please login to something to say on the subject

Eric has plans for the Pope

Not in my name

eric page

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

Religion is absolute superstition, let's remember this. It’s a belief system that has no place in a rational persons life. It’s an elaborate fantasy. It’s the same as avoiding cracked pavements, Father Xmas and monsters under the bed. It’s an irrational nonsense that has crippled the human race for far too long. If folk want to believe in chocolate teapots, a trinity of men or reincarnation and an eight armed vengeful goddess to get them through the day then that’s utterly up to them, in the same way that who I choose to fuck is up to me.

People are real, factual, here and now, in all their glorious variety and we simply have to respect this. The history of equality for black people, women and now LGBT has always been resisted by the church. Their arguments against the equality of black people (and in favour of slavery and profit) and females were as nasty, unpleasant and intransient as they are against LGBT people. We changed the world and the law and they reluctantly and resentfully pretend to change with us. They did not change.

How dare they, who do they think they are? They are deluded if they think that they hold the moral high ground. 'Forcing churches to employ gays,' who do they think has run the church for the last 2,000 years? Certainly not happily married men and women (unless they are nice gentle and enlightened Anglicans of course) and how many talented LGBT people would want to work in those temples of delusion and madness anyway.

But...

If that nasty bitter old pope doesn’t like it, then poor him. But to have him and his silly superstitious nonsense affect, influence or direct the laws that ALL in this county have to abide by is shocking. Our elected representatives, whatever their personal belief systems should tell him to 'shove off' in the great democratic tradition. I for one will be showing my displeasure at this ex-nazi being hosted by my elected representatives; and being paid for by us tax payers. This is the same pope who uses his twisted theology to deny the use of condoms in Africa and thus condemning hundreds of thousands of heterosexual people to a lingering death from HIV & Aids. When will they practice what they preach?

This is the real obscenity here. It’s about time we all grew up and got on with the fact that we live in a society that contains all sorts of people and the mark of a mature society (and argument) is one which can respect all different sides, whether they are held or agreed with or not.

Perhaps it’s time we took the voice of moral outrage, our voice, our outrage to their temples of bigotry, intolerance and hate. If we quietly go and stand and declare our right to respect, to equality in law, in catholic churches across the land, peacefully and with dignity they may start to get the message. Lets interrupt the mass, stop the service and stand up and be counted. The very many nice Catholics must cringe when they hear their supreme leader uttering this foul and toxic brew of intolerance disguised as religious freedom. We have heard that argument before. It’s as threadbare as an African Aids orphan's hopes, as transparent as the smoke from burning witches and as ugly as the chains of slavery.

Love thy neighbour? Not if he’s in a floor length white silk frock, red Prada shoes, doesn’t believe in fairies but does believe in angels and got his start in life in the Hitler Youth?
No matter how cynical you are it’s sometimes hard to keep up. To use his own words this mad pope has "intrinsic moral evil" and spouts it all the time. Shame on him.

I’ll be out when he arrives, showing my displeasure at his visit to these shores, challenging the congregations, writing letters to my MP and asking those people of faith who shudder to hear their religion used in this way to stand by the words of their Lord or their master. I know which path Jesus would choose, the path of love, inclusion and respect. As Jesus said himself in his sermon on the mount "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ‘

Perhaps that’s why the mean old pope squints so, it’s the motes, bigotry and planks in his own eyes.