Disrespectful
I wrote my column for The Freethinker this month about the pope.
Greetings from happy-clappy popey-cuddly land, where it’s all pope all the time and we just can’t say enough about what a wonderful, warm, caring, new, different, thrilling, compassionate pontiff the dear man is.
The New York Times for instance, gushing like a Beyoncé fan:
Pope Francis swept across Manhattan on Friday from the center of global diplomacy to a worn classroom in East Harlem, challenging world leaders to protect the planet, warning against the dangers of fanaticism at the site where terrorists took thousands of lives and reaching out to those at the margins of society.
Curing diseases, restoring vision, leaping tall buildings at a single bound.
But not, of course, treating women as equals. Good god no – Jesus was a man, dammit, therefore women are The Wrong Sex and must be kept down.
But look at what a nice, shiny, beautiful pedestal they’re keeping you under!
Some women are never happy. Crazy feminists ruining womanhood for everyone.
[/poe]
I can’t understand the admiration Francis gets. I keep seeing a quote re-posted on FB where he says that even non-believers can be good.
Can you imagine that?! Even non-believers. I’m supposed to be thrilled because a man who is held up as a moral compass for millions has admitted that I can be worthy even if I don’t believe.
I’m sorry. I thought this was the 21st century. Is this really the best we can hope for?
Excellent piece. For the record, though, the verb is “ordain” not “ordinate”.
Oh crap, that’s the second time I’ve gotten that wrong.
Yeah, the pope mania is just a bit too much for me…I agree with some of his stances as being more in line with the teachings attributed to that Jesus fellow with regard to helping fellow humans. No, strike that…fellow “man”. If women are helped, that’s just a side benefit.
There was also a report that Francis stated that he felt government officials should be allowed to “opt out” of their duties vis-a-vis gay marriage. So, yeah, the fuzzy-warm pope is still a Catholic.
I haven’t been able to give myself over to popelove either. Like many product lines there is a huge disconnect between marketing and functionality.
http://pictoraltheology.blogspot.com/2015/09/something-about-leopard-spots-or-some.html