Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:19:41
I spoke too soon!
Looks like I have a legitimate reason to dislike the new pope after all.
In a small volume published in 2000 called The Spirit of the Liturgy, itself an expansion of an essay Ratzinger wrote in 1986, the future pope argued,“‘Rock’… is the expression of elemental passions, and at rock festivals, it assumes a cultic character, a form of worship, in fact, in opposition to Christian worship. People are, so to speak, released from themselves by the experience of being part of a crowd and by the emotional shock of rhythm, noise, and special lighting effects. However, in the ecstasy of having all their defenses torn down, the participants sink, as it were, beneath the elemental force of the universe.”
What a backwater,hillbilly, unenlightened and moronic way to view music.
Before anyone can complain that I am focusing on something as inane as what Ratzinger thinks about rock & roll, hear me out.
A person who would hold such an antiquated, nonsensical notion is someone who will likely hold such notions about a lot of things. Someone like this still thinks woman need hysterectomies to cure the vapors. The point of watching a public figure of power who would act as a censor of entertainment is that they clearly do not have the best interests of freedom in mind.
The other point that people fail to realize is that anyone who would dictate to you what you should and should not watch, read or listen to is not giving you any credit for being a thinking, reasonable adult with the intellect to decide for yourself. In fact, it’s more than just not giving you credit...they are actively seeking to remove your ability to decide, instead treating you like a sub-human who doesn’t have the ability to think for yourself, needing them to make decisions as basic as what television show to watch or if you should ever listen to a “rock” record again. In this case, you no longer have the blessing of the pope if you choose to defile your good Catholic life with say, Buddy Holly.
Does that even seem sane?
It’s simply ridiculous. There is no excuse for a politician, a church leader or anyone else to treat people that way. And if they do...do you truly believe in your heart that their lack of faith in your ability to make decisions will stop with entertainment?
Of course not. It’s completely unreasonable to think they would stop there...after all, you’re not smart enough to decide for yourself...they must do it for you. In otherwords, they create the need for themselves to exist in your life. Thereby keeping themselves in one form of power or another.
Amazing how that works, isn’t it?
Watch the watchers, people. The censor reveals more about him or her self than they realize.
In lighter fare...If I am elected, my pope name, based on my real name, will be
Pope Monstrous Doug I. If I use my commonly used nickname online, it will be Pope Ugly Harry II. Sweet.
Posted by JimK at 12:19 AM on April 21, 2005
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Categories: Entertainment, Things To Ponder, Politics, The Catholic Church
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#2 Posted by davidst 
on 04/21 at 06:32 AM -
My younger brother is a super hardcore christian. He eventually destroyed all of his CD collection that wasn’t Christian music.
And honestly, for a commited follower of Jesus, it really DOES make sense. If you really believe all that jesus stuff, then what else is there worth singing about?
Whatever he feels of a spiritual nature between him and god, he feels is severely disrupted by the wrong kind of music.
However, he’s probably saner than this pope because for him it’s all about the words. He doesn’t have any problem with any particular genre.
#3 Posted by Sean Galbraith 
on 04/21 at 12:42 PM -
As I read it, PB didn’t say that rock music is satanic or contrary to Christian teachings.. he said that worshipping behavior at rock concerts is. You can listen to rock music all you want, but just don’t idolize the band.
#4 Posted by JimK on 04/21 at 05:46 PM -
All I can think of when I think of the new pope now is Meat Beat Manifesto’s “It’s the Music.”
This beat that the devil today…
Has nurtured and fostered…
Is inspired by the powers of hell!
And there are young people that are in these rock groups that are
pulling off their clothes in full view of thousands of young people.
There asks the question when police dare not step in with the air thick
with marijuana smoke, a hundred thousand kids! The huge speakers that
beat off the music as dope-filled entertainers and performers beat upon
the guitars and drums and the strings. Those young people that ripped
off their clothes and acted like animals…
They said it’s the music
It’s the music!
They said it’s the music
It’s the music!
They said it’s the music
It’s the music!
They said it’s the music
It’s the music!
And I really didn’t know what I was doing, they said…
I just pulled off my clothes and I had to do it!
#5 Posted by Poosh 
on 04/21 at 06:18 PM -
I skim read parts of the review, I’m sure Sean is right. It struck me that the reviewer inferred that it is stupid to try to “woo” youth into the faith by incorporating “rock” music. The quote certainly gives me pause for thought, I should come back to that topic in a few years time. I’d rather not pay much heed to a small quote of a larger text, that would be stupid of me, wouldn’t it?
If hysterical balderdash isn’t your cup of tea, go here instead. Beware! Leftist, socialist! Advovate of the welfare state! But I still respect him.
#6 Posted by nastynate on 04/21 at 07:09 PM -
extremely off topic, but I will be at this event on Saturday, and will be in one of the audiences able to ask George Lucas a question or two, are there any Star Wars fans on here? Does anybody have a question for the man?
#7 Posted by Sean Galbraith on 04/21 at 07:13 PM -
My question: “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHY?” in your best Chris Farley voice.
#8 Posted by nastynate on 04/21 at 07:18 PM -
I was considering asking him about the Phantom Menace. It seems like he tried a little too hard to prove that there were other non white races in the galaxy by showcasing every stereotype imaginable. I want to know if this was deliberate.
#9 Posted by Poosh on 04/21 at 07:20 PM -
YES! Tell Lucas it makes no sense killing Padme off because in Return of the Jedi, Leia says she remembers her mother - suggesting that she was alive for a few years and then died. Not only this but she remembers her mother being very sad.
OMG - EVEN BETTER
You know Supershadow - he currently claims that if you send him a question he will e-mail it to George Lucas and Lucas might reply to it. He has already posted a great deal of “answers” from Lucas. Ask Lucas if Supershadow is real and had a hand in editing Revenge of the Sith as Supershadow claims. Supershadow often seems to get Star Wars info before everyone else and evidence suggests he is for real.
#10 Posted by nastynate on 04/21 at 07:24 PM -
more than likely I’ll just chicken out. I don’t want to end up fending off a bunch of saber dueling kids
#11 Posted by nastynate on 04/21 at 07:25 PM -
Ask Lucas if Supershadow is real and had a hand in editing Revenge of the Sith as Supershadow claims
you got it
#12 Posted by Poosh on 04/21 at 07:30 PM -
Anyone who says Jar Jar Binks is racist, deserves a slap. Jar Jar is an odd-ball. The Gun-gun race appear to be very brave and in fact, might be a metaphor for the United States (isolationist United States), while the Naboo are a metaphor for the Europeans. Jar Jar Binks say, in one quiet point in the movie that he believes the Naboo do not like the Gun Guns because the gun-guns have a “grand army” and are warrior like. Familiar? The Naboo have no army bar ceremonial types – they could not repel an invasion. Sound familiar? The Naboo are arrogant and believe in diplomacy to their error – sound familiar? It is only when the two unite – the United States changes its foreign policy away from isolationism (as symbolized by the Gungan army coming out of the mist, ready to do “their part”) that the two become strong. You will also note that the Republic seems to be the UN. Recall Queen Armadala: “I have not come here to watch my people die as you discuss this in a committee” or something to that affect. For a series of kiddy-movies (and that is what they are first and foremost, Lucas made these films with the intention of making children happy first, not adults) it can be quite refreshing.
#13 Posted by davidst on 04/21 at 08:26 PM -
OIL!
Sorry to off topic post, but this place doesn’t have a forum (and if it did; I’m not sure I’d use it).
I don’t know if you can set this up Jim, but maybe you can make an official “anything goes” comments section for community discussion about ANYTHING. You would just post it like any blog entry and then somehow provide a convenient link to it in a visible place and remind people that it’s there from time to time.
Anyway, if such a thing existed here, I’d post this link in it. I’m curious what others think of these guys. They haven’t learned to archive yet, so the first post of the blog is the second from the bottom).
#14 Posted by JimK on 04/21 at 08:27 PM -
Nasty: That’s awesome! If you want to write it up afterwards, I’d be glad to post it here…
As for a question...I guess all I’d want to know about now is if the Star Wars TV show is going to happen, and if so who is slated to produce and direct.
#15 Posted by JimK on 04/21 at 09:05 PM -
davidst: good idea, consider it done. Open Forum
#16 Posted by Sean Galbraith on 04/21 at 09:38 PM -
Ask Lucas a question about the Star Wars Christmas Special (which I have if anyone has yet to see it) and why it hasn’t come out on DVD yet. :)
#17 Posted by Rann Aridorn on 04/21 at 10:17 PM -
Jim, I’d say that the TV show, or at least some TV movies, are a certainty. The toy company that does all the figures and such for Star Wars just renewed their license for eight years.
#18 Posted by Poosh on 04/21 at 10:56 PM -
NO! All the answers you want are at supershadow.com - we just need someone to ask Lucas if Supershadow is for real. If he is then you need only go to his site to find out that Lucas is hoping to make the star wars series like Star Gate in terms of length. If he’s a fraud then… oh well.
#19 Posted by nastynate on 04/22 at 01:04 PM -
I’m not 100% possitive that I’ll get in to the discussion. As you can probably tell, there is a huge demand for these few audience spots, but I have an inside man, that promised he could get me in to the second Q&A;session.
If it happens, I’ll write something up, and email it to you Jim.
#20 Posted by nastynate on 04/25 at 12:20 PM -
well, didn’t make it into the discussion, didn’t even make it to the event. Massive hail storm came through on Friday, tore the shit out of my siding, and my newly planted trees. Spent the weekend trying to make things look half way decent. If you’re dissapointed just think how I feel.
like STP sang.
“And I feel, so much depends on the weather.....”
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Oh well, there goes the hope that he was FORCED to be a Hitler Youth. ;p