I realize that you all will be offended by this -- as I am, but it needs to be posted so that folks know about it. Hopefully, the comedian in question, will be ignored by many people going forward. I think we need to step up our prayers for the world because it really needs it. Here it is: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/10/28/catholic-league-blasts-larry-david-curb-episode-urinates-jesus/
Unfortunately the link no longer works. For some reason or other Fox News deleted it. And yes it was quite disgusting. I sent an email to HBO to complain and I hope that you all do the same. I found a link from the Catholic League that does work and explains it if you want to read about this. http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1700
I checked on Larry King last night and discovered that he is Jewish. from the Bronx in New York. I mention this because a week or two there was a video circulated on Utube from a junior Jewish 'comedienne' that was quite popular. It suggested that the Vatican should sell up and give all the money away. I noticed there was a little crowd of Jewish people backing her on the comments page. Her name is Sarah Silverman : and this is the video here: This was followed closely by a prominent attack on the Church in a comments piece in the Jewish owned 'New York Times' over its attempts to exercise authority of a large segment of American nuns. By Maureen Dowd. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/opinion/25dowd.html I found it interested, at the bottom of this piece there was a revealing note, 'Nicholas D. Kristof is off today.' What this suggests to me is that Nicholas , the usual feature writer was put on the back burner by executive direction and Maureen Dowd a fierce feminist author fiercely critical of the Church to do a 'hatchet job', with the cover that she happens to come from a n Irish /American/Catholic background. 'Their own putting the hatchet to their own'...if you see what I mean. I wonder if a Catholic comedian got up and down a skit of urinating on the Torah and then a a Jewish Rabbi being amazed at the Torah 'crying ' how things might go. There would off course be a howl that would be heard from the planet Mars. But lets face it, we Catholics are regarded as 'good for it'. I don't say all this in any way as being anti Semitic. I admire Jewish people for standing up for themselves. Its the fact that we Catholics do not stand up for ourselves that I am concerned at. We are not angry about such stuff. The question is , why? Our Jewish sisters and brothers would get angry, very,very, very angry. Our Islamic brothers and sisters would get angry, very,very,very angry. How come we don't get angry? :shock:
I watched the Larry David skit last night as I was flipping channels. I wanted to see it myself so I could speak to it with authority. The premise of the skit is offensive because a portrait of Jesus hangs in a bathroom just above the toilet. Just seeing that offended me. The rest is adding insult to injury. In terms of reaction, I can't speak for Catholics elsewhere, but here in the USA, I feel we are beaten down. As a Catholic, I see my faith as constantly ridiculed and the Church mocked. Sarah Silverman's comedy skit about the Catholic Church is a recent example. She was invited onto Bill Maher's show (HBO) and her skit mocking the Church and the Pope celebrated. So, getting angry doesn't do me much good and only gets my blood pressure up. Instead, I am turning more and more to prayer. I say the Rosary, I say the Jesus Prayer on my Chotki in an attempt to pray constantly, I attend mass and say prayers for these misguided people. Also, I generally avoid TV shows and actors that I find offensive. I just don't give them my time or money. I see the world as a place that is spinning out of control and where right is wrong and wrong is right. It is truly confused and descending further into evil. Every day, it seems, some new outrage is perpetrated against our God, our faith and our Church. If the Warning comes, I hope it comes sooner rather than later.
This is why the Warning and Miracle will be invaluable to sinful society, especially the Warning. Many will die at the shock of seeing their sins.
It is all very sad, really. To think that Christ came in love- for all of us- and that He can be treated so callously. In a way, it is no different for Christ now than it was in His own time; there are many who love him, but the forces of evil roil about plotting ways to insult and destroy him. Today's First reading at Mass from St. Paul's letter to the Romans provides some solace, however. St. Paul reassures us that, despite the many trials we face, "...we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." So, it seems the only response for us as Catholics is a response in love. We must respond to these attacks as Christians throughout the ages have responded: with love and prayer in Christ Jesus.
Its true we must forgive and pray {though I admit to an overwhelming temptation to punch someone on the nose at times} :wink: But I think too we can speak and act, our hands need not be tied by the love we hold in our hearts. St Micheal is an example. A fighter.
