It's stick that in your Pope & smoke it

[sam7777]

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I hate the power that this institution wields. I hate that it attempts to influence my government's policies (and even more that my President seems to have no respect for the concept of "separation between church and state" .

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jsr: Agreed. What bothers me about the papacy is the SECULAR power that they wield for bad such as funding the campaigns for anti-gay laws as GG has said and how they are pandered to by the shrud and other political leaders.



BTW the RAT was the one who wrote the letter recommending denial of communion to pro-abortion candidates like Kerry but not to Death penalty supports in an act of utter hypocrisy:

New Pope Denied Kerry Communion



The irony is that RATzinger is the opposite of Hugo Black. While Black was a KKK member who became more tolerant on the Supreme Court, RATzinger came from an anti-nazi family but has become more intolerant as time goes by. The man is actually a more of Nazi now than when he was a forced to be a Hitler Youth.



As far as I am concerned, there is nothing good about the RAT and however short his term, he can and will do great harm.

_____________________

I still see dead lesbian cliches

[Gatito Grande]

Thank you, Jill, for pointing out the still genuinely loving side of Roman Catholicism: I know several RCs (clergy and lay) who are like this.



. . . and what makes it all the more tragic, is that it is they who (after LGBT Catholics) are most vulnerable to the new Pope.



I have this sick obsession w/ watching EWTN (conservative RC cable network). They are wetting their pants on that network, in their joy at "the Holy Spirit's work" in electing Pope Rat. And it is people like your "Father Tom" above, who they can't wait to get rid of: they think the new Pope will clean house of all (remaining) liberals.



GG It is to all RCs like Father Tom, and your gf's family, Jill, that I say: "the Episcopal Church Welcomes You!" All the sacramental glory---and a few of our churches do twangy lesbian-like guitar masses too ---without the decrepit, Nazi-mentality Supreme Pontiff squashing us from the top. Everybody wins! Out

[maudmac]

EWTN, bleh. Poor old Mother Angelica. Pre-stroke, she used to get carted all over Birmingham in a Mercedes that always made me wonder if Jesus would drive a Mercedes, knowing as he would how many people could be fed for the price of Mercedes. It was a donation as I understand it, but what would Jesus have done with such a donation? I think I know the answer to that one. You don't even have to read the Bible to be able to answer that question. If I know it, why doesn't Mother Angelica?



Tis a secret, but there's a really nice, beautiful, big Our Lady of Guadalupe in tile out there at EWTN somewhere that I happen to know was made by two lesbians. I don't believe that Mary or Jesus would mind their images rendered by gay hands, but I'm inclined to think people like Mother Angelica and Pope Benny would. And that's unfortunate and a crying shame. It's abominable what humanity has done with Christ's message, which even I, a non-Christian, believe are wise ideals and worth striving to live by.



Oh well. That's humans for you.



I'm disappointed but not surprised by the election of this new pope. And I continue to be outraged that the Vatican wants to influence our laws. You'd think it would have its hands full just dealing with its own global flock. Until I get to vote in these papal elections, the Vatican needs to keep its nose out of my bedroom.

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don't make me come up there - satan

[urnofosiris]

Well the Vatican and ´new´ pope are wasting no time to condemn the evil Spaniards for becoming the 3rd country in Europe to allow gay marriage. Go Spain btw, really some much needed good news.

[Gatito Grande]

As someone who believes in the primacy of conscience (after all your conscience is the "you" which makes moral decisions), here's a scary read.

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But in the Ratzinger reading of conscience, papal teaching authority would have to be ultimate and unquestionable. Think about it. First you claim that a person’s unknown, unconscious nature is more important than any "superficial" self-conscious reasoning and awareness; then you assert that you have been given the key to elucidate the essential truths hidden beneath the surface. If some disagree, their dissent can only arise from their morally reprehensible denials of their internal promptings of truth.

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GG All it takes, is for "Papa-Ratzi" to gain control of the powers of the state (as he has in Poland, and . . . here in the Fundamentalist States of America?), and we're right back to the Inquisition. Freedom of thought consists solely in the freedom to agree w/ the Pope---and here's some thumbscrews to correct your "erroneous conscience" Out



When Benedict "gets medieval" on your arse, it's gonna leave a mark



[Hey Holley--- I was actually IN 'Bama---for the First Time Ever!---over the weekend (passing through, from Florida back to Michigan). I even saw the turn-off to what I call "Mother Angelica's Pleasure Palace"! I also heard her speak, by phone (on TV), this week on her birthday: she's really Out Of It now. It's almost sad . . . ]

[maudmac]

Mother Angelica's Pleasure Palace, indeed.



Speaking of 'Bama, it's interesting to contrast Mother Angelica's multi-million dollar theme park with Ave Maria Grotto, built by a Benedictine monk. It's made from scraps and some things that were probably trash. Just bits and pieces, bottles, mirrors, etc. A labor of love, to recreate Jerusalem in miniature. It's interesting and kind of beautiful. (You must've passed by it, too, if you were on I-65.)



Pope Benny's over there in Rome with his moral absolutism thoughts thinking I'm evil and I'm sitting here with my own moral absolutism thoughts thinking he's the one who's really evil. Were it not for the fact that he's got the power to subject me to his morality, this would all be well and good.

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don't make me come up there - satan

[urnofosiris]

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"Papa-Ratzi"

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Now there´s a great name that says it all. I think I´ll go with that one, pope Benny (a good one too) makes him sound a little too innocent to my ears.

[Gatito Grande]

NPR has just announced that Benedict will get around St. Peter's Square on some sort of motorized transportation "different than the Pope-mobile."



I couldn't help but think of that episode of South Park, that riffed off of the so-called "Ginger" scooter (before it was introduced---can't remember what it was called now). On South Park, the prototype of this scooter had a control rudder that one inserted up one's ass . . . and I thought, how FREAKIN' PERFECT for a tight-ass like Ratzi!



GG Let's just all pause and share that imagery. Out

[AmbersSecretAdmirer]

Yep, Pope Benny certainly isn't wasting any time in making us all of decent morals feel despair at the weight he will place upon his bigoted views.

I still don't think, in respect of the German posters here, that we should use the term Nazi. It does have, in Benny's hands, racist as well as political overtones and the German posters here may not like it as it may be seen as stating that ALL Germans are Nazis. Not saying that is the intent, but it may be the result.

Let's call him what he is: A narrow-minded, narrow-hearted, conservative, bigoted homophobe who is capable of doing real damage to the world under the cloud of "moral indignation". If that seems a bit long-winded, let's just stick with "Pope Benny" and assume that ehre on the board that names is a description of the man as I have given.

[Urn of Osiris]

I would never assume to think that all German's are Nazi's. In fact I never even mentioned that Benny was German. I merely pointed out that he has a history of Nazi-like behavior. I use the term because for me it defines evil that wears a disguise. I can understand a 16 year old boy, as was his age when he joined, being seduced by the power. He learned very young to hate for no other reason than hating. He lived through that horrible war. His message should be of peace and love, not hate and bigotry. He has learned nothing from that time as a Nazi Youth. He has been given the title of "Universal Shepherd." Who is he shepherding? Those that obey him? Universal means all.

I can still smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly. It must be Pope Benny spreading his message again.

[sam7777]

Urn of Osiris: Absolutely. My opinion on Pope Benny is not reflection on any other group. The RAT was actually more liberal when he was young and became a right winger later in life.

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wopope0421,0,462491.story?coll=ny-leadworldnews-headlines
Two views of Benedict

Later, Ratzinger would become a theology professor in Germany, associated with some of the leading liberal theologians of his time, but reportedly was deeply disturbed by the student revolts of 1968 and retreated from some of his earlier positions in the years afterward.

The RAT made his own turn to the right long after any experiences under the Nazis. This is why I feel absolutely no need to cut him any slack. Period. I only hope that his papacy will end before he causes too much harm.