Religious Arguing/News here---->

[FAHQTOO]

Yes, please...be a big humongous TWAT!!!

Then all of us other twats can chime in.

[Duchess]

You fuckers.

[Maggot]

You fuckers.

Ya think?

[Duchess]

No

[Maggot]

No

I have something in a container that smells very skunky. it was literally dropped in my lap 2 days ago and it looks as big as a pine cone. It may very well be a nice clear night out tonight and my telescope has dust on it. I think. There is a God, I'm just not sure what his or hers name is.

[Duchess]

Skunk weed. Puff, puff, pass.

[HairOfTheDog]

POPE FRANCIS ADDRESSES CHILD SEX ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Earlier this year, Pope Francis caused controversy when he made this (ill-advised and misleading, IMO) claim during an interview.

“The Catholic Church is maybe the only institution to have moved with transparency and responsibility (in regards to molestation and pedophilia),” Francis said. “No one else has done more. Yet the church is the only one to be attacked.”

--------------So, today--------------------

Pope Francis held a meeting with victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy today. It was his first such meeting since he became pontiff in March 2013.

The pope met the six victims separately after they attended a private morning Mass at the Vatican, the Associated Press reports. Of the six, two are from Ireland, two from Britain and two from Germany. Each spoke with the Pope for around 30 minutes.

During the Mass, the Pope gave a homily in which he apologized for the abuse. “I beg your forgiveness, too, for the sins of omission on the part of Church leaders who did not respond adequately to reports of abuse made by family members, as well as by abuse victims themselves,” the Pope said.

The pontiff added: “all bishops must carry out their pastoral ministry with the utmost care in order to help foster the protection of minors, and they will be held accountable.”

Though this is his first meeting, the Pope has always been clear in his condemnation of sexual abuse by the clergy. He previously described their actions as “satanic”.

Amidst criticism of the Church’s failure to tackle abuse, Pope Francis did improve the Vatican’s laws against child abuse last year. The Pope has also created a committee to tackle the issue. Amongst the committee members are an abuse victim and a cardinal. The committee is expected to announce Monday that it will incorporate more members from the developing world onto its board.

Over the past 10 years, 3,420 credible charges of sexual abuse have been referred to the Vatican. To date, 824 members of the clergy have been stripped of their office.

Ref: http://time.com/2961974/pope-francis-sex...-catholic/


I think the church still has a long way to go in cleaning house, but at least the sorta "don't ask, don't tell" policy seems to be moving towards obsoletion.

[HairOfTheDog]

I used to love watching Bill Nye......The Science Guy when I was young.

He recently pissed of the Creationists and the Evolutionists a bit (the Evolutionists because they feel he's wasting his time trying to explain science to the religious right).

Snip:
The biggest danger creationism plays, according to Bill Nye the "Science Guy," is that it is raising a generation of children who "can't think" and who "will not be able to participate in the future in same way" as those who are taught evolution.

Nye said he blames an older generation of evangelicals "who have very strong conservative views" and who are "reluctant to let kids learn about evolution." Their presence on school boards leads to debates over curriculum, Nye argued, which further inhibits schools' ability to teach facts.

"Religion is one thing. People get tremendous comfort and community with their religions," Nye said. "But whatever you believe, whatever deity or higher power you might believe in, the Earth is not 6,000 years old."

"They will not have this fundamental idea that you can question things, that you can think critically, that you can use skeptical thought to learn about nature. These children have to suppress everything that they can see in nature to try to get a world view that's compatible with the adults in who they trust and rely on for sustenance."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/13...17148.html
------------------------------------------------

Amen, Mr. Bill.

There is plenty of room for both science and religion in this world, IMO. But, I agree that teaching creationism in schools to explain how the the earth and man/woman came to be is counter-productive to meaningful education (because there is no scientific basis for it).

[HairOfTheDog]

Pope Francis Condemns Capitalism and Christian Persecution, Apologizes for Colonialism



Pope Francis delivered a fiery denunciation of modern capitalism on Thursday night, calling the "unfettered pursuit of money" the "dung of the devil" and accusing world leaders of "cowardice" for refusing to defend the earth from exploitation.

Here are some of the quotes from the Pope's speech last night.

1. "This system is by now intolerable: farmworkers find it intolerable, laborers find it intolerable, communities find it intolerable, people find it intolerable ... The earth itself ... also finds it intolerable."

2. "And behind all this pain, death and destruction there is the stench of what Basil of Caesarea, one of the church's first theologians, called 'the dung of the devil.' An unfettered pursuit of money rules. That is the dung of the devil."

3. "Working for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation. For Christians, the responsibility is even greater: it is a commandment."

4. "It is not enough to let a few drops fall whenever the poor shake a cup which never runs over by itself."

5. "I humbly ask forgiveness, not only for the offenses of the Church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America."

6. "The new colonialism takes on different faces. At times it appears as the anonymous influence of mammon: corporations, loan agencies, certain 'free trade' treaties, and the imposition of measures of 'austerity' which always tighten the belt of workers and the poor."

7. "Our common home is being pillaged, laid waste and harmed with impunity. Cowardice in defending it is a grave sin. We see with growing disappointment how one international summit after another takes place without any significant result."

Pope Francis also called the recent persecution of Christians a "genocide."

"Today we are dismayed to see how in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world many of our brothers and sisters are persecuted, tortured and killed for their faith in Jesus. This too needs to be denounced: in this third world war, waged piecemeal, which we are now experiencing, a form of genocide -- and I stress the world genocide -- is taking place, and it must end."

The Pope said he's often asked why he focuses so intently on what some Christians call the "least and the lost." Read the Gospel, Francis answered on Tuesday, specifically Matthew 25. In that passage, Jesus says that in the Last Days, Christians will be asked whether they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick. "This is the heart of the Gospel," the Pope said.

Ref: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/07/world/...index.html

Is he right MS?

[HairOfTheDog]

Earlier this week, the Pope spoke strongly about the responsibility of people to embrace long-term environmental protection over short-term economic gains.

On Tuesday night, the Pope took his eco-friendly message to the masses, calling for a new system of global justice based on human rights and care for the environment rather than economic profits.

"The goods of the Earth are meant for everyone," the Pope said, "and however much someone may parade his property, it has a social mortgage."

[Midwest Spy]

I think there's a lot of truth in what the Pope said.

While I'm not Catholic, we are still Christians, with the basic tenet being one in the same.

At least Christians have a representative who will take the world stage and speak.

Not sure the Muslims have one. Actually, I am sure. There is no one. No one to take responsibility for the horrors committed in Islam's name.

Back to the Pooe. He seems very sincere and I'm happy that he is able to provide spiritual comfort and optimism and hope for many millions around the world.

[HairOfTheDog]

Pope Francis is not afraid to speak his mind and ruffle some traditional feathers, that's for sure MS.

I was wondering whether you, and some of Mock's other Christians, agree with the Pope that capitalism is to be condemned as it defies the teachings of Jesus, greater and deliberate distribution of wealth is in line with Jesus' expectations of man, and protecting God's earth for future generations trumps costs and profits.

You don't have to answer, of course. I'm just curious how more conservative Christians reconcile the teachings of Christ, the words of the Pope, and their own political beliefs and social pursuits.

[Midwest Spy]

I believe in capitalism.

I think a Christian that has been financially successful can still serve Christ by giving to the poor, stocking foodshelves, etc.

In fact, without some wealth it's hard to take care of the poor. The poor would still be poor.

[HairOfTheDog]

How about protecting God's earth being prioritized over money?

[Jimbone]

That's about what I'd expect from the pontiff. He's a socialist, so it's not surprising his beliefs and interpretations fall in that line with his preachings.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm not a Christian, but from all I've read and learned, Jesus would qualify more as a socialist than a capitalist. IMO.

Maybe the Pope is simply conveying the message of Jesus as it was intended, rather than delivering a socialist-inspired preaching?

[Midwest Spy]

I'm not a Christian, but from all I've read and learned, Jesus would qualify more as a socialist than a capitalist. IMO.

Maybe the Pope is simply conveying the message of Jesus as it was intended, rather than delivering a socialist-inspired preaching?

One of the most famous parables is the one about Zaccheus, the tax collector.

2,000 years ago I'm not sure how many wealthy people there were. Zaccheus was considered one. In the parable, Zaccheus, short in stature, seeks Jesus out by climbing a tree in order to see him speaking. Jesus makes a point of going to Zaccheus' home, and he let everyone know that even Zaccheus was worthy of love (he was generally despised).

I don't agree with the Pope on his capitalism stance.

[Jimbone]

Maybe. Even Jesus recognized that there were always going to be poor and struggling people, and it was important to help them. That's not a new concept from Francis.

I think capitalism has been more beneficial to the poor and downtrodden than detrimental.

[Duchess]

I was wondering whether you, and some of Mock's other Christians, agree with the Pope that capitalism is to be condemned

No, I don't agree with that at all.

[Clang McFly]

I agree with the Pope's capitalism stance...in theory. If it was ever actually implemented however....BOOM! Armageddon.