Bill Maher "apologizes" for Pope Nazi Remark! Now Critics Label Maher a Bigot! Fox News Video

I don't know if Fox News is pissed at Bill Maher or what, but the clip from Fox News this Saturday morning slants the story that way. The two non-descript Ken and Barbie Fox newsreaders introduce Maher's original Pope was a Nazi remark, followed by his "apology" and statement that he will refrain from using that remark again.

Maher went on to say, parphrasing...if the Pope was the Head of a major daycare chain, and many of those chains had administrators who sexually abused children. If the home office knew about the abuses, but allowed the predators to continue working or transferred them to avoid arrest or responsibilty for their crimes.....wouldn't the top person in that company be responsible for those working under him and should be in jail?

So the talking head was from some Catholic organization. Now Bill Maher is a Bigot for his rationalization about the child abuse scandal in the church being compared to Big Business. Give me a Break!! Truth is Truth! This was a direct hit of the Truth by Bill Maher!

Cardinal Mahoney, here in Los Angeles, was well aware of the priests, and the abuses, but chose early to reassign priests, and to avoid turning over documents to law enforcement. Does anyone think the Vatican wasn't aware of this???  I know the Church is trying to make amends at this time, but Truth is Truth, and Maher, though I don't always agree with his views- is honest, and truthful about the church child abuse scandal. But a bigot? I don't think so.

Comments

[richard p from geneseo, ny]

Mr. Bill Maher is insensitive and hateful with his remarks about the Catholic Church and the Pope. He is free to say what he wants and others are free to say that they don't like his antireligious comments.
I have written to HBO and Time Warner to have him fired. His is no comic nor is he a social critic.

[RichardC]

Richard, You are absolutely right, Bill Maher can say what he wants, and the public can respond the way they want. He is an entertainer much like Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl, and the two of them were criticized heavily for their views.
Take Care
RC

[Wilson]

Genocide of 50,000 Native Indian children in Canada, death squads in El Salvedor, Guatamala, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and most other developing countries all with the consent and active participation of the Catholic Church. How many Jews were saved by the Catholic Church during WW2? Who helped defeated Nazi's escape from Germany after WW2, other than the Catholic Church? Sex molestation of hundreds of thousands of children in the United States alone by Church officials and allowed to continue by the Vatican. I think being called a Nazi which is true of most Germans who were alive during WW2 is the least of the Pope's issues the world faces with the Catholic Church.

[DR]

Maher is correct on both points:

1. Ratzinger *was* in fact, a card-carrying member of the Nazi party through his belonging to the Hitler Youth. That he has since apologized for it doesn't change this historical fact. As for the Church's support for the Nazi party in general and Hitler in particular, it is a matter of open historical record, and no amount of historical revisionism on the part of Catholics will change that.

That does NOT mean that there aren't individual priests who took action against the Nazis; there were, and good for them. But the hierarchy as a whole took a stand which will forever stain it. And that is simply the truth.

2. The current Pope was the enforcer for the Church before becoming Pope. His office was directly responsible for keeping priests in line with Canon Law and the overall doctrine of the Church. That he took NO action whatsoever to stop the abuse of children, not only in the U.S. but AROUND THE WORLD, is directly HIS and JP II's responsibility. Maher is, once again, absolutely correct here.

Catholics love to paint any criticism of their Church or its actions as bigotry. Considering the history of murder and slander that the Church carries (Blood Libel, anyone?), they have little to stand on in making that accusation.

The best thing Catholics can do is, get this, ADMIT THEIR FAILURES, then, get this again, TRY DESPERATELY TO CORRECT THEM, instead of slamming anyone who dares point out the truth to them.

btw: I am a former Catholic...