Catholic Church "Spins" The Inquisition

A new article in Newsweek highlights a new push by the Catholic church to downplay how bad the Inquisition was. Seriously. Good to see the Pope has learned the tricks of modern day spin.

Best Quote: "Now, after centuries of secrecy on the subject, the Vatican has launched a new phase in its campaign to show that the Inquisition wasn't so bad after all."

Followed by: "In 2004, the Vatican published an 800-page report claiming that of those investigated as heretics by the notorious Spanish Inquisition—which became independent of Rome in the 15th century—only 1.8 percent were actually executed."

Only 1.8%? that's nothing.

The gall of these people. I wonder what's on deck for explaining away the Crusades?

Read More: Secrets of the Inquisition

Pope: "Gay Marriage an Obstacle to World Peace"

More insanity from the current bigot to hold the office of Pope.

In a statement released by the Vatican Tuesday (Dec. 11) Pope Benedict XVI said that, among other things, gay marriage is an "obstacle" to world peace.

// Pope Says Abortion, Gay Marriage Are 'Obstacles' to World Peace (via Andrew Sullivan)

New York Archdiocese: "Kids, don't be alone with your priest"

This is creepy on way too many levels. In a coloring book for altar boys titled "Being Friends, Being Safe, Being Catholic" published by the Archdiocese of New York, the Church addresses priest molestation by having an Angel tell a child not to be alone with his Priest!

Enamored of Sam Harris

Although I read it over a year or two ago, I still consider The End of Faith by Sam Harris to be one of the most impressive books that I have read in the last ten or so years to address the evils of religion.

From his website:

"The End of Faith provides a harrowing glimpse of mankind’s willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when these beliefs inspire the worst of human atrocities. Harris argues that in the presence of weapons of mass destruction, we can no longer expect to survive our religious differences indefinitely. Most controversially, he maintains that “moderation” in religion poses considerable dangers of its own: as the accommodation we have made to religious faith in our society now blinds us to the role that faith plays in perpetuating human conflict. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris draws on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism in an attempt to provide a truly modern foundation for our ethics and our search for spiritual experience."

"The End of Faith articulates the dangers and absurdities of organized religion so fiercely and so fearlessly that I felt relieved as I read it, vindicated, almost personally understood… Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say in contemporary America… This is an important book, on a topic that, for all its inherent difficulty and divisiveness, should not be shielded from the crucible of human reason."
— Natalie Angier, The New York Times Book Review

You should also check out his more recent book, A Letter to a Christian Nation, which I bought a few weeks ago and I haven't yet had the time to read.

Another excellent example of Sam Harris' overwhelmingly powerful thesis appeared recently appeared in the form of an excellent web debate with political commentator Andrew Sullivan. I unfortunately am also a big fan of Andrew for a variety of his political commentary but, obviously, am seriously put off by his staunch, irrational defense of his particular pet religion, Catholicism.