8.11.2007

The Pope on War, Terrorism: Pacifism is Unsustainable

Ya'll Aunty gits so tired the media reportin' chop suey rather than what the Pope akshully says. So below is some snips from what he done said on various topics coverin' WWII, the Cold War and the War on Terror.

But first, I wanna make a little notation: Pope Benedict XVI wrote a book called Jesus of Nazareth--an in it he said ya'll doan have ter believe in Jesus if you have a good reason not to....heh heh...see? He is sorta sandbaggin', ya know?

He knows there ain't no real reason, but ain't it intrigin' that it is the Pope who invites folks to reason--to do some thinkin' at a deep level, to use yore brains to reason stuff out. Ever'body thinks faith is the antithesis of reason, bit that jes' ain't right. Faith and reason belong together--I mean, ain't it reasonable to admit ya' did not give your ownself a mind or capacitity ter reason?

Okay..well, here are some snips on war:

"...sin ruins ever anew this divine project (the created order), causing division and introducing death into the world. Thus humanity succumbs to the temptations of the evil One and wages war against itself. Patches of 'hell' (War)are consequently also created in this marvelous 'garden' which is the world."

Speaking at a German cemetery: "As Germans we are grieved by the fact that their (dead soldiers') idealism, their enthusiasm, and their loyalty to the State were exploited by an unjust regime" (Naziism)

At Caen, France (Normandy) June 5, 2004, then Josef Ratzinger analyzed the morality fighting World War II. Ratzinger noted that life under Nazism as "a dominion of lies." "No one could confide in anyone else, because everyone, in a way, had to protect himself under a mask of lies that, on the one hand, served the purpose of self-defense but tended, on the other hand, to strengthen the power of evil....

Thus it was necessary for the whole world to intervene in order to break the cycle of criminality and to reestablish liberty and law.
"

And,
"We Germans too give thanks that liberty and law were restored to us through that military operation. If ever in history there was a just war, this was it: the Allied intervention ultimately benefited also those against whose country the war was waged."

"...on the basis of a historical event that absolute pacifism is unsustainable."

On Terrorism:
"We can no longer count on such reasoning , because the readiness to engage in self-destruction is one of the basic components of terrorism—a kind of self-destruction that is exalted as martyrdom and transformed into a promise...One cannot put an end to terrorism—a force that is opposed to the law and cut off from morality—solely by means of force. It is certain that, in defending the law against a force that aims to destroy law, one can and in certain circumstances must make use of proportionate force in order to protect it."

And, (on Terrorism)

"An absolute pacifism that denies the law any and all coercive measures would be capitulation to injustice, would sanction its seizure of power, and would abandon the world to the dictates of violence."

(Ha! Ain't never heard THAT on CNN did'ja?)



ON the Europe's death spiral and refusal to defend Western values:


"Here we notice a self-hatred in the Western world that is strange and that can be considered pathological; yet, the West is making a praiseworthy attempt to be completely open to understanding foreign values, but it no longer loves itself; from now on it sees its own history only as a blameworthy and destructive...."


Iffin' any of ya'll would care to read a very fine explication of the Pope's thoughts on war and reason in the face of our current crisis, check out the essay of an incomparable political philosopher, James V. Schall. S.J.
http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/schall_benxvieurope_aug07.asp



25 comments:

sparringK9 said...

aunty i will be back to comment better ...just wanted you to know i was by and i will stop over and read fr schalls piece.

h said...

Sorry, but I'd rather comment on his 50 year history of hatred for Americans and America.

And his destroying the possibility of continuing ecumenical co-operation on important issues with us Protestants.

And his making sleazy deals with awful dictatorships that lock a bastardized Catholicism in and totally shuts out Bible-Believing Soul-Winning Protestant Churches.

The previous Pope was a man we could respectfully disagree with on some Theological Matters. A man of courage and conviction.

Ratfinger is a miserable cowardly snake.

JMHO

civilian-at-arms said...

Artfulsub,

I like your style!

Aunty,

I have a lot to say about the Pope's comments but I'll share just one for now. Regarding:

Thus it was necessary for the whole world to intervene in order to break the cycle of criminality and to reestablish liberty and law.

Why was it necessary for "the whole world" to abolish one dictator while cooperating with and coddling another? By the time we entered the war against Germany, after all, Stalin had slaughtered more people "at peace" than Hitler had ever sent to the showers. (While we're at it, perhaps we should ask why the hammer and sickle is still a fashion symbol whereas the swastika is not?)

Aunty Belle said...

Gracious Artful! Youse a straight talikn' woman, an' I likes that!

I s'ppose I need ter git filled in on what ya mean--ya' think Cdl. Ratzinger is a hater of America? How did I miss that?

Now on ecumenical cooperation
--whoa, that is a real huge topic, but I am sorta itchin' to explore it wif' ya--iffin' youse of a mind ter jaw on it? I seen whar' a Rabbi said he was not offended at all by the Pope's recent writin's on it, 'cause in order to know whar' things stand, ya need ter know what the non-negotiatables is

Fer instance, (not knowin' what denomination ya' prefers) can I assume ya' ain't willin' ter negotiate on havin' a Pope as yore "Vicar of Christ on Earth"?

I reckon it seems ter me we can really work on whar' we'uns agree as a Christians, when we is real clear about what is not on the table.

Aunty Belle said...

Hey Arful Slub, I din't mean to morph ya'---I think youse a man what is a straight talker--not a woman--right?

Aunty Belle said...

Hey Civilian -at-arms, Sugar I'se always so pleased ter have a visit from ya!

Yeah, I'se seein' yore point on Stalin. I'm readin' up recently on WWI, WWII, ter git a handle on what REALLY was behind it all. This may take a year or so, I fear.

But my main idea wif' this post is to show how the US media would have Americans believe that that the Pope is a pacifist--that he / the Church is against ANY use of duly constituted military force. An' that's horse pucky.

But the swastika shore is a fashion statement--din't ya' hear how Prince Wille wore one to a dress up party in London? Caused a stir.

civilian-at-arms said...

I'm readin' up recently on WWI, WWII, ter git a handle on what REALLY was behind it all. This may take a year or so, I fear.

Well, according to WWI propaganda, baby eating Germans were poised to spread "Kultur" around around the globe; we were charged with, quite literally, fighting them over there so we didn't have to over here. (Now that's something to think about.) Making the world safe for democracy, as you know, was also a rallying cry; this despite our allies being European autocrats and the Japanese Imperium. If Wilson was sincere, at least he repented after the fact for being a shill for certain monied interests.

Old "Rubber Legs" appeared to have been motivated by many things, not the least of which was his precious United Nations which, without Soviet involvement, wouldn't have been remotely possibly. That would go a long way to explaining his groveling before Stalin (I'm sure Stalin's agent, and FDR's close advisor, Hopkins didn't exert too much undue pressure) and the various gifts the Allies bestowed upon kindly Uncle Joe--sending millions in exile back to the USSR to be promptly worked to death, for instance. The not-so-hidden history of events is stomach-turning for those of us who are attempting to overcome their urbane innocence.

din't ya' hear how Prince Wille wore one to a dress up party in London? Caused a stir.

Ha! Precisely. But walking down the street with a Che Guevera, CPUSA or Soviet Army Red Star t-shirt is still very much the vogue thing to do. The only stirring those tend to cause are in the revolutionary little loins of Manhattan trustafarians.

Aunty Belle said...

Civilian, Darlin' youse makkin' me howl:"The only stirring those tend to cause are in the revolutionary little loins of Manhattan trustafarians." Hilarious!

Yeah, Che and gang and other markers of marxism are fashionable because revolution is always fashionable wif' a certain sort.

This heah could be a good yak--I mean, the unavoidable truth is that nations and ideologies advance/mature at different speeds.

Seems ter me that even whar' intentions is pure, the leaders of democracies would have ter work wif' non-democratic nations/leaders.

(But I does hear ya on Joe and Franklin--absolutely hearin' ya' on that)

We could make a real fine case that Colonial powers did their wards no favor by turnin' over power to the locals too soon. AN' here we are now with an Iraqi laboratory of emergin' democracy of the middle east---when in fact I ain't understandin' how a democracy can be "given" to folks that ain't ready fer it. For a nation to be capable of operatin' under the democratic ideal, the people must first be able to rule themselevs--ain't enough police to keep folks in line when they do not buy into yore ideology.

In short, a dictator (saddam) is often welcomed when the people KNOW theyselves is out of control: the society ain't cooperatin' wif each other, an ribery/thuggery/extortion
are t he dominant bidness models. AN such is the case whar' rival clans/tribes/sects despise each other as a matter of tribal duty.

Aunty doan think democracy works for eve'rbody. I ain't ackshully against a monarchy in principle--it works pretty well whar' a nation is not yet prepared fer self-rule.

As fer Rubber Legs and the UN--well, now ya knows that Aunty knows the underbelly of the beast up close and personal-like (see post "Hegemony" a few weeks back on BACK porch).

The UN and its precursor (League of Nations) is expressly designed to give the appearance of a international society dedicated to the freedom for all, when in truth the whole edifice is a stage set for global slavery.

Has ya ever read James Clavel's Children's Story? Get it today. It will take ya about half an hour ter read. Should be required readin' onc't a year fer freedom lovin' folks.

Civvy, what does ya' recommend as a decent account of the origins of WW I ?

Aunty Belle said...

Artfulslub, I did a bit of pokin' around an' found a comment by a leadin' Protestant minister, Albert Mohler, He said he is not much offended by Vatican statement

He said, (mor or less) "shoot folks, the Catholic Church is only being true to itself when it states that other faiths are partly in error, an' we Protestants doan have no cause to get riled up over it--we jes' need to present our own claims as plainly as the Pope did."

Then Baptist Pastor Mohler said (fer real) "I appreciate the Roman Catholic Church's candor on this issue, and I believe that Evangelical Christians, with equal candor and clarity, should respond in kind."

I guess Aunty would sum it up like this:

A realistic approach to the ecumenism project is fer those who is serious about what they believe not ter feel threatened when folks who believe differently state those differences plainly.

An' jes' fer the record, I ain't a Catholic because I'se a Catholic.

I'se Catholic cause I think what Catholicism teaches is true.

sparringK9 said...

aunty i have nothing to contribute here. i am burned out. but i dont think bene16 is as good as JP2, not by a long shot. but i know he is a scholar and JP's choice so i am willing to hear him out.i dont know about what artfulsub is talking about but i am distressed about how the faith, our faith, is perceived in the world.

Aunty Belle said...

Hey She-pup...burned out huh? Yeah...no wonder. Too much invincible ignorance loose in the world.

Looky, Pup, mah point were not about Benedict XVI in general, but about the US media portraying him as a pacifist when very clearly he done make it real plain that pacifism is "unsustainable"

So to mah thinkin' the discussion here is two-fold: 1) US media twistin' what the Church says cause the media wants to pretend that a moral authority is teachin' pacifism when it ain't

and
\
2) That pacifism *IS* unsustainable and therefor we'uns gotta git it together on ISlamic jihad. That includes lilly-livered CHristians who wanna hide behind pacifism.

(of course, I'se plum tickled iffin' ya'll wanna wade into other waters too--on the matter of faith and morals and popes and WW history and the UN....anything we's already touched on above.

As fer ArtfulSlub, he is referring to the recent restatement by B16 that the *Fullness*of the Christian Revelation is found only in the Catholic Church, all others have a portion of truth to the degree that have not departed from that truth.

In brief, Pup, Jesus was pretty clear: "Father, I pray that they (his flock) may be ONE even as you and I are One"

So--the division within Christianity is a horrific family squabble that needs medin'--hence Vatican II called for an ecumenical outreach.

h said...

I wasn't blasting the "faith", I was blasting the new Pope Ratfinger.



A sampling of his 50 year History of being a Hater of America and Americans.

" The American model of Capitalism is rapacious. It cares nothing for human beings. The European model is better. Much closer to what I call the Third Way. The better way."

Ratfinger offering his ill-informed opinions on Economics.

" The problem has nothing to do at all with the Church. It's an American problem. They have a sick culture."

Ratfinger on the Priest Pedophilia scandals.

" What the Americans did at Dresden was far worse and a true crime against humanity. That they've never repented for that horror says much."

Ratfinger favorably comparing the carefully planned slaughter of several million civilians with American Pilots following lawful orders during Wartime.

h said...

My statement about Ratfinger destroying ecumenical co-operation wasn't prompted by his repetition of Catholic Doctrine. I think that is what Mohler was commenting on.

I was referring to his cutting a deal with the Chinese Government that favors the Government Approved "Catholic" Church and leaves Protestants AND the "underground" Catholics in SERIOUS danger.

And to a similar deal with Hugo Chavez's thug regime in Venezualia.

A voice of REAL moral authority would not have cut those deals.

I just think it's a shame. Every day grass-roots Catholics and Protestants work together to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and provide loving advice to Women contemplating abortions.

And it wasn't that long ago that a Protestant USA President named Ronald Reagan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a Pope to address bigger issues.

That won't happen with Ratfinger unless the USA elects a German Social Democrat. Something our Constitution and common-sense prevents.

Aunty Belle said...

Artfulsub, Sugar Pie, this is real interestin' stuff. I actually have a bit of flutter in me wee heart over yore mighty fine observations that Catholics and Protestants work daily in the trenches to feed, clothe the "least of our brothers" and work to help mommies in distress--I'se overjoyed readin' that.

ON the parts about Ratzinger--would ya mind givin' Aunty some dates an'references fer those quotes--I ain't doubtin' ya, Artfulsub, Puddin', it is jes' that I have a means of checkin' them quotes against what was ackshully said--the thang is this--I meself have had occasion ter note (when he was Cardinal R) his comments that were delivered in Italian that the American press translated jes' a bit to loosely...or misquoted entirely as they have done on the pacifism thang I put in this post.

This happens repeatedly, a good example is the American translation of what he said in Turkey. The US version was not even close ter what the Pope akshully said.

ON US military engagements and faith: first, lemme state straight up that Aunty Belle is essentially a hawk. But I'se a hawk that is "slow ter anger"...meanin' that ain't no need to shoot a gnat wif' a shotgun...but iffin' there is a rabid hyena prowlin' mah woods, I'se gonna shoot it wif' somethin' big enough ter git the job done ASAP. An' there ain't no conflict wif' this position and "just war" teachin' which is the (still) standard teachin' of th Church.

On Capitalism, Aunty is a firm believer in capitalism as the BEST system for the most people , with VERY STRONG provisos. Minus crucial laws, capitalism morphs into disastrous abuse of resources and people--ain't no better example than what happened in Russia in the 1990s. It becomes a mafia-like "business" climate.

I'se seein' youse a fella wif' a dern good grasp of thangs--so youse knowin' right off that the economic theories we could refer to are complicated, added ter economic history of the past two centuries , so it's tough ter distill it all in a blog combox.

But lemme make a plug fer the "third way" that the Pope does prefer. It is essentially a form of capitalism with sufficient controls that prevent smaller family farms (for instance) or small shopkeepers from being squeezed out by giant conglomerates.

Sigh..oh Lordy there is so much ter yak about on this...but does ya' see yoreself how in America we have
turned "makin' a buck" into the number one American value? That we value people for what they add ter the "bottom line" but not fer what they are?

Why is it that a long-haired unwashed drug addict wif a geetar can git paid millions fer screamin' obscenities at 13 year olds, while artists and teachers and classical cellists nearly starve? This is the capitalism that Ratzinger abhors.

I'se agreein' wif ya that Ratzinger is European in his vision of how society can be less dollar driven and invest more in the pursuit of culture than in another big box store. BUT, his vision is "old Europe" not the EU which he detests and has spoken against ceaselessly.

Ya' knows real well that the Industrial Revolution were a two headed critter--so much good and fabulous advances that set folks free of such drudgery and improved quality of life etc.,

But the IR were the father of Marxism too-- in that there were hideous abuses of people including wee babes put to work in mines etc. The horror that socialism and communism brought to Europe had its genesis in an ungoverned capitalism. People so abused -think of the Dickensian portrayal of life under that regime--were then ripe for "another drummer" called Marxism.

Ratzinger wants ter prevent a new form of global "rapaciousness" from sweeping the world into a new form of economic slavery.

But he ain't no socialist or communist--in 1984 he smacked down the "liberation theologists" (frauds!!) fer preachin' and teachin'crap to the South Americans peons that were nuthin' but marxism
festooned wif' bible verses. He has repeated his ban on liberation theo again recently.

As fer the deal wif China,
I'll git ter it too--jes' gotta git some coffee and vitmins in me first... stand by.

(OOH! I'se happy youse got a "go fer it" personality --like Civilian and She-pup.)

h said...

Aunty Belle,

Thanks. I'll get you those dates. Many are from Garry Wills who remains a self-proclaimed Catholic as far as I know. The Dresden comment was in the 70s, I think.

You're right and Wills was WRONG about Ratfinger bitch-slapping those horrible "Liberation Theologists". Ratfinger did the right thing THAT time. I think his real motive was probably nefarious, but he did slap them down with considerable force and skill.

Europe AND the USA have mixed-economies, in reality. Most (not all) of Europe has a mix that is more slanted to State Control/Involvement than the USA. Higher taxes, onerous labor laws, more social services, more Public/Private consortiums. Etc.

Most dumb Euros including Ratfinger think their system is intrinsically better, have a Media-Induced hatred of America, and think it would be a GOOD idea for some global body of appointed bureaucrats to impose a "Third Way" on the planet.

Your well-informed Euros still think their system is better BUT are smart enough to realize that what works reasonably well in Sweden ain't necessarily gonna work in the USA or Belize.

And that Kofi Annan's grandchildren aren't likely to be much smarter or honest than he was.

And your honest well-informed Euro recognizes that there are MANY instances where EuroBiz has LESS restrictions and acts with LESS regard for mankind than Americas.

French Companies, for example, will sell pretty much any product to anyone anywhere at any time. Including advanced weaponry and anything else a brutal dicator cares to purchase.

American executives who break OUR Sovereign Laws get LONG prison sentences. French executives who break French Laws, AND EC Rules, and UN guidelines, and GATT treaties get Cabinet Posts.



Ratfinger is NOT well-informed on these matters and is WILLFULLY ignorant of and hateful to the USA.

An odd position considering that American Catholics contribute a WILDLY disproportianate share to the Vatican Coffers.

I really think the guy's prime motivation is Anti-Americanism.

Heck, he can't even bring himself to critique rampant immorality, hyper-secularism, and abysmal Church Attendance in Europe without blaming it on American influence.

Aunty Belle said...

Okay, Artfulsub, Sweet dumplin'

got mah coffee sloshin' around --iced by now at this time of day-- but I'se havin' ter attend ter some real work today...so, a *brief* comment on yore claim that the Pope made a deal wif the chinese is to note that--yeah? Well, how is it that the deal went so well that 11 priests were arrested last week?

"According to local priests, the violence against the underground Church shows the Chinese authorities contempt for Benedict XVI’s courageous offer of a hand of friendship." (/www.asianews.it/)

sparringK9 said...

grrr this is a smokin hot thread..great reading. im generally pissed that catholic laity have to suck it up for administrators that dont have the will to do something about some of those bastardizations artfulsub's talkin about. and if the press doesnt get it right in translation then Bene needs to find a competent writer to spell it out correctly in english and then release the statement.

a half-hour book? im gonna get that aunty. i hope its better than "pattern recognition" grrrrherherhaha

why arent we rich?? grrrherhaha

im stillburned out jus came by see how yore doin.

Aunty Belle said...

Hey Pup, ..I'se hearin' ya on the garbled garbage that comes to us in the guise of "news" about the Church, pope, Catholics, etc...ya' know, that most fashionable prejudice.

Jes' yesterday the Pope remarked on his view of European economic attitudes, callin' them

"materialistic dictatorships including the Nazi and Stalinist regimes."

And,

"It is present in the form of materialistic ideologies that consider God as something expendable or pointless and that maintain life is all about "consumption, selfishness, amusement" and "taking all there is to get in this brief lifetime," the pope said.

In short, the "capitalist" consumerist society we've grown a wee too comfortable with demands a
market mediated answer to everythang in life--squeezin' God to the margins

--I means that the market is the final arbiter of our lives--we'uns is so depersonalized by a culture that is "pluralistic" and thus we have NO common ideals, common faith or values other than what Madison Ave gives us--we's consumer slaves in a real sense.

it is this that Ratzinger decries
--he ain't against capitalism in theory, but he despises how we practice capitalism--so he calls Christians back from that precipice--reminds them that there is such a thang as greed and abuse within capitalism.

Aunty Belle said...

Artfulsub,

Seems ter me that ya' may wanna dump Gary Wills as a source fer anything about Catholicism--ya knows he is a faker, a failed Christian and an opportunist, right?

An' the Pope didn't make no deal wif' Chavez---he sic'd the Venezeulan bishops on Chavez--check it out:

CARACAS, Venezuela, JULY 10, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Venezuelan bishops say their country is experiencing one of the most crucial moments in its history with the implementation of socialist policies by President Hugo Chávez.

"Various official decisions, like the motto 'Country, Socialism or Death,' and declarations by the president and government spokesmen led to the conclusion that the country is headed toward the implementation of a socialist system based on the theory and practices of Marxism and Leninism," the bishops said.

............
.................AND
when the Pope and Chavez was eye ter eye this was the topic:

VATICAN CITY, MAY 11, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI appealed for the rights of Catholics in Venezuela when he received the country's president, Hugo Chávez, in audience.

Among the concerns the Pope raised today with his guest was the freedom of the Church to appoint bishops, the marginalization of religion in schools, and the independence of the Catholic media.

The 35-minute audience was the first meeting between Benedict XVI and Chávez, who has clashed with Church leaders during his seven years in office.

* * *
Now Artful, one thang that Aunty do know from her work--ya' gotta know a tad of diplomese. That fuffy language that leaders use when they's tryin' ter put a soft face on a hard truth.

Nuthin' the Pope did caused harm to
Protestants. What is harmin' Protestants in Venezeula is the success of them Pentecostals
---Chavez doan want NO
belief in God ter mess up his socialist paradise, see? So he moves against them Pentecostals --not because of any deal wif the Pope.

Artful, Aunty ain't in ter proselytizin' nobody. Ain't aimin' ter convert nobody to Catholicism here on a blog. I'se real happy when anybody tries to love God wif all they heart and mind....thas' plenty fer me.

But lemme jes' note, too, that any readin' of the primary sources will unseat most of the prejudices against the Church.

Ain't sayin' the Catholic Church is beyond criticiism--nope. I'se sayin' it ain't nuthin' like what most folks is taught to think of it.

When ya's curious enough to know if yore ideas are correct on the Catholic Church, take a swing by

www.vatican.va

and read the actual documents and see if you disagree much wif em'/Ya' might be a bit surprised.

sparringK9 said...

aunty: i like that!
'consumption, selfishness and amusement"

yep.

hey aunty you know what? yesterday the little boy next door told me that when he got to school, all the kids had to put in a pile all their school supplies and then the teacher redistributed the supplies evenly. tyler was VERY disturbed that his beloved milky pens were given out and he didnt even get to keep the one color he really wanted.

so. the indoctrination to collectivism begins. and what will these kids on the receiving end expect as grown ups?

oh. and we had this conversation because on day 3 of school, tyler was already out knockin on neighbors doors selling candy and wrapping paper for his school. unbelievable.

Unknown said...

funny, AB, that i should come here this am and read this post. why, just last night i was reading about st. augustine and st. thomas aquinas. in fact, the very last thing i read before going to sleep was this ~

"The life of certain pestiferous men is an impediment to the common good which is the concord of human society. Therefore, certain men must be removed by death from the society of men."

and this (which is said to have inspired the above words) ~

I Corinthians 5, 6: "You know that a little leaven corrupts the whole lump of dough?" and I Corinthians 5, 13: "Put away the evil one from among yourselves"


as far as ...In short, a dictator (saddam) is often welcomed when the people KNOW theyselves is out of control: the society ain't cooperatin' wif each other, an ribery/thuggery/extortion
are t he dominant bidness models. AN such is the case whar' rival clans/tribes/sects despise each other as a matter of tribal duty.

Aunty doan think democracy works for eve'rbody.


i think we all shoulda jest left sadam alone. clearly, his dictatorial style existed for decades, unaltered for a reason. clear, it served a purpose. democracy cannot be placed over a group of people, like you'd place a blanket over a baby. it doan work that way ... IMHO.

regarding the comment on 'dumb euros' i will sidestep that terribly unhelpful line ... just *sigh* and say, my dumb european relatives think north americans are dumb too ... and they're right. we are dumb.

regarding capitalism ~ in principle its always good when choice is left up the the individual consumer. however, its the lusty pursuit of the power hard-on that pisses me off. that lusty pursuit of the power orgasm makes people stupid, just like they get when in lusty pursuit of a carnal orgasm.

and ... why does everyone strut around wearing che geuvera (sp?) t-shirts, when they likely have no friggin clue who he is?

as for and if the press doesnt get it right in translation

when has the translation (of anything from the vatican) been 'right' ... ? translation, by definition, is subjective. there's the rub. how do we know what anyone really said, unless we know their language? sorry, i'se of the mind to take what the media puts out there for us with a grain of salt.

Aunty Belle said...

Aw, balst it She-Pup that makes Aunty SO MAD. Poor little kids--dern commie teacher. Looky- GET THAT BOOK--James Clavell's The Children's Story. It is spooky prescient ter what's happenin' in your neighbor boy's life.

Jes' terday I visited a daughter-in-law's classroom--public school in good are and state of the art set-up....and the SCHOOL has provisions fer the little bits who shpw up wif nuthin' in they bellies or backpacks. ...

but here's the thang: This elementary campus is LOCKED solid as San Quentin when kids are there--cause freaks of every sort roam around --the playground is an inner courtyard thang so flashers have nobody ter flash. Sickening what we have come to--and WHY???

We's so "compassionate" that we throw babes to wolves jes' so we don't offend nobody.

Hey Red ! Gracious, ladybug, that is some fine readin' youse doin' I gotta St. Augustine Day by Day --little volume that gives me a thought fer the day.

But looky, what they say is right--I mean, put the evil doers AWAY fer mercy's sake--why do we have children terorized--by juges now who won't toss the oddballs into the pokey.

Red, I'se gonna add some news sources ter my drop down feature on this heah BACK Porch --it is possible ter git the real translation--but not from the US press--I mean, fer heaven's sake--as IF the Pope would waltz wif' Chavez. 'Course not, but the US press would love ter make such a claim.

Ya know what...iffin' I stay riled up, I may do a post to debunk the Da Vinci Code, lay out the scam of two restauranteurs who dreamed up the priory of sion crap and what all else has fried my petticoats in the last week or so.

The truth is--I almost think I oughta leave the gullible in they ignorance--see, they's *real* horror out there--new post on the nightmare in German is comin' soon.

GRRRR!!

Unknown said...

she ~ GRRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLL ~ THAT is CRAP. plain and simple. that'd be the day i'd buy any school supplies for the other kids in my son's class ... what is up with that? that ... like stealing, ain't it? i look around here ... and i see that those who have always been on the receiving end don't know how to be or do anything else. i think there's such a thing as killing with kindness.

and it makes me think of something else here that pissed me off. today they just let a street junkie/pan handler out of jail (despite his lengthy wrap sheet) only a couple weeks after he beat up an 81 year old man and stole his wallet (apparently the $5 the man was giving him jes wadn't gud enuf!) IN THE CATHEDRAL! grrrrrrrrrr. what's wrong with this picture?


makes me wonder what sort of world we live in.


about the reading ... yeah ... i'm sorta into reading all the mystics of late ... i love reading st. john of the cross, too.

Infinitesimal said...

i don't like this pope.

I liked the Polish one better.

Infinitesimal said...

and also

he looks just like a rodent, you can see evil on his face, Belle I am surprised you consider him as a vicar of Christ on Earth. I am more of a vicar than he is. And I mean that. We all have the potential to be vicars, but we should not accept that someone IS THE vicar just because it is written in his job description.

And a fact check for you Aunt, it was prince HARRY, and not WIlliam, who went dressed in a swastika.

Although, I think William, as kind as he is today, may have the potential to be the antichrist when he is crowned.

Depends on what possesses him I guess.