http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/03/22/pope-francis-is-upset-about-the-spiritual-poverty-of-wealthy-nations Comments On: Pope Francis Is Upset About the "Spiritual Poverty" of Wealthy Nations by Paul Constant en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
I'd like to make three other observations:

1) "Tradition" sometimes gets trotted out as an argument when there are no rational reasons for doing something.

2) Criticizing a particular organized religious leader, denomination or institution for perceived offenses is a reasonable thing to do if those institutions have committed offenses. Throwing one's hands up in exasperation after reading of the offenses of a number of religious institutions and railing at the entire class of institutions may be technically illogical, but it's not irrational.

3) Wanting to expand the number of unrelated consenting adults who are allowed to form potentially-successful legally-recognized family units does not in any way "attack" any existing families, nor the future rights of those who are already allowed to form families.
Posted by Brooklyn Reader]]> Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:52:32 -0700 The Stranger
This is the blueprint for advancing communism. Replace the existing traditions with the State.

Why? Because a State-dependent human makes for a profitable human. Today, 162 privately owned central banks lend every government private wealth (at interest), just so they can operate.
Posted by Siddha]]> Sun, 24 Mar 2013 05:38:31 -0700 The Stranger So a good, if potentially hypocritical speech.
Posted by Daniel Francis]]> Sat, 23 Mar 2013 22:51:58 -0700 The Stranger
I'm particularly irritated by the revelation that over 60% of the funding for Catholic charities is actually public money, provided by direct government agency program funding. Yes, I know they probably can do a more "efficient" job of distributing funds, but I'd rather see fair-minded/impartial/accountable civil servants controlling that process, rather than church-employed functionaries.
Posted by Brooklyn Reader]]> Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:20:08 -0700 The Stranger
http://www.economist.com/node/21560536
Posted by Fistique]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:51:03 -0700 The Stranger
That quote refers to Benedict the Quitter's philosophy that Catholics, by fretting over how backward the Church appears to others, are a risk to the Church itself.
Posted by Free Lunch]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:47:42 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Last of the Time Lords]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:55:34 -0700 The Stranger
"Spiritual poverty" is the marquee and it draws people into the theater thinking the play is going to be about feeding the poor and taking care of one another. Then the play starts and it's about gays acting upon their sexuality being evil and women being subservient and contraception being unnatural, etc.

Catholics, how many times will you fall for this crap?
Posted by Bauhaus I]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:22:04 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Kairon]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:21:41 -0700 The Stranger
Can you imagine what could be accomplished if the Church took just 10% of their liquid wealth and distributed it to Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, medical schools, scholarship funds for girls in third-world countries, and other NGOs on the ground doing relief work?

It's fine to talk about being a poor church concentrating on the plight of the poor, but fucking do something to make that happen. kthxbai.
Posted by Brooklyn Reader]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:20:38 -0700 The Stranger Posted by ejamadoodle]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:59:50 -0700 The Stranger
JPII and Benedict purged the church of liberals. There was no way any pope would get appointed who didn't give the party line on doctrine.

But-- old men die. If Francis is a closet liberal, he will appoint social liberals. They will have the power to choose a pope one day.


Posted by eclexia]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:24:11 -0700 The Stranger
btw, what's wrong with grinning, golfing, or grinning while golfing? every president golfs. st. eisenhower belonged to Augusta National where the Masters is played.

get back to the pope.
Posted by Max Solomon]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:32:03 -0700 The Stranger Posted by sirkowski]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:08:57 -0700 The Stranger

Posted by Asinus Aureus]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:49:33 -0700 The Stranger
Well, that and stop raping kids.
Posted by Root]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:42:47 -0700 The Stranger http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board…
Posted by venomlash]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:40:01 -0700 The Stranger Posted by GeneStoner]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:39:31 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Skot]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:34:10 -0700 The Stranger Posted by dwightmoodyforgetsthings]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:29:30 -0700 The Stranger
5, I dare you to make less sense.
Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:20:41 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Proteus]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:12:43 -0700 The Stranger
[lisping] Oh, what is Michelle wearing today...OOOOOooo. She is so elegant, and those feminine hands of his man... M-M-M." [/lisping]
Posted by GeneStoner]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:09:00 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Sargon Bighorn]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:05:44 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Last of the Time Lords]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:39:24 -0700 The Stranger