mediawatchwatch.org.uk

The Advertising Standards Authority’s annual report for 2006 reveals that the most-complained-about ad of the year was the Gay Police Federation’s “Bloody Bible” newspaper advertisement. The 553 complaints were the result of a concerted campaign by various Christian groups.

In a ruling remarkable for its inconsistency and fuzzy-thinking, the complaints were partially upheld.

Just a quick reminder of what the Bible has to say on the subject of homosexuality:

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. [Lev 20.13]

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [1Cor 6:9-10]

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. [1Tim 1:9-10]

The litigious self-described “psychic” Uri Geller is being given a bent-spoonful of his own medicine by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Geller’s company Explorologist Ltd had tried to suppress a video posted by the Rational Response Squad on YouTube which demonstrated the sleight-of-hand tricks he could have used, and showed him failing miserably to perform on a US chat show. YouTube willingly complied by suspending the account.

However, the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, under which Geller issued the takedown notice, requires that

under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed

Unfortunately for the Spoon Bender, he does not own the copyright of the 14-minute clip, except for a 3-second excerpt which would likely be permitted under fair use. So the EFF have asked for an injunction against him, including damages and attorney fees.

Watch the Amazing Randi on the video in question:

The thing is, Uri Geller really can bend spoons.

Reuters reports on a hilariously over-the-top editorial in the Vatican’s newspaper which accused an Italian comedian of “terrorism” because he made jokes about the Catholic church.

L’Osservatore Romano‘s editorial was about a May Day rock concert sponsored by Italy’s labour unions. One of the presenters, comedian Andrea Rivera, made a joke about the Pope not believing in evolution (“I agree, in fact the Church has never evolved!”) and criticised the church for refusing a funeral for a euthanasia campaigner while being happy to give Pinochet and Franco a Catholic send off.

The article begins:

This, too, is terrorism. It’s terrorism to launch attacks on the Church. It’s terrorism to stoke blind and irrational rage against someone who always speaks in the name of love, love for life, and love for man.

Good grief.

UPDATE: (5 May) 28 Italian MPs have publically criticised the Vatican paper for trivialising terrorism.

Threats and terrorism are things too serious to be confused with words

Ekklesia today carries an investigative article on “Macho” George Hargreaves’ Scottish Christian Party (see Christians are the new Jews below). As well as revealing the extreme right wing policies of the party, the article gives a couple of hilarious examples of Hargreaves’ unhingedness.

He’s against over-fishing controls because there is “a supernatural element in the restoration of fish to our seas”; and he believes “Wales has been under demonic oppression and under many curses because of this unwise choice” – of the dragon as its national symbol!

UPDATE: (5 May) Deborah Orr draws attention to an interesting part of the SCP manifesto. Macho George, who wrote and produced the hit single “So Macho”, vows to extend the copyright laws so that royalty payments will be paid to producers on the same basis as currently enjoyed by songwriters. This is, undoubtedly, exactly what Jesus would have done.

The fundamentalist homophobes of the Christian Institute are the latest to complain about the BBC broadcast of a gay Christian service from San Francisco last Sunday. Like the Daily Mail, they by seek to exaggerate the depravity of the event focusing on a bingo once night held at the church by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The bingo night was blocked by the church when they found out about its naughty nature.

The CI’s press release on the subject is a case study in paranoia and twisted logic. Colin Hart, is the director:

This is another slap in the face for Christians from the BBC. Can you imagine the BBC broadcasting a Islamic service from a fringe Mosque which hosted transvestite and gay bingo nights with sex toys and porn videos for prizes? The BBC’s blasphemous broadcasts now extend to their Sunday services.

Well, no. Probably because such events only exist in the fevered imaginations of members of the Christian Institute – if there.

In my view the BBC, as a public body, is discriminating on grounds of religion against Christians. It took this decision to broadcast a service from a fringe church in full knowledge that it would cause deep offence to a majority of Christians. I hope that Christians will make their views known in a calm and firm way.

So by broadcasting a Christian service by and for Christians the BBC is somehow “discrimination on grounds of religion against Christians”.

The Christian institute recently built a million-pound headquarters in Tyneside. The question is, does it have padded wallpaper?

And how long before we hear a statement from Stephen Green’s Voice?