The Pope sends message of peace and joy this Christmas...

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The Pope sends message of peace and joy this Christmas...

by Benjaminbrum @ Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 – 10:30:09 am

Hang on... wait... no he doesn't.

From the BBC website:

Pope Benedict XVI has said that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

In a time of global economic crisis and uncertainty THIS is what the old man comes out with?

Makes me so glad I'm not a Catholic. I expect there's a number of people shuffling from foot to foot, looking at the floor wondering if its too soon to be putting him on their dead pool list. I also expect there's a number of people who'll be thinking "Finally, the old man said something I totally agree with".

And I was wondering- how does one go about saving the world from homosexuality? Is there a special new superhero? (Wonders if mjohnson will do a special drawing for me?)

Makes me so angry. I hurt my hand banging my desk with anger.
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Tags:
- life
- gay rights
- transsexual
- catholic
- lgbt
- stupidity
- behaviour
- homosexuality
- catholicism
- rainforest
- pope benedict
- economic crisis

27 Comments to The Pope sends message of peace and joy this Christmas...

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- technomist
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 10:32:10 am
The pope is articulating the theological position of his religion. You are not a Catholic. Get over it.
- - Benjaminbrum
  - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 10:42:24 am
  Nope.
  
  Sorry, you're wrong.
  
  I'm a Christian and he's in a position to speak and people assume he's speaking on behalf of Christians. He doesn't speak for me.
  
  The theoligical postion of Christianity can be summarised in two points (which were already made by Jesus and various other religious figures)
  
  1) Love God.
  2) Do to no one what you yourself dislike.
  
  And what he was expressing isn't a theological point. Thology is supposed to bring us to a greater understanding of God(s). Saying the world needs saving from homosexuality and transsexuality doesn't help us understand God better. It shows a narrow mindedness, a petty fear of the other and doesn't promote the love of God to the LGBT communities.
  
  And he's saying to protect the world from me. Like I pose some kind of cataclysmic threat to humanity.
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- SeasideMan ^Pro
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 10:44:39 am
^
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What technomist said. He's right, you know.

Tom.
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- The_Walrus ^Pro
- http://www.doctor-dark.co.uk
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:08:51 am
What exactly were you expecting from the ex-Hitler Youth chief bigot? Tolerance? He would bring back the Inquisition if he could. (Nobody is expecting that...)
- - Benjaminbrum
  - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:12:14 am
  He's got a mouth that works like a starting gun.
  
  He speaks and we're off...
  
  It just makes me angry that instead of saying "You know, the world is running scared, what it needs this Christmas is hope, love and peace between peoples" he says "You know, the world needs to save itself from homosexuals and transsexuals like it needs to save the rainforest".
  
  He's equating homosexuality to the threat of global warming and that LGBT people are going to bring about the "destruction of humankind".
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- technomist
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:15:17 am
You have a right to an opinion as to what should be the basis of the pope beliefs, but not being a catholic, I think your opinions do not deserve so much weight. In any event, he has a greater right, as a human being, to decide for himself what he believes and to articulate that. The pope, the man, also speaks on behalf of Catholics by virtue of the office he holds. This is because communicant Catholics say he can. They do not need the permission of non-Catholics to give him this authority.
- - The_Walrus ^Pro
  - http://www.doctor-dark.co.uk
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:39:35 am
  None of that sophistry seems to stop him saying really, really stupid things though. Perhaps he is fallible...
  - - Benjaminbrum
    - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
    - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:49:38 am
    Well... to err is human, forgive divine.
    
    I forgive the old man his comments.
    
    Can we vote on a new Pope and do it x-factor style?
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- Brigid Jones (Visitor)
- http://www.buls.org
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:27:07 am
The problem here is that the idea that homosexuality etc is evil is a very subjective part of the Bible; Christians can take it either way, although to say such people are evil flies in the face of the Christian message as Ben rightly summarised it above. To have one of the most influential people in the world telling believers that gays etc are evil is not helpful and will lead to increased prejudice against them, making their lives in many cases much harder. This is something that will have consequences that reach far beyond the Catholic church.

Simply saying that something is a theological belief does not make it acceptable or mean we should tolerate it. Was it right to stone a 13 year old rape victim to death in Somalia, to crash those planes on September 11th, to torch that barn in Waco? No, because all three of those personal expressions of theological belief had terrible consequences for other people. Just because someone thinks their religion says something does not make it acceptable or mean we should tolerte it if it has a negative effect on anyone other than the believer. Telling the world that homosexuals are evil will have terrible consequences for some homosexuals and is therefore a downright wrong thing to do.
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:37:32 am
  One of the big problems that Christianity has is the huge number of different sects, estimated recently at about 2000. The differences in the sects are largely based on differing interpretation of different parts of the bible, and how much of it they accept and how much they ignore. Basically, the different sects pick and choose which bits they fancy and which bits they don't. It always strikes me as somewhat ironic that so-called religious people pick and choose which bits of the "word of god" they like and which bits they don't.
  
  Catholicism, one of the very oldest sects, accepts a large part of the Old Testament, including the Leviticus parts that call homosexuality an "abomination". The Pope is just doing his job and interpreting the bible in the way his sect requires it. Whether you or I like it is irrelevant: it's his right to say what he thinks and I support his right to do so.
  
  Tom.
  - - Benjaminbrum
    - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
    - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 12:02:26 pm
    Interesting you bring up the idea of "picking and choosing".
    
    Seems most people ignore the shellfish instructions (don't eat), the pork instruction (don't eat) and the twine instruction (don't mix two different types).
    
    The Pope could offer another intepretation of the bible. Or hold off expressing this interpretation at this time of year. It's just before Christmas and the world media usually reports what the various leaders of religion are saying in the run up to the Big Day.
    
    I can't imagine the Queen using her Christmas Day speech to say something like this. It's on the level of her saying "lets protect the world from... (insert ethnic minority name here)".
    
    Those kinds of comments in such a position of regard and authority are foolish, dangerous and can only cause further division.
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 12:17:16 pm
      So it seems that I, the agnostic atheist, support the pope saying what his faith and beliefs require him to say, and you, the Christian, call it "foolish and dangerous"....
      
      Hmmm.
      - Benjaminbrum
        
        http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
        
        Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 12:26:04 pm
        
        Yup. I called his comments "foolish and dangerous".
        His faith doesn't require him to make those comments.
        
        The prophet Michah asks in the Old Testament:
        
        "And what does the Lord require of you? But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God."
        
        It's a wonderful yardstick to use along side the golden rules of 1) Love god and 2) Love your neighbour. Where in the Pope's comment is justice? Where in the Pope's comment is mercy show?
        
        Rabbi Hillel (a Jewish teacher) says "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."
        
        It seems that a number of Christians are too busy spreading a hateful message of fear rather than encouraging dialogue and conversation.
        
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        SeasideMan ^Pro
        
        Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 01:09:22 pm
        
        I forgive your intolerance...
        
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        Benjaminbrum
        
        http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
        
        Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 01:37:18 pm
        
        You usually have to mean it for it to count.
        
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  - - Andy Mabbett (Visitor)
    - http://pigsonthewing.org.uk
    - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 01:01:33 pm
    Perhaps the Pope could comment on this, then: http://www.tektonics.org/lp/lauraletter.html
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 01:07:44 pm
      Did you mean to reply to me? I'm perhaps not the best person to ask about religious hypocrisy...
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- - Benjaminbrum
  - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:55:01 am
  Hey Brigid!
  
  Thanks for stopping by.
  
  Not only is it very subjective it only forms a very small part of the Biblical texts. There's more about forming community, instructions on living together and what to eat than on what we'd now call homosexuality.
  
  Thanks for your comment!
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- Dilyan (Visitor)
- http://www.story-review.com
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:36:42 am
"In a time of global economic crisis and uncertainty THIS is what the old man comes out with?"

I have wondered about the same thing many times. But you see, if someone really *believes* that homosexuals are evil, well then they, to them, are a greater threat than such fleeting things as economic crises.

Otherwise, I completely share your disgust. People who consider themselves "good Christians" are very rarely good.
- - Benjaminbrum
  - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 12:06:47 pm
  Maybe I should be more of an Evil Homosexual.
  
  I should build a well appointed lair with fabulous curtains and have a delicious army of ninjas (black is so easy to accessorise).
  
  That'd make fighting James Bond interesting. Bring on Daniel Craig!
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- ajnspencer ^Pro
- http://www.devonwallart.co.uk
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:40:28 am
Hah, I thought and blogged much the same...

And funnily got an almost identical comment to the first one you replied...
- - Benjaminbrum
  - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 12:05:02 pm
  Thanks for stopping by.
  
  One of the people I work with suggested taking out a hit on the Pope which I said probably wouldn't help the situation.
  
  We don't need more martyrs, we need more people behaving like Saints.
  
  He then went on to offer the thought that if a Muslim Cleric or Prime Minister in a developing country had made these exact comments then perhaps some reactions would be different.
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- Andy Mabbett (Visitor)
- http://pigsonthewing.org.uk
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:43:29 am
Homosexuality is one thing, but banging your desk is just sick...
- - Benjaminbrum
  - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 11:47:23 am
  Well... it usually indicates that something has gone wrong. It also draws a crowd.
  
  One of the guys I work with has a large foam hammer and he bangs his desk with that.
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 01:40:58 pm
I was dismayed to hear of those comments made by The Pope .
He is a very clever and learned man but also an utter buffoon .
If he was talking about AIDS/HIV then the 'safe sex' message remains as important as ever , but frankly I have no idea what he meant , except that he does'nt like the idea of other men having sex with one another .
Some people do'nt , they do'nt have to , but his garbled , demented message involving homosexuals , transexuals and the rain forest is beyond me .
I'll stop now before I say something very rude about him , which I may not be able to resist doing on my blog if I write about that .
all the best , ~ Martin .
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 02:59:11 pm
This really annoyed me. I'm not gay or - catholic for that matter - but a lot of my friends including a best mate is gay. How dare he say that homosexuality was 'destroying' mankind. Fair enough they're a little less likely to re-produce (ha ha ha) but they're not evil or disgusting they're people - some are my friends... and I'm very loyal to my friends as you can tell! xoxox
- - Benjaminbrum
  - http://www.twitter.com/benjibrum
  - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 @ 03:08:22 pm
  It's not rocket science to see what he's saying is wrong.
  
  I do understand that we're (gays) not exactly adpet at procreation.
  
  But with the population booming as it is the equation doesn't mean that gay people are going to suddenly take over and cause the downfall of the human race.
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