John Roberts and SCROTUS: America's Festering Hemorrhoid

Our Supreme Court has dissolved into a pathetic catastrophe.

Yesterday's blatantly CORRUPT decision regarding CORRUPTION was another abomination from a Court I have entirely lost faith in.

John Roberts' writing of the decision was reminiscent of the graven messages left by the “Lipstick Killer,” William Heirens.

Heirens had a compulsion to kill, that he couldn't control.  He was given the nickname “The Lipstick Killer,” by leaving messages on the walls of his victims' bedrooms written in lipstick, reading “For heaven's sake catch me before I kill more.  I cannot control myself.”

Here's what I mean by that...

John Roberts wrote the decision HIMSELF.  In it, he basically said that in order to prove corruption or bribery, you have to PHYSICALLY CATCH money changing hands ON VIDEO, in order for it to be confirmed as corruption.

“Justice” Roberts, though, must have gotten this little tip from the Koch brothers, when he spoke at one of their anal-tongue-cleansing seminars (loosely billed as “conferences”).  He would have NEEDED that tip to deal with a guilty conscience, seeing as how he was about to make SEVERAL decisions in their favor, while completely ignoring the Constitution.

Let's be honest, though... there are more people in SCROTUS than JUST Roberts, who is actually SMALL POTATOES when you compare his corruption to that of “Justice” Uncle Thomas.

We should have known this guy would be an insufferable, worthless douchebag during the Anita Hill hearings... but the problem is, we have too many other insufferable, worthless misogynists in America, who decided that she must have been lying because she's a woman.  Honestly, that's the ONLY reason he was confirmed.  He's a misogynist, and he appealed to all the other American misogynists.

Before becoming a “Justice,” Thomas was a Corporate Lawyer for Monsanto.  Since then, he has never recused himself from judging a Monsanto case, and has found in their favor EVERY FUCKING TIME!!!  I should say, though... what do you expect from the company that used to make AGENT ORANGE for use in Viet Nam?  Obviously, they have no conscience; and neither does Thomas.

Thomas' wife, Ginny, is very politically active in the Tea Party, takes some of her paychecks from the KOCH BROTHERS and other billionaires, who her husband conveniently finds in favor of every time one of them appears before their court.

Thomas has also been caught cheating on his taxes... not reporting all of his income... not reporting parts of his wife's income... more evidence that he doesn't want to get caught being corrupt!

I would take a stab and say that “Justice” Thomas is THE SINGLE MOST CORRUPT SUPREME COURT “JUSTICE” IN AMERICAN HISTORY!  Furthermore, I would argue that there is plenty of evidence to back up that claim.

If the Supreme Court were “Alice in Wonderland,” “Justices” Alito and Scalia would be Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.  I've always seen these two failures of American Education as interchangable.  I've never known them to disagree with each other, and they have the common sense of DRYER LINT, whilst maintaining the intellectual consistency of RUNNY SNOT!

Basically, these two are Theocrats masquerading as “Justices”.  They only believe that ONE religion exists, and that ONLY THAT RELIGION should be granted protection under the law; and that NO other religion matters, because it's not a “real religion,” because it's not what THEY believe.

They are BOTH Creationists, who, as we all know, are absolute fucking morons, with no critical thinking ability whatsoever!

Great... two Creationists sitting on the SUPREME FUCKING COURT... yeah... THAT'S what we need... people with an absolute absence of intellectual integrity... THAT'LL do this country good...

Creationists are archaic, moronic IDIOTS, who have NO BUSINESS being ANYWHERE NEAR law... but we have TWO of them on our HIGHEST COURT (and more than a few on the CONGRESSIONAL SCIENCE COMMITTEE... but that's another rant)!!!



So, here's my question...

Don't Forget About the Stupid People

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”

-John Steinbeck

I don't want to come off as a pessimist, but here's the thing...

I'm frustrated. I'm pissed off. I feel disenfranchised. I feel ignored.

… and here's why...

I've written letter after letter to politicians, and more than a few to political parties. I keep telling them one thing. In a nutshell, it can be boiled down to this:

Don't forget about the stupid people.

… and here's what I mean by that...

The great George Carlin once said, “Imagine how stupid the average person is... now, realize that half the people are even dumber than that!” I've found this philosophy very useful in understanding the reasons that things are so bad right now.

You've got a bunch of evil, rich douchebags (like the Koch brothers) who understand how stupid people are, and have a subordinate organization (the Republican Party) to push their agenda and make it sound reasonable to said “stupid people”.

On the other side, you've got a bunch of people (the Democratic Party) who are so smart, they're stupid as well. These people, however, aren't stupid in the same way. Unlike the Republican stupid people, they possess the ability of CRITICAL THINKING! Unfortunately, that means that they think EVERYONE possesses the ability of critical thinking. As a result, they expect that the Republicans will have a sudden bout of rationality.

The fact of the matter is, if they are not able to think critically, then they will NEVER have that much-desired bout of rationality! The Democratic Party wants to give the stupid people the “benefit of the doubt.” They think that people will suddenly just "wake up."  They also, unfortunately, think that talking down to people is rude.

It's not “talking down” to people, though, if you're talking to them in a manner that they can relate to. If you talk over too many people's heads, they'll be more offended. They're more likely to think you're calling them stupid if you say things they are incapable of understanding, than if you HUMBLE yourself to speak to them in a way they can actually fucking relate to.

Remember during the 2008 elections, Republicans were referring to Democrats as “elitist?”

That's what they meant. “Elitism” means something different to Republicans than it does to Democrats.

Democrats see “elitism” as wealthy people talking down about poor people, as rich "Affluenza cases" are want to do, and have been increasingly verbal about.

Republicans see “elitism” as people who talk over their heads. Don't forget... these are people who OPPOSE education! Remember this?:

They think that education is “Liberal Indoctrination,” so they REJECT education readily! Therefore, when someone is more intelligent than them, they must be talking down to them like a snob! On top of that, if someone is more educated than them, they must be a filthy, stinkin', no good, Socialist, Fascist Liberal!

LET'S STOP THERE FOR A MOMENT, AND I'LL POINT SOMETHING OUT:

Most people WANT intelligent people leading them, don't they? After all, aren't smart people going to make better decisions? You'd think so... right?

Most of US would make that distinction, but when you see intelligence as the ENEMY, you're not going to vote for intelligent people; you're going to vote for people you believe to be more on YOUR level.

Let this serve as evidence of my previously posed assertion as to the lack of critical thinking skills of the people in the Republican Party. You or I READILY see the blatant failure of logic in abject hatred of intelligent people. Why do you think so many “facepalm” memes are floating around social media?

Consider Ken Ham, curator of the “Creation Museum.” He will never abandon his beliefs, because he has absolutely NO way to weigh one set of facts against another. Ergo, it really did nothing for Bill Nye to debate him, other than giving people more ammunition to laugh at the Creationists with. Very few positions will change.

NOW LET ME STOP AGAIN AND POINT SOMETHING ELSE OUT:

This is a perfect example of the stupidity of intelligent people. The notion that debating indoctrinated people who completely lack reason might actually accomplish something, depicts the inability of intelligent people to realize HOW STUPID the stupid people are, and the lack of understanding as to why.

How often do you hear people ask, “Why don't they learn?” or “Why aren't they getting this?”

These questions often accompany facial expressions of pure confusion. The people asking these questions (usually news commentators) sit there, DUMBFOUNDED to the stupidity of things people say or do, never realizing that they're reporting on people who have NO ABILITY to change at this point!

ON A DAILY BASIS, I see or hear a talk show host, or a journalist, or another intellectual type person PULLING THEIR HAIR OUT because the person they're debating simply has no ability to challenge their knowledge or understanding, and the host completely fails to understand this fact about them. It should be noted, however, that in the case of politicians, they may be saying these things because they're PAID to say these things, regardless of what they truly believe.

On social media, if they feel they're being forced to challenge their beliefs, they talk over the person they're debating, attempt to change the topic, and ultimately resort to insults; many of which make no sense, as the person using them has no concept as to their meaning, but they've been told that these are BIG, BAD, DIRTY, LOW-DOWN things to call people, like “Socialist,” “Marxist,” “Maoist,” “Fascist,” and “Liberal.”

Think about it... haven't you noticed these things, yourself? Haven't you encountered people that are both incredibly stupid and incredibly hard-headed? Haven't you encountered REALLY stupid people who believe whole-heartedly that they're smarter than everyone else?

Too many people are either too stupid to know they're stupid, or so smart, they're stupid.

Colorado is NOT A "Purple" State!

Perhaps this post is ill-timed, given the fact that election season is over, but I feel this has to be said...

I'm tired of people in the media describing Colorado as a “Purple” State.

I've been here my whole life, and I can tell you, with most certainty, that Colorado is neither a “Red” State nor a “Blue” State; but we're not “Purple” (meaning, our elections could go either way).

While it's true that Colorado went both times for Bush and both times for Obama, I can tell you with absolute certainty that this is not a determinate factor in our politics. Those factors barely scratch the surface of our dynamic.

Here's the truth (whether you like it or not)... Colorado is more of a Libertarian State than one that “swings.” The voters here are somewhat savvy when it comes to rationality and understanding of complicated issues.

Colorado is a very intelligent State by the numbers. As a State, we have the third highest number of College Graduates per capita in the Country. Here in Denver, libraries are easily found, as well as book stores coffee shops (like the place I choose to write all this shit... shout out to Fireside Books and Coffee, on Hampden and Delaware... stop in and have a look around... this place is GREAT). We're a very literate state!

We also have the highest concentration of breweries in the Country; which dictates our love of diversity and originality in tastes. This is also given emphasis by our eclectic collection of international cuisine.

Colorado is a haven for people who have a hard time finding where they belong. I've always been a very social person, so I wind up talking to lots of different people at the bars I frequent (like Sancho's Broken Arrow, the Doghouse, and Armida's Karaoke Bar). Somewhere between a third and a half of the people I meet have the same story... either they know someone here, or they heard this was a cool place, so they moved here and fell in love with Colorado.

The majority of these people felt “out of place” in their former home for one reason or another. As a result, Colorado (or, at least, Denver) has become the cultural equivalent of the “Island of the Misfit Toys.” We have a very large LGBT population, a very large geek population, and a SHITLOAD of stoners (which is a GOOD thing... and supposedly, Woody Harrellson, one of the “stoner kings,” is rumored to be moving here in light of Amendment 64)!

Our small towns aren't as “rural” as the small towns in most of the rest of the country. We have some VERY “liberal” small towns, like Breckenridge, Colorado City, and Monument. The “Conservative rural town” isn't as present here as it is in other parts of the country.

Colorado's politics are basically controlled by our four largest cities: Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, and Fort Collins. These four cities might as well be separate countries. Boulder is the most “Liberal” of the four cities, being that it has several colleges; and Colorado Springs (the City I try to avoid like the plague... it's a whole different universe) is the most “Conservative,” being the home of the Air Force Academy and the original home of “Focus on the Family” (which recently moved to Highlands Ranch; the most wealthy and conservative suburb of Denver... Mike “The Lying Douchebag” Coffman's district). Denver and Fort Collins, however, are not as “Liberal” as the rest of the country would like to believe.

People here have a strong attachment to individual rights and a “mind your own fuckin' business” attitude with regards to law making. This is why we were able to decriminalize marijuana, legalize medicinal marijuana, and eventually fully legalize marijuana. This is also why I believe that we will see marriage equality in the near future (our Statehouse already legalized “civil unions” this year).

Being mostly rational, intelligent people, we have found a balance; not between Democrats and Republicans; but between Liberals and Libertarians.

Maybe it's just the crew I run with, but the majority of the people I meet tend to fall right down the middle of this dividing line.

I'll be honest... I like it that way. The Libertarians here are much more rational than Teabaggers or “typical” Republicans. You can ACTUALLY have a REAL conversation with people, without it dissolving into “YER JUST A LIBURUL DEMUCRAT COMMIE!” People openly and freely express their opinions, and discuss them at length (and yes, even in bars... I know... that's supposed to be a “no-no”; but it works here).

I love the friendly, approachable nature of our populous. We're easy and fun to engage; and place great pride in the fact that we can have a reasonable conversation about virtually any topic; even the ones that are somewhat “touchy.”

As a result of our somewhat Libertarian populous, the determinate factor in a State-wide or National election isn't so much WHO'S running, but what they represent. However, if voters in Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins sit out an election (as we saw in 2000 and 2004), the Theocrats in Colorado Springs have a disproportionate voice to the rest of the State, which makes us LOOK “purple.” When this happens, the rest of us RATIONAL people get pissed. However, we learn from our mistakes, so when these things happen, they usually get corrected in the next election cycle.

Colorado is the greatest place on Earth! Come and see for yourself... you'll quickly learn that everything I've said is accurate and true!

To the media, I'd like to say this...

STOP calling us a “purple” state! If you want the straight beef, ASK THE PEOPLE HERE! We LIKE to engage in these conversations! We LIKE to talk about politics! Any chance we get to share in the glory of Colorado, we take it!

Actually, Yes... You ARE a Bigot...

Some topics are unavoidable when they're prominent in the news. Lately, one of these topics has been that of marriage equality. One common theme keeps popping up, and it BOTHERS THE SHIT OUT OF ME! One such discussion happened recently at a local bar. It went something like this...

“I'm not a bigot; I just don't think gays should marry...”

Actually, yes... you ARE a bigot.

“NO I'M NOT! I have friends who are gay...”

… and yet, you think they're less of a human than you are?

“Why would you say that?”

Well, you don't think that they deserve to have the same rights that you do. If we, as humans, are supposed to have equal rights, then why do you think they don't deserve the same rights you do, then that would suggest that you see them as less human.

“But the Bible says it's wrong...”

Actually, the OLD TESTAMENT says that, and a lot of other crazy things... you left your ex-wife after she cheated on you... did you slaughter a fatted calf after stoning her? CHRISTians are supposed to look to the words of CHRIST; and in Matthew 19:12, he says (in the language of his time) that some PEOPLE are born gay.

If they are, indeed, people, as Jesus said, then don't they deserve to live under the umbrella of the words “Love thy neighbor?”

It doesn't say:

“Love thy neighbor*”

*Unless they're gay

“But the Church opposes it...”

The First 10 words of the First Amendment read “Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of Religion.” The position of your Church is irrelevant. Religious doctrine can't become law.

“But the next part says 'nor abridging the free-exercise thereof.' Laws can't discriminate on my religion.”

If you don't support gay marriage, don't have one. Your religious beliefs aren't being oppressed. However, if you're telling other people, who believe differently than you; that marriage is about love, rather than gender; that their religious beliefs can't be expressed, just like your's, because of YOUR beliefs, then aren't their religious beliefs being oppressed by yours?

“So just because someone chooses to be gay, they should be allowed special laws?”

When did you choose to be straight? Furthermore, how is that a “special law?” It seems to me that more laws have been created to DENY people this right... simply removing those laws, to make the current laws apply to EVERYONE sounds more like we're REMOVING “special laws,” going the other way; just like the repeal of the 3/5 clause in the Constitution.

"I didn't choose to be straight.  I just know I am."

So I guess, then, it's outrageous to think that other people might be born different than you.  I guess, then, everybody must be born with brown hair and blue eyes.  I guess, then, everybody must need glasses.  I guess we're all just born the same?

"Well, no... obviously not... but..."

So then, it's perfectly possible that someone else might grow up KNOWING they're gay... glad we settled that...

“But marriage is a religious pact. If the Constitution can't tell us how to worship, how can marriages be regulated by law?”

Actually, marriage is a contractual agreement with the State and Federal government. If it weren't, marriage status wouldn't affect taxes. If marriage weren't a legal contract, then everybody would have to file taxes individually, rather than as a married couple.

“But it'll hurt the economy...”

How will more weddings hurt an economy? That means more officiants, more cakes and bakers and bartenders and caterers and limo drivers and dove handlers and event planners and event centers (which may need to be built or renovated) and more gift registries (which means more gift buying... stuff needs to be made when stuff is bought) and more traveling and more hotel stays and eating out and more flying and driving and Amtraking and Busing... that all sounds like MORE jobs to me, and a BETTER economy...

“Gay marriage will threaten traditional marriages...”

So, if gays are allowed to marry, would you leave your new wife for a man?

“No... I'm not gay...”

Then YOUR marriage won't be threatened. Why should it matter to you?

“Well, it doesn't matter to me, but it might affect other people...”

And why is that your business?

“Well, it's not...”

Then it shouldn't matter...

“But marriage has ALWAYS been between one man and one woman.”

No it hasn't. In Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, some Native American tribes, Mormons, and many Muslim current countries, marriage is between one man and SEVERAL women, or two people who love each other, regardless of gender. The Roman Emperor, Caligula, married his horse. Clearly, marriage has NOT always been between 'one man and one woman.'

“And Ancient Greece and Rome fell; the Native Americans don't have many people left; the Mormons abandoned polygamy; and the Muslims are... well... Muslims...”

Greece and Rome fell because their empires got too big to maintain, and they collapsed beneath their own decadence and arrogance. Gay marriage had nothing to do with it; furthermore, it's largely because of CHRISTIANS that there aren't many Native Americans left; and after your comment about Muslims, how can you say you're not a bigot?

“Well, I was talking about gays; not Muslims...”

Should Muslims be allowed to marry?

“Well, of course they should.”

So why is it ok for Muslims, but not gays?

“Muslims believe in a God, just like I do.”

So Atheists shouldn't be allowed to get married, either?

“I didn't say that...”

Yes, you did... you said that the reason Christians and Muslims should be allowed to marry, is because they believe in God. Alternately, if someone doesn't believe in God, they shouldn't be allowed to marry.

“I didn't say that. There's no reason Atheists shouldn't marry...”

… as long as they're not gay...

“Right...”

Tell me again, how are you not a bigot?

“... uhhhhh...”

Cultivating the Stupid

… perhaps I spend too much time on social media...

… perhaps I read too much...

… perhaps I know too much...

… or maybe I'm just delusional...

… but I keep seeing something that bothers the living shit out of me...

I've been in a few “debates” with people who think public education should be eliminated because (paraphrasing their arguments) “education is liberal indoctrination.” It always comes from the same types of people... Fundamentalist Christians who either send their children to religious school or home-school them.

The bigger problem is, it's spreading. A simple Google search will reveal A SHITLOAD of articles that people have written to make people FEAR the education system! Does that make ANY sense at all???

… and that's just the beginning... barely scratching the surface of the problem...

Here's the thing... OBVIOUSLY, stupid people are easier to control and manipulate than people who are competent of the world around them.

There has even been a Presidential Primary Candidate who espoused these beliefs; Rick Santorum. Don't forget, he was also the guy who said, “We will never have the elite smart people on our side.”

Yes, there are LITERALLY people IN GOVERNMENT who are asking you to retain your ignorance... doesn't that just PISS YOU OFF???

Obviously, these people are too stupid to recognize a stupid idea when they hear it.

Is there any way we could declare willful stupidity a form of insanity??? I mean, that's completely antithetical to the PURPOSE of being alive... the purpose of life is to ADVANCE THE SPECIES for the lives of those who come after!

… and advancement doesn't mean breeding like rabbits... it means making a BETTER species; not a BIGGER species. If we're going to be the top of the food chain, it should be because we have the tools to survive and excel; not just because we have a large population!!!

So, when people reject something that SHOULD be the most BASIC form of rationality, shouldn't we be able to declare them to be a threat to themselves and society? I wouldn't say it, if it weren't true... I mean, they ARE a threat to themselves and society... just look at the House of Representatives... look at the gerrymandering... look at the Theocratic proposals... look at the denial of reality... all signs that their INSANITY has done great damage to society, and through their rejection of rationality, damage to themselves...

In jest, may I suggest that we re-instate the “3/5 Compromise” in the 14thAmendment; but relate it to indoctrinated morons instead of black people? Maybe then, they'll be forced to realize how stupid they are, and they'll be forced to look at what their stupidity has done to us...

… a man can dream, can't he?

Seriously... it's time we stopped letting the stupidest people make all the decisions for us!!! I mean, look at all the morons who buy into douchebags like Alex Jones (who may actually be a sign that evolution CAN go in reverse)...

...look at all the people who think Michele Bachmann is smart enough for government (I swear, there is just something WRONG with that woman... maybe her parents threw her on the “Tilt-A-Whirl” too early or something... or maybe she just liked taking “clothes dryer rides” when she was a kid)...

… look at all the people who think Glenn Beck knows what he's talking about...

Yes, these people are evidence that the “Dunning-Kruegger Effect” is alive and well; and that it's causing us MAJOR problems within our voting populous.

The Republicans have allowed a culture of stupidity to fester and spawn; and now that it's causing a problem, there's no turning back. They've allowed TOO MUCH stupid to fill their ranks, and now they're rapidly becoming an obsolete brand of Theocrats and indoctrinated fools.

I realize that this may be a little too harsh for some people's taste... personally, I don't give a shit...

I find ignorance to be OFFENSIVE... and when that ignorance is WILLFUL, that goes beyond offensive to despicable!

This trend can be traced back to Ricard Nixon's “Southern Strategy.” He needed votes, and he was desperate, so he decided to appeal to the Southern “Dixiecrats,” who were basically the former Democrats who were opposed to the direction that the party had taken with regards to Civil Rights (women's suffrage, voting rights, etc).

Now, we all know that bigots and misogynists are on the VERY BOTTOM of the intellectual scale, so we can start to see where this is heading.  By the time that Regan came along, the Plutocrats saw that all the dumbest people were packaged up in a nice, neat little box, so they knew they could easily control them with the fear and hate that already welled deeply within them. Furthermore, they knew that many of them had inseparable ties to their faith, which gave them another means of control.

… draw the conclusion that the whims of the rich are actually “Christian values,” and they'll follow you FOREVER!

So, when it worked for the bankers, then they knew it would work for the oil industry... and the pharmaceutical industry... and any douchebag employer who thinks their employees are lesser humans (I'm looking at YOU, Wal Mart)... and the tobacco industry...

Eventually, it became EASY for douchebags to deceive and control the dumbest among us... they had people like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly to do their bidding. They could convince people of anything they wanted.

… and then, along came the climate discussion...

Knowing that the base of the party was already prone to reject science in favor of their own beliefs, they knew that it would be easy to convince people that ecological studies are founded in “junk science,” so that they didn't have to worry about pesky agencies like the EPA...

… I mean, if it's science, then it MUST be against the Bible SHOMEHOW, right? God made this world PERFECT, so nothing man can do has the power to break it, right? If it's “God made,” then it must be flawless...

… seems legit...

Now, all these people have been so deceived that there may be no coming back from this. They've spent so much time “cultivating stupid” that there's not enough rationality left in the party to bring it back to the centrist level that it needs to be in order for our country to operate in the way that it needs to.

Translation: we're in for a few REALLY HARD decades... get your helmets on, because the repeated face-palms could, at some point, cause a concussion...

... because now, they haven't just “cultivated” the stupid... they've ELECTED it!

Once the stupid spreads far enough and seeps deep enough into the populous that enough people are willing to ELECT the stupid, then it's seeped into the foundation; which means the house has to be torn down and rebuilt from the base up...

There will, of course, be a period before the property is bought, in which the house just sits there...

… condemned...

...boarded-up...

… haunted by the demons of the past...

… who will have to be exercised in order for rebuilding to take place...

… but until then, you might want to wear waders in the basement, because the SHIT gets DEEP!!!

Personally, I Don't Give A Shit...

… about the Pope... and I'll tell you why...

I think it's safe to say that the Catholic Church is a nation without borders. The Pope, being the figurehead of their government, in my opinion, has a lot to answer for. At this point, I don't give a shit about who the fuck they choose, because no matter who it is, he's still going to be a symbol of a nation that continues to cling to archaic ideas that are doing the world's population GREAT harm!

At a time when THE REST OF THE WORLD is trying to battle AIDS in Africa, the Pope keeps coming along and SHAMING PEOPLE for taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of a deadly disease. How can he be considered a “humanitarian” whose organization “helps the poor,” if he stands in the way of the devices that the poor need?

The Ten Commandments says “Love thy neighbor”... but apparently, that stops at the doorstep of a GAY neighbor... even though Jesus never told you to hate anyone other than “Money Changers”... Jesus never said ANYTHING about hating the gays... in fact, Mat. 19:12 iswhere Jesus said that gay people are BORN GAY! But the Pope still believes them to be lesser humans. Jesus, himself, said that people were born gay, which means that they are no different than the “neighbors” spoken of in the Ten Commandments. For that matter, would Jesus think there are ANY “lesser humans?” We're talking about a guy who hung out with whores and lepers... a person who said “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”

Did you hear that? He used the word “BROTHERS”... that means no matter WHO they are, we're all in the same brotherhood of man... which means that the Church's bigoted posturing against gay human beings is entirely antithetical to the words of the person their whole religion is built around!

… On top of that... if Jesus hated the “Money Changers” (bankers), then why is there a “Vatican Bank?”

The Catholic Church CLAIMS to preach peace... and yet, owns a controlling stake inBeretta Arms...

I'm sorry, but you can't have it both ways. You can't claim to “preach peace” while manufacturing weapons of war. That's the ULTIMATE hypocrisy!

… but then again, the Catholic Church HAS been known, in the past, to use... shall we say...

... less than subtle techniques...

...to get people to convert...

More than once, they've seen death as a punishment for the “crime” of not believing what they do.

… so if that's the case, then why should we be SURPRISED that they own an arms company??? They haven't historically been the “friendliest” religion when it comes to people who believe differently, so I suppose this is just the next natural step for them... although... that doesn't indemnify them from the label of hypocrisy... that's going to linger around their neck until they give up imperialism as a business model.

Now, let's consider the number of pedophile Priests that the Vatican has covered for. People DESERVE justice for the ways they've been wronged, and the Pope stands between the humiliation of the Church and the simple acknowledgement of wrongdoing to the victims!

Yes, the Church SHOULD be humiliated!  But with their refusal to submit to justice, they're only digging their hole deeper.  If the Pope would just come out and APOLOGIZE, and stop protecting the bastards, that would go a long way towards reconciliation... just ADMITTING that they have a problem... JUST ACKNOWLEDGING IT... 

... but they won't even do that...

In my mind, the Catholic Church has a lot to answer for... genocides... hypocrisy... pedophilia... spread of disease... malicious hate...

… and until they have a Pope who's willing to speak to these atrocities, I don't give a shit about the Pope.

Anybody else agree???