lurking 6: I’m sick of hearing about the poor
I’m delighted to have the opportunity to return to the lurking series, courtesy of my new best blogging buddies, Catholic Truth Scotland. This site is a goldmine of wayward Christian opinions, from a heretical offshoot of the Catholic Church. They are the perfect illustration of the strange directions easily taken by the many man-made religions that sprung up around the character Jesus. This comment on a post about Pope Francis, from someone who clearly believes they are a better Catholic than the new pope, has to be read to be believed. Enjoy!
I have serious concerns about this pope. He doesn’t look like a pope and he doesn’t act like a pope. I wonder why he accepted the office of Supreme Pontiff if he didn’t really want it.
I’m sick of hearing about “A return to Gospel values”. What an insult to previous popes! Another thing, what exactly are “Gospel values”? It’s a phrase banded about by wooly headed incompetents, it is particularly favoured by those working in Catholic education, that sounds good but doesn’t actually mean very much. No one has ever been able to name these “values” when I have asked.
Forgive me, but I’m sick of hearing about the poor. If the poor are being oppressed then it is because the Faith has been lost. No government that is based on Catholic Social Teaching would oppress the poor. So, let’s get back to basics. Maybe the pope should concentrate on the Social Kingship of Christ instead of uttering soppy, stupid guff like “let’s be very close to the poor”. How can I be “close to the poor” living in the West of Scotland? Does the pope want me to go and hug a tramp sleeping under a railway bridge? What we should be doing is catechising and defending the Faith. God forgive me but this pope is starting to sound like Judas with his false concern with the poor.
How can a pope not want to talk about abortion? How can a pope “change the subject” when asked a question about it by journalists? Unbelievable. Is there any group more “poor” than the unborn? Naked and defenceless in their mothers’ wombs. Is Pope Francis really saying we should change the subject and focus instead on hugging the homeless?
I think this is a truly frightening pontificate. We now have a pope who seems to detest the papacy. What is really frightening is that he has an army of fans – including the secular press. I noticed a comment on a site last week saying “Finally we have a pope who is one of us”. The Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church? The Vicar of Christ? God help us all.
Oh, and it only gets better. Here’s another gem from the same post!!
“I couldn’t believe what I was reading in this report about the Pope’s greetings to Muslims at the end of Ramadam. Children are to be taught to respect other religions.
How are Catholic children to learn that the Church is essential for salvation if they have to respect other religions?
I hasten to add that I know we have to respect all people, that is not an issue, whatever their beliefs, but I always understood that we could not have any truck with a non-Christian religion. I take it that has now changed?”
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These are a bunch of crazy people. Why can’t he just apply to be pope
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Clearly because the god God doesn’t want them in power! You’ve been quiet of late. Holidays?
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I have been away on a convention but back now.
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Jeeezus…. I thought the crazy Catholics were just in the US.
“I’m sick of hearing about the poor”… PLEASE find a picture of this person and i’ll make a meme showcasing her Christian credentials 🙂
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It’s a classic! I’m really excited about what else is lurking their posts – that was the first I checked.
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Seriously, get some pictures of these nutters and we can create a series of memes. They can become famous on the interwebs 🙂
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Is that your command as leader of our new cult? Well, I suppose I could get a train over to Glasgow at the weekend …
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I can only start giving commands once i have my giant red clown shoes on…. which is sadly not just yet.
Don’t these people have photos on the interwbs?
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F off John. Until you’ve got those clown shoes on, you’re nothing to me! 🙂
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Well, i have a giant red afro wig on… and an over-sized red clowns nose… oh, and one white glove! That might not mean i can give ‘commands,’ per say, but surely it counts for a ‘suggestion’ of two, right? 🙂
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Here’s a post you might like (or not). It’s funny to think that Jesus might not have existed and it’s ALL completely made up, but this guy makes a good case:
http://alanvsworld.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/i-believe-in-jesus
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Ouch. One paragraph is ripping on the idea of a need to return to gospel values. The next is advocating getting back to basics. Huh.
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I’m guessing they view ‘getting back to basics’ being a fancy-dressed pope calling for a new crusade to wipe out Islam and setting up an Inquisition to get rid of all the heretics.
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Both hilarious and sad to read. I’m glad that the new pope is so popular and I’m sure this frustated person is part of a very limited minority 🙂
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I’m sure you’re right. It’s a truly bizarre point of view, and the fact that everyone agreed with it on the post shows there’s a little community of them out there.
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Indeed. I’m not sure about ohter countries, ut when we in Belgium look back on Catholicism, we applaud the work of people like Daens, fighting for the working poor. And not the bisshops fighting Daens! Also today there are numerous Catholic organizations active in Belgium, from support for the elder to the christian union and whatnot.
Anyway, now that I think about it, this little internet community of weirdo’s is only a good laugh. They don’t have any real power or influence to be sad about. So: haha.
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I guess if they were having these weird private conversations I’d feel bad about exposing their ridiculous opinions to a wider audience. But they are clearly smug in their belief that they are ‘correct’ and it seems they attempt to ruin the lives of others on some kind of heretical (by the current standards of their organised religion) crusade. Nasty, nasty people.
http://www.scottishchristian.com/catholic-witch-hunt-to-expose-gay-clergy/
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I read through some of the comments, but could not get to the end. I see Editor agrees with that comment, so if Petrus is a troll, he is not extreme enough. He should crank it up a bit, see how much he can get her to agree with.
When I read her using the quote “the poor are always with you” so dismissively, I left in disgust.
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Petrus is part of the core group as far as I can make out – nothing troll about her/him. And yes, the Editor did agree and even added some sarcastic and ugly fuel to the fire:
“That’s a great post, Petrus – got the WOW factor.
But, silly you asking what “gospel values” are. You for real?
Gospel values, as any archbishop will tell you, are respect for every human being, especially “gays” and women, respect for every religion on earth coupled with a readiness to apologise for Catholicism at every turn; freedom of conscience; if you want to kill you granny and you can square it with your conscience, go for it, guy! Oh and tolerance of every evil under the sun, (mustn’t forget tolerance) and hugging a hoodie if you happen to meet one after dark on a lonely stretch of road just before he swipes your wallet.
The above are the “gospel values” so beloved by the Catholic education “experts” (not).”
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I would find it reassuring that they imagine themselves an oppressed minority, desperately keeping the Faith; but they are paranoid, so their perception that they are the minority may just be delusional. But they do indicate there are other strains within Catholicism, and with this comment, within Catholic schools.
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I think as is so often the case, they are frightened and closed people. They are a reminder of the number of weird spin-off groups who think they’re on the ‘right’ path and everyone else is wrong. I just don’t understand how people are unable to see the clear patterns down through the history of organised religion. It’s sheer ignorance and rather yawnsome that people can still believe they’re ‘right’ in this day and age.
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I love those terms. Basics and values when applied to the Papacy.
Bring back the Borgia’s I say!
Good old incestuous values.
Or maybe some of the really rumpous Shirtlifitng Values of some of the more ‘I’ll just bend over and you can park your bike Popes
http://queerhistory.blogspot.co.nz/2010/03/gay-popes-embarrassing-death-of-paul-ii.html
Ah yes…Christianity. Replete with those good old-fashioned values that puts it head and shoulders above the rest, right?
Cant beat a good christian…
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That led me to this Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Case-Pope-Vatican-Accountability/dp/0241953847/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y With all the allegations and smoke-screen, Geoffrey Robinson QC is a reporter on the child abuse scandal whom I would trust.
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I raised this issue on the Catholic Lunatics of Scotland site (Violet’s fav blog) – that the Pope should be prosecuted as an accessory after the fact and this was instrumental in getting me swiftly banned.
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That does look really interesting.
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What are these shrubs? Very pretty.
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You underestimate how much I lurk. Don’t steal the doggy’s tricks! 🙂
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Who’s stealing from Argus? He linked me to the site , I merely repost it as a link here…
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If you don’t credit your source, it’s thievery! And besides, you know late picture praise really irks me.
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Argus didn’t claim ownership of said Shirt-lifter site and neither do I.
Furthermore, I didn’t praise the picture so I cannot be accused of tardy condescension …I merely asked what were the shrubs? And you still haven’t told me…
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If you’re not even going to praise the photography I don’t see that I have anything further to say to you, sir!
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Sir?
I haven’t been knighted, yet.
So, what are the darn shrubs?
.
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How would I know? 🙂
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What…that I am not knighted or are you referring to the botany question?
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The person you quote might just have a point in there also. What are the “Gospel values”? And I do think the pope should take a stand in the abortion issue. Either to repair the damage his predecessors and institution has caused, or to stand firm behind the nonsense they have stood for and let all see how mad and harmfull even a religion alledgedly based on benevolent ideology can get.
But what I do not get, is how is this person a catholic? I mean are they not supposed to believe the popes are infallible? Oh yes, the pope is infallible, but just as long as he does not get any misinformation – a bit like all the rest of us.
Otherwise, I must say that the idea that: “No government that is based on Catholic Social Teaching would oppress the poor.” Is interresting. It is one of those hard to prove claims as the claim itself goes to prove, that no such thing has ever existed.
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You’re right to pick up the questioning of Gospel values. It’s certainly worth of a post or two. However, they seem to think Gospel values means wealthy leaders dressed in silly clothes reciting medieval poetry and preaching damnation about topics like same sex marriage and abortion that didn’t exist in Gospel times. There’s really no basis for that outlook. There is a basis for caring for people on the margins of society – and hugging a tramp would certainly fit in more with the depictions of the character Jesus than any of nonsense the author shouts about.
And, as you say, if they are Catholic and want all that goes with Catholicism, then the pope has the last word on everything, or you’re a heretic. Honestly, they are the biggest bunch of idiots I’ve come across. And they’re Scottish … ah, the shame …
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