Ted Turner Voices The Truth (finally)
Ted Turner, chairman of Turner Broadcasting (TBS, TNT, CNN) and husband of Jane Fonda, recently blasted the Christian faith at a speech to the National Press Club.

Turner's comments: "I am not much of a religious person, to tell you the truth. I don't like "isms." I mean I don't like communism or cap[italism]. Isms that caused most of the problems in the world and I think religion is responsible. It's religion that, under the guise of religion, they murdered tens of thousands of women as witches -- only a hundred years ago -- burned them at the stake....

"I'd like to see a religion where everybody was good. Not just the members of that sect. I mean I'm sick of it. Heaven is going to be a mighty slender place. And most of the people I know in life aren't going to be there. There are a few notable exceptions and I'll miss them. (Laughter) Remember, heaven is going to be perfect. And I don't really want to be there...Those of us that go to hell, which will be most of us in this room, most journalists are certainly going there. (Laughter). Anyway, because they are not that religious because they know too much. But, when we get there we'll have a chance to make things better because hell is supposed to be a mess. And heaven is perfect. Who wants to go to a place that's perfect? Boring, boring." (Laughter)

Also in late 1989, Turner told the Dallas Morning News that "Christianity is a religion for losers." Christ died on the cross, but Mr. Turner said He shouldn't have bothered. "I don't want anybody to die for me. I've had a few drinks and a few girlfriends and if that's gonna put me in hell, then so be it."

Speaking to a group of broadcasters, he suggested changing the way of dating time from the current BC (Before Christianity, i.e. 380 CE) and AD (Anno Domini, Latin for "in the year of our Lord"). "Why don't we broadcasters make it our goal to get the world at peace by the year 2000? Let's make it the year zero --BP and AP. Before Peace and After Peace," he said. The broadcasters gave Turner a warm applause accompanied by laughter.

"Your delegates to the United Nations are not as important as the people in this room (broadcasters). We are the ones that determine what the people's attitudes are. It's in our hands," Turner said.

In 1990, Turner was named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association. He told that audience that the death of Jesus in order for our sins to be forgiven was "weird."