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Ken Burch

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14. It's not about them being "afraid of change"...what it is is they don't want to give up power.

Sun Oct 19, 2014, 07:38 PM

Oct 2014

Most of the power the princes of the Church hold in the modern world is tied to their ability to shame people about their private lives and meddle with those lives. The shaming and meddling are also designed to discourage people from questioning not only the authority of said princes but the authority of any secular institutions and individuals the church is allied with...some of which are extremely wealthy and extremely fond of using insidious and even brutal methods to preserve their privilege. If the Church stops shaming people over things pretty much everyone does, those people will lose their fear and realize they deserve better in life than they get in the existing order.

This is the same reason "Victorian morality" was invented in 19th Century Protestant Britain...the Crown and the ministers of Her Majesty's Government became ultra-sanctimonious and judgmental about sex because the country had been rocked by proto-revolutionary uprisings in the 1820's and 1830's, and something had to be done to remind the proles of "their place".

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Pope: 'God Is Not Afraid Of New Things' [View all] Beacool Oct 2014 OP

maybe not God, but his people sure are RussBLib Oct 2014 #1

I pay zero attention to him on anything, but I am not ballyhoo Oct 2014 #12

^^this^^^ logosoco Oct 2014 #18

I would say no but that is a what came first the chicken or the egg type question. It ballyhoo Oct 2014 #22

The egg came first. ZombieHorde Oct 2014 #46

This should win the comment Sam1 Oct 2014 #47

I agree somewhat. However, I have no ballyhoo Oct 2014 #54

That's bloody blind. Daemonaquila Oct 2014 #31

Let "them" go for it. I'll stay back and remember a ballyhoo Oct 2014 #38

There is nothing arrogant in his statement, and it doesn't contradict the idea pnwmom Oct 2014 #49

I disagree adamantly and really don't need to ballyhoo Oct 2014 #53

Man is full of error Tweedy Oct 2014 #76

The same way you believe there is a sky. Because it's that thing you have ballyhoo Oct 2014 #77

Actually no Tweedy Oct 2014 #80

Thank you, pnwmom! crim son Oct 2014 #58

Maybe God is afraid of new things. candelista Oct 2014 #69

+1 n/t ozone_man Oct 2014 #95

Religion is such bullshit. EEO Oct 2014 #2

Shhhh. This is America, after all :) Helen Borg Oct 2014 #5

That's the bottom line of it all, but there're big $$$$$'s in religion and the meek shall follow!n/t RKP5637 Oct 2014 #16

Yup. What other industry is taxpayer subsidized, pays zero income tax, closeupready Oct 2014 #36

In today's new America, as a citizen, one is akin to a disgruntled employee in a RKP5637 Oct 2014 #41

Uh, finance? (NT) Heywood J Oct 2014 #51

The only proper response, IMO. bvf Oct 2014 #45

What does that even mean? Helen Borg Oct 2014 #3

I think that he meant that people (conservative bishops in this case) shouldn't be afraid of change. Beacool Oct 2014 #8

It's not about them being "afraid of change"...what it is is they don't want to give up power. Ken Burch Oct 2014 #14

And the faithful never want to hear the facts, and the control freaks hold their power over them! nt RKP5637 Oct 2014 #19

Almost like THIS country, some days. n/t. Ken Burch Oct 2014 #23

Yep, much the same! Religion is just another form of politics IMO. Power, control and money! n/t RKP5637 Oct 2014 #25

They would be up in arms if a non-religious organization behaved like this, Arugula Latte Oct 2014 #60

It is pathetic, so pathetic, demonstrating how many are so damn brainwashed that they RKP5637 Oct 2014 #72

God is just afraid of gay things. Treant Oct 2014 #4

God is not afraid, conservatives are the ones who are afraid of change. Beacool Oct 2014 #9

I'm aware of that. Treant Oct 2014 #13

...and let's not even get started about gay spiders with ovaries... Ken Burch Oct 2014 #15

No No No No No No No No No Treant Oct 2014 #21

That's the opposite of what he's saying. pnwmom Oct 2014 #50

Beings as how God is a man creation madokie Oct 2014 #6

Pope Francis is moving the Catholic Church in the right direction Lurks Often Oct 2014 #7

Lord knows that he's trying, no pun intended......... Beacool Oct 2014 #10

I also think he is trying to move the Catholic Church in the right direction. He shows great Thinkingabout Oct 2014 #32

I agree Scootaloo Oct 2014 #44

He is. AngryOldDem Oct 2014 #48

But he holds all the same positions as Benedict did. NYC Liberal Oct 2014 #87

I think Francis is a bit more "progressive" regarding some social issues Lurks Often Oct 2014 #88

there is nothing new under the sun. Bluenorthwest Oct 2014 #11

Actual photo of traditionalist bishop celebrating the rejection of the new, progressive language: Ken Burch Oct 2014 #17

As a Christian he's right, God wasn't afraid of new things. LynneSin Oct 2014 #20

Thanks. Well said. JDPriestly Oct 2014 #27

Thanks for your post, at least the subject has been brought up, some will never change but Thinkingabout Oct 2014 #33

So the universe consists of billions of galaxies that are billions of years old Arugula Latte Oct 2014 #61

And you decided to insult me why? LynneSin Oct 2014 #66

you weren't insulted, the ideas you expressed were insulted, and actually Warren Stupidity Oct 2014 #82

The ideas I present were very much a part of the subject LynneSin Oct 2014 #86

I don't quite understand... abakan Oct 2014 #67

Good points LynneSin Oct 2014 #71

I liked Stigmata for that exact reason... abakan Oct 2014 #79

I've read and studied much of the Bible however it was after watching Stigmata... LynneSin Oct 2014 #84

So all that bullshit around christmas about working with the sheep - just more of your bs? jtuck004 Oct 2014 #24

"Working with the sheep"? Nye Bevan Oct 2014 #93

No - I went as a guest to a midnite mass, and their preacher related this jtuck004 Oct 2014 #96

A Pope who is actually Christian? What is this world coming to? JDPriestly Oct 2014 #26

Sick and Tired of these little clutches of CONservatives, holding everybody else hostage. calimary Oct 2014 #28

My background is Lutheran but at college we read books like the one you cited. Sognefjord Oct 2014 #42

Yeah, no kidding! It was a major topic of conversation back then. calimary Oct 2014 #43

Some books like "Honest to God" were course requirements Sognefjord Oct 2014 #74

He's not perfect, but i think he's the best pope Ilsa Oct 2014 #29

Baby steps are better than no steps at all shenmue Oct 2014 #30

Maybe the Pope should start sending some of those comfortable bigots to MADem Oct 2014 #34

umm ... if god made the universe cosmicone Oct 2014 #35

But is the Pope afraid of his subordinates? He IS absolute leader. closeupready Oct 2014 #37

God is perfect and what he does and creates is perfect. Hoppy Oct 2014 #39

God is a perfect asshole Arugula Latte Oct 2014 #62

God and my boss must be brothers. Hoppy Oct 2014 #64

best pr agent Rome has seen since the Borgias archaic56 Oct 2014 #40

Ummm I am not sure i understand Marrah_G Oct 2014 #68

all are at fault archaic56 Oct 2014 #98

If he can move the RCC forward slightly... Prophet 451 Oct 2014 #52

Wouldn't nothing be new to a "god"? Belief in myth is killing us all nt broadcaster75201 Oct 2014 #55

What do Pope Francis and President Obama have in common? cornball 24 Oct 2014 #56

I agree. potone Oct 2014 #57

Much like the congress. cornball 24 Oct 2014 #59

I'll never understand how liberals can support such a backwards, repressive institution in the Arugula Latte Oct 2014 #63

If an organized church dies because they have to pay property taxes, closeupready Oct 2014 #73

Religion = a racket Arugula Latte Oct 2014 #89

I guess you wouldn't have voted for JFK? (nt) Nye Bevan Oct 2014 #91

Uh, voting for one of two major candidates for president isn't the same Arugula Latte Oct 2014 #97

You got it. n/t MBS Oct 2014 #81

Yep, that's par for the course. Beacool Oct 2014 #90

"God" is not afraid of new things, but conservatives are scared shitless of them. Zorra Oct 2014 #65

How can something be new to God? Threedifferentones Oct 2014 #70

I don't understand why anyone gay or straight has anything to do with religion FLPanhandle Oct 2014 #75

That headline is hilarious. I thought this god created everything, so (1) nothing valerief Oct 2014 #78

LOL, I think that's kind of the idea. . . ucrdem Oct 2014 #83

Entrenched power structures sure as hell are. Orsino Oct 2014 #85

Encouraging. Reminds me of Obama slowly working his way towards being pro marriage equality Nye Bevan Oct 2014 #92

Tell that to Galileo. ozone_man Oct 2014 #94

Message auto-removed Name removed Jan 2016 #99