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New Civil Rights Movement: "Catholic Bishop: Vote For A Democrat And You’ll Probably Go To Hell"

"Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas John Paprocki says that any Catholic who votes for a Democrat very well may go to Hell, because a vote for any member of a party that supports sin makes the voter 'morally complicit.' Paprocki names the Log Cabin Republicans and 'pro-choice' (scare quotes his) Republicans as 'equally as wrong as their Democratic counterparts.'”

Then why are only Democratic voters going to hell? Besides, the claim cannot be true: they will only go to Purgatory, a place invented so that Roman Catholic priests in Mexico from Cortez to Calles could unburden the serfs (indigenous people) of their hard-earned centavos. Hitchens discusses indulgences in god is Not Great. Why would a good and all-powerful god put your loved ones in a special cyberspace where they must remain until the guy in a black suit and a little white collar takes your money to download them into God's hard drive?

And speaking of moral complicity, why do many thousands flock to the cathedrals each Sunday putting money in a plate so that child molesters would be given new parishes upon the discovery they have porked some acolyte or choir boy and, O.J.-like, forced civil litigation to redress grievances. If the coffers are running on empty it is because of the pay-outs to hopelessly-damaged young men who, if they remember the obscenities at all, feel lost in some horror movie. The current occupant of Castel Gondalfo knew all about the pedophile priests and did nothing to stop it. He had a U.S.-Vatican treaty to hide behind and he covered up lies and secrets and is thus guilty of obstruction of justice.

Since when is there an exception to laws making it a criminal act to not refer a matter to the Child Protective Services allowing priests a waiver?

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Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on September 26, 2012 at 9:22pm

This amounts to de facto endorsement of Republicans running for virtually any office.

How many times do we have to say it? Rescind Their Tax-Free Status!!!

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on September 26, 2012 at 9:35pm

I imagine this is the same Bishop Paprocki, who claimed that sex abuse lawsuits, filed against the Catholic church, were the work of Lucifer.

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on September 27, 2012 at 7:21am

The fact that he actually believes in the Devil is telling. The Devil -- Satan, Lucifer, whatever -- is the bugaboo of all dualist systems. Crowley said that "the Devil is the god of any religion one personally dislikes." But the Devil is also the primary explanation Christians offer to explain evil in the world. How convenient: you can define as evil anything you wish, as in saying, "Atheists are full of the Devil," or "The Devil made me wear that dress." If God is all powerful why bother having a Devil. Being omnipotent, God would always win, and we know that this is not what happens.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on September 27, 2012 at 8:37am

If God is all powerful why bother having a Devil. God needs the Devil in the same way the Cisco Kid needs the cattle rustler, the Lone Ranger needs the corrupt Indian agent, Elliot Ness needed Al Capone, and Dudley Do-Right needs Snidely Whiplash. You can't have a hero without a bad guy.

I realize in the case of an omnipotent and omniscient entity, there's a certain amount (OK, HUGE amount) of logic that needs to be twisted more than a pretzel on switchback mountain road. But, belief in non-existent beings isn't founded in logic anyway, so we go with the ever popular story line of good guys against the bad guys. Works in heaven the same way it worked on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on September 29, 2012 at 8:52pm

The Rocky and Bullwinkle show should be reincarnated.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on September 30, 2012 at 9:40am

Yeah. I miss "Fractured Fairy Tales." Besides, there was a deferential line to the religious.

Eenie Weenie

Chili Beanie

The Spirits Are About to Speak

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Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on September 30, 2012 at 9:48am

You KNEW this was coming, didn't you:

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on September 29, 2012 at 10:18am

I think some Catholics are obsessed by Hell and Satan. Kind of their version of Dont Look Under the Bed. Is there a word for people who like to scare themselves?

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on October 14, 2012 at 9:37am

Yes, there is: dupes. Delusionals.

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Permalink Reply by matthew greenberg on September 29, 2012 at 10:32am

this isn't the first time that a Catholic institution has used this approach this election season. remember the Catholics Called to Witness video?

i think this bishop should note that catholics are polling at 54-39 in favor of Obama. that's a lot of hellbound catholics.

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on October 14, 2012 at 2:02pm

I hasten to add that Catholicism is the largest Christian sect in the U.S.A. It is peopled by both conservatives and liberals, although the hierarchy is consistently conservative in its insistence on dogmatic social concerns and somewhat, occasionally liberal on, e.g. immigration issues. (Many if not most Latin Americans are Catholic, as you know.) Biden is one kind of Catholic and Ryan is another. I know who best represents an old atheist like me, so I will be voting for Obama.

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Permalink Reply by jay H on September 29, 2012 at 12:24pm

Monotheism demands a devil, it's the only way to deal (poorly) with the problem of evil. Polytheists by contrast can just blame the other guy's gods, or 'bad' gods.