ROLLING STONES
When 70 year-old Mick Jagger puts on a tight-fitting knit body suit, waves his arms in a cringe-worthy imitation of Twyla Tharp while strutting across the stage in Texas recently during the intro to Gimme Shelter, and the local newspaper critic raves about how rocking and relevant the Stones still are, can this mean anything other than that the Vandals are at the gates and Rome is about to fall?
STAIRWAY
On the other hand, just in case that you've forgotten...
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Pope Francis is taking it from all sides.
First, very Catholic Rick Santorum says that Francis should leave discussion of climate change to the scientists, ignoring the fact that the Pope has a post-secondary certification in chemistry (although not a college degree as is sometimes reported) and that he's THE POPE, for heaven's sake. Since when do good Catholics tell the Pope to shut up?
Then Catholic League President Bill Donohue says that, although humans are clearly tasked in the Bible to be stewards of the Earth, there is nothing inherently evil about air pollution. Donohue is quoted further as saying that such issues as capital punishment and helping the poor are debatable and that the Pope is not necessarily the final word on such matters as far as Catholics are concerned, given that such topics don't involve the true purview of a Pope, faith and morals. You see, the First Amendment doesn't apply to the Pope. He's Italian. Or Argentinian. Whatever...
How do practicing Catholic's decide when to listen to the Pope and when his views are irrelevant? What is religion if not authoritarian, starting with an all-powerful God whose dictates are interpreted by his appointed earthly representatives? And who has more religious authority than the Pope? I can just imagine Santorum confronting a returning Jesus, complaining that it would cost the government too much money to feed the hungry and clothe the naked given the need to beef up the defense budget. How do you think that argument would fly with God's Son?
When 70 year-old Mick Jagger puts on a tight-fitting knit body suit, waves his arms in a cringe-worthy imitation of Twyla Tharp while strutting across the stage in Texas recently during the intro to Gimme Shelter, and the local newspaper critic raves about how rocking and relevant the Stones still are, can this mean anything other than that the Vandals are at the gates and Rome is about to fall?
STAIRWAY
On the other hand, just in case that you've forgotten...
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Pope Francis is taking it from all sides.
First, very Catholic Rick Santorum says that Francis should leave discussion of climate change to the scientists, ignoring the fact that the Pope has a post-secondary certification in chemistry (although not a college degree as is sometimes reported) and that he's THE POPE, for heaven's sake. Since when do good Catholics tell the Pope to shut up?
Then Catholic League President Bill Donohue says that, although humans are clearly tasked in the Bible to be stewards of the Earth, there is nothing inherently evil about air pollution. Donohue is quoted further as saying that such issues as capital punishment and helping the poor are debatable and that the Pope is not necessarily the final word on such matters as far as Catholics are concerned, given that such topics don't involve the true purview of a Pope, faith and morals. You see, the First Amendment doesn't apply to the Pope. He's Italian. Or Argentinian. Whatever...
How do practicing Catholic's decide when to listen to the Pope and when his views are irrelevant? What is religion if not authoritarian, starting with an all-powerful God whose dictates are interpreted by his appointed earthly representatives? And who has more religious authority than the Pope? I can just imagine Santorum confronting a returning Jesus, complaining that it would cost the government too much money to feed the hungry and clothe the naked given the need to beef up the defense budget. How do you think that argument would fly with God's Son?
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