[..]the successful candidate is drawn from the church and even the convent- from the mode of education and life that are most adverse to reason, humanity and freedom. In the trammels of servile faith he has learned to believe because it’s absurd, to revere all that is contemptible, and to despise whatever might deserve the esteem of a rational being; to punish error as a crime, to reward mortification and celibacy as the first of virtues, to place the saints of the calender above the heroes of Rome and sages of Athens and to consider the missal, or the crucifix as more useful instruments than the plough or loom.
Edward Gibbon, the Decline and fall of the Roman Empire, pg 632
Random thoughts 
Right…, seems exactly what’s needed to make his f***ing holiness and the most f***ingly holy vatican the most desirable observing partner for the UN, EU… The Mafia offers protection in exchange for money. The Church offers prayer in exchange for alms. All roads lead to Rome…
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You can buy a place in the netherworld by making a generous contribution to the Vatican. I should be pope one day and be infallible even if for a month, I would help the church to its final destruction
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Should you need an advisor, deputy pope, etc. let me know☺
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I’m with LoT — should you need advisers, please consider me as well. Would really piss them off should a woman be in any leadership position in the Vatican. I would love to see them squirm. 😈
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There will be no interviews. I will just create infallible positions as we go along 😛
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Oh goodie — and while you’re at it, your Holiness, may I suggest a fashion committee — I can see value in discarding those bloody red vestments along with its symbolism.
I don’t make this stuff up. I’m sure you can see the importance of selecting new garb. 😉
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You have been declared the infallible head of fashion!
And that bishop is sick in the head if there is a brain there left somehow!
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Your Holiness, I wasn’t suggesting to head up the fashion committee. I prefer to head the finance committee, ensuring that the billions and billions of dollars actually go to help the down trodden. I’d also suggest finding a real estate agent.
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Hahahaha!
You truly have made my evening.
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Excellent — we shall celebrate then. Let’s bring out the wine and bread — the real stuff. I was never into canabolism.
Cheers.
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Cheers my good friend.
It will be a great celebration
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Indeed, and I swear — I WILL return your email. 😛
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No need to worry. You take your time.
What are you doing for Sunday?
My day is almost coming to a close and I will be here for a while maybe till 2000hrs then read a while before I sleep
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I’m browsing WP blogs and hoping to kick up some dust. Oh, and btw, I met a cool god last night.
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Really cool god we got there
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Yes, she/he/it made a good point about trillions of aliens being cooler than us.
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usually written simply as s/h/it 😛
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LOL — I deliberately wrote it that way, cuz this god isn’t a shit, unlike the other one people kiss ass with. 😛
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We are in agreement my friend 🙂
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Oh, one more suggestion — I recommend that we invest in a top-of-the-line sewer disposal system. We’ve got a lot of shit to clean up.
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This is noted and we shall have a committee to deal with this
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Excellent — and acquiring a sufficient number of hazmat suits and gear should be on the agenda as well.
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Seeing as is, apart from being head of finance, you shall be head of committees.
Any required committee shall be formed at your discretion
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Thank you, your Holiness. I would also like to recommend LoT to co-head the committee on selecting committees. I like his feistiness.
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Now this is already taking shape. That is approved
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😎
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You have been heard and this will be considered by the committee that is I, me and myself, the trinity if you may!
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No problem your Eminence, I’d gladly take what’s left and team up, since we’ll all be faultless thanks to Mak The Holy Father:-D
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It’s gonna be fun. 😀
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Amen to that☺
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*pours you a glass of wine*
*Makes a toast to the mighty Trinity*
Cheers.
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I like that quote.
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I think it captures the spirit of the candidates to the papacy
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Exactly.
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Whoa Liberty : )))
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Since you have shown the right amount of wonder, welcome on board, Your Eminence☺
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Why thank you kindly! I love to interact there although I admit I keep many of my thoughts to myself as they are pretty controversial. Glad that you speak your mind!
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I would love to hear your thoughts or to see them expressed in a beautiful photo; as they say, a photo can take the place of 1000 words 😀
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I agree but my thoughts on some of your topics would get me thrown off WP : ))) I will try though to be nice !
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Use pictures instead, I love your pictures.
You can’t be banned on this blog. The only people who get banned are those who insult the host.
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Who would dare do that?????
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There are a few people who I think were not taught proper manners such as not insulting your host
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Yes I know that comment was quite tongue in cheek,. I have followed you for awhile now !
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I’ve had my share of winds and blows with some “heroes”, but Mak and I have a mutual respect for each other on a personal level, which makes topical controversies much easier to go through☺
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I know that and I appreciate your candor !
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Interesting and a little bit tough, right?…
Well, I guess that is what critical thinking tends to do with the statu quo…
Destroy it (in a subtle way)…
Best wihes Makagutu, Aquileana 😉
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Have a fine weekend too.
Well, critical thinking is damaging to received notions
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Just caught this comment of yours on unkle’s blog , Noel. He is gong to have a field day with this, Ehrman is not a mythicist. I know this was a mistake so be prepared for some classic unklee sarcasm.
I would delete this comment as soon as you’ve read it in case he comes Trolling.
2. Jesus was known in his day as a itinerant teacher and miracle-worker, regardless of whether the scholars personally believe his teaching or not, and whether they think he really performed miracles or not.
This is a claim made by mythicists such as Bert Erhman and not historicists.
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It’s alright. The time is passed for that. Thanks for the heads up.
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I should caution you, arguing Josephus with him is a waste of energy. Trust me. You are, sadly on a hiding to nothing with this.
He will tell you that Carrier is not a proper scholar does not have a teaching position and generally try to rubbish his credentials.
I agree with Carrier’s take – and there are others – but the likes of unklee and his sidekick Ignotantianescia will immediately direct you to the Wiki article, which if you read you will see not a single scholar listed that disputes the whole passage. Although it does say there are scholars who consider the whole of this passage in Josephus fake, it doesn’t list who these scholars are.
There is a mention that it was all regarded as interpolation in the 19th century but this was before supposed literary criticism.
John has argued this with him as well and he will simply haul out his ”consensus of scholars”, Vermes, Meir, Baukman etc.
He is the type of Christian who will close down an argument as soon as he feels he is losing or has lost ground.
Watch what he does with Paarsurry in the next round of comments.
If you are a betting man I suspect this is what will happen…
He has already posed the question about whether Paarsurry rejects scholarly opinion re: Jesus.
If Paarsurry avoids directly answering or states that he considers these scholars not valid, unklee will then move to state there is nothing further to discuss.He will likely be quite polite, but that will be it.
He has done this with every commentator that drives him to the brink where he is forced to give a Yes or No answer,
This is classic Apologetic 101.
They are disingenuous in the way they present their arguments as they have NO INTENTION of considering evidence that will seriously challenge their faith. They cannot allow it.
Read this, Mak, http://www.provingthenegative.com/2011/02/defeasibility-test.html.
I found it today. It explains why they think the way they do
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Thanks brother Ark.
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