Hey folks, from all early indications, this Pope will be a major problem. You may be thinking it isn't my business, but it is. Not unlike the President, decisions this dude makes impact everyone in the world. Also, though I am a practicing atheist... on paper I believe I am still a Catholic. I think I forgot to notarize my atheist paperwork. What with all the sinning and wine and virgins all around... details become less important.
In separate distinctions heard today, new Pope has been described as 'God's Rottweiler' and 'Pope No' (both of these are not my terms) for being so conservative on doctrine. So what does that term 'conservative on doctrine' mean? We'll need to know, because you are going to hear it 8,000 times in the next week. What it means is that dude hates gays and women. Long story short... that is the issue. There is a third problem which even church people have openly been discussing; to survive, the church MUST acknowledge birth control as safe and acceptable. This isn't about family planning, really. The issue of birth control is critical because AIDS is spiraling out of control all over the world.
This is a major problem and probably my biggest beef with the church. Back to my point, new Pope is a hardliner and is expected to make the church more mean and conservative. So how is this a good thing for reasonable human beings? I'll tell ya.
This guy is 78, so frankly he isn't going to live very long at all. He is the oldest Pope elected in over 100 years. So this guy is going to drive the church hard right against women and gays and AIDS. However, after he passes in 5 to 8 years the world will be clamoring for a reasonable and moderate Pope to bring the Church back to the people (sort of like I am hoping with happen with the Democrats, that folks will realize we always right and come back to us).
Article comments
1 - urthshu
You should rejoin the Church just so you can leave in indignant protest!
2 - DrPat
the church MUST acknowledge birth control as safe and acceptable... The issue... is critical because AIDS is spiraling out of control all over the world.
The Catholic Church has already endorsed the one method of birth control that absolutely protects against transmission of the AIDS virus.
You know what it is, too - the Pope practices it himself.
3 - Eric Olsen
which is extremely contrary to biology and why there are about 6 priests left under 70, and they are all in the Third World
4 - Eric Olsen
oh, and thanks Lono. You can't link to pics on Blogger, btw
5 - bhw
But the church doesn't endorse celibacy for everyone, just for the ordained. For all other Catholics, it's abstinence until marriage and then no "artificial" birth control, although some argue that even the rhythm method goes against God's wishes.
6 - DrPat
I know the Church doesn't prescribe celibacy for any but priests. I was, however, answering a specific contention in the original post, where Lono said this Pope/the Church needs to endorse birth control to reduce the threat of AIDS.
I assume he meant "artificial" birth control, or "birth control pills" or "RU-486" (the "morning-after pill"), or "condom use." The last is the only type of birth control that might have any effect on the spread of AIDS - and even that doesn't work as well as the Church-endorsed birth control method.
7 - Dawn
Whack.jobs.
The Catholic Church is as good an argument for dismantling organized religion if there ever was one.
To no advocate the use of protection to prevent pregnancy and disease is immoral and criminal.
They should be convicted for spreading deadly disease throughout the world.
8 - Dawn
make that "to NOT advocate"
thank you
9 - Lisa McKay
Unfortunately, the many married women in Africa who are contracting HIV from their husbands aren't in a position to practice either contraception or abstinence, but that is neither here nor there.
Lono, while I agree with your basic sentiments about both the Pope and the church, Catholics do have choices. They can do as many American and European Catholics have done, which is call themselves Catholics and simply ignore those parts of Catholic teaching which don't suit them, or they can do as many others of us have done, which is simply walk away from the church altogether. Old guys in Rome can only control your life to the extent that you allow them to.
10 - JR
The Catholic Church has already endorsed the one method of birth control that absolutely protects against transmission of the AIDS virus.
You know what it is, too - the Pope practices it himself.
The Pope claims he practices it. But Popes aren't always honest about that.
Which in itself says something about the practicality of the method.
11 - Georgio
Lono..You did an excellent job with this post ..you said everything that needed to be said about this Pope without dragging out all the details..I wonder if they picked him to try and get the Europeans back in the fold,,since they do not like the church rules already I can't see how this pick will help ..They should have picked the African where ppl are still poor and ignorant...
12 - Eric Olsen
Lisa, you are forgetting that cardinals on up have super powers, including the power to fog men's minds
13 - Lisa McKay
I knew those red hats had some significance, Eric. Now I understand...
14 - Eric Olsen
exactly, they must absorb and store the powers via the hats, but it's kind of like electric cars - you don't know when they will run out
15 - Georgio
Lesa..you took the words right out of my mouth...I have never figured out why anyone would still want to belong to a church or religion when they disagree with their rules..I made a decision as a young boy that no mortal man was going to tell me what I could eat or not eat..The church said back then that we could not eat meat on Fridays so I switched to lobster which was cheap then until everyone found out it was good.I said ..what kind of sacrifice is this ..this is better than meat..it was then that I started looking into going to confession and all the other rules ..my point is why do they still belong when they disagree with the rules..would we join a private club if we did not like the rules ..I think not..Europeans have pulled away from the church big time because they do not like the rules and this POPE will not help that...The Catholics are not the only ones with stupid rules ..the Baptists are just as bad ...how any educated person can except the bible as the word of God when it has so many false statements in it like the earth is 10000 yrs old and the sun goes around the earth etc etc..but children grow up believing what they where taught but when they grow up and find out all this stuff may not be true they still want to belong to false beliefs ..I think FEAR and GUILT play a big part in this..I think if you could take fear out of peoples mind the church would be empty
16 - Lono
This is not a church or society that wants to help a single person on the planet. this is a church whose sole goal is to protect and perpetuate itself.
Again, I might make a Republican analogy here... but that would be WAY too obvious.
17 - gab
The bible never says the earth is 10000 years old or the sun revolves around the earth, check your sources
maybe "religion" promotes those ideas
but the bible is always scientifically accurate.
18 - Bennett Dawson
"but the bible is always scientifically accurate"
Hmmmmmm, leap of faith?