The Pope is here!

[spooky_miss]

....and I've never felt so strongly anti-Catholic. Despite not being Catholic (I consider myself Christian), I went to a Catholic school and some of the hypocrisy shown there was just disgusting. I remember having to write several essays over my years there about why I didn't want to go to the Masses they had, in which I explained it was because I came to the school for their high level of educational standards and (supposed) Christian ethic, not for the Catholic teaching. There are so many beliefs of theirs which I disagree with, even though I agree with other branches of the Christian faith. Why can't women be ordained as priests? Why do they basically "worship" the Pope when they believe theres a perfectly good God they can talk to. Why are they so incredibly stupid about contraception? Why do they think that all their sins are "forgiven" just because their priest tells them to say a few Hail Marys?

I also don't get why everyone is making such a huge fuss about the Pope coming here. Its not like he's a recluse who only comes out of his house a few times a year. If you go to Rome you can see him take Mass in St Peter's Square every Wednesday (I think its Wednesday), like we did when we went there - although we didn't go see him because he's The Pope, just because he's another "famous" person to add to our list!! I know its all the way across Europe, but I think Catholics are supposed to make pilgrimages to places, and you would think Rome would be pretty high on their list!

But anyway. Less of that annoying topic! The next book I'm due to review I read so long ago that I actually can't remember what its about!! Which probably means it wasn't too great. So I'll have to go home and read the back so I can write a review of it. I'm almost catching up though, as I seem to be reading slower - but maybe I'm reading less as I've been doing so much OU work recently. Just finishing off the last few bits on my Archaeology questions, and then I have the Intro to Social Sciences course to start, which looks good! Not really sure where to start with it yet though - theres a textbook, and then two "study guides", 6 cds / DVDs and a booklet with the questions in....maybe I'll start with the questions.

Katie is coming home tomorrow, yay! and then we're going to Ozzfest at the O2 Arena on Saturday. Well, I hope we're going, as I've just read that the Ozzy concert in Germany tonight has been cancelled as Ozzy has a bad back.....but hopefully *something* will still go ahead even if Ozzy has to pull out. Ah well...we will wait and see!!

Edited to Add: I've just noticed that all the adverts on my LJ at the moment are advertising scientology!! I seem to get either ones advertising that, or ones written in Hebrew - how do they choose what adverts are on each persons page??

Comments

[robot-mel.livejournal.com]

I think the reason that people (well me) are upset about the pope's visit is that he's visiting as a "head of state". When John Paull II visited, he visited as a religious leader and that was fine. The difference means that in this time of financial crisis 15 million pounds of taxpayer's money is being spent on the visit! Which when the guy is coming here and insulting women, atheists, and queers, not to mention the whole - not using condoms cause they won't protect against HIV controversy! And on top of costing us so much, he's then charging people to attend mass! (Clearly he needs to re-read that bit in the new testament with Jesus and the money changers in the temple!)

So yes it's making people cranky!

But lols! I find I do the same thing with book reviews all the time! :)

[spooky-miss.livejournal.com]

oh I didn't mean a fuss like that, I understand that, hehe, but (this might sound a bit weird) like a "positive" fuss, like "oh my goodness the pope is coming, how exciting", like he's a popstar or something! I don't think people do that when the Archbishop of Cantebury comes to their town really. Its like he's some amazing star or fantastic person - he was just chosen to be the head of the church. But then I'm not Catholic so I don't see him as special in any way, he's just another church leader to me when to Catholics I think they think he's second only to God!! Or third, after Mary!

[robot-mel.livejournal.com]

Ah I see! Lols! I must admit I don't know anyone whose making a fuss like that. :)

[spooky-miss.livejournal.com]

its interesting as I know a few people who consider themselves Catholic, and they suddenly seem to be really pro The Pope and the Catholic church, even though they haven't previously talked about it that much. Though maybe its just because I enjoy talking about religion at all times and other people don't so much! :)

[kandielei.livejournal.com]

I had the same reaction when the pope came here. It was just so... in everyone's faces and we're really not a religious, let alone Catholic, country.

I do the same thing with book reviews hehe. I remember recently I was trying to tell Daniel what books I'd read and I totally forgot one of them, even though I had read it 2 days before... total blank. And it was actually an ok book when I checked what it was. I'm so behind in my book reviews :P

[spooky-miss.livejournal.com]

I think I'm behind seven books and four films! I have to be in the right mood to write book reviews though, or write any journal entries, otherwise I don't think I write very well, which I then get annoyed about! :)

[kandielei.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm the same :) Also I'm reading a lot of crime and YA at the moment... there's only so many times I can say it's a crime book, there was crime. ;)