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Skeptimedia

Skeptimedia is a commentary on mass media treatment of issues concerning science, the paranormal, and the supernatural.

»Skeptimedia archives

Skeptimedia replaces  Mass Media Funk and Mass Media Bunk. Those blogs are now archived.

Dribbling Loony Attacks Dawkins

"Richard Dawkins's latest attack on the Catholic Church is vicious and crazy. The man needs help." So says a man named Damian Thompson who has the distinction of being Blogs Editor of the Telegraph Media Group, whatever that is. The blogs editor's rhetoric was so outrageous that I had to find out what Dawkins had said that got Thompson's panties in a tuck. (Thompson opens his opinion piece thusly: "Richard Dawkins’s latest attack on the Catholic Church is worthy of a dribbling loony on the top of a bus.")

Dawkins was interviewed by the Washington Post about the recent pimping by the Roman Catholic Pope who is back from promoting AIDS in Africa and is now trying to seduce Anglicans into joining his flock of misogynists, homophobes,  pederasts, and bishops who protect all of the above. Apparently, the pandering is good news to Britain's Anglican misogynists, homophobes, and pederasts.

Dawkins has some very nice things to say about Rowan Williams, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury.  Dawkins says Williams has a "saintly quality" about him and suggests that "he should have issued a counter-challenge [to Ratzinger]: "Send us your women, yearning to be priests, who could make a strong case for being the better-qualified fifty percent of humanity; send us your decent priests, sick of trying to defend the indefensible; send them all, in exchange for our woman-haters and gay-bashers."

Dawkins also notes in the interview that in Ireland in 2007, 160 Catholic priests died, while only nine new recruits were ordained. Benedict XVI is offering a special dispensation to married Anglican priests to join his church as priests. The non-celibates would not be allowed to become bishops, however.

Dawkins is not alone in accusing Pope Benedict XVI of fishing for priests. Dissident theologian Father Hans Kung said the invitation to traditionalist Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church is "a nonecumenical piracy of priests." Benedict's basic message, says Kung, is: "Traditionalists of all churches, unite under the dome of St. Peter’s!"*

I think Thompson is the dribbling loony here, not Dawkins. Thompson can't even get a simple, clear fact straight. Dawkins does not call the Catholic Church "the greatest force for evil in the world." Dawkins says: "What major institution most deserves the title of greatest force for evil in the world? In a field of stiff competition, the Roman Catholic Church is surely up there among the leaders." That sounds like the comment of a very sane and informed individual.