To think this pope business is hilarious

[TwatthewWright]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7628752/Ministers-apologise-for-insult-to-Pope.html

He's just a bloke in a dress with some odd and outdated ideas for gods sake!

[Tinnitus]

Anytime

[tillywee]

No....I found it hilarious.

His stance on peadophile priests is a joke, rip the piss out of him all you like.

[KiddingAnxiously]

Ok have it, that is sooo much better!

I hated not having spell check, thanks

[KiddingAnxiously]

Okly dokly, will give it a spin

[Tinnitus]

No. Don't want to sound like an advert, but it's much quicker than IE or firefox.

[KiddingAnxiously]

If I have a crap spec pc will it bog it down?

[Tinnitus]

KiddingAnxiously

Use Google Chrome as your browser. It speel chucks overythong. [gran]

[KiddingAnxiously]

My god, meant amazing and their.

Regrettably I'm not drunk.

[KiddingAnxiously]

Wish there was an edit post facility on here!

rethink

[KiddingAnxiously]

Living in Ireland , it is amaazing seeing the way this whole situation has made people think/rethink thwir values.

I don't think this can be a bad thing to be honest.

[Tinnitus]

DuelingFanjo

I am easily offended, I get easily offended by pedophiles and their facilitators, criminals hiding behind faith, and the re writing of history to protect dress wearing misogynistic, sociopathic, narcissists.

Strange how that doesn't count for as much.

Love the song.

[DuelingFanjo]

new tim Minchin song f the m* Rude sweary lyrics so no clicking if you're likely to be offended m'kay?

[TheHeathenOfSuburbia]

mrscrafty - "Yeah and if I came on here and poked fun at Islam and said it shouldn't be allowed, I would be banned."

Er, can you genuinely not see the difference between poking fun at a religion and saying it shouldn't be allowed?

And all you 'ooh, its a Christian country, blah blah' types - it may be a Christian country, but it hasn't been a Catholic one for, what, 400 years?

The actual official religion of this country is CofE. Coincidentally, it has very little problem with women's rights, safe abortions, and gay people - in line with the views of most of the nation. So... oh, ok, i see tinnitus said it best: "it is quite literally the birthright of the British to mock the pontiff."

[BritFish]

er, i would laugh at Mohammed cartoons, but out of great despair that drawing a religious figure warrants death to some people!
as im perfectly happy to ridicule the Pope for having outdated dangerous views, and being a total arsehole for not having apologised for the abuse or done more about it.

People dont dare say things about Islam because of the connotations of racism.
People feel safer bashing Catholics because there are no real implications there.

personally, i dont care what colour your skin is, where you were born or what religion you are, if you support the Pope in his ridiculous views or condone death for drawing a picture i think you're a dope.

but those are my personal views of course.

and he should be arrested. noone should get immunity from commiting a crime!

[seeker]

I also find it interesting that if you make a joke against the Pope you are insulting all Catholics and are typical of the anti catholic ethos in society, but if a priest abuses a child or a bishop covers up that abuse they acted as individuals and nobody else has any reason to feel collateral guilt or responsibility.

[Tinnitus]

Is it a new doctrine that people are not allowed a sense of humor now? Has the holly see changed dogma to forbid having a laugh. and if so, why would that affect non catholics?

Even the few drooling brain donors who never shut up about this being "a Christian country" have no grounds for defending the pope. our national church exists because we broke away from Rome, so it is quite literally the birthright of the British to mock the pontiff.

[slug]

Here's the thing. The pope expects (it could be argued that he demands) to have his views taken seriously by the government of this country. These views include the right to discriminate in the workplace against homosexuals and women. They also include the view that women should have no reproductive rights over their own bodies. These views directly affect me and mine. Therefore I reserve the right to mock his views and to find anyone else who is prepared to stand up to this bully as quite amusing.

[seeker]

And Muslims are mocked and reviled and assumed to be terrorists all the time! It is ridiculous to say either that catholics are uniquely mocked, or that this was an attack on catholics. If it was an attack on anyone then it was an attack on a particularly blinkered and reactionary prelate, not on the church as a whole.

[msrisotto]

MrsCrafty - Haven't you heard about Richard Dawkins and someone else's attempts to get him arrested when he comes to the uk? His delay and refusal to report self confessed child abusers to the appropriate authorities, instead he moved them from parish to parish (where they raped and abused more children) and swept it under the carpet for the good of the churches reputation and the abusers, absolutely no thought towards the poor children. They have a letter he wrote and signed saying as much.

Article here

[Marjoriew]

The RC Church has always had it's priorities badly screwed - that's why it's in the mess it's in.
Putting the welfare of it's minions over the welfare of the generation of children across the world whom they had in their care is screwed up big time.

[seeker]

If a major world religion lowers itself to pay attention to a little idiotic schoolboy humour then it really has got it's priorities badly screwed!

[StrictlyKatty]

MrsCrafty you are so right.

It is always ok in this country to mock Catholics in a way it's not with other religions. Noone is willing to admit what would have happened if the the FO had made comments like this about a leading Muslim. That pathetic man would NOT have kept his job for a start!

[MrsCrafty]

''Well I don't think it's acceptable to idolise someone, or make someone exempt from criticism due to the position of power they happen to be in.

He did bad things and is parading around not apologising, not doing sweet f a and asking the public not to comment is a big ask. The jokes are a drop in the ocean of what should be coming to him''

I agree that the jokes are likely, but can you point out what exactly the bad things are that Pope Benedict did (I have looked, but I can't find anything)?????????

[MrsCrafty]

MagicMountain.

Everyone is laughing and taking the piss.

If this wasn't the main religion of the UK, no one would be laughing, heads would roll.

I laughed because I can take the piss out of myself. But I am not allowed to take the piss out of another religion. Think about it.

That is why I am saying that the BNP are getting votes. Because all other religions, apart from the ones that this country was built upon, are not up for pisstaking.

People get fed up with being told who they can take the piss out of. It's the British way to banter and take the piss.

In fact the British people invented humour as we see it today. It's all about making fun of everyone, no matter what.

[seeker]

It was obviously a spoof that was not intended to be taken seriously or circulated. A bit bonkers, but mildly amusing - particularly the duet with the Queen bit. If the Catholic Hierarchy had just laughed and brushed it aside, then it would have all blown over by now. But i suspect that some people have a vested interest in "running interference " over the whole Papal visit. Otherwise, His Holiness might have to answer a few awkward questions.