American Life League Unleashes FireBillMaher.com for Catholics, Christians to Express Outrage, Asks Those Offended to Cancel HBO Subscription
WASHINGTON, D.C. (17 April 2008) – Calls for disciplinary action against Bill Maher from prominent Catholic organizations grew stronger as American Life League demands that HBO fire Maher for his hate-speech directed at Pope Benedict XVI on April 11.
The call to fire Maher comes after several Catholic organizations and media outlets expressed their shock at Maher's attack on the Catholic Church just days before the pope was scheduled to visit the United States. Maher's "New Rules" segment has been criticized for its anti-Catholic tone on several Catholic and independent media outlets.
"If Maher had made equally vile comments about a Muslim or Jewish leader, the media would be jammed with calls for HBO to fire him," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "But because he attacked the Catholic Church, the vast majority of the media is silent. It seems that anti-Catholicism is the last remaining acceptable prejudice left in America."
American Life League's website, FireBillMaher.com, contains the offending video clip of Maher's more-than-three-minute rant, calling Pope Benedict XVI a "Nazi" and "the leader of a pedophile cult." The petition to have Bill Maher fired, a call for HBO subscribers to cancel their subscriptions until Bill Maher is fired and a summary of Maher's history of anti-Catholic hate speech is also available on the website.
"When Sinead O'Conner tore a picture of Pope John Paul II in half during a broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1992, media and celebrities on the left and right denounced the act," said Brown. "Bill Maher's vile commentary went far beyond that."
American Life League was co-founded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Michael Hichborn at 540.659.7900.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- American Life League: Fire Bill Maher (17 April 2008)
- CNS News: 'Nazi' Pope Runs 'Child-Abusing Cult,' Says HBO's Maher (15 April 2008)
- News Busters: Bill Maher: Pope ‘Used to be a Nazi’; Compares Church to Cult, Bear Stearns (14 April 2008)
- Denver Post: Don Imus Fired by CBS (12 April 2007)
- Washington Post: 'Seinfeld' Comic Richards Apologizes for Racial Rant (21 November 2006)
