Slog

What does it say about our species that the church can just make shit up, and millions of people will accept it as fact? This has to be some left over trait that at one time helped our species thrive. But in the modern world it could very well lead to our downfall. This type of behavior is not beneficial for a species that has learned how to split the atom.

...the God thing.

Okay, that might be a bit much to ask of a church, but if we're going to hope they eventually come to their senses about all those other boneheaded notions, why not go all the way?

Slow as it may be to change, at least the Catholic Church does. Its acceptance of evolution practically makes it bleeding edge compared to most other mainline denominations.

What's next? Will they try to tell us there were actually FOUR bears with Goldilocks or that the Big Bad Wolf was really a camel.

Up until the mid 1960s Catholics were forbidden from eating meat on Fridays under pain of sin. Suddenly some guy in Rome says it is okay. Did the folks in Purgatory for Friday meat eating suddenly move to heaven? Is there still a Purgatory? Are you sure that it was not just that under the stick dance they are talking about?

What people don't seem to be grasping is the *purpose* for this. This will not make a damn bit of difference to Catholics in North America today. It's a footnote. A factoid. This *does*, however, improve the ability of the Catholic Church to market itself in poorer countries. Churches of all stripes are working in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe to convert as many people as they can, and they need to keep up.

But it goes to show you that the Church is quite willing to make changes that benefit itself (limbo) as opposed to changes that would benefit their flock (promotion of condom use).

You are all missing the bright side. Thanks to this ruling, somewhere untold millions of babies who have been floating in a formless void somewhere for God knows how long just found themselves instantly transported to heaven! Even as we speak they are joyfully crawling around the gold-paved streets of heaven in platininum Huggies™. Probably taking turns getting breastfed by angels.

Hallelujah!

Actually I don't think the church claims to be certain about anything besides what the Pope says ex cathedra.

aaaand you guys are jerks (not Dan cus of the Catholic card).

I actually feel this pretty strongly: Catholics can criticize the Church. Even expat catholics like me and Dan that don't believe in God anymore. Cus we at least have some degree of understanding of what Catholicism is all about. Other people can shut the hell up.

Actually I don't think the church claims to be certain about anything besides what the Pope says ex cathedra.

aaaand you guys are jerks (not Dan cus of the Catholic card).

I actually feel this pretty strongly: Catholics can criticize the Church. Even expat catholics like me and Dan that don't believe in God anymore. Cus we at least have some degree of understanding of what Catholicism is all about. Other people can shut the hell up.

The fundies are upset because this has traditionally been used to convince women not to abort lest their unborn baby be denied heaven.

@9: by that logic only republicans can fault Bush.

John- So unless I was unlucky enough to be raised in, or stupid enough to join the catholic church, I'm not allowed to have an opinion about it. You believe that one of the largest and most powerful organizations in the world cannot be criticized, except by it's members or former members.

When the Catholic Church stops criticizing others then and only then will I "shut the hell up"

SWEET!!! I could never lean back that far without falling down anyway.

FWIW John, I was raised until about the age of seven by an Irish Catholic grandmother who used to drag me to Mass twice a week. She was so devout, the priests in her parish would often ask HER for advice. I even did a year of parochial school, although thankfully I never had to go through confirmation, or give a priest a blow job, or whatever it is boys do in Popeville.

So, I guess that does make me an "ex-Catholic", in which case I would kindly ask you to SHUT THE HELL UP TOO, since there's no way you can know the religious upbringin of posters here, unless they tell you.

I guess now that Papa Nazi is 80, he's just too decrepit to make it under the limbo stick...

The most interesting thing about the article is the seriousness at which these people take a question that absolutely no-one will now or ever know the answer. The absurdity of the history, the argument, the people/money/time spent on this is beyond belief. I think Giffy @4 makes the point perfectly. Hopefully, Dan’s original point will eventually ring true.

Actually the way I read the article we now go back to St. Augustine(he was a SAINT after all)and the babies go to hell. Serves them right!

For O'Bryan(comment #2)
Back when eating meat on Friday was a sin, it was a mortal sin. Purgatory? I think not.

Oh, it was comment #5. But nonetheless Hell for eternity with all those crying babies. Probably getts real annoying after a few centuries.

I love Seattle...equal rights for everyone! Unless you're religious or you haven't been born yet. Or you're from Auburn.

@21 The right to be made fun of is applied equally to people of all religions here in Seattle. Dig the equality!

I thought this was purgatory.