if our advertising co-sponsorship participation of the upcoming Bill Maher concert has offended anyone. That was obviously not our intent.
Let me clarify American's involvement. We did not directly or individually select Mr. Maher's concert to sponsor in this or any other market. And we have no immediate connection with the promotion or production of this show.
American does have partnerships with several concert venues and radio stations in town which would tie us to a number of local events. I believe that supporting the renovated Pabst and Riverside Theatres to be a well intentioned endeavor. Our marketing partnership with these two historic landmark entertainment venues involves a year long series of comedy performances, with many of these shows co-sponsored in conjunction with some radio station advertising partnerships.
It is obvious, now, to us that Mr. Maher is a very opinionated political and social humorist who can easily ruffle the feathers of certain groups much more so than we expected.
We do not agree with or condone the content of his material or the opinions disseminated from his routines.
Our intent was simply to develop a solid marketing partnership with two well respected concert/show venues which are bringing a wide variety of comedy performances to Milwaukee throughout the year from Frank Caliendo to Jim Gaffigan, Second City Improv to Dennis Miller.
However, because this particular show has become much more controversial to a certain religious factor than ever anticipated, we have chosen to drop our sponsorship of this particular event, if it is indeed offending some of our customers. We do plan to continue our support of the Pabst and Riverside Theatres, their radio station partners and the fine entertainment that they bring to the Milwaukee market. Thank you.
Wyn Becker Vice President-Advertising American Furniture, Electronics & Appliances
I think this was a smart move by American.
It was a move made in the self-interest of the business.
It reminds me of Barack Obama cutting ties with Jeremiah Wright. The damage Wright was doing to Obama was too great for him to remain loyal. So, it was goodbye.
Similarly, it wouldn't be wise for American to sponsor Maher's show. Why alienate the many, many, many people offended by Maher's so-called humor? Since it became an issue, it made sense to sever the sponsorship ties.
Here are a few examples of Maher's shtick:
---"I think that religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies. I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder."
---"But [Mel Gibson will] never win as long as he's so religious, because, I hate to tell you, the disease isn't alcholism, the disease is religion."
---"I think the science is in on this question. I mean, I think he is.. the people who were defending him were saying, 'Well, he's just inarticulate.' But inarticulate doesn't explain foreign policy. I mean, it's not that complicated.
"The man is a rube. He is a dolt. He is a yokel on the world stage. He is a Gilligan who cannot find his ass with two hands. He is a vain half-wit who interrupts one incoherent sentence with another incoherent sentence. And I hope I'm not piling on."
---"The Republican Party, besides Rudy Giuliani, Bush likes to dress up. He likes to be a cowboy, or Iceman from Top Gun. And they have something very gay, excuse me, going on with Ronald Reagan. I mean, they love Ronald Reagan in a way that's just gay. I'm sorry. But, I think they want to put him on a stamp so that they can lick his backside. Well, seriously, I mean – am I right?"
---"I would just like gun owners to admit they're selfish, and that it's a vice, like booze or drugs or cigarettes. Stop the nonsense about 'it's my right.' You just like it because you have a small penis."
---"George Bush is the only person who thinks that going more is better… He thinks if we can surge now, then we can pull out. But as anyone who's ever done porn will tell you, that's backwards. You pull out, then you surge. I think we all know that."
---"It's interesting that the only two people who couldn't' run together would be Hillary and Obama because America would go that's too much non-male whiteness at one time. We're progressive but not that much."
---"I think if I have any credibility with the gay community it's because over the years I've defended one simple principle which is that there should not be two sets of civil rights for people in this country, one for people who put penises in vaginas, and one for people who don't.
"And the people who don't are told by the Right wing that they need a cure."
---"America was invented by liberal men in Boston and Philadelphia. Not that I don't love all of America, but rednecks who think they're the real America should read a history book once in a while. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin, Madison -- the whole lot of them were well read, erudite, European thinking children of the enlightenment, and they would have had absolutely nothing in common and less to say to a cowboy simpleton like George Bush."
---"[Republicans] have to concentrate on what all Republicans have in common -- They're gay. Aren't they?
"Not just garden-variety gay, but Mark Foley text messaging little boys gay; Ted Haggard having sex with prostitutes on meth gay; Larry Craig bathroom gay.
"I haven't seen this many self-loathing homosexuals since I left the Catholic Church."
---"We're not winning in Iraq. We lost that war when we invaded Iraq because it was a bad idea to begin with....
"Instead of invading Iran, why don't we just show [Bush] footage of one of his other disasters, Katrina or Iraq, and just tell him, 'There you go Godzilla, you did it again.' "
---"Why couldn't, uh, why couldn't have [Rush Limbaugh] croaked from [OxyContin] instead of Heath Ledger?"
---"I'd like to tip off law enforcement to an even larger child-abusing religious cult. Its leader also has a compound, and this guy not only operates outside the bounds of the law, but he used to be a Nazi and he wears funny hats. That's right, the Pope is coming to America this week and, ladies, he's single."
---"If you have a few hundred followers, and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader. If you have a billion, they call you 'Pope.' It's like, if you can't pay your mortgage, you're a deadbeat. But if you can't pay a million mortgages, you're Bear Stearns and we bail you out. And that is who the Catholic Church is: the Bear Stearns of organized pedophilia -- too big, too fat."
---"When the current Pope was in his previous Vatican job as John Paul's Dick Cheney, he wrote a letter instructing every Catholic bishop to keep the sex abuse of minors secret until the Statute of Limitations ran out. And that's the Church's attitude: 'We're here, we're queer, get used to it,' which is fine, far be it from me to criticize religion. But just remember one thing: If the Pope was -- instead of a religious figure -- merely the CEO of a nationwide chain of day care centers, where thousands of employees had been caught molesting kids and then covering it up, he'd be arrested faster than you can say 'who wants to touch Mr. Wiggle?' "
Barack Obama said he wouldn't do it. He said he couldn't do it. But yesterday, he tried.
He threw dear "old Uncle" Rev. Jeremiah Wright out of the house and slammed the door in his face.
Barack Obama claimed that he couldn't take it anymore.
In order to keep his candidacy alive, he had to break off his relationship with Wright. He knew he had no choice. Obama's quest for personal power trumped loyalty for his pastor of 20 years.
Of course, the lib media are in full spin over this, contorting to rationalize and excuse Obama's amazingly transparent politically expedient move.
Poor Obama. He was in such an awkward position. It's so hard to run for president. Vetting is hard!
Wright was so selfish. Remember, he betrayed Obama, not the other way around.
In the The New York Times' account of this very public personal break-up, one is encouraged to feel Obama's pain.
“We’ve got nine elections to go through June 9,” [Bob Mulholland, a superdelegate from California], said in an interview. “I’ve never been involved in a successful presidential race where the candidate had no trouble in the primary. It’s challenging to him. He is a young man, and this is the first time he’s run for president. I see this as a learning experience.”
Asked how he thought Mr. Obama was doing, Mr. Mulholland paused before responding. “Getting better,” he finally said.
Awww. Obama is a young guy. This is his first time running for president. He needs to learn. Cut him some slack. After all, Day One is still months away.
The appearances by Mr. Wright, which began Friday and concluded Monday, were anticipated by the Obama campaign, but aides said they were taken aback by the tenor of the remarks. His first interview, with Bill Moyers on PBS, offered few hints of what he intended when he arrived at the National Press Club on Monday.
Why was Obama's campaign taken aback by the tenor of Wright's remarks?
What he said was the same old, same old.
“At a certain point, if what somebody says contradicts what you believe so fundamentally, and then he questions whether or not you believe it in front of the National Press Club, then that’s enough,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s a show of disrespect to me. It’s also, I think, an insult to what we’ve been trying to do in this campaign.”
Wright was so mean to Obama. Poor baby.
Mr. Obama became a Christian after hearing a 1988 sermon of Mr. Wright’s called “The Audacity to Hope.” Joining Mr. Wright’s church helped Mr. Obama, with his disparate racial and geographic background, embrace not only the African-American community but also Africa, his friends and family say.
Mr. Obama had barely known his Kenyan father; Mr. Wright made pilgrimages to Africa and incorporated its rituals into worship. Mr. Obama toted recordings of Mr. Wright’s sermons to law school. Mr. Obama titled his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention “The Audacity of Hope,” and gave his next book the same name.
My eyes are welling up with tears....
Obama was abandoned by his biological father. Now, Wright has hurt him, too.
As Mr. Wright’s more incendiary statements began circulating widely, Mr. Obama routinely condemned them but did not disassociate himself from Mr. Wright. In his speech in Philadelphia, Mr. Obama tried to explain his pastor through the bitter history of American race relations.
Five weeks later, the men seem finished with each other.
“Whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed as a consequence of this,” Mr. Obama said Tuesday. “I don’t think that he showed much concern for me. More importantly, I don’t think he showed much concern for what we’re trying to do in this campaign and what we’re trying to do for the American people.”
Oh, how sad!
All the father figures in Obama's life let him down.
Maybe if people vote for him to be the next president then he'll feel valued and loved.
Barack Obama is mad that his hate-filled spiritual mentor Jeremiah Wright is still an issue.
He's offended that his previous denouncements of Wright didn't take. He's horrified that they might have been seen as political posturing.
"I did not vet my pastor before I decided to run for the presidency."
How about vetting his pastor to be his pastor?
Obama knows that Wright is a real problem for him. Obama not only disowns SOME of Wright's statements now. He has officially disowned Wright.
Talk about floundering!
"After seeing Rev. Wright's performance, I felt there was a complete disregard for what the American people are going through."
"There was a sense that that did not matter to Rev. Wright."
I guess Obama is a little slow.
Obama said he wanted to use this press conference to make absolutely clear that his relationship with Wright has changed.
"I want to make absolutely clear that I do not subscribe to the views that he expressed."
"What Rev. Wright said yesterday directly contradicts EVERYTHING... that I've been saying."
"There wasn't anything constructive out of yesterday. All it was was a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in truth."
"I can't construct something positive out of that."
Obama said Wright's comments have insulted him and what he's been trying to do in his campaign.
When asked why he stayed at a church based in liberation theology, Obama side-stepped the question.
"In terms of liberation theology, I'm not a theologian."
Obama repeatedly said none of this is about political posturing.
BS.
It's all about political posturing.
Supposedly, his speech in Philadelphia (the one some loons considered to be Lincoln-esque and as great or better than Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech) was intended to provide context for Wright's remarks but not excuse them.
Obama said he used that speech to try to get Americans to understand Wright and black churches.
He said that Americans were troubled by the way Wright shouted in his sermons.
Yeah, right.
I think Americans were troubled by WHAT Wright said, not his fiery preaching style. If he had been shouting about love and Jesus and how great America is I don't think anyone would have been disturbed.
More quotes:
"Yesterday, I think he caricatured himself. That made me angry but it also made me sad."
"I do not see that relationship being the same after this."
"He was never my spiritual mentor. He was my pastor."
Obama said the press was inaccurate about calling Wright his spiritual mentor. (I believe Obama was inaccurate about that in the books Obama wrote.)
So, it's done.
Obama has had an epiphany. Wright really is a divisive, bad guy.
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.
Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias.
But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America – to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality.
The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.
Today, he said: Never mind.
How embarrassing!
Apparently, Obama is one of the dumbest men on the planet.
He didn't realize the truth about Wright. Again, BS.
And apparently, Obama thinks Americans are the dumbest people on the planet. It's as if he thinks we're incapable of understanding what he's doing, the politically expedient.
I think Obama planned to use Wright's high profile appearances as an opportunity to disown him.
The parents of an 11-year-old girl who died of complications from untreated diabetes last month have both been charged with second-degree reckless homicide, according to Marathon County District Attorney Jill Falstad.
Madeline Kara Neumann died March 23. The girl's parents, Leilani and Dale Neumann, of Weston, have said they didn't know she had diabetes, didn't take her to a doctor and prayed for healing.
..."Second-degree reckless homicide has two elements," Falstad said. "The first element is that the defendant caused the death of another. The second element is that the defendant caused the death by criminally reckless conduct.
"In this case, that conduct was the failure to seek medical intervention. The failure to seek medical intervention created unreasonable and substantial risk of death or great bodily harm to Kara and the Neumanns were aware of the risk."
..."There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the availability of a 'religious defense' in this case," Falstad said in the statement. "In our nation we have a constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. We also give parents leeway in matters of child rearing. However, neither is absolute. In this case, it was necessary to weigh 'freedom of religion' and 'parenting rights' against the state's interests in protecting children."
It took a long time for the Neumanns to be charged in their daughter's death.
Wright's appearance today at the National Press Club will begin the annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. The conference, named for the noted religious scholar, will bring black religious leaders from across the country to Howard University. And at the center of the discussions will be the powerful and provocative tenets of liberation theology.
"Powerful and provactive" is a sanitized way of putting it. Angry and divisive might be more appropriate. In short, lies.
At Wright's NAACP speech Sunday, Barack Obama's spiritual mentor didn't sound like he did with Bill Moyers. This was not the soft-spoken Wright we saw with Moyers. The Wright who showed up at the NAACP dinner was the one we've come to know.
Most of Wright's speech addressed the theme of the dinner, “A Change is Gonna Come,” talking about the differences between different cultures and races, saying "a change is coming because we no longer see others as being deficient…Different doesn't mean deficient."
"The black religious tradition is different," he said in comments that seemed to address the controversy about his sermons. "We do it a different way."
Wright discussed how different groups have seen other groups as "deficient." After saying English-speakers saw Arabic-speakers as "being deficient," Wright mentioned Obama almost as an aside.
"Please run and tell my stuck-on-stupid friends that Arabic is a language -- is a language, it is not a religion," he said. "Barack HUSSEIN Obama," he said, emphasizing the Illinois senator's middle name dramatically, "Barack HUSSEIN Obama, Barack HUSSEIN Obama. There are Arabic-speaking Christians, there Arabic-speaking Jews, Arabic-speaking Muslims and Arabic-speaking atheists. Arabic is a language, it is not a religion. Stop trying to scare folks by giving them this Arabic name like it's some disease."
The bulk of his remarks addressed, however, different groups seeing each other as deficient. He acted out the differences between marching bands at predominantly black and predominantly white colleges. "Africans have a different meter, and Africans have a different tonality," he said. Europeans have seven tones, Africans have five. White people clap differently than black people. "Africans and African-Americans are right-brained, subject-oriented in their learning style," he said. "They have a different way of learning." And so on.
Oh my God. Wright is a real piece of work.
Because of his close and decades-long relationship with Barack Obama, Wright certainly knew that everything he said and did during his address would be analyzed.
"White people clap differently than black people"?
Really?
Africans and African-Americans "have a different way of learning"?
Their brains are different? Does science back that up?
This is racist tripe.
If you wondered whether the portions of Wright's sermons picked up and played by the media unfairly depicted Wright, wonder no more.
Bill Moyers is helping Jeremiah Wright attempt to transform the public's perception of him from the hate-filled, racist, anti-Semitic, anti-American pastor and spiritual mentor of Barack Obama into a soft-spoken man of God.
In the PBS interview on the "Bill Moyers Journal," Wright complains that reporters picked sound bites from his sermons with the intent of defaming him and, by association, Obama.
"At a political event, he goes out as a politician and says what he has to say as a politician," Wright told Moyers. "I continue to be a pastor … He's a politician. I'm a pastor."
...In the Moyers interview, a soft-spoken Wright expresses his horror that the media has made him a bogeyman, endlessly replaying sound bites of fiery sermons which he claims were taken out of context.
"I felt it was unfair. I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue," the former pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ told Moyers, adding that some of the snippets were taken from many years ago.
For instance, after the 9/11 attack, Wright famously preached that the "chickens had come home to roost." Wright said it was clear to those present for the sermon that he was quoting President Reagan's former ambassador to Iraq.
"I think his manner, his demeanor, comes off being very appealing … but if you actually look at the snippets for what they are, where he's damning America, or the KKK in America, or the white government spreading AIDS in America, it's just so unappealing. At some point it's hard to explain away why the words were coming from his mouth. And then it invites to question Barack Obama's judgment, in sitting there all those years and being part of that kind of, what he calls by his own admission, 'divisive, hate speech,'" said [Juan] Williams.
..."The church members are very upset because they know it's a lie, the things being broadcast," Wright said, adding that there have even been death threats on him and bomb threats on his church.
Death threats and bomb threats are inexcusable. I
While it's appropriate to be very disturbed by Wright's rhetoric, that's no reason to morph into Obama's friend Bill Ayers. (Of course, Ayers was behind more than threats. He wasn't just talk. He actually walked the terrorist walk and still brags about it.)
If the rest of the interview is anything like the tease video, Moyers really whores himself.
I agree with Juan Williams. There's just no way to explain away what Wright has said.
Wright says, "The church members are very upset because they know it's a lie, the things being broadcast."
A lie?
From what I know about Wright, it seems that what will be broadcast tonight on Bill Moyers Journal will be the whopper of all whoppers.
I expect to see "a freak show of political pornography: lies, distortions, and half-truths -- half-truths being perhaps the blackest of all lies."
...As for the return of his controversial former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright who gave a recent interview to Bill Moyers and said Obama played politics in his response to the controversy, Obama said Wright's response was "to be expected".
"He is obviously free to express his opinions on these issues. I've expressed mine very clearly. I think that what he said in several instances were objectionable and I understand why the American people took offense and, you know, and as I indicated before, I took offense."
Now that Pope Benedict XVI has ended a visit that drew enthusiastic crowds in New York, there is renewed speculation that Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan may be a strong candidate to replace the Archdiocese of New York's Cardinal Edward M. Egan.
Egan routinely submitted his resignation to the pope last year after reaching retirement age, 75. It is not unusual for popes to let cardinals serve longer, but Egan reportedly wants to leave whenever the pope is ready to accept his resignation.
John Allen, a widely respected American author and journalist who covers the Vatican for the National Catholic Reporter, said Thursday in a telephone interview from Rome that "the two names that I hear talked about the most, kind of around the water cooler, would be Tim Dolan of Milwaukee and (Archbishop) Wilton Gregory of Atlanta." But he also cautioned against putting stock in "the buzz meter," saying predictions of bishops' appointments often are wrong.
Both are the right age - Dolan, 58, and Gregory, 60. Neither is from New York or the East Coast - a minus - but both have played on the national stage. And both could remedy Egan's lack of a strong public profile in a bully pulpit whose holder is seen as the premier spokesman for the Catholic Church in the United States, Allen said.
..."I don't think it's automatic that it's going to be either Wilton or Tim," Allen added. "I will say this, and this is on the basis of some insider knowledge. I'm quite confident they're both going to get serious looks for the job. . . . There has not been a significant opening in the American church in the last two or three years for which Tim Dolan wasn't on the short list of candidates. So, whether it's New York or something else, the point is that a lot of people see him as an important future leader of this church."
I can understand why a lot of people see Archbishop Dolan as an "important future leader of this church."
It would be a great honor to replace Cardinal Egan. I think Dolan is an excellent candidate.
That said, I think it would be very hard on the people of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to lose Dolan.
The Archdiocese is facing tremendous challenges, mainly due to the effects of the clergy sex abuse scandal. The challenges go beyond the financial matters, with the Archdiocese teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and working through massive job cuts impacting ministries.
There's also the matter of Archbishop Rembert Weakland. I don't think the wounds from the scandal are healed, but I do think that the leadership of Dolan has been a tremendous help in restoring people's confidence in the Church.
After such a horrible betrayal, it's difficult to trust again. It's difficult to write out checks, knowing in the past nearly a half million dollars in hush money was paid out in Weakland's case.
Dolan has been a great comfort to many people whose faith in the Church was shaken by the abuses of Weakland. If Dolan were to leave now, it would be a setback for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and I think his departure could result in serious long term consequences for the future of the Church in southeastern Wisconsin.
