What Would Jesus Buy?

[TheBorkka]

Shopping is the culture of Satan.

[felpaluche]

Jesus would buy sinners not to sin again.

[Chadolution]

I have bought almost nothing for the last 4 months.

[internate]

The two filmmakers are both secularists and hypocrites. At least Fr. Sirico was able to call out on their true intensions.

[odh202]

The idea of taking these two filmmakers to task for preaching against crass materialism while asking people to pay to see their movie is absurd. Hollywood churns out multiple films every year that cost over $100 million to make. Sirico claims to agree with their message, but seems to disapprove of this message being aired. That's hypocritical.

[mylesh2000]

exactly! Thank you odh! Rev Billy's movie did NOT cost $100 million. Rev Billy embraces the message of love and compassion MORE than this Sirico jackass does.

[internate]

@mylesh2000 And more than you, apparently.

[internate]

@odh202 I guess it's no more hypocritical then Michael Moore making money on a movie that mocks capitalism.

[francisthelionking]

the post under me is wonderful. kudos man/woman

[AnonymousB2B]

leave it to Fox News to have an assclown like this money-grubbing Catholic priest try to shoot Rev Billy down. Rev Billy handled him well and to his credit, didn't take the bait.

Rev Billy has ore compassion in the tip of his pinky finger than this jerk off Sirico could ever imagine having.

[internate]

@AnonymousB2B Billy is a secularist who would rather do away with Christmas all together. If you call what he has compassion, I'm glad that Fr. Sirico doesn't have any of it.

[mylesh2000]

From Alternet: "Professor Anthony Basile, in the September 1998 issue of Culture Wars, accuses Father Sirico of "portray[ing] poverty as the fault of the poor individual, and not due to social injustices," a fundamental departure from Catholicism."

Father Sirico, YOU are the minstrel.

[internate]

@mylesh2000 Interesting. I didn't know a professor could speak on behalf of the Catholic Church.

[mylesh2000]

Google "Father Sirico" and Alternet, a great write-up on the Father by Bill Berkowitz. Sirico did a stint as a Pentecostal minitser, went on to the MCC (which he calls his "soft Marxist" period). His so-called "non-profit" is funded by scary people on teh far right such as Richard Mellon Sacife and the Devoses, founders of Amway. These people are religious zealots, dominionists as well as rabid free marketers.

[mylesh2000]

This guy from the Acton Institute embodies what is wrong with religion, how the hell can he even say he is a priest and support the free market? Any real priest would oppose capitalism. So much for his "vow of poverty"

[internate]

@mylesh2000 You don't know what you're talking about. The Catholic Church has never been against capitolism. In contrast, it has stood against socialism and communism. Do some homework and don't base your opinions on dancing clowns.

[jpted23]

Where is Ebenezer Scrooge when you need him?

[nthought]

Hey! We shop mindlessly, recklessly, and compulsively as a nation. It's a moral issue.

[ZedAlfa273]

I'd like to know what Father Robert Sirico thinks of Pope Benedict's statement on July 19, 2008-

"... reject the spiritual desert spreading throughout the world ... embrace Christianity to build a new age free from greed and materialism."

Seems to me that Pope Benedict's message is more in line with Rev Billy's than with Father Robert Sirico's.

When the rich man asked Christ how to get eternal life he was told to sell everything he had, give it to the poor, and follow me.

Did'nt go over to well.

[mylesh2000]

Father Sirico is bought off, he probably stuck up for Wall Street when politicians gave them billions of our tax money.

Father Sirico, NOT Rev Billy, is the minstrel.

[ZedAlfa273]

Agreed.

[dedge85]

wow its like a grossly conservative stephen colbert

[totheoldschool]

go blow it out your fucking strap on, this guy is playing with your faith,

[1peoplesun]

The church non profit ? Fuck you.

[totheoldschool]

this is totaly fucking gay honestly, its ironic but not hypocritical, yes it is your just another retard trying to profit off of people who to strongly believe in religon. Why don't you have sex with a hermaphrodite jerbil and join fucking gay ass scientology you casa jewish amish mother fuckers

[grubernick]

you have no idea how little money there is in making documentary films. Plz get your information straight before giving a an offensive statement like that.

[syndeticos]

Who in God's name are the communist activists you are refering to, RedEye? Do you know anything about this group or this film, beyond the few minutes fleetingly covered on Fox?

Anyway...for the record, many brilliant Christian conservatives as well as "communist activists" are totally on board with this documentary, including folks at Focus on the Family, American Family Association, Christianity Today, Fuller Seminary, Sojourners and many more. So merry Christmas.

[RedEyeBly]

Father Sirico is calling the communist activists out on the carpet. (besides the fact that makes an attempt to properly frame the argument within the constraints of television, and clarifies the nonsensical methodology of a planned economy)

Praxis!

[Woody4270]

You are doing a good job of "wresting" the Scriptures.

[keeper7925]

cause jesus doesn't tell us to give to the poor or that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God? he probably would support us giving happiness to our kids through material goods made by children in third world countries rather than giving our kids the joy of love and presence--not presents.

[keeper7925]

the father is trying to justify the over-indulgence by doing his own dancing around the idea of consumerism, disregarding the pope's comments. highest revenue, but also debt.

a basic examination of the bible would reveal that rev. billy is closer to the teachings of Jesus than Father Sirico or any proponents of an inherently selfish economy. what good does it do to say "i believe in Jesus as the Christ in Christmas" but then to not follow his teachings on wealth and materialism?

[internate]

@keeper7925 Please read the parable of the master and the three servents. If you would please, let us all know what happens to the one who does nothing with the money he is given...

[Udertheo]

Fantastic.  Materialism definitely is wrong; commerce is not. Fr. Sirico makes an incredibly salient point when he points out that "Reverend Billy" is the real problem with Christmas since he has removed Christ!

[tobymac99]

Wonderful responses by Father Sirico. The "dancing minstrel" has not intellectual basis for what he is doing, other than he gets to be the star.