Catholicism, and then the Age of Reason
Once, I was at an intellectual impasse. At one point, I was trying to decide whether it was Pope Paul III having incestual sex with his daughter, Pope John XII using his palace as a brothel, Pius XII ordering German Catholics to like Hitler, Anacletus raping nuns and fucking his sister, or that any Pope who came after them and condemned that behavior was a heretic for questioning Papal infallibility. No, it wasn't any of those that drove me to ask why I was baptized into this. Not even the fact that a horse a declared Pope.

What clinched it was, if you haven't heard, a 9-year-old girl in Brazil was raped by her stepfather, and as a result, was suffering from a life-threatening pregnancy. The mother of the girl, of course, takes the child to have a abortion, and the child's life is saved.

Result?

The Pope excommunicates the mother and the surgeons who performed the abortion. They exclude the girl, 'because she is too young to understand'.

The Pope doesn't have a fucking thing to say or do about the monster who raped a child repeatedly. But why should he? Most of the Popes were pedophiles, rapists, or both.

And I think to myself, "How could my parents--two very intelligent people--raise me to be likewise intelligent and educated, and yet expect me to live my life under this stupid and fake monarchy? For appearances? Because they feel obligated because they're Irish-American? Because everyone else is Italian in our neighborhood? What justifies this wickedness and cruelty and injustice?"


The horse was the only good Pope.
(I gave my ice cream to a shark, so I milked a cat mew mew moo, Mon 23 Mar 2009, 1:58, 5 replies)

I agree . . .
my post below (the rambly one) would have been a hell of a lot longer had I chosen to include this - and you're quite right, it makes no sense that the cause of this poor girl's problems (ie: the animal that raped her) isn't pubnished . . . perhaps the priests feel some camaraderie with him - interfering with children and all that?
( Mrs Legless . . . belongs to, well, you know . . . :), Mon 23 Mar 2009, 4:14, closed)

Actually
I think it was a bishop who gave them the boot, not the Pope.

That said though, he's still responsible 'cos he's the boss.

My missus read about this and went batshit.

Cheers

edit: Ooops - didn't realise that she'd posted before me..
( Legless Mister Stabby - shanks for the memory, Mon 23 Mar 2009, 7:56, closed)

Forget the animal.
He's confessed, repented, done his penance and is now forgiven. Soul like new, go forth and sin no more.

Makes me ill to think about it.
(porkylips looks better as the sun goes down., Mon 23 Mar 2009, 8:51, closed)

Not forgetting of course, Pope Joan
She was only found out when she gave birth to a kid.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Mon 23 Mar 2009, 9:09, closed)

Pope Joan is widely regarded as legendary/fictitious.
I have heard of a horse being made a Roman Consul (Incitatus, favoured by the emperor Caligula, according to Wikipedia) but this was before Rome became Christian.
( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Mon 23 Mar 2009, 14:12, closed)