The madness of Pope Benedict

March 23, 12:50 PMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

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Okay, it isn't exactly the madness of King George, but I'd say the Pope is out of touch with reality. Seriously, how is it that this man still holds the Pope position? It is not just naysayers who disagree with him, but Catholics far and wide do as well.

He has been making quite a splash across newspapers and Web sites around the globe for some time now. It was pretty bad that he lifted the excommunication of Williamson, the Holocaust denier. Never mind his appointment of a bishop in Linz, Austria who said that Hurricane Katrina was divine retribution for sin.

Now he has come out to say that condoms should not be used in HIV/AIDS stricken Africa. Rather, he preaches abstinence. He should know by now that abstinence doesn't work. All he has to do is ask the sex abuse victims of the many predatory priests who swore a vow, to God no less, of  abstinence to know the truth. If the most devout Christians cannot abstain, what makes him think that those in the general population will? Is he really that delusional? Surely the millions of dollars that have been paid out to victims should be a reminder to him that abstinence doesn't work.

And if that weren't enough, the Pope decried the superstitions that remain in parts of Africa. He urged Angola Catholics to reach out and help to convert those who believe in witchcraft. According to an MSNBC report, he said, "In today's Angola, Catholics should offer the message of Christ to the many who live in the fear of spirits, of evil powers by whom they feel threatened, disoriented, even reaching the point of condemning street children and even the most elderly because — they say — they are sorcerers."

I suppose the Pope thinks his brand of chicanery is better than witchcraft (not that I condone witchcraft). So, instead of those people living in fear of evil spirits they should be converted to believe in Satan and his power and they should be introduced to the fear of Hell and so on. Uh huh. Apparently replacing one set of superstitions with another set is the answer.

Let us not forget that the Pope, while condemning sexual violence, condemns abortion even in the case of rape and when the mother's life is at risk. I heard that although he excommunicated those who helped a nine-year-old rape victim get an abortion, it is not clear if he excommunicated the rapist. How many of his own raping, child-molesting priests were excommunicated? It would seem he thinks that abortion is far worse than rape...

Honestly, this man clearly does not seem to be in touch with reality. His antiquated solutions are just that... antiquated. They have no place in the real world. It is such a shame that this man cleaves so tightly to his religious texts and ideologies that he cannot see past them at what is really going on all around him.

Surely the fact that he seems to live in a world all his own, where reality does not resonate, has to be indicative of some form of madness. His take on reality certainly doesn't seem sane to me.... Really, what is this man thinking? Does he think? Whose side is he on anyway? God's side? What about being on the side of humanity for a change?