Vatican Updates Its Thou-Shalt-Not List

[flashl]

Source: Sun Sentinel

VATICAN CITY - In olden days, the deadly sins included lust, gluttony and greed. Now, the Catholic Church says pollution, mind-damaging drugs and genetic experiments are on its updated thou-shalt-not list. Also receiving fresh attention by the Vatican was social injustice, along the lines of the age-old maxim: "The rich get richer while the poor get poorer."

In the Vatican's latest update on how God's law is being violated in today's world, Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, was asked by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano what, in his opinion, are the "new sins."

He cited "violations of the basic rights of human nature" through genetic manipulation, drugs that "weaken the mind and cloud intelligence," and the imbalance between the rich and the poor.

"If yesterday sin had a rather individualistic dimension, today it has a weight, a resonance, that's especially social, rather than individual," said Girotti, whose office deals with matters of conscience and grants absolution.

Sun Sentinel

Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sns-ap-vatican-sins,0,2616197.story

[fascisthunter]

1. Jeeez.... At Least Somebody is on the Ball

:wtf:

[ananda]

2. And exactly where is pedophilia on this list?

Enquiring minds want to know....

[shenmue]

26. Nice.

:eyes:

:puke:

Because we all know they all love it!

:grr:

Aside from the hundreds of parishes they shut down, and the offenders who have gone to prison, and the hundreds of millions they have paid in settlements, can we get anything other than your shitty jokes? Yes, they do care, and they did put a stop to it. Because it's not as if anyone else ever does that, right? :sarcasm:

[graywarrior]

3. Is sex with altar boys on that list?

[Tempest]

4. Looks like pot is okay

mind-damaging drugs

Pot only damages the lungs according to the latest study, and even that is under fire for being shoddy science.

[Kolesar]

11. Communion wine? Even in moderation?? ... eom

[jody]

5. Damn, I spent my whole life losing a battle against lust, gluttony & greed and now the Pope changes

the rules of the game.

[Wizard777]

6. I thought God was the only one allowed to update the thou shalt not list.

Good luck on finding Moses to deliver it to the masses.

[politicaholic]

7. Isn't it time for a new bible? I mean, that thing hasn't been updated in years!

One thing we know, god talks A LOT! Gift of gab I guess. From what I have observed, he prefers the company of overbearing self-rightious douche bags...that doesn't bode well for God. Shouldn't he be talking to drug addicts, abortion doctors, scientists, and Atheists?

New commandments...hey, it didn't work when Coke put out New Coke, perhaps the church could learn something from that.

[msongs]

8. catholic church should sell its billions in treasures and help the poor nt

[Kolesar]

12. Hey at least they gave words toward "social justice"

:eyes:

[shenmue]

25. You may remember Mother Teresa... then again, probably not.

The church does spend a great deal of time and money helping the poor. Its nuns and priests are often the only teachers and medical help in extremely poor communities all over the world. Countless Catholics dedicate their lives to helping the poor.

And the vast majority of priests have never touched a child, and never will. Can the snotty anti-Catholic shit just stop?

[Posteritatis]

9. Feeling more sloth than wrath over this one

(First off, I'm not assuming that this involves tossing out the 'original' seven sins.)

I find the terms they're using here, and their reasoning, kind of interesting.

A lot of them are simply rebranding (for lack of a better word) the original ones. "Accumulating excess wealth" or "drug trafficking?" Hi, Greed! For the most part they seem like describing the original ones in contemporary - and more specific - language. "Inflicting poverty" is a pretty specific term.

One thing that struck me is that three of them, or maybe four depending on how you read environmental damage, involve genetic engineering.

And Catholic though I'm not, I do approve of Girotti's describing sins more in terms of harming others than oneself. It's a step away from the "bad thoughts bad!" mindset and a step towards the "don't be a dick to others" mindset.

I wouldn't mind reading up on what they're saying about these in detail. I can't really expect the media to competently cover theology most of the time..

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. I also found it interesting, however I have mixed feelings on genetic engineering. I need

to know if there are instances where it is ok such as stem cell research.

[Posteritatis]

17. Yeah, same here

I found that one especially odd; I thought that the church was cautiously supportive of genetic engineering.

[Malidictus Maximus]

10. The same assholes that brought us the inquisition and persecuted scientists

I don't see old red socks liquidating any paintings or sculptures to feed the poor.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. They do a lot of charitable work, but you are also right that they do seem to

possess a lot of material wealth too.

[JNelson6563]

15. I applaud them shining a light on this

We who care about such things as social injustice should welcome any and all voices to join us.

Julie

[JNelson6563]

16. I applaud them shining a light on this

We who care about such things as social injustice should welcome any and all voices to join us.

Julie

[kimmylavin]

18. This was interesting...

"Closer to home, Girotti was asked about the many "situations of scandal and sin within the church," in what appeared to be a reference to allegations in the United States and other countries of sexual abuse by clergy of minors and the coverups by hierarchy."

"The monsignor acknowledged the "objective gravity" of the allegations, but contended that the heavy coverage by mass media of the scandals must also be denounced because it "discredits the church."

So it was the heavy coverage that discredited the church, not the incidents themselves...
Right...

What was that whole deal about attending to the beam in thine own eye first?

[2Design]

19. wonder why they don't take a stance against iraq war and the republics

are the republics funding these guys too or what do they have on them - the biggest sin is the usa torture and bombing and killing innocent people around the world

[Posteritatis]

20. Er, the church has been pretty consistent in opposing the Iraq war. (nt)

[2Design]

22. not really - they were against kerry for abortion and not for the dems

because we were against the war - so I stand my original statement - the catholic church does not oppose the iraq war - they only oppose abortion because they want a bunch of little catholics

[Posteritatis]

23. Are you kidding?

The only way you could think the church wasn't against the war would practically be actively avoiding the news since some time in 2002. They've been attacking the war regularly. Thirty seconds with Google can tell you that much.

Of course, don't let facts interfere with the opinion in your original statement.

[2Design]

24. you must only drink kool aid -

during the 2004 election they made a big point to americans not to vote for anyone who was pro choice and not give communion to them etc - this was directly against anyone in the democratic party - I never heard them make as big a deal and refuse communion for those who voted for the war or who continued to funded -

I guess I look at people's action and not their words comes from working in corporations and their words of BS - like most of the marketing rhetoric the republics and other evil doers like the media dish out for others to be blind to what the actions of these people are - no I do not believe they are against the war because they have never take as strong a stance as they did during our last big election against pro choice - so if you want to believe their words over their actions - go right ahead - I will not

[SidDithers]

21. Wait. Does this update the old list?...

or replace it? :evilgrin:

Sid