I Smell a Rat

[Pangloss62]

So, Joe "The Rat" Ratzinger goes to Turkey and is forming alliances with the Orthodox Church and, to some extent, the Muslims. But this Joe is no average Joe:

"whoever succeeds to the chair of Peter obtains by the institution of Christ Himself, the primacy of Peter over the whole church", and that (s.5) "if anyone says that it is not by the institution of Christ the Lord Himself (that is to say, by divine law) that blessed Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole church; or that the Roman pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema."

Give me a break. "Christ the Lord Himself." Boy, that should give a guy a big ego. "Hey I have primacy over the whole friggin church! Christ himself says so!" What a crock of shit. It's so depressing to see how religion, in this case, Islam and Christianity, have become so enmeshed in global politics. I suppose I should not be surprised.

What makes me mad is Joe's attack on secularism, as if that is the greatest evil of all. The Vatican even has a Pontifical Council for Culture that deals with, among other terrible things, "the problem of unbelief." Fuck you Rat! My unbelief is not a problem.

[Happy Monkey]

It sorta goes with the Papal territory. Religion is a field in which believing one's own hype is considered a positive.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

It's so depressing to see how religion, in this case, Islam and Christianity, have become so enmeshed in global politics. I suppose I should not be surprised.

Don't be suprised. Revelation says the church IS the great Whore.
We all know a whore sells it's self for money and power and so the church has too if it has any political pull in any way or money making abilities. In my opinion.

http://www.answers.com/topic/whore-of-babylon

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's MR anathema to you, rat boy.:p

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

So, ... My unbelief is not a problem.

Nothing the Pope said is at odds with anything the Catholic Church has asserted during the last several thousand (thousand) years. So why would you think that all of the sudden unbelief would no longer be a problem? The Catholic Church is many things but what it is more than anything is consistent - especially in its position with regard to non-believers. I'm not sure I get why - all of the sudden- you have an issue. This issue is as old and no different than its always been. Either you is a Catholic or you isn't. There isn't any more of a between now than there was before we had calendars.

I don't care what you are or aren't. Just be it and don't bitch about it or else be something else.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I've always been Mr anathema.

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I've always been Mr anathema.

Maybe its me (undoubtedly) but I always thought anathema was one of those words that you used when you had no idea WtF you were talking about but wanted to intimidate anyone else who also didn't know WtF you were talking about from asking: "Ummm, Excuse me, Papal Dude but and I'm sure its something really important and I'm really a dumbass for asking but exactly WtF is an ANATHEMA?"

Originally Posted by Beestie

Maybe its me (undoubtedly) but I always thought anathema was one of those words that you used when you had no idea WtF you were talking about but wanted to intimidate anyone else who also didn't know WtF you were talking about from asking: "Ummm, Excuse me, Papal Dude but and I'm sure its something really important and I'm really a dumbass for asking but exactly WtF is an ANATHEMA?"

www.dictionary.com

You may want to look up scolionophobia while you are there.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Beestie

...Either you is a Catholic or you isn't......

And if you isn't, you must BURN! Muhuhuhahahahah

Think how much more efficient the Spanish Inquisition would be today. "burn them on a cross?" "no, just napalm the fuck out of them, the godless heathen bastards."

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Joe the Rat... Robert the Weasel...

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Joe the Rat... Robert the Weasel...

What'd I do to you? :p

[Pangloss62]

His job is to be at odds with secularism.

I thought his job was to oversee the Catholic Church and its adherents. I take offense of his Council labeling unbelief as a "problem." You see, "The Church" used to declare war on Islam and kill the Muslims, now they (Joe et al) want to make peace with the Muslims and all work together to fight "secularism." Like we need more crazy religious people fighting against this evil thing called secularism. I don't feel comfortable having millions of people all over the world thinking I'm "a problem."

As I've said before, we could have a woman, negro, Jewish, or even a Muslim president, but we could NEVER have an atheist president. That kind of makes me mad.

And I don't have respect for today's Catholics because they only give lip service to their faith rather than follow it. They pick and choose their secular and religious behavior as they want. The Pope is in charge, but they don't listen to him. Birth control, for example. Divorce, for another. What's the point of religion if you don't follow the rules?

[Tonchi]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

I thought his job was to oversee the Catholic Church and its adherents. I take offense of his Council labeling unbelief as a "problem." You see, "The Church" used to declare war on Islam and kill the Muslims, now they (Joe et al) want to make peace with the Muslims and all work together to fight "secularism." Like we need more crazy religious people fighting against this evil thing called secularism.

Thanks to this "secularism", most of Europe moved through the Renaissance and the Age of Reason, and jumped head-on into scientific discoveries which have turned their part of the world into a paradise compared to what it looked like in the Middle Ages. The "holy" Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, held back Spain, Mexico, and any other territories under their jurisdiction and prevented the advancement of education, science, and social services until they were forced into the 20th Century by a world war. Another result of the stranglehold of the Catholic Church was the ossification of the Spanish language (Castillian) to the point that they were forced to borrow and modify words from the developed countries so they could even discuss the world they shared. I consider the Catholic Church to be a huge part of the problem with the Philippines, which is sinking into the bottomless cesspool of ignorance and corruption while the Church praises the country for its "piety and religious devotion". On the other hand, the Islamic nations used to be the most educated, cultured, and advanced places on earth. But now they are among the poorest and most ignorant and oppressed, all thanks to the omnipresent religious control. It seems this is one area in which these two religions definitely have something in common: they are both obsessed with control and suppression of innovation and open investigation of ideas, to the horrible misfortune of their believers.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Tonchi

I consider the Catholic Church to be a huge part of the problem with the Philippines, which is sinking into the bottomless cesspool of ignorance and corruption while the Church praises the country for its "piety and religious devotion".

I think it's a little bit of 'chicken and egg'. People sunk in poverty and ignorance have a tendency to grasp at religion. This does not mean that religion promotes ignorance, or that intelligent people don't also find a need for religion. It's just that middle and upper class individuals may have less of a need to turn over aspects of their life to religious control, accepting religion as an advisor and partner and not a master.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

What'd I do to you? :p

Oh, I dunno... I touched down in Sigonella Naval Air Station once (it's in Sicily), in a previous career... didn't see any Norman weasels at the time.