Wednesday, July 09, 2008

The Catholic Church gone wild




A college student attending a Catholic University in FL took a wafer out of the church without swallowing it.

If this is what the Archdiocese terms “a hate crime” then they as an organization are even more profoundly hypercritical than I initially thought. Pedophile Priests, controlling people through the threat of eternal damnation, Nuns swatting young children with rulers, well these seem more like “acts of hate” that should not be tolerated in my limited opinion on the subject.

The following is what ensued.


"Webster gave the wafer back, but the Catholic League, a national watchdog organization for Catholic rights claims that is not enough. “We don’t know 100% what Mr. Cooks motivation was,” said Susan Fani a spokesperson with the local Catholic diocese. “However, if anything were to qualify as a hate crime, to us this seems like this might be it.”

We just expect the University to take this seriously,” she added “To send a message to not just Mr. Cook but the whole community that this kind of really complete sacrilege will not be tolerated"


17 comments:

Jon Boles said...

This would be funny if it wasn't so goddamned pathetic.

Amusingly enough, I would think that these dumbasses, if they are indeed Christians, would forgive this sort of thing instead of waxing pretentiously about victimization.

They can call themselves victims if/when they start being fed to lions again, and if I had my way, it'd be starting tomorrow.

I've always harbored an ages-old dream of going into any church offering communion, and switching the wafers with animal crackers. Either that, or blurting out "Can we eat some fuckin' cookies already?" in the middle of the sermon.

Like the back of my Dimmu Borgir T-shirt says: "Religion sickens me!!"

Anonymous said...

This kid has an agenda. It's crystal clear from this linked article that this college kid was not guilty of a innocent mistake out of ignorance. He knew very well that what he was doing was offensive.
Why else would he initially pretend to consume the communion wafer? Why did he have a zip-lock bag with him? Part of living in a civilized society is respecting, and not deliberately trampling on others' beliefs.

http://www.wftv.com/news/16806050/detail.html

Al

Jon Boles said...

In all fairness, though, I think it's reasonable to point out we're not a civilized society. The very idea of humanity achieving civility is quite illusory in concept. Consider Catholicism or Christianity, for example, benchmarks of what most people consider "civil" or of sound moral backing, yet Catholicism is almost synonymous with child abuse and warfare (i.e. the Crusades). As far as respecting other peoples' beliefs go, this is a nation founded on trampling underfoot the native population of the country, generally converting said natives by force. Well, the ones not disposed of in genocidal means.

I think I'm trying to say....civilization is a sham, a word used to ensure complacency and conformity over free will and free thought. It's also worth pointing out that many things considered "moral" and worthy of respect by this society are built on the things they preach against, and as a result are worthy of criticism, ridicule, or in this case, a very likely act of provocation to show how absolutely ludicrous it really is. If this kid intended to offend to show the true colors of these bozos, he pulled it off.

Just my opinion.

Woozie said...

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?

Raspootin said...

Rev, I have to agree with you. We are not a civilized society. Furthermore, not only do Christians have a certain amount of disrespect for other Christians, but a down right prejudiced hatred against non Christians.

Al - I understand what you are saying, but as I am not Catholic it is really very difficult for me to see this as more than a sophomoric prank; not a hate crime.
The bottom line is that whether is was disrespectful or not, I believe the situation was blown way out of proportion.

Woozie, yes who did and who got their hand slapped :)

Anonymous said...

As I've said before, I oppose all "Hate Crime" laws. Acts committed should be punished, not thoughts. Nevertheless, if courts insist on permitting such laws, how do we determine what degree of hate should be tolerated? Who will decide which select groups shall be protected?
I reject your premise that this was a "sophomoric prank". Clearly, he intended to make a public statement that was both pre-meditated, provocative and hostile, and he succeeded.
I will attempt to put this in perspective by means of a secular, yet emotional example: Suppose you love your mother and someone steals her ashes from your house. So should someones say, "no big deal, ashes are worthless"? Whether I see value in her ashes is irrelevant. The thief knows they have value to you. Therefore, his crime was not for profit, but simply one of malice; in other words, hate.

Al

Raspootin said...

Suppose you love your mother and someone steals her ashes from your house. So should someone say, "no big deal, ashes are worthless"?

Well I think there is a difference between my mother's ashes and a man made manufactured wafer. One is actually what it is; My Mother, the other is just a wafer that by virtue of your belief, faith whatever you want to call it is the body of Christ. But in all reality, if you look at it scientifically it is just a wafer. The importance you place on it is intrinsic.

What would happen if someone stole a whole bunch of wafers before they were blessed and then did something obscene with them like I dunno urinated and pooped on them as a protest against the Catholic Church? Would that be their first amendment right? Would it be less offensive to you because the wafers were just wafers as they had not yet become the body of Christ?

Personally I still do not see this as a hate crime, and if someone were to come in and steal my mothers ashes well I don't know if I would call that hate as much a perverted. I guess it would depend on what they did with the ashes as to how I would really feel about it. The college kid did not "DO" anything with the wafer except not swallow it in church - How does that constitute Hate or Malice?

Moooooog35 said...

Holy shit.

I should probably give back this Gatorade bottle full of holy water.

Raspootin said...

See how hateful you are for takin that holy water !

20 hail marys for you moooooog :)

Anonymous said...

I saw someone get busted at Louis Cathedral trying to steel the holy mans body.

Bloody hilarious.

billy pilgrim said...

as walter would say in the big lebowski:

Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules? Mark it zero!

Raspootin said...

IH I think I recall a Holy Name story, but I guess that was ok as she swallowed?

BP - Good quote :)

yellowdoggranny said...

oh, them christians..they're a caution..it's ok to poke little boys in the butt but not ok to steal a wafer..puleeze.
the goddess laughs...

Raspootin said...

I think I like you a lot MS. YDgrand!

yellowdoggranny said...

bless you my child.

Anonymous said...

Really?! This story actually got air time? Must've been a slow news day...

I hardly think this qualifies as a hate crime. Maybe the kid is a chemistry major and is probably curious as to what the flavorless little thing is made of. (All you other Catholics out there, don't say you've never wondered; you'll go to Hell for lying as well as stealing.)

Personally, I like the animal cracker idea--it might entice more people to go back to church.

Another Curious Catholic

Raspootin said...

Another CC: yes definately a slowwwwwwwwwww news day!

I like the animal cracker idea too.