Pope Benedict condemns gay equality laws

Since the 1970's "ecumenical movement" -where most churches and the Pope joined together- they have enjoyed an increased influence to run your show out of town. The Pope is smart enough to go along with water being found and all that stuff enabling him to maintain his grip.

Consider yourself gripped?

i would think that he has one of the many catholic priests that he is hiding assigned to that.

HA! That's a good trick. I'm going to try that at home!

I take no responsibility...lol...

I think everybody can, but as a catholic you get extra glee when telling his holiness to go fuck himself.

I couldn't have said it better!

You shame me. You so excellently -- and exquisitely -- expressed my thoughts in a way I haven't the ability to do.

Harken back to the 1500s when the Spaniards dismembered Native Americans and then poured molten lead into the stumps of their limbs in order to bring them into the loving arms of the Church.

"strip churches of their tax exempt status" and just screw all the community service work/outreach programs that churches go to at great lengths to start to help others in their areas who are less fortunate. WONDERFUL IDEA!

There are several large flies in your salve [ointment]. Churches NOT paying taxes does give them the wherewithal to help people but it also strips everybody else of HELPING THEMSELVES.

Not to mention also that businessmen currently cheat their Employees as many ways they can so they can plop the big tithes in the Sunday donations plate, depriving their Employees being able to do it.

The current system sucks rotten eggs. It encourages mass cheating of employees and all taxpayers, plus keeping people dependent on outside help when what they really need is THEIR MONEY IN THEIR POCKET and everybody else's hands out of THEIR POCKET.

Shell Games are for children [and Xmas-brain adults who don't want to GROW UP].

I would hope that those churches are the exception, and not the rule.

I know that religion is very corrupt, but I also have been a part of some amazing and honest churches growing up that were all out focused on giving back to the community and not just trying to swindle their congregation for personal gain. I do hear you though!

Then hear my family that did without raises I should've had so my employers on Sundays could play big man at the synagogue/church helping their member's children go on to be doctors and highly paid lives. That was taken from my children by Jews and Catholics and Protestants all alike, all the same.

Anyone outside the group is considered mongrel trash. As well their wife & kids. My religious persuasion is Jehovah's Witnesses and we totally cleaned our congregations of this scummy hatefulness. We do not pass a contribution plate at all.

The other churches keep doing it, thereby keeping the associated trash happening.

unfortunately, the roman church is not one of them.

while they stockpile billions in the treasury? plus all of the art work, gold, etc.
whatever happened to what they claim to believe: 'sell what you have and give it to the poor'? total hypocrites.

all of those monies come from the people....not the multi-billion dollars in the roman treasury. i'd rather see taxes on the books and accountability before any exempt status, for which they are not to get involved in politics, which is so done whenever a 'social' issue comes up.

Have you seen the Vatican? It doesn't look like they're too interested in donating any more than what is necessary to improve their reputation, after all, it is cheaper than advertising. Churches make a retarded amount of money off of hard working people, and what proof do they offer of the donations going to work towards charitable organizations? It's not like their books are transparent now are they? And churches themselves are not charitable organizations. They are buildings where people who need a sense of community go to make each other feel superior to anyone who doesn't follow the right way as the pope was so kind to prove by making such bigoted statements so regularly. They sit and read a book written by other self righteous fools who've never even met the person they're worshiping, just waiting to eat that tiny ass piece of bread and the cap full of grape juice that they paid for, I might add. Don't preach to me about the good they've done for that good is idle gossip without any convincing evidence.

Who's preaching? I didn't say ALL churches. Why can't an opposing opinion be expressed here anymore without everyone else jumping on the hate-wagon? I'm not catholic, I don't approve of the popes opinion, and I understand that there is a lot of dirty dealings in the religious sect. I'm just saying that some churches are actually out there trying to help others and better the world and that taking away their tax exempt status could hurt those efforts. sheesh.

The question is though sk0j0 is that if ANY church is a social function helping the world then they should be showing where the money is going. They should be organized -in whole or even in part- under a Non-Profit and their books be open for review regading non church activities. US Taxpayers demand to know, not be strapped to a BLIND FAITH BARREL.

In particular the Roman Catholic Church has been profiting greatly operating behind a false curtain. And behind that curtain of money some of that money has paid for prostitutes or gave priests the money they needed to dangle in front of young parishioners.

Ryan8566 raised some very valid questions also that are closely related to the charity and social issues because too many churches have left off doing proper church work commissioned by Christ Jesus and bled over into being a lobbyist, using their weight to change elections. Jesus never said for his followers to act as a single big election-steering organization.

A majority of churches are neglecting proselytizing and doing everything else... as if they think everything else can take the place of making new disciples. Technically speaking every Christian is supposed to be a qualified preacher & spreader of the Gospel about God's Kingdom. In Revelation the conglomerate of churches is portrayed as a drunken woman riding a beast's back (telling the beast which way to go).

The time has come near for the beast to throw that woman from its back and gore that false-to-Christ woman to death. Did John mean real death? Revelation is symbolic. It may very well be a real destruction, and deserved so, or it could be just to finally make the woman pay taxes. That's what should happen at the very least. All churches should be accountable. When churches escape paying taxes it makes the non-believers shoulder heavier taxes.

That isn't Christ-like => that's evil.
Quit making excuses for evil plz.

Definitely something for me to mull over Gravity_Man. Breaking it down like that puts things into perspective.

"Blanket" answers that worked once for a smaller population don't work so great at 307 million. Keeping the borders wide open contributes to keeping everything in a state of turmoil. Nobody can gain their feet.

It suits some people's purposes to keep Americans reeling, a house divided.

Next stop is The Vatican Yippee we all going' to the chapel ...

Stupid as usual. The pope, like millions of others, is guilty of being born in the wrong nation at the wrong time. I think that calling a pope a nazi is an insult to millions of others at that same time and place who found themselves in the same position.

edit: LOL This comment got voted down twice. I really need to start preaching to the choir.

I can see the resemblance.

How is he a former Nazi? And I've never read anywhere that he protected the priests, though obviously pedophilia was afoot.

OMG he looks just like the Evil Emperor of the Dark Side. Amazing similarity. WOW!!!

You goof-ball.

An opinion piece by "Austin Cline" of "atheism.about.com" (LOL)?

If you're going to consider that to be a reliable and unbiased source of information on the pope, then how about pasting more than just your hand selected portion of Austin Cline's opinions on the pope?

About.com "EXPERT", Austin Cline, also wrote in the same article:

=====================================================

There is absolutely no reason to think that Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, is now or has ever been secretly a Nazi. Nothing he has ever said or done even remotely suggests the slightest sympathy with any of the basic Nazi ideas or goals. Any claim that he is a Nazi is implausible at best. However, that is not the end of the story.

While Ratzinger was not a Nazi in the past and Benedict XVI is not a Nazi now, there is more than enough reason to question his handling of his past. It appears that he hasn’t been honest with others — and probably not honest with himself — about what he did and what he could have done.

It’s simply not true that resistance was impossible at the time. Difficult, yes; dangerous, yes. But not impossible. John Paul II participated in anti-Nazi theater performances in Poland, yet there is no evidence of Joseph Ratzinger even doing this much.

Ratzinger may have done more than many others to resist, but he also did far less that some. It’s certainly understandable that he wouldn’t have had the courage to do more and, were he any average person, that would be the end of the story. But he isn’t an average person, is he? He’s the pope, a person who is supposed to be the successor of Peter, head of the Christian Church, and symbol of unity for all Christendom.

You don’t have to be morally perfect to hold such a position, but it’s not unreasonable to expect such a person to have come to terms with their moral failings, even the moral failings that occurred in youth when we don’t usually expect a great deal. It was an understandable mistake or failing not to do more against the Nazis, but still a failing that he hasn’t come to terms with — it sounds rather like he is in denial. In a sense, he has yet to repent; yet he was still considered the best of all the candidates for the papacy.

==========================================

Of course, outspoken web atheists are as much an authority on the pope as the Westboro Baptist Church is an authority on LGBT contributions to society. Similarly, would you suggest that the pope is an authority on atheism?

When the religious have something to say about atheists, I think it should be taken with a grain of salt. I feel the same about a fervent atheist's opinions on the pope.

About.com? Are you kidding me?

HAHAHAHAHA thought you'd get a kick out of that. I was trying to say that there is no proof of the Pope's alleged Nazi ties.

Happens all the time, called Voting.

hmm fair enough.

I feel as if a lot of the more moderate opposition (that is, not the extreme anti-gay rights crowd) chooses to go against this sort of legislation for that fear: that their own institutions will be legally forced to accept and perform gay marriages.

While it would be nice if religious institutions could have a more realistic view of society and how to respond to social injustices in cases like these, what is most important is that the legislation doesn't force its hand into theology. If I recall correctly, a large part of the idea behind the separation of church and state is not only that religion spoils government, but that government interference spoils religion.

Of course, with our American legislation, this isn't a problem. No church or temple or whatever it may be has to perform services or rituals if they do not want to, but fearmongers are certainly making people feel as if that is the case. This is deeply unfair, because in reality the real issue is that marriage (as far as the US example goes) is a civil institution which has been divested of religious value quite some time ago (that is to say, the government does not qualify the nature of your union as being of any particular religion) and is mostly beneficial in offering, literally, over one thousand rights, which many gay couples in civil unions do not have full access to.

Common examples include hospital visitation rights and the right to remains.

I cannot be certain if the UK is handling it in the same manner, as I have read very little about their approach. Ultimately, however, conservatives should realize that placing restrictions on society will only cause more issues and dissatisfaction in the long run. Although I understand and respect the pope's concern, these issues are caricatured for mass consumption and I'm sure this is not going to win him any fans.

Teeheeehehehe. I must admit, my first thought upon seeing that picture was "force lightning".

Does your hatred and intolerance violate natural law also?

fuck the pope indeed.

Goood...Let your hatred flow through you!

Its a tactical response. There is growing disillusion from hard line conservative Protestants as their church has gotten more and more liberal in response to societal changes. The pope is basically opening the door to hardliners with this statement, showing the church as a bulwark against liberalization of doctrine. Whether this will result in a rise in Protestants moving to the Roman Catholic Church or vice versa, remains to be seen.

I myself find all this shit hilarious...

You're totally right. I'm Wiccan, so I vehemently disagree with the Pope's views, but I think the right to religion should be exercised. Sure, the Church may not have as many followers as before, but to stand up for one's religion is a sign of Dedication, no matter how ridiculous.

Religion is here just to give us some hope of what lies beyond the Afterlife: Eternal Happiness? Eternal Damnation? Reincarnation?

Sorry, but I could never be atheist, there has to be something after this life, but I don't believe it will be an eternal nap, that would suck sooooo much. Especially when your brain rots and you can no longer dream...

Blessed be.

fair enough but with all that being said why should a religion have the right to dictate laws that effect people not even of that religion? i'm all for freedom of religion no matter what form (personally it's freedom from religion) but religion has no place in the political realm. you wouldn't get that impression from the american political system but religious law should have no bearing on common law.

I'm a Wiccan too, or I wouldn't bother setting you straight. The one thing Wiccans have in common is our oath to harm none. How can you say "Bravo! Go religious freedom!" when he is spouting a message of hate? I'm all for religious freedom too, but this guy wants to change legislature that has affects on many things, none of which have anything to do with his church as far as I can tell. I don't know a single gay person who would admit to going to church, or one who is all up in arms because the pope won't perform his/her ceremony. There is no reason to say "Go pope!" when the only thing he could be defending is delusion.

And for the rest of you out there, I'm only Wiccan because God is a useful placebo like tool.

Don't forget about his red Prada shoes....so gay.

As he skips down the hallways of the Vatican, singing, "Tra la la la la la la!"

true...fighting unrelenting and overtly discriminatory heads of doctrine, with words, is very, very exhausting...however, this is Current, and that's part of what we do here...

We're all thinking the same clever words and sentences.

Spare that gay penguin, will you?!

Another loving one loving.