OPINION:
Bill O’Reilly, the former Fox News host who’s in the midst of what you’d call Reputation Hell, said on a recent episode of his “No Spin News” show that he’s angry with God for all the suffering he’s been suffering.
That’s a bit of a ratcheting from his previous blaming of biased media — in particular, The New York Times, which he described as wanting to take him down and destroy his career. And it certainly doesn’t support the whole biblical Luke 12:7 thing, the part where it’s told how God numbers the hairs on all his children’s heads. The inherent message? If He cares about a hair, He cares about pretty much everything else. It also doesn’t support that whole biblical idea that it’s Satan, not God, who brings the evil. Why blame God?
But here’s what O’Reilly said, CNN noted: “You know, am I mad at God? Yeah, I’m mad at him. I wish I had more protection. I wish this stuff didn’t happen. I can’t explain it to you. Yeah, I’m made at him.”
O’Reilly, in the face of a number of accusations from women about sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, has denied all. That — even as The New York Times just reported on his $32 million settlement with former Fox News analyst Lis Wiehl over yet more harassment allegations.
The sacked former Fox giant has made several media appearances in recent hours to defend himself, his name and his family. At one point, he said the success of his book, “Killing England,” was apparently frustrating The New York Times — and the paper had subsequently adopted an attitude of, “You know, we didn’t kill him, so we’ve got to kill him again,” leading to more attacks.
“So they came back with another bunch of garbage,” O’Reilly said, CNN reported. “I talked to them this time just to see the devil that I was dealing with. And I truly believe that these people at The New York Times are out to hurt people with whom they disagree. They don’t want me in the marketplace. That’s what this is all about.”
Meanwhile, O’Reilly’s Twitter account is filled with more messages of self-defense.
In response to former Fox hosts Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, who recently disputed O’Reilly’s versions of the harassment charges, he wrote: “My former FNC colleagues Megyn Kelly & Gretchen Carlson wrote me notes when we worked together. You can read them on BillOReilly.com.”
And there were more, many more.
He wrote: “I’m not going to run and hide because I didn’t do anything wrong. NYT wants to take me out of the marketplace, second time they attacked me.”
And this: “My investigation team has done a superb job in exposing the lies and smear.”
And this: “When times get tough, good people accept the pain and get through it. I hope you will all read what we’ve posted on BillOReilly.com.”
And on the site BillOReilly.com?
This: “I’m stunned and it’s depressing to go through stuff like this, very painful. But the worst part about it is families get hurt. Families are devastated. And I told that to The New York Times, they don’t care.”
And to O’Reilly — neither does God.
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