Religious Inspiration
Today I took a practice test for torts. I heard there were over eighty issues in the last exam, which is way more things than I know about the law. period. If I had to write every legal-leaning word or phrase I knew, I could maybe get to twenty, tops. Getting to eighty in the next two weeks is going to be a true effort. It's times like these that a man considers religion.
But not catholicism. Not with the new pope anyway. Not to disrespect anyone's religion or anything,
but cardinals, you have elected one mean looking bastard as God's new representative on earth; a pontiff whose resemblance to a certain Emperor Palpatine has not gone unnoticed. It's especially offensive when you consider just how dashing the last pope really was. Sure, he was pretty conservative, 
but who didn't like the guy? pope mobile and all. It must be particularly disappointing for catholics in the developing world (where 70% of all catholics live) who haven't seen a church leader from a least-developed country since... well, since Jesus.
I'll keep shopping for religion, but in the meantime, I'd advise everyone to follow Menlove's advice and go rate your professors. Especially if you have good things to say about Mazzone. I like that guy more every day. Sure, he started out kind of nervous, and I don't know if he actually likes any of us (remember last semester when he told us not to worry about grades, because thanks to the curve, it's impossible to fail all of us?) but I've definitely warmed up to the guy in the past few months. I wish I could say that for everyone else who's teaching me this semester.
But not catholicism. Not with the new pope anyway. Not to disrespect anyone's religion or anything,
but cardinals, you have elected one mean looking bastard as God's new representative on earth; a pontiff whose resemblance to a certain Emperor Palpatine has not gone unnoticed. It's especially offensive when you consider just how dashing the last pope really was. Sure, he was pretty conservative, but who didn't like the guy? pope mobile and all. It must be particularly disappointing for catholics in the developing world (where 70% of all catholics live) who haven't seen a church leader from a least-developed country since... well, since Jesus. I'll keep shopping for religion, but in the meantime, I'd advise everyone to follow Menlove's advice and go rate your professors. Especially if you have good things to say about Mazzone. I like that guy more every day. Sure, he started out kind of nervous, and I don't know if he actually likes any of us (remember last semester when he told us not to worry about grades, because thanks to the curve, it's impossible to fail all of us?) but I've definitely warmed up to the guy in the past few months. I wish I could say that for everyone else who's teaching me this semester.
posted by I Am Chadha at 11:45 PM
7 Comments:
'Not to disrespect anyone's religion or anything' is like saying 'respectfully'. If you did not want to disrespect you Probably should not have compared the new Pontiff to a dark lord. Defending JPII - Poland under Nazis and then Soviets was worse than a less developed nation..it was a killling machine. Give the guy a little reverence. Or don't. JPII is up with the big guy so I think he and his curch can take chideings from those who want a religious institution to be progressive. News Flash - religion is about faith not politics.
on the lighter side: The new Pope urges openness and discourse between Catholics and the hellbound.
Well, in my defense, I compared him to a dark lord based on physical appearance alone. Had I wanted to go the other route, I could have mentioned Benedict's time as one of Hitler Youth; but that's probably not too fair.
Religion is about faith, not politics? I think that's probably a very optimistic view of the workings of a 2,000 year old organization that has more than a billion members spread around the globe. Catholicism has never been just a "religion." If you're still laboring under that illiusion, I think this is a useful quote from a conclavist to Cardinal Ferrieri in the conclave of Leo XIII:
"The Germans are on his side as will be the Spanish tomorrow because Franchi has now sided with Pecci; Howard, who up to now has voted for Simeoni, will vote for Pecci tomorrow; as I’m sure Your Eminenccy is aware, Bilio declared to Barolini that if he were to be elected he would not accept, for he considers it a heavy burden; Monaco and Randi will continue to vote for Martinelli; Franzelin likes Monaco, but he is wasting his time: Your Eminency, you must accept the truth, God has chosen Pecci."
See: http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/seminars/pegroup/toman.pdf
News Flash - Selecting a new pope is the epitome of politics, as is most every other decision made in the in the Vatican. Priests will marry in your lifetime, regardless of how Peter would have felt about it: that's politics. The longevity of the church is testament to how well it has maneuvered politically in the past, and it's survival in the future will depend on its ability to continue to do so.
Fine, you win. I was an optimist about my fellow man until Harvard set me straight. If Harvard had not come along and taught me how to live my life I would have went on believing in some imaginary man who loves me. Those Cardnals. They are little machevelli's in a turned around collers. Is all about conspirancy and power Mr. Mulder. I've converted. Secular Humanism is the faith for me. Just in time too. I was about to live with others in mind. Now I'm taking mine before the dirt nap. There are no consequences to any of my actions anyway.
O Brave New World.
You equate my belief that the Catholic heirarchy is a political body to the idea that a selfish secular humanism is the only alternative. You'll make an excellent lawyer.
I hope you don't think I lack faith in my fellow man or look down on your having faith in something higher than man, but I think a person can by skeptical of a conclave of cardinals without your resorting to histrionics. Maybe I'm the one being too optimistic...
By the way, the Harvard article was only a resource for the quote, the material was provided by those in the church itself.
Please. Popes do not deserve reverence. I still can't forgive JPII for leaving a prison where he'd spent the day forgiving criminals and said how evil homosexuality was. I think it's ridiculous.
And don't think that Pope Benedict didn't choose his name carefully. A man once known as "God's Rottweiler" certainly wants everyone to think that he's only saying(-dict) good things (bene). Or just to remind everyone that no matter who he was before, now he speaks with the word of god. It's a power play on his part, a machiavellian reminder that his infallibility in all spiritual matters extend to any sentence where he uses the word: God.
And down with Harvard while we're at it :D
P.S. Did everyone forget this?
"News Flash - religion is about faith not politics."
I hope that this is true for you; it's certainly not true for the masses, or for our fearless leaders. after all, wasn't today the day the christo-fascists put on "Justice Sunday"? as a true christian myself, i was disgusted by this charade.
but i'm sure mr. frist would not exploit religion for political ends...
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