Sinead O'Connor: I'd help Jesus to burn down the Vatican

[Neecy]

PLEASE allow me to express my astonishment upon reading the statement made on the evening of March 1 by the Bishop of Ferns, Denis Brennan.

His statement attempts to dictate to us -- in the same way the Inquisition did -- how Christians should behave. It says directly that it would be anti-Christian of us to feel that the church should pay its own bills for its own abuse with its own billions that it throttled from our grandparents, whom it also abused, physically, emotionally, psychologically and sexually.

Evidence of sexual abuse by clergy, according to the Murphy report, can be traced as far back as 320 AD and the first treatment centres for paedophile priests were created in 1940, named Servants of the Paraclete.

These centres were opened all over the world.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/sinead-oconnor-id-help-jesus-to-burn-down-the-vatican-2087994.html

[polichick]

1. "If Christ was here, he would be burning down the Vatican" - yep...

...it's a ways past the moneychangers!

[JackRiddler]

5. Actually, Jesus would never burn the Vatican.

He wasn't big on burning.

Well, anyway, my interpretation of the fictional character known as "Jesus Christ," as presented in the fine tall tales of the New Testament gospels (possibly based on real people who were long dead by the time these were written), is that he wasn't big on burning.

Way I'd see it, he'd be aiming to storm into the Vatican and kick the Pope and his band of Pharisees out.

Then he'd open the gates to the children, the poor, the hungry, the prisoners, the tax collectors and the tax cheats, the prostitutes, the fishermen, the slackers and hippies, the Samaritans, and even a few camel-sized rich men, if they could make it through the eye of a needle.

All would sit at the same table and have the greatest feast of their lives, even if they had to make do with crumbs from the Pope's cupboard.

Except that Jesus's forces, armed only with whips and righteousness, might lose the battle against the Swiss Guard, and find themselves locked up.

And I think you all know what would come after that. The Vatican advertises the rebel's fate at the top of every altar.

Then, three hundred years after his crucifixion, they would declare him a God. And tell you what he demands of you.

[RandomThoughts]

19. The entire passage is interesting. Most people forget what he said after that.

This is a comment on my view on a verse referenced in the comment, I post based on what I believe things mean and know others think differently. My view on it came over time, but I found it important for me, and many just quote the first part.



You reference the verses
Luke 18
18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Entire Chapter from Luke 18
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+18&version=NKJV

When I read that comment, especially since it is after the comment of self righteousness I see it differently.

The person was claiming to be righteous, but no person is perfect, he was asking What could he do to gain eternal life. The gift is from the grace of God, not from what a person does. I do believe it is pleasing to God when people help others, but God, in my view, also gives us grace, because we are all partly flawed, both rich and poor, and many people with money can do many good things.

Also in one way or another we are all too rich to be saved, if being saved was based on what we do or are, our saving is from the grace of God, in my belief.

In my view, I am not saying people should horde wealth, nor do they have to be poor, I think there are ways for people to have modest joys in life, while doors open that allow them to use what they have to also help people.

[awnobles]

20. Correct,

A+

[salguine]

7. And if it happened the way I envision it, Jesus would be wearing Ray Bans™, and he'd

do it by pausing as He walked away from the Vatican, turning, and flicking a lit cigarette that would travel in a long arc (in slow motion of course), landing in a puddle of spilled lamp oil, which would promptly ignite and spark a huge fireball, consuming all within, and before He turned away He would say in a gravelly voice, "Do unto others, motherfuckers!"

[SidDithers]

13. Cool guys don't look at explosions...

they blow things up and they walk away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo&feature=fvw

Sid

[LiberalFighter]

17. I think if Jesus was a god he would be raining down lightening and brimstone on the bastards.

[DonCoquixote]

2. And if Mohammed was here

He would be smashing the Kaaba, as it has become an idol in and of itself.

[Warpy]

3. There is one buried passage, I understand,

that said he wanted it destroyed in his own time because it was already an idol.

[DonCoquixote]

22. if you find that quote

I would love it.

No, I am not an islamophobe, as I grew up with Iranians and Pakistanis, but I do dislike the way Hamas and Al-Q use Islam for their own gains. Then again, I hate their Bible thumping brothers over here too.

[lunatica]

4. This is one time I'll say amen

Amen to that!

[malaise]

6. I'd help too

Rec

[Coventina]

8. As an art historian, I cannot advocate for the destruction of all the great works

contained in the Vatican.

Although I certainly understand the anger behind O'Connor's position.

If we could just run the bums out of the facility, and operate it as an art museum for the benefit of the victims of the Catholic Church, that would work for me.

[HeresyLives]

14. It would make a beautiful art museum and world library.

And we can just let the current inhabitants pass into history.

[old mark]

34. ...or else return them to whoever they were stolen from. nt

[treestar]

9. How come she needs attention after doing so long without it?

:wtf:

[HeresyLives]

15. She wrote a letter to the editor responding to this....

Jaw-dropping comments by Denis Brennan, Catholic Bishop of Ferns, added greatly to (some of) the nation's anxiety this week. He suggested that his local parishioners should open their purses to help his church out with its alleged current financial embarrassment.

The sting in the tail was his definition of what makes and unmakes a good Christian. It was a case of the béal bocht occupying the high moral ground. Most bishops had the sense to cut back on moral pronouncements since the Ryan and Murphy reports, realising their damaged authority means this isn't the moment to tell people what's right and wrong.

But money has its own imperatives, especially when it comes to the institutional Catholic Church.

"That 'I did not cause the problem' is not the response of the Christian," Bishop Brennan said. "That I would like to help in the work of justice, healing, reconciliation, a safer environment for children, proper financial stewardship and overall good economic health is the response of the Christian."

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/medb-ruane/medb-ruane-do-your-christian-duty-and-help-the-bishop-balance-the-books-2090738.html

[defendandprotect]

28. If the Irish are truly awake, they'll put beans in the collection plate --

The Church is rotten from the top down --

but I doubt it will fall from its own decay and rot --

The Irish should give it a push --

[closeupready]

38. Even if that happened, I think Christian churches are directly subsidized by many European gov't's.

They used to be, I know.

[roguevalley]

24. acually, she's been spot on. she blew the horn on the shitstorm before

it went mainstream and I admire her.

[defendandprotect]

29. Tearing up the Pope's picture on Saturday Night Live?

Loved it -- woke up a lot of people!!

[roguevalley]

32. yeah. she was decrying sexual abuse in her childhood and she

was ahead of the curve.

[defendandprotect]

35. All of these nations which were coerced into Catholicism certainly knew . . .

and have long known about the behavior of these priests --

It's good news that people are talking about all of this more openly

and I think what Sinead is doing is going to make that even more common --

at least I hope so!!

That old axiom that "It isn't polite to discuss politics or religion in public"

certainly helped keep a lot of truths hidden!!

:)

[Initech]

10. I'll gladly help

[Dave From Canada]

11. *Yawn* n/t

[Poll_Blind]

12. Jesus had some good ideas but his temper, just like his father's, was too violent for my tastes.

I'm not saying I wouldn't post the story about him and Sinead going after the Vatican, but I'd probably just post the popcorn-eating emoticon in judiciously-reserved comment.

The inevitable team-up between the Vatican secret police and the Mossad (among many others, I'm sure) to catch Sinead and Jesus afterward would make a bitchin' movie, though. There's the hilarious scene where Jesus shaves his head and Sinead wears the long-haird wig, robes and fake beard when they have to pretend to be the other one during the...I dunno...but I'm sure that would have to happen at some point during the movie.

If they can get Robbie Benson to play the head of the Mossad (who's really a sympathetic inner-conflicted Ultra-orthodox Rabbi) and Anthony Hopkins to play The Pope, I'm smelling Oscars.

I'm thinking Jesus and Sinead kiss as they drive their getaway car over the cliff at the end.

PB

[TexasObserver]

31. Sinead. Jesus. The best buddy film of 2010!

ONE MAN ....

[pansypoo53219]

16. not burn. i say we

have a sale for the poor. lot of objects & art inside. not sure who could buy those big pillars. maybe make it a museum. kick all those guys out.

[LiberalFighter]

18. I wonder how long the future of the Catholic church will last?

[HeresyLives]

21. One more pope apparently.

At least according to the prophecies of St Malachi. ;)

[defendandprotect]

25. The corrupt seem to stay in power the longest . . .!!!

I went by "The Godfather" on TV tonight and stopped a few minutes to watch --

and said to my husband that maybe we shouldn't ignore what has always looked like

a very strong link between the Vatican and the Mafia?

hmmmm.....

[canetoad]

23. Kick Bishop Brennan in the arse!

Father Ted fans will get it - the most irreverent, unforgiving send-up of the Catholic Church EVAH.

Edited to add link to Bishop Brennan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRMvY6zslYg

[defendandprotect]

26. LOVE Sinead O'Connor . . . and re the abuse she's pretty much saying what the Italians ...

have said all along -- this abuse has been going on since the first days of the Church --

Haven't read all of the article yet -- but good for Sinead!!

And good for Ireland to rid themselves of this "church" -- this morally and criminally

abusive church!!

[RainDog]

27. amen

what a waste of anyone's life to defend this pedophile palace.

[upi402]

30. I hope there IS a hell, and wish Jesus WOULD return

:evilgrin: Do sheeple bleat? Would Saddam and Bush meet?

Does a he-horse have a hang-down? Is James Brown funky and King Kong a monkey?

[Onceuponalife]

33. oh God I love Sinead...

[JVS]

36. INRI= Iesus Nazarenus Rex Incendiorum?

:rofl:

[Echo In Light]

37. k/r