wednes: (Default)
wednes ([personal profile] wednes) wrote2005-04-19 04:04 pm
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One more job I'm out of the running for: or Even Ned Flanders would dislike this guy:

Crochety old man made new Pontiff. Promises more of the same...but not as fun. Pope Benedict XVI, it seems, has had it up to here *indicates mitre* with the liberalism and acceptance of other cultures propagated in contemporary society.

He's sick and tired of women working outside the home (in trousers, no less), people having sex and forming families with those they love (unless of course their union is bathed in the loving light of Christ--who never did take a wife, BTW), and people seeking deity in ways unsanctioned by him and his friends from work. Sounds like he's going to begin his new gig by condemning a whoooooole lot of people. Should be just the image builder the church has needed since everyone found out they passively sanctioned the rape and molestation of hundreds of children.

Seriously, this guy is going to set them back 100 years.
And for the Catholic Church, that means the 1700's.

I hear people saying "well, he's 78...he won't be around too long". But it's not like this guy's going to be doing any manual labor. Those poor Catholics could be in for 20+ years of ultra conservative diddley.

Think I'll pop some corn, pull up a comfy chair and just watch people flock away from The Church.


I was not raised in the church. My mom decided when I was in 7th grade that the neighborhood schools were not good, so we were going to Catholic school. Since it was less expensive for parish members, we all had to get baptized and attend church. Myself, I was totaly welcoming and "into it". The idea that a big guy in the sky had a grand plan for us seemed very inviting. And the whole "infinite light of god" dealie sounded very nice to a disturbed, depressed little punk such as myself.

The next year, was Confirmation Year. Confirmation is when you take the oaths that your godparent takes for you at baptism. You confirm that you will be a Catholic for the rest of your life. But here's the thing...you're 13 years old. Tell me any other lasting choice a 13 year old is allowed to make for themself? There is none...because 13 year olds don't know enough about themselves, the world and the choices that will face them in the future to make any such choice. We were told to get confirmed, so we did. There was no choice about it. I could go on and on about how disengenuous this all felt to me at the time, but I won't. My biggest problem with Christian churches in general is the indoctrination of children before they have gotten a chance to figure things out for themselves. Apparently the adage: if you love something, set it free and it will return to you, doesn't apply to God.

You all know how it ends...I found a path that doesn't require me to shun anyone based on who they love or how they worship, a path that understands that there is more to morality than sex, and a path that asserts we should not hate ourselves for the things we think, and that we should care for the earth so it will care for us. (I've always kind of felt that the official christian stance on the earth is similar to your spoiled cousin who gets all the expensive birthday gifts: "it's mine, I'll do what I want with it!" as he flies his remote control airplane into Aunt Millies barbeque pit because he can.) It's been nice.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2005-04-20 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
The other front runner for Pontiff was a Nigerian guy.

[identity profile] nate101000.livejournal.com 2005-04-20 12:47 pm (UTC)(link)
It doesn't matter who the other front runner was. In fact, can you seriously believe that the black dude even had a chance? Saying they might elect a black pope doesn't make it multicultural. Jessie Jackson can run for president, but that doesn't make the presidential race a multicultural event.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2005-04-20 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
What Dave actually said was "I had predicted that they would play the multicultural card and still manage to take the church back 100 years. I shouldn't have given them that much credit."

Meanning, I had predicted they would have elected the Nigerian fellow, even though that probably would have meant more of the same. Of course in retrospect, I should have known they wouldn't elect a black man.

Which is essentially what you've said, only in a needlessly confrontational and contrary manner.

I know as a pagan, popedom is very important to you, but I'd appreciate it if you could try to play nice in my journal.

[identity profile] nate101000.livejournal.com 2005-04-21 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)
No that's not what I said. My point is that they didn't play the multicultural card at all. They did the same shazbot that they always do.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2005-04-21 03:50 pm (UTC)(link)
But one of the front runners was a black guy from Nigeria. Black counts as multi-cultural now.

[identity profile] nate101000.livejournal.com 2005-04-22 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
How can there be a front runner in a contest where the candidates are not allowed to campaign? The media stirred up the multicultural card. The Catholic Church did not. Do you honestly believe that they were torn between the former Nazi youth, and the black guy? It took 2 days to decide, I don't think it was a tough decision.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2005-04-22 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
Well gee, if they're not allowed to campaign, then I'm sure they're not. Because no one ever does anything they aren't supposed to do.

Why do you have to take such umbridge at the assertion that they could have chosen a black guy and didn't?

[identity profile] nate101000.livejournal.com 2005-04-24 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"Why do you have to take such umbridge at the assertion that they could have chosen a black guy and didn't?"
Because instead they chose a Nazi.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2005-04-24 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
The vatican choosing a Nazi has nothing to do with the way you talk to Dave.

[identity profile] nate101000.livejournal.com 2005-04-25 12:27 pm (UTC)(link)
If you please re-read the thread you will see that I was not in any way rude. I asked a simple question.

Dave: "I had predicted that they would play the multicultural card and still manage to take the church back 100 years."
Nate: "How is it multicultural?"

I guess the next time someone makes a statement that I don't understand, I'll just keep my keyboard to myself.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2005-04-25 04:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I found your next 3 comments after that to be needlessly confrontational...but upon rereading I can concede that I may be reading too much into your exclamation points.

[identity profile] nate101000.livejournal.com 2005-04-25 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
And that they were directed at you, not at dave.