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August 29, 2006

The Devil in Mein Führer

When news about Pope Benedict recently suggested the Church might lean back toward intelligent design, I thought - oh brother (Father?) - he's wanting to drive the Masses of kneeling masses back to the intellectual level of a rock.

I was wrong.

It's actually a really, really, really dumb rock. With a lisp. And a gimpy leg. You know, if rocks had legs. Or mouths. Or brains even.

Adolf Hitler and Russian leader Stalin were possessed by the Devil, the Vatican's chief exorcist has claimed.

Father Gabriele Amorth who is Pope Benedict XVI's 'caster out of demons' made his comments during an interview with Vatican Radio...

"You can tell by their behaviour and their actions, from the horrors they committed and the atrocities that were committed on their orders. That's why we need to defend society from demons."

This is frightening for a number of reasons:

• It relieves individuals of responsibility for their actions and choices. It's the ultimate absolution in that "the Devil made me do it. No, really, just ask the Pope!"

• It conveniently ignores the horrors described in the Bible, and given the blessing of the Almighty, and those committed by the Catholic Church over the centuries (see, no one expected the Spanish Inquisition because the Devil is sneaky!).

• It's just a stupid thing to believe. Seriously, if you believe in demonic possession, I want you to stop whatever you're doing, right now.

  Look down at your feet.

  Go on. Do it.

  See that sock? It's supposed to go in the shoe, not over it.

It has always seemed to me that the majority of the atheists I know were once Catholics. I chalked it up to the Church not being too terribly afraid of science, of encouraging good education... maybe they noticed too and thought better of it.