Monday, November 14, 2011

Catholicism In The Twenty First Century

Or should that read, mumbo jumbo in the twenty first century?

There is something drastically wrong here. This self serving organisation has a direct influence on the welfare of millions of people, and this is what they are all about, pre-medieval superstition, dark age mumbo fucking jumbo, here in the twenty first century.

I despair, I really do, between this lot and the creationists, I wonder how we ever managed to achieve the enlightenment that we enjoy today. What was it Orwell said, you can't be a Catholic and grown up? Tell me about it!


Catholics: dead pope’s blood will stop Mexican crime

One of the more loony episodes (and there are many) in the annals of the Catholic Church is this report from The Freethinker, “Catholics pin hopes on dead Pope’s blood to stem gang crime in Mexico.” Yes, that’s right: a vial of the late Pope John Paul II’s blood is, with Vatican permission, going on a tour of Mexico in an attempt to stem unrest in that country:

An episcopal conference in Mexico has requested that the relic be sent over and, according to Vatican Radio, the “relic”will arrive in the country on August 17 before being taken to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

A week later the vial of blood from the “blessed” Pope John Paul, a title he acquired posthumously after his successor Benedict XVI beatified him in May, will be taken on a pilgrimage to other Catholic dioceses around the country.

The relic will be accompanied by a statue of the late Polish pope, born Karol Wojtyla, with the intended message one of reconciliation.

Killings in parts of Mexico have shot up in recent years amid a military crackdown on organized crime and drug cartels which has sent soldiers onto the streets.

Mexican bishops, in a statement broadcast on Vatican Radio, said:

The reminder of John Paul II and the love he had for our country should push us to reinforce the faith of the Mexican people, at a time when our nation is undergoing profound social change.

Here is the grisly relic that will make Mexicans put down their guns:


Looks like something out of one of those ghastly trophy shops, one hundred and eighty!

Equally sickening is this statement: “Several vials of blood were taken from Pope John Paul II during the last days of his life in 2005.” Amazing to think that they leached the old dude’s body for relics while he was still alive, though maybe that was just for medical use.

Grania Spingies of Atheist Ireland, who reported this bizarre Sanginary Tour to me, had this to say about it (she’s an ex-Catholic):

Oh man, how embarrassing.

On the whole I don’t bother to draw people’s attention to the stuff that Freethinker publishes every week, because it’s a never-ending stream of crazy. It gets a bit ho-hum after a while. But whenever Catholics try to claim that their religion is sophisticated and liberal and trying to move with the times, I find it useful to point to examples like this that prove that Holy Mother Church is still trying to stupefy the peasants with carnie tricks.

The classic response from Catholics to this is: “Well, we don’t have to believe in these bits”.

The response to that, is: “So why does the Vatican endorse this stuff then?”

The question comes down to this. Either these relics are dead flesh with supernatural powers or they are not. By endorsing and promoting such things to whomever is superstitious enough to be impressed by them, while at the same time holding them as optional parts of the faith to the more educated and “sophisticated” believers, the Vatican betrays a level of cynicism that one should not expect from an institution that holds itself up as a high example of morality. whyevolutionistrue




9 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://bit.ly/sKx1x1

Anonymous said...

http://huff.to/sRCoZB

Himself said...

After pulling the offending advert Benetton said it was "sorry that the use of the image had so hurt the sensibilities of the faithful".

Sounds full of remorse don't you think?

Anonymous said...

Anyone wearing Benetton?
Mission accomplished.

Anonymous said...

Catholicism in the twenty first century or should that read, mumbo jumbo in the twenty first century?

The first Native American to achieve sainthood.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/nyregion/pope-canonizes-kateri-tekewitha-and-marianne-cope.html?_r=0

Himself said...

"dark age mumbo fucking jumbo" if you please.

I guess you followed the tweet to end up here?

http://www.catholic.org/saints/stindex.php

Kind of puts the silliness into perspective dontacha think?

But I don't know if you realised it or not, every Saint's name is a link to info and the wheres and whyfores.

Himself said...

By the by, did the opening photo mean anything to you?

I often wonder when I do a little "play" with things.

Obviously the photo was directed at a general audience and not you specifically.

It was only the other night when laying abed, that I was thinking about you, no not that way.

It struck me that albeit English isn't your first language, I never make one allowance for you in my choice of words and style of writing. I think I have too much respect for you to do otherwise.

I'm sure you wouldn't want me to do so in the least, and heaven forbid that I should run the risk, even inadvertently, of patronising you.

Must have been the girls, getting me all philosophical, you know how it is?

Anonymous said...

Although the Dutch are highly sensitive people, please do correct me if I’m wrong as for grammar and weird sentence structures. How we non-Brits have to suffer at times, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. On the other hand it is a pity I cannot hear you chuckle, it would alleviate the suffering somewhat.

The girls would overdose me since I’m philosophical by nature or at least I think I am, which is an interesting thought in itself. I strongly recommended myself reading a realistic blog. Well, I found a rational blogger with an interesting choice of words and a beautiful style of writing. Attractive and thoughtful pictures, but I’m not sure which post you mean as for the opening picture.

In a nutshell You are an interesting fellow largely because you are an interested fellow. (Cletis L. Stump)

And lots more in the sidebar. X

Himself said...

Thank you Chuck, and thank you for the links.

xx