For he has met the enemy…and it is us

[Shana A]

Sun Dec 23, 2012 at 03:30 PM PST
For he has met the enemy...and it is us
by rserven
Follow for TransAction

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/23/1173446/-For-he-has-met-the-enemy-and-it-is-us

Subtitle:  Be afraid!  Be very afraid!

On the one hand, I'd like to be somewhat respectful of the man, even though he never has displayed any respect towards us.  But it's hard to win a war of words and concepts while being disrespectful.

On the other hand, this guy just really ticks me off.

Pope Benny is at it again.  Having in the past identified transpeople as a larger danger than deforestation of the planet, he apparently decided he should be more specific.  So this year's Christmas address was dedicated to transphobia and homophobia.  Catholic online interpreted the speech as transphobically as they could manage.  It reminded us of the Christmas speech of 2008.

[...]

And guess who is at the center of calling "what it means to be human" into question?  If you picked transpeople, you win a cookie.  By the way, it is also the case that simultaneously, we are no longer individual people, but rather a movement (see the icon that Catholic Online has been so kind to create for us.

[suzifrommd]

Feel like I have to post but I'm speechless as to what to say. A leader of a billion followers has just painted a target on me. I'm finding this very scary.

[Kevin Peña]

Ah, Pope, you need to get out more. 

[peky]

The Pope refers and seeks to validate his opinion by quoting the "Chief rabbi of France." Well, see below about the "chief rabbi of france"

The chief rabbinate of France is a political institution that, despite its pretensions, does not represent all Jewish movements or individuals in France. The role exists because of a historical coincidence where religion meets state. Nevertheless, it presents itself as the head of a religion that has always been suspicious of hierarchies. If we look at the seminal works of rabbinic literature, both Talmuds and the midrashic commentaries, we see that they describe the rabbi as being no closer to the truth than anyone else. Even if the rabbi is sometimes perceived as a "spiritual leader," he derives his authority solely from his knowledge of the Torah, and his students are always free to disagree with him.




http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-features/for-whom-does-the-rabbi-speak-when-it-comes-to-gay-rights-in-france-1.475297

[Stephe]

The other question I have for the Pope is where in Christs teachings did he explain to you that your job is dehumanize people? Actually where in the bible anywhere does it explains that God talks through one person?

[Elsa]

Huh? I am evil?

Well ok, I am gonna play along - muhuhahaha * gives an evil laugh* - I am going to do evil by checking out fashion accessories on-line and look at shoes and clothes - muhuhahaha * gives an evil laugh*

Seriously, someone needs to grow up. I miss Pope John Paul 2

Anyways - I am seriously wondering if I should go to church this morning after these comments.

[Elsa]

I wonder if the Pope has gone mad - and I hope there is no backlash from either side for this.

But are we really more evil than those who commit crimes like pedophiles, human trafficking, forced prostitution, rape and murder?

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Like many of the emperors of the Roman Empire, this one has gone mad.  It does not surprise me that he is calling for genocidal Holocaust.  After all they did back Hitler.

[Kevin Peña]

Like many of the emperors of the Roman Empire, this one has gone mad.  It does not surprise me that he is calling for genocidal Holocaust.  After all they did back Hitler.

*Hides under my Captain America shield* 

[crazy at the coast]

Considering the dresses he wears, its hard to take any criticism from him too seriously.

[MaidofOrleans]

The Pope is just another man, no closer to God than any other. I don't take his opinions any more seriously than the senile old men at the grocery store.

[suzifrommd]

The Pope is just another man, no closer to God than any other. I don't take his opinions any more seriously than the senile old men at the grocery store.

Except the old men at the store don't have a billion people listening to their words and deciding whom they will vote for and whom they will harrass/desenfranchise/ostracize based on what they say.

I live in a state with a lot of Catholic people. We've been fighting for a transgender rights bill. That just another man could very well have set back that effort considerably.

[DanicaCarin]

I read in a article posted elsewhere, that he stated that LGBT, same sex marriage, & the "Trans movement" was the greatest obstacle to World Peace the World currently faces.  Considering that religions have and continue to cause more death, destruction, & misery than any other cause in Human history, I think he should go rethink his whole theory! The whole "church sexual abuse scandal" will most likely never be fully realized or resolved, and he has the audacity to make a statement like that? 

Nothing we or science tells these people will change their views. Just ignore them!

[Stephe]

I read in a article posted elsewhere, that he stated that LGBT, same sex marriage, & the "Trans movement" was the greatest obstacle to World Peace the World currently faces. 

Good job of misdirection from the issue of the perverted, pedophile priests they never addressed..

[Rena-san]

I'm going to defend the Pope, because I'm Catholic and it is my responsibility to do such. I can guarantee that the words in this article are being misquoted and taken out of context. They were reported by the media and that is what the media does, take things out of context, only report the parts they want, make stuff up. I found the article to be distasteful and the tone to be nonacademic and offputting.

Even if the Pope said these things, I support him. Everyone has a right to their own views on humanity. Let him take his view, me take mine, and you take yours. That's what being human is about, having different views that will one day form a whole picture.

As for pedophiles and such, the Pope did make an effort to fight against such abominations. He actually did something for that too, forming counsels and issuing edicts against it. He has done nothing, and really can do nothing to "band" laity--Catholic and people who don't want to be called Catholic--from being "homosexual" or whatever. (I believe we are all Catholic, whether we want to be or not)

I respect the Pope as the figurehead of the Church, the Church I am proud to be a member of. I respect him as the successor of Peter appointed by Christ. I think he is an honest and upright man in morals and in love. I can guarantee you he both loves and prays for all of us. Ultimately, God is the ONLY JUDGE. So if you don't like the Pope or what he is doing just ignore him. You may argue, "well he's turning people against us and making things harder." Maybe, but the persecution will make us stronger in the same way it made the early church stronger:

Acts 5:39 But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God.

[Emily Aster]

The other question I have for the Pope is where in Christs teachings did he explain to you that your job is dehumanize people? Actually where in the bible anywhere does it explains that God talks through one person?

I may be an atheist, but I was raised on this stuff. I don't think it ever says he only talks through one person, but Exodus has numerous verses about how only the priest is the one to interact with him, normally relating to sacrifices. I seem to remember something about the Ark of the Covenant too where only the priest was allowed into the tent that held it and anybody else that tried would die. BUT this is all old testament stuff. I thought the point of the new testament was that it was the new way and the new testament is all about love and acceptance. He sounds very hypocritcal to me and I don't like hypocrites, probably because I've been forced to live as one for so long.

[MaidofOrleans]

I'm going to defend the Pope, because I'm Catholic and it is my responsibility to do such. I can guarantee that the words in this article are being misquoted and taken out of context. They were reported by the media and that is what the media does, take things out of context, only report the parts they want, make stuff up. I found the article to be distasteful and the tone to be nonacademic and offputting.

Even if the Pope said these things, I support him. Everyone has a right to their own views on humanity. Let him take his view, me take mine, and you take yours. That's what being human is about, having different views that will one day form a whole picture.

As for pedophiles and such, the Pope did make an effort to fight against such abominations. He actually did something for that too, forming counsels and issuing edicts against it. He has done nothing, and really can do nothing to "band" laity--Catholic and people who don't want to be called Catholic--from being "homosexual" or whatever. (I believe we are all Catholic, whether we want to be or not)

I respect the Pope as the figurehead of the Church, the Church I am proud to be a member of. I respect him as the successor of Peter appointed by Christ. I think he is an honest and upright man in morals and in love. I can guarantee you he both loves and prays for all of us. Ultimately, God is the ONLY JUDGE. So if you don't like the Pope or what he is doing just ignore him. You may argue, "well he's turning people against us and making things harder." Maybe, but the persecution will make us stronger in the same way it made the early church stronger:

Acts 5:39 But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God.

Who's the more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?

[Stephe]

I thought the point of the new testament was that it was the new way and the new testament is all about love and acceptance. He sounds very hypocritcal to me and I don't like hypocrites, probably because I've been forced to live as one for so long.

I agree. I'm a practicing Christian and I honestly don't get why Christianity even reference the OT. I sure don't follow what's in it. If I did, I'd be outside burning some goats and chickens right now! Bigots use the OT as tools to dehumanize other people. It's sad seeing religious leaders doing this.

[Stephe]

Even if the Pope said these things, I support him. Everyone has a right to their own views on humanity.

Leaders of a church do not have the right -under God- to insight hatred and non-acceptance of others. That is not what Christ taught us and The Pope is proclaiming to be "The word".

Maybe, but the persecution will make us stronger in the same way it made the early church stronger:

O.o So it's OK for people to attack us, beat us up and make our lives miserable because it "will make us stronger"??

[Emily Aster]

O.o So it's OK for people to attack us, beat us up and make our lives miserable because it "will make us stronger"??

That sounds just like my father's line of thinking. It didn't make me stronger. It made me scared.