Religious Arguing/News here---->

[BlueTiki]

"it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

Capitalism philosophically makes money the driving force of society, and that's un-Christian.

The CEO's of the multi-billion corps that consider CSR to make their company look better to make more money - those are the rich men who have a hard time entering heaven.

Not if the CEO detonates a suicide bomb, before his final days.

"Hello, Allah . . . where are the babes?"

I can only guess that your general condemnation of CSR might be based on Mathew's "left hand, right hand" thing.

What economic philosophy would you suggest, to provide alms to the poor?

CSR . . . whatever the reason behind it, provides a means to improve many social conditions. If it increases "the bottom line" . . . so be it. Many consumers support corporations (and small businesses) due to their social philosophy.

Employees are also drawn to certain industries, professions and businesses, for the same reason.

That's the free market and capitalism at it's best.

The Catholic church uses capitalistic means to increase their coffers . . . ostensibly to help the distressed (and pay victims of priestly sexual abuse).

The Pope dissed capitalism . . . not individual greed.

Begging and relying on handouts is not the path that leads to God.

Look at the prodigal son.

He returned to the Father.

[HairOfTheDog]

Pope Francis Addresses the U.S. Congress



"In Laudato Si, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to 'redirect our steps' and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity," Francis said. "I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States -- and this Congress -- have an important role to play."

"Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies," he said, calling for a "culture of care" and "an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature."

He called for an economy that is "modern, inclusive and sustainable," one that considers the plight of both the poor and the planet. And he pushed for technology to be used to make progress that "is healthier, more human, more social."

"I am confident that America's outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in the years ahead," he continued.

Advocates for climate action have been hoping that the pope will be able to shift the conversation on climate change in a Congress where the Republican majority has been hostile to the issue.

But there are signs the pope's message is already resonating. A group of 11 House members, led by Catholic Rep. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.), last week introduced a resolution calling on their colleagues to work "constructively" to "create and support economically viable, and broadly supported private and public solutions."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope...028?s98uxr

[Blindgreed1]

Is that "angels breath" I smell?

[HairOfTheDog]

It's a little odd to me that there seems to be a lot of hostility towards the Pope, by mostly conservatives (I'm not suggesting you Gunnar; just in general).

His message is consistent with Catholic/Christian doctrine, based on what I know.

Don't be greedy. Help the needy. Embrace/tolerate/forgive those who are different from yourself. Thou shalt not kill. Respect the planet that God created. That's what Pope Francis appears to be imploring the leaders and people of the world to do.

He opposes all abortion, gay marriage, and right-to-die laws because he believes they contradict Catholic principles. I support all of those things. But, I don't hold him in contempt for having different stances or anything. He's not lying to push his positions or condemning to hell all the people who disagree with him (not that I've seen, at least).

[HairOfTheDog]

"We must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners."- Pope Francis at today's Congressional address.


After the address, ^ Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who has said he has dreamed of this moment for two decades, stood beside the pope and pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket to wipe away his tears.

Pope Francis does not speak English fluently or often, but he was very clear giving his speech to Congress in English today. Lawmakers were not reading text of the speech, and did not appear to be primed for what the pope was going to say. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y. let out a whoop heard throughout the chamber when the pope said the death penalty should be abolished.

Story: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/polit.../72706718/

[Duchess]

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who has said he has dreamed of this moment for two decades, stood beside the pope and pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket to wipe away his tears.

That bozo can cry at the drop of a hat. I even started a thread about it years ago but, having said that, I can understand it being a overwhelming, it's the Pope!

[HairOfTheDog]

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who has said he has dreamed of this moment for two decades, stood beside the pope and pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket to wipe away his tears.

That bozo can cry at the drop of a hat. I even started a thread about it years ago but, having said that, I can understand it being a overwhelming, it's the Pope!

Yeah, he's Mr. Waterworks alright. But, I can see him being moved by fulfilling his lifelong dream to meet the Pope too.

Just Boehner's luck though; the Pope he manages to get in front of Congress is "too liberal" for his ultra conservative and Tea Party colleagues.

Boehner arranged for Netanyahu to rally Congress against the Iran deal, tried to sue Obama for overreach on Obamacare, etc...and still the GOP House members liken him to a 'Democrat" when he advises that shutting down the government again in opposition of Planned Parenthood funding would be a bad strategic move (he's right on that, in my view).

Maybe he'll have less reason to cry when he gets the hell out of that snake pit. And, he did manage to get the Pope in front of Congress for the first time.

[Duchess]

I can see him being moved by fulfilling his lifelong dream to meet the Pope too.

I was moved when watching the Pope with the people in the streets. His motorcade would randomly stop and he would beckon to a child in the crowd, security would quickly bring them to the Popemobile where they were blessed. To believers, the Pope is the closet thing to God they will ever witness so it's a very big deal.

[Donovan]

I thought, from a non religious person's observational standpoint, that the Pope's speech to congress was the greatest troll of all time. He basically called our entire government body on the carpet and scolded the conservative right in front of the entire world. The group that most frequently uses God to prop up their most abhorrent practices, and he-the guy who is by doctrine the "actual voice of God" on earth- was essentially telling them God thinks they're all selfish assholes. Hahahahahaha. You could practically hear the tiny click of thousands of neocon and teaparty buttholes slamming shut when he said his bit on unbridled capitalism and the wretched way we are treating immigrants and the poor. Lo fucking L.

No wonder Boehner resigned. If he really does value his religion that's like getting spanked by your father in front of all your buddies, and the rest of the world. And your dad is Jesus.

[Duchess]

He basically called our entire government body on the carpet and scolded the conservative right in front of the entire world. The group that most frequently uses God to prop up their most abhorrent practices, and he-the guy who is by doctrine the "actual voice of God" on earth- was essentially telling them God thinks they're all selfish assholes.

That was my impression too & I applauded that. Go Pope!

[HairOfTheDog]

The Pope Pushes for Greater Acceptance & Tolerance


Pope Francis released a sweeping paper yesterday urging Catholic priests around the world to be more accepting of gay men and lesbians, divorced Catholics, and other people living in what the church considers "irregular" situations." Hey, for the leader of the Catholic Church, that's aggressively progressive.

In the letter, the pope urges more common sense and less unthinking following of rules -- what he calls "discernment" -- and writes, "by thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth."

[HairOfTheDog]

Bernie goes to the Vatican

The Vatican also announced yesterday that Bernie Sanders has been invited to join a meeting on restoring social justice and environmental sustainability to the world economy. http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/politics/b...city-trip/

Sanders and Pope Francis share a lot of the same priorities and goals. Sanders will attend the meeting, though it will pull him off the campaign trail for a few days ahead of the key New York primary.

Sanders said, "Pope Francis has made clear that we must overcome 'the globalization of indifference' in order to reduce economic inequalities, stop financial corruption and protect the natural environment. That is our challenge in the United States and in the world."

"I was very moved by the invitation, which just was made public today. I am a big, big fan of the pope. Obviously, there are areas where we disagree, on women's rights and gay rights. But he has played an unbelievable role -- an unbelievable role -- of injecting a moral consequence into the economy."

Sanders also joked about the pope's push to liberalize aspects of the Catholic Church, adding, "you know, people say Bernie Sanders is radical -- read what the pope is writing."

The Vatican's announcement made it clear that the invitation is not a political endorsement. Sure, Francis, sure.

[Duchess]

Love the cartoon. Look at Marco. They are all hilarious.

[ZEROSPHERES]

[HairOfTheDog]

Child Sex Abuse by Catholic Priests

In the United States, 3,000 civil lawsuits have been filed against the church for child molestation by priests.

Some of these cases have resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements with many claimants. In 1998, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas paid $30.9 million to twelve victims of one priest ($45.4 million in present-day terms). From 2003 to 2009 nine other major settlements, involving over 375 cases with 1551 claimants/victims, resulted in payments of over US$1.1 billion.

The Associated Press estimated the settlements of sex abuse cases from 1950 to 2007 totaled more than $2 billion. Addressing "a flood of abuse claims" five dioceses (Tucson, Arizona; Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Davenport, Iowa, and San Diego) got bankruptcy protection. Eight Catholic dioceses have declared bankruptcy due to sex abuse cases from 2004 to 2011.

The vast majority of the molestation and rape cases are not brought to light until the victims are grown and able to understand and articulate what happened to them.

Now that the problem is out in the open and more priests are being held accountable by the courts, some authorities believe the sexual assault of children in the Catholic Church has declined dramatically. I hope that's true.

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

Today, I read about a defrocked priest in Maine who spent 10 years in jail for raping an alter boy. Looks like the POS might be going back to prison again.

Shortly after the original abuse scandal broke in January 2002, Priest Ronald Paquin admitted in an interview with the Globe that he had molested boys in Haverhill and Methuen over the course of his 15-year ministry.

Paquin claimed that he was raped by a priest in his youth. Before he was arrested, he received parish reassignments even after the Archdiocese of Boston quietly settled claims against him.


^This morning, ^ Paquin, now 74, pleaded not guilty to 31 new charges of gross sexual misconduct which occurred in the 1980s. Authorities allege that Paquin brought boys to Maine for "short-term stays" and then abused them, some of them as young as 9-years-old.

If he's guilty of violating this new set of victims too, I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.

Refs:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/defrocked-p...sex-abuse/
http://archive.boston.com/globe/spotligh...rchive.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_C...buse_cases

[HairOfTheDog]

A report by a grand jury in Pennsylvania has extensively detailed for the first time how 300 priests sexually abused more than 1,000 children and how church leaders covered it up.

The report refers to six different diocese where children were raped, plied with alcohol, or forced to perform for priests to produce pornographic material.

Most of the victims were boys but some girls were included. One priest married a girl he got pregnant, got divorced and stayed a priest.

Church leaders covered up the abusive acts -- including molestation, vaginal rape, anal rape --  by claiming priests or clergymen were 'wrestling' with the children.

Because so many of the priests are now dead or their alleged crimes falls outside the statute of limitations, only two have been charged.

One is John Thomas Sweeney, pictured bottom left, who pleaded guilty in July to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy who he made perform oral sex.

The other is David Poulson, pictured top left. He was charged in May with indecently assaulting two boys.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, pictured right, is the former longtime bishop of Pittsburgh accused of helping cover up the abuse.

Not only is this shit a terrible crime against children, it's a major betrayal and mindfuck of the parents who unwittingly put their trust and their kids in the hands of these pieces of shit.

Refs:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/predator-pr...est-abuse/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...years.html

[Clang McFly]

That's what you get for making Catholic priests celibate.

Thanks a lot Jesus/God/Holy Spirit. *rolls eyes*

[Carsman]

God will see to it that they get their just reward, in the end!  

[Clang McFly]

God will see to it that they get their just reward, in the end!  

If he truly is a merciful God He'll use lube.