Thursday 31 October 2013

15th Prayer Crusade for Pope Francis


15th Prayer Crusade will start on the 1st November All Saints day.



As is usual on All Saints Day we call for our year long Prayer Crusade which we ask our members to try and pray every day. There may of course be mini prayer crusades during the year in response to media attacks on Christians and our values.


This year’s Prayer Crusade will be for the Pope and the Media



The Cross is the emblem of the Portuguese
 Military Order the
Knights of Christ.
They were successful in the Reconquista
of Iberia in helping to drive the
Muslims out of Spain
 
- that the Media will report what Pope Francis is actually saying and not be selective or quote him out of context. And that the Pope will understand that he must be careful and clear when making statements especially on Catholic moral teaching.

A prayer to CUT’s patrons for Pope Francis
Our Lady Mother of Good Counsel, pray for Pope Francis and lead him to your Son.
So that Jesus may open his mouth and bridle his tongue.
And St Michael the Archangel please block the influence of the Satanic Media on the Church.












Pray also this Halloween for all those poor souls sadly led astray by the media's promotion of Halloween which should
Mean the eve of All Saints of course.

But now this pagan festival has gained much popularly in recent decades. But it is ultimately Satanic.

Monday 28 October 2013

The Face of the BBC


Jimmy Savile – The Face of the BBC

The BBC appears to be trying to distance itself from any responsibility for the conduct of Jimmy Savile and other paedophiles at the Corporation. They seem to be trying to adopt the honest broker ‘we were mere media reporters, it’s not us gov’ attitude: we are not responsible, it’s the individual who should be held to account. For they know this could (and should) cost them millions in compensation claims from victims. So we ask HOW DID JIMMY SAVILE, a known pervert, avoid being exposed for so long? The reason is quite simple: the BBC failed to report on his known conduct. More to the point, they protect their own, which they can do because they control the news.


But the truth will out as they say. Now the BBC are beset by crises and scandals and they are doing their level best not to report them on air. The sheer number of paedophiles at the corporation and the extremely high pay-offs the managers are getting has lead to a crisis of trust, so much so that the BBC brand has become toxic and MPs are beginning to talk about withdrawing the licence fee.

The chairman of the Conservative Party Grant Shapps has told the Telegraph that unless the BBC undertake dramatic changes regarding the sex scandals and what is concerning the Tories the most, bias (don’t Catholics know all about BBC bias), the government will consider whether the BBC can keep the licence fee. “Mr Shapps said the Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall scandals, as well as disclosures about pay-offs to executives, had raised questions over the corporation as a whole” (Telegraph 26 Oct 2013). He warned that the £3.6 billion the BBC gets from the licence fee could be withdrawn.

At CUT we say that the licence fee funded BBC has long past its sell-by date, and that the pay-off scandals and paedophiles cover-up at the Corporation has meant that the stench of corruption is being smelt in every household in the county. It’s time that the BBC is buried along with its true mascot Jimmy Savil in an unmarked grave at midnight, never to be resurrected.

Monday 21 October 2013

Are you a Caveman?

Irish TD for media Pat Rabbitte says those who do not watch TV are Cavemen

Well, on the news front. Mr Rabbitte will be introducing the household broadcasting charge. It will come in to effect on Jan 1st 2015, sheer totalitarianism.
          RTE will be introducing a new childrens channel. Get them younger. With libraries closing down with school costs rising and more
and more children going to school on an empty stomach because their parents can’t afford to feed them, I was going to say, you’d wonder whose interests are being served here but you don’t have to wonder, as if the children didn’t have enough distractions as it is.

         During the recent abortion legislation it was the same pro abortion media. On a couple of instances he was on the Pat Kenny show, where he would refer to pro life people as, ‘so called Pro life people’. I texted him saying ‘his chickens would come to roost’. Not much later he was told by RTE that his front-line TV programme was being axed. RTE said they couldn’t pay a presenter over 500,000 euros per annum. So poor Pat said he was leaving rte. He was by far their most celebrated presenter with RTE for 41 years. He would be an RTE version of Terry Wogan. Even more of a celebrity than Wogan would be in England. He has however picked up a lucrative post with Newstalk Radio with a 2,500,000euros for a 2 year contract. Newstalk is an ultraliberal station, pure poison, with programmes of graphic content even in the afternoon. It has what I can only describe as a homosexual apologetic programme on a Saturday evening. The first guest on Kenny’s programme 2nd Sept was the archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, very much loved by the media.
          A headlines in the irish times last month ran, ‘new abortion law used in irish hospital’, it was misleading, giving the impression that a woman’s life had been saved by the introduction of the abortion law. Though the legislation has been signed into law it hasn’t actually received a commencement order. Hence the lies and bias from the media. The headquarters of this newspaper were picketed by sixty protesters protesting at this coverage.

        On a Saturday afternoon in July just before the abortion legislation was introduced over 60,000 people took to the streets of Dublin to protest at this legislation. I listened to a news bulletin on Spirit radio after the march. It is a Christian broadcasting station. On a previous march they had a correspondent on the ground and had given an accurate account of proceedings with accurate numbers of people. However on this occasion in their bulletin they said 30,000 people marched. I couldn’t believe my ears. So I rang up the station to inform them that they were in error as regards the figures they were giving out. They put me through to the person in charge who explained that their news team were on holiday their staff were all volunteers and they were using Newstalks news bulletins. But I said you can’t give out false reports it would be better to have no bulletin than these false figures.  He said he knew the figures were wrong and said he felt terrible himself when he heard the misreporting. He said, by law they were required to have a news bulletin and that they could lose their licence if they didn’t. I explained it would be better to run the gauntlet of the law than to misrepresent actual figures by such a wide margin and also stated that those who were promoting life were coming under constant attack from the secular media and I thought I could have expected better from a Christian broadcaster. He kept on apologizing and saying he had no choice. There had also been a small counter demonstration by pro abortionists numbering about 200 yet the same report put their numbers at five thousand. It was incredible. When he was apologizing I said to him ‘it seems to me in a similar situation you would do the same again’. He just kept reiterating that he had no choice. He said he would put the director of the station in touch with me when he came back from holidays. I said ok but he never got in touch. No credit to the government for implementing a law that forced them to do that yet even so they should have been able to see right and wrong and acting accordingly. Looking back on the incident you can see the irony of the situation. Here was a station set up to proclaim truth yet wouldn’t proclaim a truth in case they would lose their licence to proclaim the truth. The Pontius Pilate situation springs to mind. It also reminds me of a passage of Thomas a Kempis where we think we’re good until God sends some situation to test us and we fail miserably.
             Back to Pat Rabbitte, on the RTE Radio 1 morning news 7am-9am, Aug 26th approx (you may want to listen back to it it  may have been 25th or 27th) on being interviewed about the household broadcasting charge and people not having a TV. He referred to those who do not watch TV as cavemen. Or rather he said, ‘I don’t believe we have cavemen here in this Country. What he was really saying was. There are I believe,  lying deceptive cheats who don’t pay their licence and if there are some people who don’t happen to look at TV they are cavemen, that is, an anathema to society and should feel the full weight of his censure. Rabbitte probably sees those who don’t watch TV as a greater danger to (his idea of) society than those who don’t pay their TV license.
          Following his remarks, there was a flurry of calls to the radio shows (if you wanted to listen to it). One such was RTE radio 1 liveline 1.45pm to 3pm. (The programme shifts back and forth between different issues so when he goes of the topic he will return to) these programmes come with a health warning. There were many people ringing up to say how incensed they were by his remarks that they didn’t watch TV and they weren’t cavemen. It was interesting to hear all the different reasons why people weren’t watching TV. Also from a sociological point of view it was interesting. Unfortunately there were too few disposing of it for altruistic motives but they were disposing of it nonetheless and that is to be welcomed.
             A TV cable co has called to my house asking if they could put a little box on the side of my house. Some years ago they laid cables through my garden under the garden wall. They weakened the foundation and cracks came in the garden wall. I live in a corner house so the work was done through my garden and so through the garden of the next garden house. A few months ago they came to do more work I told them about the wall. I asked them if they could do something with it. They said ‘yes yes we will tell our boss about it but I never heard from them again. Now about two weeks ago they came back again saying they wanted to do more work. I pointed out the wall to him. He said he would have to go and check the records at this stage he offered me free cable TV. I told him I don’t have a TV he said to me your one of the few. I said more and more people are giving up the TV he nodded in agreement. He then offered me free super fast broadband. I refused, I said to him I won’t be bought off.  He came back about a week later saying that their engineers said it was a tree nearby that was causing it. I disagreed. He said go down to the council and they will fix it. I said I will do that. But in the meantime you’re not doing any work on my house.

If you should post this letter here is a question I pose to other CUT members should I accept the broadband and allow them to work or refuse the broadband and not allow them to work? Your advice suggestions and opinions welcome.
               
The ‘caveman’ -  Dublin

Better known as the Prayer Crusader under the patronage of St Rita

Monday 14 October 2013

Paper Tiger

The Media has gained enormous power but in actual fact as the Chinese say, is a paper tiger

Over the last 100 years the media has gradually gained enormous power. Even in the early days of the 20th. Century and especially during the 1st world war the potency of the media to influence the masses was considerable. Now it has become an all-embracing force feared by everyone from the great to the lowly. Every part of human activity in the UK is influenced by it, be it government, the judiciary, the medical profession, the church and of course the majority of the population. It has become the tool of the so-called liberal elite who have in their beliefs an almost god like certainty of the rightness of their cause. They believe, like all fanatics, that there can be no opposition or valid arguments against their philosophy and “faith”. Never since the days of the Soviet Union has there been such dictatorial behaviour against any heretic to the core philosophy of this elite. Any opposition to it turns one into a non-person rather like Stalin’s Russia and means public death metaphorically speaking. Although they hate and fear religious faith their adherence to their beliefs has taken on all the trappings of religious faith minus God. They deny the existence of God because they believe they are the supreme power on this earth and of course there is no room for a God. They hate any organised religion because religion believes in something greater than mankind (them) and also helps to answer the imponderables that in their neat box like world they have no answers for. Religion also believes in mystery and that absolutely terrifies them, in their world that concept can never exist. Although these individuals wield enormous power, in reality they crouch in insecurity, aware of life’s transience and the ephemeral existence of their own position within the media. For all the glory and accolades they may receive, they are only baubles given to them by equally shallow power seeking people and intrinsically worthless.  They daily hide from the inevitable thoughts of mortality and their consequent demise. But they know full well they live in emptiness, which is as empty as that synthetic world of the screen. They are the dead souls bereft of light, which need our constant prayers. It is difficult to judge them because in some ways they are the greater victims of Satan’s seduction. It is sad that they have sold their souls for so little! Their craving for adulation is almost a child’s cry for help, and the price of that adulation is high.

They have been at the end of the day bought quite cheaply. It often shows in that they have an almost satanic fear of anyone who exhibits a strong Christian faith, the discomfort they show is almost painful to watch.
So we examine how this enemy of Christianity, the media can be defeated. In actual fact the media, as the Chinese say, is a paper tiger. It only has strength as long as it has an audience. This audience must also absorb its material without any depth of questioning its veracity or whether it is actually beneficial to society at large. Once the media has lost its credibility it becomes the emperor with no clothes. It becomes as relevant as yesterday’s newspaper in the fish and chip shop.

How do we end audience participation in all forms of the media?  Should that not be our eventual goal? In my next article I will describe ways we can bring this about.

By RIGBY

Friday 11 October 2013

CUT News Issue 4 April - May 2004



CUT NEWS
Catholics Unplug your Televisions

Issue 4 – April – May 2004

This article relates to the BBC Panorama’s ‘Sex and the Holy City’ the producer of which was a homosexual activist and was aloud to grind his own personal axe against Catholic teaching at the TV licence payer’s expense. But the truth is Condoms are killers

THE BBC and the CULTURE OF DEATH

During the weeks leading up to the 25th anniversary of John-Paul II becoming Pope there was an increase in what many saw as anti-Catholic programmes broadcast on the BBC. Was this deliberate spoiling tactics by certain elements in the Corporation annoyed at the joy felt by Catholics at this time, or just a coincidence?  The Bishops Conference of England and Wales felt strongly enough to issue a statement on the 17 October 2003 saying that the BBC’s reputation for fairness and objectivity is increasingly tarnished.

It is very interesting to look at two programmes Sex and the Holy City and the Sexwise website it has been reported that they are both linked with the IPPF (International Planed Parenthood Federation) and ask are there vested interests involved? The IPPF promote condom usage and abortions throughout the world, in the USA the Planed Parenthood Federation of America made a profit of $36.6 million from performing abortions alone.

During the making of Sex and the Holy City the BBC interviewed Cardinal Lopez Trujello, President, Pontifical Council for the Family. The Cardinal reported that they interviewed him for over an hour on different questions. However, what was broadcast was merely three questions of not more than half a minute each the answers to which were edited. Is this what some call being economical with the truth or simple dishonesty?

Unknown to Cardinal Lopez Trujillo at the time, this programme’s aim was to deliberately systematically criticize the Catholic Church’s teaching on the use of condoms, accusing her of causing the death of people in Africa. Of course, the argument is absolutely ridiculous for if someone will not listen  to  the  church’s teaching on chastity and fidelity in marriage they will hardly listen to its teaching on condoms.

In fact the real cause of the AIDS crises anywhere is liberal attitudes to sex. Attitudes seen every day on the TV. Condoms are not the solution in Africa or anywhere. “…despite the invitation to promiscuity made by the “safe sex” campaign and the distribution of an enormous quantity of prophylactics (condoms used to stop sexual diseases) where the pandemic is more widespread, the problem of infection has become even greater” (Cardinal Lopez Trujillo)

Perhaps it is no coincidence that the other programme linked to the IPPF is the BBC’s Sexwise website which in conjunction with BBC World Service promotes condom usage on a global scale. It also actively campaigns for the removal of laws prohibiting abortions in countries where they are now illegal.
Is this the real reason why the BBC tries to discredit the teaching of the Catholic Church the BBC is in bed with the IPPF?

Classic FM news report on Good Friday 2004 stated the medical experts in Britain and the USA are now stating the only way of controlling the AIDS pandemic is to limit the number of sexual partners. So the Church’s teaching was right all along only we limit our partner to our spouse alone.

We would like to thank Cardinal Lopez Trujillo for his strong leadership in this matter, also his letter of support for CUT and drawing our attention to his document “Family Values Versus Safe Sex” He invites us to visit the website of the Pontificum Consilium Pro Familia at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/

BBC in a mess over Popetown
There have been many conflicting reports over the intended screening of Popetown but having phoned the BBC at the time of issuing this newsletter no date has been set. There is even a rumour that they are editing it to make it less offensive to Catholics. They stated that they are not going to scrap it or make it less offensive to Catholics.
      We feel that they would need to start from the beginning to do that which is improbable considering they have spent £2.6 to produce it.
      What will this offensive and according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2148) blasphemous cartoon achieve? At CUT we believe it will cause great distress to the Catholic community because:
·            It strikes at the Pope the successor of St Peter and satirises his office.
·            It will incite anti-Catholic ridicule in the workplace and in social situations.
·            It shows the Pope as an infantile 77 year old who bounces around the Vatican on a pogo stick, who’s every whim must be satisfied. Is this ageism?
·            It shows the Cardinals to be sinister and corrupt this is of course what the BBC would like them to be. However, the opposite is true.
       To single out a law abiding and peaceful section of the British people such as Catholics to this kind of attack is deplorable. One has to ask why are they doing this? Is it because we stand for certain moral values that are different to the BBC’s, so in order to destroy these values they mock and satirise the Pope and the Vatican.


The Holy Father’s Concern Regarding the Media and the Family

On the 24th of January 2004 the feast of the patron saint of Journalists Saint Francis de Sales, Pope John Paul II issued a letter regarding the mass media. In this letter he is clearly concerned with the direction it is taking, he seems to suggest it is an opportunity missed for humanity as a whole. He says it has brought exceptional opportunities to enrich the lives of both individuals and the family. ‘At the same time, families today face new challenges arising from the varied and often contradictory messages presented by the mass media.’1 How often has one settled oneself in a favourite chair to watch a play a film or a documentary only to be shocked or embarrassed by what you have just seen? We are often told ‘you can always reach for the switch and turn it off’ however by that time its usually too late. You have been forced against your will to hear blasphemy or seen things which you do not wish to see or subject your friends and family.
The state of the media must make our Holy Father especially sad since he was once an amateur actor in Poland before training for the priesthood. During the war when Poland was under Nazi occupation he was part of the secret Rhapsodic Theatre, it is perhaps from this time that the Holy Father acquired his rich warm sounding voice, the voice that helped bring down communism. That voice now very frail still resonates with love, peace and wisdom. Fellow actor at the time Jerzy Turowicz said, “I think it was the general opinion that Wojtyla was the best actor in the small group.”2 The Rhapsodic Theatre produced plays based on faith and Catholicism, which for a Pole was synonymous with patriotism. Even today we should believe that to really love your country you must want Christ to be a major influence in it.
So the media particularly the TV must be in a grave state for the Holy Father to have suggested a few years ago that Catholics give up the TV for lent. He also asked TV executives to “relinquish your adherence to programme planning geared to instant success and maximum audience ratings.”3 It is quite clear that the real reason for the Holy Father’s concern over the Television is it’s negative effect on the family

“…development, particularly in children. The child lives on sensations alone, seeking new ones all the time…and often remains intellectually passive; the intellect does not engage in the search for truth; the will remains bound by habit.”4

The Holy Father’s message released for the 38th World Communications Day, to be held this year on Sunday, 23 May is intitled “The Media and the Family: A Risk and a Richness.” In this message the Pope clearly shows he is aware of the strength of the media to affect peoples lives.

“Infidelity, sexual activity outside marriage, and the absence of a moral and spiritual vision of the marriage covenant are depicted uncritically while positive support is at times given to divorce, contraception, abortion and homosexuality. Such portrayals, by promoting causes inimical to marriage and the family, are detrimental to the common good of society.”5

 He is concerned that the policy-makers in the media appear to be actually hostile to traditional family values and traditional cultures and promote the globalisation of secular values, which aid the consumer society.  Could it be that money is at the heart of the promotion secular values the media? Those who produce TV programmes are not interested in the family for it does not pay so well. A homosexual has more money to spend than a married man in certain sectors of society e.g. the entertainment industry. Divorce, contraception and abortion are all muti-million pound industries.

Ref:         1,5, L’Osservatore Romano, 4th February 2004, John-Paul II, Media and Family: ‘A Risk and a Richness’
2,3,4 Man of the Century, Kwitny 1997.


Is watching too much TV harmful?
There is a view in some quarters that watching too much TV is actually harmful. So first of all let us analyse what we are actually doing by watching the TV, we are staring at a light. This light seems to have a mesmerising effect on the viewer. It appears to induce a trance like state some people who when you interrupt their viewing they can get very angry.
From recent news reports it seems that:
 1.       TV-watching, with the resulting lack of physical exercise, shares the blame with junk-food for the obesity epidemic.         And this is a particular problem with children
 2.       TV-watching is one reason for the number of people suffering from Sleep Deficiency problems.   And,  again, there is a particular problem with children.
3.        Excessive TV-watching by small children is sometimes blamed for some children's failure to develop communications  skills. If anyone has information on the TV and public health please pass it on to CUT at the above address.


Recent appalling TV developments
efore we mention the new and frightening developments in broadcast television programmes, we would like to point out some of the good things that have been broadcast in the past. For example there have been the classic dramas such as Pride and Prejudice and the marvellous natural history programmes. There was also a time when BBC news could be trusted, this is no longer the case.
    Regularly these days on prime time TV, in the soaps such as East Enders and Coronation Street are pro-homosexual storylines. Other regular storylines desensitise the viewer to moral issues mentioned by the Holy Father.
    There is also another awful development, the showing of an abortion on Channel 4. We at CUT are astonished that Channel 4 can show this yet stopped the showing of the Pro-Life Alliances election broadcast (along with the BBC) in the name of bad taste!
                CUT’s philosophy has a double benefit not only do we refuse to financially support these corrosive programmes we also refuse to watch them. Therefore advertisers as well as licence fee receivers miss out.

Wednesday 9 October 2013

CUT News Issue 3 - Feb - March 2004

CUT NEWS
                                                                  Catholics Unplug your Televisions                                            

Issue 3   -   February/March 2004

Saint Elizabeth Seton
In the mid 1800s she had a vision she did not understand and saw a black box in every American home, through which the devil would enter.

Is the BBC so full of its own virtue that it has lost the plot?

THE HUTTON REPORT

CUT does not wish to make any comment on the wider issues involved for we have supporters of many views and political persuasions. However, we are in general agreement with the Hutton report and the statement that the BBC has a ‘defective editorial system.’
    We have been exasperated by the way the BBC has treated the Catholic Church in past few years. These attacks have gone far beyond the attack on the government. Perhaps the BBC should apologise to the Catholic Church and practising Catholics for the injury caused to us by so many of their programmes. We only ask for fair and balanced programmes but as one CUT supporter pointed out they always give the last word to the quasi liberal or anti-Catholic.
    Now there is a Catholic, Mark Byford, installed, as Acting Director General perhaps there will be a greater degree of sensitivity directed towards Catholics. We were impressed by his total acceptance of judge’s verdict; perhaps we now have a gentleman in charge.
    Greg Dyke on the other hand seemed to instigate a tabloid form of journalism more reminiscent of the Sun newspaper than the BBC. There is an old saying ‘when the fish begins to smell the rot starts at the head.’


IS THE BBC PROMOTING THE CULTURE OF DEATH?

If anyone needs evidence of how anti-Catholic moral teaching the BBC has become you need go no further than the ‘Panorama’ programme ‘Sex and the Holy See’. For the programme has prompted Chris Smith MEP to try and persuade Catholics to turn against the teachings of Church. His and ‘Panorama’s’ views fly in the face of the actual evidence. That it is the mainly Catholic countries that have the lowest rate of AIDS of all the Christian countries in Africa and the third world. Abstinence, self-control and no sex outside of marriage are the only ways of controlling AIDS not the condom culture. Some BBC presenters and MEPs seem to have condoms on the brain. Perhaps they have condoms over their brains? However as the things are only 85% effective its not surprising that unhealthy statements escape.
                Should Catholics need further persuasion to stop funding the BBC visit the sexwise web-site which they provide in partnership with International Planed Parenthood Federation. Fr Marsden of the Catholic Times on 1st February wrote they are the ‘World’s biggest abortion and contraception provider, and partner in Chinese forced abortions.’ Read their Strategic Plan, they state that in countries where abortion is illegal, they will campaign to remove restrictions against abortions.’


We recommend that Catholics give up the TV or just receive EWTN
Even though we are asking Catholics get involved in the Charter Review we strongly urge them to give up the TV and not fund the BBC. Paying the licence fee has meant we are funding attacks on the Catholic Church and her stand on moral issues. If a household just receives EWTN no licence is required for it is broadcast from outside the UK. (Note: The government changed this law so that all live TV  needs a licence in April 2004)

A LETTER FROM A PRIEST WHO GOT RID OF HIS TV
My studies with the Open University required radio and television programmes, which I acknowledge were very well produced. Having got my degree I had a TV set, some years old but in good condition, seeing that it had not had a lot of use. I thought the best thing to do would be to give it away. Several people had mentioned to me that they were upset at many of the programmes on TV – the language, sex and violence etc. Complaints to the BBC and/or ITV got nowhere. I did not say so, but I wondered why they bothered to watch. At the same time seeing that they paid a licence fee they had a right to complain.
Before giving away my TV it seemed wise to check on what many had said to me. First I made a careful study of all the programmes as advertised for that week. There were those, which sounded innocuous enough or even entertaining. Some I rejected immediately for containing nudity. Others I watched for a brief time and rejected those also. Some took a little while longer before they got around to the portrayal of excessive violence and foul language or misuse of God’s great gift of sex. Almost every programme in the evenings confirmed what those people had said.

Switching channels did not bring any relief. They all showed deceptive distortions of the truth. Greed and avarice were presented as virtues. Violence was excessive, gratuitous and relentless. Every form of sordid lust was portrayed as honest love. And all of this was bespattered with distasteful loathsome language. I could say a lot more about all these things, but there was one thing, which disturbed me more than all these put together – blasphemy.

“…there was one thing, which disturbed me more than all these put together – blasphemy.”

Blasphemy is the misuse of the holy name of Jesus Christ. That name which is above all names and at the sound of which, all should bow in reverence. The Catechism of the Church reminds us that blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It also says that the prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ’s Church, the saints, and sacred things. Where does the BBC stand in that regard?

“I must not pay for those programmes to be made or broadcast.”
Having got that far in testing what was on TV it seemed wise to stop. I was appalled to think that some of that which I had paid for in a licence had been used to produce programmes or to buy them ready made which contained such blasphemy. Switching off was not sufficient. I must not pay for those programmes to be made or broadcast.

“I took it (the TV) outside and broke it into pieces and immediately took the remainstoan official rubbish dump as being the appropriate place for them.”

I did not give away the TV set. I took it outside and broke it into pieces and immediately took the remains to an official rubbish dump as being the appropriate place for them. I dropped the pieces into a large container which was already half full of other trash.  The plastic back of the TV was kept as it was just the right size to cover a grid and thus helped to keep dirt out of the house instead of bringing it in. When I received a rebate for the TV licence I gave the money to a Catholic charity.

I am not able to make a direct or detailed comment about the recent attacks on the Church. I have not seen any of them! But from what I hear it sounds as though the BBC in attempting to improve its ratings has only succeeded in making its programmes more rank. If this trend continues the BBC will wind up with the type of audience it deserves.

The Decree issued by Vatican II on the means of social communication, and Pastoral Instructions from the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, and also many statements by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, have all set high standards both for those who work in the mass media and those who are the recipients of that work. For example, ‘The description or the representation of moral evil can lead to a deeper knowledge and analysis of mankind and to a manifestation of that which is true and good in all their splendour.’ In other words virtues should be shown as virtues and vices as vices. Unfortunately, many in the mass media demean their own profession, and to them can be applied the words of Isaiah: ‘Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness.’

‘Love your enemies, and pray for those who insult you,’ said Jesus. As an expression of the love we have for those who work in the mass media we should pray that they use their God-given talents in such a worthy and honourable manner so as not to be ashamed on the day they hear the voice and see the face of Jesus Christ.  - From  Fr P. R

Monday 7 October 2013

CUT News Issue 2 (No 2)

A REVIEW OF THE ANTI-CATHOLIC BROADCAST YEAR
The following is a short study on the past year with special emphasis on material relating to the Catholic Church. This study was mainly produced in the first six months of the year. I decided to make notes whenever programmes mentioned the Church for good or bad. The programmes mentioned are only those, which I have personally seen or heard about. Nevertheless the proportion of detrimental comment to good is massive.

BBC 1 The Virgin MarySunday 22nd December 2002
Whilst watching this programme I came to realise just how clever the BBC are in using their skills to undermine Church teaching. Whilst giving the appearance of a balanced and fair programme the general thrust was of unorthodoxy. No theologian or historian is shown to have the usual view as per the Bible or tradition. The Catholic view is hardly taken into account, which is surprising considering how much we venerate Our Lady. No scholarly backup given to Jesus as God.
Attack on traditional views of Our Lady
Channel 5 Inquisitionlate December 2002
This was a nasty and provocative little play. John Guilgood played a Cardinal. It portrayed the Cardinal and one of his monks as mean cold fanatical bigots. It also suggests that the Catholic Church is in league with the devil.
Attack on the Catholic Church in history
BBC or ITV Midnight Mass2002
There was no Catholic midnight mass broadcast on TV.
No Catholic midnight Mass for the third year in a row on TV.  There was one only on the radio.
BBC Radio 5 live10th January 2003 3pm
Two dissident Catholics interviewed, one an ex-monk the other who once trained for the priesthood. The main thrust of this feature was that celibacy is wrong with words like ‘repressed sexuality’ being used. No normal Catholic views given
Attack on the Catholic teaching of priestly celibacy.
BBC admits anti-Catholic bias The Today programme – and offers a rare apology.
Not only did they admit to anti-Catholic bias but issued an apology to Catholic journalist Clifford Longley (but not Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor as they should have). The following is reprinted from the Telegraph Newspaper:
In the course of its campaign, Today interviewed Mr Longley as a defender of the cardinal. Mr Longley complained that his best argument was cut, while his opponent was permitted to make unfair allegations. The BBC’s head of complaints admitted that “the overall impression” given was “a degree of bias”. The response of most viewers and listeners to such partiality ranges from indignation to cynicism. But they do not complain. If more people followed Mr Longley’s example, the BBC might think twice.
The campaign, which is referred to is the attempt by Today and Newsnight to make Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor resign because of cover up allegations over child abuse. Although no evidence was ever found it was for the secular media a good chance to bring as much bad publicity as possible. It is interesting to note that even though the Church of England has had similar problems there has been nothing like the same kind of animosity towards them!
Attack on the moral authority of the Catholic Church
BBC Radio 4 - Pick of the week 9th March 9th 6.20pm
The presenter said that Evelyn Waugh joined a ‘reactionary religion’ the Catholic Church.
Unfair to give such a name to the Catholic Church.
Channel 4 – Good Friday – a programme on Elizabeth 1st
Very biased against Catholic Mary. The Old myth about Good Queen Bess and Bloody Mary continues.
Biased and Anti-Catholic view of history
BBC TV Channel 4 – A profile on Cardinal Ratzinger 7th May 2003
This programme is a typical example of BBC’s self-proclaimed but specious assertion to even-handedness. It is quite easy if you look at the structure to see how they do it for example the presenter interviewed an Oxford Catholic
Theology tutor who said that there is a great revival in the Southern Europe it’s the North that’s the Sick Man of Europe and that there is no problem in the Third World. The presenter contradicted him completely after the interview by saying the Church is ‘Haemorrhaging’ in the Third World.  The BBC presents their views as facts when there is no one to contradict them. This shallow duplicity is almost standard screenplay for the modern BBC documentary when dealing with the Catholic Church.
                The programme seemed to be really about Hans Kung and his views about the Church and Cardinal Ratzinger. This programme tried to give the impression that it was a fair and learned documentary on the Cardinal. However its main aim was to undermined and misinform. The producer and presenter by the comments and summing up after every interview could clearly be seen to be anti-Catholic moral teaching.
This programme tried to undermine the Church on: Contraception, celibacy, woman priests, and Catholic moral teaching.
BBC TV Channel 4The Celibacy Debate, 7th May 2003
This programme followed hard on the heels of the profile on Cardinal Ratzinger. The panel balance was not achieved therefore to call this a debate was ambitious.
This programme tried to undermine traditional priestly celibacy.
There were many other incidences of anti-Catholic bias in the first six months of the year mainly by the BBC but there is not enough room to print them all here. However in the name of fairness I must report that the BBC did broadcast Urbi et Orbi from St Peters square at Easter and a Mass from Portsmouth Cathedral. However these did not involve comments on the Catholic faith and morels.
                When the BBC and the other TV channels have been accused of anti-Catholic bias they have always say that they do not understand what we are talking about and that no such bias exists. However what they actually do is attack Catholic moral teaching and our faith is mostly ignored (apart from BBC 1’s The Virgin Mary). From the above survey it is clear that they try and undermine Catholic teaching on: Priestly celibacy, contraception, woman priests, homosexuality and Catholic moral teaching generally. Why is the BBC against Catholic moral teaching? CUT believes the reasons are quite clear; the BBC is for want of a better phrase ‘politically correct’ and are in favour of woman priests, contraception and homosexually they are also pro choice (abortion). It is also quite clear from the programmes mentioned that they are against celibacy and Catholic moral teaching in general.
                After the survey finished (due to the author unplugging his TV and not watching anymore broadcast television). There was a plethora of letters and articles in the Catholic press regarding continued anti-Catholic bias such as Panorama’s Sex and the Vatican, in which, they actually had the temerity to blame the African AIDS crises on Catholic moral teaching. Kenyon Confronts which raked over old and well aired allegations of Child abuse broadcast on prime time BBC TV on the eve of the Popes jubilee celebrations. There were several other incidents of media bigotry towards Catholic moral teaching. Again in the name fairness and balance that CUT hopes the BBC will imitate we report that there was one or two incidence of fairness reported regarding the panel on the broadcast of the Mass from St Peters square of the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. However after that there was a return to attacks on Catholic moral teaching mainly on BBC radio.
BBC Radio 5 live - 24th August BBC subjective with the news
The BBC went to great lengths to report on the death of a Catholic priest in America who was a paedophile whilst totally ignoring the case of the choirmaster at St Paul’s. This item came from the Daily Telegraph.
Are the BBC biased in favour of the Church of England? Should the BBC  look at what happening there? Perhaps they need to look at themselves as well, before they point the finger? Cf Matt 7:3-5, Lk :41-42.


Although this month’s newsletter deals mainly with anti-Catholic bias we feel we must mention a truly awful programme called Beijing Swings.
Channel 4 Beijing SwingsBaby cooked and eaten on TV!
Channel 4 ever trying to carve a niche in depravity below its broadcasting competitors produced a programme that must seriously worry any decent thinking person. Beijing Swings involved the cooking and eating of a dead baby by a performance artist. Is this the result of the re-emergence of paganism and atheism, which in turn is the result of decades of anti-Church propaganda from the media? Beijing Swings shows how desensitised the viewing public have become. Muslims, Catholics and other decent people where horrified by this.
                The Catholic Times of 23rd January 2003 stated:
Jess Search a Channel 4 editor informed Lord Alton that "this film had a very serious editorial purpose to gain greater understanding of a new generation of Chinese young people…  The BBC and Channel 4 refused to show a pro-life election broadcast saying that it offended against taste and decency!
How right the Holy Father is when he calls this society  "The Culture of Death".

Sunday 6 October 2013

CUT News issue 2 (No 1)


CUT NEWS
Catholics Unplug your Televisions

Jesus said:
“…a man sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat... Matt 13:24-25


Is the BBC a monopoly funded by a compulsory tax?

The BBC may argue that it is not a monopoly because there are other independent TV channels. However all the other channels must fight for their revenue from advertising or subscription. Only the BBC is allowed funds from the compulsory licence fee. Not only that but if you were to watch one of the independent channels without paying a licence fee you risk a heavy fine or being put in prison. Surely this is exceptionally unjust and puts the BBC in a position of absolute power and it is said that absolute power corrupts, absolutely.
                Time to abolish this draconian fee or distribute it fairly, and let the BBC have the benefit of the market place as well as the other channels. It is not only the ever burgeoning number of BBC TV and Radio channels that the licence fee must carry but it is obvious that they are relying on quantity and not quality, they are going for the sensational story line to paper over the cracks in the quality.  
                They have in fact become the main protagonist of the Culture of Death (as a Sister from Cardinal Winnings pro-Life initiative told CUT). They actually refused the Pro-Life Alliance their election broadcast, so much for their belief in democracy Should the monopolies commission not investigate them?
                They seem to be acting like a communist state of old with Political Correctness being their manifesto.
                You may think that comparing the BBC output against the Catholic Church and the totalitarian regimes anti-Catholic propaganda of the 30’s or of the former ‘Iron Curtain’ countries a little far fetched, there are similarities for historian Dr Michael Burleigh in the excellent book the ‘The Third Reich – A New History writes:
“The central obsession was … political Catholicism, to which Schwarze Korps devoted interminable analyses, together with attacks on senior clergy and a stream of anti-clerical smut severally designed to demolish the moral authority of the Catholic Church. (p189, 2000 Pan).
The parallels are there for everyone to see, for totalitarianism substitute, Liberal Political Correctness of the BBC; even raking over old scandals in exactly the same way. ‘Liberal’ seems to be a misnomer for anyone who has read the views of   Poly Toynbee or heard the Today programme will know.

The BBC requested to stop broadcasting into Ireland
Irish Catholics to petition BBC to stop their unwelcome broadcasts.

From Dublin to Donegal, Irish supporters of CUT have been very active in their campaign to stop BBC broadcasts into Ireland. They have been collecting signatures in churches, hospitals and among the general public. Their objective is to let the BBC know how unwelcome the stray broadcasts into Ireland are.
                Whilst the BBC may argue that these broadcast are not meant for the Irish and they can always turn the TV off, it is still watched and how many innocent Irish children have had their childhood stolen from them by an evening in front British soaps with their adulterous storylines. A sad note: every Soap now has had its own pro-homosexual or Lesbian storyline.
                We wish to let our Irish friends know that your British colleagues in CUT are with you in prayers and wish God speed to all your efforts.
One would expect that of all the countries in these islands, RTE the television company of the Irish Republic would give Catholicism a fair hearing. Not only that but they have had a good reputation as a family channel. Not any longer it would seem for the influence of the BBC has ruined this once wonderful channel. In another sad development TV3 a fairly new independent channel is showing the dissolute ‘Sex in the City’
Our members from Dublin wrote
“Forget about RTE for Christian witness.  It's trying to "out-liberal" the BBC with the foul language in its newest sitcoms and rabid anti-catholic calumnies in its documentaries.  We know longer expect panel-balance on RTE or radio.  Hence we did not renew our TV license…As for TV3 Sex in the City is even disturbing adults let alone children.”