A 'Passion' for defamation

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A ‘Passion’ for defamation

There’s nothing like ecumenical spirit for the holidays.

Jewish viewers are still agog over Catholic League President William Donohue’s comments on MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country” the other night.

Asked by guest host Pat Buchanan what he thought of the success of Mel Gibson’s controversial “The Passion of the Christ,” Donahue contended that “Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It’s not a secret, okay? And I’m not afraid to say it. That’s why they hate this movie. It’s about Jesus Christ.”

Rabbinical firebrand Shmuley Boteach, who was also on the show, shot back: “That is a bunch of ****. Stop the anti-Semitic garbage.”

Donohue snapped, “Who’s making the movies? The Irishmen?” The defender of Catholic orthodoxy didn’t stop there. While Donohue said he likes “families” and “nativity scenes,” “Hollywood likes anal sex.”

nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/262079p-224420c.html
 
I think Donahue should use a little more tact. Going off on a rant like that just makes you look insane even if what you say is obstenisbly true. Staunch conservatives already agree with him but those on the fence will probably want to distance themselves from him.
 
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Grolsch:
Going off on a rant like that just makes you look insane even if what you say is obstenisbly true.
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What Donahue said was blatant anti-Semitism. The distaste of Hollywood for Mel Gibson’s film has nothing to do with Jews, Judaism, or the way we view Catholicism - it has to do with Hollywood’s own moral relativism and fear of religion. To bring Jews into this - to all but outright say that Hollywood hates the Passion of the Christ because Jews hate Christianity - is sickening.

I don’t think it has anything to do with “tact.” It has to do with one man’s latent anti-Semitism.

Shalom!

Gil
 
Now that the Passion has been a huge success we’ll see how many movies Hollywood puts out based on Catholic belief. Afterall Hollywod claims it’s about the money. My guess is there will be none confirming what Mr.Donahue said.
 
Michael C:
With the success of the Passion we’ll see how many movies come out now based on Catholic beliefs. My guess is none confirming what Mr.Donahue said.
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I understand Gibson is considering a film based on the story of the Maccabees. That might reduce the charges of anti-semitism with respect to the Passion

Lisa N
 
I think he just said what so many of us are thinking, although he should have chosen a better way to say it. Honestly I feel for him, haven’t you ever just had all you can stomach on something, I think it is likely that he was using the nicest language he could at that time.

Linda H.
 
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Grolsch:
I think Donahue should use a little more tact. Going off on a rant like that just makes you look insane even if what you say is obstenisbly true. Staunch conservatives already agree with him but those on the fence will probably want to distance themselves from him.
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Yeah. This is tough. Good thing it was on MSNBC and not CNN, but still…better if he just said secularists, not secularist Jews. Not good for advancing your message in a medium that is controlled by liberals.
 
Linda H.:
I think he just said what so many of us are thinking, although he should have chosen a better way to say it. Honestly I feel for him, haven’t you ever just had all you can stomach on something, I think it is likely that he was using the nicest language he could at that time.
Linda H.
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It’s not the language I take issue with, it is the content.

He all but said outright that Jews hate Catholics.

That’s slanderous anti-Semitism.

Shalom!

Gil
 
Oh please, who controls the money at the major studioes out there? Who controls which projects get into production?
Linda H.
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GilKobrin:
What Donahue said was blatant anti-Semitism. The distaste of Hollywood for Mel Gibson’s film has nothing to do with Jews, Judaism, or the way we view Catholicism - it has to do with Hollywood’s own moral relativism and fear of religion. To bring Jews into this - to all but outright say that Hollywood hates the Passion of the Christ because Jews hate Christianity - is sickening.

Shalom!

Gil
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Linda H.:
Oh please, who controls the money at the major studioes out there? Who controls which projects get into production?
Linda H.
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I see. So we Jews control all the money?

:nope:

Shalom.

Gil
 
It is more accurate to say secularists or Hollywood in general hate Catholicism. Although the Jewish community did not cover itself with glory in the attacks on The Passion. They asked Shmuley if he was ready to admit he was wrong and apologize for saying the movie would cause pogroms. He changed the subject. I do think our Jewish brothers should fess up and admit they over reacted. But the real hate came from Hollywood. Which has scientologists, marxists, and who knows whatists, all of whom despise Christianity.
 
Here is an interesting article on Shmuley:

Roger Friedman, FoxNews, December 23, 2002 [under the heading: Pinocchio Loses by More Than a Nose]
“I am sad to say I read yesterday’s story in the New York Times about Shmuley Boteach and got a little ill. Samuel Freedman, a good reporter, writer and author of interesting books, evidently was sold a bill of goods on Boteach. His report on Shmuley’s WWRL radio show with Peter Noel made it sound like Michael Jackson’s onetime rabbi was on the up and up. But readers of this column know otherwise. Back on May 23, 2001, we revealed the truth about the ‘Kosher Sex’ rabbi who started a bogus charity with Jackson. To this day there has no been no accounting for the money Boteach and Jackson raised for their Time for Kids/Heal the World Foundation. Indeed, the event they held on Feb. 14, 2001, at Carnegie Hall — a symposium on children — has never turned up in tax returns. London newspapers reported that Boteach was ousted from the L’Chaim Society of Oxford University for mismanagement of funds. (He allegedly used money from the charity to maintain a lavish home. Boteach insisted it was his right to do so.) He was also reportedly banned from having a pulpit in the U.K., although during our conversation last year he denied that. The New York Times also didn’t bother to look into the infamous L’Chaim Society, Boteach’s New York charity. The most recent tax return available, which covers all of 2000, states that the New York edition of L’Chaim Society took in $203,185 in donations but paid out $240,164 ‘for administration.’ There are no funds listed for ‘Program Services.’ In May 2001, this column discovered quite a lot about the so-called Oxford L’Chaim Society of New York, which has nothing whatsoever to do with Oxford University in Great Britain. I wrote: 'In 1999, the British government criticized (Boteach’s) L’Chaim Society of Oxford, London and Cambridge — an organization that was supposed to support and promote Jewish thinking and life on the Oxford campus — when they discovered that Shmuley (his name is Shmuel but he loves the nickname) had been dipping into the funds … An article dated June 1, 1998, in the London Daily Telegraph clearly states: ‘Ah Shmuley. The shame, the disgrace. (He’s been) publicly reproached by Elkin Levy, president of the United Synagogues; forced to resign from the synagogue in Willesden where he preaches, accused of conduct unbecoming, bringing the rabbinate into disrepute.’ The resignation was apparently in response to the publication of Boteach’s controversial book, ‘Kosher Sex,’ which has been a bestseller and was excerpted in Playboy.”
 
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cestusdei:
Although the Jewish community did not cover itself with glory in the attacks on The Passion. They asked Shmuley if he was ready to admit he was wrong and apologize for saying the movie would cause pogroms. He changed the subject. I do think our Jewish brothers should fess up and admit they over reacted.
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It should gladden you to know, then, two things:

A) Shmuley Boteach is viewed as a laughingstock by most Jews, and is a very sick man. He is a media whore, nothing more; his opinions are not scholarly or Kosher.

B) Most of the Jewish community did not view the film as anti-Semitic. The vocal minority however (much like the vocal minority of any demographic) made a big to-do over nothing. Most Jews, when presented with a phenomenon such as the release of Mel Gibson’s film, utilize the oppurtunity to learn our Torah - not to go complaining to the media. I apologize, however, if the quite vocal minority offended you. They - the ADL, Shmuley Boteach, and others - do not represent us.

Shalom!

Gil
 
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GilKobrin:
What Donahue said was blatant anti-Semitism. The distaste of Hollywood for Mel Gibson’s film has nothing to do with Jews, Judaism, or the way we view Catholicism - it has to do with Hollywood’s own moral relativism and fear of religion. To bring Jews into this - to all but outright say that Hollywood hates the Passion of the Christ because Jews hate Christianity - is sickening.

I don’t think it has anything to do with “tact.” It has to do with one man’s latent anti-Semitism.

Shalom!

Gil
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Perhaps you had to be there but I’ve watched Donohue for three evenings now and he isn’t an anti-semite - he is the one who when others have called in and accused Jews of trying to denigrate Catholics in film etc. has pointed out that some of the most wonderful movies ever made about Catholics were made by Jewish studio heads, Jewish production people and Jewish directors etc. Boteach was unmanageable during two of the programs I saw and finally goaded Donohue into saying that there are secular Jews around these days who not only have no practice of their own faith and show blatant disrespect for the faiths of others. Both interviews I saw with the two of them went ballistic.

And I do believe that I have heard Donohue say almost the same thing about secular Catholics who attempt to use the “Catholic” word but refuse to act like they are supposed to.
 
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Grolsch:
I think Donahue should use a little more tact. Going off on a rant like that just makes you look insane even if what you say is obstenisbly true. Staunch conservatives already agree with him but those on the fence will probably want to distance themselves from him.
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Why? Tertullian was considered one of the greatest apologists of his time (while he was still Catholic) and he didn’t shy away from using pointed comments and satire.
 
Gil,
I think an opportunity was lost. But the aftermath shows that Christianity is not, and doesn’t have to be, anti-Semitic. For some Jews to make anti-Catholic statements sets everything back. I went to school with quite a few Jews and we always got along. I was just a country boy and they taught me what a bagel was.
 
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GilKobrin:
What Donahue said was blatant anti-Semitism. The distaste of Hollywood for Mel Gibson’s film has nothing to do with Jews, Judaism, or the way we view Catholicism - it has to do with Hollywood’s own moral relativism and fear of religion. To bring Jews into this - to all but outright say that Hollywood hates the Passion of the Christ because Jews hate Christianity - is sickening.

I don’t think it has anything to do with “tact.” It has to do with one man’s latent anti-Semitism.

Shalom!

Gil
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Hello,I have some Jewish family members, I can understand why you were offended. I think Mr. Donahue’s reaction was an emotional response to People who are Jewish in name only, we have some Catholics that are Catholics in name only,and I have heard him rip into them as well. As humans sometimes we say things that are mean and hurtful if our emotions get into the mix,even things we don’t mean. As the media goes they are going to make sure they get people to interview that be able to insight anger. The Jewish Rabbi they picked is of course going to say what will try to insight anger as well as the other participants.God Bless You and Shalom
 
William Donohue used very poor judgment in making these comments. He is media-savvy enough to know better.

God forgive him,
Paul
 
I watched them all 3 nights too. Sometimes I’d like to muzzle Donohue but Schmuley did call all of the other panelist ignorant peasants. The tosses out NT refrences that are but snippets and have nothing to do with the point he is making. He loves to tell us ignorant peasants that he knows the NT better than we do and he will interpet it for us. Most of the time Donohue is fairly deferentail to him. Schmuley was clearly goading all the panelists. I have seen him a numbet of times on MSNBC and I want to reach into the TV and smack him. He is very anti-Catholic. At least that is what this ignorant peasant thinks.
Kathy :mad:
 
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Pandora:
I watched them all 3 nights too. Sometimes I’d like to muzzle Donohue but Schmuley did call all of the other panelist ignorant peasants. The tosses out NT refrences that are but snippets and have nothing to do with the point he is making. He loves to tell us ignorant peasants that he knows the NT better than we do and he will interpet it for us. Most of the time Donohue is fairly deferentail to him. Schmuley was clearly goading all the panelists. I have seen him a numbet of times on MSNBC and I want to reach into the TV and smack him. He is very anti-Catholic. At least that is what this ignorant peasant thinks.
Kathy :mad:
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I’m so glad I got to see him, because I have read a number of his columns and thought they were well done but after watching him for these three nights - wowee - he’s exactly as you describe him. Really outta hand. And if he says one more time, that he knows our scriptures better than we do and tells us to be ashamed because we don’t throw them around like confetti, I will reach into that tv screen . 😉
 
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