Bill Donohue is at it again. He has pestered YouTube into putting age requirements on viewing videos of host desecration, and now he’s claiming that “we do not object to making fun of Catholics, or for that matter Catholic beliefs and practices, just so long as they are made in good taste”. ORLY? One name puts the lie to Donohue: Webster Cook. Cook wasn’t making fun of Catholics, he wasn’t doing anything in particular, and he certainly wasn’t doing anything I consider tasteless…yet Donohue tried to get him expelled from his university over that.
And now he thinks he gets to dictate what is good taste, and clearly, that now means any mockery of his cracker god.
Donahue may not know good taste, but I bet he thinks them Jeebus crackers taste good!
I would like to see any group who Donohue is trying to intimidate to ask for a recent signed letter from god to show he is god’s spokesman. If the signature doesn’t flaming forever, it ain’t gods.
Is there an age requirement on viewing videos that praise god?
The guy’s holy book is rated M if you ask me. Just read the Song of Solomon.
While I am not religious myself, my best friend is a practicing Catholic. His take on the whole deal with Webster Cook was, “God’s a big guy. He can take care of himself; he doesn’t need people to take the initiative.”
Are you listening, Mrs. Palin?
Jobs for this evening:
———————————-
Dear YouTube,
I find explicit videos about how people will go to a place of eternal torture unless they adhere to a particular religious point of view to be traumatic and discriminatory. It is clear that the people who post these videos are attempting acts of mental coercion on those who do not share their beliefs.
What if a child were to find this filth? I can quite understand how an adult might be able to cope, but these disgusting and frightening films could easily tramatise sensitive youngsters.
It is for this reason that I request that YouTube review these films for deletion and as an interim measure age gates such films in order to protect our most precious asset – our *children*. (Pharyngulites – is there an icon for ‘puke-inducing swooning over children’?)
I wish to make it clear that I do not object to these people having different religious views, or even promoting them, just so long as they are made in good taste. What I object to are situations where it is obvious that the whole purpose of the communication is to deliberately terrify those with different beliefs thorugh mental terrorism. It is one thing for an avowed believer to lecture others about their beliefs, quite another for someone to attempt to traumatise them into changing their views, etc. The latter represents malice, having nothing to do with discourse.
Yours sincerely,
BaldySlaphead
(List of hate-filled videos by Donafuck to be appended once identified)
Mr. Donohue included the email address editor@youtube.com at the end of that piice. My suggestion is that we send NICE letters to the editors of YouTube asking them not to let the catholic league determine what is and is not acceptable. The catholic league is not elected so has no right to dictate standards and is not even an official group of the catholic church so does not even speak for all catholics. It is fine and dandy for us to sit here and crack jokes and destroy meaningless polls, but this is something where our views and letters may actually make some difference.
Could we maybe slap a sticker on that book they call The Bible
To protect the younger readers from the trauma it might cause?
There has got to be a reason–for protection, or for libel–
If The Children are in danger, why, we must enforce the laws!
Thanks PZ, for speaking out about this scumbag.
Donahue is the worst sort of theist, following a long tradition dating back to the Inquisition, who uses his religion to attack his enemies, real and perceived, brandishing his beliefs like bludgeon. He is a dangerous idiot as this most recent action clearly shows. I would feel pity for him and his misguided rage if I felt he deserved it. He does not.
If he would just leave it alone, the videos would stop.
I’ve said it before, and it will fall on deaf ears but I’ll say it again: if you want to stop someone from doing something just to piss you off, stop being pissed off.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation (www.ffrf.org) does sell warning labels for bibles. They hope that people will buy them and stick them on bibles in hotel rooms.
This doesn’t even make sense. What’s YouTube’s justification for age-gating these videos?
For the life of me, I can’t imagine why.
Bill’s youtube video, in case anyone wants to rate it or mod the comments…
The most tasteful thing I can think to say about all of this is: fuck Bill Donohue!
My email to editor@youtube.com
Bah. Preview. Everything after the first blockquote should be in it…
Exactly what does he consider to be mockery in good taste? Isn’t mockery always tasteless. I mean, that’s the whole idea behind mockery, to make something look totally bloody stupid.
Would he be fine if I were a monocle and tophat and called him a retard in a British accent while sipping tea?
In the article, Donohue writes:
“What we object to are situations where it is obvious that the whole purpose of the communication is to deliberately insult Catholics. It is one thing for an avowed atheist to lecture Catholics about their beliefs, quite another for someone to throw the Eucharist down the toilet, put it in a blender, etc. The latter represents malice, having nothing to do with discourse.”
On the contrary, those acts are part of discourse, and not targeted against Catholics as people. They are very vivid, visual demonstrations of contempt against several IDEAS: one, that there are ‘sacred’ objects which must not be ‘defiled’; two, that a piece of bread turns magically into God; three, that there is a delicate and fragile virtue which belongs to those who believe in these first two statements — it becomes their identity, and this is a good thing. Therefore, believers need to be specially shielded from any outrage or hurt feelings on their part.
Catholics want it both ways. They readily agree that they hold on to their beliefs as a matter of reasoned choice and thoughtful consideration. But then they try to pretend that those who have arrived at these views are now part of a inviolable and fixed group, like a race, and thus should not be ‘insulted.’
Donohue would have a much better argument if the videos depicted people taking little generic catholic action figures and throwing them in blenders, etc. That would be much more like advocating attacking Catholics as people.
It must be really tough for Bill to live in a country where people are actually allowed to say things, out loud even, that he deems to be in poor taste.
I really don’t get it.
Surely God, if he existed, would be powerful enough to un-transubstantiate (cisubstantiate?) himself out of cracker form before anyone could do Him any harm?
Why must people ascribe human weaknesses to their supposedly omnipotent deities?
I just don’t get it. I haven’t seen a single eucharist desecration video. Not out of any fear of offense, simply because watching people defile a cracker just doesn’t do anything for me. And with absolutely zero effort on my part I’ve been able to avoid seeing them.
Donahue is going out of his way to find things that offend him, and then complaining that he’s offended.
Bill, stop watching them. Problem solved.
It is one thing for an avowed atheist to lecture Catholics about their beliefs, quite another for someone to throw the Eucharist down the toilet, put it in a blender, etc. The latter represents malice, having nothing to do with discourse.
People put the Eucharist into their mouths where it dissolves a little, gets swallowed, gets broken down by gastic acids in the stomach, passes through the intestines, and eventually makes its way down some toilet as SHIT.
So people are eating Jesus and pooping him several hours later.
If malice is “desire to do harm or cause mischief to others,” they’ve got some explaining to do.
So he realized he came out sounding a little extremist did he? Wants to tone down the rhetoric now does he? His statement leaves a lot of room for interpretation though. I mean how do you make fun of something in good taste, especially when it doesn’t taste good? Someone will always find something objectionable about how you make fun of them, especially if their name is Bill Donohue.
My boyfriend went to a Catholic funeral where, I shit you not, the priest said that one should not scatter the ashes of a cremated loved one because on resurrection day it would make things really difficult on the holy spirit who would have to go around trying to find and collect all of said ashes. He was not kidding. He actually thinks that his god can simultaneously resurrect the decomposed bodies of everyone who ever lived and put souls back into them but collecting scattered ashes would just be too hard.
All done in the name of the Cracker, the Crumbs and the Holy Toast of course.
Peaches @ 23,
Well, truth be told, that makes as much sense as all the rest of the crap they think up. Omnipotent? Sure! But some things are hard…
I’d rather not, thanks: that’s one thing I’m happy to leave to Mrs. Donohue.
Hey Bill! You got good taste!
I got something on the tip of my tongue!
I’m beginning to think that an atheist must have accidentally run over his dog when he was a little tyke. or perhaps his first girlfriend wasn’t catholic.
BaldySlaphead #5,
Nice letter, as per your example, I will also work up a letter to youtube. Right now I am hoping for all religious crap but I’m also thinking more specific has a better chance. But, religion really should be for consenting adults only.
What do you think about including other examples besides just BillD? He caused the take-down of a whole class of video not just one person.
The Petey #6,
Also, very good action item. Crackers aren’t alive and shouldn’t receive privileged protection. At times I am offended by people desecrating objects that I am fond of will youtube be protecting my objects also?
Dear YouTube censors,
Now that you have decided to use age requirements for viewing certain videos commenting on religion that aren’t “in good taste”, I would like to submit to you a list of videos I consider to not be “in good taste”. I would attach the list here but considering there are 12,254,987 entries I don’t think my email provider allows a list that large. Would you like me to fax them to you or should I just call like Catholic League president Bill Donohue did?
Sincerely,
Robert M********
Tallahassee, FL
Bill Donohue would protect VenomFanX and ban Thunderf00t.
And between these two, we’re quite certain which one is wrong.
What is it with Donohue, though? Why does he feel he has to influence everything? That’s a control freak right there.
OT: I put my ballot in the mail today. Obama, Matsui, no on 8, yes on 1A, little else matters to me. But all you Northeast California Democrats, please vote. Charlie Brown needs your support. I really dislike that cretin McClintock. He is so close, but he needs every vote we can muster.
Charlie Brown, he’s no clown.
More self-promotion from Donohue, the professionally angry guy. It’s a win-win situation for him. Youtube does what he asks: he gets to crow about his victory. Youtube doesn’t do what he asks: he gets to whine about persecution. I suppose it’s a church-sanctioned form of masturbation.
It was so kind of Mr. Donahue to include a link to the editor of YouTube as it made my email of protest against his campaign that much more convenient.
His cry of privilege for his religion is a poor stepchild to the radical muslims, but the tendency of his followers to issue death threats to those opposed to their particular brand of lunacy shows promise for a return of the dark ages. Religious persecution already has a foot in the door, when may we expect the remainder of the camel?
Just sent the following:
Subject: In regards to the Catholic League and censorship
It bothers me whenever steps are taken to censor something. It has come to my attention that Youtube has been “age-gating” videos of people… eating a cracker. There are many things that many groups consider sacred, but that doesn’t mean that we should give them undue weight. After all, we do not, as a group, refrain from eating pork, nor censor videos where pork is consumed, just because certain religious sects find them ‘abominable’.
Best regards, and kind wishes,
Leigh Shryock
Someone needs to make a “tasteful” mockery of transubstantiation where the crackers really DO turn into the body of christ, as little rounds of overly bloddy flanksteak which the parishioners than eat and have the blood of christ running down their chins as they chew and look to the heavens in rapture.
Donahue: “This is the nucleus of our religion.”
No, the nucleus of your religion is dimwitted credulity.
better yet: Night of the Living Catholics
the hordes of catholic zombies roam the churches looking for the body of christ
The Petey #6 made a good suggestion, so I did send a letter to UTube. I more or less said what was in my post #17: I think it’s important to separate the very different situations of upsetting people by insulting their ideas, vs. upsetting people by insulting them as people.
I gave it the heading “Eucharist Videos — Keep Them!” just in case they are only adding up a pro/con count, and not bothering to read the arguments (though I hope they do.)
Why has no one called for the excommunication of Bill D?
Bill Donohue has a lot in common with the creationist retards of the Discovery Institute. He has found a way to make a living by being a stupid asshole.
just send to youtube:
dear madam, sir,
you have acted wisely in the case of pat condell’s video ‘welcome to saudi-britain’ by reinstating it. now i would ask you to act wisely again by removing the age-gate on the videos of the youtube user fsmdude in which he desecrates communion wafers.
in a free society it should be possible to question, scrutinize, attack, mock or ridicule any belief, no matter how sacred it is to some. that helps humans to distinguish good ideas from bad ideas.
the line should be drawn where attacks are aimed at the actual persons holding the beliefs, either by putting them into a position where they can become the subject of physical harm or where the physical harm is done directly.
that’s why i ask you to remove the age-gate on fsmdude’s videos. the content might be offensive to some, but this is certainly not hate-speech. it’s simply an idea that gets attacked.
@#5
Very nice letter, the hypocrisies and “kid gloves” that religion is able to take advantage of has to stop.
Its hard to claim discrimination if you treat everyone equally, if they age stamp something that is “offensive” to any group, then their videos have to fall under the same scrutiny, taken from their oppositions view point. you or I may not find the destruction of a cracker offensive, but were not catholic. But We should be “offended” by threats of supernatural violence against us and/or our loved ones, or any other human for that matter.
I saw this message before looking at a fsmdude video: This video or group may contain content that is inappropriate for some users, as flagged by YouTube’s user community.
I think that message would make people want to see it even more. I personally like inappropriate videos.
This YouTube search for fsmdude returned many videos made by Catholic retards. I look forward to harassing them later today.
Any of you guys gone over to Youtube to debate these people? I did. They make you miss good ol’ fashion fundamentalist Protestants.
Most of them are avoiding the issues we bring up in here, and are trying to stick to the idea, that PZ and Webster are crooks for taking something that does not “truly” belong to them.
Many of them live by the idea that Atheists are only atheists because they do not want to have a moral compass, and want to freely sin as they wish. They also claim atheist know little of truth, and nothing of logic. This, all from a group of people that believes, “bread,” becomes their god.
The group as a whole is bad, but several of them, and especially one of them named “James” something or other, will just make up what he thinks you are saying and attack that. It does not matter if you go in and explain to him that was not your point and you never said numerous things he said you did. He will just call you a liar if you do.
Despite the beginning of this video, be sure to watch the whole thing; the ending will warm your heart.
How about we send letters to you tube saying that they, the Catholic league, or anyone else’s videos should not be subjected to censorship in anyway. Tit for a tat is no way to change minds and influence people. I don’t think it’s you tubes responsibility to determine what gets blocked and what doesn’t. The only exception being blatant liability to themselves, which this is clearly NOT.
OTOH, since the videos are restricted by age, people will probably be flocking to them in droves instead of turning away.
That is, unless this guy visits.
That is the general goal, I believe.
It is pointing out the obvious flaw in censoring content based on offense: there won’t be anything left uncensored. Turning an unreasonable demand around on the person demanding it is a very effective way of getting the point across.
Big Bad Bill is a vulgar, ill bred, blowhard. He should be banned from YouTube for insulting the delicate sensibilities of the strumpets, sluts, and whores of Pharyngula. Every time he pops off it gets crowded on the fainting couch.
We can “poll-crash” this, I think. Just keep writing outraged letters demanding that certain types of videos be censored. Really hammer youtube on this, just keep demanding that they censor more and more. Either they’ll realize they can’t keep up with this nonsense and that it’s not worth it to censor anything, or some other video sharing site that doesn’t censor will come out to take youtube’s place once it becomes uselessly age-gated and censored.
The age-ban is an empty gesture. When subscribing to youtube you fill in your own age, impossible to verify.
Only FSMdude has been included in the ban, but they have included all his videos, desecrations or not, and the irony is that he is a minor
He has pestered YouTube into putting age requirements on viewing videos of host desecration
no age requirement here:
http://www.crackergate.com/
btw, I’m leaving in 2 weeks and was wondering if some enterprising pharyngulite would like to take over having fun with that site?
I simply find I don’t have enough time at the moment.
If you’re interested, shoot an email to Ichthyic@crackergate.com.
A long shot here… but what if we could get the Catholic Church to repeal the Bull on Host Desecration? Wouldn’t that leave good ole Bill hanging out there in the wind?
Also, near the end of the Oren Jacoby’s Constantine Sword, Jacoby mentions that the Catholic Church issued another doctrine which tried to patch up some the anti-Semitism that it created. Anyone know what that is? Perhaps, Host Desecration has already been dash by the Catholic church?
Musing out loud here….
YouTube should require age verification on any video offering a pro-religion theme. Such videos are truly inappropriate for young people.
ack, that was quick.
no sooner did I post the link to crackergate.com in this thread, than it seems to have been overwhelmed by traffic.
hmm.
well, it should calm down a bit in a little while.
The more he tries to suppress it the more he’s going to encourage it.
Bill Donahue has forgotten rule #1 when you find yourself in a hole: stop digging.
An age restriction???
Well, now I know what my kids will be watching tonight.
What?! et tu Ichthyic? :o(
Not really related to the subject, but related to the topic: I want to register a strenuous complaint about the title of this post. It’s been seriously bumming me out to see “I don’t believe you, Bill” over and over in the Recent Comments sidebar!
-Bill
Bill, I don’t believe you.
What?! et tu Ichthyic? :o(
yup (I assume you mean the leaving part).
I’ll be back online as soon as I get established down there, but it might take a week or so, and likely I’ll be spending most of my time adventuring down there (at least for the first month).
The problem is that Bill Donohue is not doing this to piss anyone off. Bill Donohue is doing this because he’s on a mission from God! That fact that anyone is pissed off at this is a good thing. It’s an indication of a healthy society. The day people stop being pissed off at what can charitably be described as outright lunacy, is the day you need to start stocking up on ammunition.
Start calling yourself William, or change your name entirely. I mean your name is conspicuously similar to Bill Donohue, too close for comfort for my liking. I mean you wouldn’t want to be called Adolf Hister either would you?
I meant that Donahue is the one being pissed off.
I don’t think I agree with this. Yes, people being pissed off may be a sign of a healthy society, provided their pissed off about reasonable things. But being pissed off at someone solely for trying to piss you off is lunacy.
I mean, the entire ordeal can be summed up thusly:
Bill Donahue: “I forbid you to do that!”
Everyone Else: “Who the hell are you to forbid anyone from doing anything? I’m going to do it to spite you.”
BD: “Stop That!”
EE: “No.”
BD: “I’m warning you!”
EE: “I’m still doing it. Look, now all my friends are, too.”
BD: “You’ll be sorry!”
EE: “Now I’m doing it on YouTube!”
BD: “I demand you stop that this instant!”
EE: “Make me. I think I’ll do it with both hands, now.”
BD: “I’m telling!”
etc.
On the other hand, it could have gone like this:
BD: “Do what you like, I don’t care.”
EE: “Well, this is no fun.”
THE END.
But being pissed off at someone solely for trying to piss you off is lunacy.
think: Troll.
the bait is often an attempt to deliberately piss off others.
whether that bait has the intended effect or not, it still makes one pissed off at trollers in general, right?
…OTOH, I often wonder if getting angry at trolls is even worth the effort.
My new idea for a bumpersticker:
“Know Jesus?”
Hey, try reality instead.
probably still needs work, but I’m sick of just seeing the ones like ‘Jesus is the answer’ and ‘Know Jesus. Know Peace’ What tripe.
It annoys me that they do it, but the solution is the same: ignore them and they go away.
But, beyond that, my desire to have an honest discussion about a particular topic without having it disrupted by someone who is only interested in disruption is not unreasonable. Donahue’s desire that everyone treat his sacred objects as sacred is. To that end, my original statement is a little simplistic (but catchier).
“If Jesus is the answer, it must have been a stupid question.”
Donahue’s desire that everyone treat his sacred objects as sacred is.
just so, he wants special dispensation to disrupt someone else’s rights simply because it comes under the heading: religion.
that is indeed the key. He has every right to be angry for no reason whatsoever. He doesn’t have the right to interfere with other’s rights for no reason whatsoever.
With Bill donowhore, it’s like watching a fish bite the baited hook, and then complain about being hooked! That’s the inane part. The nasty part is that the fish tries to get the fisherman banned from fishing forever, not just in his little pond, but everywhere.
Blockquote fail! It must be the local sith lord.
“cracker god”
I’m going to steal that. It’s much better than sky daddy.
To those Christians that insist that atheists are atheists only so that they can sin all they like, I put it to you that you’re a Christian so that you can sin all you like and still be forgiven.
You Christians seem to think that atheists secretly believe in the god, but deny its existence so that we can sin all we like. That’s really stupid. If we believed in the god, and wanted to sin all we liked, we’d become the loudest, most sanctimonious Christians you could imagine.
Just like you, in fact.
Adhering to what Buffalo Bill thinks is decent? Doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.
#69:
Take away a man’s fish, and he’ll go hungry for a day. Ban him from fishing, and he may starve to death.
Had to buzz off and peddle some eggs…
Whew, good to see you won’t be leaving like MAJeff and JefferyD. We’re loosing too many Molly winners.
I doubt BD is even human. I expect that ugly mask he wears to snag on the antler of a stuffed moose head he’s passing and get pulled off to reveal the biped talking pig he really is.
Is ‘cracker god’ racist? I do hope so.
So, could one use the anointing oil as a salad dressing?
This guy is a blowhard, noy worthy of your notice. Keep on keepin’ on, PZ.
Bark if you love jesus
Take away a man’s fish, and he’ll go hungry for a day. Ban him from fishing, and he may starve to death.
Oh, great, now I have to say the Asshole’s Rejoinder:
Build a man a fire, and he’ll be warm for a night.
Set a man on fire, and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life.