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Thursday, 16 September 2010

Pope Benedict XVI: Leader of Bigotry

Anyone who knows me will know about my passionate stance on religion. For those who don't, I despise it. It happens that whilst wandering around Facebook today in my everyday boredom, I noticed an article that had appeared in my news feed with the title, "David Cameron offers a very warm welcome to Pope Benedict XVI", which prompted me to comment"

"Thanks a lot Cameron, for using our taxes to welcome a bigoted, hypocritical, backwards Catholic ass like the Pope to London. Let's remember what the real problems that the world faces are shall we; not war, or famine, or religion, no. It's the gays and contraception. I will most definitely be attending the protest against the visit and hope many others will be joining me."

Now I admit that I allowed my irritability to get the better of me and placed the blame directly on Cameron, when it was in fact Gordon Brown who made the invite, so I have been informed. However, this was apparently also just the push necessary for my support of the Tories to wane, and for me to see them for what they really are: religiously-oriented, traditionalist, class-obsessed Eaton-pricks with no understanding of anyone outside the aristocracy. This hasn't suddenly sprouted from Cameron welcoming the Pope, but everything has a catalyst. And this led me to a very lengthy argument with various people on Facebook regarding the so called pros, and the cons of the Pope's visit to London.

Now this is what I find really frightening; the fact that people who are well educated and intelligent, and have historical knowledge at their disposal, can still stand up for the Catholic church. As the argument went on, I admit that I began to exaggerate (for example by saying that Catholics believe homosexuality to be a bigger threat than terrorism or war), but I don't think I was veering completely away from the truth. The Pope has said that fighting homosexuality is as important as saving the world's ecosystem. The fact that an educated person can then defend such a crudely inhumane public figure frankly infuriates me.

And I cannot help but believe that anyone entering into a debate about bigotry with the statement "As an American.." invalidates their entire argument. From America you say? The land of freedom and democracy? Or the country so corrupt it has lost any sense of the values laid out in its own constitution? The Separation of Church and State; boy did you fuck that one up. And the Anti-religious bigotry that you speak of I guess comes in contrast to religion's history of love and equality? May I remind you that America is the home of Scientology, of Mormonism, and of the Westboro Baptist Church, infamous for their brutally hateful stance on almost everything, particularly homosexuality. "Christians don't judge so neither should you." What a crock of shit.

Where does humanity stand if 1.2 billion people worldwide agree with someone who says that homosexuality is a bigger problem than the destruction of the planet? Someone who exploits people in the third world countries by telling them that wearing a condom is more dangerous than the AIDS virus they will catch if they don't? And follows two thousand year old scriptures who state such nonsense, alongside the benefits of slavery and the death sentence for anyone who works on a sunday? I have another question; when does the inconsistency end? If gays are still being crucified for their sexuality, then should we not be burning people for wearing garments made from two different cloths? No, because that would be ridiculous... It is the 21st Century, and although many of the Bible's teachings have been left in the dust of a previous age where they belong, Catholicism still keeps it's grip on a select few. Why? Do you not think that in another two thousand years, people will look back at the lives of people today as uncomprehendingly as we do. These are the Dark Ages of the future, where equality and peace are far from being reached, and billions of people still allow their lives to be dictated for the benefit of a few select individuals like the Pope. I wish I could be around in another two thousand years, in the hope that the majority of the planet wouldn't be wasting their lives worrying about what happens when they die, and just lived them.

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