Christian groups will gather Friday afternoon for a demonstration and prayer vigil outside the headquarters of ESPN over their disapproval with how the television network has responded to the anti-Jesus remarks made recently by one of their anchorwomen.
Though news anchor Dana Jacobson has been temporally suspended for one week for her Jan. 11 tirade – which reportedly included “F*** Jesus” – many Christian groups feel that ESPN has been slow and reluctant to claim responsibility.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue noted that when late sportscaster Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder made disparaging remarks about blacks during a 1988 interview, he was immediately fired by CBS.
"It is obvious, then, that neither Jacobson nor ESPN is dealing with this matter in a professional way," Donohue said in a released statement.
The Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, which plans to lead Friday’s demonstration, also holds a similar view and believes that there is a double standard in the media towards Christians.
"Imagine the outrage if Ms. Jacobson said, 'F*** Mohammed,' 'F*** Jews,' or 'F*** African Americans,'” he said in a released statement. “We would simply ask that the parent company of ESPN, ABC, treat this incident the same way they did when Isaiah Washington publicly used the word 'fag' when referring to a cast member. A week suspension is simply not enough and sends a message that ESPN tolerates this kind of behavior and speech."
Jacobson made her anti-Jesus remarks during a Jan. 11 roast in Atlantic City.
She was reportedly intoxicated during the incident, talking vulgarly about Jesus and a colleague’s alma mater, Notre Dame.
The Press of Atlantic City described Jacobson during the incident as “… swilling vodka from a Belvedere bottle, mumbling along and cursing like a sailor.”
Both ESPN and Jacobson have apologized for the incident.
“Her actions and comments were inappropriate and we've dealt with it," ESPN spokesman Josh Drulewitz said.
Jacobson also released her own statement.
"My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words," she explained.
Despite the apologies, some Christians are not yet ready to put the incident behind them.
“Although the faith community can forgive and extend mercy to Ms. Jacobson, she still must assume full responsibility and accept the consequences for her hate-filled rhetoric," Mahoney stated.
Jacobson, a graduate of the University of Michigan and co-host of ESPN's “First Take,” joined ESPN as a regular news anchor in 2002. Per her suspension, she has not appeared on TV this week.
Friday’s demonstration outside the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., was scheduled to begin at noon.
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Anyway, I am not going to re-post my refutations of ebc's points, I think the average person can do that without my help.
Well I do wish that they would have some system where you can report obsessive flaggers and get your comments unflagged. Besides that I didn't do anything and my responses were flagged for no reason! They ought to have a system that doesn't allow just anyone to flag, but where you request that a comment is flagged and then some administrator checks to see if it desrves the flag or not.
Quecat,
Yes I agree, censorship needs to stop. give someone the thumbs down thing if you don't agree with them or engage them in dialog to express you point. others here (seedplanter and chris333 have talked with me and I am fairly certain they haven't censored me as we have back and forth discussing our points.
I think BobCu's is responsbile for flagging NOTW posts, and I think both were flagging eachother and perhaps even chris333 as mine for the most part weren't touched till over the weekend. My discussion with star was entirely educationally based anyone can look.
Agent Orange - apparently you misunderstood my post. I haven't flagged anything other than BobCu's obnoxious behavior two days ago.
My point is that someone appears to be roaming the pages deleting my and NOTW's posts on every page that they occur, in retaliation.
I don't know for sure who is doing all the improper flagging, but they need to cut it out. It's very chilidsh and irritating. And the problem seems to be spreading - I see a lot of posts that are flagged that I recall having previously read and I know that there was nothing in them that deserved being flagged. Evidently someone has taken to deleting posts that they don't agree with.
Not that it impacts me greatly, because I keep copies of all posts that I make and can easily re-post them.
Quecat,
“The flagging is because there are a couple of users that are all torqued off about ME AND A COUPLE OTHER flagging their abusive language, name-calling and intentionally offensive language on another topic. “
What ‘abusive language, name-calling and intentionally offensive language’ ? Look at my recent posts last night (Monday) which I had to repost AGAIN b/c someone felt the need to censor all my work over and over from the previous nights on Sunday and Saturday. I reposted them to show THEY CONTAINNED NO SUCH HATE SPEECH and were wrongly censored to begin with.
www.christianpost.com/article/20080123/30947_Why_Darwinism_is_So_Dangerous.htm
“ good conversations are being destroyed because you can't see the question or response.”
Yes, they sure are. Look and how much time Star2 and I were in dialog and for someone to come along and to flag them all is gross misconduct and pathetic. Just b/c you don’t agree with someone comment doesn’t give you the right to censor them, if you disagree with them make your case why they are wrong.
”These two or three folks are posting on the "Why Darwinism is So Dangerous" article and continued posting the same long list of pro-evolution off-site URL's over and over again. Pretty annoying stuff for those of us who were actually trying to have a conversation.”
If one looks they won’t find my earlier human chromosome 2 and ERV messages till WAAAY further back and way before the most recent messages over Saturday and Sunday that were flagged. You know what’s annoying, engaging in dialog with Star2, over the weekend, providing evidences, examples for evolution (which she asked for mind you) and demonstrating and then to come back and see them ALL flagged for no reason. That is annoying.
RE: "all the flagging"
The flagging is because there are a couple of users that are all torqued off about me and couple other folks flagging their abusive language, name-calling and intentionally offensive language on another topic. Now he or they are running around all of the pages deleting our comments wherever they find them.
Unfortunately, I don't see any way of reporting abuse of the system by a particular user, so alot of really good conversations are being destroyed because you can't see the question or response.
These two or three folks are posting on the "Why Darwinism is So Dangerous" article and continued posting the same long list of pro-evolution off-site URL's over and over again. Pretty annoying stuff for those of us who were actually trying to have a conversation.
Again, no way to report abusive users. :(
why were ebcdics kept?
why were my comments flagged?
I think something is missing here.
Her intoxicated state was enough to influence the verbal tirade, but not enough to be a warning to keep her off the stage.
Responsibility folks. We have designated drivers, why not designated speakers?
I assumed you meant the ones used in Germany during WW2, in anycase my statement still applies in that it was not based upon Christian ethics.
There were pogroms long before Darwin was born.
Ebc, pogroms were not based on Christianity, they were based on Nieztschean and Darwinian philosophy (atheist), who cares about what Pat Condell says? The thing we find a problem with is public organizations like ESPN allowing derogratory remarks about Christianity, but then apologizing and kissing the ground whenever some anti-muslim comment slips out. Who cares about what an angry atheist says? But yeah, keep talking, maybe eventually, if you say enough, then you will say something that makes sense and actually applies to this situation, but I am not holding my breath.
I see AgentOrange is on the warpath and now flagging all my comments as inappropriate regardless of the content, in retaliation for my flagging his abusive language on another topic.
I will repeat: The difference between how Christians and Muslims respond to intentionally offensive comments, is that Muslims would have the offender killed for their offense. On the other hand Christians are merely pointing out the double-standard that exists in our society.
Being meek and forgiving does not mean being unnecessarily silent in the face of inequities.
"how many atheists have the guts to do it to Muslims"
Maybe Christians should chop off heads and burn down buildings when somebody says an unkind word about Jesus. That would teach the atheist some manners.
All religions are equally false. In the contest for most violent, the Christians had a good head start, but now that Christians are becoming more civilized (no more pogroms), the Muslims are catching up.
Pat Condell, an atheist whose hobby is making videos about the insanity of all religions, talks about Islam in this YouTube video:
More demands from Islam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHh0NdR5Jh0
By the way RBB, Ray Comfort does not have to worry about atheists demanding an apology. Atheists don't have demonstrations like Christians, or burn down buildings like Muslims. It's a free country, and everybody can say anything they want about anything. Religions are not off limits to criticism. Maybe people used to respect other people's strange beliefs, but because of the 9/11 attacks, and because of the Christian war against science, there is no longer any reason to respect any religious belief, including Mohammed and including Jesus.
I'd like you refer everyone here to this article. http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/2990/Ray_Comfort It's called "Atheists Evolved From Chickens". It's easy to bad mouth Christians, but how many atheists have the guts to do it to Muslims.
I think another Christian theater group should take out a $90,000 full-page ad in USA Today denouncing her words.
The right of Dana Jacobson to say anything she wants does not go away when the subject is religion.
ESPN and Jacobson should not have apologized. Freedom of speech must not be suppressed, not for any reason.
to Ebcdic,
"Dana Jacobson insulted only one person, Jesus, and he's been dead a long time, so who cares?
It's inappropriate to insult groups of people or individuals, but who cares if somebody's fantasy is insulted? That's all Jesus is, just a fantasy.
I noticed Darwin is insulted all the time, and biologists don't get too worried about it. They don't demand an apology, even though unlike Jesus, there really was somebody named Darwin. They don't call it hate-filled rhetoric. They just call it pathetic ignorance."
How can Jeses "have been dead a long time" yet still be "just a fantasy". You buy evolution, but you don't look back enough to see Jesus in history. Hmmmm... Interesting....
Anyway, Jesus would forgive this lady and tell her to go and sin no more, me I would tell her to get bent, but that is why Jesus is perfect and I am but a sinner. I don't think the actually words she uses is that big a deal, the problem i have is the response by ESPN to her comments, what is going to happen is that there is going to be more and more christian bashing on TV unless channels like ESPN are made to publicly apologize for acts like this.
ebc, you need to look into the overwhelming evidence for the historicity of Jesus. And then you need to think about what you say. Nobody worships Darwin, most evolutionists distance themselves from Darwin, and if anybody criticizes him then it is based on what he actually said or did. But I really do not see a whole lot of people making fun of Darwin anyways (actually never so far) I have seen media and comedy downplaying or insulting Jesus more times than I can begin to remember.
Anyways, your statement is not worth debating, there is absolutely nothing of substance in it.
xiz and don,
It doesn't bother me as a Christian, I know what I believe in and I feel priviledged to be scorned for my faith. But if I were coming from a secular point of view then the story would be different.
I commend Christians for taking action but I believe it is misguided. This is an awesome ministry opportunity for a local group of Christian women to love on a lost woman, to help her, talk with her and show the love of Jesus to her.
Well . . . err . . . What was said was crude and unreasonable, and it is true that if such things were said about certain other religions or groups, much more would be made of it. But don't the protests and the demanding of harsher treatment sort of mitigate against all that Jesus stood for? So much of the time Christianity seems like a political party rather than the family of God Himself.
Dana Jacobson insulted only one person, Jesus, and he's been dead a long time, so who cares?
It's inappropriate to insult groups of people or individuals, but who cares if somebody's fantasy is insulted? That's all Jesus is, just a fantasy.
I noticed Darwin is insulted all the time, and biologists don't get too worried about it. They don't demand an apology, even though unlike Jesus, there really was somebody named Darwin. They don't call it hate-filled rhetoric. They just call it pathetic ignorance.
“Although the faith community can forgive and extend mercy to Ms. Jacobson, she still must assume full responsibility and accept the consequences for her hate-filled rhetoric"
This is crazy. Nobody should have to apologize for insulting a myth. Making fun of an imaginary dead person is not hate-filled rhetoric.
Democrats criticize the ideas of Republicans, and Republicans criticize the ideas of Democrats. Nobody calls it hate-filled rhetoric. Jesus is nothing more than an idea. There's no reason to respect any idea, even if it's a religious idea. People have been respecting religions for too long. Since 9/11/2001 there's no good reason to respect any religion ever again.
I heard Jimmy Kimmel on a Monday Night Football "drop in" make disparaging remarks about Mitt Romney being a Mormon and it refered to Mormonism not just Mitt, no one even batted an eye.
Quecat,
"The difference between Muslims and Christians however is that the offended Muslim says the offender must die."
Ya, that's true, but only now though. But not too long ago blasphemers were tortured and even killed. principally b/c it's in the bible and essentially a mandate. muslims still carry on this crazy idea of killing blapshemers, while modernity and secularism in the christian west have made the act unheard of today.
I don't know the exact context this speach was in, but if we can learn anything we don't want to be like muslims who become offended at cartoons and other trivial nonsense.
The difference between Muslims and Christians however is that the offended Muslim says the offender must die.
Christians are simply pointing out that a double-standard exists in what our modern culture perceives as offensive.
Being meek and forgiving does not mean remaining unneccessarily silent about inequities.
I think Jesus is big enough to handle this put down. We need to pray for this lady, that God would reveal Himself to her.
As the LORD walked the earth and on His way to the Cross, many scoffed at Him and ridiculed Him and even spit on Him, HE died for the sin of the world; because HE loves us; and even knowing the depths of our hearts, and HE loves us still! This is how GREAT our GOD IS!
People outside of the church are God's business, we are to be showing them HIS love and grace; even when they persecute, revile, scoff us; we are to enter into HIS sufferings as HE entered into ours!
What are they out there protesting, for her being as they once were! She is need like all of us of God's saving, unconditional love!
It always amazes me how judgemental many "Christians" are and yet they don't seem to be taking Matthew 25:40 the whole discourse on "if you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto ME! (meaning Jesus)
Are we loving the world as HE loves this world, are we taking care of the widows and orphans in their STRIFE. The Holy Spirit's job is to convict the world of guilt and the sin of denying Jesus Christ.
God is ever holding out HIS hand of love to a fallen and hurting world, and we ought to be about our Father's Business!!!
For Your Glory Father!
It's good to see some people understand the irony that these protestors are likely the same people who criticize muslims for getting offended by fake cartoons.
I think we should look at the Muslims who were offended by a person naming a bear 'Muhammad' (what a suprise) Put it into perspective. To think that a god could be insulted is laughable.
They point it out in the article, but I notice how it is conveniently sidestepped by all involved. Just IMAGINE if she had substituted "Mohammed" or "the Jews" or anyone else in there for the name of Jesus. She'd already be on the street, pink slip in hand. The howls of outrage would reach the heavens and the media would be all over it.
Anyone remember the flap over Don Imus? Jimmy The Greek? Rush Limbaugh on ESPN (and his comments were tame compared to this one)? They were all fired immediately. The media was all over it.
But not Christians. Nope, never Christians. Slander, slur, defame, degrade, insult - media gives it a complete pass. Just a simple little "apology" and we're all supposed to move along. Well, maybe Christians can and should forgive her, but she should also be fired by ESPN, and fired yesterday.
Amen Joel! I am not offended by what she said, God's Word says, "Nothing shall offend thee" after all she was speaking to Jesus not to us, and my first response was this woman needs Jesus very much.
We live in a world that runs after people, places and things to fill the giant whole inside our hearts that only Jesus can fill with His love!
Let us exercise kindness and love towards those who do not know Jesus Christ; and share the message of HOPE that JESUS is alive and HE is the way, the truth and the life!
I think this woman was speaking from some deep pain inside, I know, I've been there and she needs our prayers, not our condemnation!
Why do Christians get offended, when God's word tells us, that nothing shall offend us, I can remember quite vividly how I talked like a sailor and drank too, until I surrendered my life and hear to Jesus Christ!
If anyone is without sin, throw the first stone, and I see some are throwing stones!
May God lead Ms. Jacobson to Himself and may she find true and lasting peace!
I agree with Joe... Dana needs our prayers. At the very least she made a very poor decision. We should be offended when someone trashes the faith, and we should also be willing to forgive sinners and pray for them. Know what you believe and hold fast to it. Never doubt that your faith is under attack in this culture.
Too drunk to know what she was saying, but not drunk enough to say it against a group that would really get her in trouble.
Should we be suprised or offended when the unsaved say derogatory and blasphemous speech? They are lost in their sin and we must pray for them!
Again, what the secular media says about Jesus does not change who he is or what he has done for us sinners. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! Repent and be saved!
---------
Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"
Oh please, it was a roast. Leave the lady alone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Anyone know exactly what she said?