I really, really do not want to make light of the actual human events involved here, but this story is surreal (and –I would speculate–the basis of the Easter Bunny Hates You video):
In what would seem to be nothing more than a holiday prank, a newspaper in Florida reports that the Easter Bunny was arrested for attacking a woman. Unfortunately, however, it turns out that the truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.
Naplesnews.com reports that a 6-foot tall 280 pound Easter Bunny and his assistant were arrested by Fort Myers Police for an altercation Saturday night at the Edison Mall.
According to the victim’s husband Robert Johansson, "It was something like you would see in a movie."
Johansson says the incident started because the Easter Bunny decided to close shop 15 minutes early on Saturday night with a line of children and families still waiting. Robert says his wife, Erin, approached the manager to complain when she was knocked to the ground.
According to Johansson, "The next thing you know my wife is sucker punched by the manager, she is pulled to the ground by her hair and then the Easter Bunny jumps on top and starts punching my wife in the head."
Arthur McLure, who listed his occupation as the Easter Bunny, and 25-year-old Crystal Frechette were charged by the Forth Myers Police with battery and disturbing the peace [SOURCE].
I stumbled onto your blog by accident. Read several areas of commentary. Was a bit befuddled as to why there is nothing on the site explaining why you are qualified to answer questions or give advice on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church and its practices and canon law rather than directing one to their local priest or bishop.
So I did a little research and found that you work for Catholic Answers.com, but that still doesn’t answer the question. Is your advice reviewed by Rome or your local bishop to make sure that it is correct and accurate. Do you not have a moral obligation as a Catholic to gain prior approval of your commentary by you local bishop in order to make sure you are not misleading other Catholics in giving advice (including interpretation of Canon law) on what is proper and what is not?
Given your commentary in posts on canon law, and your view of it, can you point me to a the reference that would allow for a dispensation to allow a priest to not be celibate and participate actively in a parish community life?
Would you say your a liberal or conservative Catholic? I can’t understand how people can consider themselves liberal and Catholic.
As for the bunny story, why do you bother to post this kind of trash? Shouldn’t your posts directed at furthering God’s word?
Interested in answers.
I was present when the Father John A Hardon SJ told us that when the Massive Desent took place after Humanae Vitae The most shocking thing was
each of the worlds Episcopal Conferences took referendrums on Humanae Vitae! According to Father Hardon, it was the First Time in History that Church’s Bishops as a group would VOTE ON deciding whether or not to accept a public teaching of the Pope!!
And 50% of them decided to Decent!! And that my friend is one reason why Father Hardon would never tire of saying that the Church was in it’s worse crisis it has ever faced in it’s 2000 year History. Another is in the Western Church up to 70% of the Laity are Faling to believe the way the Church does in the Real Presence of Chirst in the Eucharist and in some surveys 90%+ are Contracepting By THE way the Polish Conference of Bishops Voted to Confirm the Universal Ordinary Magisterium of the Pope. Some believe the Pope in publishing Humanae Viae was not opperating from Stength but The Grace of the Office. Pope Paul VI never again would publish an Encyclical To Fair Archbishop Fulton J Sheen said a few years later said Pope Paul VI told him “When I open my mail at Midnight every letter has a thorn in it and when I lay my head on my pillow at night I lay it on a Crown of Thorns” He did suffer Heroiclly
JJ: I’ll let Mr. Akin answer the rest of your questions, but, dude, you need to back off on the Easter Bunny story dissing. This is his blog (Jimmy Akin’s, not the Easter Bunny’s) and he posts goofy stuff sometimes. It’s fun for some of us. And if it’s not fun for someone, that person can skip over it.
Even Mel Gibson “broke up” the story of the sufferings of the Passion by inserting relavent scenes from Our Lord’s life. The film might’ve been too much to take if he’d just stuck to Christ’s last 12 hours straight through.
In the same way, just talking cannon law, Scripture, etc. 100% of the time MIGHT, for SOME people, get to be too much seriousness, ALL of the time. Don’t get me wrong, those things are VERY important. They are why I read this blog. But other stuff is interesting too.
Besides, Mr. Akin is trying to convert all peoples (or should I say “peeps”) to the notion that the Easter Bunny is EVILLLLL! (A notion which I’m not sure I agree with after seeing the guy in action in that google video. I mean, what did those people DO to him. Maybe they deserved it? At least one of them gave the Bunny a good shove so … Who knows? Maybe the other guys were involved in some criminal activity.)
…
Oh yeah, and I’m kidding. And I’m not making fun of the people in the story posted in THIS post. Still, it IS kinda ironic in light of that video.
I love that video.
So … mesmerizing.
I’m gonna go watch it again.
I apologize if my commentary came over as taking a shot at Mr. Akin, I did not mean that to be the case. I am just very tired of individual Catholic commentary appearing on the Net that portends to be in step with the Catholic church only to find out it is definitely out of line, primarily personal opinion.
So please accept my apology and do not read my post in that vane.
I actually learned a good bit last night by staying up very late after making the original post (I should have waited) and researching everything I could find on the Net about Mr. Akin and the Catholic Answers program he works for. My issue wasn’t the work that he does for CA, it appears it is in line with the catholic church heirarchy. My issue was with a couple of his blog entries that I stumbled upon by accident, thank google, specifically his commentary “rant” on ill people staying home from mass and not getting him or others sick. Technically correct or not his commentary inflamed others who read and replied and that need not be the case, especially if we call ourselves christians. I definitely took offense to his position on high. We all make off the cuff rants (as I did) no one is perfect but that doesn’t mean we should, especially if it upsets others (ie why I apologized in the first sentence).
As for my comment on his views “liberal” or “conservative”, Mr. Akin, don’t answer, that is between each of us and God, we will each be judged on our merits, sorry for having asked.
I am however still interested in understanding what Canon Law allows for the ordination of a non-celibate priest in the Catholic church.
Jared,
As for the “Easter Bunny” posting, wouldn’t you have rather had Mr. Akin provide you with an insight that helped you spirutually rather than placing more “Surreal” facts of this world before you to read? I know it pains me every day to see the degradation of our society (and I try not to look or hear – no TV in our house). Why allow us to expose ourselves or others to it? Maybe it is just me …
I know it pains me every day to see the degradation of our society
JJ, none of us live under a rock. We are all aware of the deeply damaged elements of our society. If you read this blog long enough you’ll know that you’ll largely encounter committed Catholics trying to be faithful to our Lord in the midst of the world.
That being said, this post is part of a long-running chain of posts alerting people everyway to the intrinstic, obvious, long-toothed evilness of the Easter Bunny.
It’s a joke. There are a few other running jokes on this blog, too. Humor is a gift of God, and helps many of us get through difficult days.
JJ: I know where you’re coming from. I really do. But I must recall that St. John Bosco (a personal hero of mine), in his early years, mixed entertainment with catechesis. (He was a particularly adept acrobat, making him an obvious favorite for such as myself.)
I see Jimmy’s running EB jokes like that. Sort of.
Y’know, actually Jimmy, this vendetta against the EB must cease. EB is only trying to HELP people (peeps).
Some day, you, too, will recognize the pow-ah of the BUNNY. Some day soon!
No matter what my wife says.
SOON.
True, Jared. And not just Don Bosco. St. Philip Neri was always joking. Once, he shaved off half his beard to get a laugh. The Little Flower was a punner and mimicer(is that a word?). So was St. Pio. St. Teresa of Avila once said: “God save us from sour-puss saints!” When you know that there’s another life waiting, you don’t have to take this one too seriously.
I can’t find any quote or sourse right now, but I have heard that St. John of the Cross would often make people laugh. John of the Cross!
On the other hand, isn’t he also the one of whom was said, “he rarely spoke, except to God or about God.” Or was that St. Dominic? Anyway, excessive laughter has ever been considered a sin. So there are two extremes here to be avoided, “sour-puss saints” and shallow comedians. If anything Jimmy leans in the direction of the latter, but not too bad I think.
G.K. Chesterton comes to mind. In Orthodoxy he wrote something like, “I have never said anything just because I thought it was funny, though I may sometimes have thought it was funny just because I said it.”
I’m reminded of the story of St. Lawrence’s martyrdom. He was essentially grilled to death, and some of his last words were something like “You can turn me over, I’m done on this side.” The story might be apocryphal, but it’s enough to make him the patron saint of comedy and comedians (and was part of my inspiration for choosing him for my confirmation name).
And let’s not forget St Philip Neri, who was famous for HIS sense of humor. As for Jimmy, I’ll trust what he says on faith/spirituality more than I do my pastor, who’d rather not cause anyone any offense or distress by stating clearly what the Church teaches.
I’m not much for all the Sci-Fi postings… but that’s just because it’s not an interest of mine. I’ve learned, and continue to learn, a great deal from the postings on Jimmy’s site and appreciate the time and effort he puts forth into it.