Pope Francis: Hypocritically obsesses about abortion and LGBT families

[PeaceNikki]

That bullshit he spewed a couple years ago? Meaningless. This is what he said to Congress today:

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pope-visit-congress-20150924-story.html

His statement that most closely allied him with Republicans was in defense of traditional families — clearly signaling the church’s continuing opposition to gay marriage.

“I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without,” he said. “Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.”

Gays are not a threat, Frank.

[haikugal]

1. Yeah, that's a loud dog whistle you've got there Frank...

Thanks for nothing...

[FormerRepublicanNow]

38. Small steps

The Pope calls for tolerance and acceptance of all people no matter how different they are from you. It does not mean he changes church doctrine that is over 2000 years old. As long as people are treated equally there should be no problem.

[haikugal]

54. Yeah that is a problem...

Women are not treated equally and the RCC hasn't done anything substantial about the child rape and abuse much less using some of it's financial hoard to help the poor and provide health care, food, housing etc. small steps indeed...

[FormerRepublicanNow]

56. Catholic Charities helps the poor and provide health care, food, housing

and have done so or many, many years. From reports I hear this Pope is doing something about child rape and abuse. Based on Church doctrine women have had a different role in the church from men for more then a 1000 years. Yea, small steps, but no other Pope has taken these.

[haikugal]

60. They interfere in women's health issues and applicable laws.

They refuse birth control coverage for working women on religious grounds and lobby against all things having to do with women's health. I don't think in 2015 we need a pope or his religion to interfere in these things.

1000 years of this is beyond patience. This pope has not done anything to change anything but tone. Optics.

[Goblinmonger]

2. yah, but....

he wants to help poor people so that makes him progressive and just like me.

Unbelievable that people will throw so much support to such a bigot.

[PeaceNikki]

4. That's bullshit, too. There is NO economic justice without reproductive freedom.

You cannot address climate change OR poverty without including access to birth control and full reproductive freedom as part of the discussion.

[RockaFowler]

13. Thank You Nikki

I said this exact same thing this morning

It's amazing that he says this and then is against Birth Control. My goodness!

[haikugal]

55. ^^^^THIS^^^^

Sing it!!

[Rex]

3. No Francis, Fundamentalism is being called into question you already know this.

And you should know better than to pretend marriage belongs to your Invisible Cloud Being.

[AuntPatsy]

5. It amazes me, the adoring fans mindlessly putting this man so high

[kairos12]

19. Agreed. In boxing terms, he lulls people to sleep with his rope a pope tactics.

[Skittles]

33. it doesn't really amaze me

I think you can make them believe anything

[Arugula Latte]

6. SHHH! You can't interrupt the Pope Slobberpalooza 2015!

[PeaceNikki]

7. I can and I will.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. The Vatican cast him well, he has Democrats cheering for a preacher calling LGBT families a threat

to the world. I'm disgusted with them. I expect Francis to be a bigot I do not expect my Party to demand that he be the definition of what is good while he insults millions of Americans.

Are Democrats still pro choice? I don't get it. A preacher attacks equality and choice in Congress and DU cheers for that.

Oddly I'm starting to think that the criticism of other anti gay and anti choice preachers on DU is a bit unfair. If a person mocks Rick Warren for being a bigot then excuses the bigotry of Francis, is that not bias against Rick Warren as well as a casual endorsement of bigotry? It's bias twice.

[NonMetro]

42. Exactly!

This smiling Pope is not a friend of the Democratic Party. He should never have been allowed to speak before congress, and we can already see the divisiveness rising among us, with Catholics basking in glory and calling Protestants a bunch of bible thumpers who declare themselves to be "Christians" (as if they actually were, harumpf!).

[JTFrog]

59. Well said. n/t

[CharlotteVale]

9. Totally agree. He disgusts me.

[progressoid]

10. But he allowed priests to forgive abortions. Wasn't that pretty damn Pope-tastic of him!!11!

And what's wrong with a single, never married, celibate(?), man deciding for all of us what a true family is.

Sheeesh, you librul heathens need to see the light.

[PeaceNikki]

12. Abortion is a moral and positive choice that liberates women, saves lives, and protects families.

Fuck the pope.

[LostOne4Ever]

11. Yet, so many on this board don't care that the man is a bigot

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]I guess women, the LGBTQ community, and people wanting to die in dignity don't matter.

There are many other people out there in the world who promote economic justice without being homophobes. But rather than embrace them they want to support the person who calls same sex marriage the work of the devil and akins "gender theory" to being a nazi.[/font]

[PeaceNikki]

14. I think many on this board SUPPORT the bigotry because they are blinded by dogma.

[Sissyk]

15. You know, my LGBT Brothers and Sisters were

just crawling out from under the bus where the majority of Americans have put them.

Now, we have thrown them back under the bus in order to praise and cheer a Pope, a preacher, a missionary.

I really never thought I'd see that on DU.

Those that say they separate the issues, and only cheer him when it's an issue they agree with? If he could change the "church" on those, how come he didn't start with LGBT issues at the same time? Yep, you are correct. Because he still doesn't believe it AS HE MADE PLAIN AS DAY this morning.

This is shameful!

[PeaceNikki]

16. Agreed. And reproductive freedom is in serious danger in this country.

As well as a contributing factor to poverty and climate change. This fucker and his ilk work very very hard to impose their dogma on women. They are oppressors.

[Sissyk]

17. Agree!

[Rex]

18. I've always felt that way, that the Roman Catholic Church's main goal is to oppress women.

It seems to be one of their core tenets. Priests can't marry, priests can't be women. Women have to marry The Church...barf...gag...

[PeaceNikki]

20. And, fine if they want to impose that bullshit on their own, but they expect a secular society to

adhere to that dogma as well.

[Rex]

23. And since most all societies are heading toward a secular state, the Vatican must change

their own core system too...or fall behind as irrelevant. IMO. The changes they need to make, have been available to them for 1000s of years...so I doubt radical change is in the air at the Vatican.

[Skittles]

34. PREACH IT, SISSYK

YOU ARE INDEED CORRECT

[Sissyk]

61. I got a post from the World Famous Skittles!!

I'm somebody on DU now!! Yipeeeee!

[Skittles]

62. awwwwww

I really like your style

[i-should- be-working]

37. What's shameful is the superficial ear you seem to have

Maybe you could discuss what is meant by "from within and without", the operative words of his statement? I sure as hell see challenges "from within and without" by families and churches who will not critically accept (even their own) LGBT children, by high divorce rates, by an economic system that grinds down families with no child care and long stultifying hours, by antagonistic employers and finally, by a world quite literally about to go up in flames.

It is entirely your projection that Pope Francis is slamming the LGBT and pro-choice communities.

That said, tomorrow's conference in Philadelphia will be interesting, and relevant to this discussion too

[HERVEPA]

52. Wow. What a totally dishonest bullshit post.

[Behind the Aegis]

64. You rock!

However, it isn't really all that surprising to see those jumping to his defense. Does he say some good things? Sure. Awesome. But this, head in the sand attitude some people have when it comes to him is disgusting. I really want to know how my marriage is a threat to the family? We ARE a family! How does my nieces and female friends having access to healthcare threaten the family?! Some animals are more equal, but many of us animals are about to storm the farm! The need to be on the lookout or be prepared to have a back full of hoof prints! Know what I mean?!

[Sissyk]

65. I get you and I'm right there with you!

[Skidmore]

66. Thank you for your comments

and I will join you both. I reject an Iron Age belief system which carves out some populations as more deserving than others and imbued with some divinely given status. I'm looking for a strong coalition of likeminded people who are interested in seeing all humans as equal and deserving of respect.

[aidbo]

21. In Francis I see a religion trying to stem the hemorrhaging numbers of their flock.

So they drop the unpopular scary guy and put the reasonable guy up to try to draw more sheep to the herd.

[PeaceNikki]

22. Exactly. We're living part of the plot of the film "Dogma".

He's "Buddy Pope".

[aidbo]

24. Except I actually believe in Alanis Morrisette

[PeaceNikki]

25. Lol

[Darb]

26. It's all about you.

Got it.

[PeaceNikki]

27. Quite the contrary. It's about equality. For all families.

My gay friends and family aren't threat to him, you, the RCC or society.

Do you think they are?

[Darb]

28. Obsessing? I didn't see that, but go ahead,

slant it any way you would like. And yeah, I heard it and didn't read into it what you did. Define family for me? Tell us exactly what Francis meant when he said families are threatened.

[PeaceNikki]

29. Well, he had also said that gay adoption is child abuse.

He has described same-sex marriage as the work of the devil and a “destructive attack on God's plan."

So, yeah, fuck him.

[Darb]

30. Whatever you say. It's about you anyway.

Being that only you have gay friends and family. You're a regular hero.

[PeaceNikki]

31. He said those things, not me. That's the "threat" to which he referred.

It's an awful message that deserves attention. He's no liberal hero.

[Darb]

32. Sorry, I didn't hear him say that today.

Perhaps you could help a guy out?

[PeaceNikki]

49. Apology accepted.

[i-should- be-working]

35. I vote DOWN this article and here's why

As a feminist and a father, I fully support the quote above.

I believe your opinion cites criticisms of the LGBT and pro-choice communities from Pope Francis' words about family life, that simply aren't there. To think this a coded 'whistle' is equally disingenuous if not downright childish, implying that noone can be allowed to utter support for "family life" -- which obviously can include LGBT families -- without it being interpreted as disrespect towards either the LGBT or pro-choice communities.

So yeah, I call bullshit on you and others in this thread, not the Pope. I call bullshit on a transparent effort to de-legitimize both Pope Francis and his message, both sorely needed by this world. I call bullshit on strangling civil discussion of what he actually said.

Pope Francis is not an enemy of the LGBT community.

[PeaceNikki]

36. Well, he had also said that gay adoption is child abuse.

He has described same-sex marriage as the work of the devil and a “destructive attack on God's plan."

That's the "threat" to which he referred.

That's an enemy.

[i-should- be-working]

40. where's your link please

[PeaceNikki]

43. Google it. Or don't. I don't care if you believe me, he said those things.

I thought that was common knowledge. It was silly of me to assume you were an informed person on the topic you're discussing

[i-should- be-working]

46. I thought asking for links to QUOTED material was fair, here

Can I not ask your to abide by the rules of the road here at DU ... without being insulted?

[PeaceNikki]

48. Lol.

[whatthehey]

45. Some of us pay attention

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2015/pope-francis-prepares-shock-liberals-sex-marriage

http://www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2015/01/16/pope-calls-same-sex-marriage-threat-family

[i-should- be-working]

53. thanks interesting articles. we'll see what's said in philly

[Maven]

47. Bullshit. He talks about "the very basis of marriage" being threatened.

We all know what he's talking about. His past opinions expressed on the subject make that clear. Sorry this is causing some cognitive dissonance for you.

[Skidmore]

67. My sense is that

the Pope will not condemn any legislation that is devised to control women or LGBTQ people. I don't hear full inclusion in his remarks. I just listened to the intro by a nun to his mass in Philadelphia in which she was reading of the original sin and the punishments given to Adam and Eve. Remember controlling reproductive choices for women is an affirmation of this ancient teaching.

[WinkyDink]

39. So choose a different religion or none.

[PeaceNikki]

41. Lol

[Solly Mack]

50. K&R

[randys1]

51. When you're right, you're right

[Gloria]

57. I phoned into the local rag's "Sound Off" column and said that

the pope was head if a state, his representatives here meddle in our politics in ways that are negative for non-Catholics and that the Church, ANY church that does that should be TAXED, if there is no separation between our politics and them.

I'm sure it won't be printed as here in So. NM the Church is busy creating poverty via lots of teen births and protesting our women's clinic.....

[Maven]

58. Of course, you're right.

And of course, there are some people who hear what they want to hear and see what they want to see, as is convenient for their particular brand of hero worship. But then what else is new at DU.

[Zorra]

63. Hillary and Obama evolved. Maybe Frank will too, someday. He seems to be learning.

I believe he has the potential to be a very spiritual person someday.

[REP]

68. Shhh. We're not supposed to see the man behind the curtain

You're failing to notice that Pope Frankie McDreamy isn't a former Nazi and says a few pleasing words about obvious things. You're supposed to give him a pass on his odious positions on women, the child free, the LBGTQ, etc because reasons.

[SidDithers]

69. Yah, but, who's your favourite Pope, Nikki?..

I couldn't believe that thread yesterday.

Any chance Pope-a-palooza at DU will end when Franky returns to his gold encrusted enclave at the Vatican?

One can only hope.



Sid

[PeaceNikki]

70. I know, right?

No, I actually think the Popegasm (lol, I guess I added that to my autocorrect dictionary) will literally continue indefinitely.

He's so dreamy!!!