Ratzinger's Unholy Inquisition, is there any other kind?

Did he learned some lessons and is applying them?

He claims that he had to join the Hitler Youth because it was compulsory and that he didn't agree with Nazy ideals, the details are murky but there is enough to glimpse that he has been less than candid.

Joseph Ratzinger joined the Hitler Youth in 1941 when, according to him and his supporters, it became compulsory for all German boys. Millions of Germans were in a position similar to that of Joseph Ratzinger and his family, so why spend so much time focusing on him? Because he is no longer merely Joseph Ratzinger, or even a Catholic Cardinal — he is now Pope Benedict XVI. None of the other Germans who joined the Hitler Youth, were part of the military in Nazi Germany, lived near a concentration camp, and watched Jews being rounded up for death camps has ever become pope.

Ratzinger’s recollections of his youth in Nazi Germany makes it seem as though all the problems, violence, and hatred existed outside his local community. There is no recognition that resistance to the Nazis existed — or was needed — just outside his door.

The pope is supposed to be the successor of Peter, leader of the Christian Church, and symbol of unity for all Christendom. The past actions — or inactions — of such a person matter a great deal if anyone is going to treat him as any sort of moral authority. Ratzinger’s recollections of his youth in Nazi Germany makes it seem as though all the problems, violence, and hatred existed outside his local community. There is no recognition that resistance to the Nazis existed — or was needed — just outside his door.

Hitler Jugend: Joseph Ratzinger’s claims about the Hitler Youth are not true. Compulsory membership was first defined in 1936 and reinforced in 1939, not in 1941 as he says. Ratzinger also says that he was “still too young” at the time, but he was 14 in 1941 and not too young at all: between the ages of 10 and 14, membership in the Deutsche Jungvolk (a group for younger children) was mandatory. Yet there is no mention of Raztinger belonging. If he had managed to avoid the required membership in the Deutsche Jungvolk, why did he suddenly join the Hitler Youth in 1941?

-- About.Com

One of the things that I find difficult to come to grips with RE his campaign against Queer Folk, is the fact that he witnessed the Anti-Jew Nazi propaganda, the effect it had in zealots and it's consequences, he is the Pope, a learned man and author, it is quite a stretch of the imagination to conclude that he doesn't understand the dangers that this hypocritical intolerance poses in his truly unholy Jihad, at a time when the anti-homosexual hate crimes are on the rise, doesn't he understand that this is akin to throwing fuel into the fire? Or maybe, that's the whole idea.

This are the options for the most simplistic way to define him, the Pope is either dumb or evil, and for the apologists, I offer an alternate option, he is being irresponsible, let's not forget that he saw what happened in Germany to the Jews, Unionists, Communists and other groups that the Nazis found unacceptable, and now, he is doing the same.

A lesson well learned? He saw how successful the Nazi Propaganda machine was in consolidating power by galvanizing the fears, phobias, biases, etc., of the populace living in a era on uncertainty, economic and bellicose climate and blaming somebody for the problems, IT IS THE JEWS' FAULT! GET THEM!

He may no have agreed with the Nazis, his family didn't, but today, he has a cause and culprits to blame it on, IT IS THE HOMOSEXUALS' FAULT! GET THEM!.

"Homosexuality is Destroying Human Race, says Pope" Scream the headlines.

In his end-of-the-year address, Pope Benedict XVI said that "saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction."

He added that "defending God's creation was not limited to saving the environment, but also about protecting man from self-destruction."

Rev Sharon Ferguson from the British Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement said statements like this one fuel violence against homosexuals: "When you have religious leaders like that making that sort of statement then followers feel they are justified in behaving in an aggressive and violent way because they feel that they are doing God's work in ridding the world of these people."

A representative of the British Pink Triangle Trust said "this must be the most outrageous and bizarre claim yet made by the Pope who has already got a well-deserved reputation as one the most viciously homophobic world leaders on a par with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe."

Well, what else to expect from a former member of the Hitler Youth?!

WOW, that is power, my community is destroying the human race, what is the difference between him and the religious wacko leaders in the US blaming homosexuality for 911, Katrina, Hurricanes, etc.? He has joined the ranks of the likes of Michael Savage who blames sex-change operations for 911 'that was God speaking' he pontificated.

I may be a lot dumber that I thought, for the life of me I can't see the connection and no details are ever given on the particulars of how we accomplish what we are being blamed for.

So now he is an enviromentalist and wants to save the rainforest, but he is against science, pluralism, Liberation Theology, preventing AIDs by using condoms, oh dear God, the list is so long of what is wrong with this Pope.

I'll never forget how in the US 2004 Presidential Election, he didn't say anything when his Bishops were waging a campaign against Kerry for his stance on Reproductive Rights, they supported Bush even after 4 years of learning of the lies for the invasion in Irak, the crimes against humanity, the war crimes, with all that being public knowledge, he didn't reign in his zealots in positions of power, I hold him responsible for helping give Bush four more years of criminality, he is an accomplice after the facts for thousands of deaths.

It is not because he is a Nazi, I don't think he is, his behavior follows the ultra conservative religious beliefs, for the ones who don't know and the ones who feel it is not important, I'd like to remind you that at the time of his election as Pope, Benedict had been Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, least be left unsaid, this is the historically malignant "Holy Inquisition" of our times, yeah, these were the zealot goons who killed so many people in the name of Christ.

"The Blessed", the arrogance of this man in selecting this name, blessed by whom? And for what?

This "Holy War" He is waging is not new, back of Sep 19, 2005, I wrote a Daily Kos Diary after the sentencing of the young men who killed my young Transgender sister Gwen Araujo titled "Gay Panic Defense? My Ass! - This Pope was busy conducting a 'witch-hunt' for homosexuals in the seminaries.

Excerpt:

Yes, two were convicted, Silvia (Gwen's Mother), says that a murder conviction is a murder conviction, mandatory 15 yrs. to life (Hate crime would add only 4 yrs. to sentence) But the issue of Hate Crimes needs to be included, even as a symbolic conviction so at least it becomes part of the narrative. We need to highlight the circumstances. I fully agree and I'd be satisfied.

So, why am I so angry? I am full of righteous indignation because the instigators, the ones that perpetuate a climate of exclusion, discrimination and hate, the ones that commit Spiritual Violence, the ones that in my book have the tears and blood of my sisters and brothers on their hands, are free. And they are just as guilty, if not more.

Yes, I'm talking about the blobs of wasted human DNA such as the hatemongering preachers in the US and abroad, Repugnicans, specially "If I can't dazzle you with my brilliance, I'll baffle you with my bullshit Bush" Yes all of them, MAY THEY BE DAMMED TO THE HOTTEST PLACE IN HELL!
Oh! We are also responsible for 9/11 and Katrina among other disasters.

The Vatican is going "Faggot hunting" Apparently we're guilty of pedophilia.
"Things do not look very promising under the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI: the Catholic Church has instigated a witch-hunt against homosexual seminarians. The Vatican has launched an inspection of Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States to search for "evidence of homosexuality."
The inspections of hundreds of seminaries and theological schools was authorized as a response to the church's child molestation scandal."

I haven't the foggiest idea as to how they'll identify seminarians' homosexual "tendencies" Really, how are they going to conduct this witch hunt? I don't think the "Throw them in the water and if...." Method will work this time. Hey! Wait a cotton-picking-minute, it never did and as a result some of your predecessors shed the blood of, no, no, I'm wrong, the "Holy" Inquisition was not supposed to spill blood, it was verboten, so they devised the more "Moral" method of burning so no blood would be spilled. Neat feat of intellectual acrobatics and spiritual masturbation. Cooool, you guys are some piece of work.

As a Catholic I have some choice words for Ratzinger, him that controls the Holy Inquisition version 2.0.0.5.

Ratzinger, you charlatan, calling yourself the Vicar Of Christ, you claim to represent Jesus of Nazareth, I have news for you, you DENIGRATE HIM! Were he to come back, there'd be a replay of throwing the merchants out of the temple with a whip, he'd do it himself, just as he did so long ago. You and the priests of your ilk have helped make My Fathers' House in a rathole of corruption, when are you going to clean up the corruption in the Vatican Bank? When will you pay decent wages to lay workers? You exploiter - When will you get a divorce from the Murderer of so many? Yes, I'm talking about Bush, you well know that the Catholic Church is fiercely opposed to unjust wars and the death penalty, when will you denounce him? You hypocritical coward and self-serving misleader, you helped him with the '04 election, your bishops were condemning Kerry and anybody who voted for him and as a result many Catholics voted for Bush, do you have any concept of your guilt at the deaths that occurred since then? Do you realize that you are an accomplice to murder and crimes against humanity?
Do you ever consider the pain and suffering that your policies against birth control cause throughout the world? Specially in poor countries, if you don't, pity you, if you do, you sanctimonious bastard!

No, Jesus is not here to throw you out, but I'm here, I DO believe in Jesus of Nazareth and as a follower and in HIS name I'm ordering you out of our house of Prayer, I'm doing it in the finest tradition of a true Catholic, With the respect that I have, not for you, but to the Holly office that you occupy, I'm kneeling in front of you, I kiss your ring, I stand up and shaking my stretched index finger two inches from your nose, I say unto you: "The stench of corruption and sin surrounds you, you are hurting God's creation, clean up your act or leave!"

If you want to control the masses, control their sexuality, this is the reason this Pope is doing this, no question about it, for thousands of years, religion has made something ugly of one of the most beautiful gifts of creation and one of the most powerful natural instincts, be it for procreation or recreation, it is a most powerful drive and the urge to harness it appeared in early religion, propagated for centuries with lies and misinformation for one purpuse and one purpose only, CONTROL.

THESE ARE THE BASIS FOR RATZINGER'S 21ST CENTURY CRUSADE

This is a little piece that I wrote for a dear friend of mine's Newsletter, it was supposed to be around 200 words, came up with 231:

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Albeit this issue pales in comparison to the momentous impact to the US Population that the Economy, Education, Employment, Health Insurance and War have, nevertheless, it is the hottest item in the political landscape.

The three basic problems that makes this possible are: Ignorance, Hypocrisy and plain Bigotry.

1. Ignorance: Homosexuality goes against Nature, it does not conform to creation's rule of a male and a female (For Obvious reasons the procreation argument mostly has been dropped)

There have been countless field studies RE 'Homosexuality in nature' to list them all, but scientifically it is no longer in question that it does exist, Bruce Bagemihl, PhD wrote in his 1999 book "Biological Exuberance, Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" that homosexual and/or transgender activity has been observed in "over 450 species"

2. Hypocrisy: While Leviticus clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination, similarly classifies eating pork and shellfish in addition to clearly condemn divorce as adultery, the penalty for this infraction is death by stoning, in the town's main square no less.

Religious leaders and their followers are blatantly selecting which precepts are applied, hence, they are being hypocritical.

3. Bigotry: Not much to say here other than research on the subject has shown that it is mostly cultural, rooted in traditional religious beliefs handed down for generations and also that, in it's most virulent expression, it is reflection manifested in projection.

The reason for this "Holy War" Is that we Queers pose a real threat, not to humankind, but to the power that these Ultra Conservative Fundamentalists and Greedy Violence Mongers wield and they don't want to lose it.

There is a new book by an ex-Jesuit Priest that I believe I had the chance to meet at Dignity San Francisco, where I attend functions occasionally, it is about sexuality, sex, the Bible, religion, etc., I need to read it.

In his review, Steve Rothaus says of the book - Citing the generally overlooked Biblical book The Songs of Songs, McNeill argues that human sexual activity represents a form of "play" that provides a source of pleasure, joy and love. From the beginning, he says, this is what God intended sex to be, not a cause of judgment, oppression, and resentment.

Friday, December 26, 2008

New book from John J. McNeill: 'Sex as God Intended'

SOURCE:

Steve Rothaus' Gay South Florida

www.MiamiHerald.com/gay - For and about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people throughout Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
December 25, 2008
Miami Herald Blog

A new book from John J. McNeill: Sex as God Intended. McNeill will be signing books Jan. 11 at Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale. Here's the news release:

Lethe Press is proud to release the latest work from the acclaimed Biblical scholar John J. McNeill.

You can order at
Queerbooks.com or at TLABooks or through Amazon or ask your local bookseller to carry John's latest book.

Aurora Grajeda

SFCA 122708