Wednesday 13 January 2010

Not Exactly Vermin, But....

From ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL EXCHANGE OF NEW YEAR GREETINGS
To carry our reflection further, we must remember that the problem of the environment is complex; one might compare it to a multifaceted prism. Creatures differ from one another and can be protected, or endangered, in different ways, as we know from daily experience. One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes. I am thinking, for example, of certain countries in Europe or North and South America.
The mere existence of Intersexed people such as myself strikes at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes. Just as observations by Astronomers struck at the basis of geocentricism and platygeanism.

The Earth really is flat, locally - it makes sense to treat it as flat if you're only travelling short distances. And it also makes sense for most purposes to talk of sunrise and sunset, as if the Sun went round the Earth. They're good approximations, useful models in the most simple situations. Similarly, the model of there being two absolutely distinct biological sexes, and that everyone is one or the other, works for most purposes.

At one time, long before the Galileo Affair, astronomical observations were treated with suspicion. All "Natural Philosophers" were considered only one step removed from magicians and consorters with unclean spirits - if that far. Echoes of this persisted into modern times, with the Nazi imprecations against "Jewish Science", the product of "Vermin" out to destroy the Nation and corrupt all that is Natural and Pure.
"At the end of the last century the progress of science and technology led liberalism astray into proclaiming man's mastery of nature, and announcing he would soon have dominion over space ... In any case, we shall learn to become familiar with the laws by which life is governed, and acquaintance with the laws of nature will guide us on the path of progress."
His Holiness isn't impressed with liberalism, science and technology. However, His Holiness doesn't exactly call Intersexed people vermin though. Not in so many words. Not quite.

He just states that the recent advances in granting us limited human rights in Europe and the Americas are an attack on the ecology, and the whole of God's creation. It's not the first time he's stated something like this either.

His Holiness is very ecologically-minded. After all, at the time he was a boy, the ruling regime had very strong policies about preserving the environment.
"The German countryside must be preserved under all circumstances, for it is and has forever been the source of strength and greatness of our people."
So wrote the Leader of the time. In fact, he wrote both sets of words quoted in italics. He wasn't impressed with either Liberalism or Science. He thought giving those such as me limited human rights was a bad idea too, for ecological reasons. As does His Holiness, though I don't think to the same degree. At least, I hope not.

It is alleged that St Francis Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus - the "Stormtroopers of the Counter-Reformation" - said "Give me the child for seven years, and I will give you the man".

His Holiness was 6 years old in 1933, when State Chancellor Adolf Hitler came to power in his homeland of Germany. He is no Nazi - membership in the Hitlerjugend was compulsory. But the evidence is that he did absorb some of the Weltanschauung and the Zeitgeist.

6 comments:

MgS said...

Like most "conservative" politicos these days, it seems that his holiness has a totalitarian/authoritarian streak in him - nobody else could possibly have a valid insight could they?

Blue said...

A very enlightening post! The comparisons to the conservative evangelical movement, and the Nazi regime are really kind of frightening, though very real!

Zoe Brain said...

Just be careful - I know far too many of the genuine variety of Christian to condemn them all. Or even most. That would be even more unjust than the way we're treated.

And we have no excuse. They may not know what it's like - we do.

wreckage said...

The Pope isn't technically a conservative evangelical. Seeing as conservative evangelicals are largely protestant, and therefor heretics.

As for authoritarian- well, it's not how most conservatives see ourselves. Rather, we perceive it in the other side of politics. Off topic, but the ability to see and mercilessly critique his own nominal "side" in politics was what made George Orwell both great and highly unusual.

Zoe Brain said...

Long time readers of this blog will know that I'm Right-wing myself.

Some issues, reasonable people can come to different opinions on.

But some issues are nor Right vs Left, they're Right vs Wrong.

Goodness knows, I've skewered Moonbats often enough. I should apply the same standards to "my" side too.

It's the fact that, until recently anyway, the Right was far better able to engage in self-criticism than the Left that most attracted me to them. Now... not so much. We need to change that. Especially since the Left is showing no signs of reform.

wreckage said...

You're up against it. This is a wildly emotive issue. I might have said it before in another comment, but science has been used and horribly abused to do everything from dismantle every aspect of Christian morality, to "proving" that Christianity is bad, to "proving" there is no God - to get people to listen you're going to have to get past a reflex that, in fairness to us, we didn't choose.

That reflex is to assume anyone who uses the word "science" in a way we intuit as being "against us" is talking bullsh*t.

I'm trying to assemble a reasonable overview of the issues here. They criss-cross between science and morality with dizzying speed, dashing through questions of society and policy as they go.