Who Would Have Thought That?

The Pope has been rejected from speaking at the inauguration of the new academic year at a prestigious university (La Sapienza) in Rome, of all places. Professors and students alike protested the planned event, because of the Pope's previous statements in support of the 17th century inquistion trial against Galileo.

Galileo, as you know, was tried for heresy after his publication of "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems" in which he reported his discovery that the earth revolves around the sun. In the book he ridiculed Pope Urban VIII, and as a result stood trial in 1633. The judgement said his views were "absurd, philosophically false, and formally heretical, because it is expressly contrary to Holy Scriptures". Galileo later recanted to spare his life, but we can imagine how he felt deep in his heart.

This is the precise reason that I find no problem with examining and sometimes being critical of church teaching and current translations of "scripture", especially as it relates to science. I use quotation marks because those writings were pretty much hand picked by old white guys with an agenda (did they have republicans back then?)

So the Pope is unwelcome in Rome.

Now, who would have thought that?

And in Iran, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death, and where Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there are no homosexuals (ok to laugh here), transgenderism is OK. A documentary will be shown st Sundance titled Be Like Others, written and directed by Tanaz Eshaghian. In the movie she follows the experiences of four transgendered inidviduals, one who has completed her surgery, and three others considering or undergoing procedures.

According to Eshaghian, in an interview with Larry Flick on Sirius OutQ this morning, the Ayatollah Khomeini gave the OK to gender reassignment surgery because transgenderism was (and in that country still is) considered an illness. It was decided that persons could not be judged because of an illness, so the procedures are allowed.

According to the film info on Sundance, the doctor whose practice is examined in the movie performs more sex change operations in one year than are done in the entire country of France in 10 years.

Now, who would have thought that?

Hillary Clinton can be funny and entertaining, in addition to being right for America.



Now, who would have thought that?

Well, now you know!