{"id":956,"date":"2011-06-30T11:33:08","date_gmt":"2011-06-30T15:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithmediaandculture\/?p=956"},"modified":"2011-06-30T12:17:22","modified_gmt":"2011-06-30T16:17:22","slug":"tracy-morgans-new-controversy-faith-themed-films-starring-will-ferrell-and-diablo-cody-faith-reason-and-secular-fundamentalism-the-pope-tweets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/2011\/06\/tracy-morgans-new-controversy-faith-themed-films-starring-will-ferrell-and-diablo-cody-faith-reason-and-secular-fundamentalism-the-pope-tweets.html","title":{"rendered":"Tracy Morgan’s new controversy; Faith-themed films starring Will Ferrell and Diablo Cody; Faith, reason and secular fundamentalism; The Pope tweets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are today’s dispatches from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.<\/p>\n

1. Tracy Morgan steps in it again. <\/strong>From E! Online<\/a>: The Arc, a nonprofit advocacy group serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is the latest organization demanding an apology from the comedian for remarks he made during his stand-up routine Saturday\u2014his first performance since his infamous antigay rant…This time\u00a0Tracy ranted about “retarded kids” and “cripples.”…”Them young retarded males is strong,” he said. “They’re strong like chimps.” He then segued into a bit about hooking up with a girl he called “a cripple” with a dialysis machine and a prosthetic arm, while groans could reportedly be heard from the crowd.<\/em>
\nComment:<\/strong> So far, I haven’t heard reaction from 30 Rock’<\/em>s\u00a0 Tina Fey or NBC. They rightly weighed in<\/a> to condemn Morgan’s anti-gay comments. Are retarded and handicapped worthy of any less respect? <\/em><\/p>\n

2. Will Ferrell to see God?<\/strong> From The Wrap<\/a>: Warner Bros. has picked up “Swear to God,” a pitch from writers Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, with Will Ferrell set to star, TheWrap has confirmed. Ferrell will play an egomaniacal hedge fund manager who believes he has seen God.<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Diablo Cody to write and direct Lamb of God<\/em>. <\/a><\/strong>From Hollywood Reporter<\/a>: (T)he writer behind Juno and United States of Tara, will make her directorial debut with Lamb of God, a Mandate Pictures comedy she also wrote. Mason Novick will produce. <\/em>
\nThe comedy, according to Mandate, follows a young conservative religious woman who loses her faith after a plane crash, decides to go to Las Vegas to live the life of a sinner, and on her journey finds her way back to her faith.<\/em><\/p>\n

4. True faith supports scientific inquiry.<\/strong> Stan Williams writing for Catholic Lane<\/a>: Christian faith is not a blind faith, but a eyes-wide-open, truth-seeking, evidence-based faith.
\n<\/em>Comment: <\/strong>Personally, I never quite got the inherent contradiction between the theory of\u00a0 species evolution per se and belief in Intelligent Design (aka God). <\/em>It evolution is true, so be it. God works in mysterious ways. Where the strict evolutionists lose me is in their insistence that life as we know it is the result of a cosmic accident that had no greater purpose. That to me makes no sense. I also don’t quite get why some of those who supposedly cherish scientific inquiry (which is based on relentlessly challenging accepted ideas) get so upset when anyone dares challenge their orthodoxy on evolution, global warming (excuse me, climate change) or the idea that a developing embryo or fetus isn’t human. <\/em><\/p>\n

BTW, Stan’s blog mentions the 2008 Ben Stein documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed<\/em>.<\/a> Check out the trailer here:
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xGCxbhGaVfE<\/p>\n

5. Defining\u00a0 SF. <\/strong>David Cohen writing for The Daily Caller<\/a>: <\/strong>Secular fundamentalism fills an important void for those who have rejected religion but nonetheless harbor many of the worst instincts that cause certain people to embrace religion. Secular fundamentalism allows non-believers to experience the thrill of religious bigotry without having to put up with the nuisance of religion…Secular fundamentalists are rightly offended by the notion that immutable characteristics such as race and gender should limit what people are allowed to achieve, but nonetheless imply that such characteristics should limit what people are allowed to think.<\/em><\/p>\n

6. Green Grouch website promotes inter-city environmental challenge. <\/strong>Check it out here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7. Suggested Gentile Mystery Title: Tuesday the Pontiff Tweeted<\/em><\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

8. Charlie Sheen admits to steroid use. <\/strong>From The Wrap<\/a>: The former “Two and a Half Men” actor — who was axed from the series earlier this year following a run of increasingly bizarre behavior — tells Sports Illustrated in its latest issue that he took steroids to beef up for his 1989 baseball film “Major League.”
\n<\/em>Comment:<\/strong> There goes his spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

No blog tomorrow or Monday. Happy Fourth of July, Everybody!<\/p>\n

Encourage one another and build each other up \u2013 <\/em>1 Thessalonians 5:11<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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He has written over 100 children's novels based on episodes of the Cartoon Network series \"Ben 10\", \"Ben 10: Alien Force\", \"Ben 10: Ultimate Alien\", \"Ben 10: Omniverse\" and \"Generator Rex\" among others. He also writes Beliefnet\u2019s \"Faith, Media & Culture\" blog. Previously, he has produced successful news and talk programming for CNN, Fox News, Pax TV and SiriusXM. Specialties: Script Writing, Movie\/TV Novelizations & Adaptations, TV Content Creation and Development, Creative Consultation, Producing and Booking News and Talk shows. 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