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September 16, 2004
Saint Clinton?
Well, it's a free country, a free market, where you can buy anything, including, as a reader from Louisville passes on, Saint Clinton memorabilia, offered by the same individual who's selling "I Love Abortion" infant t-shirts.
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Comments
If I thought the Diocese of Louisville were concerned about things like this, I bring it to its attention. This is sacreligious.
Posted by: Chris at Sep 16, 2004 8:40:58 AM
I'm all for this cult. I think it ought to be encouraged, and I even want a relic: his heart, pickled in a jar, now.
Posted by: Tom Fitzpatrick at Sep 16, 2004 8:48:44 AM
I'm all for this cult. I think it ought to be encouraged, and I even want a relic: his heart, pickled in a jar, now.
Posted by: Tom Fitzpatrick at Sep 16, 2004 8:50:01 AM
Proof that the end is near.
Posted by: TSO at Sep 16, 2004 9:19:01 AM
I don't know what the Archdiocese of Louisville can do about it, but if they read the paper, it's been brought to their attention. That's where I found out about this garbage, in lurid color in this morning's Courier-Journal.
I'm sure they couldn't resist the exacta of a jab at Clinton foes/devout Christians, all at once. But even they might balk at the "I love abortion" stuff. Then again, maybe not.
This fool and his merchandise don't typify Louisville, far from it. But then, neither does the rag that ran the "holy card" this morning.
Posted by: John Heavrin at Sep 16, 2004 9:20:52 AM
Maybe I'm not as spiritual as you folks, but I thought it was funny. But then, I'm a big fan of irony.
Posted by: Roz at Sep 16, 2004 9:39:41 AM
I'm also a big fan of irony. This guy's not being ironic. He loves Clinton. He also seems to love abortion.
Posted by: John Heavrin at Sep 16, 2004 9:55:31 AM
Ah, but so much irony is unintentional. I'm happy to yield, though, to those with a more well-developed sense of what's beyond the pale.
Posted by: Roz at Sep 16, 2004 10:57:45 AM
Normally I'm not bluenosed about spoofs and the like. I must admit, even during these days of Rosh Hashanah, if this picture had been of Charlton's Heston's Moses with Clinton's pasty face pasted on it, I'd have thought it was stupid, but I wouldn't have cared much. To plop his head atop the Sacred Heart is repellent. Frankly, to plop anybody's head atop the Sacred Heart is repellent. The "I love abortion" merch is even more repellent.
Although it is refreshing to see these types putting aside the "I'm also against abortion, but I believe in choice" canard.
Posted by: John Heavrin at Sep 16, 2004 11:49:54 AM
It can't be considered offensive, since it only pokes fun at the Catholic faith and Catholic devotion. If they were to mock another religion - say, showing Clinton scratching his back against the Kaaba, or dressed as a Hasidic Jew, THEN it would be offensive. Making fun of Catholic piety isn't offensive, it's all-American!
Posted by: Tim Ferguson at Sep 16, 2004 11:59:26 AM
How about Clinton's face Photoshoped onto the South side of a ... donky heading North? Now *there's* a picture I could get behind!
Posted by: john hearn at Sep 16, 2004 12:22:48 PM
It's sort of a perfect storm of bad taste and bad politics.
Posted by: TSO at Sep 16, 2004 3:05:01 PM
""Saint" Clinton, patron saint of philanderers, weasels, McDonalds and stain removers. His feast day is celebrated only in Arkansas. Has in recent years developed a following of flagellant bands moving from town to town in Arkansas beating each other with whips made from recycled spandex while screaming, "I feel your pain!" Although the veneration of "Saint" Clinton has been condemned by the Vatican on the grounds that (a.) he was not Catholic and (b.) that he was a bounder, the cult of "Saint" Bubba, as he also is affectionately known by his followers, seems to be enduring."
Catholic Almanac 3004
Posted by: Donald R. McClarey at Sep 16, 2004 9:06:46 PM
John said:
"This fool and his merchandise don't typify Louisville, far from it."
As a second voice on this matter, I will agree with you that this does not typify Louisville. Not from my perspective at least.
Posted by: smmtheory at Sep 16, 2004 11:27:34 PM
I thought maybe I would join this discussion since my artwork is its topic. When I made the piece, I felt like some people wouldn't like it, but I really had no idea of the outrageous ways that people would respond to it. I have been more than a little surprised by the some of the commentary I've heard and read, and many of the emails I've received from people who call themselves Christians, and yet behave in such a very un-Christian manner. The basis of this work and most of the other work I've done on the saintclinton.com site, including the "I love abortion" items is intended to be humorous and ironic. I feel silly that I even have to say that. People are so defensive over everything these days, and so eager to fight at the smallest suggestion of conflicting ideals. Honestly, I can not imagine that ANYONE actually LOVES abortion. Seriously, people. I would be shocked if even a single abortion practicioner LOVES what he does for a living. So much of American domestic and foreign policy is created from a Christian morality-based standpoint, and THAT is what offends so many people who are not Christian. Furthermore, Christians continually fill the airwaves and other media with their endless fundraising and recruitment of new members ("saving" and "converting"), and THAT is also offensive to people who are not Christian. The vast majority of people who do not share Catholic or other Christian beliefs must constantly sit by quietly and absorb - or try to ignore - the unending stream of preaching and endure the everyday skewing of public policy, and be led by a president who mentions his religious values in each speech. A complete separation of church and state clearly do not exist in this country, and for those who do not share the beliefs of the Church, that is offensive. There is definitely nothing inherently Christian about invading countries who have not attacked us. Nor is there anything Christian about fighting back ("turn the other cheek"). There is nothing Christian about signing the execution order for a retarded person (as GW Bush who calls himself a Christian did as governor of Texas). I find most of Christianity in general to be increasingly less Christian. For those reasons, I could not be happier that people are offfended by my artwork. Perhaps those who are offended now feel what it is like to have someone else's ideals paraded in your face as if the country is intolerant of any other views. I was raised Catholic. I attended 12 years of Catholic schools where I feel I received an excellent, well-rounded education. I love God's creatures and have been vegetarian for 13 years. I feel like if someone who looks like Jesus looked were to walk up to the window of a modern American Christian's car and ask for food, shelter, help or compassion, they would receive less than what Jesus would hope they would give. Naturally, this is America and everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. I would urge those who are offended by my art to try to imagine where it may have come from. Look at the country and the world from the other side. And judge not, lest ye be judged.
Posted by: Scott Ritcher at Sep 19, 2004 5:20:32 PM
Scott, you obivious have lost your soul to the devil. God gives you the gift of being an artist and you use it to do this.
Art is a way of communication. The great artists in history used their talent to glorify God not make fun of His holiness.
Scott some day you will have to answer for your immature, underdeveloped faith and sense of knowing who God is and how we are to venerate His imagine. You have cause great scandal and you will someday stand in judgement for this if you do not repent and ask God for forgiveness. I believe you claim to have been brought up Catholic may I suggest confession with a priest, it does a soul good.
I pray for your oh so very lost soul.
Ann Marie
ArchAngel Michael pray for us.
Posted by: Ann Marie at Sep 19, 2004 10:43:49 PM
I bet Jesus has a sense of humor and loves this.
Get over your selves people.
Posted by: lee at Sep 21, 2004 8:08:07 AM
This whole thing is so silly! I've heard of this Saint-Clinton thing by visiting a christian site. Go ahead people you're making good publicity.
Posted by: Pat at Nov 22, 2004 3:02:28 AM
Next to the irresponsible and destructive idiot currently in the White House Bill Clinton could very well seem like a saint. And if somehow he could come back to clean up the mess created by that fool Bush he would seem like a savior as well.
Posted by: John Boucher at Feb 27, 2005 8:08:35 PM
Next to the irresponsible and destructive idiot currently in the White House Bill Clinton could very well seem like a saint. And if somehow he could come back to clean up the mess created by that fool Bush he would seem like a savior as well.
Posted by: John Boucher at Feb 27, 2005 8:09:15 PM
It's time for these 'christians' to get a taste of their own medicine. How about mandatory classroom teaching on the hypothesis of god? How about mandatory classroom screenings of "The god That Wasn't There"? Let's have a dialog about whether god exists and whether that existence can be objectively proven? Who is this alleged 'virgin mary' and why must we believe her lies? 'christians' expect non-christians to accept their beliefs on faith...that's just plain silly. These silly people just need to SHUT UP.
Posted by: Auntie Christ at Mar 28, 2006 8:12:08 PM
