As stated many times....Religion is a Mafia organization

[partis]

[MisterTinkles]

Not a mafia organization but just a business and if there was no money in it, it would cease to exist.

Making people suffer, harassing people, threatening people, killing people......because they DONT do what you say or believe what you believe?

THAT IS A MAFIA ORGANIZATION..........OR GOVERNMENT, your choice.

[MisterTinkles]

We should all be glad the church can't get away with the things it did in the Middle Ages.

The "church" never came OUT of the middle ages!! They still kill, maim, and destroy........they just do it behind closed doors now, instead of in the town square!

[sillyboy86]

LOL
You have no idea, as an Italian, I can only say LOL . And vomit. I hate this place.
We pay some taxes that with a tricky method are directly going in the Vatican Banks. And it's legal. But in a very wrong and dark kind of legality.

Vatican is bigger and bigger and bigger than every Mafia in the world. Mafia bosses are silly kids in comparison of cardinals and popes.
If you ask me who is the first dictator in the world that I would delete if I could I will always answer: the pope and his criminal band. Cause he's more powerful than Mugabe or Kim Jong and all of those shitty men.

[southbiochem]

the Church plays an essential role in our society - not just spiritual but material, as well (the Catholic Church is the world champion of charities)

Catholic Church:"Too many deeds and not enough faith", I heard a protestant once say. And not even that.

As one living in a country that suffers from that sickness called Catholic Church allow me to differ.

The Church doesn't educate, it doesn't promote welfare (as much as people delude themselves into thinking it does) it doesn't advocate for human rights.

Proof?

I seem to recall every fascist regime from Franco in Spain to Mussolini in Italy to Latin American right wing dictatorships to be publicly supported by the Catholic Church and by Catholic parties.

I seem to recall every law against workers/women/LGBT/Native Americans rights to have full support by The Catholic Church.

If things are a bit different in Europe with the Church they are certainly not in Latin America.

When it comes especifically to my country:

I can recall the case of one Daniel Zamudio, a gay young men beaten to death in 2012 by a neo-nazi gang.

Even the right winger president went to personally visit him before he died of his injuries, condemned the action and pushed for a full anti-discrimination law to be finally passed after 7 years of stalling it by the Church and the Catholic politicians.

The Church stated this: "You don't know how this young man lived nor what his "condition" lead him to do"

They were talking about a responsible college student loved by his parents. And to put the cherry on top the allmighty authorities and the Bishop of Santiago went on to visit a priest facing charge of child abuse while everyone else was mourning the death of the young man.

Did you know Chile didn't have a proper divorce law until 2004, and not even fully implemented until 2010? GO CATHOLIC CHURCH!

Did you know you can barely see a condom around here, while Chile remains as one of the top Latin American countries in HIV infection incidence? GO CATHOLIC CHURCH!


A moral role, a good example to people so they may thrive and be good, perhaps? Not really.

I turned out to be a top student, decently responsible worker, who doesn't drink, smoke nor does drugs, nor steals, nor kills.

And I didn't recall anyone within my household opening a Bible ever.

[Wade]

^^^

Thank you SBC. Here's a fun game for everyone. Try to name one organization/entity that has caused more damage to the intellect, anguish, death, torture and suffering over the entire course of human civilization than the Catholic Church. Go!

[VileKyle]

Meh. I live in a Catholic dominated area right now. They're generally nice people (like anyone else, really), so I feel no ill will towards them. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. I see no reason to start being an asshole about it.

[MisterTinkles]

Meh. I live in a Catholic dominated area right now. They're generally nice people (like anyone else, really), so I feel no ill will towards them. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. I see no reason to start being an asshole about it.

Yeah, but like a lot of other religious people (my experiences) ... they can turn very mean, very nasty, very aggressive, and very deadly, before you even have a chance to react to anything.

[VileKyle]

Yeah, but...

I don't care about your "yeah but" response. I'm telling you what I've seen, and it's nothing like all the demonizing I keep hearing about online (especially this site, sheesh).

Unless someone personally wrongs me, I'm not going to raise pitchforks against them. I only throw stones at those who throw them at me first. So far not a single Catholic person has done that to me, so I'm not about to start that personal war. You won't talk me into being angry at them over nothing.

Actually, atheists have been assholes to me in person far more than any religious person, and I'm not even religious.

[nfisher1226]

Actually, atheists have been assholes to me in person far more than any religious person, and I'm not even religious.

The average atheist will likely say exactly what is on his or her mind even if it's offensive. This can easily be taken as being an asshole.

The average church member will smile to your face and say all the mean and nasty shit later on in private when you're not around..

I prefer knowing what people actually think, rather than some line of bullshit. I generally assume it's common courtesy to give everyone else the straight dope, too. If you don't like it...

Fuck You