Watch your step on the Wednesday OPEN thread
Shot by Dan along the Roanoke River Greenway in Salem.
“I always tell my kids if you lay down, people will step over you. But if you keep scrambling, if you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand. Always. But you gotta keep dancing, you gotta keep your feet moving.”
Morgan Freeman
Did you ever notice you’ll never see a sign like this geared toward women?
March 13, 2013 - 10:00 AM
So, Paul Ryan introducing another bogus budget. Ah, Washington, never ceases to keep the political theater going and so many eat the crap they are fed.
I had never heard of this “Legend” / “satirical fiction” / or the movies, before.
You?
http://tinyurl.com/bbrwvnx
**
Legend of female pope endures as men decide church’s next leader
From Atika Shubert and Ben Wedeman, CNN
updated 8:57 AM EDT, Wed March 13, 2013
(CNN) — There are approximately 600 million Catholic women in the world, but none will have a direct say in who the next pope will be.
The 115 cardinals voting for the pope are men.
One of these men will be chosen to succeed Benedict XVI, continuing an exclusively male club.
Or is it?
Two movies have been made about Pope Joan, who, according to legend, was a ninth-century Englishwoman who disguised herself under voluminous clerical robes to become a priest, something women are not allowed to be in the Catholic Church.
As the story goes, Joan outdid all the men in her religious studies and rose in the ranks of the cardinals to become pope. She then went into labor during a papal procession and the mob descended on her and her child, ending her reign.
SNIP
**
Live & learn — even at my age.
The Pope Joan legend has been around a while. I first heard of it in college, 20-some years ago, but it goes back centuries. I remember seeing a trailer for a Pope Joan movie a few years ago, but haven’t seen the movie itself.
Re: the drone issue and on your position of only avoiding superpower nations / “might makes right” and given Kristen’s Machiavelli-ish “the end justifies the means”; and http://tinyurl.com/bgv3u84
**
Official: Cyberattacks, N. Korea, jihadist groups top U.S. threats
By Chelsea J. Carter, Pam Benson and Mariano Castillo, CNN
updated 8:21 PM EDT, Tue March 12, 2013
Washington (CNN) — Cyberattacks pose more of a threat to the United States than a land-based attack by a terrorist group,…
SNIP
**
—–
Do you folk think we should be ramping up for drone strikes on any hacker that is not located in “superpower nation” — give that the director of national intelligence has declared that that’s the biggest terrorist threat?
If not, why not?
“At Costco, we know that paying employees good wages makes good sense for business,” Jelinik said in a statement last week. “Instead of minimizing wages, we know it’s a lot more profitable in the long term to minimize employee turnover and maximize employee productivity, commitment and loyalty. We support efforts to increase the federal minimum wage.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/12/costco-profit_n_2859250.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
If only more people understood this principle.
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/09/30-0
Not sure why “sovereignty” is an issue here, DaveHicks. Yemen has endorsed the drone program and given us permission to execute it within their borders. In the even that Canada or France finds that they have a vast terrorism problem they can’t handle on their own, they might do the same thing.
Do I think the drone program is perfectly fine, presuming that the intelligence is good and all best practices are observed before launching one? Absolutely. Do I think it’s worth indescriminately dropping small nukes all over the middle east in hopes of getting a few terrorists? No. Some ends justify some means, but not all of them. In dropping the A-bomb on Japanese civilian population centers, the US has proven itself to be the King of situational ethics and flexibility of rationalization. All things considered, the drone program is small potatoes.
Sandi, what do you think the minimum wage should be? Like an actual figure. I believe(and correct me if I’m wrong) the President proposed $9.00
Dave Hicks
I agree. As Benjamin Franklin put it:
“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” We must not sacrifice our core principles for expediency.
Remember, people, the same bunch that is telling you it’s OK to summarily execute people are the same bunch that told us torture is OK as long as it is applied against bad guys. And the same people who were SURE that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
Think this power cannot be used against innocents here at home? How about that security guard in Atlanta whose life was ruined after he was falsely accused of the Olympic bombing. An then there was the scientist whose career was destroyed when the government was SURE he was behind the anthrax attacks.
1 Abrams tank = $5 million
1 F-16 fighter jet = $35 million
1 year to keep White House open for tours – $3 million
Watching liberals squirm while they try to justify why Obama is giving 200 Abrams tanks and 16 F-16s (=$1.5 billion) to Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt while closing the White House to tours – priceless!
Best Vice President ever. No one even close
On Domestic Violence This isn’t just your garden variety slap in the face.
http://twitchy.com/2013/03/13/joe-biden-on-domestic-violence-not-your-garden-variety-slap-across-the-face/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter
Re: Sandi Saunders 12:53 pm
Spot on!
—–
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See we can agree on somethings.
As a liberal, I was unaware I was supposed to care deeply whether or not the White House is open for tours. I don’t.
Dave Hicks, I had never heard that “Legend” either, but the day we stop learning anything should be the day we die.
http://tinyurl.com/d62g4ge
**
Obama’s Outreach to GOP: Nevermind??
By David Hawkings Posted at 11:23 a.m. March 13
Maybe it’s just awkward timing dictated by the White House media management team. But the excerpts of an interview President Obama gave ABC on Tuesday — broadcast this morning just hours before his meeting with House Republicans — amount to a sodden wet blanket on all the mildly optimistic talk about a grand budget bargain this year.
The president described his forays to the Capitol this week as efforts to reach “the common-sense caucus” in both parties, whom he views as insufficiently aware (thanks to their leaderships) of the sincerity of his interest in reaching a deal or his outline of what he’d agree to. Other than pointing out the available middle ground, he said, there is nothing he can do to force lawmakers on either side to get there.
And — laying the blame squarely on the GOP — Obama held out much less hope for a deficit compromise than he has during his past week of reach-outs to the Republicans….
SNIP
**
Is every person who dies in battle “summarily executed”? Or is it more acceptable to kill people en masse, while more discriminatory applications of force are somehow deviation from our “core principles”?
Look as if I mist typed the “close bold” in my last.
Dan, if the bold carries over to subsequent comment, please delete the above.
Looks like they’ve picked a new pope. I’m not Catholic, so I don’t personally have a vested interest, but I know many of you here are. Congratulations, and I hope the cardinals chose wisely. They have yet to announce the name of the selectee.
Since Cong. Ryan has proposed a budget plan & it appears that the Senate Democrats are about to or have done the same, I’d like to make a few comments about steps I believe should be taken to resolve some of the fiscal issues confronting our nation right now. I don’t pretend to be an expert and so I’m relying in part on ideas from others. I’ll try to indicate which are others ideas and which are mine. In this comment I will share some ideas from Emily Brandon which I found at http://www.money.usnews.com/money. She suggested 5 ways to fix Social Security. Among them are:
1. Increase Social Security taxes gradually from 6.2% of earnings to 7.2% by 2036. Both employers and workers would pay this increase. Doing so would eliminate 53% of what some have described as the Social Security deficit. Increasing the tax rate to 7.6% over the same time period would eliminate the entire financing gap.
2. Lift the payroll tax cap: In 2013 that cap is $113,700. Eliminating the cap gradually between now and 2022 would reduce the funding deficit by 71%. This change would impact 5% of current workers whose earnings exceed the current cap. They would receive somewhat higher benefits when they retire.
3. Raise the retirement age: The full retirement age is rising to 67 for those born in 1960 or later. Raising it to 68 by 2028 would reduce benefits by about 7% and eliminate 15% of the funding gap.
4. Means testing for benefits: This would reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for workers who have retirement income above a certain threshold. If you phase out benefits for retirees whose non-Social Security income is above $55K you would reduce the funding deficit by 20%.
5. Change the cost of living adjustment: Switching from the current CPI to what’s called the chained CPI-W would reduce the cost of living adjustment by approximately 3/10ths of one percent. Using the chained CPI-W would reduce the monthly benefit by about $3 for someone receiving a benefit of $1000 per month. Doing so would reduce the funding deficit by about 20%.
Those are Ms. Brandon’s ideas and I think each has some merit. However, I don’t agree with all of them. For example, I don’t agree with raising the Social Security tax rate. Additionally, I don’t agree with Means Testing. If you’ve paid in you should get benefits.
What I do agree with are three of her ideas. Combining those three ideas would meet 106% of the funding needs for Social Security going forward. Those three ideas include lifting the payroll tax cap (71% of what’s needed for full funding); Gradually raise the full retirement age to 68 by 2028 (15% of what’s needed for full funding); and Changing the cost of living adjustment to the Chained CPI-W (20% of what’s needed for full funding).
Those three changes provide the revenue needed to sustain the program, give time for current workers to prepare for changes and impact everyone a small amount moving forward. They are reasonable proposals in my view.
Now, Sandi and Dave, come on… there’s no need to spread this anti-corporate minimum wage propaganda any longer.
Our own independent studies have shown that 20-hour shifts at $1.25/hour with no breaks, no health benefits and no days off coupled with the dumping of all waste products from production into a giant pit behind the factory is the best way for our company to turn a profit. Our employees are an important part of our production-line fodder, but they should be cost-minimized just as any other expense. We’ve worked hard at deciding what we feel is a fair wage with our workers.
Should any of them fall on tight financial times, we offer them a line of credit through our credit union that will help ease their burden. Our interest rates are comparable with many other lending institutions, as well, and we can deduct payment directly from the employees’ paychecks. All for their convenience, of course.
In our drive to show the world how conscientious of our employees we are, we’ve added a full-time medical examiner, morgue and cemetery on all of our production sites. We no longer have to ship the negligent employees who get mangled in our machinery out to the local hospital; we can write up a death certificate and bury them right there on the factory grounds. Our reasonable rates can be settled up on the balance of the employees’ company account.
We here at MegaCorp believe that the government has no business telling us what to pay our workers or how to treat them or that we can’t block the fire exits. We know what our employees want. They want the opportunity to work hard and rise through the ranks of our highly profitable company. We want them to work hard and not die too often. As you can clearly see, we have similar goals.
And who knows? If they work long enough and still have all of their limbs after 20 or 30 years, maybe someone in middle management will retire and they can move up into one of our cushy, $6,000/ year salaried positions! They even come with four (4) days unpaid vacation each year!
So, see, without the government hassling us over all this “sweat shop”, “child labor” and “safety” nonsense, we’d be free to continue our business of making money for our shareholders at all costs. We’re not the bad guys; they are. We don’t want people to work for free. That’s slavery and it’s been deemed that slavery is wrong, so we’re against it now. We just want to work people for as low of a wage as we can get them to in the name of capitalism. Is that so wrong? Why do you guys hate capitalism?
I’m glad we had this talk. I’m sure that now that you see things from our point of view, you won’t be so quick to criticize in the future. Thank you in advance.
Now if you’ll excuse me, my performance bonus just came in for that “company cemetery” stroke of brilliance. I got 18 million bucks for suggesting that we bury the poor saps on site… at cost to the survivors! I love this country! If you need me, I’ll be in Bermuda.
Sincerely,
J.M. White
Director, Public Relations and Marketing
“MegaCorp – bringing you truckloads of cheap foreign crap on the broken backs of American workers since 1981.”
The link in my comment at 2:47 doesn’t work. I’ll try to find another one. Sorry!
Let’s see if this link works.
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/planning-to-retire/2013/02/13/5-ways-to-fix-social-security
Apparently we will know who the new Pope is in a few minutes.
The thing is, we aren’t at war, at least not by any official measure. No war was declared. The so called War on Terror is a perpetual war in the sense that it is not “winnable”, just like the ‘War on Poverty’ or the ‘War on Drugs.’ War is a racket. Contractors and banks get rich off of war. It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking. The US has been in countless “wars” since WWII, the last time war was actually declared. To what avail? Drones are a disaster and quite frankly do no good. I understand, though don’t support, most people’s opinion on here about Anwar Al-awlaki, but what about his 16 year old son, Abdulrahman, whose only crime was being the son of Anwar Al-awlaki. What about the use of double-taps(which are war crimes) that after the initial strike a second strike is issued when paramedics and others are cleaning up the bodies? What about the children that get killed in these strikes or severely wounded that are innocent bystanders? We mourn the deaths of those in Sandy Hook, but the reaction to those blown up by a drone in Afghanistan is a shrug of the shoulders and “wrong place, wrong time.”
–
DISCLAIMER: Since I was called a liar the last time I posted something, the above is just my OPINION. Facts that are stated in the above post include that the US has not officially declared war on Al-Queda, any other terrorist organization or another country’s government and the US government does have and use the policy of “double-taps.”
Matthew, would you define “official measure”? The President of the United States of America committed troops and war activity on two sovereign nations, created “Homeland Security”, took prisoners still being detained and we have been at it ever since so please tell us again why we are not “at war”?
I believe there should absolutely be a tightly regulated policy for “drone” use from the military to federal to the local level. But IMO the use of drones, even with some collateral damage to innocent bystanders is preferable to “boots on the ground” and putting more of our military into harm’s way. This is a very unconventional war but it is not one we can walk away from. That die was cast long ago.
Official, as in Congressional declaration. And why can’t we walk away? We’ve been over there for 50+ years. This isn’t something that just started after 9/11.
New pope is from South America, and has taken the name Francis I.
Excellent choice for pope in Cardinal Bergoglio. Doctrinal conservative, unassuming lifestyle, encourages personal generosity towards the poor. Hopefully he will bring hispanic Americans back into communion with the church from which many have strayed.
Our Lady of Guadalupe was responsible for so many conversions to Catholicism in the Americas. Now she brings us a pope.
Wonder if he fudges on his Lenten promises too?
Matthew: Sandi, what do you think the minimum wage should be? Like an actual figure.
I know I’m not Sandi–I want to take a crack at this one.
*consults paycheck*
*cannot find recent pay stub, uses one from 2012*
About 15% of my gross pay goes to federal and state taxes. About 6% of my gross pay goes toward health, dental, and long-term disability insurance. If someone makes $10/hr gross, works 36 hours a week, and gets paid every two weeks, that’s $604.80 in net pay every two weeks.
I would back a minimum wage increase ONLY if that increase automatically included health insurance coverage. If not, it’s just repeating the same cycle at a higher price point.
The new pope, Francis, is a Jesuit.
Karl Marx was educated at a secularized Jesuit high school,.
Anyone see a conspiracy here?
Is lent over already?
Sandi: Wonder if he fudges on his Lenten promises too?
See, I was going to go for the cheap shot too (as in, I’m Jewish and even I know that Lent isn’t over yet) but I realized that Suzie was actually being pleasant and supportive for a change and decided not to take it.
Chris Cuomo makes me sick commenting about the pope. “The measure of this pope will be how he handles issues that Catholics disagree with like birth control, and how he handles the child abuse scandal”. This is atheist CNN’s predictable take on the matter.
To answer, no, practicing Catholics DO understand the Church’s birth control position and recognizes it as infallible doctrine. Secondly, the abuse issue has already been dealt with. Pope Benedict addressed it dozens of times. He could have stood on his head while juggling three balls and it wouldn’t have been enough for the godless media which doesn’t care about kids’ welfare anyway
As for Cuomo, he’s brother of one of the biggest child butchers in America, the so-called Catholic governor of New York, who proposed a bill that essentially enables abortions right up to birth.
A new gravatar in honor of our new South American pope. This is one of most famous images in the world. Our Lady of Guadalupe is in many homes south of the border.
“To answer. . .practicing Catholics DO understand the Church’s birth control position and recognizes it as infallible doctrine. Secondly, the abuse issue has already been dealt with.”
–Suzie
Someone needs to attend confession. Aren’t Lenten prevarications extra damning or something?
There is some speculation in the Italian press that a huge gay sex scandal is about to envelop the church. I’m surprised they didn’t elect the black guy.
Poor, poor deluded “virgin” @ #33…
Catholic women overwhelmingly use birth control, despite an official ban by the church, a new study finds.
Guttmacher, finds that 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women USE OR HAVE USED BIRTH CONTROL other than church-approved natural family planning.
Only 2 percent of Catholic women have used natural family planning.
http://www.livescience.com/13708-catholics-contraceptives.html
So much for Catholic dogma… most intelligent women actually have the capability to decide their reproductive futures.
Others, passively follow the old men who will never experience giving birth…
Pirengle, you may make any choice you like, IMO, it is naive (at best) to think that she is capable of “pleasant and supportive”, but to each their own. She made her bed and her blasphemy gets on my last nerve.
There’s some reason that Ratzinger bailed. Sorry, not buying the “I’m tired and its hard” explanation.
Disappointing news that Bill Bolling decided not to make independent run for Governor., I’m sure he got pounded on and threatened with excommunication by the RW zealots that have taken control of the Va. Republicon party.
OK Dan, so I was in town today after spending a few days in Blacksburg on business.
My lunch plans got canceled at the last minute, and i strolled into the Market Building and ate at the Cuban Place. I forget what it is you recommended, but I had Garlic Shrimp with Cassava and Black Beans and Rice. The Cassava was the first time I’d had it. I thought it would be something completely different, but it was pretty good. next time I’m gonna load it up with hot sauce. I feel like Cassava as a substance would be a good conveyor of spice and seasoning.
All in all, pretty good. I still maintain it’s way too bright in there, and after visiting each booth, was left unimpressed with the selection on the vendors’ menus. I wonder if that is why there was only 18 people in there at 12:15pm.
“To answer, no, practicing Catholics DO understand the Church’s birth control position and recognizes it as infallible doctrine”
Wrong. As usual.
Anyone else here tearing their hair out over Google’s announcement tonight they’re killing Reader? Of course, all the most commonly suggested alternatives are down or slowed to a crawl as thousands of RSS junkies (like me) scramble for a new dealer.
“Excellent choice for pope in Cardinal Bergoglio.”
The cardinals breathe a sigh of relief that suzie approves of the new dinosaur pope.
Sandi: Pirengle, you may make any choice you like, IMO, it is naive (at best) to think that she is capable of “pleasant and supportive”, but to each their own.
Seeing the posts she made after mine on this thread, her posts on today’s post of the day, and her avatar change from random blonde to the Virgin Mary… Suzie’s detour into piety and humility sure didn’t last very long.
Re: Suzie, I need to remember that butterflies landing on horse flop does not change the nature of the horse flop. Thanks for the reminder, Sandi.
Wayne: Disappointing news that Bill Bolling decided not to make independent run for Governor., I’m sure he got pounded on and threatened with excommunication by the RW zealots that have taken control of the Va. Republicon party.
I really have to wonder what dirty laundry the Republicans have on Bolling. Considering how they’ve jerked him around and abused his party loyalty, what exactly does he have left to lose?
After exhaustive research, I have the quantitative data to conclusively prove that the overwhelming majority of Catholic woman do indeed practice birth control.
Poor, poor deluded “virgin” @ #33…
Catholic women overwhelmingly use birth control, despite an official ban by the church, a new study finds.
Guttmacher, finds that 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women USE OR HAVE USED BIRTH CONTROL other than church-approved natural family planning.
Only 2 percent of Catholic women have used natural family planning.
http://www.livescience.com/13708-catholics-contraceptives.html
So much for Catholic dogma… most intelligent women actually have the capability to decide their reproductive futures.
Others, passively follow the old men who will never experience giving birth…
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That obama/PP lie has been shredded so many times in so many ways. Let’s start with the fact that of the respondents who claimed to be Catholic, less a third of them said they attend weekly mass.
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From there we learn the Guttmacher study included women younger than 44 and also “excluded any women who were a) not sexually active, where that is defined as having had sexual intercourse in the past three months (there go all the nuns), b) postpartum, c) pregnant, or d) trying to get pregnant. In other words, the study was specifically designed (as the prose discussion on p. 8 makes explicit, in bold print) to include only women for whom a pregnancy would be unintended and who are “at risk” of becoming pregnant.”
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So it’s all bogus made-up crap by obama’s far-left allies who have an abortion agenda.
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http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/13/figure-that-98-of-catholic-women-use-birth-control-debunked/
Pirengle, check your email!
#48 Boy was that sad, suzie. Really warped and twisted by “lifenews.” Even if the 98 percent is off by a little, we all know that a HUGE number of Catholic women use unapproved birth control. It’s just plain fact. Period.
How’s that Lent thing going for you?
I’m kinda proud of ‘suzi’ for accepting the new Pope so graciously. We all know she was pulling for ‘Almost As Great As Christ’ Rush Limpball.
Susie – why would you ask women beyond child bearing age (mostly), women that aren’t having sex,and pregnant women who obviously would not be taking birth control if they use birth control. Of course you exclude them from the study. The study is intended for only those that are having sex and might get pregnant.
News flash, women younger than 44 who are having sex are at risk of becoming pregnant. If you’re not sexually active you aren’t going to get pregnant. This isn’t rocket science.
Susie – why would you ask women beyond child bearing age (mostly), women that aren’t having sex,and pregnant women who obviously would not be taking birth control if they use birth control. Of course you exclude them from the study. The study is intended for only those that are having sex and might get pregnant.
News flash, women younger than 44 who are having sex are at risk of becoming pregnant. If you’re not sexually active you aren’t going to get pregnant. This isn’t rocket science.
Sorry folks. The obama administration made the broadbrush claims about ALL Catholic women. Like Hillary’s headline, it said “sexually-active Catholic women”. I guess they think women over 44 don’t have sex. So the headline and bullet point is a flat out lie.
And again, 70% of the supposed Catholic women polled weren’t even practicing Catholics.
Suzie, the pews tell the story and the overwhelming majority of Catholics are practicing birth control.
Pirengle, we have all been burned too many times with the Suzie stick so we learned never to trust or pretend that entity is tamed. Her continued blasphemy is galling, and she revels in it.
Schtick, by the way. Suzie must have hit a nerve with some TRUTH…That always get the `saunders ` of the world upset.
gdad | March 13, 2013 at 8:48 pm “Excellent choice for pope in Cardinal Bergoglio.”
The cardinals breathe a sigh of relief that suzie approves of the new dinosaur pope.
gdad,
Just because Suzie approves doesn’t make the new Pope a dinosaur.
@48 I see the virginal one has again shown a lack of understanding in the collection of data. Much like the months and months of denying the polls showing President Obama’s winning, – here we go again with the old meme, “numbers are skewered” – again with the denial of FACTS.
Study after study has shown US Catholics more liberal than the dogma perpetrated by Rome on its followers
Whether or not you choose to believe the stats – much like the Presidential race where Obama had been predicted to win – those in denial of the liberalism of US Catholics will be Shocked, yes Shocked! – and so will remain out in the fringe of mainstream US Catholicism.
The Catholic stance on birth control is predicated on the principle that the sole function of sex is reproduction and thus true catholics need not use contraceptives as they are engaged in sex solely for reproductive purposes. I wonder how many devout Catholics in this regard are actually hypocritical Catholics…
@52, I’d say that the overwhelming majority of American and European Catholics are practicing birth control, which is why Catholicism is thriving in the “developing countries” in South America and Africa. Once the people there figure out the connection between standard of living and family size, they’ll hop on the BC bandwagon and go from “developing” to First World.
What makes Pope Francis a dinosaur is this:
Born: December 17, 1936
Hillary,
I suspected that gdad’s comment was more a poke at Suzie than at the cardinals or Pope Francis. My response to him was meant lightheartedly.
Daily I work with women religious who are well into their 80s and 90s. Believe me they are far from dinosaur’s due to their age. One of them solved multiple issues on my office computer when she was in her mid 90s. My highly paid tech staff couldn’t solve the problems.
I am witholding judgment on Pope Francis until I learn more about him and his position on a number of issues confronting the church. I will say seriously, that I don’t believe, just because he is 76 years old, he is a dinosaur.
I agree with you on age not meaning much, Ron. I have a friend in her late 70′s who is still very active physically with no slowdown mentally either.
Most who were born in the USA specifically, during the Great Depression have a unique point of view. Most lived in the US in segregated communities, went to school in segregated schools, rode public transportation with their own special seating, and had their own water fountains.
Additionally, the technology of today for most 75+ year olds, is much like a foreign language to many..
Old men in charge of the “faithful” is fine. Old men making doctrine, especially for women worldwide, in the 21st century, is quite ludicrous.
I think age does matter.
Most who were born in the USA specifically, during the Great Depression have a unique point of view. Most lived in the US in segregated communities, went to school in segregated schools, rode public transportation with their own special seating, and had their own water fountains.
Additionally, the technology of today for most 75+ year olds, is much like a foreign language to many..
Old men in charge of the “faithful” is fine. Old men making doctrine, especially for women worldwide, in the 21st century, is quite ludicrous.
I think age does matter.
I had no idea our new pope was born in the U.S.
Old men in charge of the “faithful” is fine. Old men making doctrine, especially for women worldwide, in the 21st century, is quite ludicrous.
Why do folks in every age believe there’s anything new under the sun? Canon law doesn’t change at the whim of man. God doesn’t change. Human nature doesn’t change. Seasoned people understand those truths. That may be reason enough to have mature popes.
“Additionally, the technology of today for most 75+ year olds, is much like a foreign language to many..
Old men in charge of the “faithful” is fine. Old men making doctrine, especially for women worldwide, in the 21st century, is quite ludicrous.
I think age does matter.”
Thanks for demonstrating why we need the age discrimination act. What’s on tomorrow’s agenda? An argument of why separate but equal is good?
Tell me Hillary, is anyone forcing you to follow this “doctrine”?
Is Lent over already? Oh wait, you break promises to Jesus, you good Catholic, you.
And about that “whim of man”. Please direct me to the passage where Jesus says men must be celibate to be priests.
The Apostle Peter was married. Only 1000 years after the
crucifixion did the celibate issue arise by “whim of man”.
Eat fish on Fridays ? – another “whim of man”
You make it to easy….
Chuck @68 “Thanks for demonstrating why we need the age discrimination act. What’s on tomorrow’s agenda? An argument of why separate but equal is good?
Tell me Hillary, is anyone forcing you to follow this “doctrine”?”
It is not discriminatory to suggest old men have no idea about women’s reproduction – especially “celibate” popes, bishops and priests.
I visit my 90 year old mother weekly at an Independent Living village – I talk to seniors. Many hate new technology, don’t understand why anyone needs a cell phone…and are firmly rooted in the past.
I expect the same from a 76 year old pope. When the words “modern” or “liberated” become expletives, something is wrong.
When the Catholic faith imposes its tenets on the issue of birth control/contraception, well yes, Chuck, they are forcing their doctrine on me. Fortunately I learned a long time ago, like most Catholic women, to ignore this particular demand.
‘Why do folks in every age believe there’s anything new under the sun? Canon law doesn’t change at the whim of man. God doesn’t change. Human nature doesn’t change. Seasoned people understand those truths. That may be reason enough to have mature popes.”
Oh I don’t know. Maybe it’s because people in a new age with half a brain have decided that church doctrine which endorsed the Inquisition, The Crusades and Holy Wars, the burning of “witches” and heretics at the stake
was questionable and so should be other doctrinal concepts which ignore human nature and are purely the product of man’s whims.
Chuck, pretty sure there’s no constitutional right to be Pope. Would you like to travel on a plane flown by a man the Pope’s age?
Hillary, check your email
And about that “whim of man”. Please direct me to the passage where Jesus says men must be celibate to be priests.
The Apostle Peter was married. Only 1000 years after the
crucifixion did the celibate issue arise by “whim of man”.
Eat fish on Fridays ? – another “whim of man”
Those aren’t infallible dictates. The edicts concerning birth control and abortion are. Lots of non-Catholics get those mixed up.
Oh I don’t know. Maybe it’s because people in a new age with half a brain have decided that church doctrine which endorsed the Inquisition, The Crusades and Holy Wars, the burning of “witches” and heretics at the stake
was questionable and so should be other doctrinal concepts which ignore human nature and are purely the product of man’s whims.
There was no doctrine that supported those things. However, nfallible church doctrine does ban barbaric practices such as abortion. One would think in the 21st century, new age people with half a brain wouldn’t have evolved enough to realize abortion, willful killing of innocent human beings, is innately evil.
When the Catholic faith imposes its tenets on the issue of birth control/contraception, well yes, Chuck, they are forcing their doctrine on me. Fortunately I learned a long time ago, like most Catholic women, to ignore this particular demand.
How is the church forcing its doctrine on anyone? We are all allowed free will. But that is entirely different from being a practicing Catholic. If you reject infallible tenets of the Catholic faith, you are NOT a practicing Catholic.
I really don’t mean to be unkind, but it burns me up when people claim to be Catholic, then endorse practices that are contrary to Catholic teaching. Nancy Pelosi has misstated the church’s position on abortion, then poses as a practicing Catholic. I would like to see all bishops take a stand and deny these people communion, and perhaps even ex-communicate them. People like Kerry, Biden, Pelosi, and Cuomo are a disgrace.
Just as the GOP has become the small tent political party. Suzie wants the Catholic Church to be small tent Religion. A Religion of intolerance and bigotry. Somehow that makes sense to me.
Betcha can’t get’em all right:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2013/0211/How-much-do-you-know-about-the-Catholic-Church-Take-our-quiz/What-country-has-the-largest-total-number-of-Roman-Catholics
Hillary
I find your posts about age to be mildly offensive and a bit off base. I don’t believe you can characterize us old cusses as being intolerant or unwilling to keep up with today’s technology. I’m 70 years old. Most of my friends my age are pretty computer savvy. We use email and Word and power point . I Skype regularly with friends and fsmily. I have a smartphone. I text and I twitter. I don’t use facebook because I think too many things that should be private are posted there. Most of my friends are the same. And most of them are decidedly not in the category of believing that men should make health and reproductive decisions for the women in our lives. I will admit that sometimes there are technological advances and gadgets that I don’t think we can or should allow to take the place of all the old traditional things in oiur lives. This link gives one example:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4619938709897
And most of them are decidedly not in the category of believing that men should make health and reproductive decisions for the women in our lives.
Haven’t we been over this already? Abortion is not about women’s bodies. It’s about the lives of the human beings inside them. This mischaracterization of what abortion really is needs to be dispelled at every opportunity.
Kristen, didn’t realize flying planes were part of the Pope’s duties. I don’t want to fly on a plane flown by an emotionally disturbed person either, but that doesn’t mean I should discriminate against them based stereotyped beliefs about a certain class of people. That is exactly what Hillary is doing and what you are defending.
Hillary, your sweeping generalizations about the elderly are simply wrong and you have very aptly proven my point. If you can CHOOSE to ignore the tenets of your religion that you do not like, then by definition no one is FORCING them on you. But, in keeping with Kristen’s misplaced airplane analogy, unfortunately the point seems to have flown right over both or your heads.
Just as the GOP has become the small tent political party. Suzie wants the Catholic Church to be small tent Religion. A Religion of intolerance and bigotry. Somehow that makes sense to me.
The Catholic Church was started by Jesus, Cold. St. Peter was the first pope in an unbroken line. The rules have been in place for centuries. If you follow them, you can have eternal life besides a better life here on earth. I don’t know what more incentive you can have to promote a “big tent”. But nothing worthwhile is easy. The path to Heaven is narrow and difficult. Even though it is there for the taking, probably a minority will reach it. Says the Bible, “Many are called; few are chosen”.
The reason for that might lie in human nature itself. Like with losing weight or becoming wealthy, the “secrets” are all readily available, yet few will do what it takes.
Suzie: I really don’t mean to be unkind, but it burns me up when people claim to be Catholic, then endorse practices that are contrary to Catholic teaching.
Considering you swore off posting on the blog for Lent yet kept returning here before Easter, it must be pretty rotten waking up every morning mad at yourself.
@76
1. “How is the church forcing its doctrine on anyone? We are all allowed free will.”
No, not if you are a protestant, Jew, Muslim and work at a Catholic hospital [which takes federal/taxpayer money], Your health care coverage eliminates birth control pills – and that is THEIR religious belief being imposed on a non-Catholic..
2. “But that is entirely different from being a practicing Catholic. If you reject infallible tenets of the Catholic faith, you are NOT a practicing Catholic.”
WELL, you finally got something right! Wow…
3. Is Lent over? Evidently your compulsion to blog is stronger than your faith…
No, not if you are a protestant, Jew, Muslim and work at a Catholic hospital [which takes federal/taxpayer money], Your health care coverage eliminates birth control pills – and that is THEIR religious belief being imposed on a non-Catholic.
“If you don’t buy me stuff, you’re forcing me not to have it”.
Is this twisted liberal thinking or what?
@86 Reading comprehension and critical thinking is not you strong suit, eh?
Suzie, what does that “nfallible church doctrine” say about your cruelty, dishonesty, and blasphemy? You are such a hypocrite about anything religious, you defame Catholicism and God daily (from the safety of anonymity of course) and then claim you can speak for or defend them? Wow, hubris on display.
You are doing for the Catholic Church what you do for Conservatives, and I appreciate it!
Suzie, what does that “nfallible church doctrine” say about your cruelty, dishonesty, and blasphemy? You are such a hypocrite about anything religious, you defame Catholicism and God daily (from the safety of anonymity of course) and then claim you can speak for or defend them? Wow, hubris on display.
There’s nothing you can point to in the past few months which backs up this accusation. Yet you persist. I needn’t feel bad, though. Even Jesus who was perfect was so hated by His enemies, they put him to death. If Jesus couldn’t please the haters by being absolutely perfect, then what chance do I have?
Cue the “Suzie’s now comparing herself to Jesus” nonsense.
Hillary,
See the link below.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/07/420114/many-catholic-universities-hospitals-already-offer-contraception-as-part-of-their-health-insurance-plans/?mobile=nc
Ron,thank you for the information. It would be helpful if our resident “virginal-breaking Lent” poster read this link.
The President also solved this by having insurance companies provide that component [contraceptive coverage] to employees of religious organizations free of charge. Either way, women will have the choices when or if they wish to become pregnant.
Cue the “Suzie’s now comparing herself to Jesus” nonsense
Looks like nobody had to “cue” it. You did it all by yourself.. We just agree.
That’s Jesus Limbaugh of course.
And the CPAC 2012 straw poll goes to:
Rand Paul 25%, Rubio 23%, Santorum 8%, [I heard that Chris Christy received 7% but it hasn't been posted yet]
Hillary | March 16, 2013 at 8:50 pm
And the CPAC 2012 straw poll goes
Hillary
Yep Christie got 7% But Other ran a strong third with 14%. Nothing like a little party unity for winning elections. And just as an aside, Ron Paul won this straw vote twice. They’ve really got their finger on the pulse of the nation.
“then what chance do I have?”
None. At. All.