Dr. Obvious

Being a member of the Catholic church in the USA, I understand what you're saying, but you'd be surprised how many in the church actually do agree with the Pope, even in the USA. I tried looking up "2005 Welt-Jugendtag in Koeln" but its not in my language, so I'm not sure what was actually in it. But what you also have to understand, the Catholic Church isn't just active in Europe and the USA. If you don't think many hold with the Pope's views, you should see how much support his policies have in the Philippines. Heck they just now passed a reproductive health bill, to help those that choose it, to get access to birth control. Last year there was a city that outlawed birth control in that country!

It was one of those things I had never heard of in English, so the German word is my word. :? Assuming Wiki is right, the name of the event in English is simply a direct translation from German, so World Youth Day. I apologize for the confusion.

The 20th World Youth Day 2005 (German: XX. Weltjugendtag Köln) was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21, 2005 in Cologne, Germany. It was the first World Youth Day and foreign trip of Pope Benedict XVI, who joined the festival on August 18. This meeting was decided by the previous pope, John Paul II, during the Toronto World Youth Day of 2002. The theme was "We have come to worship Him" (from Matthew 2:2).

About 400,000 young people from 200 countries attended during the week, and more than 1,000,000 came for the weekend. They were joined by about 600 bishops and cardinals, as well as by 6,600 reporters.

It the Catholics changed and did every thing they said, would these people actually join and be a part?

That's a good question. Speaking only for myself, if the Church managed to improve itself for the better, I still couldn't join it for the same reason I couldn't join any Christian church: I don't accept Christ as my Lord and Savior. I mean, I would have already been a liberal Episcopalian by now because I am with them on many things but the main point of it all. However, I think that improving some parts of the Church would inherently improve the well-being population it serves and that would be a net good for humanity which is why I am interested in it at all as an outsider.

I have a friend who is an atheist, who claims to have no belief in god or any supernatural power. Which is fine by me, its his personal choice how to believe. But I've also notice he does have a religion, and his religion is bashing all religions and trying to convince those with any kind of faith that they shouldn't have it. I've actually met many like him, they take having no religion so seriously, they attempt to convert all that do have one to their faith in none.

Ah the New Atheism movement within general atheism. You can see the finest examples of it on Reddit's r/atheism or if you subscribe to Richard Dawkins's Twitter feed. Several years back before there was a term coined for it, I used to be one of them. More of an insufferably smug rabid anti-theist than anything else. After a year or so, I realized I was being just as hateful and bigoted as any Christian fundy I was railing against and knocked it off. I was then finally able to examine my and other people's beliefs in an intellectually honest way, took some secular courses on the academic study of religion, started seriously reading texts and commentary from both points of view. After years of time, thought, and study, I am no longer an atheist.

When I was younger, I left the catholic church for many of the reasons I hear people complain about. But time and experience has taught me much about life and religion. I could practice my faith in any church, but chose to return to if for two reasons. First, its the one I was raised in and feels familiar. And second, its my wife's religion which she deeply believes in despite the faults we both acknowledge it has. Its just like a person that way, flawed and imperfect, slowly working to be better, but yet stumbling and falling backwards at times. But still you accept it as you would accept the flaws in a person you loved. I'm sure it will move forward, but not until almost all people in the church are ready for it and hardly anyone will notice it changed.

Understandable.

Its time hasn't quite come yet to the Catholic church. Maybe the next pope might at least moving into the 19th century in regards to a woman's place in the church? But I won't hold my breath waiting for it.

Or about most things really.

I know most Catholics I know have an "OK grandpa, whatever you say..." attitude towards the pope. It is a rift that really has to be dealt with in a meaningful way for the church to be any more than a cultural relic. It was funny for me to watch the reporting on the 2005 Welt-Jugendtag in Koeln. They'd ask teenagers and adults who considered themselves Catholics about issues like abortion, IVF, gay marriage, women in the priesthood, marriage of priests, etc. Not many agreed with the Vatican's stance on much of anything. That was nearly 8 years ago now and I can't imagine the situation has improved any in favor of the Papacy. Polls in the US have Catholics completely split on many major issues.

I am not Catholic, so don't have a real dog in the fight, but I hope whoever becomes the next Pope is someone who is interested in taking the Church forward instead of backwards.

Also, nice middle-class married women in Britain (at least in the circles I mixed in) rarely have children just to put them up for adoption, unless they are anti-abortion. I am not.

It is a stupid idea anyway. I know both our families would absolutely shame us into keeping it (despite being utterly irreligious and otherwise pro-choice) and would never let us live it down if we adopted it out. Plus we already have a kid who is old enough to know that I'd be pregnant without me having to say anything and how are you supposed to explain the fact that their sibling just disappeared one day? She's not stupid. Not to mention the risk I'd be putting to my own health and safety by carrying an unwanted pregnancy.

Nope, adoption is not an option in my case. I have no desire to have any more children and neither does my husband. If my husband's vasectomy failed, I'd probably strongly consider an abortion and get Essure done.

Nothing like 100% pure maple syrup from Vermont.

Dunno about Britian, but the UU church has been filling this role in the US for a long time. Not anything new here at least.

Woke up to find my BS got a thread locked.

Does Ted Nugent plan to die tomorrow?

The Nugent quote you are really looking for for this occasion is:

“It’s good people who bent over and let the enemy in. If the coyote’s in your living room pissing on your couch, it’s not the coyote’s fault. It’s your fault for not shooting him.”

There goes your life long quest of being the first female pope.........

It was my dream.

Oh well, rather not let my RC grandmother roll over in her grave. If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure she disliked Vatican II and I don't think she'd have a woman pope either.

Get a (preferably cast iron) Dutch oven. Bake bread without sugar in it. Problem solved.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/6287/rustic-country-bread-baked-dutch-oven

It's about to get real

That is the weakest music vid I have ever seen. She looks like George Castanza's mother minus the leather jacket and boots of course.

I dunno, this one was also pretty awful

I felt how most of Ecuador must have felt about Torres Gemelas. Heart in the right place but still terrible.

I guess I'll never be pope at this rate.

I was looking for some smart azz pic and I found this:

This topic's entertainment value is low. Not talking here....Opting out......

Are you sure? I mean, I missed "cpr accountent" the first time. I guess that is the kind of accountant you need when you expect to have an IRS induced heart attack.

[quote name=' timestamp='1360599143' post='5973354]

Silly lib. Pope is a full-time job, you can't take a week off every month!

But then again, it must be some miracle from god if a 70+ year old woman is still on the rag, no?

Yea, the libs still think that his birth certificate is real.

They don't even know he is a pope, ffs

[quote name=' timestamp='1360597767' post='5973295]

When I saw evil in the eyes of The Kenyan. Sure, it was an animation on a tea party site but graphics don't lie.

no one here can tell you what kind of refund you will get you need to find a tax prepare place or an cpr accountent in your area.

Pretty much.

Okay. Thanks for making that clarification.

You're welcome.

How is asking one question considered "making a big deal out of this"? It's obviously very, very rare for a pope to resign for ANY reasons. So I found it odd.

I didn't say you made a 'big' deal. I said you were making a deal.

Frailty, "advanced age", whatever you want to call it. Isn't this usually a position that's held until death?

Most popes are dead or just on their way out at his age. I don't know why you are making a deal out of this and I don't even like the pope.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ages_of_popes

Wut

tell me about it, i am only hoping karma gets him eventually. (wishful thinking)

I had to explain to my husband what Juggalos were several weeks ago

In a moment of pure shame, I admit I watched that terrible ICP Gathering documentary on YT for lulz. Well, that's time of my life I'll never get back.

(Stockholm Syndrome )

(Hysteria)

aaand since Tool is awesome too

(Aenima)

Thanks! )

Thanks!