Pope blames the holocaust on Atheists and warns Britain against the secular extremist.

[Maxwell]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,1720143.story

So apparently, the German born catholic leader is blaming the holocaust on atheists and warning Britain against the evils of secularism.

"Religion is in fact a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect, leading us to look upon every person as a brother or sister," he said. "Society today needs clear voices which propose our right to live, not in a jungle of self-destructive and arbitrary freedoms, but in a society which works for the true welfare of its citizens and offers them guidance and protection."

So secular freedoms are arbitrary, and we need the government to protect and guide us away from these atheist values.

In many ways, the pope's homily was a more diplomatic version of comments that landed one of his aides in trouble on the eve of the British visit. In an interview with a German journal, Cardinal Walter Kasper described Britain as a "Third World country" that is incubating an "aggressive new atheism".

Luckily not everyone was happy with his visit, though they are still the minority.

Benedict's state visit, by contrast, has inspired strong opposition from human-rights activists, scientists, feminists, gay-rights advocates and critics of the Vatican's response to widespread allegations of child molestation by priests and religious workers.

And does anyone find it ironic that the pope is telling the queen of England (head of the church of England) to suck less?

[Vuitton]

http://www.cognitivedissident.org/im...3-pedopope.jpg

[Kuya]

Wasn't this specific pope part of the hitler youth?

[Kuya]

Also, wasn't it the catholics who sided with the facists in Europe?

[Demosthenes11]

blaim

[Acturus]

Damn socialists.

[Gryffes]

Sorry bout causing the holocaust, anyone for a cup of tea?

[Tyrath]

Religion is in fact a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect, leading us to look upon every person as a brother or sister

We're already fucking doomed as a species if we can't treat each other with respect without the guidance of some invisible dude.

[ZarakiKujata]

Wasn't Hitler deeply spiritual and debatably a Catholic? Certainly the guys turning on the gas @ Auschwitz were Christians.

[Max™]

http://simianfarmer.blogs.com/photos...ackoffaith.jpg

[notorious bum]

http://thebaumer.files.wordpress.com...-benedict2.jpg

[Gryffes]

We're already fucking doomed as a species if we can't treat each other with respect without the guidance of some invisible dude.

People are killing people over which invisible dude is in fact the correct invisible dude, and rioting over someone burning one of the other guys invisible dudes short story collection. Shit's ridiculous.

[Hyan]

Wasn't Hitler deeply spiritual and debatably a Catholic? Certainly the guys turning on the gas @ Auschwitz were Christians.

Are you questioning the word of God's messenger?

[Ksandra]

Even though I know there's no point in posting as bg is 90% aethist/agnostic BUT

It seems like the OP is comment on parts while ignoring the others.

Pope's full quote:

"The United Kingdom strives to be a modern and multicultural society," the pontiff said shortly after landing in Scotland to begin a four-day tour. "May it always maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate. Let it not obscure the Christian foundation that underpins its freedoms."

I take this to mean as, don't forget your Christian foundations in aggressive secularism. ie. a good example would be if the US made a law requiring us to call Christmas trees Holiday Trees. He used Nazism (note it didn't even mention the Holocaust here) as an example. I admit it isn't a good example, but I think he meant the strictness of it, not the holocaust in particular.

Secondly, the last part you're quoting wasn't even said by the Pope.


But you know, of course religion is all just a joke so I guess it's ok to just twist words to make him seem worse than he really is.

[Yugl]

Key words: Extremist.

If Ksandra is right about you abstracting the truth, then you are no better than that which you denounce.

[Rhyis.]

I've always found it ironic that the last pope was chased out of Poland by the Germans, and the new pope is German.

[notorious bum]

I don't regret not reading the actual quote. I respect everyones opinions and freedom to practice whatever religion they like. The Vatican can die in a fucking long, slow-burning fire for all the shit they have and continue to get away with.

Penn and Teller did a good episode on the Vatican, highly recommended.

[Francisco]

As a Catholic and someone who believes in God, I think the Pope is full of shit and don't think God really needs a messenger.

Of course, that probably makes me Catholic in title only - which certainly does not exclude me from being religious.

[Ksandra]

I respect everyones opinions and freedom to practice whatever religion they like.

May it always maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate.

So what you're saying is he said the right thing that the country should do exactly what you said. Have respect. That's all he is asking for. And OP twists it to seem like he's saying "No secularism!"

[Zilong]

Sorry, why do we care about what the head of NAMBLA said?