This... Could Complicate Matters

Toawa · Post by **Toawa** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:25 pm

squidflakes wrote:It's going to be an interesting Papal reign, that's for sure. I guess I'd better get my ass to moving on those plans to move to Mars. Anyone wanna come? I have a feeling this planet isn't ever gonna get weird enough for me.

You can bootstrap off of my particle satellite network. I'm sure I can get a construction station set up on one of them within the next 6 months.

(And before you say it, they're all down for maintainence right now.)

TMR · Post by **TMR** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 12:12 am

But hey, that can't be any worse than being screwed out of the pope chair for being born with tits...

Born with tits? That's remarkable. Most people with tits don't get them until puberty.

Spare a thought for the mother who had to have a baby with breasts.

WhatMeWorry? · Post by **WhatMeWorry?** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:32 am

TMR wrote:
But hey, that can't be any worse than being screwed out of the pope chair for being born with tits...
Born with tits? That's remarkable. Most people with tits don't get them until puberty.

Spare a thought for the mother who had to have a baby with breasts.

Dear Wise Ass,

Just 'cuz they're less than an 'A' cup don't mean they aint there. And I thought it a slightly more polite method to say born with tits rather than born with a pussy.

Sincerely, (ok not really)

Smart Ass

8)

Cuteswan · Post by **Cuteswan** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:27 am

I'm a little surprised at people's reaction to having a pope elected who wasn't pro-choice or in favor of homosexual marriage.

(If I thought there was any chance, I would have busted my way into the conclave.) Also, I'm not terribly surprised that he, as a youth in Nazi Germany, was conscripted to serve in Hitler Youth and do some guard duty; I'd be more suspicious if he had somehow avoided it (but of course, then Dan Rather found documents written in the Futurama "alien" language saying that he neglected his duties).

I'm definitely not a fan or sympathizer of the church (which is just a greedy, less-socially-responsible-than-most corporation, IMO), as I was raised Catholic in a church with a pedophile priest, a coverup, hypocrisy, etc. IMO, the church does no more good works than any corporation "gives" to the United Way by badgering their employees into making donation's in the company name. I did not hesitate at all to convert to Judaism (because I don't believe in the divinity of Jesus, either). The new pope is not relevant in my life, most-people's lives, or even the lives of many Catholics, and I'm sick to death of the coverage.

(Of course, that's not to say that I fault every individual Catholic for the failings, but (for now) let's just say I'm disappointed in some people's lack of free-thinking skills and ideas on what loyalty forces them to accept.)

Actually, I'd compare the Catholic Church to the British monarchy, but I actually have respect for Queen Elizabeth, who didn't think she was above drving supply trucks for England's military during WWII.

Still, I'm not at all surprised that a conservative was chosen to lead the Catholic Church again. These are religious people, and if they believe that theirs is the only right way (or even if they're just calculating) then that's the kind of people they'll put in charge. And, even if the leadership doesn't realize the church's own irrelevance, most of the world does. They've held strong opinions about the sun orbiting the Earth and threatened death to Copernicus, but eventually they were shown up and had to adapt. Ideally, they would have stuck with their core beliefs and fallen into obscurity long before now, but instead they decided to change "just enough" over time to keep their membership, but not with the same amount of influence.

Basically, despite the hidden psychological meaning of my rant, the new pope doesn't have any real impact on our lives. Even when politicans try to buddy up with him, it's like anything else a politican says or does (outside of actually voting on legislation) -- superficial. So is the face of the Catholic Church.

LindaH · Post by **LindaH** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:33 am

i was dissapointed, i had hoped that the church would try and modernise. but.. sadly no.

then again i dont give a rats ass personally, i hate the church and all it stands for basically. (personal reasons dont ask). but sadly it has influence over a lot of gulleble people and for them.. this isnt good.

gah, once again the world has shown itself to be ruled by morons that should be shot, beaten up, cut into pieces, jumped on, thrown into a meatgrinder and recycled as fertelizer

Meteo · Post by **Meteo** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:39 am

I think you missed the point. We (or at least I) weren't surprised that they voted for someone conservative. We (or at least I) was dissapointed that they didn't elect someone a little more liberal. We had hoped they would attempt to try to stay with the times because like it or not there are still people who listen to what the Pope says. These people are numerous enough for him to still have some sway even if it isn't the iron fist of the church in years past.

LindaH you forgot burned. Then we should invent a way to burn things that have already been burned and then burn the machine and that stuff together.

Jay042 · Post by **Jay042** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:42 am

John Paul II appointed all but two of the Cardinals currently serving. His appointments have all been chosen for the doctrinal adherenence than for their talents, so this was less than unexpected it was a guaranteed bet we'd have a conservative replacement.

Toawa · Post by **Toawa** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:29 am

cuteswan wrote:I'm a little surprised at people's reaction to having a pope elected who wasn't pro-choice or in favor of homosexual marriage.

While it's true that that was more or less a given, I was kinda hoping for someone who'd be more likely to focus on other matters, which I'm not convinced this guy is going to do.

WhatMeWorry? · Post by **WhatMeWorry?** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:12 pm

You guys do all realize the current pope is what they call a "seat warmer" right? The last time someone this old was elected pope was 250 years ago. They have the really nasty habit of quickly electing a real old guy with poor health whenever they feel the need to "buy some time", and many time they don't care quite so much what his stances are because they don't expect him to last very long and if he does last longer than they'd like and they've got the real choice figured out before the seat warmer is done yet, well, you do remember John Paul I, right? 8)

Prettydragoon · Post by **Prettydragoon** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 4:38 am

Meh. I was just hoping that the new Pope would decide to call himself George Ringo. Oh well. Life is full of little disappointments.

Cuteswan · Post by **Cuteswan** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 7:44 am

Meteo wrote:I think you missed the point. We (or at least I) weren't surprised that they voted for someone conservative. We (or at least I) was dissapointed that they didn't elect someone a little more liberal.

The coverage I've heard so far sounds surprised. Of course, that doesn't mean you and I are the only ones who aren't: media sells better when it reports conflict, so the tendency to interview people critical of the new pope isn't at all surprising, either. There are already plenty of Catholic organizations and leaders (priests and below, but probably a few bishops, too) who are more liberal (towards birth-control, abortion, homosexuality, etc.) and, being on the front lines, make more of a difference. Even if a pope who espoused such principles could be selected then it would probably alienate the most of the dogmatic leadership. It would likely turn out the same way the USSR did with Gorbachev: too-rapid decay of authority and breakdown of the society. (Okay, it's not like I'd be broken up about that, and they wouldn't have the same problems of violence, etc., that the USSR states did.)

Still, to me, the leader of the Catholic Church is no more relevant than the leader of the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), even though NAMBLA is only interested in sex with little boys while the Catholic Church is interested.... oh, right, same thing.

LindaH wrote:...morons that should be shot, beaten up, cut into pieces, jumped on, thrown into a meatgrinder and recycled as fertelizer

I know that you don't mean this literally, as there have been (and still are) some horrible atrocities committed against folks who have different opinions, lifestyles, etc. However, throwing statements like that around loosely will also stir up the other side and their own anti-freedom statements and it will just keep escalating. Now, some idiot can claim that people who like tentacle comics want to torture and murder all religious folks, and remember that many "religious" folks have guns and most liberals don't.

Let people have their opinions while you keep them from stifling yours. You'll change more minds by living your life well and being happy then getting in people's faces, even if in your case the other side really that lesson a lot more than you do.

WhatMeWorry? · Post by **WhatMeWorry?** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:30 am

cuteswan wrote: I know that you don't mean this literally, as there have been (and still are) some horrible atrocities committed against folks who have different opinions, lifestyles, etc. However, throwing statements like that around loosely will also stir up the other side and their own anti-freedom statements and it will just keep escalating. Now, some idiot can claim that people who like tentacle comics want to torture and murder all religious folks, and remember that many "religious" folks have guns and most liberals don't.

Oh wait, we don't? Quietly putting away the monster robotic tentacles I've marked with the fundy kills they've already racked up.

I guess this also means I'd better tell Yog-Sothoth the invasion is most definitely off. Boy, did I get on the wrong boat...

<--- Wise ass

WhatMeWorry? · Post by **WhatMeWorry?** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:39 am

I would just like to say here and now, in this most delicate time for Catholics when all the various news and media are careful to lay off the Catholics and all comic references to the Catholics are being 'tastefully changed' to more obscure ones:

I reserve my right to reparations as a former Protestant to burn any Catholics after subjecting them to whichever torture methods are deemed acceptable by society at that time. I also reserve my right to label them heretics and to intelligently rebut any theological arguments they may have by placing my fingers in my ears and making noises akin to sheep.

I would also like to note that I reserve my right as a former Protestant to elect my own leaders to call Catholic leaders a bunch of boy fucking sickos and to claim that my God is not their God because my God clearly has a much bigger dick than their God.

Oh, and I reserve my right to make Catholics feel guilty.

8)

8)

Cuteswan · Post by **Cuteswan** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:31 am

WhatMeWorry? wrote:Quietly putting away the monster robotic tentacles I've marked with the fundy kills they've already racked up. I guess this also means I'd better tell Yog-Sothoth the invasion is most definitely off. Boy, did I get on the wrong boat...

<--- Wise ass

Wow, you have the coolest toys.

LindaH · Post by **LindaH** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:45 am

actually kinda ment that. not specifically against the catholic churrch but against all the darn morons that time and time again make laws/rules/set precedents/tell others to restrict peoples freedom when it comes to things that in no way harm others.

such as who i want to chat up and bring home at the pub, what skincolour i should have, what gender is better etc etc etc etc etc.

all these intolerant morons should be subjected to the treatment i outlined until they learn to behave and mind their own darn life instead of poking into mine and miking my life a living hell and forcing me to spend tons of cash on a psycyatrist..

gah rant over

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 11:22 am

I reserve the right to reserve the rights.

Nyu~ · Post by **Nyu~** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:18 pm

Interestingly, according to Google News the popes have e-mail addresses. (They are, apparently, running low on ideas for articles.) Anyways, in case you were interested, Pope Ratzinger's English language e-mail address is apparently benedictxvi@vatican.va

Note: I take no resonsibility for any excommunications resulting from an improper use of this e-mail address. That said, I'm sure that the internet's spam-bots have already begun flooding the holy father's inbox with 419 fraud and penis enlargement advertisements.

Jay042 · Post by **Jay042** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:22 pm

WhatMeWorry? wrote:You guys do all realize the current pope is what they call a "seat warmer" right? The last time someone this old was elected pope was 250 years ago. They have the really nasty habit of quickly electing a real old guy with poor health whenever they feel the need to "buy some time", and many time they don't care quite so much what his stances are because they don't expect him to last very long and if he does last longer than they'd like and they've got the real choice figured out before the seat warmer is done yet, well, you do remember John Paul I, right? 8)

That would depend on what the median age of the College of Cardinals is. Is there anyone amoungst them who is not also an AARP member?

Ikataii · Post by **Ikataii** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:54 pm

Yes, because a vast majority of them aren't from the states (AARP being a US orgainization)

</smartass>

Cuteswan · Post by **Cuteswan** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 7:10 am

LindaH wrote:actually kinda ment that. not specifically against the catholic churrch but against all the darn morons that time and time again make laws/rules/set precedents/tell others to restrict peoples freedom when it comes to things that in no way harm others.

Then we agree completely and should start right away on the Islamic terrorists (not the Muslims who just believe that theirs is the only true religion, blah blah, but those who try to force those beliefs upon others). That will save the lives of innocent people and send a strong message to the venom-spewing anti-freedom crowds.