Gay Marriage a Threat to Humanity's Future: Pope

[Hissyspit]

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE8081RM20120109?irpc=932

Gay marriage a threat to humanity's future: Pope

VATICAN CITY | Mon Jan 9, 2012 2:25pm EST

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict said Monday that gay marriage was one of several threats to the traditional family that undermined "the future of humanity itself."

The pope made some of his strongest comments against gay marriage in a new year address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican in which he touched on some economic and social issues facing the world today.

He told diplomats from nearly 180 countries that the education of children needed proper "settings" and that "pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman."

"This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself," he said.

MORE[p]

[closeupready]

1. OMG! ROFL! Is he a parody of himself, or what?

[Solly Mack]

2. Piffle

[SharonAnn]

90. I think celibacy is the threat to humanity's future.

[nanabugg]

96. You beat me to it!

[jberryhill]

3. "the fundamental cell of every society"

Unless one counts the hierarchy of the RCC a "society", I guess.

"Head of group of cohabitating celibate men decries non-celibacy among cohabitating men"

Weirdo.

[Fearless]

9. A jail cell for some too!

[quakerboy]

98. Calling them celibate is, I think, stretching the truth

I am sure many former alter boys can testify to the lack of celibacy among the priesthood.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Hey, Your Popiness: If you're not playing the game you shouldn't be making the rules.

[patrick t. cakes]

14. thumb way up +1 nt

[boppers]

23. Several thumbs. With lube.

I'm nice that way.

[sarcasmo]

72. +1

[xtraxritical]

45. His popiness needs an issue to pontificate about

you know "any publicity is good publicity". Ignore the lame and his whole organization, maybe they'll go away.

[provis99]

5. so how many babies has Nazipope pumped out?

What a maroon.

[EvilAL]

6. Wrong! You are a threat to humanity popey.

Not the gays, YOU!! asshole.

[nobodyspecial]

7. I think pedophile priests are much more of a direct threat

[CatholicEdHead]

58. Key point in conservative Catholic speak here

In the higher levels and ultra-conservative Catholic circles homosexual = pedophile. We know it is not true but that is the definition in their bubble to deflect blame from the Church to find a scapegoat. In ultra conservative Catholic circles they think as "the Church has never and will never do anything wrong". Deluded yes but that is the internal mindset.

/got this from way too much time in the Catholic Answers forum trying to talk some sense into them

[Pisces]

8. The Catholic Church needs to worry about it's pedophile priests and Pope who condoned the behavior

by transferring priests and paying hush money. Disgusting, vile behavior that continues to this day and yet they have
the temerity to deny people a commitment of marriage???

[julian09]

10. First the pope should let priest marry women, then men.

[Politicalboi]

11. Who the fuck cares what this asshole has to say

Him and his cult can go F%#%k themselves. These pedophiles should be put in jail.

[derby378]

12. Said the guy in the flowing robes and the silk slippers

Come on, Joseph. You're not helping your case, here.

Then again, silk slippers sound pretty good to me right now - my feet are tired.

[krispos42]

13. .

[boppers]

24. The "fabulous" is scary.

Same pie-chart works for nuclear nations.

[HockeyMom]

15. STRAIGHTS are your biggest threat to humanity

Straights who won't marry and "shack up". Straights who use "evil" contraceptives, have abortions, get sterilized, and not have as many babies as GOD, not them, decides they should have. Straights who get divored and don't live until death do us part, or pay YOU for an annulment, are a theart to your "humanity".

No, dear Pope, your bggest threat to humanity aren't gays, but straights who have for over a generation shunned your views of "humanity". I, myself, saw through all this at the age of 15 in catholic school 50 years ago. I would be willing to bet I am not the first, nor the last, FEMALE to come to this conclusion.

[brooklynite]

16. So,not stepping into a Catholic Church any time soon...

...the local Bishop said anyone who supported Marriage Equality in NY was no longer welcome. I was told I was being silly...

[totodeinhere]

17. He is an evil and petty little man going around masquerading as a holy man. n/t

[Trillo]

18. Could he be on some heavy-duty hallucinogens?

7 Billion people in the world and humanity is in danger?

[David__77]

19. Someday, this whole argument will be utterly smashed by human progress.

Biodeterminism in that narrow sense is totally backward and will lead humanity back to the dark ages.

[Withywindle]

20. I see the core values he was taught in his youth have held firm...

...if you know what I mean, and I think you do.



I guess apocalyptic hyperbole designed to whip up hate against minority groups can be a high that's hard to kick for some people.

[Behind the Aegis]

21. Must say this with pictures....

To the Pope:



Especially when we see things like this:



Yes, it is true, you may be like Homer Simpson in several ways...



But, make NO MISTAKE:



And when we do, this is what will happen:



Get a grip, asshole!

[secondwind]

36. Love this!

[VWolf]

59. Along these lines,

I saw a billboard in NYC that said:

"Don't like gay marriage? Then don't get gay married"

I chuckled.

[sarcasmo]

93. +1

[Aerows]

114. I LOVE the last one

The whole thing rocked though

[Rochester]

22. The pope is full of crap

It's not like the gays are going to be reproducing much anyways.
Let them enjoy their lives as best as they can, just like the rest of us.

[cstanleytech]

25. Quick......someone run and tell the other 7 billion people that overpopulation

isnt the problem its the gays!!!

[AngryOldDem]

26. I wish the Church and the Pope would learn...

...that none of us give a shit what they have to say.

[malaise]

27. I'm betting that his pedophile clergy have done way more harm

to humanity.

Fugg him!

[Skittles]

28. HE is the biggest threat

certainly the number one reason for overpopulation

[JCMach1]

29. Then obviously Priests and Nuns should marry...

D'oh!

[madrchsod]

30. the godfather of the world`s oldest criminal organization speaks....

[The Wizard]

31. Not a threat?

Christianity (author unknown)
"The belief that a cosmic Jewish zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master so he can remove an evil force from you that is present in all humanity because a talking snake convinced a rib-woman to eat the fruit from a magical tree.
Yeah....that makes sense."

[Evasporque]

32. Conservatives have a new war....the war on gay people....

It is only going to get worse....before it gets better....

Fuckwads like Pope Benedict and Rick Santorum talk and idiots take that and run with it.

The result is more beatings, more bullying, more killings...more laws constraining gay people.

At some point in the VERY near future these anti-gay, hating assholes will be met with a wave of resistance unlike anything they have ever experienced.


Pope Benedict's words should be a call to all REASONABLE Catholics to oust their leadership ranks of the backward thinking, pedophile protecting criminals.

[lunatica]

33. a bunch of men playing dress-up in skirts, vowing chastity who eschew marriage

Don't exactly have the right perspective on what constitutes marriage and what is healthy for families as far as I'm concerned. Nor do I think those who would not propagate are the right people to give advice or orders on what others should do since they are the ones who are far more of a threat to humanity's future.

It sure seems like we live on the other side of the looking glass lately.

edited to edit for better sentences

[mwb970]

34. Is he serious?

What a monster. Yet hundreds of millions of people think this dumb clown is "infallible"? You could hardly look for a clearer indictment of the folly of organized religion. Sometimes it amazes me how stupid people are in general.

[secondwind]

35. Says the guy who replaced an old and trusted friend

with a young blonde fella. Oh, and what's with the red shoes, Benedict?

[Evasporque]

37. He is about to call gay people non-human....He said this today:

"the recognition of the inalienable dignity of each human person and of his or her fundamental rights...must lead to the end of all violence."

[MaineDem]

38. Let women be priests and be part of your hierarchy first

Things would change in the Catholic Church.

[Ken Burch]

39. ...but assraping the altar boys is just good clean fun?...

[TahitiNut]

40. "What the world needs is less love." (Pope Benny)

(..."unless it's a pedophile priest.&quot

What an utter asshole!

[theAntiRand]

41. LOL, the Pope...

What is this, the 10th Century?

[Betty Karlson]

42. Catholicism is a threat to Christianity

May God forgive the pope. I won't.

[Deep13]

43. ...said the former Hitler Youth member and facilitator of child rape. nt

[sarcasmo]

44. I will say it again

Fuck the pope.

[socialindependocrat]

46. If you look at this from a pro God perspective....

you may say that God decided that there are many orphans in the world and they need a family setting. Since the general heterosexual public has only been able to stay married 50% of the time and all the fighting going on during the break-ups of those marriages, God may have decided to create more family units with what he had left - namely- loving people who are attracted to the same sex partners and can provide a loving family setting while setting an example for the heterosexuals who get married and then divorced because they don't understand the needs of the opposite sex. Hey, but what if???? Huh???

[yurbud]

47. it wouldn't help priests--their preferred partners aren't old enough to marry regardless of gender

[Jkid]

48. Because the need for procreation.

It makes a lot of sense why the Catholic Church is so opposed to gay rights, gays and lesbians can't procreate naturally. Despite the fact that they can procreate in other ways, they're still oppose to it. The best way to understand their position in Gay rights is this "Sex is only for the purpose of procreation" and "straight people are expected to date, marry, and have children".

[FedUp_Queer]

50. To be fair...

The Church does not teach that marriage and sex are only for procreation. You have to understand, some in the Church just don't like gay people. It's nothing more than that. Some think we are oogie.

[yardwork]

52. Lesbians can't procreate naturally? I wonder how I gave birth to two biological children??????

[yellowcanine]

56. You don't understand. In the eyes of Benedict, a lesbian is "not natural." Hence anything they do

is not natural either.

[Blacksheep214]

61. Jesus was natural?

Always an exception, isn't there Benny?

[yellowcanine]

66. If he was he would have been a she. Because without a sperm, the only way the egg could develop

into a normal human being would for the chromosome number to somehow double which would be natural but very odd. And the baby would be XX and a female clone of Mary rather than an Xy male.

But of course Joseph had to be the father because both Matthew and Luke trace the lineage of Jesus through to Joseph. Oops - major problem there. The early church apparently wasn't up on genetics. Probably because it hadn't been discovered yet.

Of course many modern Biblical scholars believe that "virgin" in reference to Mary is more properly translated as "young woman" but what do they know?

[RaRa]

116. It's a MIRACLE!!!!

[yardwork]

118. It is, actually! My children are miracles to me.

[yellowcanine]

55. If it is really about procreation why does the Catholic Church bless marriages of old people?

They are no more able to have children naturally than a same sex couple.

[noiretextatique]

65. lots of gay people have children, many from "straight" marriages

according to the "sex for procreation" crowd, post-menopausal women shouldn't have sex, or be married.

[FedUp_Queer]

49. So...

Either we GLBT folk are a tiny minority unworthy of equal rights or we are a powerful group whose very nature threatens humanity. I feel...powerful?

[noiretextatique]

67. +10000

make up your minds, homophobes.

[saras]

51. He's not against gay sex - he just thinks it should be between priests and teenagers

The theory is, that if you cut off all 'legitimate' outlets for gay sexuality, that gay teenagers will settle for priests. As a theory, it may even have worked, in the year 700.

[Clouseau2]

63. Gay sex should be between priests and teenagers?

But having sex with a 13 year old is not even pedophilia ... I think you mean gay sex should be between a priest and a 10 year old.

[noiretextatique]

68. if having sex with a 13yo isn't pedophilia: what is it? eom

[FedUp_Queer]

69. Hebephilia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebephilia

But still sick and creepy.

[noiretextatique]

89. thanks for the technical term eom

[av8rdave]

53. OMG, Benny! Stop, please! You're cracking me up!!!

[yellowcanine]

54. Benedict has lost moral authority on this issue.......

Benedict's complicity in the cover up of sexual abuse of children by the Catholic Church makes it hypocritical for him to be talking about threats to the family. There are few things which threaten families more than looking the other way when children are sexually abused.

[mikeoccupy]

99. old news

they dont care.

[JackDragna]

57. Just finally admit it, gay people. You're out to ruin EVERYTHING!

Before we just thought Liberace was a very charming man, until we found out he played for *your* team. The Pope is onto you, though. A celibate man in a dress just smacked you down about how evil you are. You got TOLD.

[FedUp_Queer]

70. SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU'RE REVEALING THE GAY AGENDA, ITEM 4!!!!!!!

[Blacksheep214]

83. Just watch Bewitched

I was just a kid but knew Uncle Arthur and Dr. Bombay were a little different. Larry and Darrin and Agnes too.

We were being indoctrinated!



I would like Santorum to address Bewitched and whether he would allow it on TV under his administration.

More of the , I'm the invincible president dream.

[FedUp_Queer]

85. Ixnay on the Ewitchedbay

You're going to reveal..."THE PLAN"

What do you think the "packers" are? (yes, I know, I know...over the top, but I couldn't help it. We gay folk have to laugh...or we end up constantly crying.)

[Blacksheep214]

87. Constantly crying?

Calling Dr Bombay!

A llama in your kitchen should cheer you right up!

[FedUp_Queer]

88. You've made my day...

and the long weekend coming up.

[yardwork]

76. LOL!

[montanto]

60. 7 billion and no end in sight.

Looks to me like reproduction might be the bigger threat to humanity, but then again I'm not in a position to hear god's private mind.

[Blacksheep214]

62. I grew up in a normal household.

Mother who drank and brandished a Cat O Nine Tails and a father who started sexually abusing me since I can remember.

But they always went to church and forced me to go.

I would have loved a gay couple to have me.

I didn't have fingernails until I left home for the Marines.

Is that the type of household his Popiness is refering?

Did I grow up in a normal manner given seemingly straight parents.

These religious leaders are all full of shit and clueless to the real world.

Just send more money!

[yardwork]

77. I'm very sorry that that happened to you. I hope that you are in a better place now.

Hugs.

[Blacksheep214]

82. 40 Years Later

It never goes away. That's why I feel so strongly about the Penn State and Catholic kids.

The clueless who think they are just looking for a payout don't understand that this will never go away.

We were victims, not prostitutes so don't even think that!

All one can say is that "This ends with me"!

[yardwork]

84. It never goes away. I admire you for being a survivor. Thank you for sharing your story here.

I bet it will help other people who will read this and maybe never post, but know that others have experienced what they are experiencing and have survived.

[DeSwiss]

64. No you flaky old hasbeen, it's a threat to your future.

- Which is just an unintended benefit......

[Dont call me Shirley]

71. Sorry to burst your illusion Popey Boy, but the demise of humanity

will come from either the mic, global warming or both.

[Wistful Vista]

73. That's pretty sad/funny considering the historical records of the popery/papacy.

Their legacy, with very few exceptions, is damning by just about any ethical standard.

[Arkana]

106. It took them 500 fucking years to apologize to Galileo.

I'd expect roughly the same timetable when it comes to accepting gays, if past example is any indicator.

[and-justice-for-all]

74. Oh please...

gay marriage is not the threat, his religion however is.

[sarcasmo]

103. +1

[and-justice-for-all]

75. So may concentual relationship of 17years is a threat...

where as their raping of children is not??!! the pope and his sanctified organization of child molesters can fuck off.

[unkachuck]

78. '...that undermined "the future of humanity itself."'

....and this is coming from a leader of an institution in whose name millions have been slaughtered over the centuries....

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_deaths_has_the_Catholic_church_caused

[tabasco]

79. I hate these religious nutbags trying to rule the world

Fuck 'em all!

[happyslug]

80. Actual Speech, if you want to read it....

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2012/january/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20120109_diplomatic-corps_en.html

" Education is a crucial theme for every generation, for it determines the healthy development of each person and the future of all society. It thus represents a task of primary importance in this difficult and demanding time. In addition to a clear goal, that of leading young people to a full knowledge of reality and thus of truth, education needs settings. Among these, pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman. This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself. The family unit is fundamental for the educational process and for the development both of individuals and States; hence there is a need for policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue. It is in the family that we become open to the world and to life and, as I pointed out during my visit to Croatia, “openness to life is a sign of openness to the future”. In this context of openness to life, I note with satisfaction the recent sentence of the Court of Justice of the European Union forbidding patenting processes relative to human embryonic stem cells, as well as the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe condemning prenatal selection on the basis of sex.

Now, it is clear the Pope oppose Gay marriage, but the next three paragraphs is directed to abortions, religious freedom, a demand for education of EVERYONE, and comments about the recent attacks on churches in the Mid-east and Africa (Without naming them, this was a speech to the diplomatic corp). Hard to say Gay Marriage, even in the Pope's mind, up to the level of the other concerns he does directly address.

[hunter]

81. Oppostition of gay marriage, women clergy, birth control, etc. is a threat to the Church's future...

Humanity is doing just fine, our ethics and morals are progressively improving.

In our society I'm certain Christ would bless gay marriages with wine and take on women disciples.

Had He done so in the backwards societies of 2000 years ago they would have killed Him before anyone knew who He was. They wouldn't even have wasted a cross.

[Blacksheep214]

86. Now's the time

Just pass an edict reaffirming that the Church had strayed from the teachings.

To clarify: Since God does not make mistakes, all people are equal. ALL!

Now it's time to move forward.

(Since God didn't make any corporations, one could argue that they cannot be considered people.)

Up yours Willard!

[newspeak]

91. when ratzy was selected, there were better candidates

one who was more socially compassionate than this right wing pedo coverup guy. The church, in my opinion, has been going the wrong direction after Pope John XXIII. There's a great read called, "Sex in History," written by Tannenbaum. At one time, the church thought having sex with a female was worse than having sex with a male and the penance was less for a priest having same sex. Reading some parts of the gnostic gospels, it seems to me, that peter didn't care for women and was jealous of Jesus' relationships with women, especially mary. Kind of gets you wondering if peter was gay.

A church that doesn't allow its' priests to marry, is afraid that gays are going to end the human race? WTF! Really? Is he influenced by his anti-gay hitler youth days, because his logic is totally flawed. If you're so concerned then allow priests and nuns to marry like the episcopalians.

[sarcasmo]

92. Fuck! the pope

[Figaro78]

94. Huh? What was that you said, Benny?

I don't get it. Conventional marriage is the "fundamental cell" of every society? This from the head of a world-wide army of men
and women who may not marry? I think this old fool has been sniffing too much incense...or whatever.

[Douglas Carpenter]

95. that's a non sequitur

[Ruby the Liberal]

97. Fuck the pope.

Love and all respect,

A Liberal Christian (who doesn't give a shit what his pointy-head opinion is)

[SaintPete]

101. Rapist Priests a Threat to Humanity's Future: Everyone Else

because "Raping Priests" could have an altogether different meaning...

[WheelWalker]

102. Tell me this is Firesign Theater?

[Arkana]

104. Sorry, Pope Palpatine, but you and your boy-touching band of brothers

are doing far more harm to humanity's future than two dudes/women making out.

[StarlightGold]

105. That's OK,

we'll risk it.

[JesterCS]

107. I dislike this current Pope, He looks evil just at a glance n/t

[bowens43]

108. the pope wears funny hats..........

[workinclasszero]

109. What about priest/child molesters Mr Pope??

Your perverted employees scare the hell out of me a whole lot more than two adults of any gender getting married!

[christx30]

110. I can understand it.

Allowing gay marriage would cause every single straight marriage to instantly break up. No more kids being produced, and we, as a species, will die out within a matter of hours. You don't want Nazis riding dinosaurs, do you? Volcanos in residential neighborhoods? Cats and dogs living together. MASS HYSTERIA!

[Report1212]

111. Maybe a certain sort of humanity's future?

Like close-minded people?

[truthisfreedom]

112. Gay Marriage a Threat to Religion's Future: Pope (corrected)

[fascisthunter]

113. Pope needs a Rubber Room

[BigDemVoter]

115. Oh yes. . .

Same sex marriage is a threat to humanity's future--even more so than baby-raping priests that the Catholic Church tried to cover up. I've fallen into this pope's trap-- his idiocy doesn't even merit a response, and I gave one anyway. How sad.

[steve2470]

117. Why does anyone with a functioning brain listen to this idiot ?

(apologies to Catholics with functioning brains who do not listen to this idiot)

[sarcasmo]

120. +1

[cqo_000]

119. how many of you supported regime change in Libya?

For those of you that cheered on the Libyan rebels you might want to take a look at the link below.

http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2012/02/13/libya-tells-un-rights-council-gays-threaten-continuation-of-human-race/

[truebrit71]

121. Who gives a fuck what that ex-nazi has to say about anything?

Fuck him and his pointy fucking hat...