I really do not begin each day thinking, “Gee, Sandra, how can you trash the catholic church today?”. Really. But I do read the news and the Vatican delivers fodder on an almost-daily basis. Who am I to ignore these offerings? I learned early in life that when the plate is passed in front of my face, I must contribute.
Du jour, this report on a “… coherent and significant connection between radiation from Vatican Radio aerials and childhood cancer”, and the Vatican response.
The Italian experts looked at high numbers of tumours and leukaemia in children who live close to Vatican Radio transmitters.
The 60 antennas stand in villages and towns near Rome.
The Vatican said it was astonished and would present contrary views to a court in Rome.
The fact that the church’s knee immediately jerks rather than genuflects seems a clear indication that arrogance is included in the Douay version of the 10 Commandments and that confession is not a requirement.
Ten years of investigation into childhood cancers, and deaths resulting from, culminated in a 300-page report that finds a connection between what are now obsolete, but still functioning, Vatican radio towers leaking electromagnetic waves into the bodies of those living near and sick people.
Instead of a Mea Culpa, what do we get?
The Vatican says it intends to defend its position and claims there is no threat to public health through its transmissions.
Defend its position no matter the guilt? Well … that’s no surprise.
Vatican “astonishment” seems a bit overwrought since there has for years been a great deal of data supporting a connection between exposure to radio towers and cancers:
In studies by Michelozzi (2001, 2002), the researchers found that “The risk of childhood leukaemia was higher than expected up to 6 km from the high-power radio station and there was a significant decline in risk with increasing distance both for male mortality and childhood leukaemia.” [Michelozzi 2001, Michelozzi 2002]. Maskarinec also found an increased risk of childhood leukaemia within 2.6 kilometres of radio towers in Hawaii [Maskarinec 1994].
So, why in holy hell does the church feel the need to pull out the alter cloth and wave it around like a toreador’s cape? Doesn’t anyone on that 110 acres of Vatican soil understand that denial is not an easily navigable river in Egypt?
Someone should tell his holeyness that no one is buying that priests live celibate lives and don’t abuse children, that the host is skin, that Mary was a virgin, or that electromagnetic waves don’t get cancer growing in people living near his towers, no matter how emphatic the protestations.
If that doesn’t work, perhaps he can be convinced to hire a better PR firm. The one dealing with the press these days just makes it all too easy for this simple blogger. If I didn’t have pope-on-a-plate delivered so often, I might have to write about other stuff. Wouldn’t that be refreshing?
A collection of my short stories:
I'm in this one, too ...
And I'm in here, as well ...
Paradise Preoccupied 
Reminds me of a wise old lady (my mother) who once said to me “Honey, when they hand it to you on a silver platter it’s your obligation to take it.”
I LOVE Audrey!
I hesitated to comment, but changed my mind. The danger in becoming enveloped in the flames, of several categories, is there.
A bulldozer approach to the entire damn business is required.
Consider the country where I now live, there is no D-I-V-O-R-C-E and the “religion” you refer to is sanctioned (or whatever the word is!) as the State Religion. The sanctity of marriage and promise to God and all that crap is held over the populace as pressure to tow the party line.
Recently the Bishop declared that anyone cohabiting with another cannot receive “Holy Communion”, thus they lose their ticket to Paradise (no promise of virgins in that model).
Consider a society that forces a couple to stay chained to each other, where one cannot move on in a healthy way, they must drag each other around for ever:
http://tinyurl.com/37g7jmo
“Families in court after unholy communion –
An estranged couple who came to blows in a Church sacristy after their sons Holy Communion ceremony forgave each other in court this morning and were warned by a magistrate not to harass each other in any way for a year, or else they would be imprisoned.”
Is that healthy for the child? Do they care about children?
They care about finances, or rather the power that brings finances, I suppose.
I said bulldozer approach because discussion in a healthy way with these people will not be possible. Many years ago I attended a Jesuit institution, Boston College, and recall being startled by the final exam in Ethics Philosophy. The exam consisted of 200 true or false questions. For them there can only be black & white, no discussion allowed, no shades of gray, only the party line, only the positions flowing down from the CEO Papa.
Maybe with enough time, enough lawsuits, lifting tax exemptions, dwindling donations, fiscal difficulty, the structure will fall down due to its own weight. Logic doesn’t pressure these people, their main premise is magic so who cares about Logic. Financial warfare might be the most effective approach for this morally bankrupt medieval organization.
I *absolutely promise* that this shall be my last comment on “The Church”.
I’m hoping your promise to stop commenting is akin to those of eternal damnation. I keep telling myself I’ll quit the rants, but those promises-to-self haven’t been holding much holy water.
I’m thinking silver bullet over bulldozer, and a concerted effort to put the church in the tax paying loop might be a good plan. Pressuring governments to make the Vatican tithe legally might have some appeal.
Thoughts?
Jeeez… ok, I’m bored this afternoon. I sometimes enjoy writing so if you’re game on this I suppose I’m in. 😉
Silver bullet only gets you a werewolf. I think you’re on the wrong track there.
When the wolf is at the door you go for the shotgun, but don’t need silver bullets. Rock salt and tacks work just as well.
Those good old boys in the Vatican drink wine in simulated cannibalistic acts, wear lace, and like lots of silver. Not as easy as werewolves.
Changing their believers is neigh impossible. They have a lock on the most basic fears of Earthlings – death. Their advertising promises something that ensures zero customer complaints and heavenly joy. Nobody posts on Youtube with “I was gipped” videos as they are dead.
So, how you going to get where you want to be with your goal?
You need to come in at an angle, subversive, disguise your real intentions, be like most underfunded underdogs and be clever.
“First I look at the purse”, as the song goes. Financial Fear is your weapon of choice. That’s the ticket!
All governments are in dire need of more revenues now.
“What’s it going to be? Gas for the fire trucks and patrol cars or make those lazy preachers pay more taxes?”
“We’ll rid the village of this beast, who’s with me?
Get your torch, mount you horse”
Appeal to that good old Earthling mob mentality.
Action is needed now for the financial wolf at the door – that old wolf (death) can wait cause I got to buy groceries this afternoon. Tax the SOBs.
Taxes can kill the beast.
Ok, I broke my posting promise. Typical guy behavior.
Hooray for boredom.
Okay … we can agree on a shotgun, then. Bulldozer is too random and silver bullet too specialized. I think we’re on to something!