Focus on Family Super Bowl anti-abortion ad ..should CBS air it?

[CptStern]

The conservative Christian group Focus on the Family is sponsoring a pro-life ad, featuring football star Tim Tebow, during Sunday's Super Bowl. Should CBS show the ad? Should CBS allow other faith-based groups to buy Super Bowl ads promoting their beliefs on social issues? Is a major sporting event, or a TV ad campaign, an appropriate venue for discussing such vital and divisive culture-war issues like abortion?

obviously it's up to cbs if they want to allow this sort politically charged misleading propaganda however I'm not sure they're all that wel prepared for the fallout and the precedent it's setting. what it boils down to is CBS is advertising a political message that is inherently a false


Richard Dawkins comments on the issue:

The following is what passes for logic in the Tebow mind. His mother was advised by doctors to abort him, but she refused, which is why Tim is here. So abortion is a bad thing. Masterful conclusion.

...

It is amazing how many people are bamboozled by this spectacularly stupid argument

...

"The reasoning behind this odious little argument is breathtakingly fallacious . . . the world is no more likely to be deprived of a [Tim Tebow] by abortion than by chaste absence from intercourse."
If you follow the 'pro-life' logic to its conclusion, a fertile woman is guilty of something equivalent to murder every time she refuses an offer of copulation

....

The fact that the Tim Tebow advertisement is a load of unthought-through nonsense is no reason to ban it. That would infringe our valued principle of free speech. The best that the rest of us can do is point out, to anyone that will listen despite our lack of money to pay for such advertisements, that it is nonsense. As I have just done.

edited for clarity. read the entire thing here:

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/...kins/2010/02/the_great_tim_tebow_fallacy.html

 

[Acepilotf14]

I think we should make it illegal for women to refuse a request of copulation.

 

[CptStern]

just like the muslim extremists

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/31/afghan-family-law-women.html

 

[Acepilotf14]

Well, I don't want to get married!

 

[CptStern]

well it only works when you're married all other times it's considered rape

not too worry you dont need to ask your right hand for consent

 

[Shyam]

Richard Dawkins

But Richard Dawkins is such a pompous fool.

 

[Shakermaker]

Should CBS air it?

The fact that the Tim Tebow advertisement is a load of unthought-through nonsense is no reason to ban it. That would infringe our valued principle of free speech. The best that the rest of us can do is point out, to anyone that will listen despite our lack of money to pay for such advertisements, that it is nonsense. As I have just done.

Of course they should air it.

 

[Noodle]

The fact that Tim Tebow is involved is enough alone to make me pro-choice. I f**king hate his Satan-spawned guts.

Go Dawgs!

On a related note, I think the OP's quoted counter-argument is nonsense. The whole reasoning the Christian fundamentalists use against abortion is that life begins at conception. It's not "murder" if it hasn't been conceived yet.

But yeah, Tim Tebow sucks. Florida Gators suck. Big, hairy ****s.

 

[Raziaar]

Who cares I say.

They should show it.

I have no problem with it. It's just a commercial. They're allowed to air commercials.

 

[unozero]

But Richard Dawkins is such a pompous fool.

??? are you for real?

 

[15357]

Should CBS show the ad?

Well, did they pay for it?


Of course, I have no qualms if the governments respective TV regulating body decides to prevent it from airing.



Edit: Yes, Richard Dawkins is pompous. Not a fool, though. I should get his other books.

 

[Shyam]

??? are you for real?

As numbers said he is pompous, but the fact that he is a fool is debatable. I am an Atheist so it's not like I disagree with the man.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Honestly I think I'm with anti-abortion, but we really don't need more people, so pro-choice it is. Plus anti-abortionites are typically christians so **** them and their ads.

 

[Sparta]

As numbers said he is pompous, but the fact that he is a fool is debatable. I am an Atheist so it's not like I disagree with the man.

Calling him a fool is a bit ridiculous don't you think? What warrants him being called a fool?

 

[Shyam]

Calling him a fool is a bit ridiculous don't you think? What warrants him being called a fool?

Well I did say calling him a fool is debatable. Some would call him that and others won't. Frankly I have heard and seen only a few vids of the man. Not enough to make a solid judgment. I think I went overboard with the fool comment. But I still think he is pompous.

 

[Sparta]

Yeah he's definitely pompous. He can be a bit of a prick and extremely combative in his arguments as well. I definitely recommend checking some of his books if you're interested in some of what he has to say, either about evolution or religion.

 

[Krynn72]

I think we'd all turn into pompous arrogant little shits if we had to deal with the emails/letters/phone calls/face-to-face insults that Dawkins gets from idiot fundies. I can't really blame him for being so douchey in the face of people who are so ignorant and bigoted.

As for the ad, who gives a shit? Freedom of speech yo.

 

[Suicide Machine]

as long as they will also air some gay ads

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

as long as they will also air some gay ads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWcW6_OGeDk&feature=related
Sorry for the quality, I'm surprised I even found a clip of this on Youtube in any form

 

[Eejit]

Of course they should air it.

A company refusing to air something isn't quite the same as banning it.

 

[Solaris]

Political adverts like that shouldn't be allowed.

 

[Sparta]

Normally they aren't, as CBS has a strict policy on not airing political adverts. For some reason they've chosen to make an exception here.

 

[Escaep]

Why not, you can always go grab more snacks when the commercial comes on. :smoking:

 

[15357]

Is this really a political issue? I mean, Anti-abortion is more focused on the health, religious, and ethical aspects of it. (Or sometimes focused on demographics, as I am)

 

[Tagaziel]

Calling him a fool is a bit ridiculous don't you think? What warrants him being called a fool?

I think he was referring to his attitude, not his knowledgeability. I consider Dawkins an intelligent, educated man with views on religion that coincide with my own. That doesn't change my opinion that he's a pompous self-made atheist superstar and I loathe celebrities of any kind.

I agree with him on the issue, though. It's even funnier when you consider that even with every act of sex that ends in pregrancy, the male commits what can be considered genocide, as only one sperm out of MILLIONS gets the egg.

The wonders of catholic logic.

 

[No Limit]

Yet they refused to air an ad for a gay dating site. Gotta love free speech and all that.

 

[Tyguy]

so the ad is basically "if you don't have an abortion your child will become a pro football player"...

sign me up!

 

[CptStern]

Of course they should air it.

I'm not asking whether they should/could legally, I'm asking whether they should air it based on moral grounds (ironic isnt it?) ..it's tantamount to false advertising because of the logical fallacy in the ad

dawkins gives his reasoning as to why it should air :

The best that the rest of us can do is point out, to anyone that will listen despite our lack of money to pay for such advertisements, that it is nonsense. As I have just done.

unfortunately most of the target audience will miss the ad's error in logic

I think we'd all turn into pompous arrogant little shits if we had to deal with the emails/letters/phone calls/face-to-face insults that Dawkins gets from idiot fundies. I can't really blame him for being so douchey in the face of people who are so ignorant and bigoted.

I have to agree with this. the anti-evolution crowd has long used ridicule to refute evolution and the scientific community that pushes it and other issues like abortion, the science behind homosexuality etc. fight fire with fire I always say

 

[15357]

I'm not asking whether they should/could legally, I'm asking whether they should air it based on moral grounds (ironic isnt it?) ..it's tantamount to false advertising because of the logical fallacy in the ad

dawkins gives his reasoning as to why it should air :



unfortunately most of the target audience will miss the ad's error in logic

Ok, I've changed my mind: They should be allowed to air it, and then be fined for false advertising.

 

[CptStern]

they're not selling a product so technically it's NOT false advertsing nor is it breaking laws against false advertising. I'm talking purely on a moral stance not a legal stance

 

[15357]

they're not selling a product so technically it's NOT false advertsing nor is it breaking laws against false advertising. I'm talking purely on a moral stance not a legal stance

Well, maybe misleading the public? Civil disorder? Incitement? Anything?

 

[CptStern]

heh anything that'll let loose the fascist hounds armed with attitude adjusting billy clubs, amirite Numbers?

actually that's not a bad idea. these moral ninnies need their attitudes adjusted

 

[leib10]

If they wanted to air an ad for an abortion clinic, the Christians would be voicing the same opinions. But who the hell cares, it's not like it's going to cause anybody such discomfort and pain that it would warrant it not being aired.

 

[CptStern]

the christian right are on their way to overturning Roe vs Wade. this is inevitable in their minds. playing up the emotional angle is part of their plan to make inroads into the hearts and minds of americans

Focus on the Family maintains a strong pro-life stand against abortion, and provides grant funding and medical training to assist crisis pregnancy centers (also known as pregnancy resource centers) in obtaining ultrasound machines. According to the organization, this funding, which has allowed CPCs to provide pregnant women with live sonogram images of the developing fetus, has led directly to the birth of over 1500 babies who would have otherwise been aborted.

they're not exactly playing with a full deck:

The group supports the teaching of "traditional family values". It advocates school sponsored prayer and supports corporal punishment.[7] It strongly opposes abortion, so-called militant feminism, homosexuality, pornography, and pre-marital and extramarital sexual activity.

Focus on the Family has been a prominent supporter of intelligent design ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_on_the_Family

 

[lord_raken]

I didn't have a problem with the add. It wasn't aggressive or judgmental. All in all I thought it was pretty tasteful as far as adds go.

There is nothing wrong with advocating one's views through free speech and advertising. CBS chose to air it.

Its really not that big of a deal.

I'ts odd, from the way some of you talk it sounds like you think that NOT getting an abortion is a terrible and depraved thing. That seems odd. I'm pro-choice but pro-life, meaning that people should be able to chose (within reason) but I also want there to be as few abortions as possible.

Anyone here think abortions are just cool?... no? I thought so.

 

[Krynn72]

I'ts odd, from the way some of you talk it sounds like you think that NOT getting an abortion is a terrible and depraved thing. That seems odd. I'm pro-choice but pro-life, meaning that people should be able to chose (within reason) but I also want there to be as few abortions as possible.

Who are you even talking about? Nobody here has said anything to suggest that.

Anyone here think abortions are just cool?... no? I thought so.[/QUOTE]

Oh, you already realized that nobody thought about abortion that way. Why did you even say it then?

Also, you're pro-choice. Can't be both.

Also, its ad, not add.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

It should be pro- or anti-abortion, IMO. No use hiding behind "good words."

 

[Raziaar]

Pro-Choice and Pro-Life are incredibly stupid terms. It implies that the people on the opposite side of the Pro-Lifers are Pro-Deathers... which is probably what the pro-lifers believe... but it's absolutely not true. Kind of the same when flipped with Pro-Choice being anti-choice... though not quite as much because a lot of people opposing Pro-Choice absolutely do no want women to have the choice.

 

[Vegeta897]

Pro-Choice and Pro-Life are incredibly stupid terms.

That's kind of the point, the terms are meant to promote themselves while demoting the other.

I've always hated the whole subject matter entirely because of how topical it is, or was, over the recent years.

And this stupid ad for a show I saw once "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TAKE PRO LIFE AND PRO CHOICE PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM LIVE TOGETHER?"

Then they show clips of the people interacting "SO YOU'RE PRO ABORTION" "NO I'M PRO CHOICE"

God, I'm so sick of it shut the **** up.

 

[Raziaar]

That's kind of the point, the terms are meant to promote themselves while demoting the other.

I've always hated the whole subject matter entirely because of how topical it is, or was, over the recent years.

And this stupid ad for a show I saw once "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TAKE PRO LIFE AND PRO CHOICE PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM LIVE TOGETHER?"

Then they show clips of the people interacting "SO YOU'RE PRO ABORTION" "NO I'M PRO CHOICE"

God, I'm so sick of it shut the **** up.

Shutting the **** up is not a good thing to do. If you don't want to listen to it, don't subject yourself to it. People being aware, and talking about it... is hopefully what will keep Roe-V-Wade intact.