Bill O'Reilly: religious hypocrite?

[Phokus]

Now i usually don't watch the news all that much, but i do watch those editorials such as The O'Reilly factor, crossfire, hannity & colmes, etc. Anyway, i respect O'Reilly's opinion on a lot of things (even though i may not always agree with him), but one thing i don't respect about him is his attempt to portray himself as completely objective when it's obvious he has a slant, especially when it has something to with his religious rightwing perspective.

Case in point: Two issues:

1) O'reilly believes that freshmen at the University of North Carolina shouldn't be forced to read the Koran (which i agree with) because it's forcing religious indoctrination on someone else (although i'm sure his motivations for doing so are different than mine)

2) O'reilly also believes that the "Under God" part of the pledge of allegiance should be kept. Which i completely disagree with.

Now excuse me, but isn't the 2nd case worse? You're forcing students to pledge themselves to "God" (and in case you didn't know, God with a capital "G" refers to the Judeo-Christian God while 'god' with a lowercase g refers to all other gods) even though they may not believe in him.

 

[Ameesh]

all of foxnews is a ridicoulous farce of a news service

 

[Red Dawn]

Phokus, I think you mean the Pledge of Allegience, not the Constitution

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Phokus, I think you mean the Pledge of Allegience, not the Constitution

Yes, i edited that right before you replied (still not completely awake... YAAAAAAAWN)

 

[bGIveNs33]

I don't think O'Reilly has ever proclaimed himself to be unbiased. I think the facts he reports are fairly accurate... but he opinion certainly is biased. Thats what makes it an opinion. People always get on to O'Reilly about how Fox News claims to be fair and balanced, but O'Reilly is very biased. That is just the nature of the show, but as for the facts, I believe they are accurate.

On to the question, It does sound hypocritical. But the pledge is optional. No one makes you say it. But in the UNC case, that wasn't optional. Sure, it is hypocritical, but isn't everybody? But I don't think he even touches the hypocracy of the "reverend" jesse jackson.

-Billy

 

[Lucky]

the pledge is optional. No one makes you say it.

True in theory, but in reality it's often not. In the majority of the states its used to fulfill a mandatory daily dose of legislated patriotism. Yes, the supreme court did rule that you cannot be forced to say it but peer and teacher pressure if you refuse can be pretty tough on a school-age child. The ACLU has had to intervene dozens of times to inform, and sometimes sue, schools that did not know (or would not recognize) the courts opinion.

 

[bGIveNs33]

True in theory, but in reality it's often not. In the majority of the states its used to fulfill a mandatory daily dose of legislated patriotism. Yes, the supreme court did rule that you cannot be forced to say it but peer and teacher pressure if you refuse can be pretty tough on a school-age child. The ACLU has had to intervene dozens of times to inform, and sometimes sue, schools that did not know (or would not recognize) the courts opinion.

Agreed, I've had many teachers that made us stand up and recite it.

-Billy

 

[ElFenix]

whats the context of reading the koran?

 

[Moonbeam]

O'Rielly is consistent. He is wrong on both counts.

 

[PsychoAndy]

He may be accurate in his reporting, but I dont like the way he steers the issues for the sake of his personal curioisity. IMHO, I dont like him. He makes me want to put an axe through the TV.

And yes, I have watched more than one installment.

-PAB

 

[Nitemare]

God with a capital G also refers to any monotheistic religion, which most of the predominate religions are..

btw Christians and Muslims worship the same "God". Their Allah would be our God. The only difference would be the way Muslims worship, their various "denominations", and their belief the Jesus was just a prophet, not the son of God, and that the life of Jesus is different.

More info here ----> link

 

[bGIveNs33]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
O'Rielly is consistent. He is wrong on both counts.

LOL, how can O'Reilly be wrong? He is giving his opinion. This isn't a black or white issue, its for the courts to decide. Although, I think it would be much more appropriate to study the Koran then force people to pledge allegiance to "God".

-Billy

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
God with a capital G also refers to any monotheistic religion, which most of the predominate religions are..

btw Christians and Muslims worship the same "God". Their Allah would be our God. The only difference would be the way Muslims worship, their various "denominations", and their belief the Jesus was just a prophet, not the son of God, and that the life of Jesus is different.

More info here ----> link

That's not how i learned it in my english class: God with a capital "G" refers the the Judeo-Christian God. But that doesn't matter because we both agree that it refers to a God of a monotheistic religion, and in the case of people who believe in polytheistic religions and religions with no Gods, i think my argument still stands.

 

[Moonbeam]

bGIveNs33, You agree with me on the issue so obviously he's wrong. it's two against one.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Nitemare
God with a capital G also refers to any monotheistic religion, which most of the predominate religions are..

btw Christians and Muslims worship the same "God". Their Allah would be our God. The only difference would be the way Muslims worship, their various "denominations", and their belief the Jesus was just a prophet, not the son of God, and that the life of Jesus is different.

More info here ----> link

That's not how i learned it in my english class: God with a capital "G" refers the the Judeo-Christian God. But that doesn't matter because we both agree that it refers to a God of a monotheistic religion, and in the case of people who believe in polytheistic religions and religions with no Gods, i think my argument still stands.

Nope God = Allah, ask any Muslim person...

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

I've watched Bill O'Reilly since I was 12 when he did some crazy monologue news/discussion show on NBC (IIRC). I like a lot of his opinions and I respect him very much for voicing it and sticking to it.

nik

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Nitemare God with a capital G also refers to any monotheistic religion, which most of the predominate religions are.. btw Christians and Muslims worship the same "God". Their Allah would be our God. The only difference would be the way Muslims worship, their various "denominations", and their belief the Jesus was just a prophet, not the son of God, and that the life of Jesus is different. More info here ----> link

That's not how i learned it in my english class: God with a capital "G" refers the the Judeo-Christian God. But that doesn't matter because we both agree that it refers to a God of a monotheistic religion, and in the case of people who believe in polytheistic religions and religions with no Gods, i think my argument still stands.

Nope God = Allah, ask any Muslim person...

Or anyone who's educated

 

[Nemesis77]

So I assume you are not talking about this O'reilly ?

 

[Pooteh]

he's like your crotchety old neighbor angry at the world. its sad.


i'm sure he'd be all uptight about an oath of allegience that stated loyalty to "no god". after all, country is more important then religion right? haha


the original allegience was a great work intended to unite, not divide, lets not continue to use the bastardized version

 

[schmedy]

I think most of views....yes HIS views aren't that bad. The one thing about him that rubs me the wrong way is how he is pushing to invade Iraq to overthrow Saddam (which I am for) with our troops putting their lives in danger. Last I checked he evaded the draft in 67 when he got out of high school by going to college, then in 71 when he got out of college he didn't run down to go to war he went to Florida to teach. It's funny how he didn't want to show his support for our involvment in The Vietnam War by actually fighting in it, but is ready to send our troops to war in an instant. Thats the kind of thinking I love of the people like him, lets send "our boys" to go to war for this noble cause, but god forbid he had to go.

 

[bGIveNs33]

Lol, I don't think you can call going to college evading the draft. And maybe he didn't believe in invading Vietnam... a lot of people didn't.

-Billy

 

[Stark]

Phokus, I think you mean the Pledge of Allegience, not the Constitution

In the Constitution they called God "our Lord."
The Declaration of Independence calls Him "God" and the "Creator."
It's a good thing nobody ever reads those two documents.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
bGIveNs33, You agree with me on the issue so obviously he's wrong. it's two against one.

O'Reilly is right on both accounts - It's now two to two.

 

[bGIveNs33]

For the most part, our founding fathers were Diests. I highly doubt the "God" they refer to is the Christian God.

-Billy

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: bGIveNs33
For the most part, our founding fathers were Diests. I highly doubt the "God" they refer to is the Christian God.

-Billy

Nice urban legend, but wrong.

A few were Deists, but the majority believed in the Christian faith. Just how it is.