20-04-2005 11:32									#181
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quote: Originally posted by Seeker TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: That reminds me of something. There's a TV show out of Detroit called 'Judge Mathis', it's just like Judge Judy but with a Large Black Man instead of a Little Jewish Woman. Anyway, these two roommates are suing each other. The bailiff brings in the defendant. There are three pretty girls in the front row and they whisper something and giggle. Judge Mathis looks up from his papers and grins Judge: 'They know a playa when they see one'. Then he looks over the case and whistles..."Looks like it's expensive bein' a playa" Defendant: "I'm sorry, Your Honour, pimpin' ain't easy" Judge: "I know, son, but somebodies gotta do it" At that point the whole court just breaks up laughing. I Love Detroit TV!

Judge Mathis rocks!

As for the new Pope, I really don't give a ****. I'm already sick of all the whining from liberal Catholics about this, though. What the hell did you all expect? The future of the Church is in conservative areas of the Third World, not in the liberal areas of Europe and North America...

	20-04-2005 11:39									#182
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quote: Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui I think its a bad idea to have someone who may have had a hand in the coverup of the molestation of alter boys to be elected Pope. Even if it wasn't totally proven, having that sort of thing follow you around doesn't do well for the reputation of the Church, IMO.

Not totally proven???

He signed a letter making saying, "don't tell the police about the little boy banging OR ELSE!"

If that's not proven I don't know what is.

	20-04-2005 11:49									#183
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I guess I'm not really surprised by the conclave's choice. I'm not sure they have a long-term view for the Church's future yet and so they want things to stay the same as much as possible for now. It's probably too much to ask that the Church will ever give up its medieval views on sex.

	20-04-2005 11:51									#184
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I don't see what whips and chains has to do with this Jules.

	20-04-2005 11:52									#185
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Ted Striker

	20-04-2005 11:59									#186
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin He wasn't a dedicated member of the Hitler Youth and was drafted against his will into Hitler's Army so it's hard to hold that against him. Less understandable is why he didn't claim to be a conscientious objector like several religious people in the same town did plus joining a seminary automatically gave you an exemption from the draft. He could have easily gotten out of serving in Hitler's Army but choose not to. True, he did eventually desert when everyone else was doing so, but, these are looking like the acts of a man who simply goes along with the flow instead of a man who stands up for his principles. Maybe I would do the same if I was in Nazi Germany but I wouldn't expect people to make me Pope after I did so. His former membership in Nazi organizations really isn't the problem though. The problems are his current policies and his absolutely immoral acts of protecting pedophile priests who sexually abused children. That's unforgivable and Ratzinger continues to be knee deep in it.

In his book, he speaks of Nazi lies. I am sure the whole population of Germany was skillfully brainwashed. What is important is that he now recognizes how totalitarian regimes can lie and manipulate its populace.

	20-04-2005 12:02									#187
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quote: Originally posted by Plan Austral I like this guy

You like people who shelter child abusers and sexual offenders? Isn't that nice...

	20-04-2005 12:08									#188
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quote: Originally posted by Ned Now, that was more than 40 years ago. But still, you have a point his letter may have been the source of the coverup.

Ned my friend. The order was passed by John XXIII but Ratzinger was the one who wrote a memo in 2001 telling Bishops that Pope John XXIII's order was still in effect and they would be excommunicated if they reported Sexual Abusing Priests to the police.

	20-04-2005 12:10									#189
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quote: Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui I think its a bad idea to have someone who may have had a hand in the coverup of the molestation of alter boys to be elected Pope. Even if it wasn't totally proven, having that sort of thing follow you around doesn't do well for the reputation of the Church, IMO.

Especially when the man was formerly associated with Nazi organizations.

	20-04-2005 12:12									#190
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Yeah, I think the Hitler Youth thing is a red herring. At the time, it was the German equivalent of the Boy Scouts. Lots of kids were in it. And I guess it was compulsory. What's more worrying is his dismissive attitude about the pedophile priest problem.

Another thing: how do you top an act like John Paul II? People loved this guy so much. Where do you go from that? Another reason for them to pick the guy least likely to screw up. They want to keep all this goodwill going.

	20-04-2005 12:14									#191
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quote: Originally posted by Jules Ted Striker

	20-04-2005 12:34									#192
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Cheer up Ben,

Miss Lebanon still loves you:

	20-04-2005 12:58									#193
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*throb*

	20-04-2005 12:58									#194
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Ahh finally the religious right can stop whining... Someone will take care of anti-gay and liberal politics and tell them all off. Their great box champion.

	20-04-2005 13:01									#195
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I posted that in the wrong thread. Oops.

But it's approrpriate.

	20-04-2005 13:06									#196
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Its improved this thread immensely

	20-04-2005 13:09									#197
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How about a pic of Judge Mathis!!!

I think he'd make a solid pope, he'd get like the entire western youth population into the church.

	20-04-2005 13:33									#198
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I don't think Ratzinger is protecting these pedophile priests because he wants to harm children; he probably has some misguided notion about covering these abuses up will help the church. Still, the ends do not justify the means so protecting pedophile priests from facing legal charges for their crimes isn't a good thing even if hiding those crimes makes the church look better. I'm sure Ratzinger believes in helping fallen priest redeem themselves by giving them anothe4r chance but sex offenders have the highest rate of recommitting their crimes and there has been case after case after case of pedophile priests being shuffled to new locations only to abuse more children. This pattern has been repeated for decades and is still going on.

I have no problem with helping people redeem themselves but the must first pay the penalty for their past crimes as must the Catholic Church for obstructing justice and releasing these predators to harm still more children. Attempting to bully or intimidate witnesses into not alerting authorities to sexual abuse of children is inexcusable and Ratzinger is an immoral man for doing so. These cases have happened in Europe, America, Australia, Latin America, and Africa and each time the Catholic Church has helped abusing priests escape justice.

For the Catholic Church to deal with this issue it must start cooperating with police, local officials, victim's & their families in order to make the guilty pay the price for their crimes. This will not only help past victims over come their abuse but it will also protect other children from pedophile priests who serially abuse children. Ratzinger’s past actions have shown he isn’t willing to do this. I hope he changes so that he no longer aids the abuse of children but I don’t believe such a dogmatic man can change his spots. Ratzinger’s actions; how he continues to allow children to be abused and how he covers up the crimes of the abusers is simply damning. On this fact alone it is clear Ratzinger will never be the type of man John Paul II was.

	20-04-2005 14:06									#199
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Joe Da Rat becomes Benny XVI- the Vatican goes Sopranos again.

	20-04-2005 14:22									#200
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Who wouldn't want this guy as their Pope?

Attachment: mathis!!!.jpg
This has been downloaded 81 time(s).

	20-04-2005 14:30									#201
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Apparently he once denounced rock music as "the vehicle of anti-religion" Looks like the nonce Pope is going to be an interesting one

	20-04-2005 14:54									#202
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I love that new pope smell.

	20-04-2005 14:57									#203
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I think this image about sums it up.

	20-04-2005 14:59									#204
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quote: Originally posted by Jaguar I think this image about sums it up.

"I tell ya, you shoulda seen the jugs on that nun...."

	20-04-2005 15:00									#205
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When I first saw it, I was tempted to make a "caption this" thread out of it, but we've got like eight pope threads.

	20-04-2005 15:07									#206
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quote: Originally posted by Jaguar When I first saw it, I was tempted to make a "caption this" thread out of it, but we've got like eight pope threads.

Well, at one time there were three different rival popes, all making a claim to the holy hotseat.


Plural livings were also a feature of the Catholic Church in times gone by- clerics could be Archbishop of one place, and Bishop of another- and never visit it.

Like Margaret Thatcher being British p.m. and steering clear of Scotland...

	20-04-2005 15:10									#207
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Please. He's German. No one who speaks German could possibly be evil.

	20-04-2005 15:16									#208
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quote: Originally posted by DaShi Please. He's German. No one who speaks German could possibly be evil.

Ned would agree with you.

He blames WWII on the British, for instance, and thinks that Hitler had a right to vast areas of Europe that weren't German because of the previous existence of the Holy Roman Empire.


I swear, I couldn't make this up if I tried....

	20-04-2005 15:19									#209
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All countries should be able to claim territory that was once a part of a past empire of theirs. Isn't that obvious?

	20-04-2005 15:21									#210
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quote: Originally posted by DaShi All countries should be able to claim territory that was once a part of a past empire of theirs. Isn't that obvious?

Worked with Tibet, I suppose.


Just wait until Tibet claims the bits of China it once occupied.