what he's done?

which one in particular? there have been many, most of them bastards..

hmm, hate is a strong one. I know there are some pretty stupid rules he advocates.

the current pope for his idiocy

"pretty stupid rules he advocates" He lets child rapists get away with it.

and increases the cases of HIV and Aids

and reduces the quality of life for millions of people in highly overcrowded cities by refusing to allow them to use birth control which

only results in yet MORE people in poverty, being rapes, starving and at great risk.

raped*

Go onto youtube and search 'Intelligence squared debate'

Go onto youtube and search 'Intelligence squared debate'

yeah, perhaps the way i phrased that was a touch off the mark... but give credit where it's due, there's a whole history-book full of

tossers that MADE those rules.

if anything, the popes one of the weaker of them. he's just following ridiculous trends

To quote Star Wars, "Who's more the fool, the fool or the fool who follows him." The Pope is nothing more than a jumped up follower himself

Not that I'm calling religion stupid, I meant the rules thing. Times change you know.

I have a feeling whatI've just said may start an argument.

religion is stupid.

faith isn't

religion is an imposed construct used to control the people.

faith is person belief and practice.

I was just about to say, religion isn't stupid because it gives people faith, but religion can make people do stupid things.

The people and the understanding are usually at fault but inevitably religion is the source. It's very tricky ground.

It's one of those things that if you think you understand it... you really don't understand it at all.

Couldn't agree more. Organised religion should at MOST educate people just enough for them to form their own beliefs. faith should be

personal, not dictated by anyone else.

watching that intelligence squared, widdecomes voice is rather grating.

It's down to personal interpretation in the end, the human understanding of the somewhat ambiguous material they're presented with.

Understanding is fine it can have positive effects as well as negative but it's when people take it upon thmselves to "make a statement"

that things get serious at varying levels.

It's dangerous and powerful stuff, but it's what you do with it that matters.

That's looking at the much bigger picture though, slightly straying from the initial point.

stephen fry's excellent on this video.

guy asks "why can women not be priests, but can be MPs?" the bishop guy laughing says "because MPs aren't priests"

there's an enlightening answer.

I think that's just screwed my brain for the evening.

If nothing more Ted, it's a fascinating lesson in the ppower of oratory

JC, the thing with the catholic church is that it isn't down to personal interpretation, it's down to the pope's.

one man's interpretation taken as, quite literally gospel. I don't know if that's better or worse.

It's narrow thinking whatever it is.