New Pope is Joseph Ratzinger - from Bavaria

[latecomer 11]

@parnell

 

i appreciate that it is not easy to follow everything they are asking you to do. my point was that most of the people outraged at the choice of a conservative pope have no claim on it, as they are not or no longer practising catholics. just wondered what those people thing for whom the pope is the head of their church, even if they don't buy everything he says ;-)

[latecomer 11]

@JW i have heard 1.1 billion bandied around as the number of catholics, over the last few days.

[Jules Winnfield 60]

1.1B is a LOT of people isn’t it? Lots of votes, lots of political interests...

[marya 2]

would be interested to hear their views, it seems that everyone else wanted a pope who would encourage condom use, allow abortion, ordain women, allow same-sex marriage, be anit-war (pick and choose as desired). i wonder what true followers of the faith think.

*

 

Sorry, latecomer, that's not true. Very ethnocentric to think that way. The vast majority of serious Catholics want MORE controls, not less. Those would be Catholics in the Philippines, India, Africa, Brazil, all of Latin America, etc. etc.

 

It's only the Westernized cultures that want more liberal rules.

 

And look who was voted Pope: the 'Vatican Enforcer' himself!! It's not the Jesuit 'liberation theologians' who became Cardinal and got to vote!

 

Someone wondered what God thinks of this -- hey, if you were God, would you prefer the people who put their heads on the floor 5 times a day in your name (Muslims)? How about the people who never mix meat with dairy, wear homburgs and dreadlocks, and chant in Hebrew (Jews)? Why do we think God prefers Christians, if we can't even bother to put on some clothes and go to church once a week (I include myself here)?

 

marya

[parnell 68]

@ latecomer

 

Yeh - this guy is here to kick ass and I hope he boots booty up and down Maximillianstrasse from here to kingdom come. A lotta priests I can't be arsed with cos they're so accepting ... I always liked Alice Cooper actually - I think he'd make a great Pope - he'd say - "Listen dumbasses I was a dumbfuck - don't be a dumbfuck like me and live your life straight - you'll be a lot happier - trust me on that - but if and when you fuck up , don't rely on me to applaud your dumbfucking"

 

Here's a little something he said in "The Jesus Journal":

 

"I used to celebrate moral decay, the decadence of it," he admitted. "I can look back on what I did then and what I'm doing now and they're two different things. But at the time I was the poster boy for moral decay, you know. So yeah, I've got a lot to be forgiven for...out of ignorance, I thought I was doing the right thing. I was totally in agreement that every guy should sleep with every girl and drink as much as they can. I don't believe that now. I don't believe in it, because I see how destructive it is."

 

Spiritual awakening is happening around the world, Cooper believes. "It's obvious humanity is craving for answers directly born of awareness," he said. "That's the healthiest thing I've seen in a long time because there is something better and everybody's gotta find it in their own way. People aren't feeling fulfilled by how many cars they own or the size of their stock portfolio.

 

Even the addicts are saying, 'It doesn't matter how many drugs I take, I'm not fulfilled. This isn't satisfying.' There's a spiritual hunger going on. Everybody feels it. If you don't feel it now, you will. Trust me. You will."

[parnell 68]

 

Someone wondered what God thinks of this -- hey, if you were God, would you prefer the people who put their heads on the floor 5 times a day in your name (Muslims)?  How about the people who never mix meat with dairy, wear homburgs and dreadlocks, and chant in Hebrew (Jews)?  Why do we think God prefers Christians, if we can't even bother to put on some clothes and go to church once a week (I include myself here)?

 

marya

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

i think some of what you said is a pretty shitty representation of Jews & Muslims other than ultra-Orthodox and I'm absolutely anti-circumcision and consider it a tremendous and obvious evil. I personally don't believe that J.C. has any pref for Christians etc. as all u gotta do is be the best dumbass you can and he's right there for ya - that's the message I got when I grew up as an Irish Catholic. We should have an Irish Pope anyhow.

[latecomer 11]

@marya - we agree with each other here, i actually meant exactly what you are saying. that actual catholics want a hardline pope and it is only less committed catholics in the west, or people not even catholic at all, who want progressive policy from the pope.

 

it just happens that in many of the areas where catholicism (and other religions) are strengthening, the faith is usually more strictly adhered to and they would welcome a traditionalist. the anglican church's recent problems with women/gay priests is a case in point: in the UK we were all for it, but the other regions, southern US, africa, were dead set against it, and form a majority due to numbers dropping off so badly in europe. whoever talked about religions that water down their message falling away (parnell?) has a point

[marya 2]

"We should have an Irish Pope anyhow."

 

Right, Parnell, I vote for you. Alice Cooper for vice-Pope.

 

And yes, that was a very one-note summary of Jews and Muslims, I agree. But look, their devotion is impressive! Come on, could you do Ramadan? That's my point. If Ratzinger is claiming that 'only Catholics need apply' to heaven, I don't know, but did he consult with God before he said that? I don't buy it. I think all these people prostrating themselves on the ground (toward Mecca or the Wailing Wall or whatever) are getting God's attention.

 

Okay, I'm done with the religion talk. I need to go commit a sin now.

 

m.

[acquascutum 206]

 

Catholics, brace yourselves. The world-wide Catholic love-fest is OVAH!

errm didn't it end with the start of the spanish inquisition?

[Yeti 276]

Fuck it, I've a cold, I feel like moaning and I'm sick of Ratzinger already.

 

If there is a heaven I'ld rather get into because I've done the right things in my life rather than just following the "be a good catholic" rules.

 

And if there isn't a heaven then I still want to do the right thing because I want to be good to the people that are important to me.

 

I'm glad my kids aren't going to get their heads mixed up by the "god is watching you" rubbish. I want them to be able to make decisions about what is wrong and right rather than getting hit with the sin card. Apparently thinking wasn't allowed in the version of Irish Catholicism I got lumped with until you had a 13 or 14 years of guilt training out of the way. Is burning for all eternity the right thing to confront a 4 year old with ? I'm sure as hell (oops!) happier living my life the way I live it now.

 

I have a lot of respect for people who are strong enough to believe in any religion, I just don't want them shoving it in my face.

 

By the way the rain has stopped so if anybody wants to burn me at the stake now is a good time.

[Owain Glyndwr 889]

i may have missed it but no-one seems to have mentioned that Ratzinger is a high ranking member of that rather cloak and dagger organisation "Opus Dei". Not really sure what consequences electing a member of a radically conservative (deliberate oxymoron) Pope is going to have, i can only imagine...

[Guest]

Oh No OG! I just did a quick check on Opus Dei... fuckin' frightening if you ask me. Basically, pro-fascist Catholic fundamentalism... just what we bloody needed. More insanity from God's mafia.

 

http://www.mond.at/opus.dei/

[acquascutum 206]

 

Basically, pro-fascist Catholic fundamentalism...

aahhh...so the Hitler Youth training come in handy after all.

[parnell 68]

 

Oh No OG! I just did a quick check on Opus Dei... fuckin' frightening if you ask me. Basically, pro-fascist Catholic fundamentalism... just what we bloody needed. More insanity from God's mafia.

 

http://www.mond.at/opus.dei/

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

When a site starts with the first paragraph saying it will describe the good and the bad when under each "good point" it explains why that point is in fact bad I lose interest.

[Owain Glyndwr 889]

the site isn't the best source for info on Opus Dei. I have a very good friend who is now in the priesthood and also a member of Opus Dei. He is not allowed to talk about what goes on...

[brokenm 37]

HABEMUS BAVARESEM PAPAM!!!

[WarpedMind 0]

Anybody else think that the Herr Ratzinger (alias Pope Benedict XVI) has a frightening resemblance to a certain Palpatine (alis "The Emperor")... :D

[Topsy 35]

didn't JP2 canonise Escriva (the founder of opus dei) anyway?

so no surprise that B16 is keen on them as well, is it?

 

or am I getting mixed up again...?

[Jules Winnfield 60]

Opus Dei is as misunderstood (feared->hated) as freemasonry...

[Topsy 35]

According to a v. good friend of mine whose brother is in Opus Dei, they have to give up all their earnings to the church. It's always a bit embarassing at Christmas, they never know quite what to buy him. Apparently.