Toon explains why the Pittsburgh Catholic can't write critically about women priests. (Update.)

I criticized the Pittsburgh Catholic for not having hardly any stories about the somewhat sexist decision by the Catholic Hierarchy/Patriarchy to not ordain women priests. There's a chance that the story may have happened after their weekly deadline. Then again, such a story would no doubt extoI the church's infinite wisdom, direct red phone to God's cell, his Popish perfection and so on...

I actually think the church's position on this can be captured perfectly with but a toon:

I still don't know why this cartoonist hasn't been condemned to death. He or she does great work!

UPDATE: We get comments. Did you know calling me an "IDIOT" in all caps is the worst thing you could say to me? Oh how will I recover:

But I'm going to get back up and fight again. First up Str8shootr says:

Sexist decision???? Already one knows the writer is an IDIOT. I mean, some of the dumbest people on the face of the earth are so-called journalists. Uh, pardon me, genius, but did Jesus choose any women to be apostles? Uh...why not? What are you going to do, Einstein? Thrill us all by calling Jesus a sexist? Women do not ascend to the level of men in spiritual or intellectual matters. The greatest philosophers, engineers, painters, scientists, chess players. athletes and just above everything else you can name that represents a career or a hobby, including cooking and the design of fashion, are dominated by men. Women have what they have because men gave it to them. Get that, Einstein? (Oh, yesh, he was a guy, too.) The concept of a woman leading a mass is laughable and a perversion of the church founded by Christ. If He wanted women as His apostles, He would have chosen women. So just shut the hell up, you dope.

First up, the Catholic point of view on women isn't even consistent with other kinds of Christianity. Other somewhat saner (relatively) Christian organizations allow for women to serve in the clergy as leaders and bishops and so forth. They don't even need ex Nazi Popes to tell them how to cover up for the crimes of child rapists. Who knew. And "women do not ascend to the level of men in spiritual or intellectual matters." Sez who? And no I won't "just shut the hell up, you dope." Of course, as an alleged follower of Jesus I don't remember him ever encouraging his followers to tell people who disagree with him to "jus shut the hell up"...what's next: You'll issue a fatwa against me? Threaten to kill more women or throw acid into the faces of little girls who dare to go to school like your Taliban fellow travelers....? Whatever happened to turning the other cheek...but then you're just a theocratic chump. Of course you revert to force when you can't argue your way out of a problem. Its the mark of the beast and the bully.

Frak you.

Next up Jim says:

Exodus 21:22 does not say killing an unborn child requires only a fine. It is a fine if no harm follows; meaning, the mother and child live. In verses 23 and 24 it says, if harm follows (i.e., either injury or death to either mother or child), then it is eye for eye, life for life, etc. In addition, the breathing of life into Adam was a unique, unrepeatable event in history. When Elizabeth was pregnant with John and the pregnant Mary entered the room, John leapt in Elizabeth's womb due to the presence of the enfleshed God. Regarding being born again, keep in mind that the Spirit of God first prepares the soil, then plants the seed, and then the seed sprouts and bears fruit. This is a process, but the proof is in the pudding; meaning, the final result is the fruit. To stop that process at any point is to kill the fruit.

I have to admit that most of this just sounds silly with all the sprouting and seeds and fruiting and such. It also makes the usual mistake the religious make when debating atheists: I don't buy that the Bible or the Torah or the Koran is divinely inspired. I think they're books written by devious people meant to exploit and frighten naive and, well, mentally weak people. You might as well worship the "bible" that is Frank Herbert's "Dune". "Fear is the mindkiller" don't you know...

And as far the "breathing of life into Adam was a unique, unrepeatable event in history" well what history is that? I thought it was just a nice little myth. Unless you think God really really created the world in six days...Oh I shouldn't have even asked that....

And for those commentators supporting me thank you. Its not just me...

The Pittsburgh Catholic seems to miss all the real juicy stories.

I read the Pittsburgh Catholic only because I need material for this column. I certainly wouldn't read it to get news about the Catholic Church, although if you read this essay about The Propaganda Model you would definitely conclude that Ownership matters.

Here are some of the hard hitting articles you can read in this week's Pittsburgh Catholic.

Family business rides on smiles

Reinharts carry on tradition of “simple childhood pleasures”

Golf tournament’s operations manager seeks area volunteers

Catholic woman foresees boost for charities

What has the church done to address the tragedy of the sexual abuse of children and to provide a safe environment for children in Catholic environments?

Well, I suppose that last one is an attempt at some valuable news. Of course, the headline could have read: "What has the church done lately to stop the rape and abuse of children by apparently not so celibate priests?" Darn the luck I think that's another corporate media job that I won't be getting: headline writer for the Pittsburgh Catholic.

By the way, if you read the story apparently the Catholic Church is doing a great job at self policing itself, a sentiment that perhaps doesn't jibe with reality, although that wouldn't stop the Catholic Church if even recent history is a judge, let alone, say, The Crusades...

I found some slightly better and more informative stories in about five minutes on Google. Oh look here's one:

Australian Catholic Church agrees to compensate victims

Here's the first graph:

The Australian Catholic Bishop Bill Morris is doing what the Pope and the Vatican seems unable to do. He is taking responsibility for the injustices which occurred under his watch and has agreed to compensate all the victims of child molestation and rape which fell under his jurisdiction.

In 2007 and 2008, Catholic teacher and child protections officer Gerard Vincent Byrnes raped and molested thirteen 9 and 10 year old girls multiple times. Byrnes has pleaded guilty to 46 counts of sexual assault and 10 counts of rape.

Bishop Morris has accepted responsibility and liability under the Australian Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002. He made a personal statement to the families of those molested that the Church will pay compensation not only to the 5 girls who have launched legal proceedings but to all the girls assaulted. Apparently, the school principle and Catholic Education failed to report Byrnes crimes to authorities when complaints were made.

The other really big story has to do with how the Catholic Church, in its actions anyway, seems to come down harder on ordained women priests than child rapists within its clergy. Here are some opinions that you won't be reading in the Pittsburgh Catholic.

Catholic Church Equates Sex Abuse With Female Ordination

U.S. News & World Report (blog) - Bonnie Erbe - ‎Jul 16, 2010‎

I had to reread the first paragraph of the following story three times until I was sure I'd read it correctly. The Vatican believes that ...

How to create a PR disaster

BBC News (blog) - ‎Jul 16, 2010‎

The Vatican has done it again. In their effort to show that they are dealing seriously with clerical abuse by priests, they have managed to provoke a storm

Outrage After Vatican Declares Ordination of Women a 'Grave Crime'

ABC News - Jim Sciutto, Enjoli Francis - ‎Jul 16, 2010‎

The formalized rules were billed as the Vatican's tough new response to abuse -- now targeting priests who possess child ...

You can find more stories like that here. Apparently, my old friend Phil Taylor doesn't know how to use the magics of the "Google".