http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/15/vatican-attempted-ordination-women-grave-crime

The Vatican today made the "attempted ordination" of women one of the gravest crimes under church law, putting it in the same category as clerical sex abuse of minors

So not a big deal then?

the main things that cause me to think there might be a god are chorizo and red wine

how could they be the creation of mere humans?

Get Woppit, I gadda job fer him…

Not a shot in the arm for atheism anyway. Just because the Catholic church are bigots, doesn't mean they are wrong.

"…revised Catholic laws…"

So what happened ? Did their infallible god change his mind ?

with respect, whatever the hilarious contortions the church(es) may take, it has little or no relevance to the existence or otherwise of actual gods 🙂

Yes, I know that. Do they ?

putting it in the same category as clerical sex abuse of minors

Thought this was pretty well accepted?.

Who cares what a crazy religious group does, religion is irrelavent now, and the quicker all the religous cults realise this and keep their imaginary friends to themselves the better!

crikey – Member

Get Woppit, I gadda job fer him…

He's been a naughty boy and won't be on for a day or few… 😉

So in the meantime:

Pope Says Child Abuse The Same As Using The Wrong Cutlery

Since when was bigotry limited to religious organisations? The Nazis were militantly atheist but were hardly a beacon for womens rights.

The Nazis were militantly atheist

[quote]

Don't know what History book you picked that nugget up from. As far as I'm aware, they worshipped a hodge-podge of Pagan-style deities from the old Norse legends. Whilst being ably assisted in their genocides by a supine Catholic Church, of course. No doubt the Jews supposed "responsibility" for the alleged crucifiction of the alleged Nazarene made it easier on what passes for a conscience with the equally bizarrre cultists from south of the border down Vatican way…

Teddy – where do you stand on directional hi-fi cables?

Don't know what History book you picked that nugget up from.

Steven Miner, Stalin's Holy War (2003) also has good material on the Nazi campaigns against Christianity. Miner argues that the Nazis initially pragmatically tolerated the German churches as they feared their political power until they gained overall control of the country.

To return to my original point, replace Hitler with Stalin, who banned state religion entirely, for a more straightforward historical example of how bigotry and general nastiness are not the sole preserve of religion, as the title of the thread suggests.

Teddy – where do you stand on directional hi-fi cables?

I tend to avoid that, it only gets me shouted at by the owner…

Goodwin!

So, badnewz, what part of "they worshipped a hodge-podge of Pagan-style deities from the old Norse legends" leads you to suppose they were atheists?

So now an old man who wears a dress to work and a hat that looks silly,
has not been married,
is surrounded by men,
and when he was younger probably used to talk to other people in a small closet,about their problems,
only has to actually work one day a week for half an hour,
fails to acknowledge that their is a problem with men sexually assaulting young boys.

Says there is a new rule about women bishops,and it is on the same level as child abuse.

Think you need a reality check there .

The Pontiff said: "I've arranged all the major sins in a series of handy baskets. The top basket is things like condoms and abortion and women having thoughts.

LMAO!

man who believes in nonsense talks nonsense shocker

So, badnewz, what part of "they worshipped a hodge-podge of Pagan-style deities from the old Norse legends" leads you to suppose they were atheists?

It depends on how embracing you are using the term 'they' to describe the Nazis. Many of the leading figures had religious backgrounds – who then didn't – but Miner's book makes the point (which I had put earlier) that the policy towards both state religion, and the creation of a hodge-podge occultism, were a) deliberately used to gain the favour of the population in the late 1920s and b) used to disassociate their regime from Stalinist Russia, which had officially outlawed state religion, and which could be a future enemy.
In other words the Nazis used religion for political ends. This is reflected more generally for their complete disregard for religious figures and structures outside of Germany, who were given no quarter or favoritism during the process of invasion.
This is why I see the Nazis regime as closer in its ideological attitude towards religion to Soviet Russia: essentially it was the political which mattered. This obsession with the political largely excluded the spiritual realm, which was merely an area of life to be manipulated for political ends.
The idea that the Nazis were not atheist has become popular recently, as it fits a liberal, anti-religion political agenda.
The point I've been making throughout this thread is that it is a simplification to go from a) seeing corruption in religious institution and then concluding b) that atheism must therefore be virtuous.
The historical record shows that countries built on atheistic lines (Soviet Russia, modern Cuba, Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge) have shown as much disregard for human rights as political states with a national church.

So basically the Roman Catholics are saying God is a sexist.

I don't think the hierarchy speaks to God otherwise I don't think he'd have said 'hush up the paedophile priests in your ranks'.

I think if he really spoke to the hierarchy he'd have sent a plague of Locusts or avenging angels against the offenders…

Funny that. Points to Atheism doesn't it?