Subject: [AthofSV] Re: FFRF News Release: The Pope Has No Vestments

From: "how3ird" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 00:33:42 -0000

All good points, but you make the same mistake the besotted media 
makes, just in the opposite direction. The pope was neither all good 
nor all bad. He was quite a hero against the Nazis and the Russian 
invaders, and championed workers' rights for the majority of his 
lifetime.

I agree he did more harm than good, but he didn't start any wars, or 
promote racism or genocidal dictators as some 20th century popes 
did, and he got out a lot more than any pope in the last 150 years.

---
To reply to those wondering why the news is flooded with pope-
obilia, as someone who was in TV and print news in an earlier life, 
I am here to tell you that obits are easy. Especially when someone 
gives you a few weeks to prepare. When the pope was shot, the news 
services were all set with their obits and such, and boy were my 
buddies in the media disappointed when he pulled through.

One reason I got out of the news biz is it's 1% news, 49% follow-up, 
and 50% blatant editorial self-gratification.

Why the pope, and not other dead guys? Well, for one thing everyone 
in the world knows who he was. If someone removed Bush's feeding 
tube and he passed away while still in office, he would be just as 
big a news item. Anyone remember the JFK post-assasination coverage? 
And that was before they had cable TV.

Another reason is the media has been waiting all this time to make 
up for their dismal lack of information about him when he was named 
pope. They've been gathering the stuff for decades, but it wasn't 
really appropriate to air until now. Back when JP1 died, after 33 
days in the funny white hat, everyone figured another Italian would 
be chosen. Nobody was prepared for them to take a Pole.

-howeird 

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Would you Help a Child in need?
It is easier than you think.
Click Here to meet a Child you can help.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/0Z9NuA/I_qJAA/i1hLAA/OzVolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

Date not known  - Upcoming DEMONSTRATION on Church/State separation
Wed. 4/13, 7:30 - South Park episode "The Passion of the Jew"
  + birthday party for Thomas Jefferson and Madalyn Murray O'Hair
  + reports on the Atheist conventions
Sat. 4/16, 2:00 - "Ethicology: Proposing a New Science of Moral Imperatives"
   by Richard Carrier, in Berkeley
Wed. 4/27, 7:30 - Objectivism. Cult of Ayn Rand?
Thu. 5/5, 11:15 - PROTEST of the National Day of Prayer, at SJ City Hall

Everyone is welcome at our meetings.

Subscribe to Atheist News Service -
email [email-masked] with: name, address & phone #

If you're not worried, you're not paying attention.

ASV Library at meetings: bring books & magazines; get books and magazines.
See our website http://www.godlessgeeks.com

Keep the msgs to Atheist topics.
Help keep email overflow down. Make your posts short; clean out old text in any responses that you make.

If you want to join a liberal political discussion, see [email-masked]

To unsubscribe, send an email to:
[email-masked] 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/athofsv/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    [email-masked]

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/