I at first thought this was a student attempt at humour, then I read a previous article of the author.

Perhaps she can take her own advice:

"it does not analyse its subject, it does not defend its premise with more than the most superficial evidence, it does not offer any alternative points of view, and it does not offer any solutions to the questions it raises."

As for the Foster's, I am very sorry the ABC'$ Lateline dragged them away from their compensation $ponsored European vacation for little or no effect. Just who the hell was looking after their children to allow this type of abuse? Who were the idiots who aided and abetted this criminal priest?

There's some real stuff for your next contribution Ruby...

I think Reality Check says it all. Perhaps we should pray for him.

Enjoyed the post, Ruby. On the quote: "rather than dwelling crankily, as a few people are doing, on old wounds", I thought the contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald who pointed out how the Catholics dwell on the old wounds of the crucifixion had a good point too.

Ruby:
"...conceived despite the fact his mother had never had sex; that this same virgin never died but ascended to Heaven in physical form; that Jesus rose from the dead; that saints perform miracles; who believes all of these stories, cites lack of evidence for anthropogenic global warming."

Pell's allowed to get at least one thing right, isn't he? There IS no evidence for anthropomorphic global warming.

Dear Ruby,

Seeing as you're into things "Seven."

I saw a t-shirt that you would enjoy.
It read:

"Sins...Why stop at seven?"

By the way, enjoyed your article.

As a person living in Germany, I was not sure whether the WYD08 was such a success as claimed by the German commentators during the 5-hour TV coverage of the main events. Now I think it must have been, otherwise why would people unhappy about what it stood for find it necessary to write such sarcastic and vitriolic attacks on everything related to it?

I just hope our young Muslim friends read this article, and learn that one can react to insults by ignoring them, feeling just sorry for the author who needs this outlet to air her anti-religious (or whatever) hang-ups.

Dear George,

Sarcastic? Vitriolic?

Goodness me.

Lighten up.

An article written in a light, "tongue-in-cheek,"
style, I don't think was meant to be taken
all that seriously. I'm sure the author
did not mean this as any kind of attack.

Also, remember, God does have a sense of humour.

Look at yourself naked, preferably in a full-length mirrot.

Foxy,
We obviously disagree on the meaning of the words sarcastic (marked by or given to using irony in order to mock or convey contempt) and vitriolic (bitter criticism). And I certainly did not take the author seriously. As stated, I just felt sorry for her need to ridicule (or whatever word you find appropriate) other people’s world views that she does not understand.

[This need of hers is quite safe (for the society we live in) in case of Christianity, since Christians have become used to it. However, we all know that e.g. some Muslims have not yet developed such a thick skin, and cannot relate demands for dialogue and/or integration to the freedom to mock or convey contempt justified only be saying that one did not mean what one was writing (your tongue in cheek).]

Hi everyone, thanks for commenting. Reality Check, I think you may need to lighten up a little, this was just a light hearted dig at a major public event. I'm not trying to incite hatred against Catholics. But I do believe that nothing should be beyond the scope of criticism and tongue in cheek mockery.

Thanks for the support Foxy and HarryG.

Viking13, it was not my intention to launch into a debate about man-made climate change but simply to highlight the irony of a man whose entire life is based on faith suddenly claiming to value evidence.

And George, what better way to ignore my sarcastic vitriol than to write two comments telling everyone how sorry you feel for me?

RubySoho,
>> what better way to ignore my sarcastic vitriol than to write two comments telling everyone how sorry you feel for me?<<
Touché! ... I have to admit you are right, I should not have honoured this kind of writing with two comments (plus this one).

BEWARE THE PRIESTS

Save your praise and adoration for the God you believe in. The Pope is but a man. A man who lives off the riches of the church. Wealth that provides him with ruby rings and a very comfortable pampered life. He has a vested interest in the church to provide him with the very clothes he wears and the food he eats. He therefore cannot be trusted to think impartialy when someone like Galileo comes along and challenges the churches preaching that the earth and mankind are at the centre of the Universe and states that the sun doesnt revovle around the earth but the earth revovles around the Sun.

Those kind of challenges to his preachings even today could mean that he might have to give up the pampered life he has become accustomed too.

Love your God with an open mind not those who set themselves up as God's spokesmen because they can never speak for God.

OK Ruby,

so it was graduate undergraduate humour.

Fine. I look forward to similar hilarity about the Hajj !

You may not be "trying to incite hatred against Catholics" but all the same, such commentary can have that effect, even if not designed to do so, when it is compared to the whole media effort.

I again look forward to your expose of the issues raised in relation to other sectors and professions within society.

George>"why would people unhappy about what it stood for find it necessary to write such sarcastic and vitriolic attacks on everything related to it? "

... You should ask why the Germans (and most other Western societies) are so hung up about Nazis and their symbols (and violence in general) and the 'need' to imprison those who exercise their freedom of speech on the subject, before you start talking down to any races or groups of people such as muslims.

Reality Check:

I think indeed we do need a reality check. Very few people in Australia are "trying to incite hatred against Catholics". But don't get that confused with tolerance of catholicism, christianity or beliefs in "invisible friends" and bibles and korans.

Many of us found the Catholic World Youth Week an affront to our beliefs and the way we want to live our lives. We find the very idea of believing in invisible friends, in arguing morality based on a 1900 year old book which is full of contradictions, contrary to our humanist beliefs. Some of us who are concerned with climate change for instance, are angered when we hear some religious nutter claim there is no problem because god is looking after us. We feel terribly frustrated when Chinese feng shui predicts a tragedy in China on the basis of a solar eclipse of the sun. We are opposed to superstition in general. But our anger is addressed towards catholics mainly because they are ostentatious, hold youth weeks partially at the expense of a government we believe should be secular, and because it was the catholics who have caused the schism in our education systems, resulting in apartheid in children's communities etc etc.

It was a Catholic (Kevin Andrews) who put the kybosh on legalising euthanasia; it was a Catholic senator (Tasmania, name escapes me, Harradine?) who stopped family planning being "exported" to Africa. The list of complaints is almost unending.
Don't confuse these comments with "inciting hatred". Some of my best friends are catholic (that is actually true!). But Catholics must be aware that their carrying on causes pain to others.

Get your reality check here.

Steel,
>>You should ask why the Germans ... are so hung up about Nazis and their symbols (and violence in general) ... before you start talking down to any races or groups of people such as Muslims.<<

The answer is that the Germans did not have a celebration of what is positive in being a German disrupted and ridiculed by those who would rather they concentrate on what is negative in their cultural makeup (or perceived as negative, like their refusal to participate in the Iraq invasion, since they had enough of that in the saddest chapter of their history) .

I did not know I was talking down to Muslims, I do not know of any Muslim who would have openly protested against or ridiculed WYD08. There are more devout Muslims than devout Christians in the city where I live, and the problem is not with them but with those who want to disrupt the civilised world we have arrived at in the West after many years of evolution without knowing what to replace it with. Call this civilised world of ours secular if you like, although the atheist philosopher Juergen Habermas has recently been openly advocating a ‘post-secular society‘ (c.f. http://www.signandsight.com/features/1714.html) the difference being, among other things, that ridicule, sarcasm and insults are replaced by respect, dialogue and tolerance towards Christian as well as Muslim 'subcultures' (as he calls them). I say Christians and Muslims, because - at least in Germany for obvious reasons - nobody has yet tried to treat Jews the same way the jokers do Christians and Muslims.

And yes, I agree insult, ridicule and sarcasm aimed at what is saint to your opponent are preferable to physical violence, whoever instigates it.