Don’t let the antics of the pathetically delusional Mary Mapes distract you from the lunatics who haven’t yet been canned from the network that gave us both the tinfoil-hat–wearing Walter Cronkite and the propagandizing buffoon known simply as the Dan. NewsBusters reports on a milestone in tastelessness achieved by Bruce Rheins, the producer behind CBS’s coverage of the Michael Jackson trial, who has marketed a wine under the brand "Jesus Juice." The logo apparently represents a cross between Jesus Christ and Michael Jackson.As you’ll recall, "Jesus Juice" is allegedly what the King of Pop called the wine he plied little kids with before raping them.
Rheins’ wife got the marketing campaign running while Jackson’s child molestation case was still in court. They made Jesus Juice t-shirts and other items too. As NewsBusters observes:
Rheins’s marketing of Jesus Juice wine (and apparel) raises some troubling journalistic issues since he was attempting to profit from a story which he was personally covering for the "CBS Evening News."
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That’s just wrong on sooooooo many levels.
Just when I was thinking that I couldn’t get any more disgusted by Michael Jackson’s behavior.
(Yeah, I saw the part wherein this item is promoted by someone other than the Jacko clan. So what?)
I’ve said on more than one occasion in the past, “… and just when I thought it wasn’t possible for our society to sink any lower…”. I don’t think I’m ever going to bother saying that again.
No comment required.
digusting…
Welcome to America folks.
You wonder why I shake my head.
Not anymore. At this point, I’m considering changing my identity to Lunch-hurler. Can CBS be impeached?
Questions of journalistic ethics only apply if you are attempting to be a journalist. CBS clearly gave up any pretense of trying to be journalists a long time ago…
Toto, I dont think were in Kansas anymore…I dont think were in Oz either…Someone please help
Hey Bill F
OFF TOPIC
RE: Andrea Yates
Wanted you to know I backed off on our last debate. Thought lots bout what you pointed out. Thanks
If only the Scarecrow, Lion and the Tinman were here they would have the brains, courage and heart to oppose something this disgusting.
So where are the christians? Just another example of liberal lefties insulting christianity. What else is new? Wonder why he did not market Mohammed juice? It’s called cowardice. The same reason Hollyweird has not made a full length motion picture about 9-11-01. The perpetrators are not of the right religion.
So where are the christians? The reason christianity is trampled upon is because all christians ever say is “I’ll pray about that, man” and then do nothing.
Christmas is a dirty word. The ACLU is in full assault on anything christian and where are the christians? 80% of America claims to be christian.
Yet, they are no where to be found. To busy living of the world and not in the world.
In my opinion christianity has been seduced by the world. That is why it continues to trampled and spit on while the dude next to you says “I’ll pray about that, man.”
phil #12
Let me see here. I think prop #2 just passed, I know for sure that 2 of the largest churchs in Houston backed that. On Christmas there are at least 2 stories every year now about some church taking on city hall because the nativity is not there. In Houston just recently several christians got involved in blocking the removal of a bible display. Me thinks you might be a touch off base here?
I’m curious to know what you are doing about it besides posting here on LST?
Phil
You can see complacency everywhere. From Politics to religion, just take a look how man people actually vote. Unfortunately, Christians do get the rap because when one says, “I’ll pray for you man” he should actually take the time and pray then, right there…be Johnny on the spot. I see both Christians and even Republicans starting to stand their ground on key issues. I agree we, as both, (not to say there are not any Democratic Christians, just a blanket statement) are getting tired of being told what we can and cannot do. However, in order for this to grow, as you and I would like to see it happen, it will take many small communities (grass root) efforts to confront this problem.
Nevertheless, to ease your pain, Have confidence that if you ask or let me know prayer needs, I will be praying for you. Just as if, you were standing in front of me, at this moment, right now.
I have chosen to become more active in ALL my beliefs.
#12: Here’s a Christian. We Christians won’t be buying this crap, nor do we buy anything made by or promoted by Michael Jackson and his ilk. I, for one, never have.
What more would you have us do? Shall we storm the stores and destroy the products? Perhaps riot in the streets, ala mohammed’s gang in France?
Kind of weird that you start harping at us Christians, rather than the pagans that are doing this crap. What the heck are YOU doing about it?
Jesus said “turn the other cheek”, but that is not the same thing as “turn a blind eye”. We Christians are smote at every turn, but we will win in the end.
To me, this is nothing new. As Phil says, we Christians have been persecuted for 2,000 years and it will never stop. Why? Because the truth and light of Christianity is too much of a threat to the armies of death and darkness which the Rheins’ are instruments of.
I happen to enjoy good wine and frequent the large liquor bunny-rabit establishment near downtown. If I find this offensive product being sold there, I will let the manager know I will no longer spend my Christian dollars in his store.
Then, I’ll let him pray about that, man.
Liberalism truly is a Mental Disease.
The label will not last but a few weeks. Who is going to buy wine with that kind of picture. And if the wine is not any good it will be gone even faster.
Phil @ #12:
Maybe this perspective will help.
The difference is that Christians, at least in this past millenium or so, are generally tolerant and function under the belief that love and gentle persuasion are a more appropriate method for dealing with nonbelievers.
And thus, legally allowable garbage such as this wine label is quietly ignored. Christians could make lots of noise about it, but the simple fact is that there is no Constitutional authority to prevent it. (Let the marketplace prevail.)
On the other hand, there is always the Tenth Amendment and the ballot box……
My philosophy as a christian can be best described by the title of a song we used to sing in the church I grew up in. “They Will Know That We are Christians by Our Love”…
And #10 I saw that Squawk and apppeciate the careful consideration of what was said on both sides of the discussion.
Did the thought occur to anybody that the Rheins may WANT an uproar for the free advertising which would result? Just imagine the glee with which CNN or other MMM would report on the outraged, foam-mouthed Christians and our demonstrations.
Some things are too tacky to dignify with a response. I think this product is one.
Phil,
Loosen the old hatband a bit! I consider myself liberal on some issues and conservative on others. Does this mean I am a liberal or lefty, if I do not measure up to your definition of ideologically pure?
I’ll bet that there just as many “liberals” who were offended by the “Jesus Juice” advertisements as you are. I know that I was very offended. It is just plain crass and disrespectful of others. I am not talking about some “PC” insensitivity, but just plain old disrespectful.
So please be careful where you point that label; it may go off and hit an unintended party.
Simple
Ken,
Christians being tolerant in the last millenium?
I generally agree with that statement, but I do not believe it to be entirely accurate. Examples:
1. The Inquisition (remember Lord Torquemada)
2. Protestant on Catholic violence
3. Catholic on Protestant violence
4. I would mention the way the poor pagan native Indians were treated by the Christian Conquestadores, but I suspect that was just a plain old case of using religon to subjagate rather than save a people.
But I could be wrong!
Simple
Simple @ #23 –
Given your four examples, I would say that, at worst, the point is arguable. Here’s my reasoning: You bring up issues in which religion and politics are so intertwined as to be inseparable.
Your point about the pagan native Indians comes closest to being correct, but even at that, the Spanish conquerorers were operating primarily under the focus of taking over a vast new land, for the political and attendant economic advantages.
I presume that the Protestant/Catholic references you made have as much to do with Ireland as anything else, and my understanding is that those issues are certainly as much political as they are religious, being a matter of which group holds political power.
Your point of the Inquisition is a little more complicated, but the basic issue is still the same. Church and State were so intertwined that religious persecution served to empower the secular government. Recall that in that time frame, the kings of France had to be careful to avoid offending the hierarchy of the Catholic church. And the king of England established the Church of England largely because the Catholic Church wouldn’t let him divorce his wife and remarry, but he couldn’t just flaunt the church’s authority.
And just to keep life interesting, a brief study of political power in the larger Middle East during the latter half of the first millennium and into the second (roughly 500AD up to perhaps as late as 1500AD; forgive me, I’m working from memory), will demonstrate that alliances shifted and wars were waged, allegedly for religious purposes. But in the final analysis, it all had to do with who got to “keep the dirt”.
Indeed, go back a few centuries; think of the Crusades, those “Christian” armies marching out of Europe to battle the “infidels” in the Middle East were doing so in order to limit the growth of Muslim domination. Now, were those religious wars, or political wars???
Indeed, and wandering far from your original topic, one can argue that this war on jihadism (or terrorism, if you prefer the misnomer) is for us, a political war, but for “them” it is a “holy war”. But at the same time, you cannot separate their political/geographical aspirations.
What can I say? Life is a little complicated, these days.
All I want to know is how come every time someone suggests that Christianity is the more peaceful, overall, of the 2 religions (Islam and Christianity), people bust out the Middle Ages and the Crusades like they happened last week?
Is right now recent enough for you? Bush and the neo-cons have substituted Democracy for Christianity in the so-called war on terror (Islam). But their zeal and self-infallibility give the appearance of a religious crusade.
Wil, in your own zeal and self-infallibility, you didn’t answer Jim’s question.
He wants to know why modern Christianity is assailed for the Crusades like they happened last week.
You might have been on to something if you accused Bush of reinstituting the Crusades on behalf of Christianity. But by your own admission, it’s not about Christianity. It’s about democracy.
Sooooo, let’s try this again. Why is modern Christianity blasted for something that happened a few dozen generations ago?
Welllll, if Bush’s motivation is really religious, as I believe it is, then this is in fact a Christian crusade. When I used “substitute” I should have added -) meaning tongue planted firmly in cheek. Many of us believe that Bush and Co. is fully capable of saying one thing and doing another. Surprise, surprise!
Wil - Didn’t you miss the talking points? The war on Terror (specifically in Iraq) isn’t about Christianity, it’s about linning the pockets of Halliburton and Bush and Cheney’s other eeeevil Big Oil Cronies.
Methinks that the message from the left changes to fit the circumstances and maximize the perception of eeeeevil on Bush’s part…
Rheins’s “Jesus Juice”
Does shivers up my spine and being near to tears tell you anything?
Tells me that you are superstitious.
#31 - It tells me that she’s saddened by someone basically stomping on her faith…
If your faith can be shaken by something so juvenile you don’t have much.
Wil, do you like Merlot? If so, do us all a favor and buy up every case in town so we don’t have to be offended by juvenile atheists.
#33 Wil Barnes,
I didn’t see any mention of shaken faith in that post. When I watched the “Passion of the Christ” I don’t mind telling you that I cried like a baby. It surely didn’t shake my faith though. Realistically, seeing my savior crucified for my sins only reinforced and strengthened my faith. I think you would be wise to not question the faith of others. If you have none yourself, so be it, but questioning that of others betrays a deep lack of class on your part.
First, about the wine. I am a little concerned that we are even talking about this. It only gives it undue notice. But since we are on it, if it is sincere, then it is a warped, pathetic reference to Jesus Christ. If it is supposed to be just an irreverent jab, then its a waste of everybody’s time.
Phil calls us out, asking where we are. Can’t tell his specific perspective on this, but the question is legitimate. It’s unfortunate he doesn’t know the answer. Others have already answered, so I would just add that as Christians, we need to be more noisy about some issues (not that this wine is important, but it provides an opportunity). I sense a significant grass roots response from Christians in this country who have had enough.
I am not a church history scholar, but the way I see it, all of this stuff is “religious” in a sense. We are not conquering and seizing, we are trying to rescue and liberate. And we are doing so, despite the clear lack of meaningful reports. Religion has some bad connotations, and too many use it for un-Godly stuff. I don’t think it is any accident that we are there. Moreover, I think it is part of our place in history. Pres Bush is taking a terrible beating for his actions, from those who disagree with his politics, and those who are jealous of his faith (not his “religion”). I think most of those are the same people. I totally believe there is a bigger picture in all this than any of us see now. It is the right thing to do for the right reasons, and Bush is taking the lead, despite the disdain of some of our European friends. Ever wonder why all that oil is there? Why do some criticize him for things that were known to others 8-10-12 years ago?
Phil - don’t be so flippant about prayer.
1-don’t assume that’s all they are doing.
2-prayer works. try it. or ask someone who has.
3-prayer is a direct, personal communication with God. Those who treasure it and understand it participate in it. There is no substitute.
Too many of us - probably some Christians - have the “Father Mulcahey” attitude about prayer. Every time Fr M asked Hawkeye if he could do anything, Hawk always said “pray, Father.” Fr said “That’s all I ever get to do.” I get his disappointment, but the Bible talks alot about prayer, and promises answers. Maybe Hawkeye really got it. Even Jesus prayed. It is nothing to scoff at or belittle.
PS - If it is a 2005 Merlot, it can’t be that good.