MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine military dictator confirms Catholic Church hierarchy was well aware of the “disappeared”
Argentine former military dictator said he kept the country’s Catholic hierarchy informed about his regime’s policy of “disappearing” political opponents, and that Catholic leaders offered advice on how to “manage” the policy. Read full article
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Jul 24th, 2012 - 09:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The popes standing behind you,
listening to every bad word .
Is there any wonder why the Catholic church, like most churches, is in such a huge decline? They have little relevance in this world dominated by secular humanism.
Jul 24th, 2012 - 09:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I admit that some churches do a lot for the truly down and out but for every person truly down and out there are ten others a little better off (not much) being bled dry of every penny they have spare by a methodical and relentless church. Any one who travels regularly through a lot of third world nations like I do will know what I mean.
@2 I do. It is interesting that the higher the poverty, the greater the power of the church. One would almost think they perpetuated the poverty to keep their power. Hmmm.
Jul 24th, 2012 - 10:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 03 Elaine
Jul 24th, 2012 - 10:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I had a feeling you'd know what I mean. It's so obvious when you see it as an outsider but try and tell any of the flock and they'd have your head. You go into their offices and they're plastered with biblical texts and they have books with really frightening titles sitting prominently on their desks. You drive along the roads on a church day and all the old dears are out in their “Sunday Best” hitching rides. I always give them a lift when I can. It's so sad.
Joe Bloggs.
Jul 25th, 2012 - 12:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0Utter claptrap. Religion in worldwide decline? Really? Do you have the statistics to back this up? The research I've seen indicates that religion, worldwide, is on the rise, particularly in countries such as China and Russia where worship was actively discouraged or banned outright by the state. Note that this is the lifting of repression that is allowing people to embrace religion, not the repression of people BY religion.
You say “they have little relevance in a world dominated by secular humanism”. What world do you live in? Again, research demonstrates that secular humanists, or “atheists” to call a spade a spade, are very much a rather noisy worldwide minority. Perhaps it just seems like there's more of them because they rant so much. Statistically even the much-vaunted New Atheism is withering to its roots.
It seems fashionable today to blame all the worlds ills on the big bad bogeyman of religion. Perhaps you would like to have lived in Stalinist Russia to experience what an atheistic state is capable of? Come to think of it, why don't you move to North Korea and see first hand secular humanism taken to its logical conclusion.
Indeed, there are many of us today questioning the relevance of secular humanists (perhaps a more accurate label would be “dumb primates” but that would probably be cruel) in the modern world, especially when spouting unsupported propaganda like this.
Tsk tsk.
5 Bongo
Jul 25th, 2012 - 06:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0Oh dear. They always come out hard when challenged and you live up to that stereotype nicely. Primates huh? Have a look at the world's most eminent scientists and see how many believe in a God. Not many. Some avoid the question for the sake of their image, some say they believe in God but usually privately admit they are lying and most, simply say they don't believe in a God.
Don't worry though. Being a man of high morals I tell my children that just because someone believes in God, that doesn't make them a bad person. You can pretend to continue to believe in God; it doesn't bother me but I stand by what I say. Religion in the world- and in particular the Roman Catholic church- is in huge decline.
Chuckle chuckle
Well, well :)
Jul 25th, 2012 - 08:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0The Church up to its usual tricks again ... power playing!
This unholy Roman Catholic Church is a folly standing on the shoulders of great people (its followers), but betraying their interests time after time after time.
I shun them!
7
Jul 25th, 2012 - 09:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0RC Church, one of the biggest mass murderers in history. Religion is a personal matter.
Churches and in particular the RC church get far bigger audiences and opportunities of influence than their memberships deserve. That is changing and will continue to and the churches know it. That's why they're becoming more and more vocal and more and more desperate to recruit new members.
Jul 25th, 2012 - 10:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0What makes me laugh more than anything is when a “Christian” asks me for evidence of what I say. Evidence? LOL! Ask a “Christian” for evidence next time one wastes your time telling you there is a God.
Nothing new here. The Catholic Church was very instrumental in setting up and facilitating the “rat-runs” that enabled so many nazi war criminals to flee to Latin America. No doubt the nazis paid lots of money and the RC Church has always liked having money. Conveniently, I expect that they can “bless” the cash and the bloodstains just disappear. Why would there be any surprise about argieland? It has been using nazi methods for at least 70 years. Even the activity against the Falklands bears the stamp of nazism. Just go back and check out Hitler's acquisition of territory before WW2 started and see the parallels. Who doesn't the Catholic Church publicly condemn argieland's blatant imperialist colonialism and war-mongering? Is it because the Islanders are Protestants, or because the Church is on a promise of megabucks?
Jul 25th, 2012 - 10:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0Organised religion is nothing but the manipulation of people based on the concept of “faith” (something which by its very defifntion can never be proved to be either true or false) in order to establish and mantain the politcal power of those at the top of the said religion. The catholic church is one of the worst for this and has been doing so for thousands of years Crusades, Spanish Inquistion, Missionary work, child sex abuse etc etc.
Jul 25th, 2012 - 12:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am not doubting a lot of people find comfort and peace in their relgious beliefs but I am afraid they are manipulated.
Any organsiation which states you must listen to me as a man who has been appopinted by God to see his will done or you will spend internity in pain and suffering is as moraly corrupt and repungnant as any corrupt bank, company or political system.
11 Engineer
Jul 25th, 2012 - 01:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I couldn't agree more with you.
@5 Gosh, what an overreaction.
Jul 25th, 2012 - 02:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 013 ElaineB
Jul 25th, 2012 - 02:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Religious people don't like anybody stepping on their turf. Very sensitive. Of course they are worried that the world might realise just how small a minority they are.
It is generally accepted that about one third of the world's population is of Christian origin. What the bible bashers are much more reluctant to tell you is that only about one in twenty of that figure actually practices/ believes/ attends church.
Like I've said all along; the church is increasingly irrelevant and stories like the one at the top of this thread is a big reason why.
About to go flying again. Fourth last trip for the year and counting. Come on December/ January. Two whole months without a trip!
@14
Jul 25th, 2012 - 02:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Exacly, there is a huge difference between saying I am from a (for example) christian culture (which mearly implies you you acknollege your cultural background and hisotry has been shaped by christinaity i.e. Celebration fo Christmas as cultural concept) and saying I am a christian (I support the teachings of some organsised relgious entitity and believe in the existence of an all being being/creator).
Religion has been used through the centuries to keep the masses in check.
Jul 25th, 2012 - 06:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Do as we and your God appointed masters tell you or you will burn in the eternal fires of hell.
I personally have never met a Christian. My memories of Christianity, when I was forced to attend Sunday school and Church, was that having money while there were poor people was incompatible with Christ's teachings. If anything, Christ (if he existed) was a left wing socialist.
I look at the trappings of the R.C. Church and this at variance with the teachings of Christianity.
Look at the role of the Catholic Church in Spain, under Franco and the Vatican in Hitler and Mussolini's time.
Why don't the Churches use their huge wealth to ease the suffering of the poor in the third world.
While most of the simplistic comments denounce the Church, and religion, in the most general and sweeping terms, the article itself points out that the scandalous behaviour of the Argentine hierarchy was the opposite of an honourable record in Brazil. Whether thats down to deep sociological reasons or just a better archbishop is hard to say. But its clear religion and religious people can be a force for both good and bad in the world. And the question of whether there is a God or not is something else again. Although Marx was probably the greatest economist who ever lived, I think he got that one wrong...
Jul 25th, 2012 - 06:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@14 I think Latin America and its history with the catholic church is quite fascinating. The power they have in individual countries is equal to the amount of poverty and the oppression of women. An exception to the rule could be Chile where poverty is far less than most LatAm countries but the catholic church still retains a lot of power and influence. Chileans argue that it is fading but you only have to look at where the wealth and power really is there.
Jul 25th, 2012 - 06:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Safe trip. I am home for the Olympics and awaiting my itinerary for the next trip but it looks like I am heading back to the Southern Cone. : )
you can tell bongoooooo was a plant,
Jul 25th, 2012 - 09:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0he has done his work, and now gone to seed .
#16 ”If anything, Christ (if he existed) was a left wing socialist“
Jul 26th, 2012 - 08:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0Good point
#18 ”I am home for the Olympics”
And what do you think of them then? Not allowed to dring your own bottle of Pepsi or wear Nike clothes in the stadium because their rivals are sponsors, along with the likes of Dow Chemicals of Agent Orange and Bhopal fame. Not a bad move by Cristina to stay away methinks...
Is there anything you don't complain about? If a company has paid millions to be the fizzy drinks supplier for the Olympics, then they have a right to sell their brand at the games. And you CAN wear any branded clothing. If a group of people all wearing the same slogan t-shirt in an attempt to gain free publicity - as happened at the last World Cup - then that should be banned. Why? Because they haven't paid to advertise and are trying to get something for nothing.
Jul 26th, 2012 - 04:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am loving the Olympics and just about everyone I talk to is too. It is a great opportunity to promote the UK, we have an extra 1m tourists in London all putting money into the economy, vast amounts have been spent on improving the infrastructure that will be enjoyed for years to come, but most importantly it is fun. So, I will be going to enjoy the events with millions of other, and I really don't mind buying a drink and a meal at the event because I am not a tight-arse.
CFKC is not in London because she knows she is a pariah and she does not have the balls to turn up and support the Argentines representing the country she is President of. I can't think that anyone other than you actually gives a rat's arse.
the girls were great, they are becoming more and more popular,
Jul 26th, 2012 - 08:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0and we won,
on TV now , GBR is [ 1-0 ] up
its not a bad start,
but a long way to go.
#21 We are clearly not going to agree on much!!!
Jul 27th, 2012 - 12:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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