Comments on: Italian Students and Professors Protest Pope’s Visit http://atheists.org/blog/2008/01/24/italian_students_and_professors_protest_ A Blog of Atheist Thought Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:05:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Celebrant Prince http://atheists.org/blog/2008/01/24/italian_students_and_professors_protest_/comment-page-1#comment-75924 Celebrant Prince Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-75924 The Catholic Church is nothing but a history of repression of the truth. Any thing spoken in contravention of Church doctrine was, and often still is, harshly dealt with. For Ratzinger to call Gallileo's fate "rational and just" in light of the truth Gallileo spoke back then and all the more so today, is for Ratzinger to reveal himself as a proponent of truth-repression.<br /> <br /> To protest truth-repression is the opposite of censorship. It is an act of speaking the truth. The university rector is wrong, the students and professors are in the right.<br /> <br /> Any informed person knows Ratzinger's history. There is no censorship involved in refusing to listen to liars and their lies, or in refusing to allow them a forum to propagate those lies.<br /> <br /> How this isn't obvious to anyone of even moderate intelligence remains a real plexer to me. The Catholic Church is nothing but a history of repression of the truth. Any thing spoken in contravention of Church doctrine was, and often still is, harshly dealt with. For Ratzinger to call Gallileo’s fate “rational and just” in light of the truth Gallileo spoke back then and all the more so today, is for Ratzinger to reveal himself as a proponent of truth-repression.

To protest truth-repression is the opposite of censorship. It is an act of speaking the truth. The university rector is wrong, the students and professors are in the right.

Any informed person knows Ratzinger’s history. There is no censorship involved in refusing to listen to liars and their lies, or in refusing to allow them a forum to propagate those lies.

How this isn’t obvious to anyone of even moderate intelligence remains a real plexer to me.

]]> By: charlie http://atheists.org/blog/2008/01/24/italian_students_and_professors_protest_/comment-page-1#comment-75926 charlie Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-75926 Hear Hear<br /> <br /> and just another example why religion deserves ridicule and has no place in the classroom....<br /> <br /> especially the funny catholics Hear Hear

and just another example why religion deserves ridicule and has no place in the classroom….

especially the funny catholics

]]> By: fosters24 http://atheists.org/blog/2008/01/24/italian_students_and_professors_protest_/comment-page-1#comment-75928 fosters24 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-75928 Now the real question is, was he sitting in his special chair that makes him infalliable? When he sits in that chair, he gets a direct line to God, it's like God's bat phone.<br /> I don't know Italian laws, especially regarding freedom of speech. Going off American laws, the Pope can say whatever he wants, the university is free to agree or disagree as they want. If the Vatican provides any funding to this university, they are free to withdraw said funding to show disapproval. However, if the Vatican owns this university, they are free to have the Pope speak there if they so choose. Personally, I am happy that this new Pope is so conservative, it'll help drive the moderates out of the church. Although I would be sad to see Catholics reduced to the level of evangelicals. Now the real question is, was he sitting in his special chair that makes him infalliable? When he sits in that chair, he gets a direct line to God, it’s like God’s bat phone.
I don’t know Italian laws, especially regarding freedom of speech. Going off American laws, the Pope can say whatever he wants, the university is free to agree or disagree as they want. If the Vatican provides any funding to this university, they are free to withdraw said funding to show disapproval. However, if the Vatican owns this university, they are free to have the Pope speak there if they so choose. Personally, I am happy that this new Pope is so conservative, it’ll help drive the moderates out of the church. Although I would be sad to see Catholics reduced to the level of evangelicals.

]]> By: atomictesting http://atheists.org/blog/2008/01/24/italian_students_and_professors_protest_/comment-page-1#comment-75929 atomictesting Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-75929 <blockquote>Question: Is this a story of protest over the Church's position on science; or is this a story about censorship and freedom of expression?</blockquote><br /> This is a silly question. A protest <i>is</i> a form of expression. Exercising one's right to assemble and express an opinion is not censorship, it's precisely the opposite.

Question: Is this a story of protest over the Church’s position on science; or is this a story about censorship and freedom of expression?

This is a silly question. A protest is a form of expression. Exercising one’s right to assemble and express an opinion is not censorship, it’s precisely the opposite.

]]> By: karen http://atheists.org/blog/2008/01/24/italian_students_and_professors_protest_/comment-page-1#comment-75930 karen Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-75930 This isn't censorship. They didn't prevent the pope from speaking. They just made it clear they weren't interested in what he had to say. He opted out himself. He could have still gone and made his speech, but it would have been embarrassing to not have everyone fawning all over him.<br /> <br /> More people should stand up and say "We don't want your repressive ass here." This isn’t censorship. They didn’t prevent the pope from speaking. They just made it clear they weren’t interested in what he had to say. He opted out himself. He could have still gone and made his speech, but it would have been embarrassing to not have everyone fawning all over him.

More people should stand up and say “We don’t want your repressive ass here.”

]]>