Tuesday, April 04, 2006

A Simple Lesson



...about how Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Religion cannot exist under Socialism. In a Lifesite News article- here- we learn that EWTN pulled some programming for their Canadian and European markets on homosexuality because of hate speech laws.

The gist:

In response to questioning about a show on homosexuality not being aired in Canada, as was scheduled and aired in the United States, Amalia C. Zea, the producer of the popular program Life on the Rock responded, "I apologize that you didn't get the show that you were expecting. Due to the new hate crimes regulations in Europe and Canada, it is against the law for us to air shows whose main topic deal with same sex attraction."

The missing show in question was the March 2nd airing of Life on the Rock which featured Stephen Bennett, a former homosexual who is now happily married with children. The theme of the program was "Homosexuality to Heterosexuality Happens."

The program was not the first EWTN program dealing with homosexuality pulled from Canadian and European audiences. Another Life on the Rock episode, which aired December 15, 2005 was also yanked from EWTN's Canadian and European feeds.

LifeSiteNews.com contacted EWTN for more information. Scott Hults, Vice President, Communications at EWTN first told LifeSiteNews.com that Zea is a "junior producer" and as such she was mistaken. The network, he said, was just being "cautious".

He said, "We were sensitive to the issues in Canada . . . the market is very important to us." He added, "We worked very hard to be part of the cable television and satellite community in Canada . . . The decision was we'd produce a Canadian feed, and because of that we also have to be sensitive to what you guys want, what you expect, what you are looking for. We do different programming for you, we're sensitive to your needs and we respond when appropriate to what you want us to do. Everybody seems to be very happy with us."

He assured LifeSiteNews.com that the programs in question will air in Canada, and the reason it did not was that the network was concerned that the program was aired live, without the opportunity to bleep out any material that may have been sensitive. The airing of the programs, he said was "delayed" in case participants said something live that "would blow your minds there."

When asked if Canadian government officials had warned EWTN not to broadcast such material in Canada due to our hate crime laws, Hults, after consulting with executives replied in the negative. Asked whether other programming dealing with controversial subjects such as abortion or euthanasia would also be subject to "cautious" delay or censorship, Hults again said no.

Hults explained that the reason for the "cautious" approach was a complaint against an episode of EWTN's Life on the Rock Program dealing with homosexuality filed in the UK in September 2005. EWTN successfully defended the case but that experience has made them "cautious" on such episodes dealing with homosexuality, he said.

Asked if the station's foundress Mother Angelica, would have acted in a similar "cautious" fashion, Hults replied, "we don't know."



I miss Mother Angelica. And I'm not the only one.

6 comments:

tradcatholic said...

Just a thought: if Christ had been 'politically' correct, didn't ruffle feathers with the truth, and ate and drank only with the elite, He would not have been crucified!
EWTN has gone to the dogs, and refuses 'crucifixion'- the lot of those willing to preach the Truth in season or out of season, in the US or out of the US.I think we ALL know what Mother A would have done! Where did all the wimps come from, anyway??

(def: a weak, cowardly, or ineffectual person )

Thomas Coolberth said...

EWTN has lost its way.

Madeline said...

I suppose we're meant to preach the Gospel, only to those who already agree with it. I wonder how that square with, Mathew 28:18-20, "18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. 19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."

I guess EWTN missed the part where Jesus said, "All power is given to me on heaven and on earth." Maybe they thought all power had been given the to the Canadian Government...

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

where'd you find that hideous portrait of her? Yeesh!

M. Alexander said...

It's something isn't it?

tradcatholic said...

I rather like the symbolism of the picture below on the cover of the new publication by Chris Ferrara "EWTN A NETWORK GONE WRONG" They preach as though Mother Angelica were still at the helm, but in fact, the content of the Faith (represented by the empty habit) is missing. I love the book. Get one at:www.networkgonewrong.com