Ted Turner - Recent Controversies

Recent Controversies

Turner once called observers of Ash Wednesday "Jesus freaks," though he apologized, and dubbed opponents of abortion "bozos."

In 2008, Turner explained he not only regretted these statements but said he had made peace with organized religion and had joined with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and the United Methodist Church to fight malaria. In a 2008 MSNBC interview, Turner stated that he no longer considers himself atheist or agnostic, and prays for sick friends, but keeps it short because "I don't want to load up the wires."

Turner caused a stir in Montana in 2003 by funding a project to restore westslope cutthroat trout to Cherry Creek and Cherry Lake. The controversy stemmed from the poison antimycin used to kill fish in the stream.

In 2008, Turner also received attention when he asserted on PBS's Charlie Rose television program that if steps are not taken to address global warming, within 30 to 40 years "most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals." Turner also said in the interview that he advocated drastically cutting the U.S. military budget and Americans having no more than two children.

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