Telegoguery—Bill O’Reilly and Hack Hannity Pass Judgment, Fail Test
Televangelists Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker demonstrated how Christianity can’t be forced into the “logic” of commercial broadcasting without being perverted in the process.
Telegogues Bill O’Reilly and Sean “Hack” Hannity—the Swaggart and Bakker of pop culture conservatism—demonstrate how conservatism can’t be forced into that “logic” without being perverted, either.
Both O’Reilly and Hannity have roundly condemned Barack Obama for remaining a member of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ despite the anti-American ravings of its former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, from the pulpit. Obama should have left his church of twenty years, they say, because Jeremiah Wright is too radical.
Would O’Reilly and Hannity, both of whom are Catholics, agree that Wright’s rants pale in comparison to the sexual molestation of thousands of children in the Catholic Church? Since when is criticizing America more deserving of censure and apostasy than serial child molestation?
Besides, have O’Reilly and Hannity heard of the scathing condemnations of American culture and media made by Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II?
What O’Reilly and Hannity are completely ignorant of is that Liberation Theology, the Marxist doctrine Wright was advocating when he cursed America, was developed in and disseminated from the Catholic Church. Exactly what Reverend Wright was preaching, though repudiated by John Paul II, has been preached in Catholic churches for thirty-five years.
Which do these telegogues worship first—the cross, the flag, or the Neilson ratings? If the cross, then by their own logic they should probably renounce and leave the Catholic Church (which would, of course, be absurd.) If the flag, they should temper their demogoguery and be less divisive. If the Neilson ratings, they should keep doing exactly what they’ve been doing.
Wright addressed O’Reilly and Hannity’s perverse conflation of politics and religion during an April 12 eulogy for a friend (yet another example of his narcissism and lack of boundaries) when he criticized their
jingoistic, chauvinistic ‘you’re either with us or against us’ demonizing kind of faith…O’Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity’s stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe.
O’Reilly and Hannity quickly replied to Wright, as the “logic” of commercialism demands, capitalizing on a rift in the church in a way no genuinely catholic Christian would. It’s one thing to judge the words of a man, another to judge the man himself, and something else altogether to judge an entire denomination.
Wright, O’Reilly, and Hannity are three hypocritical, self-aggrandizing egomaniacs caught between the perverse logic of commercialism and the straightjacket of theological and ideological rigidity. They deserve each other.
American conservatism and a truly catholic (as in “universal”) church deserve better.
Here’s the Random House dictionary’s definition of catholic (small “c”): 1. broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or the like; having sympathies with all; broad-minded; liberal. 2. universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all. 3. pertaining to the whole Christian body or church.
May 2, 2008 at 11:13 am
The issue with Obama’s pastor has gotten enough publicity to make anyone gag. The words of this egocentric man are defamatory and racist. I have watched clips of his sermons on, oddly enough, The O’Reilly Factor and Hannity and Combs, and think the man’s ideas to be pretty crazy and VERY un-patriotic. For example, the man who was Obama’s pastor for 20 years was quoted as saying “No, no, no. Not God bless America. God damn America. That’s in the Bible. For killing innocent people. God damn America for treating citizens as less than human.” These are the ideas of a mentor to the man who is wanting to be the President of AMERICA?
I think Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity have reason to say Obama is crazy for remaining a member of Wright’s church. The publicity generated from Pastor Wright is not helping Obama in his campaign for the Presidency. However, I think that bringing up the fact that O’Reilly and Hannity are catholics is somewhat unconsequential. They are not running for President, nor is the Catholic church making racist statements during their campaign. Yes, it is true that children have been molested by Catholic priests, but it has nothing to do with the argument that Obama, in the race for the Presidency, does not need the publicity this is generating, although it does bring to light to the American people things about Obama that we might need to know.
The fact is: Even if O’Reilly and Hannity are Caholics, have they gotten bad press about the molestations in the Catholic church OR will they lose their job because of it? No.
May 2, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Kelsey, the point is not whether or not your brainwash boys are Catholic, the point is that something as terrible as child molestation is tolerated in the Catholic Church without the media, especially your brainwash boys, ever condemning any mover and shaker associated with the Catholic Church, let alone the entire Chruch. While on the other hand, Rev. Wright simply says some controversial statements and not just he, but the entire Church itself is condemned. Now if you cannot recognize that the condemnation of a free speaker is worse than a child molester, then, you need to step back and realize that child molestation of thousands of children, in which all of the charges has been settled out of court in over 2 billion dollars worth of settlements, is worse than speaking your mind. Granted, Rev. Wright has had some controversial statements within the media, but this is not worse then molesting innocent children. Clearly, the brainwash boys have achieved their goal, on you.
Also, Kelsey, the quote you use regarding the infamous GD America quote is unfairly out of context. Like the last sentence of your quote regarding this reads, “GD America for treating citizens as less than human,” his sermon was not about harming America, but about how GDs any country that has discriminatory racism. If you would actually watch something besides the corporate media, you would notice that Rev. Wright did not just say GD America, but prior to this he said GD Germany, GD Japan, GD African apartheid, and GD any other country that has discriminatory racism.
Please, step away from your brainwash boys; for you only oppress yourself by way of distorting reality with false ideals.