Pope Rises from Dead and Eats Bowl of Spaghetti

[novella]

No matter what their goofy-ass status might be on paper, I don't consider a church, or a religion to be a country. That's basically what they've done. That would be like some college declaring itself a country and building a wall around it. Only most colleges would require a larger wall. Not in my little world of reality. No sir.

I don't care who goes to pay respects, I just don't think our tax dollars should have to pay for it. The three US Presidents that went are all millionaires. They can afford to pay their own way, and they should. How many homeless people could be fed with the money that paid for that trip????

Today is the first day I could pick up our local newspaper and not be smacked in the face with some picture of the pope. Not even a picture of the dead pope. Finally, is all I can say...the unbelievable tsunami deaths did not get this much attention did it?

Gawd Moto, get a history lesson. The Church used to "own" most of Europe and take taxes from every property. That may have been a few hundred years ago, but what makes them any less legitimate as a government than Prince Rainier of Monaco?

 

[Sergo]

No matter what their goofy-ass status might be on paper, I don't consider a church, or a religion to be a country. That's basically what they've done. That would be like some college declaring itself a country and building a wall around it. Only most colleges would require a larger wall. Not in my little world of reality. No sir.

I don't care who goes to pay respects, I just don't think our tax dollars should have to pay for it. The three US Presidents that went are all millionaires. They can afford to pay their own way, and they should. How many homeless people could be fed with the money that paid for that trip????

Today is the first day I could pick up our local newspaper and not be smacked in the face with some picture of the pope. Not even a picture of the dead pope. Finally, is all I can say...the unbelievable tsunami deaths did not get this much attention did it?

Sorry again, Vatican is as legitimate a country as they get.

I think the idea you seem to defend should be divided in two parts:
1. Vatican is not a legitimate country;
2. The less taxpayers pay for a privilege to be ruled by a President is the better.

As to 1st one - you are wrong and nothing could be done about it, sorry.
As to 2nd one - you are right of course, I am there with you, though expenditures of American presidents affect me much less then those of our Russian president, who should be leading less expensive life in a country where an average citizen earns not more than $US100 - 200 a month.

As to photographs of a dead Pope... It seems there are millions vitally interested in the subject. I cannot understand that myself, but who am I to decide what's good for others?

 

[Martin]

Moto's not deciding anything for anyone - he's stating an opinion.

Cheers

 

[Hollis]

I remember the tsunami getting a LOT of coverage actually. This just happens to be the news of the moment. In my mind, a death is a death no matter how famous or how unknown you might be. It's a tragic loss of life and I can completely understand it affecting people. If a person's grandmother passes away...obviously, there are going to be people who don't care, but to that person, it matters! If a president passes away, his supporters will mourn him and I'm sure even people who didn't care for him much will stop and take a minute of respect. At least, I'd like to think people can put away their differences when it comes to loss of life. The pope was a major figure in many people's lives. Of course his passing is going to affect many and so it makes sense for the news stations to cover it, even if it might seem annoying and overkill to others. I'd personally rather see the pope stuff than the Michael Jackson stuff, for instance!

 

[Motokid]

novella, Monaco has an totally awesome F1 Grand Prix. It's worthy of country status.

...and thanks Martin, like I really thought I could change that world's view on the status of Vatican city...sheesh

 

[novella]

novella, Monaco has an totally awesome F1 Grand Prix. It's worthy of country status.

...and thanks Martin, like I really thought I could change that world's view on the status of Vatican city...sheesh

Yeah, we always watch Monte Carlo. But the Speed channel isn't rebroadcasting F1 on Sunday nights anymore. We have to remember to record it now.

Just saw Bahrain, and my man Jenson Button got podium and points! Yay.

 

[Nosferatu Man]

As much as I love you, Hollis, I don't go along with your idea that death is a tragic loss of life. It's just natural, and the only thing you can guarantee to happen in your life. The most recent death of a person I respect immensely, has been John Peel, but I didn't 'have a minute of silence to pay my respects' to him. What does that mean, anyway: 'Pay my respects'? When I read the news, I just sort of felt, well, that's a damn shame. I didn't cry or go around whispering for a dozen days, I just sort of got on with it. Am I a) sensibly in control of my emotions, or b) a psychopath?

 

[novella]

I don't want either the pope or Michael Jackson in my purview. So I don't watch that junk. I felt bad when Anwar Sadat was shot. There was a man. I felt bad when that poor Italian bastard from the UN got blown up. He seemed like someone worthy of a moment of respect. I can't muster that much respect for the head of an organization that has explicit goals of subjugating women as the lesser sex, preventing access to birth control, condemning homosexuality as a sin, that systematically harbors and protects pedophiles and denies the validity of evolutionary science.

Someone like that is not worthy of a moment of respect.

 

[Hollis]

As much as I love you, Hollis, I don't go along with your idea that death is a tragic loss of life. It's just natural, and the only thing you can guarantee to happen in your life. The most recent death of a person I respect immensely, has been John Peel, but I didn't 'have a minute of silence to pay my respects' to him. What does that mean, anyway: 'Pay my respects'? When I read the news, I just sort of felt, well, that's a damn shame. I didn't cry or go around whispering for a dozen days, I just sort of got on with it. Am I a) sensibly in control of my emotions, or b) a psychopath?

Um...sounds like your feeling of "Well that's a shame" WAS paying respects of a sort. I'm not saying you need to go set up a shrine or cry or whisper or whatever. That's silly. But you said yourself...you actually felt something. Why do things always have to be taken so extreme? That little pang of acknowledgement of a life being ended, of that's a shame...to me, it's showing respect, rather than automatically saying, "OK, moving on. Who cares!"

Yes, death is natural, but it still affects people. I am a religious person, so I believe in the afterlife. So death in a way can be a joyous occasion. At the same time, it can cause a person to mourn.

I think when I was writing my first post, I was more thinking of all the things I read in various places about Terry Schiavo finally passing away and people saying, "Finally!" It just seemed so...callous because they weren't saying finally everyone could have peace, but rather finally because they didn't have to see it anymore, that they could care less that there was one less life in the world. I've seen it with the pope too. I don't know. I've always felt life was sacred and for people to actually make callous remarks about someone's death...it's just odd to me.

And novella, I see what you're saying because he goes against a lot of your ideals. But, and again, this is me being most likely supremely naive and overly optimistic, even people like that must have something in them that makes them worth something. A person doesn't have to wail and cry and bow 3 times or whatever. But he was someone's kid, someone's friend, someone's mentor. I know, I know...ya'll are going to come back at me by mentioning someone like Osama, aren't you?

Ah well, I'm happy in my world! lol. I think it's best I just stay out of this thread from here on out! See ya! ^_^

 

[Martin]

People, this was started (I believe) in good fun, and let's keep it that way, shall we?

No politics, no religion, if we want to keep this place as friendly as it has always been.

I hope you'll understand.

Proceed.

Cheers

 

[Sergo]

Moto's not deciding anything for anyone - he's stating an opinion.

Cheers

Dear Martin:

First of all, I had also stated my own opinion - that I wouldn't decide for anybody what's good and what's not for them. Hope it is not illegal here.

Then, with the full respect to your asking people to return to fun etc., I would like to say that in my opinion that is what discussions are about - somebody states opinion, and others confirm or deny it from their points of view. I think it more interesting than just shouting: Jeees! Cooool! and closing the subject for some other funny one.

And I think this here discussion makes a lot of good: I very much liked the position of Hollis, and it is very much interesting for me to know Novella's point of view.

So: I want to thank you as the senior moderator of this forum for the great possibility to speak our thoughts here and sincerely hope that we will have this possibility further.

 

[Martin]

Then, with the full respect to your asking people to return to fun etc., I would like to say that in my opinion that is what discussions are about - somebody states opinion, and others confirm or deny it from their points of view. I think it more interesting than just shouting: Jeees! Cooool! and closing the subject for some other funny one.

I'm afraid discussion of both political and religious nature are not allowed on these boards, for the simple reason that people will get offended. Just 2 weeks ago someone left the Bookforum because she felt like she was being attacked for her religious views. That is unacceptable.

Have fun, discuss; that's what this place is for, but try not to make it too political or religious.

Cheers

 

[Sergo]

I'm afraid discussion of both political and religious nature are not allowed on these boards, for the simple reason that people will get offended. Just 2 weeks ago someone left the Bookforum because she felt like she was being attacked for her religious views. That is unacceptable.

Have fun, discuss; that's what this place is for, but try not to make it too political or religious.

Cheers

Sorry, I haven't said here anything political- or religious oriented, and as far as I can see - nobody had. Pure opinions and information.

And if you think that people get offended only by political or religious discussions - I think you are wrong here, and to see that you only have to look through above messages - one person got offended at what almost everybody else thought funny...

 

[jenn]

Sorry, I haven't said here anything political- or religious oriented, and as far as I can see - nobody had. Pure opinions and information.

And if you think that people get offended only by political or religious discussions - I think you are wrong here, and to see that you only have to look through above messages - one person got offended at what almost everybody else thought funny...

well people get offended by most anything really. but it is just that religion and politics are such sensitive areas that it is difficult to keep those conversations amicable. you will see by reading some older posts that we do talk about some very sensitive subjects and the moderators are very good at letting people run with their opinions, but it is fine line as religion and politics do leak into everything. the big thing is not to be too upset if someone doesn't like your opinion or seems angry about something you said. more often than not people just agree to disagree and move on to the next topic.

 

[Sergo]

Yep, that was exactly my point. Would you believe that?

 

[jenn]

Yep, that was exactly my point. Would you believe that?

i would definitly believe it.

 

[Martin]

[It is] an organization that has explicit goals of subjugating women as the lesser sex, preventing access to birth control, condemning homosexuality as a sin, that systematically harbors and protects pedophiles and denies the validity of evolutionary science.

Sergo - read above post. If that's not religious in nature, I do not know what is. I am agnostic, so it is absolutely no problem for me, but someone who happens to be catholic might be offended by Novella's opinion. Most won't, but some will, and we want to prevent that from happening. If even one person disagrees to such an extent that he/she feels forced to leave, we'll have failed as moderators.

's All.

Novella, sorry for using you as an example. No offense intended.

Cheers

 

[novella]

Sergo - read above post. If that's not religious in nature, I do not know what is. I am agnostic, so it is absolutely no problem for me, but someone who happens to be catholic might be offended by Novella's opinion. Most won't, but some will, and we want to prevent that from happening. If even one person disagrees to such an extent that he/she feels forced to leave, we'll have failed as moderators.

's All.

Novella, sorry for using you as an example. No offense intended.

Cheers

That's okay. I'm just a horse that can't resist jumping fences. I certainly don't mean to offend any individual. Just stating my hard-earned opinion, straight from the Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School of Hard Knocks. Sister St. Bludgeon taught me math and corporal obedience.

BTW, not kidding. I was raised Catholic, taught by nuns and brothers in Catholic schools until I was 17, and selected members of my family remain Catholic to varying degrees, so I not only know from where I speak and what the hypocrisies of daily life typically are, but I also know how robust Catholicism is in the face of a fair-minded equality-oriented rationale. There's no argument against infallibility, is there?

It's not just a car, it's a way of life. But the car is uniquely ugly!

The Popemobile:

 

[mehastings]

I also noticed the flags where I work are at half staff. Is this for the Pope? Is America in a National state of mourning for the Pope?

I got a ton of dirty looks for making this exact same statement the other day. Actual Americans die in Iraq daily, but no flag at half mast. Pope (non-American religious leader) dies, flag at half mast. Honestly, I'm offended.

 

[novella]

I got a ton of dirty looks for making this exact same statement the other day. Actual Americans die in Iraq daily, but no flag at half mast. Pope (non-American religious leader) dies, flag at half mast. Honestly, I'm offended.

Well, . . . he was Time Magazine's Man of the Year . . . and he did have a very large discretionary budget . . . .and he did have one of those red phones like Commissioner Gordon, straight to the Big Guy not the Bat Cave . . .

kidding . . .