George Pell has been charged

[Mugwump]

I have been called a communist and a "gal" by the the Philippine Catholic Right, but the truth remains, these people do not just hate gay people, they hate sex itself. How could they not, when they glorify celibacy and immaculate conception. Sex and childbirth are messy and ugly. Celibacy is pure and sacred. Hence their jihad against contraception, single mums, divorce, abortion gay marriage and even sex itself, where it does not lead to conception. A messy means to a glorious end, except of course when the child is out of the womb and living in poverty, then it is someone else's problem.

I suppose some do find sex revolting or disturbing, and I don't agree with priestly celibacy or the Catholic attitude to contraception. However, I think we might look in the mirror and consider whether we have gone too far in seeing sex as a kind of mere commodity transfer of pleasure, and restore just a little awe to the intimacy that carries the risk of new life, the possibility of love, and all the responsibilities and significance entailed in that.

I am not convinced that the modern attitude to sexuality has resulted in a better world for the children who are often conceived or aborted or beaten by stepfathers as a result of transient, uncommitted and reckless relationships. I'm also not convinced that this modern attitude is so far from a hatred of sex (if that term actually means anything) insofar as it turns sex into a recreational device. Maybe before we assume too much about the complex motivations of a whole class of people, we might examine the difficult issues raised by our own belief systems first.

[think positive]

Kind of matches in with the society thread. Some things you can't and shouldn't put a price on. Once again a mugwump I agree. It's sad.

[HAL]

Which things in particular?

[David]

What about the link between celibacy (i.e. repressed sexuality) and child abuse? Is there a link there?

[think positive]

What about the link between celibacy (i.e. repressed sexuality) and child abuse? Is there a link there?

probably. Telling someone you can never gave a root smacks of boarding school to me. I don't see the point in it anyway. Is their sperm sacred?

[Mugwump]

What about the link between celibacy (i.e. repressed sexuality) and child abuse? Is there a link there?

Would seem more than likely. Sexuality is such a powerful force. To choose a course of radical continence, then to be placed in a position of power over others in conditions of secrecy, and shown that there are few consequences for transgression..... What could possibly go wrong ??

[regan is true fullback]

tannin wrote:

And if there was a tedious, pointless, entirely pleasure-free way to achieve conception, they'd be 100% in favour of it.

There is, it's called adoption. And it was and is the modus operandi of your everyday Catholic fascist, in Spain where mass murder under the Franco regime led to hundreds of thousands of kids being adopted out to "good Catholic families", in Columbia, where the Cartels, all good Catholic boys, steal kids from poor mothers and sell them to rich American families, and in Australia, where the infamous Darlinghurst Girls Home operated in order to separate single mums from their babies. Once the important part of the girl's "payload" was delivered, she was told to get dressed and go home by the saintly nuns.

Let's try Warrane College, run by the Opus Dei movement, where the male students were not allowed on the same floor as the cleaners (middle aged women), lest their earthly desires be inflamed.

Funny how the champions of "freedom" believe in denying it to so many.

as I have said before, the best place for Santamaria and his fascist mates is in the cemetary.

[Mugwump]

^ We've been here before - Santamaria apparently had sympathies with Italian and Spanish (but not German) fascism, because he believed (somewhat messianically, perhaps) that the very evident murderousness of Communism had to be fought. People today forget how elemental the conflict was, between the cynical humanist brutality of Communism and the ancient Christian roots of European Civilisation (also of course quite capable of brutality). This played out, in Southern Europe , Santa's ancestral homeland, as a conflict between fascism and Communism.

Does that make Santamaria a fascist ? Well, In some measure, yes, but only as the choice of a specific historical conflict. Santamaria did not seek to create a party with fascist ideals in his political activities in Australia, working diligently within the democratic system. Perhaps that was only because he judged a fascist movement unlikely to succeed, but that is not evidence ; on the evidence, I'd say that the verdict is "no, not ultimately."

Ironically, In the end, both communism and Christendom would be eclipsed by the altogether more powerful force of global capitalism, the devil with which Santamaria allied himself as the lesser of two evils, rather as the Allies joined with Russia in WW2. He who rides the tiger, etc.

You know my views on wishing opponents in a cemetery : it's not a civilized way to think, unless they are really trying to kill you first.

PS if you think adoption is "a tedious... way to achieve conception" (as you stated in response to Tannin's post) then you're doing it wrong.....

[regan is true fullback]

Father Time has taken care of Santamaria, and Marcos, and Franco...

[sixpoints]

Father Time has taken care of Santamaria, and Marcos, and Franco...

Will it also see the end of neo-liberal capitalism?

[HAL]

I think [quoteregan is a lot of things.

[Member 7167]

^

if every sperm is sacred and masturbation is a sin, DTM would be a mass murderer in the same league as Pol Pot.

One of the best posts on Nicks

[David]

There'd be more than a few men here who'd fit that description, let's be honest.

[Pies4shaw]

Father Time has taken care of Santamaria, and Marcos, and Franco...

Will it also see the end of neo-liberal capitalism?

Probably not - greed doesn't die, only people do.

[Jezza]

Ridsdale sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-31/p ... es/8858576