Leading atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens seek Pope's arrest

[just_a_pilgrim]

Two leading atheists are investigating the possibility of arresting the Pope for "crimes against humanity", lawyers have confirmed.

Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are paying lawyers to investigate whether Pope Benedict XVI should be arrested when he visits Britain in September.

Mr Dawkins and Mr Hitchens believe the Pope should face charges for the alleged cover-up of sex abuse in the Catholic Church, The Guardian reports.

The Guardian reports that a letter written by the Pope in 1985, when he was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, urged that a paedophile priest in the US not be exposed for the "good of the universal church".

Mr Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, told The Times: "This is a man whose first instinct when his priests are caught with their pants down is to cover up the scandal and damn the young victims to silence."

Mr Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great, added to the London-based paper: "This man is not above or outside the law. The institutionalised concealment of child rape is a crime under any law and demands not private ceremonies of repentance or church-funded pay-offs, but justice and punishment."

Several media outlets say the Vatican insists Pope Benedict is free from prosecution because he is a head of state.

"The Pope is certainly a head of state and he has the same legal status as all heads of state," Giuseppe Dalla Torre, the Vatican's tribunal chief, said this month.

But Mark Stephens, a lawyer for Mr Dawkins and Mr Hitchens, says only those with UN protection are safe.

"The Vatican is not recognised as a state in international law. People assume that it has existed for time immemorial but it was a construct of [Italian wartime leader Benito] Mussolini and, when the Vatican first applied to become a member of the UN, the US said no," Mr Stephens told The Guardian.

Mr Stephens said legal action was likely.

"There is every possibility of legal action against the Pope occurring," Mr Stephens told Britain's Daily Telegraph.

"[Fellow lawyer Geoffrey Robertson] and I have both come to the view that the Vatican is not actually a state in international law. It is not recognised by the UN, it does not have borders that are policed and its relations are not of a full diplomatic nature."

The same law that could snare Pope Benedict was used to arrest Augusto Pinochet, the late Chilean dictator, on a Spanish warrant when he visited Britain in 1998.

[The Showstoppa]

These fellas might get a knock at their door in the middle of the night.....

[Playboy]

Who the fuck cares???

[Boost]

Get a hold of this documentary

Evil personified

[The Showstoppa]

Get a hold of this documentary

Evil personified

Not getting into a whole religious thing, but its stunning what a negative effect the Catholic church has had on Christianity on so many levels.

[affy]

Get a hold of this documentary

Evil personified

I saw this last week...i got dry heaves several times throughout the movie. I hope the vatican fucking burns for what they've done to literally hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of children around the world.

[ToxicAvenger]

i'm an athiest but richard dawkins is starting to come across as an attention hungry idiot

[Parker]

i'm an athiest but richard dawkins is starting to come across as an attention hungry idiot

The devil kinda works in that way. Deny God, make you think you came up with something great, then attention---thus creating the illusion that you have done something, then sin of hubris, more attention shoring, the  the crash and burn...

[Butterbean]

Not getting into a whole religious thing, but its stunning what a negative effect the Catholic church has had on Christianity on so many levels.

Agreed

[#1 Klaus fan]

Child rape is what the church is all about. It is passed from generation to generation.

[Rhino]

Child rape is what the church is all about. It is passed from generation to generation.

They make all the good people look bad. 

[ToxicAvenger]

The devil kinda works in that way. Deny God, make you think you came up with something great, then attention---thus creating the illusion that you have done something, then sin of hubris, more attention shoring, the  the crash and burn...

ok how do i tackle this..
1) god has shown no proof of his existance....for the creator of the universe thats pretty shy at best and petty at worst.
2) its a HUGE leap of faith for you to assume god exists and an even bigger one to assume that you r actually following a religion god wants you to follow ..ie christianity...you r simply following what you were born into...and this is supposed to be the BIGGEST decision of your life??

[jesusbod]

Not getting into a whole religious thing, but its stunning what a negative effect the Catholic church has had on Christianity on so many levels.

Yet, It is most widely practiced religion in the world... Unless Islam has taken over the top spot over the years.

What is interesting to me is that I am sure there are sex scandal and abuses going on in other religions but you don't hear much about them as much as you do with the Catholic religion.

The Pope is the one religious figure that the majority recognize if they see a picture of him. I wouldn't even begin to know who the leader of Islam is or protestant or Methodist...

[ToxicAvenger]

Yet, It is most widely practiced religion in the world... Unless Islam has taken over the top spot over the years.

What is interesting to me is that I am sure there are sex scandal and abuses going on in other religions but you don't hear much about them as much as you do with the Catholic religion.

The Pope is the one religious figure that the majority recognize if they see a picture of him. I wouldn't even begin to know who the leader of Islam is or protestant or Methodist...

no leader...everyone is supposed to have a presonal relationship with god...so cooks pop out of the woodwork claiming to have the best interpretation of the koran....which is...as we all know..a BIG problem

[buffdnet]

you youngsters don't know this but the catholic church
has long been a hideout for homosexuals and homo pedos.
the priesthood has been a perfect hideout for them.
truth is also the same amount of abuse is coming from nuns.
it's only a matter of time before more on that becomes public

[Parker]

ok how do i tackle this..
1) god has shown no proof of his existance....for the creator of the universe thats pretty shy at best and petty at worst.
2) its a HUGE leap of faith for you to assume god exists and an even bigger one to assume that you r actually following a religion god wants you to follow ..ie christianity...you r simply following what you were born into...and this is supposed to be the BIGGEST decision of your life??

I do believe you, even though I do believe in God (can't explain it, it's kinda fuzzy), but I think most people (Americans and Latin countries) only believe in or use his name when something goes right ("Thank God") or in the the bedroom ("Oh God Yes!")

as far as the sex scandals, it has been said that many who join join the cloth wish to be absolve of their sins or their lust for ____, thus creating a situation where they are surrounded by it, and thus creating situations in which they condemn it, yet they are acting it out.

It has also been said, if these priests were allowed to marry, they wouldn't be putting themselves in situations like this.

[Parker]

you youngsters don't know this but the catholic church
has long been a hideout for homosexuals and homo pedos.
the priesthood has been a perfect hideout for them.
truth is also the same amount of abuse is coming from nuns.
it's only a matter of time before more on that becomes public

An old guy told me of a book called the black...I can't remember the name, but it was about a Convent in Canada, where there was a tunnel connecting the nun's quarters and the priests, well there lots of skeletons from the fetuses that they buried down there. I wanted to find that book, allegedly it is true.

[BIG ACH]

I don't believe in any organized religion anymore, and I'm not sure if god exists or not, but if he does exist, god is NOTHING like we make him out to be.

A big problem with organized religion is that it rests in the hands of man, and if lets assume the religion is true and there is a god and an undying power out there, then man with all his weakness can in no way fathom the power of this religion and of this god.

Man has faults, and as a result corrupt the religion and the god (again ASSUMING that religion and god does exist - which I dont think it does), look at all the catholic priests molesting young children, look at all the muslim terrorists killing so many innoccent people, look at the mormons communities allowing marriage and intercourse with very very underage girls, look at all the people that died in the crusades, look at the people foced into unwanted organized marriages in India, look at the people stoned to death in some countries in the middle east due to corruption and unfair laws, etc etc.

A lot of BAD SHIT has happened in the name of religion, DO YOU REALLY believe that this is what GOD WANTS?

No thanks, I'd rather believe in myself and my own personal morals, than any of the scriptures!

[jwb]

letting your kids spend lots of time with other adults alone ain't a good idea.

[buffdnet]

I dated a former nun. most of what peeps think happens does.
the exception is that not unlike the priests, many of these women
are pedos who like young girls.
the problem is not about allowing these people to marry. they have
no interest in marriage. they are in most all cases either homosexuals
or pedos. not quite the marrying types.
i do believe in rare cases the abstinence (sp?) rules are counterproductive
but they know this going in.

the catholic church is for sure a cult. the real question is they are the mafia.
it's been a perfect house of crime for how long? no taxes, no one to answer to.
their own army and form of government. hmmm

[#1 Klaus fan]

you youngsters don't know this but the catholic church
has long been a hideout for homosexuals and homo pedos.
the priesthood has been a perfect hideout for them.
truth is also the same amount of abuse is coming from nuns.
it's only a matter of time before more on that becomes public

Female pedophiles is one taboo that should be brought into discussion.

[buffdnet]

BIG ACH,
people need to be very careful to seperate God from religion imho.
personally i follow the way of frank sinatra, i do things my way.
at 54 and a lifetime christian i still question stuff and question it alot.
but at then end of the day i can't look up into the sky and figure there
isn't something greater than myself responsible for this stuff. or for it's beginning or something

[buffdnet]

yet another thing those with young children will want to know.
your childs greatest threat is from those you trust.
their boy or girl scout troop leader is a perfect example
i personally know of a full blown lesbo that is a regional manager
type for the girl scouts and believe it, she loves her girls.

also your little league coaches and similar persons. homos and pedos
actively seek out these posistions. and always seem to the nicest of people

[Parker]

I dated a former nun. most of what peeps think happens does.
the exception is that not unlike the priests, many of these women
are pedos who like young girls.
the problem is not about allowing these people to marry. they have
no interest in marriage. they are in most all cases either homosexuals
or pedos. not quite the marrying types.
i do believe in rare cases the abstinence (sp?) rules are counterproductive
but they know this going in.

the catholic church is for sure a cult. the real question is they are the mafia.
it's been a perfect house of crime for how long? no taxes, no one to answer to.

their own army and form of government. hmmm

And not all nuns are perfect lil girls. There are some nuns that were strippers in a former life, and you know how strippers get down with other women. Many women had boyfriends or issues before and become nuns because they think that will solve the problem...mental health is not really discussed in the church. And then here are those women who can't take the heat (the lust, yearning for a man's hand) and get out.

[BIG ACH]

BIG ACH,
people need to be very careful to seperate God from religion imho.
personally i follow the way of frank sinatra, i do things my way.
at 54 and a lifetime christian i still question stuff and question it alot.
but at then end of the day i can't look up into the sky and figure there
isn't something greater than myself responsible for this stuff. or for it's beginning or something

Let me ask you a question and this is not a bash in anyways, but a means to understand....
How do you do things your way and consider yourself a lifetime christian?  Wouldn't you have to do things "their way" or "the christian way"?  


I had this discussion with a friend, but about islam, in islam there is a section that speaks about having 4 wives under certain circumstances etc etc, but there are many people out there that say, no no I don't believe in that, or I would never allow my husband to have more than one wife, but I'm still a muslim, well then, how can you believe in one part of the relgion but not the other?  You can't pick and choose the religion.

Its like with Catholics and confessions, I've heard of people saying, I'm a true practicing catholic but I don't believe in confession...  Well again, then you are not a true practicing catholic?  You are picking and choosing what part of the religion to follow and what not to?  Its like you're bending your religion!
Or all the true christians (or any other relgion) that are practicing pre-marital sex on Saturday night, but are in Church Sunday morning?  Isn't that sorta hypocritical?

And I know man is NOT Perfect, but some people are not even trying... they say they just don't believe that part or just don't care about that part.

You get what i'm saying?  How can you do it your way and still be a true christian?  It just doesn't work, if you want to be a TRUE Christian, then you have do it THEIR way, by the book!