Now, I'm not a Catholic, though I consider myself to be on the Catholic side of Protestantism, even if I do not think I would ever convert (I think I shall rather explore Anglicanism), but two things have offended me lately.
1. The comments on the appearance of Cardinal Ratzinger. I've seen all kinds of snide, rude, and insulting remarks about him based not on his theology or actions or personality but simply on how he looks. Besides the fact that that's really, really shallow, it's simply unnecessary. How he looks should not and does not matter a jot. Go find something better to do than say "he looks creepy". Oh, and in addition to this, I've also seen a little bit of joking about his name. Not funny either. Such comments would never be tolerated about friends or family, and yet they are not just ignored but often greeted with amusement when about world figures.
2. In some news articles, some brief statements were made about betting odds on who would become the next Pope. Am I the only person who thinks it was absolutely ridiculous to place bets on who would succeed John Paul II as Pope? I most certainly don't believe anyone should be winning or losing money over a matter of such religious importance. You just don't do that. But it seems people will bet on just about anything.
I'm done. Have a good one, folks.