Bishop Sis Addresses Movie Premiere of "Fifty Shades of Grey"

 An underlying theme in "Fifty" is the practice of BDSM (which stands for any combination of bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, and sadomasochism) -- all imperative practices which are the foundation of most organized religions.

The two sites Mr. Sis listed above specialize in the classic fear mongering/paper tiger tactics, which are typical of heavy handed Catholic organizations; all (by no coincidence) are bogged down with links to funnel money into the Church and their respective crusades against anything which doesn't feed the pious beast.

EndSexualExploitation.org cites very real, and very illegal acts like child porn, domestic violence and "trafficking", and attempts to correlate them with legal, adult oriented entertainment. Deductive reasoning at it's finest: attribute criminal activity to whatever you're railing against, and rile up the herd's support.

The site also boasts that "all individuals have a right to be free from the effects of pornography and all other forms of sexual exploitation.", while listing "sexually oriented businesses" as one of their targets.

See, "freedom" in respects to the diocese, translates into something which should only be enjoyed by people of their own ilk. It means freedom to browbeat and tyrannize, at their discretion, while ignoring and seeking to deny the freedoms of others to engage in the legal activities/vices of their choosing.

In an article on another forum, Mr. Sis's predecessor (Pfeiffer), went on a similar diatribe, calling on the public to help eradicate the pornography which "pours into our homes"...because of course that's what porn does, if you happen to leave a window open.

Most definitely, anything which goes against this type of autocratic blather, is just "an attack on religion" -- I know the dance.

I respectfully disagree with your stance here, Mr. Sis.

If people's marriages are failing, it's because they're incompatible or their needs and lifestyles have veered in opposite directions -- not because one of them read an erotic novel.

If someone "struggles with pornography", this is an issue with having a compulsive personality. Many have the same struggles with junk food, gambling...and yes, religion.

When it comes to dysfunction and counter-productivity, people are the problem, certain types of people --  not porn sites and strip clubs, and despite what you may think, the remedy isn't always Jesus.

I've read a few reviews on the movie you recommended, and though I won't be seeing either of the two mentioned here, I'd have to bet that "Fifty" draws the bigger audience, due to it's content, amassed following and mostly because it speaks to the tastes and fantasies of a growing number of people.

On the other hand, there just isn't a huge demand for preachy movies with zealous religious undertones, where the male love interest basks in the faux chivalry of "I'll never be alone with any woman who's not my wife.", or takes his girlfriend on their first date to pick up Christian workbooks at his pastors house.

That's just not the real world, in fact it's a bit creepy.

When we see the infallible Church speak out against something like willingly submitting one's self to masochistic practices and bondage, let's remember this is the same organization who not only invented some of the most ingenious methods of torture known to man, but specializes in methods of self harm (see The Cilice and self-flagellation).

Various Catholic entities and personalities have also carried on about the horrors and popularity of Vampires, in modern film/pop culture -- then engaged in the routine symbolic cannibalism and vampirism of the Holy Eucharist in church, the following Sunday.

It's an entirely different discussion, but the Church is rife with corruption and criminally dangerous, sexual predators, who prey on children and those who aren't afforded a choice in their situation or "safe words" to end the torment -- therein lies "frailty and wounds", Mr. Sis.
 
Let's start some websites and boycotts which target those problems and dangers, and worry about how excited someone's middle aged aunt gets over erotic entertainment later.

I'm a middle-aged, small town raised Texan woman. I've read all the 50 Shades books and will be seeing the movie. I'm happily married with three children. I understand where the story is coming from...

There are women out there who daydream about being involved with extremely wealthy, over-the-top sexy men who are confident in their desires. What woman WOULDN'T want helicopter rides and the car of her dreams, all while experiencing over the top sex with a hot, rich guy?? I think the majority of women realize that realistically, it won't happen for them... but what harm is a dream??

I'm not going to leave my husband in pursuit of this fantasy... That's the awesome pleasure of FICTION! We get to enjoy it because someone created it for us to enjoy. God bless the idiots who do think that this fiction is obtainable... but I'm willing to bet that the majority of married, middle-aged women just like myself are perfectly happy right where they are.

As for these small town Catholic mongers... just a drawback of living in the bible belt. Take their lectures with a grain of salt, skip reading the websites that are recommended and carry on with your day. 50 Shades is harmless fun.

I knew the Presidents name would be thrown into the mix.  No one with a right mind goes to the movies for a history lesson, or a therapy session on relationships, or to save the world.  The honorable Bishop can make a bigger difference in the miseries of Africa than in the content in the theaters.

"Fifty Shades of Grey" isn't about love. It's not a romance story. It's not about love, respect, dignity that EVERY PERSON deserves.

Focus Features, Michael De Luca Productions and Trigger Street Productions welcome the publicity as it adds to the bottom line. The Catholic clergymen could be facing a juggernaut: Fandango reports box-office pre-sale numbers are soaring, particularly in the Bible Belt and the Midwest.