Be assured: GOD IS NOT MOCKED!

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, oh Prince of the heavenly host, cast into Hell Satan, and all the other evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

PLEASE pray the Divine Praises in reparation for this blasphemy!

BLESSED BE JESUS IN THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR!

VIVA CRISTO REY!

Hm. Well, yes, but Mt 5:11 -12a. Is this anything other than what we are promised?

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew5.htm

Should we not rejoice and turn the other cheek? Seems to me THAT should the difference between mocking Islam and Christianity: the response of the faithful.

Food for thought.

Alas, I fear the Star of David would be mocked too. 

Shame on Hyundai.

As part of the same campaign (I saw this other ad at one of today’s games), Hyundai also showed a funeral viewing involving a pious old-school Latin/Mediterranean mourning widow in black next to her husband’s coffin and a younger man (her son) speaking what I think was Portuguese, subtitled about how loyal and dedicated the old man was. You mentally hear “to his family”; you later learn “to his team”—he’s being laid out in state in soccer boots and in one of those ridiculous multi-colored hairdos.

I’m sorry, but you’re thinking with your patella reflex and getting Hyundai’s commercial exactly backwards. Right after the part you quote, the narrator continues “fans show their loyalty in all kinds of ways. Ours just buy another Hyundai.” (My memory is that this is the narration in the other commercial too.) “Ours” and “just” are both contrast terms. The obvious point in both commercials is—we’re NOT like this. THIS is loyalty taken to a ridiculous level.

Of course, the Church of Maradona is ridiculous and its rites blasphemous. But unless any and every showing of blasphemy is itself a further blasphemy, there is no way this commercial is blasphemous.

I think this is something worthy of a formal protest that should be lodged against Hundai and the World Cup.

No one should be tolerated for doing things at the expense of others, and for commercial gain at that. This is utter lack of taste, civility, and devoid of any respect for the sensitivities of other people. And, in more religious terms, yes, this is blasphemy!

Sorry Victor,

although “any and every showing of blasphemy” is not necessarily a further blasphemy, I think it’s pretty clear that the exploitation of blasphemy as a tool to convince someone to buy your car *is* blasphemy.

And if you think they’ve made their “contrast” sufficiently clear, what else is sufficiently clear is that they are not condemning the idolatry, just the extremity of expression. They’re still encouraging the underlying theory.

They’re not saying, “Don’t think of Hyundai as your religion. Do that. Just don’t express religious sentiments in any really crazy extreme way…like putting it before everything else in your life.”

And *that* is a further blasphemy, my friend.

Sorry, J ... but you’re not making a clear point.

“the exploitation of blasphemy as a tool to convince someone to buy your car *is* blasphemy.”
OK ... but unless any and every portrayal (of the Church of Maradona in this case) = “an exploitation,” how do these ads exploit blasphemy?

“what else is sufficiently clear is that they are not condemning the idolatry, just the extremity of expression.”
Huh? They’re making fun of the rites of the Church of Maradona (and getting buried in boots and team colors) even if they don’t spell out “and this is blasphemous.” Why isn’t “this is ridiculous and stupid” enough?

“They’re still encouraging the underlying theory.”
What “underlying theory” and how is it “encouraged”? That Diego Maradona should be worshipped? That soccer fandom should know no limits?

“They’re not saying, ‘Don’t think of Hyundai as your religion. Do that. Just don’t express religious sentiments in any really crazy extreme way…like putting it before everything else in your life’.”
Unless you think the Church of Maradona objectively constitutes or is portrayed as constituting a serious expression of religious sentiment, this is descriptively inaccurate.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, oh Prince of the heavenly host, cast into Hell Satan, and all the other evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

Ah, Victor.
Your sentence, “But unless any and every showing of blasphemy is itself a further blasphemy, etc.” is the thought worth while to ponder.
A priest sings the lamb of God prayer in latin, a tabernacle bearing a soccer ball is processed into the church.
THINK about it! just think about it…

Yes, I’ve thought about it. And using the brain rather than the brain stem. Yes, a priest sings the Lamb of God prayer in Latin, while a tabernacle bearing a soccer ball is processed into the church. And my reaction is not “praying in Latin is ridiculous and stupid,” but “what kind of idiot puts a soccer ball in the monstrance?”

And when the setup to the ad’s punchline is “devotion and fandom can become ridiculous and stupid” ... THINK about it! just think about it…

YMMV

Wow, Mr. Morton! You’re very belligerent!

Thanks, and have a nice day!

I am hurt and everytime i watch the games I am reminded that at any time I am going to see that insultive comercial. It is obvious that Hyundai are ignorants of our faith and believes. I hope to never have to buy one of their products.
thanks Ileana

I basically agree with J. The commercial is at least gratuitously offensive, if not necessarily blasphemous. And Victor’s comment was gratuitously belligerent.

Today I got an e-mail stating:

Hello and thank you for your feedback regarding Hyundai advertising.

Hyundai Motor America would like to thank you and other consumers for sharing concerns about a new ad titled “Wedding” which aired during the opening games of the FIFA World Cup broadcast last week. We take comments of this nature very seriously. Because of feedback like yours, we have removed the ad from all Hyundai communications and stopped airing it.

We credit the passionate World Cup viewers and Hyundai owners for raising this issue to us. The unexpected response created by the ad, which combined both soccer and religious motifs to speak to the passion of international soccer fans, prompted us to take a more critical and informed look at the spot. Though unintentional, we now see it was insensitive. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will accept our sincere apologies.

With appreciation,

Hyundai Motor America

I e-mailed Hyundai.  I just received an apology.  It seemed much more genuine than the run of the mill non-apology form other companies.  I think the response took them by surprise.  Let’s keep letting others appropriately know we won’t tolerate this type of disrespect.

Well, I wrote to Hyundai. And they responded to me as well. What was disturbing in their reply was the fact that they were only realizing how “insensative” the ad was AFTER receiving complaints. It didn’t occur to them ahead of time that it might be offensive to the billions of Catholics around the world who buy their products, and also watch soccer.

“We credit the passionate World Cup viewers and Hyundai owners for raising this issue to us. The unexpected response created by the ad, which combined both soccer and religious motifs to speak to the passion of international soccer fans, prompted us to take a more critical and informed look at the spot. Though unintentional, we now see it was insensitive. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will accept our sincere apologies.”

seems odd that their marketing team didn’t realize that they should take a more critical and informed look at the advertisment BEFORE it aired… before it offended potential customers - I will now NEVER purchase a car from these “uninformed” people…

“What was disturbing in their reply was the fact that they were only realizing how “insensative” the ad was AFTER receiving complaints. It didn’t occur to them ahead of time that it might be offensive to the billions of Catholics around the world who buy their products, and also watch soccer”

I think we’re getting a bit ridiculous here. They didn’t blow you off. They didn’t “fake” apologize—they sound genuinely distressed that their ad offended people. They will take it off the air. But that’s not enough? You expected them to think of your beliefs BEFORE they put it out there, when the great majority of people involved in the creative/advertising/television industries don’t even believe in GOD?

HOW, and WHY would you expect this?

There’s a great line in a Christian novel where one of the protagonists, ministering to people in a very seedy part of town, listens to the profane language, meets people in drug-infested hovels, takes his share of abuse, and his companion wonders how he can stay positive and loving in the face of it. His response? “I’ve learned not to be surprised when sinners sin.”

If this commercial was put out by a purportedly Christian organization, then of course, your objection is valid: of COURSE they should realize from the get-go that this is blasphemous and offensive. But the people involved in these commercials, by and large, don’t know what these symbols mean in the first place. Why are we surprised and shocked, then, when sinners sin—repeatedly, and seemingly with malice aforethought, toward us? And when the sinners make an apology, then—which the company didn’t HAVE to give you—why is that even cast in a negative light?

The end result is good: people won’t see the blasphemy anymore. Of course, our job isn’t done, and abuses will continue—and maybe they SHOULDN’T, but “should” doesn’t enter into this. Jesus didn’t run around saying to the tax collectors, “You shouldn’t be doing this oppressive work for those nasty Romans!” He merely met one and said, “Follow me,” and the call was heard.

Seems to me, on a very basic level, Hyundai’s heard and responded to a similar call from us, and I say good for them.

But if when we get this kind of accommodation from basically ignorant industry professionals, we then throw a tantrum about how they “should have thought of us beforehand,” we’re not only ignoring the nature of a sinful world but somehow expecting it not to be so. And one has to wonder how and why we would allow ourselves to fall into that self-righteous trap.

JB

We have only one God These modern “Foolish Brains ” have umpteen gods among them maradonas, pamelas, obamas, etc. Will these strong “Foolish Intellectuals” courage to pass a comment on Islam or the Prophet ? They will crawl before Osama if he comes They fear only violence because they are ignorant of the beauty of non violenc, toleration, love, understanding We can pray for God’s mercy on them

Excuse me, but even though I don’t know much about the game, it is my understanding that Pele is the best player ever.

Watch “Victory”!

Yes, they apologized, BUT—any Catholic reading this article will ‘remember’ and not buy a Hyundai—-I know I won’t. I still say, they would have thought twice before putting up Islamic symbols.  As far as I am concerned Catholics take too much abuse——Please tell your non-Catholic friends, that Muslims are the largest religious group in the world with Christians coming in second and Catholic Christians the largest amongst the Christians. Little by little they are infiltrating our world and we Christians had better WATCH CAREFULLY!

There is a bigger context here.
The Roman catholic Church is in a crisis.  Its adherents are confronted with gross mismanagement of criminal priests by Church administrators.
These ads come during a time when Catholics are wondering what other errors have been promoted by the same administrators. The commercials
can be seen as exaggeration that deliver a message of Catholic anxiety.
The ads have nothing to do with faith.It anything they are showing what a big role faith has had in Western society by comparing it to soccer fever.

I sent a complaint about the commercial to the head of The Catholic League and asked for a response.

I haven’t received word back.  Unfortunately he seems to be tied up in getting the Empire State building bathed in blue and white later this year.

I believe Catholics the world over are ultra-sensitive, at this point in history, to public criticism - and rightly so.  The Catholic Church has been outed as a secretive, corrupt oligarchy, more concerned with power and money than its faithful.  I count among my close friends several of those faithful, who will always consider themselves Catholic but no longer attend Mass or participate in the sacraments, because the Church itself has rendered them meaningless. 

The ad may have pushed the envelope, but to those of us who are not Catholic, it was also amusing.

we as catholics must never allow for our God and Saviour to ever be mocked and ridiculed. we are living in difficult times and it will only get worse so never permit anyone or any huge organization to insult our Lord and King. Always remember He is not just a holy man or prophet He died for each and everyone of us no other religion in the world can claim that and it must be respected.

Marisa, what you have to understand is that to anyone else, what was being mocked and ridiculed - if you must call it that - was the elevation of soccer to religious status by its more passionate fans.  This was NOT a mocking of Catholicism, at least the non-Catholics I’ve asked about it today didn’t see it as such.  We all saw it the same way - making light of the extreme passion of soccer fans.  That’s all.

I think it speaks volumes that so many Catholics chose to take offense and see it as an attack on religion, when really, it was anything but.

Catholic symbols were chosen for the ad presumably because they were the most recognizable religious symbols in the areas where the ad would be running - and the only way to equate soccer fans to the religious faithful is to use easily recognizable symbols, yes? 

But Catholics have been under siege for awhile now, due to the long-held unrepentant attitudes toward the many sins of its clergy.  That may be beginning to change, but I imagine it will take several years, if not decades, for it to be forgiven by those hurt or offended by the abuses. So the Catholic faithful feel over-sensitive, seeing attacks where none exist, and the rest of us don’t feel particularly inclined to worry about “protecting” the holy image of a Church that has caused so much pain to so many.

Mindy, thanks for a good explanation of how it appears to a non-catholic. But for us who are, the tabernacle is where God resides in a physical, material way, and to put soccer on an equal or superior pedestal is blasphemy.
Say the ad showed muslims in a mosque kneeling & worshiping God, then giving them a thing to worship, like a soccer ball.
  It’s one thing to mock bishops, nuns, priests and catholics. Quite another to mock God.

Charlie, I suppose that does make sense, to a believer.  But to non-believers - and there are a lot of us, decent, ethical, moral, hardworking, compassionate people who happen to not believe in the tenants of organized religion or a paternalistic god - it sounds downright silly.  So it is hard to fully understand what you call “blasphemy.”  In our world view, it is no different than believing in magic, that the magician really does saw the woman in half.  It simply isn’t real.  I’m not debating it - I realize it seems very real to you, and I respect that.  But I ask that you respect that to me, and millions like me, those beliefs are based on fables, written by man to explain what was, at the time, inexplicable.  I am not bashing Christianity.  I feel the same way about all organized religion.  Belief systems created by man, nothing more, and imprinted on our psyches over generations.  Those beliefs bring comfort and hope to the millions of believers, and they have also inspired the killing and abuse of millions of “others” over the ages. 

All that being said, I respect your right to believe as you wish.  In my world, no one would intentionally mock another’s beliefs, especially for financial gain, as in advertising.  In my world, though, we’d all lighten up a bit, remember that we are all humans on this earth for only a short time, and we should make the most of our time here.  Care for each other, do right by each other, be kind to each other - and find laughter in that to which we can all relate. 

Unfortunately, it is oftentimes religion that stands in the way of our finding common ground.

Mindy: Re-read what you just said: “find laughter in that to which we can relate.”  Being an atheist-or-agnostic, you cannot relate to what the Catholics believe—your comment makes no sense. You “respect our right to our beliefs” yet you say our beliefs are “silly” and truthfully we respect yours—-are we making fun of your beliefs here, NO! You talk about belief systems created by man—what about Yoga and such created by man- or- belief in yourself or another person?. Yes, you are right in that we are here on earth a short time and we should make the most of it, but not by bashing others’ beliefs. You elevate religion to the status of a sport?  Possibly sports is the thing you worship, or evidently you understand others passion for it,  if so that is fine for you.  Your last sentence is completely wrong—-“religion in the way of finding common ground?” My deceased husband was an agnostic and we found much common ground and he never, never, criticized or insulted any other persons’ belief.  Again, I say, re-read what you just wrote above. Also I do have atheists in my family and that does not get in the way of our love for one another.

Charles Woodbury:  Great explanation, simple and to the point!

Sue, let me clarify.  When I said “silly,” I was referring only to the one particular comment from Charlie - “tabernacle is where God resides in a physical, material way.”  Because to most of the scientific world, “physical and material” means touchable, seeable, even provable.  Because it is not, is fits into the “magical thinking” category.  I do not think that the belief in a god is silly - not at all.  I believe in an unseeable, unprovable connection between all humanity.  But saying something is physical and material when it clearly is not seems . . . well, silly.  Not funny.  I meant no offense, I was trying to explain where someone who thinks like me is coming from.

As for saying we should find laughter in that to which we can all relate - how does that make no sense?  Nowhere in my comment did I defend the Hyundai commercial - I think it was inappropriate because it did offend so many.  Nor did I say I have a passion for sports - I don’t understand lifting sport to the heights of religion any more than I understand believing in the easter bunny.  I just think that was the point of the commercial, making fun of that passion.  I think they tried to find religious icons that would be readily recognizable, and while surely knowing they were pushing the envelope, I doubt they realized the level of the offense that would be taken. 

I believe in the unknowable, Sue.  Because of that, I do respect that religious people believe in their own version of that.  I do not have a problem with that at all; in fact, I respect it and understand it.  Sometimes I even wish I had the ability to believe.  I will probably always have a problem with the hierarchy of large, organized religion, as that seems to fly directly in the face of what Jesus and the prophets of other religions taught.  But that is not the same as not respecting the faithful, and that I do, very much.  I’m sorry if I was not clear.

Mindy, I accept the fact that you did not make it clear to me. The Catholic Church does have a lot of rituals, (and actually I am not a ritualistic person) but down deep, the Catholic Church of today is a kind, spiritual and giving Church so I can overlook some of their rituals, but you have to study the Bible to understand some of our beliefs.  As to the problems the Church has had lately, the church will handle it and it is hard to explain to anyone just how huge the Catholic Church is and because a few do wrong, does not mean that the whole of (or the teachings of) the Catholic Church is wrong.  Faith comes slowly to some people and in time who knows. I do know that the Catholic Church is a very forgiving church.  I do wonder though (and I ask this because I mentioned above that my husband was agnostic) why you follow the Catholic Register.  Sounds to me that you may possibly be searching and I find that to mean you are a deep thinking person. Having the ability to believe is a matter of faith.  Many experiences bring on Faith. I remember when my first child was born—I held her and my first thought was “she is a miracle” I was in awe of her. How two pieces of glob can come together and make a child.[I know there are also scientific reasons and much of science is the ‘unknown’] I am 83 yrs old and there have been times when faith falters and then times when something happens and God is there with you. It was never more obvious to me than when my husband was dying—and I was not on my knees praying all the time, but I just “knew” He was there and that is what got me through it.  It is something that cannot be explained in words—but He did let me know “that I was not alone”.  You said you believe in the unknowable, well as one priest said to me one day “who ever came back to life and told us exactly what life after death is like”.  Not knowing and believing in the unknowable is FAITH. 
I understand what you are saying about the hierarchy of a large church, but all that came with years and years of just being. I can overlook some of that, and that is why to this day I prefer a small church with a small congregation in a small town, to a much larger one as they have in large cities.  Thank you for your comments above.  Sue

Thank you, Sue.  I do not follow the Catholic register - this article was linked to an article on the AOL homepage, and because I was formerly married to a Catholic as well as having worked with abuse survivors, I am interested in the “official” Catholic stance on issues.  As I said in my first comment, I have many cradle-Catholic friends who grapple with the issues of church vs. faith, and most no longer attend Mass. That being said, they still consider themselves Catholic.

I am searching, I suppose, but not for a church, not for answers - simply for wisdom and knowledge.  I’ve seen my share of miracles.  My children both came to me from the other side of the world, through adoption, and the force of my feelings for them, these babes who did not come into the world through me - those feelings are miracles.  The connections we feel, without the biology, those are miracles.  And my faith in the belief that we were always meant to be part of each other’s lives has never been shaken. 

You sound like someone I’d like to know.  My best to you -

Oh Mindy: your adoptions brought joyous tears to my eyes (and I do not cry easily).  Yes, I agree with you that they were always meant to be with you, because you had all that love to give them.  Not all people love that deeply and that is miraculous.  I can tell by your writing that you are a woman of deep faith, maybe not in the official ‘church-going’ way but still a woman of faith.  I have my little grapples with the Catholic Church also, but to me the most important part of belief it to believe in our God.  I also believe that things happen in our lives for a purpose or reason. Possibly your purpose in life; to adopt these children and possibly my purpose in life was to eventually baptize my husband before he died. (he was never baptized). He was 62 and I was 58. A dying friend of mine sent me some Holy Water from a shrine in Ireland and asked me to put it in my husband’s shaving water every day.  I placed it on his dresser and just forgot about it completely.  Then one night (several months later) without giving it a thought, (a week before he died) I just got up, got the Holy Water and Baptized him. I just did it, was not thinking about doing it—I just did it.  He was a very good husband and father and a good overall person.  He encouraged us in our religion, wanted the children brought up Catholic because he had no church and he believed children should be brought up in a religion, came to church when the kids were involved with something, etc., loved our Church suppers ;o).  Then the Deacon came one day and asked if I’d like him to be buried at a Catholic Mass—without blinking an eye I said yes. I really believe my husband would have liked that—to this day I believe my old pastor, who was then a Bishop had a lot to do with this. My husband did attend some of his bible study classes (when the Bishop was my pastor) and he knew what kind of a man my husband was.  My husband did not have a church, went to the Presbyterian Church until he was 12 and that was it.  So even though I have been a widow these 25 yrs, who knows, maybe that was suppose to be my purpose in life. I miss him, but then I have two good children who watch over me….and I am still kinda an independent one.  Your children are very fortunate to have you.  sue