The Homo-Hater-In-Chief
That would be the Rat they picked for Pope. Here's how Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, puts it:
"Today, the princes of the Roman Catholic Church elected as Pope a man whose record has been one of unrelenting, venomous hatred for gay people, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. In fact, during the reign of John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger was the driving force behind a long string of pronouncements using the term 'evil' to describe gay people, homosexuality, and marriage equality. As a long-time Catholic from a staunchly Catholic family, I know that the history of the church is full of shameful, centuries-long chapters involving vilification, persecution, and violence against others. Someday, the church will apologize to gay people as it has to others it has oppressed in the past. I very much doubt that this day will come during this Pope's reign. In fact, it seems inevitable that this Pope will cause even more pain and give his successors even more for which to seek atonement."
Let's hope the creep has a successor very soon.
Amy, publicly wishing for the man's death at the moment of his ascension to Papacy is probably not the best rhetorical move.
Cosh quoted the NYT:
> Pope Benedict's well-known stands include
> the assertion that Catholicism is "true"
> and other religions are "deficient"; that
> the modern, secular world, especially in
> Europe, is spiritually weak; and that
> Catholicism is in competition with Islam.
>
> In other words--oh my God! They picked a
> Catholic to be Pope!
Crid at April 20, 2005 11:10 AM
But, I think he's going to cause much harm in the world. I don't condone any violence against anyone -- and, in keeping with that, I am against the death penalty. I do, however, wish that his pancreas would give out or something, before he has much time to preach against condom use in Africa, and the like.
Amy Alkon at April 20, 2005 12:15 PM
"oh my God! They picked a Catholic to be Pope!"
What do you think about the disappointment and concern that many Catholics are expressing with the choice of the new pope? Clearly, to be Catholic doesn't require hostility toward Islam, secularism, or anything particular belief system held in good conscience. To be Catholic also doesn't mean falling into a mindless lockstep behind the Vatican. I have an uncle who's been a Catholic priest for more than 50 years in rural New Zealand. He is not a liberation theologian or warrior for any lefty social cause. However, he thinks that prohibiting women from the priesthood is silly. He accepts homosexuality as part of the normal human range of behavior. And he thinks that making celibacy an option rather than a requirement in the priesthood makes a lot of sense (though he notes that, as a senior citizen, this particular reform wouldn't make any difference for him now). I'd bet money that his opinions are shared by many Catholic priests, especially those who are doing the day-to-day work of serving real people (instead of hanging out with a bunch of holy drag queens in Rome).
We deserve a better pope!
Lena at April 20, 2005 1:22 PM
I was going to try and post something deep and meaningful on this topic.
Instead here's a link my 14 year old son sent me. Seems by noon yesterday commentary like about the Rat were posted all over the hot gaming sites (even the kiddies are aware, it seems):
http://popepalpatine.ytmnd.com/
Kimberly at April 20, 2005 5:24 PM
He's ugly too!
Lena at April 20, 2005 6:56 PM
> ...time to preach against condom use
> in Africa...
Granted, rubbers could save lives in Africa, but wording is important. That's not the same thing as saying that Catholicism is killing all those folks. Those behaviors have other origins.
> ...to be Catholic doesn't require hostility
> toward Islam...
What hostility? OF COURSE he thinks his faith is superior, and wants to convert others. It's almost tautalogical.
> We deserve a better pope!
I trust, paleface, that you are Catholic, what with that "we" and all.
> He's ugly too!
Big Ben has always spoken highly of YOUR appearance....
Crid at April 20, 2005 8:45 PM
Lena - so you're basically saying that the good, the useful part of Catholicism is what is being carried out by the likes of your Uncle? Sounds OK to me. But it begs the question as to what purpose the lavish stadium show in Rome serves?
One particularly nasty purpose seems to be to put recruiting above public health. Crid absolves the church of direct responsibility for African deaths due to AIDS, as if it is possible to deny that most African Catholics (as they constutite a minority) are committed to their faith - that which is handed down from Rome. Given that it is already a hassle to don a condom in the throws of passion, a little nudge from the Holy See goes a long way. So long as the Pope knows that the people will follow his dictates, he is culpable for the deaths that come from the denial of the fact that condoms reduce the spread of HIV.
If this, and the protection of field agents who fondle little boys, is what we get from the Vatican, I say we liquidate. Sell the whole damned thing and disband the insipid and manufactured heirarchy of fancy hats. How much starvation in Africa could be bought with the proceeds from St. Peters?
Chris Wilson at April 20, 2005 10:22 PM
Yep, I'm post-Catholic, but the "we" to which I referred wasn't "us" Catholics, but rather the people of the world whose lives are affected by the Sumptiously Dressed Eunuchs of Rome. I grew up in New York City, so I'm also post-Jewish. As a resident of Los Angeles, my current denomination is Kylie Minoque, of course.
"he thinks his faith is superior, and wants to convert others."
A lot of American Jews think their faith is superior, but they don't evangelize. They're too busy writing good books, eating well, and inventing all sorts of shit. The Catholic Church is having such a popularity crisis these days, the only way to attract new idiots is to turn up the charismatic evangelism. (Bad poetry and golden chalices just don't hold an audience like they used to. Priests need to start jumping around and sweating a bit.) Soon they'll be showing up on your doorstep with their own versions of "Watchtower" and "Awake!"
Lena at April 20, 2005 10:29 PM
Chris -- My uncle is a neat guy all around. A lot of the Maori people in his area are Catholic, and he does a lot of services in the Maori language (somehow I doubt there's only one Maori language!) He spends a lot of his time running around the island helping people celebrate or otherwise process the big events of life (ie, doing weddings, funerals, etc), and he does not live lavishly. He was in his early 20s when the church stationed him in New Zealand. Not long after arriving, he met a nice Maori girl while he was out surfing one day, and he almost left the priesthood for her. He was quite a babe when he was young. I would've fallen for him too. -- Lena
Lena-doodle-doo at April 20, 2005 11:31 PM
Hi !
All this could be taken a bit more seriously if the opinions were expressed in supposedly "correct" English. I guess the spellcheckers and grammar correctors are having a bad day, just like me. (sigh, then grin)
Who doesn't have a bad day, after all ?! (wider grin) The much vaunted "Springtime in Paris" is sure taking its time. The weather is Februarylike.
Crid, it's not "tautalogical" but "tautological".
Chris W., it's not "in the throws of passion" but "in the throes of passion". It's not "St. Peters" but "St. Peter's".
Lena – you said "Bad poetry and golden chalices just don't hold an audience like they used to."
Why, shucks, look at it this way: 'way back then, after providing food and shelter to one another, people had to occupy their time by:
a) having sex and reproducing;
b) making war; and/or
c) worshipping a deity at one altar or another.
Land sakes, nowadays, we have professional sports, the media, bungee jumping, the internet, and a whole lotta other neat stuff to occupy our time. (smile) We're just not limited to a, b, and c.
You watch: someone over Vatican City way will come up with some kind of "J-P II miracle", soon, to keep the media spotlight focused.
L'Amerloque (sans spellchecker and grammar corrector - I apoligize to all for my typing mistakes and my bad mood. Growl.)
L'Amerloque at April 21, 2005 9:03 AM
Don't they sell Midol in France?
Lena at April 21, 2005 10:07 AM
>A lot of American Jews think their faith is superior, but they don't evangelize
That's a big difference between the Jewish religion and the Christian one. In the Torah and Talmud exist passage after passage about how Jews are the greatest thing since flaming ox-scent (I still love this). The additions in the Christian bible mollify (without disputing) this viewpoint and tell Christian's to 'go out and spread the word.' Even 'Gospel' means good news. So both groups are really only doing what they've been told by 'God,' annoying as both may be.
Ein Fuhrer einen Ratzinger said today that he's old and doesn't think he'll live very long. The best thing he could do with his few short years is to remove JPII's "YESBishops" and put Catholicism's best minds in those positions. Too bad he's not going to.
Excuse my German if that's totally wrong, I only learned it for about 6 weeks and I think I was in sixth grade or something at the time.
Little ted at April 21, 2005 11:52 AM
David Rensin's son Emmett came up with the funniest line for Ratzinger's appointment:
"From Heil Hitler to Heil Mary."
Amy Alkon at April 21, 2005 12:31 PM
> but they don't evangelize
Evangelizing is wrong?
> their own versions of "Watchtower"
The best was Hendrix'.
> Hi !
Blow me.
> Don't they sell Midol in France?
Interesting judgment call on your part; After all these months of double-spaced text, the gender of the correspondent is still indeterminate. Have you seen some quick-drying dripping of glandular function that I missed?
> ...both groups are really only doing what
> they've been told by 'God,'....
If an effort at persuasion is all at takes to crush your communal spirit and harsh your willingness to reflect, turn off the computer; throw away your TV; shred your books, reject all company. As Paglia used to say, "Stay home and do your nails." This planet does not spin for your needs, and you won't make it through another winter anyway.
> "From Heil Hitler to Heil Mary."
As I understand it, Benny the Rat did time in Allied custody (including six months in American re-education camps) despite never having offered the Nazis anything but a teaspoon of warm spit and a trail of footprints.
Your calculus for friendship must be really, really complex.
Crid at April 21, 2005 8:27 PM
Crid- I agree with you. Hendrix did the best cover of Watchtower. After a few thousand listenings the famous glissando still gives me shivers.
L'Amerloque- you have to remember half of us are either avoiding work or drunk at the time we write this.
Lena- yes, you pointed out what "glissando" meant from Bowie, and I have been dying to use it somewhere for months.
eric at April 21, 2005 8:53 PM
Fucker.
Crid at April 21, 2005 8:56 PM
"Evangelizing is wrong?"
No. But it's tedious and embarrassing, at best. Evangelicals should just "stay home and do their nails."
Lena-doodle-doo at April 21, 2005 11:25 PM
I assume most people are working drunk as they write this.
Evangelicals should stay home and get nailed and leave the rest of us alone.
Amy Alkon at April 22, 2005 12:30 AM
> But it's tedious and embarrassing...
It's probably been said better by deeper thinkers, and the exact anecdote is forgotten, but it was Iaccocca's book twenty years ago that first made the idea stick: Liberals want things to go great by accident. We must never challenge each other, or make demands, on train each other aggressively, or expect any stoicism in the face of heartache. And of course, we must NEVER judge.
What is that?
Crid at April 22, 2005 5:46 AM
Crid --
I think I'm missing your point. Are you suggesting that evangelicals are intellectually challenging? That's funny.
Rock on,
Lena
Lena-doodle-doo at April 22, 2005 7:20 AM
> ...both groups are really only doing what
> they've been told by 'God,'....
>If an effort at persuasion is all at takes to crush your communal spirit and harsh your willingness to reflect, turn off the computer; throw away your TV; shred your books, reject all company. As Paglia used to say, "Stay home and do your nails." This planet does not spin for your needs, and you won't make it through another winter anyway.
?
I'm sorry, I must have missed sixty minutes. What is this?
Little ted at April 22, 2005 11:10 AM
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