# The Pope says I'm a Nazi - or Godwin in one step **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997 "2010-09-16T18:40:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/141 "2010-09-20T03:31:34Z")
Most broadsides against atheists delivered by Popes in the past haven’t particularly bothered me. The Pope is Catholic, right? As head of the church he’s permitted to root for the G-team. > [@The current Pope](#): > > …a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society… But his passage irks. It is historically inaccurate and worse served as the premise of the remainder of the Pope’s speech: it isn’t just a snippet yanked from context. > [@Der Trihs](#): > > The Nazis aren’t an example of some atheist anti-Christian regime; they were in fact quite Christian… Christian attempts to pretend they were atheists is an attempt to rewrite their own sins from history and to slam atheism simultaneously. That’s pretty much it. ---
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/142 "2010-09-20T08:20:23Z")
> [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > > [@Nancarrow](#): > > > > Off to bed with you, Mikey, the grown-ups are having a grown-up discussion. > > I’m praying to God in the hopes that he smites your ass. In fact, I hope you suffocate crawling up Richard Dawkins’ ass. Utterly pathetic. Also, if I understand Jesus’s message, un-christian too. Shouldn’t you be turning the other cheek? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/143 "2010-09-20T09:21:46Z")
> [@Galanthus](#): > > Utterly pathetic. Also, if I understand Jesus’s message, un-christian too. Shouldn’t you be turning the other cheek? No, he’s an agnostic. This means he uses his stupidity and/or cowardice as an excuse to pull this holier-than-thou bullshit with both atheists and theists. It is theoretically possible for a universe to exist where theism is not an irrational conclusion to reach. The same is not true of agnosticism: the only sane reason to consider the gods a _possibility_ is because you have discovered evidence of their existence. If that evidence exists, it tells you things about those gods, which means that concluding the gods are unknown is _still_ pure idiocy. ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/144 "2010-09-20T10:10:37Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > > [@Galanthus](#): > > > > Utterly pathetic. Also, if I understand Jesus’s message, un-christian too. Shouldn’t you be turning the other cheek? > > No, he’s an agnostic. This means he uses his stupidity and/or cowardice as an excuse to pull this holier-than-thou bullshit with both atheists and theists. > > It is theoretically possible for a universe to exist where theism is not an irrational conclusion to reach. The same is not true of agnosticism: the only sane reason to consider the gods a _possibility_ is because you have discovered evidence of their existence. If that evidence exists, it tells you things about those gods, which means that concluding the gods are unknown is _still_ pure idiocy. I disagree. If something were to occur that confounds rational scientific explanation, such as an object the size of the Empire State building suddenly appearing in the center of Jerusalem, that wouldn’t be definitive proof of God’s existence but would suggest that His existence is at least a possibility. Make that giant object something that connot possibly be related to religion, such as a 102-story latex dildo (batterries not included 🙂 ) or a mile-high Sonic the Hedgehog figurine and I think agnosticism would be the only rational choice. Though perhaps a new term that means ‘I don’t know whether God exists or not, but I’m certainly fucking confused’ would have to invented. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/145 "2010-09-20T14:05:24Z")
> [@Baboonanza](#): > > Make that giant object something that connot possibly be related to religion, such as a 102-story latex dildo (batterries not included 🙂 ) or a mile-high Sonic the Hedgehog figurine and I think agnosticism would be the only rational choice. Though perhaps a new term that means ‘I don’t know whether God exists or not, but I’m certainly fucking confused’ would have to invented. In that case it would be a clear case of God getting a contact high from Jerry Garcia. Supreme being ain’t got no tolerance, you know. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/146 "2010-09-20T14:24:04Z")
> [@Baboonanza](#): > > I disagree. If something were to occur that confounds rational scientific explanation, such as an object the size of the Empire State building suddenly appearing in the center of Jerusalem, that wouldn’t be definitive proof of God’s existence but would suggest that His existence is at least a possibility. > > Make that giant object something that connot possibly be related to religion, such as a 102-story latex dildo (batterries not included 🙂 ) or a mile-high Sonic the Hedgehog figurine and I think agnosticism would be the only rational choice. No it would not. Clinging to agnosticism in this case would be the mark of someone who can’t think in terms of anything but capital-G God. It would be evidence that a godlike being (in at least one sense) exists, but that godlike being is clearly not God, unless God has developed an extremely uncharacteristic sense of humour. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/147 "2010-09-20T14:49:28Z")
Why does anyone give a shit what the Pope thinks? He’s a crazy old man whose views are irrelevant to anyone who isn’t crazy. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/148 "2010-09-20T15:10:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Why does anyone give a shit what the Pope thinks? He’s a crazy old man whose views are irrelevant to anyone who isn’t crazy. I expect there are a lot of African AIDS victims who wish no one gave a shit about what the Pope thinks. Unfortunately he has a giant supra-national organisational entity to magnify his crazy words into dreadful consequences for people who may never have heard of him. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/149 "2010-09-20T16:21:46Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Constanze said Ireland, which I take to mean the Irish state at the time. Certain elements indeed did want to, but that’s not quite the same thing. I have a recording of a song from 1940 called “Hitler Will Be King Of Europe In The Morning” that was written by/for Irish Republicans in Northern Ireland. Yes, I was wrong, sorry; I confused the memory about Irish volunteers prefering to help the Germans (the enemy of my enemy is my friend) with the whole country, which did not. But now I’ve learned that the Irish neutrality goes back before the EU, so ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/150 "2010-09-20T16:37:02Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > IOW: “Here’s a case where secularism caused horrible things to occur. Secularism will inevitably lead to horrible things occurring, keep the example in mind, folks”. It’s not outright stating it. It’s not outright stating that secularism will lead to Nazis, literally and per se, but to similar levels of atrocity. I fail to see how that’s different or better. > [@Baboonanza](#): > > Fuck the Pope, that statement is clearly the rantings of a religous loony and shouldn’t be taken any more seriously than that twat who wanted to burn the Koran. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Why does anyone give a shit what the Pope thinks? He’s a crazy old man whose views are irrelevant to anyone who isn’t crazy. The Pope is the head of one of the largest and most influential religions in the world–and \*\*the \*\*largest denomination that has one single universally recognized leader. That makes it \*very dangerous \*when he says disgustingly ignorant things. > [@BigT](#): > > I’ve always wondered why more people don’t just say they are Christian. Maybe later you could suggest that our LGB board members all start dating members of the opposite sex, our trans members could stop taking hormones and forgo surgery, and our Black members could work harder at passing for white. After all, they face harassment much worse than what atheists get, so maybe they should just make life easier for themselves. You fucking idiot. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > The Pope’s Godwin remarks are inane and betray historical ignorance. I would believe ignorance if he hadn’t grown up in Nazi Germany–a member of the Hitler Youth, even. No, this is a set of carefully calculated lies. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Wouldn’t God always bless the Pope anyway? No, there have been some really terrible Popes. If you believe in God, it makes sense to ask for God’s blessing and guidance for someone who didn’t become magically perfect simply by being elected to his religion’s highest office. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/151 "2010-09-20T16:41:38Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Maybe later you could suggest that… > > …our Black members could work harder at passing for white. After all, they face harassment much worse than what atheists get, so maybe they should just make life easier for themselves. Do you have any idea how fucking expensive this makeup is? I’ve said too much. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/152 "2010-09-20T17:30:47Z")
> [@Galanthus](#): > > > [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > > > I’m praying to God in the hopes that he smites your ass. In fact, I hope you suffocate crawling up Richard Dawkins’ ass. > > Utterly pathetic. Also, if I understand Jesus’s message, un-christian too. Shouldn’t you be turning the other cheek? I’m not a Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/153 "2010-09-20T21:05:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Do you have any idea how fucking expensive this makeup is? Hey, I said pass for _white_, not _Caucasian_. ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/154 "2010-09-20T22:14:39Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > No it would not. Clinging to agnosticism in this case would be the mark of someone who can’t think in terms of anything but capital-G God. It would be evidence that a godlike being (in at least one sense) exists, but that godlike being is clearly not God, unless God has developed an extremely uncharacteristic sense of humour. That’s kind of my point. Clearly the humungous rubber phalis that now towers over the world’s holiest city isn’t the work of God, but given that some other bastard’s been able to manifest godlike powers previously thought impossible you can no longer rule out some possibilities. Perhaps God just popped out for some milk and a more mischevous chap has come over from the next door universe to insert sex toys in unexpected places? ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/155 "2010-09-20T22:18:13Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > [QUOTE=Me] > Fuck the Pope, that statement is clearly the rantings of a religous loony and shouldn’t be taken any more seriously than that twat who wanted to burn the Koran. The Pope is the head of one of the largest and most influential religions in the world–and \*\*the \*\*largest denomination that has one single universally recognized leader. That makes it \*very dangerous \*when he says disgustingly ignorant things. [/QUOTE] I didn’t mean that _we_ should ignore him. I meant that _everybody_, preferably starting with the Catholics, ignore him. It’s a big ask, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/156 "2010-09-21T03:52:36Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > > Wouldn’t God always bless the Pope anyway? > > No, there have been some really terrible Popes. If you believe in God, it makes sense to ask for God’s blessing and guidance for someone who didn’t become magically perfect simply by being elected to his religion’s highest office. Well, why is he letting these jokers become Pope in the first place? Or could it be … that it’s really Satan who is behind then Catholic Church? AHHH! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/157 "2010-09-21T10:57:23Z")
When i read the popes kind words about me, i thought ‘what a massive cunt’. I didnt get a chance to write it down, until now. Thanks StraightDope ! ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/158 "2010-09-21T12:06:20Z")
Q: What do you call a Nazi with a $600 hat? A: Your holiness I had resisted updating the classic that retired with JP2’s passing (a _Polish_ guy with a $600 hat) because the current pope wasn’t really a Nazi (it’s not likely he had much choice becoming a Hitler youth). But if he’s calling me (and other outspoken atheists) Nazi, then I think it’s close enough. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/159 "2010-09-21T15:17:51Z")
> [@Baboonanza](#): > > I didn’t mean that _we_ should ignore him. I meant that _everybody_, preferably starting with the Catholics, ignore him. I know this may come as a shock to you, but listening to the Pope is one of the defining elements of being Catholic. That’s why \*everyone \*should take what he says very seriously. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Well, why is he letting these jokers become Pope in the first place? Because there is no god. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997/160 "2010-09-22T00:25:16Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > > Well, why is he letting these jokers become Pope in the first place? > > Because there is no god. As I’ve always suspected. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-says-im-a-nazi-or-godwin-in-one-step/553997.md?page=7)