What to say about these two idiots and this ridiculous publicity stunt. The media know that is a publicity stunt but are happy to go along since piling on is all the fashion these days.
LONDON, April 11 (UPI) — Two British atheists say Pope Benedict XVI should be arrested during his visit to Britain for his role in cases of child sex abuse by priests.
The Sunday Times of London reported atheism campaigner Richard Dawkins and author Christopher Hitchens have asked human rights lawyers to draft a case for charging the pope for his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Human rights lawyer and United Nations judge Geoffrey Robertson wrote in The Guardian the pope should be tried for allegedly protecting predator priests.
“The Holy See can no longer ignore international law, which now counts the widespread or systematic sexual abuse of children as a crime against humanity,” Robertson wrote.
In September, Benedict is to visit London, Glasgow and Coventry, where he plans to beatify 19th-century Cardinal John Henry Newman.
They compare the arrest of the Pope to the arrest of Pinochet. I suppose if you are an atheist and a jerk, character assassination is no big deal.
If either one of these jackasses happens to visit Long Island, I will perform a citizens arrest. The charge? Asshattery.
April 12, 2010 at 8:18 am
If they can have the Pope arrested for the sex abuse scandals, then I think that P.Z. Myers should also be arrested for hate crime against Catholics and Muslims. Won't happen, though.
April 12, 2010 at 10:05 am
These guys, who pride themselves in idolizing empirical science, apparently are ready to abandon their facts-based 'ideology' when it comes to saying things about the Pope. Now they like fiction.
April 12, 2010 at 11:40 am
t's really amazes me how many crimes of molestation, and lying, and sexual abuse, and stealing clergy take part in every week This Week in Holy Crimes. I don't understand what people see in these creeps. If you want to read the bible read it. Why join a Church so they can read it to you? It doesn't make sense.
April 12, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Asshattery- LOL!!!!! I'll help you. LOL!!!!
April 12, 2010 at 1:05 pm
@ Helen,
Actually, a child is more likely to be sexually abused by a public school teacher than someone in the clergy (Catholic or otherwise).
I guess you could also say,"If you want to read a text book, read it.Why go to school so they can read it to you?"
April 12, 2010 at 1:12 pm
It's really amazes me how many crimes of molestation, and lying, and sexual abuse, and stealing clergy take part in every week This Week in Holy Crimes.
The people are sinners, even church members, amazes you? Even St. Paul admitted his sinfulness right there in Bible and everything. And it is not just in the Bible, it's in Church teaching as well. So when some church memebers go out and prove what the Church has always said, why is that amazing? It's kinda like watching someone read aloud the warning in a toaster manual not to stick metal objects in it and then acting surprised when he gets electrocuted when he sticks a fork in it.
April 12, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Asshattery… LOL. Patrick and Seeker, I'm there!
April 12, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Helen, in a previous post you made a claim to being a sister. ("Take it from a sister.") Here you ask why one would join a Church so they can read the Bible to us, and what people "see in these creeps".
Why would you be a sister in a Church you obviously abhor? Of course, I expect you're not really a nun. If you are, then I think you should reconsider your vocation, since you clearly hate the Church.
Now please stop broadbrushing all priests, as if they all are molesting altar boys and stealing. Yes, there are bad priests and bishops. There have been popes with mistresses and children. Nobody denies that, nor that the wrong actions were taken in many of the cases of sexual abuse. But the Pope is working at cleaning house, and instead of supporting him you're working to destroy him and the Church.
April 12, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Slam dunk, Robert.
I say go one step further and contact U.S. News to announce your citizens arrest, Patrick. It's just as newsworthy as this pathetic article.
I dream of a day in which the news will consist entirely of people announcing they're going to arrest other people for crimes they didn't commit.
April 12, 2010 at 5:45 pm
He should also be arrested for all the atrocities his criminal organization has perpetrated through the centuries as well.
April 12, 2010 at 5:46 pm
What's asshattery?
April 12, 2010 at 5:53 pm
He should also be arrested for all the atrocities his criminal organization has perpetrated through the centuries as well.
And leave my comment will ya?
April 12, 2010 at 5:54 pm
who knows? lol…he's going down!
April 12, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Anonymous:
You are a coward.
April 12, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Can we arrest the Secretary of Education because of the molestation committed by public school teachers?
April 12, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Excellent point Anonymous 2:44pm. Thank goodness the Pope is not responsible for the sins committed by other Catholics. Otherwise, he'd be like Christ, crusified for my failings and not his own. Pope Benedict's record is very, very clear. If anyone is unsure, take a few minutes and do any small amount of "digging" online. The facts are very clear. If you're mad at the Chruch because you don't like its teachings, then perhaps you're looking for something that isn't really there.
April 12, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Oh sure, go ahead and arrest the Pope. I'd love to have the popcorn concession for that one. "Holding a tiger by the tail" doesn't even begin to describe where the fools will be then.
April 12, 2010 at 9:44 pm
For "enlightenment-worshipping" types like these, there is a surprising lack of logical thought and fairness in what they say. But it is always easier to identify other people's faults.
April 12, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Re: Helen's comment that anyone should be able to read the Bible for him or her self ("If you want to read the bible read it. Why join a Church so they can read it to you? It doesn't make sense."): Helen, the New Testament is some 2,000 years old. The Old Testament is up to 3,000 years old, perhaps.
Try reading any other ancient text by itself, and see how good a job you do understanding it: Herodotus and Thucydides (4th c. BC), Seneca (1st c. AD), Gregory the Great (6th c. AD)–just to pick a few at almost-random.
You may think you know what they mean, but without training and guidance, you'll make very serious errors in understanding them. All educated people know that.
Why do you think you can pick out just one subset of ancient texts, which happen to be accepted as scripture by Jews and Christians, and suddenly, miraculously, understand those texts all by your lonesome?
I'm afraid that is highly unlikely to happen. And if I were about to read an ancient or medieval text (and I often do), I'd turn to people who have a tradition of reading and understanding those texts for help.
In the case of the Bible, that's the Church.
To try it on your own is arrogant, ignorant, and doomed (I'd choose gentler words if I could, but I'm afraid those are the words that accurately describe the predicament of the unaided reader).
April 12, 2010 at 11:28 pm
The hypocrisy of it all. Both Dawkins and Hitchens have written and spoken out on what should by all intents and purposes be "hate Speech" by EU standards. If they are going to play that game, they can and should be arrested.