Should the Pope be given the honour of a UK state visit?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.guardian.c...k-state-visit-protest

So /// Stephen Fry, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman and Richard Dawkins are among more than 50 public figures who have signed a letter to the Guardian arguing that the pope should not be given the "honour" of a UK state visit.///

Roman Catholic, Religious or not,

Why should the Pope not be given the honour of a UK state visit, just because of the Vatican's record on 'gay rights', 'abortion' and 'birth control'?

Would they also criticise other religions on their various records of their faith?

[zita-green]

Thank you, andy-hughes. Abuse of any kind is inexcusable. Besides his repellent statements about women, abortion and sexual health, this pope has a history of not dealing with abusers.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

A good all round simple answer, then you once again spoilt it with unnecessary disrespectful, ageist , racial, and offensive comments, such as :

/// Let the old Kraut come if it makes a few million bog-trotters happy. ///

[Gromit]

You're not from bog-trotter descent are you AOG?

[mike11111]

"You once again spoilt it with unnecessary disrespectful, ageist , racial, and offensive comments"

Please tell me this is a dream.

[Count-A-Strong]

Could we have a tally of the posters who have contributed and who are Catholic? There just seems, to me, to be a blind fanatical devotion the the head of the most corrupt and invideous organisation that ever existed.

[andy-hughes]

Come on Grommit - there is a line bewtween adding a little provocative comment to liven up an answer, and adding offensive racist statements - and your answer crosses it bigtime.

Please refer to my previous answer re. abuse / the spirit of the AB.

[zita-green]

No one is accusing the pope of abuse, Gromit but of not dealing with it when he was a cardinal and now as pope.

[jno]

Gromit, as I understand it, at least some of the accusations against Benedict are personal rather than official: that he covered up abuse cases while he was archbishop in Germany, for instance. That is a different matter from holding him accountable for things done by others before or during his term as pope; it relates to his own performance of his own job.

[sp1814]

If it weren't for the Catholic church, Madonna would've had nothing to rebel against, AND she wouldn't have had to make the Like A Prayer video...which I assume we all agree - is great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ&ob=av2e

[mike11111]

I have posted. I am not RC (although would classify myself as a High Church Anglican). I am neither blind, fanatical nor devoted to anyone, and can think of a few more corrupt and invidious institutions than the RC Church.

[Count-A-Strong]

Go on then..................

[mike11111]

The Houses of Parliament for one.
Do you really need me to continue?

[andy-hughes]

Hey mike 11111, instead of sparring with the Count over there, how about an apology to zita-green for being so hostile?

[Count-A-Strong]

Yep. I don't think the houses of parliament is an organisation. It is a building which, in it's time, has housed many 'organisations' non of whom (with the possible exception of Oliver Cromwell) have inflicted centuries of physical and mental abuse on seemingly thousands of people.

[Count-A-Strong]

butt-out andy this is a private spar ;-)

[mike11111]

No longer I'm afraid. You're shadow boxing from now on.

As for the other point, I am more than happy to apologise for any offence inadvertently caused, but not for stating the bleeding obvious.

[Count-A-Strong]

In a Monty Python voice 'Come back and fight ya coward, I'll bite yer legs off'

[mike11111]

A mere flesh wound! But hark! my trusty squire doth already sound his tambourine to remind me that I have run out of ciggies, so I must hie myself hence to yonder tobacconist who may supply my needs. (Wish he wouldn't keep singing, "Bold Sir Robin" he knows my name's Trevor!)

[B00]

ust because a few celebrity sausage jockeys get the hump over someone who considers their sexual preferences abnormal.

Whatever, the catholic church or any other church pontificates,thats their business.

Tell that to the God knows how many children that have been abused by his so called priests of God.