Is the Catholic church a force for good in the world?

[KrazyHorse]

lolcats

[onodera]

You know, this thread really disgusts me. Yes, Ben is often wrong and doesn't (or doesn't try to) understand his opponents' arguments, but he and aneeshm are not calling those they disagree with pigs or asses. They are rather civil and aneeshm has articulated his views quite comprehensively.
A church is a church, things it teaches are irrational by definition. People are free to believe anything, even if you consider that racist or sexist or whatever, as long as they don't physically enforce their views on others or insult those who think otherwise. You might say that what that church or the other preaches is not compatible with modern views, but that doesn't mean it should change its ways, unless it does something like stoning for apostacy.
Also, you sound a lot like Soviet people who won't voice their anti-Soviet sentiment to me. I can't help imagining that you don't all think that all people are exactly the same and that gender and race aren't statistically significant, but you won't say that because those of you who think the same but keep their mouths shut will denounce you moments later.
Sadly, I'm off to Stavropol and there's no free wireless in that ****hole, so I won't be able to take any further part in this discussion.

[KrazyHorse]

**** wrapped in a silk stocking is still ****.

Also, your idiotic "everybody's entitled to express their opinion" tack is just as applicable to anybody who calls Ben or aneeshm a pig, and will remain so until the day that somebody starts sending them letter bombs.

[Fake Boris]

In all fairness Aneeshm has said things much worse than those in this thread.

[KrazyHorse]

Luckily he's on ignore.

[Boris Godunov]

Ahem. BK?

No, I don't hate him.

Just because I don't hate someone doesn't mean I don't think he's an enormous douche.

[Heraclitus]

Also, you sound a lot like Soviet people who won't voice their anti-Soviet sentiment to me. I can't help imagining that you don't all think that all people are exactly the same and that gender and race aren't statistically significant, but you won't say that because those of you who think the same but keep their mouths shut will denounce you moments later.

The rest of your post was meh... but this, THIS I QUOTE FOR MOTHER*****ING TRUTH!

[Sava]

I don't know if the Church is people, Mitt Romney, but humans can't usually avoid death or taxes. "A force for good". Do you believe in addition by subtraction?

Is that good enough to be considered a force for Good(tm)?

Can one be a force for good and force for "bad" at the same time?

Are there individual ratings for goodness and badness potential in us all? Like contact batting rating and power hitting rating in a baseball game?

Can evil do good and still be evil?
Can a person live a life doing all the right things for the wrong reasons? Is that still good, even if they cure cancer for the blowies?

[Sava]

Not that blowies are bad, per se, but if you only accept that as payment, it's tough to exchange that for milk and stuff

[giblets]

To answer the question. No.