Atheist Richard Dawkins backs campaign to arrest Pope

[ragbagflyer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8614232.stm

Leading atheist Richard Dawkins has backed a campaign to have the Pope arrested for "crimes against humanity" when he visits the UK later this year.

Professor Dawkins said he "whole-heartedly" backed the initiative led by atheist Christopher Hitchens.

UK human rights lawyers are preparing a case to charge Pope Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

Dr William Oddie, former editor of The Catholic Herald, labelled it "lunatic".

Campaigners hope to cast a shadow over the Pope's planned visit to the UK in September - the first visit by a Pope since 1982.

Prof Dawkins wrote on his blog: "I am optimistic that we shall raise public consciousness to the point where the British government will find it very awkward indeed to go ahead with the Pope's visit."

And writing in the Guardian on Tuesday, columnist George Monbiot wrote: "Picture the pope awaiting trial in British prison, and you begin to grasp the implications of the radical idea that has never been applied: equality before the law."

The BBC's religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said the anti-Pope campaign could be seen as a mischievous attempt to create an "air of criminality" around the Pope.

"The controversy over alleged Papal involvement in the cover-up of child sex abuse is providing atheists with a stick with which to beat religion," he said.

The Pope's visit was announced shortly before allegations surfaced that he had signed a letter which delayed the punishment of a paedophile priest in the US.

Legal state?

This followed a series of child abuse scandals involving the Catholic church in the US, the Irish Republic, Germany and Norway.

The Vatican has defended the Pope, saying the Pope is willing to meet more victims of clerical abuse, while the Church has published an internet guide as to how bishops deal with accusations of sexual abuse.

Barrister Geoffrey Robertson and solicitor Mark Stephens are considering whether they could either ask the Crown Prosecution Service to initiate criminal proceedings against the Pope; launch their own civil action or refer his case to the International Criminal Court.

Author Christopher Hitchens said he does not believe the Vatican to be a legal state which raises questions as to whether the Pope, as head of state, could claim diplomatic immunity.

He said: "The UN at its inception refused membership to the Vatican but has allowed it a unique "observer status", permitting it to become signatory to treaties such as the Law of the Sea and (ironically) the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to speak and vote at UN conferences where it promotes its controversial dogmas on abortion, contraception and homosexuality."

The group have cited as precedent the recent case of Israel's former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who cancelled a visit to London after a British judge issued an arrest warrant over her alleged involvement with the conflict in Gaza.

But Dr Oddie, former editor of The Catholic Herald, said the campaign demonstrated how "wonderfully lunatic" both Christopher Hitchens and Professor Dawkins were.

"What's lawful is what is lawfully agreed by lawful authorities, in this case Italian law - the government of Italy - and secondly, international law, determined by the United Nations. Both legal authorities accept the Vatican is a legal state.

"Christopher Hitchens is entitled to say it shouldn't be one, but he can't say it isn't one - it's like people in a lunatic society saying they are Napoleon," he said.

The Vatican has ruled out any possibility of a papal resignation over the scandal.

[BibleMonkey]

Hell is going to be so full-It'll be hard getting an apartment -even worse than getting
a Calgary motel room during Stampede .




Dawkins, and Hitchens, the Pope, Hitler, -you name 'em...
-all will have to bunk tight together in a single bed.

One of them will have eaten cabbage and tacos.

And the Window won't open- be painted shut .

That's why it's called hell. ahahahaha.



There'll probably be like, only two people in Heaven......

Some crazy cat lady.......and hmmmmm...can't think who the other one might be,....

[Nark]

UK human rights lawyers are preparing a case to charge Pope Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

I guess these fellows forgot what he learned in law school.

[BibleMonkey]

..Pope Benedict XVI..

We're up to 16 already?

Never trust anybody over XV

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI_of_France

[BibleMonkey]

If I don't make any more posts for three, six months
-I got hit by lightening.....

[Invertago]

Can't we just vote out the pope, it is a political office right?

[Invertago]

If I don't make any more posts for three, six months
-I got hit by lightening.....

What happens after 6 months, they rebuild you?

[shitdisturber]

UK human rights lawyers are preparing a case to charge Pope Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

I guess these fellows forgot what he learned in law school.

Apparently they're also forgetting that the Vatican has the same status as any other country and as the head of the Vatican the Pope has diplomatic immunity. Maybe they can persuade Danny Glover to shoot him in the head.

[bmc]

I was going to suggest that he should be gang raped, but he might actually enjoy it.

[iflyforpie]

UK human rights lawyers are preparing a case to charge Pope Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

I guess these fellows forgot what he learned in law school.

Apparently they're also forgetting that the Vatican has the same status as any other country and as the head of the Vatican the Pope has diplomatic immunity. Maybe they can persuade Danny Glover to shoot him in the head.

Just launch an invasion into the country and set up a tribunal for crimes against humanity. It wouldn't be like walking into France (they have Swiss guards after all) but I'm pretty sure the Marines would make short work of the Battle of the Piazza.


This is why Dawkins is no better than any television evangelist. He is not a scientist with a neutral point of view; he is a dogmatic person bordering on fanaticism...

[Sulako]

Earlier, I posted in this thread suggesting harsh interrogative methods should be used on the pope. It was in jest, but people took offense, and I understand why they did. Point taken, I apologize. I have deleted the offending post and won't do it again.

What I should have said was that it appears the pope has failed as a leader in this regard, and that's important enough that perhaps he should be removed from office. Based on the news reports I have seen, it appears he acted slowly or not at all in addressing several serious offenses committed by priests. This has nothing to do with Christianity for me - Jebus preached love and acceptance, and I fully agree with that - it has to do with what appears to be an institutionalized system where child abusers had their actions covered up by their superiors, and in this case the buck stops with the pope.

[Invertago]

Earlier, I posted in this thread suggesting harsh interrogative methods should be used on the pope. It was in jest, but people took offense, and I understand why they did. Point taken, I apologize. I have deleted the offending post and won't do it again.

What I should have said was that it appears the pope has failed as a leader in this regard, and that's important enough that perhaps he should be removed from office. Based on the news reports I have seen, it appears he acted slowly or not at all in addressing several serious offenses committed by priests. This has nothing to do with Christianity for me - Jebus preached love and acceptance, and I fully agree with that - it has to do with what appears to be an institutionalized system where child abusers had their actions covered up by their superiors, and in this case the buck stops with the pope.

I wasn't among the offended (I vaguely recall the post actually) but I'll give a big +1 to this one. Oh, except your spelling sucks there Sudoko, it is spelled Jesus


On a side note, can't we come up with some WMD story or at least plant some oil under the Vatican. Then we can move in there and clean the place out? Time for a regime change I think.

[BibleMonkey]

but I'll give a big +1 to this one.

Yup-that's pretty fair-minded self-moderation there.


================

If I don't make any more posts for three, six months
-I got hit by lightening.....

What happens after 6 months, they rebuild you?

No, sadly.

The Doc warned me after my last brain transplant that's it: no more rebuilds.

If only there had been another compatible donor-they had to use the brain out of a smart-ass!










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