
Yesterday, Fox News' Brit Hume weighed in on the Tiger Woods sex scandal, offering Tiger some practical advice for obtaining "forgiveness" for his indiscretions: Hume said that Tiger, who Hume identified as a Buddhist, should "turn to the Christian faith" so he can get the "kind of forgiveness and redemption" needed to make "a total recovery and be a great example to the world."
Hume said:
The extent to which he can recover seems to me depends on his faith. He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So My message to Tiger would be, "Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."
Here's the full clip:
Reactions to Hume's comments have been unsurprisingly shocked, with The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan commenting that "the pure sectarianism of this comment - its adoption of the once-secular stage of political journalism to insert a call for apostasy - is striking."
The Washington Monthly's Steve Benen was also appalled:
It's hard to even know where to start with something like this. How many high-profile Christians have had damaging sex scandals of late? Why is Buddhism deemed inadequate for those with family problems? Why is a senior political analyst for a so-called "news" network proselytizing, on the air, during one of the network's "news" programs?
The folks on Morning Joe took a more jovial tone about the comments, with Mika Brzezinski snarking: "So find a religion that forgives you for your idiotic behavior. Change your religion and you'll be OK!"
Andy Serwer piped in: "It's also interesting that Brit Hume is an expert on Buddhism,. I mean that surprises me."
Mika had the final word: "I think honestly we should just keep our opinions to ourselves."
CityGuy
January 4, 2010 9:30 AM
Unimaginable! I myself am a believing Christian. However, to make a statement on air, on an (alledged) news program, is clearly crossing the line in journalism. Hume should be discliplined, apologize on air, and.... oh never mind, it's Fox! They won't do squat to him.
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dswx
January 4, 2010 10:34 AM in reply to CityGuy
If (and it is a big "if") ignorant Hume issues any sort of statement it will be the classic Republican non-apology, complete with the qualifier "if". Such as "*If* I offended any non-Christians...". Hume is a Republican; he shamefully does not know how to be accountable for his words and can never admit to being outright wrong. Like his heroes Caribou Barbie or Dick Cheney.
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Forrest
January 4, 2010 11:14 AM in reply to CityGuy
Well there's your problem. You have to be a journalist to practice journalism.
Partisan hack != journalist
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TJF
January 4, 2010 7:35 PM in reply to CityGuy
Last time I looked.....actually every time I've looked..."crossing the line in journalism" was SOP at FOX.
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baltimore
January 4, 2010 9:31 AM
yeah Tiger, become christian like Ensign, Sanford, Gingrich, etc. and all the fools in the C House in Washington, -just join the crowd and get instant forgiveness for your sins.
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Sir-trd
January 4, 2010 9:35 AM
This will carry a lot of weight with Tiger coming from one of the phonys at fux news.
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tommyo
January 4, 2010 9:38 AM
Britt Hume. What...a complete...asshole.
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barrelhse
January 4, 2010 10:07 AM
Britt. With a name like that he could have been a Romney or a Palin, but he chose, instead, to be a Fool.
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lou
January 4, 2010 10:07 AM
The clear message here: practicing Buddhism is great for your golf game!
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DoingNuance
January 4, 2010 10:17 AM
That is great! I love it when Fox "News" goes way over the top like this. I wish that would really flaunt those true colors more often.
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RuperttheBear
January 4, 2010 10:19 AM
I'm a Buddhist and, well, I think Mr. Hume is ignorant about my religion. That's obvious, of course. But his ignorance is interesting.
My teachers don't talk about sin. They focus on skillful practice that avoids suffering. And they don't tell us to "move on" or "get over" unfortunate events because they aren't unfortunate. Harm and suffering are the direct result of unskillful practice (selfishness, etc.).
Mr. Woods is clearly not skilled at the dharma, but that's ok. Live and learn. If someone shot you with an arrow, would you pull it out and then jab it back in, over and over again? I hope not.
Mr. Hume's comments are instructive, though, because they show a kind of mistake: the elevation of form. He believes he has the answers, and that is the precondition for ignorance.
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ClosetLuddite
January 4, 2010 10:24 AM in reply to RuperttheBear
Believing one has the answers is a precondition for stupidity. Not knowing is a precondition for ignorance...
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mjtrac2
January 4, 2010 12:31 PM in reply to RuperttheBear
Practice, shmactice.
Go find someone who suffered terribly for your sins, so that his dad would forgive you. Then, tell Dad you believe in him, you know his son is the way, and you surrender to him. Then donate a lot to one of Dad's agents. That puts you on the team and the miracles start happening for you, not to you. It doesn't matter if you're an incompetent middle-aged failure of a drunk, you can become President. It doesn't matter if you've shtupped outside marriage, you can have an incredible golf score.
Just, whatever you do, don't think your all-loving Dad wants gay people to have equal rights, or your women friends to own their own bodies.
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TJF
January 4, 2010 7:40 PM in reply to mjtrac2
This documentary explains the system you describe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMGFy5Fd9cc
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dougom
January 4, 2010 7:40 PM in reply to RuperttheBear
He also appears to be ignorant of Judiasm (what do you think Yom Kippur is for, dude?), and probably Hinduism, Islam, and probably a lot of Christianity, too.
The word "tool" keeps coming to mind. Now why would that be?
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Tintin
January 4, 2010 10:42 AM
I guess it shouldn't, but this left me with my mouth wide open, shin hitting the floor.
Every time I think we've reached the bottom, new basement floors open up below...as if by the grace of God.
These people have NO shame.
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Tintin
January 4, 2010 10:42 AM
Sorry..."chin."
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afisher
January 4, 2010 10:51 AM
It now appears that F_X now not only wants to tell you how best to align you politics, but also religion. Will they follow this up with "which Christian Church"?
HUME should be viewed (well actually not watched) by journalist and logical individuals of someone who no longer belongs in the category of even commentator, which is a pretty low bar.
And yes, my chin is also scratched!
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Snig
January 4, 2010 10:56 AM
Let he whose faith has no sinners cast the first stone.
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blkblt
January 4, 2010 11:03 AM
what a tool
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bluestatedon
January 4, 2010 11:05 AM
Andrew Sullivan hit the nail on the head, describing the situation as the "slow morphing of Fox News into the 700 Club."
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susanthe
January 4, 2010 11:06 AM
So, Hume's Christian God forgave him for divorcing his first wife?
What a joke these Christians of convenience are.
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farnsworth
January 4, 2010 11:07 AM
Because I didn't know until now that Hume was a total shitstain.
Oh, wait.
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Dorn76
January 4, 2010 11:28 AM
Tiger's a Buddhist?
Seems he's more a buttist, actually.
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Dorn76
January 4, 2010 11:29 AM in reply to Dorn76
Kidding aside, Brit Hume was once a reasonably reputable journalist. Now he's another Fox asshat.
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couser
January 4, 2010 11:39 AM
Mr Hume knows what's up...you always hung out with the Catholic girls. They would drink and screw all night and all they had to do the next day was go to confession and every thing was cool.
The Buddhist girls were always problematical..so much innerness and all.Not that they weren't nice people and fun to be around but
not ripe for frolicking.
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decoss
January 4, 2010 11:42 AM
Can a non-politician move into C-street?
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Phillip Burkholder
January 4, 2010 11:45 AM
Brit needs a "purpose driven" retirement. I suggest a Buddhist monastery
where he can reflect on his faux career.
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Overreach THIS!
January 4, 2010 12:07 PM
The last I saw of Britt, he was virtually foaming at the mouth and about to strike a physical blow seemingly upon his guest, shouting something like, "Oh Yeah?!! Well I've got an idea!! Let's say there ARE NO weapons of mass destruction!! Zero!! And let's suppose Bush **KNEW** that all along!! And started the war ANYWAY, KNOWING THAT!! Now is *THAT* what you want to say here?!! Say THAT about PRESIDENT BUSH??! Do you want to come on this program and say *THAT?!!
And I remembered his quite demeanor from ABC News and didn't realized he'd gone totally loco on us.
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Bass Ace
January 4, 2010 1:02 PM
From a Buddhist perspective, all attachments and desires can lead one to unhappiness. Causing pian to your spouse by lying and cheating is bad, but even more so is lying and cheating to cause a war for profit, or to deprive people of their homes and savings.
What seems to have inspired these comments from Mr. Hume is that it envolved sex, a huge taboo and stigma in Christian belief. From his perspective, Hume feels Mr. Woods must have an enormous burdon of guilt, which may or may not be the case. Hume is actually right in that Buddhism doesn't deal in guilt, but he fails to take into account that it does deal in truth.
At any rate, guilt solves nothing and contributes nothing. You deal with a mistake, try to be a better person, and move on.
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Kuyleh
January 4, 2010 1:24 PM
Unreal.
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mcrose68
January 4, 2010 1:46 PM
This is rich.
The undecorated transcript looks like it's meant as satire.
Seriously, if this was unattributed I would have assumed it was The Colbert Report. When compared to the C-Street house, Tiger's transgressions appear a few stroke shy of par, when compared to the C-Street gang.
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Ann Arbor
January 4, 2010 2:12 PM in reply to mcrose68
Speaking of Colbert, he and Jon Stewart are both back tonight...with no shortage of material.
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wildwilly1111
January 4, 2010 1:50 PM
I thought Tiger already followed the one true religion - golf!
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Gregg2010
January 4, 2010 2:05 PM
Britt Hume should be the last person in the world to lecture anyone on forgiveness or redemption.
In 1998, Sandy Hume, Brit Hume's only son, committed suicide.
Sandy first tried to hang himself. When that failed and when no help was forthcoming, he killed himself with a hunting rifle.
Sandy was gay.
Apparently he could not find redemption or forgiveness from a Christian God or from his own father for his alleged "sin".
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WaitWut?
January 4, 2010 3:23 PM in reply to Gregg2010
There's a pretty harsh point. As much as Hume's comment annoyed me, I kinda hope the guy doesn't read your comment. Not that it isn't extremely relevant and on point. But...wow. Poor kid. Makes Hume's attempt at passing out religious advice sound like a poor attempt at some type of redemption.
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Wayne in Missouri
January 4, 2010 2:20 PM
Someone needs to do a spoof where Tom Cruise is a FOX News anchor and instructs Tiger Woods to convert to Scientology. Eveyone would laugh at the idea that a news station would allow such nonsense. Oh wait...nevermind.
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mcjam
January 4, 2010 2:31 PM
Hume's an idiot...
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keith
January 4, 2010 7:44 PM
A true Buddhist will not indluge in adultary. Shame on you Tiger!
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chris
January 4, 2010 8:50 PM
God Bless britt hume for standing up for his faith love it
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MassDem
January 4, 2010 9:32 PM
When I was in 3rd grade the school bully announced that, because he was a Unitarian and they had no hell, he could do whatever he wanted. Then he punched me in the face.
Maybe I can send him Brit's way.
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aunty
January 5, 2010 7:45 AM
Jesus, the name cursed and mocked by the masses, teaches love and offers forgiveness. True and eternal forgiveness! Brit is exactly right! Jesus is the Truth, the Life and the Way.
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Delightful
January 7, 2010 7:50 PM
Forgiveness will not erace karma, in Buddhism, all starts within. As a journalist, your uninformed personal opinion was unprofessional to say the least. As a human being, your shoulc get informed before stating your opinions.
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Tosh
April 30, 2010 12:55 AM
From a Buddhist perspective, all attachments and desires can lead one to unhappiness. Causing pian to your spouse by lying and cheating is bad, but even more so is lying and cheating to cause a war for profit, or to deprive people of their homes and savings.
What seems to have inspired these comments from Mr. Hume is that it envolved sex, a huge taboo and stigma in Christian belief. From his perspective, Hume feels Mr. Woods must have an enormous burdon of guilt, which may or may not be the case. Hume is actually right in that Buddhism doesn't deal in guilt, but he fails to take into account that it does deal in truth.
At any rate, guilt solves nothing and contributes nothing. You deal with a mistake, try to be a better person, and move on.
kamagra m65
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