Caltrops - Biohazard: Code Veronica





	[quote name="Senor Barborito MetaFilter Post"]As an atheist, I think little of Christianity and even less of Catholicism. Nevermind that faith is born of an irrational epistemology - the Pope, writs for sin, burning of heretics, papal bulls, et cetera were never mentioned by Christ insofar as we know of his words, nor in the writings of his direct followers. Even if Christianity were somehow true, the practices and the structure of the Catholic church are biblically unfounded in the extreme. That having been said, from a strict Biblical perspective Ratzinger's view here is (unfortunately) in line with the writings of Paul: "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church." <sup>1</sup> Corinthians 13:34-35 "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." <sup>1</sup> Timothy 2:11-12 The scant text in opposition to this viewpoint is far more open to interpretation (Paul could have been referring to elder women as teaching through example, for instance). "The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things." Titus 2:3 While a full review of the life of Christ as regards women is outside the scope of this post, let me assure that he was not at all the (supposedly God-inspired) misogynist that Paul was. That having been said, I can recall no specific known quotation of Christ that would directly oppose Paul's statements. However, Paul was throughout much of his ministry in the perfect position to edit out any quotations of Christ that would have contradicted him on this or any other point (which is in fact what I believe happened to an otherwise well-intentioned Judaic reformist movement centered around Christ). As Christians and believers in a perfect Christian God, however, these women would necessarily have to believe that God would not intentionally deceive his followers, and that therefore he did not allow the Bible to be significantly altered from his intent.1 This being the case, the way in which they are behaving is, according to Christianity, in opposition to God's will. I think Ratzinger is the worst thing to happen to the the abominable monstrosity that is the Catholic church in the past century, but as far as known scripture is concerned, he's technically in the right on this one. As someone said above, these women should seek out a Unitarian church, because their actions and the beliefs those actions imply suggest that they are Unitarians in fact regardless of how they would prefer to label themselves. <sup>1</sup><i>That scripturally unsound Catholicism was for so many centuries effectively the whole of Christianity is perhaps one of the greatest examples of the inconsistency of Christianity as a religion.</i> posted by Ryvar at 5:27 AM PST on July 27 [/quote]