The Goat Pen

"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." - Steven Weinberg

"It doesn't matter what temperature the room is - it's always room temperature." - Steven Wright

"What the FUCK was that???" - Mayor of Hiroshima 1945

Oh Catholics . . .

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/vaticans-ga ... popes-exit#

The departure of Pope Benedict is now being linked to an internal Vatican report detailing the gay romps of a number of priests and the blackmail (which included photos) by the male prostitutes involved that followed, reports the Daily News.

The 300-page dossier — compiled by three cardinals investigating the theft of Vatican documents — was given to the Pope on Dec. 17, the same day he decided to resign, an Italian newspaper reported Friday.

Just days after receiving the report, Pope Benedict railed against gay marriage and homosexuality, calling it "the manipulation of nature" ...

Members of the gay lobby included high-ranking Catholic clergy who organized sex romps at a Rome sauna, a suburban Rome villa and a beauty parlor, according to the report. The group was also known to meet at a university residence used by an Italian archbishop.

Quoting a high-placed Vatican source, La Repubblica revealed members of the gay faction were being subjected to "external influence" or blackmail, from laymen with whom they had relationships of a "worldly nature."------------------------------

From the original source:

Male prostitutes — who had pictures of the priests dressed in drag and others performing gay sex acts — were behind the extortion, The Daily Beast reported.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/p ... z2Lm0mjae9

Are we surprised?

Johnette's Daddy wrote:Oh Catholics . . .

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/vaticans-ga ... popes-exit#

The departure of Pope Benedict is now being linked to an internal Vatican report detailing the gay romps of a number of priests and the blackmail (which included photos) by the male prostitutes involved that followed, reports the Daily News.

The 300-page dossier — compiled by three cardinals investigating the theft of Vatican documents — was given to the Pope on Dec. 17, the same day he decided to resign, an Italian newspaper reported Friday.

Just days after receiving the report, Pope Benedict railed against gay marriage and homosexuality, calling it "the manipulation of nature" ...

Members of the gay lobby included high-ranking Catholic clergy who organized sex romps at a Rome sauna, a suburban Rome villa and a beauty parlor, according to the report. The group was also known to meet at a university residence used by an Italian archbishop.

Quoting a high-placed Vatican source, La Repubblica revealed members of the gay faction were being subjected to "external influence" or blackmail, from laymen with whom they had relationships of a "worldly nature."------------------------------

From the original source:

Male prostitutes — who had pictures of the priests dressed in drag and others performing gay sex acts — were behind the extortion, The Daily Beast reported.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/p ... z2Lm0mjae9

Wow. If true, the only thing I can say is, at least all the participants were consenting adults this time <sarcasm>

There is supposedly a prophecy that says the next pope will be the last. Maybe there's something to that...

i'd more believe separate incidents of cardinals acting alone getting their 'pickle surprise' on

but as a group? how does that happen?

Birds of a feather...

yeah, but at some point one cardinal needs to look at another cardinal, raise an eyebrow, give the come hither look and say "you wanna?"

that's a major move, that has an extremely high chance of ending badly

We all have urges. Take Wiz for example, he always gets a boner when he passes by the hot dog isle in Krogers.

"11yeah, but at some point one cardinal needs to look at another cardinal, raise an eyebrow, give the come hither look and say "you wanna?""

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Shit. I have been attending an Episcopalian church a few times recently.

The Episcopal Church is an appropriate church for an ambitious young attorney to attend. Staid, dignified, well-heeled. And not too concerned with believing in anything in particular, other than no seersucker or white shoes before memorial day.

And that is absolutely as far as church authority should extend in human conduct...

Hedge, you could easily qualify as an Episcopal minister. Your theological views would be widely accepted there.

Same goes for the Methodists. A professor at the Methodist Emory seminary - Thomas Altizer - wrote books like, Godhead and The Nothing and The Gospel of Christian Atheism and Living the Death of God: A Theological Memoir.

I worship Thor, which is exactly as reasonable as your belief in Jesus as anything more than a lame story. But at least Thor is cool...

AA already beat you to Thor. Try something different. Frigga is still available.

Thor is very catholic in his acceptance of votaries. Actually, he's probably not. He's not interested in the rabble (they type of folks that make up the ragged core of your belief system and indeed are the very people that it targets for inclusion), he only wants warriors in his flock. This is not to say, of course, that there aren't some good folks who, due to the weight of centuries of tradition and brainwarshing starting in infancy, still consider themselves christians. Of course there are. But in terms of basic philosophy, your religion puts out its hooks for the weak, the downtrodden, the "oppressed" (oppressed by life), the sick, the depressed, the diseased, in short, for all of those for whom life has not favored for whatever reason. I don't think even you would disagree with that. But of course a few good, normal people slip thru the cracks as well...

On another note, what is your opinion, if any, of this deal with the head nazi in charge, i.e., the pope? Why do you think he resigned? Who (or rather, what style) do you think they'll get to replace him? Do you think they'll stay hard-core, or will they open it up a little bit with the next guy?

"Hedge, you could easily qualify as an Episcopal minister. Your theological views would be widely accepted there."

That's not saying much. Hell, pretty much anybody qualifies to be a priest in your religion (as long as they have a penis, of course, the better to bugger their young charges with, but I digress). Do you really think anybody who was suited to do almost anything other than rape young boys would even want to be a priest? Sure, there are a few hale and hearty fellows (well met) who (again) slip thru the cracks, and their sadistic streaks probably end with having some sort of mental/emotional authority over their flocks (mostly old ladies who don't present too much trouble). But for the most part, you'd have to be a twisted fuck to want to be a priest. Don't you agree?

Professor Tiger wrote:The Episcopal Church is an appropriate church for an ambitious young attorney to attend. Staid, dignified, well-heeled. And not too concerned with believing in anything in particular, other than no seersucker or white shoes before memorial day.

Seersucker and summer weight suits (like poplin) can be worm after Easter if you are in the South de to the hot, humid springs. However, I would never break out the white shoes before Memorial Day.