# Help me justify going to The Vatican again. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 20, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990 "2011-02-20T06:52:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990/21 "2011-02-21T19:33:59Z")
You left your sweater there the last time, and you need to see if it’s in the lost and found. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990/22 "2011-02-21T19:50:41Z")
Why bother with Rome all? Perhaps you’d enjoy [another institution](http://www.ianpaisley.org/about.asp) entirely! ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990/23 "2011-02-21T20:18:16Z")
> [@The\_Jay](#): > > I also have very big problems with lots of what the Catholic Church has done throughout history. > > I’m having trouble getting over the fact that I would be directly giving the Catholic Church money by entering The Vatican. I know it seems petty and wanky, but I kind of can’t get past being on a high horse regarding this. > > The thing is though, I thoroughly loved visiting The Vatican in 09 and would LOVE to see it all again. > > My main objection to Church is all the sex abuse stuff, the cover-ups, the actions of Ratzinger etc. > I guess what I’m looking for is maybe an analogy or reference to something which shows that my “boycott” of the Catholic Church is ridiculous, silly, hypocritical or just not really relevant considering what things are like today in everyday life. I would recommend studying the history of the Catholic Church and its current stances from the pro side as well as anti. Rodney Stark’s book [The Victory of Reason](http://www.amazon.com/Victory-Reason-Christianity-Freedom-Capitalism/dp/0812972333/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298319050&sr=1-1) is a good resource for historical issues from the pro side. In current issues you could look at how the Catholic Church has stood up for human rights, workers rights, and democracy in the third world, particularly Latin America. After doing so I’d imagine you’d feel quite all right about giving the Church money. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990/24 "2011-02-21T22:09:04Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > In current issues you could look at how the Catholic Church has stood up for human rights, workers rights, and democracy in the third world, particularly Latin America… Well, after a notable period of standing up for the ruthless exploitation & cultural demolition of the same area. 😉 ok…I’ll leave now. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990/25 "2011-02-21T23:21:03Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > I would recommend studying the history of the Catholic Church and its current stances from the pro side as well as anti. Rodney Stark’s book [The Victory of Reason](http://www.amazon.com/Victory-Reason-Christianity-Freedom-Capitalism/dp/0812972333/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298319050&sr=1-1) is a good resource for historical issues from the pro side. In current issues you could look at how the Catholic Church has stood up for human rights, workers rights, and democracy in the third world, particularly Latin America. After doing so I’d imagine you’d feel quite all right about giving the Church money. Which human rights precisely? The rights of women, homosexuals, people who want to have safe access to contraceptives and abortions, people who are abused by members of the priesthood? Those human rights? Don’t make me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990/26 "2011-02-21T23:36:36Z")
Of course one of the things the Church has done is preserving these great works of art. Art is eternal. The policies and practices of the Church are not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-justify-going-to-the-vatican-again/571990.md?page=1)