Not everyone can pray for the Pope to change his ways
The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) said that it wanted papal critics – who are voicing their opposition to this month’s state visit for a number of reasons, including the Vatican’s rejection of equal rights for homosexuals – to “disagree with respect”.
It said that it would hold a prayer vigil, not a protest, so the pope could see the faces of those he spoke against, and become aware that his “homophobic comments affect real people”.
It said: “The Protest the Pope coalition of secularist groups has opposed the trip and promised noisy protests, but progressive Christians believe that this is unhelpful and counterproductive.”
But its call for restraint went unheeded, with Protest the Pope refusing to change its strategy.
Andrew Copson, from the British Humanist Association, said that the LGCM statement failed to recognise that Protest the Pope objected to the state aspect of the visit, not the pastoral or religious one. “As a religious leader and a citizen of Europe, we have said he is obviously entitled to visit.
“As a head of a state which many see as enormously destructive of human rights and equality on the international stage it is legitimate and morally right to question him, and the idea that heads of states should receive automatic ‘respect’ because they also happen to be religious leaders we see as entirely mistaken.”
Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/01/lesbian-gay-christian-pope-visit
The British Humanist Association is a founding member of the Protest the Pope campaign, demonstrating against the official nature of the Pope’s state visit later this month.
I don’t get it? Why does this one gay Christian oganisation think it can dictate how other people respond and protest? As it says, Protest the Pope objects to the state nature of the visit for someone who is virulently anti-gay. This doesn’t just effect Christians, nor just Catholics, but everyone in any of the groups the Pope is prejudiced against. Not only can we not all pray, but why does the LGCM say the Pope should be made aware that his “homophobic comments affect real people” as if this isn’t what secular protesters are doing? Secularists are real people too! Surely Protest the Pope would welcome Christians who want to pray, even if it’s not their own main tactic. Why can’t LGCM recognise that other people will make their case in different ways too?
The LGCM’s prayer vigil will have as much chance of changing Ratzinger’s bigoted viewpoint as Stephen Hawking’s pronouncement will……… A big fat NO CHANCE.
What the Pope and all his cardinals, bishops and priests should be doing, along with all vicars, mullahs, rabbis, etcetera et-unending-cetera, is resigning.
The time is long overdue for them to confess that they and all their predecessors have been preying on the deluded and vulnerable for centuries, and that they know they are nothing more than a bunch of self-serving charlatans.
Sorry to be so vague. Next time I will try to tell you what I really think.