Pope compares Atheists with Nazis

[santeesioux]

A speech in which the Pope appeared to associate atheism with the Nazis has prompted criticism from humanist organisations.

However, the Catholic Church has moved to play down the controversy, saying the Pope knew "rather well what the Nazi ideology is about".

Humanists have said the comments were a "terrible libel" against non-believers.

In his address, the Pope spoke of "a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society".

He went on to urge the UK to guard against "aggressive forms of secularism".

The Pope made his remarks in his opening address to the Queen at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

He said: "Even in our own lifetimes we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live.

"As we reflect on the sobering lessons of atheist extremism of the 20th century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus a reductive vision of a person and his destiny."
'Highly political'

A statement from the British Humanist Association said the Pope's remarks were "surreal".

It said: "The notion that it was the atheism of Nazis that led to their extremist and hateful views or that it somehow fuels intolerance in Britain today is a terrible libel against those who do not believe in God.

"The notion that it is non-religious people in the UK today who want to force their views on others, coming from a man whose organisation exerts itself internationally to impose its narrow and exclusive form of morality and undermine the human rights of women, children, gay people and many others, is surreal."

The German-born Pope has previously spoken of his time growing up under the "monster" of Nazism.

He joined the Hitler Youth at 14, as was required of young Germans at the time.

Late on in WWII he was drafted into an anti-aircraft unit in Munich.

He deserted the German army towards the end of the war and was briefly held as a prisoner-of-war by the Allies in 1945.

The Pope's conservative, traditionalist views were intensified when teaching at the University of Bonn in the 1960s he was said to be appalled at the prevalence of Marxism among his students.

In his view, religion was being subordinated to a political ideology that he considered "tyrannical, brutal and cruel".

He would later be a leading campaigner against liberation theology, the movement to involve the Church in social activism, which for him was too close to Marxism.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11332515

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Says the guy who held out on information about pedophile priests until the "statute of limitations expired".

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

Fuck the pope.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

.... This is just ridiculous.

Dott Mit Uns = God With Us

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

 

[crandc]

Yeah, well, he should know about Nazis from his days in Hitler Youth.

He also said gays and lesbians are worse than child rapists, something else he knows a lot about. And that helping a raped 9 year old girl terminate a pregnancy means excommunication but the rapist is not excommunicated.

If ever there were an argument for atheist humanism....

 

[julius]

I don't really care what the Pope says, I'm not Catholic.

 

[crandc]

I don't really care what the Pope says, I'm not Catholic.

Neither am I. I'm not Mormon either, but the Catholic and Mormon churches poured millions of dolars and hundreds of "volunteers" spreading lies to defeat my civil rights in my state. They also crusade against rights for women. So I can't just say I don't care.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Pope visit: Five suspected Islamist terrorists arrested over assassination plot

The men were arrested during raids at 5.45am at a rubbish depot in central London based on an intelligence tip off received overnight.

The suspects, aged 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50 were arrested by officers from Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

They are said to be from a variety of nationalities including a number of Algerian origin.

The depot where they worked is less than a mile from Hyde Park where the Pope was due to hold a prayer vigil tomorrow evening.

As street cleaners they would have been able to move relatively freely and inconspicuously through the London crowds.

Westminster City Council said the men worked for Veolia Environmental Services, a contractor which employs 650 on-street staff to keep Westminster's streets clean and free from rubbish.

The men have been taken to a central London police station where they will be interviewed by detectives.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...rorists-arrested-over-assassination-plot.html

 

[MARIS61]

What a hypocritical coward.

If he truly ever had an issue with Hitler and the Nazis, he had many chances to speak up or even better resist and oppose them.

He chose to be an obedient servant and spent years actively committing atrocities with them.

Now he hides his shame behind religion.

 

[hasoos]

Religion = Biggest bullshit scam ever pulled on the earth.

 

[mook]

Seems like Catholicism has swan dived down into the arena of topics like racism or Mel Gibson. Used to have so many defenders, and now when a Catholicism-bashing conversation comes up it's not even really a debate. It's a bunch of people pointing out what pisses them off the most about it. There may be one quiet Catholic in the corner, but he doesn't want to speak up because hey, who wants to defend the pedophiles.

When it gets to this stage of death spiral, do the subjects ever pull out?

 

[crandc]

It's not Catholic bashing to criticize hate spewing, whoever does it. Anyone wants to practice Catholic faith, their right and their business. Ignorance, hate spewing, acceptance of genuine Nazism while finding "Nazis" in everyone with whom you disagree is wrong whether it's the pope or Rush Limbaugh.

 

[santeesioux]

I found this on another forum

The German Freethinkers League ('Deutscher Freidenkerbund') was an organisation founded in 1881 by the materialist philosopher, and physician Ludwig Büchner,[1] to oppose the power of the state churches in Germany.[2] Its aim was to provide a public meeting-ground and forum for materialist and atheist thinkers in Germany.

The League was closed down, however, in the Spring of 1933 when Hitler outlawed all atheistic and freethinking groups in Germany. 'Freethinkers Hall', the national headquarters of the League, was then converted to a bureau advising the public on church matters.


In 1944, after tracking down former GFL Charman Max Sievers in Belgium and arresting him, he was executed for "conspiracy to commit high treason." His offenses including writing against the 1933 Reichskonkordat treaty between the Nazi government and the Catholic Church.

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

 

[Denny Crane]

It's not Catholic bashing to criticize hate spewing, whoever does it. Anyone wants to practice Catholic faith, their right and their business. Ignorance, hate spewing, acceptance of genuine Nazism while finding "Nazis" in everyone with whom you disagree is wrong whether it's the pope or Rush Limbaugh.

Or Ariana Huffington or Keith Olbermann.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Religion = Biggest bullshit scam ever pulled on the earth.

Your wild over generalizations against religion are funny yet rather naive. Chit happened all the time (and still does to some) that the average man could not find a reasonable or scientific explanation to so to them the only answer available was that a higher power must have deemed it and/or caused it. Was that the right thing to do? No. Does that mean they were trying to scam themselves or others? No.

Just like your assumption that a shooting that happened last Easter must mean that the people involved were religious zealots.

 

[Minstrel]

Your wild over generalizations against religion are funny yet rather naive. Chit happened all the time (and still does to some) that the average man could not find a reasonable or scientific explanation to so to them the only answer available was that a higher power must have deemed it and/or caused it. Was that the right thing to do? No. Does that mean they were trying to scam themselves or others? No.

I think we should differentiate "religion" or "spirituality" from "organized religion." I don't think people who postulated a higher power to explain things that seemed unexplainable were ingenuine. Leaders who organized masses of people under a certain belief system? I don't think you can paint them all with the same brush, of course, but I think many of them were using the seduction of religion/god to control people. It's complicated by the fact that some/many of them may even have begun with good intentions.

That, however, is hardly unique to religion. That's pretty endemic to any gathering of power. Religion has just been another hook, in many cases.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I think we should differentiate "religion" or "spirituality" from "organized religion." I don't think people who postulated a higher power to explain things that seemed unexplainable were ingenuine. Leaders who organized masses of people under a certain belief system? I don't think you can paint them all with the same brush, of course, but I think many of them were using the seduction of religion/god to control people. It's complicated by the fact that some/many of them may even have begun with good intentions.

That, however, is hardly unique to religion. That's pretty endemic to any gathering of power. Religion has just been another hook, in many cases.

LOL! I know my reply to Hasoos was overly simplistic. That was intentional based on the comment I was replying to.

 

[Minstrel]

LOL! I know my reply to Hasoos was overly simplistic. That was intentional based on the comment I was replying to.

I wasn't criticizing your post, it just inspired some related comments I wanted to make.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Fuck the Pope.

 

[julius]

Neither am I. I'm not Mormon either, but the Catholic and Mormon churches poured millions of dolars and hundreds of "volunteers" spreading lies to defeat my civil rights in my state. They also crusade against rights for women. So I can't just say I don't care.

My point was more that I think what the Pope says is hokum. Not the actions that are consequences of what he said.

 

[MARIS61]

Nuns become Satan's servants.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/18/conniving-alleged-at-convent/

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Fuck the Pope.

 

[jlprk]

The German Freethinkers League ('Deutscher Freidenkerbund') was an organisation founded in 1881 by the materialist philosopher, and physician Ludwig Büchner,[1] to oppose the power of the state churches in Germany.[2] Its aim was to provide a public meeting-ground and forum for materialist and atheist thinkers in Germany.

The League was closed down, however, in the Spring of 1933 when Hitler outlawed all atheistic and freethinking groups in Germany. 'Freethinkers Hall', the national headquarters of the League, was then converted to a bureau advising the public on church matters.

In 1944, after tracking down former GFL Charman Max Sievers in Belgium and arresting him, he was executed for "conspiracy to commit high treason." His offenses including writing against the 1933 Reichskonkordat treaty between the Nazi government and the Catholic Church.

Best post in the thread. So the Pope lied that Nazism was atheist. Nazism worked as hard to exterminate atheists as much as several other groups (gays, retarded, etc.).

Of course, the Big 2 were Communists and Jews, total 10 million killed. 6 million of the 10 million were Communists and 6 million of the 10 millon were Jews. Killing Communists (1930s) was higher priority than killing Jews (1940s).

 

[crandc]

Or Ariana Huffington or Keith Olbermann.

I don't really follow Huffington, but can you give me a "for instance" about Olbermann? I think he's too sarcastic at times and his show (unlike Rachel Maddow, who has guests of all persuasions) is a bit of an echo chamber, but can you show me an instance where Olbermann used the term "nazi" to describe anyone with whom he disagreed? He never called Bush a Nazi, for example. Or are you (gee, isn't that new) trying to change the subject, again? To avoid actually giving a fact-based reply? I'm not going to endlessly debate with you; I tried that in the marriage equality thread before you resorted to personal insults.

 

[Denny Crane]

I don't really follow Huffington, but can you give me a "for instance" about Olbermann? I think he's too sarcastic at times and his show (unlike Rachel Maddow, who has guests of all persuasions) is a bit of an echo chamber, but can you show me an instance where Olbermann used the term "nazi" to describe anyone with whom he disagreed? He never called Bush a Nazi, for example. Or are you (gee, isn't that new) trying to change the subject, again? To avoid actually giving a fact-based reply? I'm not going to endlessly debate with you; I tried that in the marriage equality thread before you resorted to personal insults.

http://newsbusters.org/node/6579
Olbermann Defends Applying Nazi Salute to O'Reilly and Ties in Brian Williams

http://www.mofopolitics.com/2009/05/01/video-keith-olbermann-calls-carrie-prejean-a-nazi/

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/lachla...-apologize-omparing-jewish-attorney-nazi-coll
Group Demands Olbermann Apologize for Comparing Jewish Attorney to Nazi Collaborator

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/judaism/keith-olbermann-jewish-245401.html


On 28 July 2006, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sent an open letter to Olbermann at MSNBC stating, "We are deeply dismayed by your ongoing use of the Nazi 'Sieg Heil' salute, both on your program and in public appearances…" The letter explains that Olbermann's use of the salute prompted many complaints from its members, including Holocaust survivors, and that any use of it "serves to trivialize the Holocaust and the six million Jews and others who died as a result of Hitler's Final Solution." The letter closed by asking Olbermann to "reconsider [his] use of the Nazi salute in the future."[35]

(I believe this is quoted from Wikipedia ^^^)

[video]

 

[Denny Crane]

If you want Olbermann using Nazi references regarding GW Bush:

[video=youtube;yGlSTP90KLc]

 

[hasoos]

Your wild over generalizations against religion are funny yet rather naive. Chit happened all the time (and still does to some) that the average man could not find a reasonable or scientific explanation to so to them the only answer available was that a higher power must have deemed it and/or caused it. Was that the right thing to do? No. Does that mean they were trying to scam themselves or others? No.

Just like your assumption that a shooting that happened last Easter must mean that the people involved were religious zealots.

Good try man. Just because something happens that somebody can't explain at the time, does not mean it has a religious base. It just means man has a whole lot to learn. Your whole post said basically nothing, and has no reasoning to back it up, and is typical of a person who has nothing in their argument to back them up. Religions are all about controlling people, just as political movements are about controlling people. They are about money and power. The only difference between a "Cult" and the major religions of the earth is their size. Your thinking that anything that man doesn't know the answer it comes from a higher power is dangerous at best. The thinking man says I will find the answer. The idiot says "God caused it", and then falls back in with the lemmings to follow blindly.

 

[santeesioux]

Now the Nazi Atheists are trying to steal Christmas!

[video=youtube;xayDw2gS7-0]

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Good try man. Just because something happens that somebody can't explain at the time, does not mean it has a religious base. It just means man has a whole lot to learn. Your whole post said basically nothing, and has no reasoning to back it up, and is typical of a person who has nothing in their argument to back them up. Religions are all about controlling people, just as political movements are about controlling people. They are about money and power. The only difference between a "Cult" and the major religions of the earth is their size. Your thinking that anything that man doesn't know the answer it comes from a higher power is dangerous at best. The thinking man says I will find the answer. The idiot says "God caused it", and then falls back in with the lemmings to follow blindly.

I was raised catholic but I'm not religious at all and don't believe in a higher power. In reading your posts I get the feeling that you look down on all people who are religious. I don't.