The Pope's visit to Britain

[snowychap]

Take a rifle to show your dissatisfaction paddy.

You ought to be very careful about overheard conversation that could be interpreted as posing a threat. :winkold:

Then again the police were also seen to be targetting 'fellow' catholics:

Police also interviewed mentally unstable people who they feared could pose a threat to the pope.

[Awol]

Many of the Catholic faithful in Britain seem to be enjoying his visit immensely. I'm not sure why some of those with no faith actually care enough about the fact that other believe to get steamed up and aggressive about it all. An interesting quirk of atheism imo.

[Risso]

Take a rifle to show your dissatisfaction paddy.

You ought to be very careful about overheard conversation that could be interpreted as posing a threat. :winkold:

Then again the police were also seen to be targetting 'fellow' catholics:

Police also interviewed mentally unstable people who they feared could pose a threat to the pope.

If they're looking for the mentally unstable then they don't have to look much further than those who believe in magic sky fairies.

[Risso]

Many of the Catholic faithful in Britain seem to be enjoying his visit immensely. I'm not sure why some of those with no faith actually care enough about the fact that other believe to get steamed up and aggressive about it all. An interesting quirk of atheism imo.

Yeah, it's not like Catholicism causes any problems in the world is it?

[Awol]

Many of the Catholic faithful in Britain seem to be enjoying his visit immensely. I'm not sure why some of those with no faith actually care enough about the fact that other believe to get steamed up and aggressive about it all. An interesting quirk of atheism imo.

Yeah, it's not like Catholicism causes any problems in the world is it?

No more than any other religion tbh Mart, indeed a lot less than some - and I'm not a left footer. My point is many 100,000's of British people are clearly enjoying his visit, fair enough if it doesn't float your own boat - it does nothing for me either - but I don't understand the level of fundamentalist vitriol from Athiests Inc when his visit is clearly bringing so much satisfaction to so many. It's almost like other people's belief enrages them.

[Risso]

As a paid up member of Atheists Inc it's the fact they're seemingly able to put all the evil behind them, all the child abuse, the poverty in Africa etc etc. And to listen to that old charlatan lecturing people about morality makes me furious. So if a few thousand Catholics are cheered up by his visit, **** 'em.

[Awol]

As a paid up member of Atheists Inc it's the fact they're seemingly able to put all the evil behind them, all the child abuse, the poverty in Africa etc etc. And to listen to that old charlatan lecturing people about morality makes me furious. So if a few thousand Catholics are cheered up by his visit, **** 'em.

You grumpy fecker! Religion gives many people hope, I see no reason to try and take that away from them - whether I personally agree or not.

I just hope they don't give the Pope a 21 cannon salute before leaving, he'll be on the gun line clearing empty cases and passing shells before he knows what he's doing. :winkold:

PS. Not every Catholic is a nonce/has been nonced and I don't think they are responsible for poverty in Africa either. That has much more to do with Africans imo.

[Risso]

Maybe so, but they certainly don't help matters. I don't have a problem with people who find that faith gives them hope. I do have a problem with inviting the Pope over at taxpayers' expense and treating him like he means something. The evil ****.

[drat01]

Not worth commenting really - EDIT

[bickster]

Many of the Catholic faithful in Britain seem to be enjoying his visit immensely. I'm not sure why some of those with no faith actually care enough about the fact that other believe to get steamed up and aggressive about it all. An interesting quirk of atheism imo.

So it's presumably ok for this arsehole of a Pope to slag off atheists at every opportunity he gets (sorry he calls it secularism) but for atheists to actually do the same in the opposite direction is wrong? Sorry but Popey boy can go kiss my ring.

Interesting concept that the believers of fairy tales are allowed to slag off those that don't believe at every opportunity (and it doesn't matter which fairy tales you believe they all do it, it's almost inherent) but those that don't believe aren't supposed to reciprocate

[Awol]

Many of the Catholic faithful in Britain seem to be enjoying his visit immensely. I'm not sure why some of those with no faith actually care enough about the fact that other believe to get steamed up and aggressive about it all. An interesting quirk of atheism imo.

So it's presumably ok for this arsehole of a Pope to slag off atheists at every opportunity he gets (sorry he calls it secularism) but for atheists to actually do the same in the opposite direction is wrong? Sorry but Popey boy can go kiss my ring.

Interesting concept that the believers of fairy tales are allowed to slag off those that don't believe at every opportunity (and it doesn't matter which fairy tales you believe they all do it, it's almost inherent) but those that don't believe aren't supposed to reciprocate

That's exactly my point. I've never seen the religious on here slagging off athiests for their beliefs, but the athiests slag the religious with venom that seems to border on seething hatred sometimes.

If the Pope warning of the (apparent) dangers of secularistaion gets athiests so steamed up, I wonder why Dawkins et al doing the opposite raises so little ire from the religious community? If the standard athiest complaint is that they don't want other peoples beliefs rammed down their throats it seems ironic that they feel compelled to do exactly the same thing.

[bickster]

But this topic is about the **** Pope and the **** Pope has done nothing but slag atheists off since his child abuse covering, AIDS spreading, gay hating arse touched British soil

Lets be honest this is no normal christian, if he was he'd be in jail serving a very long sentence, wanted by the judicial systems of so many countries they'd have to hold a lottery so see who won the right to jail him.

Yes the Pope warning about the "rise of secularism" does get us steamed up because guess what us secularists / non-believers don't think we are a danger, so we have to comment to defend our position. If you really think that Dawkins comments don't irate comments from the religious then you really are selectively reading your news stories.

On a completely different matter, when did the Daily Heil become an extension of The Tablet or Catholic Weekly, they've been kissing the Pope's ring all week

[TheDon]

Many of the Catholic faithful in Britain seem to be enjoying his visit immensely. I'm not sure why some of those with no faith actually care enough about the fact that other believe to get steamed up and aggressive about it all. An interesting quirk of atheism imo.

So it's presumably ok for this arsehole of a Pope to slag off atheists at every opportunity he gets (sorry he calls it secularism) but for atheists to actually do the same in the opposite direction is wrong? Sorry but Popey boy can go kiss my ring.

Interesting concept that the believers of fairy tales are allowed to slag off those that don't believe at every opportunity (and it doesn't matter which fairy tales you believe they all do it, it's almost inherent) but those that don't believe aren't supposed to reciprocate

That's exactly my point. I've never seen the religious on here slagging off athiests for their beliefs, but the athiests slag the religious with venom that seems to border on seething hatred sometimes.

If the Pope warning of the (apparent) dangers of secularistaion gets athiests so steamed up, I wonder why Dawkins et al doing the opposite raises so little ire from the religious community? If the standard athiest complaint is that they don't want other peoples beliefs rammed down their throats it seems ironic that they feel compelled to do exactly the same thing.

Probably because he's talking crap. Atheism doesn't mean a lack of morals and virtue like this Hitler youth paedophile protector is preaching.

The idea that morality can only be derived from a magic fairy is insulting.

[TrentVilla]

Many of the Catholic faithful in Britain seem to be enjoying his visit immensely. I'm not sure why some of those with no faith actually care enough about the fact that other believe to get steamed up and aggressive about it all. An interesting quirk of atheism imo.

As an atheist I don't object to him coming to the country at all I do though object to him being treated as a head of state and all that goes with it. I think that is perfectly reasonable.

[bickster]

Oh and let us not forget what this asshole actually said to his fellow German Tax Dodger:-

Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live. I also recall the regime’s attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives. As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a “reductive vision of the person and his destiny” (Caritas in Veritate, 29).

He aligned Nazism and Atheism, that there was when the gloves really came off on this visit, yep right at the start.

[TrentVilla]

Interesting statement from someone who was a member of the Hitler youth.

Obviously the Catholic Church, the Vatican and the then Pope took a out spoken stance against the Holocaust at the time didn't they.......

Hypocritical Catholic Church? Surely not...

[Awol]

But this topic is about the **** Pope and the **** Pope has done nothing but slag atheists off since his child abuse covering, AIDS spreading, gay hating arse touched British soil

Lets be honest this is no normal christian, if he was he'd be in jail serving a very long sentence, wanted by the judicial systems of so many countries they'd have to hold a lottery so see who won the right to jail him.

Yes the Pope warning about the "rise of secularism" does get us steamed up because guess what us secularists / non-believers don't think we are a danger, so we have to comment to defend our position.

Look I don't disagree with the charge sheet above, the Catholic church is undoubtedly responsible for some bad shit and Herman the tourist certainly bears his own share of responsibility for sheltering a paedophile ring. To then talk about morality is a bit rich to say the least and I get that too.

What I don't get is if he is indeed just a dirty old man preaching to the "mentally unstable", then why do his comments upset non-believers so much? Surely his words can filed along with David Ike's greatest speeches and safely ignored?

The other thing is that I detect a kernel of truth in some of what he is saying. Religiosity has declined in the UK, not by some evil scheme but as a perfectly natural process. My problem is what that has been replaced with, namely, consumerism, gash TV and a loss of community that has spread around the country. Religion (and not just the Italian variety) used to provide a form of social glue and a (Christian) commitment to helping your neighbour that doesn't seem to have been replaced with anything of substance.

I'm not for a second suggesting Athiests have no moral values but I think that process of social atomisation as much as anything is what he is referring to, and if it is then I can see his point.

If you really think that Dawkins comments don't irate comments from the religious then you really are selectively reading your news stories.

I hadn't noticed to be honest.

On a completely different matter, when did the Daily Heil become an extension of The Tablet or Catholic Weekly, they've been kissing the Pope's ring all week

And wtf are YOU doing reading the Heil?

As an atheist I don't object to him coming to the country at all I do though object to him being treated as a head of state and all that goes with it. I think that is perfectly reasonable.

He is a Head of State though mate, we have an ambassador at the Vatican.

EDIT: Although if we are striking off the Vatican as an official State (and let's face it most dictators at least have the decency to buy arms from us) then I vote we add Belgium to the list. I hate that little shithole country.

[TrentVilla]

As an atheist I don't object to him coming to the country at all I do though object to him being treated as a head of state and all that goes with it. I think that is perfectly reasonable.

He is a Head of State though mate, we have an ambassador at the Vatican.

I know but it is simply **** ridiculous and a querk of law, the Vatican is not a state by any stretch of imagination and I object to the amount of money being spent to treat him as such.

[TrentVilla]

What I don't get is if he is indeed just a dirty old man preaching to the "mentally unstable", then why do his comments upset non-believers so much? Surely his words can filled along with David Ike's greatest speeches and safely ignored?

I think its the audacity of the man to preach in hi superior tone, to judge despite the supposed rules of his religion, what is it they say "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" well this man is in no position to be throwing any **** stones.

With a charge sheet like he has I find highly offensive and patronising that he comes over here to preach his particular brand of religious bullshit and mind control and attempts to take the moral high ground over those who refuse to bow down. **** him and everything he stands for, I have more of a sense of morality than that man can even begin to imagine, with his track record he should really keep his mouth close.

The other thing is that I detect a kernel of truth in some of what he is saying. Religiosity has declined in the UK, not by some evil scheme but as a perfectly natural process. My problem is what that has been replaced with, namely, consumerism, gash TV and a loss of community that has spread around the country. Religion (and not just the Italian variety) used to provide a form of social glue and a (Christian) commitment to helping your neighbour that doesn't seem to have been replaced with anything of substance.

I'm not for a second suggesting Athiests have no moral values but I think that process of social atomisation as much as anything is what he is referring to, and if it is then I can see his point.

Is the glue of society coming apart? Perhaps, is the brand of hate wrapped up in religious doctrine that this chap is selling the answer? No not for me.

[TrentVilla]

In fact I retract my previous statement, on reflection its not just the cost of his visit I object to. I object to his very existence and everything he represents.