A lot of my job is becoming outreach - which is cool not just because it was my idea, but because we need to spread the word into all kinds of communities that mental illness is not a sin. Sadly, some communities still feel this way (we are told) even though having depression, say, is just as organic as having diabetes.
So I don't normally write about religion but this week the Vatican has really pissed me off. They've decided to extend a warm welcome to non-Catholics, specifically Anglicans, who are upset about progress - namely, the fact that women and GLBT people can become priests.
That's right. Want to keep female, and non-straight people of all genders in their place? So does the Vatican! Join us in celebrating heterosexual men as religious leaders! Even if we won't let them have sex, if we *did* let them have sex, their dicks would be in the right place!
It just makes me sick. The Catholic church, in my opinion, is outrageous enough - the pope has the audacity to live in a palace in robes that probably cost more than my car, but go into poor countries and tell people who can't feed the kids they already have that they shouldn't use birth control.
But this isn't the first time the Catholic church has done some marketing to gain membership - you know all of those Roman holidays? Well, they figured that it would be easier to put Christmas and Easter around those times of year to bring Pagans into the fold.
First Pagans, now bigots. Anyone who wants to join and give them more money, I suppose.
So I suppose it's religious marketing 101.
Incidentally, I have been to Vatican City, which is also known as the smallest country on earth. They wouldn't let me into the Sistine Chapel because my dress showed my shoulders. But I was allowed to wait outside at the gift shop while the rest of the tour went through.
12 comments:
The thing is that most people never think why they need a religion and keep going to churches and temples as a ritual. Else the church which is against using birth controls and the temples restricting 'non-hindus' to enter wouldn't have survived so long!
little known fact that is not supposed to get out; some forms of sex are acceptable for catholic priests. so stated by one of their own after a certain foible came to light.
Just marriage that isn't okay. Adultery no problem.
As you know I'm a Christian and all I can say about the Roman Catholics is that we worship the same God, and that's about the end of it.
What I've never understood is the idea of not praying directly to God, and having to go through someone else. The Bible makes it very clear that we have a one to one relationship with him.
Oh and Jesus spent his time with prostitutes and "ordinary" people, so I'm sure he saw his share of bare shoulders too. I can't see him on the cross dying, shouting out to the womemn that were weeping "cover up those bare arms girls!"
I'm with you on this - I detest bigotry in any form.
LOL @ Joey!
My husband's family is Catholic and while they are more open-minded than most (that I've met anyhow) his parents still think that condoms are some sort of twisted sex toy. seriously?
With all of the progress made in the last few centuries with our modern medicine, education and all, the Catholics seem to like to keep their holy water soaked heads in the sand with regards to many issues including safe forms of birth control and child sex abuse.
Do you read the blog Unreasonable Faith? I highly recommend it if you don't. I never thought it was that controversial of a blog but then again I am non-religious. My BFF took my blog off of her blogroll because one of her Catholic co-workers was offended by the UF link on my sidebar. It seems they can't handle bare shoulders or open minds.
http://unreasonablefaith.com/
shaking my head
Why is the Pope treated like royalty? Jesus is SO not about that. I don't get confession to a priest either...why not confess directly to God? There's so much I don't get and no one who's Catholic can ever explain; I've stopped asking them.
E, L, P: Right there with you all!
Darth: Seriously? Enlighten me!
Joey: I have a friend who is a pastor who theorizes that Jesus would be unwelcome in most churches today, because of his long hair and sandles!
Aliceson: LMAO at the first line! Thanks for the link - I'll check it out. That sucks that your friend took it off. (Wow, that sounds suggestive, actually.)
Scarlet: This popped up about 30 seconds after I posted - I've never understood the idea of confession to a human, either.
I'm a Catlick. Quit pickin on the pope. He got enuf prolbims him wearin a dress and his cardnals wearin traffic cones on they heds.
The article that you linked to is hilarious. Lots of speaking in code going on there!
The one awesome thing though, that religion brings to to table, is shit cool architecture. I mean, honestly, whacked up cunts, the lot of them are, but they still have really amazing structures - mosques, churches, temples, etc.
Back to the point - it shouldn't really come as a surprise that religion is marketed, and a product that the nutjobs are competing to sell. We created it, didn't we? Microsoft vs. Sony/ Islam vs. Christianity. It's the same thing really.
Hell, I can imagine Donald Trump being the next Pope. He's got all the required...personality disorders down in the bag.
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