Slog - Comments on Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You.... http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to Happy Birthday, Dear Poooo-ooooope, Happy Birthday to You. The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Kentucky’s method of execution by lethal injection, rejecting the claim that officials there administered a common sequence of three drugs in a manner that posed an unconstitutional risk that a condemned inmate would suffer acute yet undetectable pain. While the 7-to-2 ruling did not shut the door on challenges to the lethal injection protocols in other states, it set a standard that will not be easy to meet. Yesterday, of course, was Pope Benedict's birthday (he's 197 years young), and while thousands of American Catholics... Copyright 2008 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:43:07 -0800 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:37:48 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Mr. Poe Scrotum.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000578 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000578 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:51:50 -0800 Comment by Sister Y I find it incredibly creepy that John Paul II's statement on the death penalty is basically rank utilitarianism - removing the right not to be killed by the government, in order to preserve the most life possible. But isn't that what a right is? Something that's not up for utilitarian calculation? As in, the right not to be tortured shouldn't ever, ever be violated, even in order to prevent more torture.

By this logic (more life = better), you should go around opposing people's right to contraception . . . oh wait.

]]> Sister Y http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000580 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000580 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:53:33 -0800 Comment by muckfetro Yeeeehaw!!!! That is one evil looking cowboy!

]]> muckfetro http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000581 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000581 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:53:39 -0800 Comment by Mike in MO duh! of course it is reserved for liberals. Since when can one expect consistancy from The Church?

]]> Mike in MO http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000585 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000585 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:00:39 -0800 Comment by Mike in MO also, that is the GAYEST hat I have ever seen.

]]> Mike in MO http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000587 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000587 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:01:39 -0800 Comment by scharrera Great post Dan - as a "liberal Catholic" this double standard always gets to me. Conservatives apparently get to decide which life is sacred - unborn child unable to live outside of the womb? totally sacred! Living breathing person who (may or may not have, depending on how much you trust our justice system) committed a heinus crime? Not sacred.

]]> scharrera http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000589 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000589 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:04:17 -0800 Comment by Eric F "nee Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger"

Joseph Ratzinger was born not just a Cardinal, but also female? Wow!

]]> Eric F http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000593 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000593 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:13:52 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV I wanna be a Cowboy....and you can be my Cowpope......

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000595 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000595 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:15:31 -0800 Comment by COMTE I think I had a cowboy hat like that when I was about four or five - I wonder if it might have been my Catholic grandmother trying to tell me something?

]]> COMTE http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000599 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000599 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:22:16 -0800 Comment by blackjewishguy What you are forgetting is that these seemingly hypocritical positions are politically consistent. If a child is born out of wedlock, or just plain unwanted, then the chance is greater that it will end up in an at-risk situation requiring state intervention. Catholic Charities, by virtue of their competitive bidding is the institution that is chosen to temporarily house these children. This means that the children in such a scary and lonely situation might have the chance to be introduced to the comfort of the Catholic version of Jesus--be they Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, or whathaveyou. Proselytization on the taxpayer dollar...sounds win/win to me.

Similarly with illegal immigration: why improve economic conditions in Mexico, when you can force the Mexicans to seek refuge in the United States, and subsequently shelter them until you can demand 'amnesty citizenship' for them, for which they will repay you by voting affirmatively on Church issues? Both of these things increase the Church's power in the U.S. Faith well spent.

As to the condemned to die, they are too old to convert, and besides as felons cannot vote to increase Catholic power. QED.

]]> blackjewishguy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000603 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000603 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:27:33 -0800 Comment by adrian that ooga-booga guy waving the big cardboard sign interminably in front of pacific place is right: the catholic church are liar and pope is devil...ooga, booga!

]]> adrian http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000609 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000609 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:33:06 -0800 Comment by Abby @5: the Pope has even gayer hats, though.

]]> Abby http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000612 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000612 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:34:42 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Nazi popes ALWAYS corrupt their ideals to cozy with tyrannical leaders. It's their job.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000626 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000626 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:47:34 -0800 Comment by blackjewishguy Ooga-booga is reserved for speaking in tongues. Strictly a Charismatic practice, don't you know. Klaatu, Verata, Nicto, seminis! seminis! seminis! is what you were looking for, I believe.

]]> blackjewishguy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000627 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000627 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:48:20 -0800 Comment by Ayden The big problem with being against the death penalty is that it lumps you into the group that is against all those other things, too...

And why-the-hell is only human life considered sacred?

What about polar bears? And the gazillions of unwanted dogs and cats? And cows and pigs and chickens???

]]> Ayden http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000653 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000653 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:02:11 -0800 Comment by Bauhaus Great pic of da holy faddah.

If I knew he had that hat, I would have gotten him a couple of cap guns, a gun belt, and some spurs for his birthday.

]]> Bauhaus http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000778 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000778 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:11:45 -0800 Comment by DW If the case brought up had to do with abortion and the justices voted to ban abortion you would give them shit for voting by their religion, and not secularly as they're suppose to as governmental officials. Can't you just leave their religion out of their decision?

]]> DW http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000792 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000792 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:20:00 -0800 Comment by Dan Savage I'm demanding consistency from the POPE, DW. I'm against religion dictating the actions of politicians—or politicians and judges using their offices to impose their religious beliefs on others. The pope, however, is FOR that. Well, at least when we're talking liberal or Democratic politicians. And he should be called on it.

I'm for gay sex and recreational drugs and legalized prostitution too. But Ted Haggard, to take another example, was against all those things. It doesn't make me a hypocrite to note Ted's hypocrisy—or the Pope's.

]]> Dan Savage http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000803 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000803 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:29:46 -0800 Comment by midwaypete Remember, only liberals can be accused of relativism.

]]> midwaypete http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000858 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000858 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:08:54 -0800 Comment by leia He looks like Emperor Palpatine, beware the Dark Side!

]]> leia http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000940 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000940 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:49:45 -0800 Comment by eclexia Never mind the hat, people. What about the herpes sore?

]]> eclexia http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000979 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1000979 Religion Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:12:12 -0800 Comment by Mr. Joshua Judges are not politicians and do not make law - at least that's the lament of the losing party.

If indeed they are guided by law and precedent, they couldn't really be faulted (and thus denied communion) when they weren't enacting law or policy but merely doing their job.

]]> Mr. Joshua http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1001454 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/happy_birthday_to_you_happy_birthday_to#c1001454 Religion Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:37:48 -0800