# Bill O'Reilly again... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 12, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416 "2004-12-12T05:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/1 "2004-12-12T05:45:02Z")
Well it seems that Fox News nutcase Bill O’Reilly now has Jewish groups pissed of at him for suggesting that American Jews who don’t want to be prosyltized by Christians should [go back to Israel](http://mediamatters.org/items/200412070004) In response to a Jewish caller to his radio show who said that he resented the celebration of Christmas in schools as a child because he always felt like Christians were trying to convert him. After a couple of ignorant statements about Hannukah (which the caller tries to correct but is cut off by O’Reilly) Old Bildo comes out with this: > [@Bill O'Reiily](#): > > All right. Well, what I’m tellin’ you, [caller], is I think you’re takin’ it too seriously. You have a predominantly Christian nation. You have a federal holiday based on the philosopher Jesus. And you don’t wanna hear about it? Come on, [caller] – if you are really offended, you gotta go to Israel then. I mean because we live in a country founded on Judeo – and that’s your guys’ – Christian, that’s my guys’ philosophy. But overwhelmingly, America is Christian. And the holiday is a federal holiday honoring the philosopher Jesus. So, you don’t wanna hear about it? Impossible. > > And that is an affront to the majority. You know, the majority can be insulted, too. And that’s what this anti-Christmas thing is all about. Not too surprising from this clown, I guess, and I’m not sure it’s so much antisemitic as just thunderingly arrogant, ignorant and _religiously_ bigoted (as opposed to racially). But still. Bill hasn’t been pitted for a couple of months, so fuck you, Bill. It’s not a “Christian country” and you’re still just a low life, heavy breather with a microphone. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/2 "2004-12-12T05:48:35Z")
“The philosopher Jesus?” There ain’t enough :rolleyes: in the world. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/3 "2004-12-12T05:59:18Z")
> [@andros](#): > > “The philosopher Jesus?” There ain’t enough :rolleyes: in the world. What, you don’t get May 8th off for Hayak’s birthday? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/4 "2004-12-12T06:02:46Z")
This isn’t a Bill O’Reilly thing. It is just another version of the same old debate about whether there should be public displays of Christmas or if they should be made completely generic so know one gets offended. We can’t read the caller’s dialoge but from your description, he “felt like Christians were trying to convert him” during the Christmas season. How do we know that he really encountered any of that? I doubt he did unless he was just talking about peer pressure from fellow students. He could have been completely unreasonable and nutty. Some people, Jew included, have been known to be this way about this issue. O’Reilly sounds like he was being saracastic to a caller that seemed to have some kind of Christmas phobia when he told him to go to Israel if it was that big of issue for him. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/5 "2004-12-12T06:05:57Z")
Hay **e** k, even. I was distracted by the thought of all those Vienna sausages. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/6 "2004-12-12T06:07:40Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > We can’t read the caller’s dialoge. The transcript of the entire call is in the link as well as an audio clip of the entire exchange. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/7 "2004-12-12T06:12:59Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > The transcript of the entire call is in the link as well as an audio clip of the entire exchange. Sorry, I just read the whole transcript and the caller does sound as nutty as I suspected. Christmas was only a small part of it. The caller was also apparently traumatized that some Jehova’s Witnesses came to his door and people invited him to a Bible study group in college. It really does sound like the caller has some serious paranoia issues going on and O’Reilly was suggesting that he could go to Israel simply for his own mental protection. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/8 "2004-12-12T06:18:30Z")
O’Reilly was the one who was talking about JW’s. The caller said nothing irrational or unfair. O’Reilly’s just an asshole, and an ignorant one at that. This is _not_ a Christian country. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/9 "2004-12-12T06:24:52Z")
Yeah, the caller sounds knee-jerky. Exchanging gifts is an attempt to “convert”? Please. > [@](#): > > CALLER: The thing is, is when you have – for example, Christmas carols or gift exchanges being done in school, that kind of sets the kids up to being converted. That’s nutty. That’s what people do at Christmas. Gifts are gifts, and unless the gift _itself_ is Christian-related (is a Gameboy an attempt to “convert”?) then this caller has no case. And while some Christmas cards have religious messages, they are very brief and general in most cases. (A picture of the Nativity, Three Wise Men, etc.) Many Christmas cards are completely secular. And I’m sorry, just casting your eyes on a picture of the Three Wise Men isn’t going to be enough to _start_ to “convert” someone, not in anyone’s book. This caller is over the top. Not that O’Reilly isn’t a blowhard twit at times, but he was obviously exasperated with this loon. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/10 "2004-12-12T06:28:51Z")
For some reason I read “Christmas carols” as “Christmas cards.” Well, that was odd. But my case still remains. Many Christmas carols are secular. The more religious ones are telling the story of Christ’s birth, but it would still be quite a stretch to say that they would be enough to _convert_, or that they are an _attempt_ to convert. People just like 'em, and aren’t really thinking about how some people might be left out. Feeling “left out” is a different matter, and one I can feel sympathy about. But to say that people exchange gifts as an attempt to “convert”? Lunacy. Atheists, I daresay, exchange Christmas gifts. Are _they_ trying to “convert” people to Christianity when they do that? Are they trying to convert people to Christianity when they sing “Frosty the Snowman”? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/11 "2004-12-12T06:28:52Z")
You are right out that being O’Reilly talking about Jehova’s Witnesses. However, I can replace it with the even nuttier comment from the caller: * * * CALLER: Yeah, when I got to college I found out – that’s true. A lot of people were. I found that millions of dollars were spent trying to convert – O’REILLY: I mean that you really believe that people were trying to convert – you personally – were trying to make you change from being Jewish to Christian? CALLER: Absolutely. * * * Believing that millions of dollars and lots of human resources to convert him personally is not the beliefs of a sane person. My main point is I can’t figure out what the caller wanted to get out of that call. It sounds as he is mainly paranoid about individual Christians trying to “convert him”. There is nothing that can be done to fix that problem other than an outright ban on religion in the U.S. Bill O’Reilly is an asshole but that is his job. A less assholish person wouldn’t pull in the ratings. That doesn’t mean that a caller can be more off then he is however. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/12 "2004-12-12T06:29:08Z")
Regardless of how you feela about the caller, it’s still incredibly stupid to tell Jews to go to Israel if they don’t want to be proselytized by Christians. I would also like to point out that Bill O’Reilly is a bullying pervert who makes obscene phone calls to employees while rogering himself with a vibrator. That has nothing to do with the topic but i just never tire of bringing it up. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/13 "2004-12-12T06:30:50Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > For some reason I read “Christmas carols” as “Christmas cards.” Well, that was odd. > > But my case still remains. Many Christmas carols are secular. The more religious ones are telling the story of Christ’s birth, but it would still be quite a stretch to say that they would be enough to _convert_, or that they are an _attempt_ to convert. People just like 'em, and aren’t really thinking about how some people might be left out. > > Feeling “left out” is a different matter, and one I can feel sympathy about. But to say that people exchange gifts as an attempt to “convert”? Lunacy. Atheists, I daresay, exchange Christmas gifts. Are _they_ trying to “convert” people to Christianity when they do that? Are they trying to convert people to Christianity when they sing “Frosty the Snowman”? It;s still inappropriate and insulting for public schools to lead religious songs or sing them at kids who don’t share those beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/14 "2004-12-12T06:32:13Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Regardless of how you feela about the caller, it’s still incredibly stupid to tell Jews to go to Israel if they don’t want to be proselytized by Christians. I am pretty sure that O’Reilly wasn’t telling all Jews to go to Israel, just this one. From his comments, I think that may not be a bad idea for his own mental health. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/15 "2004-12-12T06:33:19Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You are right out that being O’Reilly talking about Jehova’s Witnesses. However, I can replace it with the even nuttier comment from the caller: > > * * * > > CALLER: Yeah, when I got to college I found out – that’s true. A lot of people were. I found that millions of dollars were spent trying to convert – > > O’REILLY: I mean that you really believe that people were trying to convert – you personally – were trying to make you change from being Jewish to Christian? > > CALLER: Absolutely. > > * * * > > Believing that millions of dollars and lots of human resources to convert him personally is not the beliefs of a sane person. > > My main point is I can’t figure out what the caller wanted to get out of that call. It sounds as he is mainly paranoid about individual Christians trying to “convert him”. There is nothing that can be done to fix that problem other than an outright ban on religion in the U.S. > > Bill O’Reilly is an asshole but that is his job. A less assholish person wouldn’t pull in the ratings. That doesn’t mean that a caller can be more off then he is however. Millions of dollars _are_ spent by Christians to try to convert Jews in colleges. That’s off the topic, though. The point of this pitting is that Bill O’Reilly effectively told Jews that they don’t have a right to live in America without being harrassed by Christians. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/16 "2004-12-12T06:34:02Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I would also like to point out that Bill O’Reilly is a bullying pervert who makes obscene phone calls to employees while rogering himself with a vibrator. That has nothing to do with the topic but i just never tire of bringing it up. You know, I was really trying to scrub that from my mind. I will _never_ forget reading those transcripts, and when I catch O’Reilly’s show (as I occasionally do), I still think of it, but it had become sort of, less . . . _graphic_ in my mind. But there you go, having to describe it again. Gee thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/17 "2004-12-12T06:35:18Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > It;s still inappropriate and insulting for public schools to lead religious songs or sing them at kids who don’t share those beliefs. This caller is an adult. These things presumably happened years ago if they ever happened at all. It is not at all common for public schools to sing religious songs these days (although I am sure that you could find an isolated example if you really digged). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/18 "2004-12-12T06:36:28Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am pretty sure that O’Reilly wasn’t telling all Jews to go to Israel, just this one. From his comments, I think that may not be a bad idea for his own mental health. If he told a black caller to go back to Africa would you think he was only talking to that caller or all Africans? Everything the caller said was completely legitimate and O’Reiily is just a bigoted scumbag. If public schools started engaging in massive celebrations of Ramadan or Kwaanza, he would totally lose his mind. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/19 "2004-12-12T06:39:11Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > This caller is an adult. These things presumably happened years ago if they ever happened at all. It is not at all common for public schools to sing religious songs these days (although I am sure that you could find an isolated example if you really digged). Right. That garbage used to happen commonly not so long ago and O’Reilly wants it to happen again. The caller was trying to explain how shitty it makes Jewish kids feel and got told that he wasn’t really an American, which totally proved the caller’s point. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416/20 "2004-12-12T06:40:03Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > It;s still inappropriate and insulting for public schools to lead religious songs or sing them at kids who don’t share those beliefs. Like I said, feeling “left out” is one matter. I have no desire to shove religion down kids’ throats. However, I am not sure how far you want to go with the not teaching religious songs in schools. Lots of Classical music _is_ religous-themed (even if it’s in another language or all instrumental). I should hope that a music student would still be allowed to play music that had religious roots, since some of it is quite good. But that is neither here nor there. The fact remains that this caller was a loon. O’Reilly handled them poorly, but when you see things _in context_, it’s clear that O’Reilly was getting impatient with a _loon_, which is a far cry from him picking on someone who was being rational (not that he hasn’t done plenty of that also . . . ). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-again/279416.md?page=2)