Pope calls Christians the most persecuted

[defendandprotect]

Pope calls Christians the most persecuted

By FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press Frances D'emilio, Associated Press – Thu Dec 16, 2:50 pm ET
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday that Christians suffer more religious persecution than any other group, denouncing lack of freedom of worship as an "intolerable" threat to world security.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101216/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_religious_persecution


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Especially in Iraq? Which Bush called originally a "Crusade" ... ???

And where 1+ MILLION MUSLIMS have been killed ... ??


One would almost think that W Bush had a contract to kill Muslims?

[texastoast]

1. Talk to me, Benedict

Tell me all about it!

[walldude]

2. Oh yeah persecuted

:eyes: Yeah that "WAR ON CHRISTMAS" demanding that no other holiday but Christmas be recognized is really what I'd call being persecuted.

[Lucian]

3. How can a majority be persecuted?

That's oxymoronic from a moron.

[tritsofme]

8. Christians are not a majority group everywhere.

If you were not aware.

[Lucian]

10. No shit.

I was talking about how it's a world majority religion.

If you were not aware.

[tritsofme]

14. The largest plurality perhaps.

But nowhere near a majority.

[awoke_in_2003]

33. too bad they are a majority here...

PS- that is not me persecuting you, just my private wish. Had to say that- I know how sensitive 70% (and probably higher in Italy) of the country can be. Happy Holidays.

[tritsofme]

38. Maybe I read the article wrong.

But I don't think he is talking about the plight of Christians in the West.

[Stevenmarc]

4. Someones been nipping at the sacramental wine

[QC]

5. About 60% of Iraq's Christians have been driven out or killed.

Just a few weeks back, armed gunmen stormed into a church during mass, killed 50+ congregants, and beheaded the two priests on the altar.

The pope is an asshole, but that doesn't mean that persecution is not real.

[defendandprotect]

15. And how many Muslims by Bush wars on them .... ??? We've been bombing Iraq for 25 years or more...

Gulf War 1 and aftermath -- half a million children dead --

1+ million Muslims dead -- a loose estimate --

Environmental damage?

Wounded?

[QC]

17. How does one of those things justify the other? n/t

[defendandprotect]

20. Only YOU are suggesting any such thing --!! Overwhelming deaths are Muslims....

and trust many will respond to Benedict with that information ---

Again -- Bush at first called it a "Crusade" and said that he had spoken with "god"

and "god" told him to attack Afghanistan -- and then "god" told him to attack Iraq!

Interesting, "god" also told his father the same thing re Iraq !!!

And we've been bombing Iraq steadily since Gulf War I --

Christians in that area have suffered nothing like that onslaught!

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[QC]

37. Iraqi Christians have been subjected to that same bombing, and now

are being murdered and driven out of their homes by fellow Iraqis.

The fact that George W. and Benedict are bad people does not make their suffering less real.

[Exilednight]

6. Careful, or you will be accused of Catholic kicking.

:sarcasm:

[ixion]

7. LOL@ the Pope

who apparently hasn't tortured enough people this month and is feeling grumpy.

[awoke_in_2003]

34. ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldlyTjXk9A

[msongs]

9. he is projecting again nt

[elocs]

11. A long thread about it here this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4661452

[msanthrope]

12. Didn't the Holocaust happen while he was in the Hitler Jugen?

I mean, really, Bennie....

Take your fucking Aricept, man....you ain't the most persecuted group.

[DragonSlave]

44. You're right, the Jews whine louder than the Christians

Even as they commit Genocide in "Israel".
That's why Norman Finkelstein calls it the "Holocaust Industry". Hypocrisy knows no bounds.

People who bring up Joseph Ratzinger's Hitler Youth membership are making an extremely dishonest argument. I quote wikipedia: "Following his 14th birthday in 1941, Ratzinger was conscripted into the Hitler Youth — as membership was required by law for all 14-year old German boys after December 1939". People did what they could to survive during the holocaust.

[Occam Bandage]

13. He's correct that Christians in the Middle East are subject to appalling religious violence.

Benedict's a conservative douchebag, and I'm not sure ME Christians are the "most persecuted" of anyone on Earth, but I'll give props to anyone raising awareness of attacks on freedom of thought.

[defendandprotect]

21. And how would you describe the violence against Muslims in ME ... ???

Presumably ... at least "appalling"?

[Occam Bandage]

24. Appalling, yes. Religiously motivated, no. nt

[Kalyke]

30. *Nods Head* I agree with that.

And I'm Catholic.

And the ex-wife of a Muslim-reared man.

And the current wife of a Jewish-reared man.

(I like Semitic men, what can I say?)

[defendandprotect]

31. Funny ... because W said he spoke with "god" about it and called it a "Crusade" ...!!

and "god" told him to attack Afghanistan -- and then "god"

told W to attack Iraq!


Sounds plenty religious --

[Xicano]

42. +100

n/t

[Lyric]

16. Only if you define "persecution" as "the lack of unrestrained authority to rule the world"

Some particularly obnoxious Christians seem to think that they have a God-given right to tell everyone else in the world what they are and are not allowed to do...and if mean old governments and other religions interfere with that, well then, the Christians are being persecuted!!!

It's as if they TRULY believe that having their precious collective will thwarted in ANY way is the equivalent of being thrown to the lions. I'd like to pack all Christians of that particular mentality into a time machine and drop them off in the ancient, pre-Constantine Roman Empire so they can see what REAL Christian persecution looks like.

:eyes:

[dmallind]

18. mostly agree, but Constantine killed more Christians than any emperor

His wars against heretics who disagreed about often minor doctrinal points were more deadly than the usually overblown myths about lions in the arena.

[OHdem10]

19. He is probably referencing Africa here they are almost at war.

and dother places. Thinking of the world as a whole.

[defendandprotect]

27. Yes, but Vatican is seeking its new fortunes in Africa and China ....

having had to wipe America and Canada and Western Europe off its list --

[krispos42]

22. Well, maybe.

There are no Christian theocracies around anymore, I don't think. Well, I guess Uganda is heading that way. But there are plenty of Muslim theocracies out there that do restrict Christians based on their religion.

So that could be one train of logic that he's riding, I guess. :shrug:

Or he could be defining "persecution" as "being unable to dominate government for Christian purposes".

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Richard Dawkins published all those mean books telling people about "science".

oh, I sympathize with his Popeness, really I do.

I'm sure he's under especially high amounts of stress now that he realizes how interested Interpol is in International Sex Criminals and their Accomplices.

[Xicano]

25. Hey Pope Remember Me?

I'm that "heathen" you terrorized, tortured, enslaved and slaughtered. I wasn't the first you "persecuted". Remember your "inquisitions" where you terrorized, tortured and burned at the stake suspected witches? Remember the terrorism and slaughter you inflicted on your "crusades"?

Remember how you persecuted me, taking away my freedom to practice my spirituality, calling it demonic and satan worshiping? Remember taking my children away from me in an ethnic like cleansing attempt to wipe out my language, my culture, my spiritual practice?

You want to sit up there and cry about how more and more people are waking up, go ahead that's your prerogative. But don't you sit up there and call other people practicing their spirituality or not practicing any spirituality at all as an "intolerable threat to world security." You can take that line of bullshit and stick it up your ass as far as I'm concerned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAYaumTLmhI

[Angry Dragon]

26. +1000

[defendandprotect]

28. Vatican has such a long history of violence against others -- and of

"introducing the cross with the sword" -- that it's almost laughable --

Typical right wing constantly pointing to their suffering while ignorning what they

have done to the world!

[Forkboy]

29. I admit to not being a fan of many Popes (ok, none), but this one seems especially douchy.

[awoke_in_2003]

32. when will people stop...

taking this Nazi seriously?

[CBGLuthier]

36. If Only...

[Johonny]

39. It's true if your a little catholic boy lost in the rectory

[marmar]

40. Does he believe his own bullsh*t?

The Medieval Mouth of the Tiber with his latest chart-topper.

[tritsofme]

41. I can't believe the anti-Catholic hate here.

People are willing to demean and belittle persecuted minority groups because they disagree with the messenger on other issues.

Really disgusting.

[Xicano]

43. People are amazed at the sense of irony

You do realize the history behind the Church, right? Not only that, you do realize the current persecution of Muslims, Atheists, Same Sex Couples and others by people who are Catholic, right?

Calling people out on their hypocrisy isn't hate, its what happens when one throws rocks in a glass house.

[tritsofme]

46. Call him a hypocrite if you want.

Now I don't think you can hold one man responsible for 2,000 years of history, but that's not the point.

I just don't understand the denialism here. People seem offended by the idea that Christians face persecution all over the world, this is not a controversial statement, it is a fact. The tone of this thread is really bizarre.

[Xicano]

47. "I don't think you can hold one man responsible for 2,000 years of history"

He's the head representative of the very institution which inflicted this 2,000 years of terrorism, torture and slaughter. Now after all the horror the Catholic church inflicted upon the world to get them to the position where they are today, they want to say forget about the past and say the past doesn't matter? Well, I'm sorry but it does matter. I'm sorry but if they want to sit up there and make statements about persecutions; it is absolutely not out of place to remind them what their institution has done throughout history.

On edit: I noticed you didn't comment about my mentioning of the current persecution Muslims, Atheists and Same Sex Couples face from Catholics and other Christians.

[tritsofme]

48. Ok, so why demean and deny the real victims today?

The scoffing at the notion that Christians could be persecuted anywhere. This is what I am failing to understand. These victims are likely not even Catholics to begin with, this isn't issue isn't a fight about the Catholic Church.

[Xicano]

49. Who's denying victims today?

I fail to see anywhere in my posts where I scoff at the notion a Christian somewhere today is persecuted for their religion.

Also as I mentioned above. What about the Christian intolerance of Muslims, Atheists, Same Sex Couples? They aren't "real victims today?"

I base my responses both on my experiences and history, and it has been my experience that a large number of Christians exhibit intolerance against Atheists, Same Sex Couples and Muslims. A fair number of Christians voice persecution against these folks. Also, there are some Christians who feel these folks should be killed. All these Christians base their opinions on the bible. So when I see a head representative speaking about intolerance, you bet I'm gonna hold up a mirror in front of him.

n/t

[QC]

45. Some forms of hatred are not only accepted on DU, but even welcomed.

This is one of them, but there are others.