UK Catholics, if you had £12,000,000 on hand, how would you spend it?
A) Hiring a battalion of armed guards, snipers, armoured cars and counter-spies for a ten hour visit by your chief pastor; or B) Spend maybe £10,000 setting up a live Internet feed from the Vatican and spending the remaining 11,990,000 on helping the needy? I was just wondering. Bonus question: Which of the following was "first page" and which was 16th page news in a UK newspaper today? Papal visit; or Tony Blair doing underhanded deals in Palestine for large investment bank? "Well, what would YOU do with it" I'd help the needy as implied by option B. Are you that stupid? "I love the word papal. It reminds me of paypal. :)" Quite apt :D You're missing the point, this visit is completely unnecessary for the purposes of charity. It's not a visit aiming to generate charity, it's a visit aiming to generate more catholics and it's being paid for by UK TAX MONEY. Not catholic tithing or donations, but by tax money that could have went else where and done some actual good. So stop making a big deal about the money. It's such an obvious red herring. I would never spend $1200 on a TV, you're the one dropping red herrings trying to argue that £12,000,000 is a small amount of money ... There are a lot of christians, even catholics, in the UK who are opposed to this visit because of the money being spent on it. "The bottom line is you don't want the pope to come to Britain." Actually, I couldn't really care whether he comes or not. I just find it disgusting that yet more millions are spent on a frivolous PR stunt for the benefit of a select few.
Religion & Spirituality - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I love the word papal. It reminds me of paypal. :)
2 :
Well, what would YOU do with it?!?!?! Please let me remind you that the one & only person in the Holy Bible, who ever made an issue on what to do with expenses, was Judas Iscariot--right before he betrayed Our Lord for 30 pieces of silver! Edit: a)That was the argument put forth by the hypocritical Iscariot. b)The Vatican & the Catholic Church in general, is known for its charities in the developing world.
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Very quiet here............
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lol @ Chiff
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As a Catholic, though not in the U.K. and knowing how much it costs OUR President to go anywhere... Also, working in the IT industry and knowing that sometimes Face-to-Faces are still necessary in this day and age. AND knowing that this is only the 2nd visit EVER to the U.K. by a Pope. I am be a bit biased, but: I'd chose A) and spend the 12 million for a much needed face-to-face. He is the leader of a sovereign nation, less we forget. Think of it THIS way..... The Pope has no control over the U.K. government, and therefore, the anger should be aimed at the government for spending it... NOT the Pope. I work at a University, when our University spends a ridiculous amount to have the First Lady of the U.S. speak at one of our School Graduations.. my anger is NOT at the First Lady..but the University. I correctly Realize that she needs protection, be flown in Privately, etc. - So my anger is at the School who thinks this is a good use of their scant and ever shrinking budget. If he conducted a teleconference, it may make YOU feel better about only spending $10,000, but I'm sure the U.K. media would BLAST him for being a coward. They'd report that he was scared that some activist Lawyers were threatening to bring him up on Crimes Against Humanity charges That Pope Benedict was scared of the Protesters. And that he knew he had something to hide from and that the U.K. had basically won by getting him to admit that.. by hiding in the Vatican. I can almost SEE the headlines now. SO... come to the U.K. - face criticism and a barrage of anti-Catholic, anti-Papal propaganda OR remain in the Vatican - face criticism and a barrage of anti-Catholic, anti-Papal propaganda Pick your poison. At least this way, he faces his accusers AND, perhaps.. has a chance to turn things around (slim chance, but one can always hold out hope) Lastly... whatever the U.K. government spends on the visit.. don't think for a MOMENT they'd spend that on Charity, had they NOT spent it on the Papal visit. That is a false choice. The Catholic church is the world's largest, non-governmental provider of Health Care, Education and Relief Aid in the WORLD. Its spending on Charity FAR exceeds the entire U.K. governments foreign Aid packages by several factors. Over 8,000 orphanages Over 1000,000 K-12 schools, mostly in poor countries Over 5,000 hospitals and clinics, again in poor countries.. who has been in Haiti helping the poor for over a hundred years before Red Cross and the U.K. focussed on Earthquake victims? _________________________________ ::EDIT:: Catholics generally don't "tithe" Catholics give the least of any Christian faith to their church. Mostly like 0.5% of their monthly income. The Vatican releases its yearly budget for all the world to see, even though it is a sovereign nation and doesn't have to. It's entire budget is like 316 million which is a 5 million deficit. It's entire budget is smaller then the Dioceses of Chicago in the U.S. http://www.zenit.org/article-29859?l=english
6 :
<<UK Catholics, <snip> helping the needy?>> Sorry but a live Internet feed is no substitute for the real thing. <<I was just wondering.>> No, not from where I'm sitting. You really haven't wondered much at all. I mean, think about it! 12 million is, objectively speaking, not a lot of money. It really isn't. And let's be real, it's really not the money, or the amount of money, that's bothering you. You simply don't like the way the money is being spent. Whenever we don't like the way money is being spent, the amount always appears to be larger than it really is. I mean, $1200 for car repair seems "crippling". But $1200 spent on a nice big HD flat screen television - one finds it NOT the least bit crippling to part with such an amount. So stop making a big deal about the money. It's such an obvious red herring. The bottom line is you don't want the pope to come to Britain. And if you don't him to come to Britain, fine. You don't have to want the pope to come to Britain. But, like it or not (and this is a lesson you should have learned as a child), some things are going to happen whether you like them or not. Rather than piss and moan like a kid, the more dignant thing to do is make the best of a bad situation. <<Bonus question: Which of the following was "first page" and which was 16th page news in a UK newspaper today? Papal visit; or Tony Blair doing underhanded deals in Palestine for large investment bank?>> Who cares? The media decides for itself what's more important. I decide for myself. <<"Well, what would YOU do with it" I'd help the needy as implied by option B.>> Catholics help the needy as well. One of the most widely practiced Virtues amongst Catholics is Charity. <<Are you that stupid?>> Now, now. . . Settle down CHILDREN! <<"I love the word papal. It reminds me of paypal. :)">> You spend too much time on the Internet. <<You're missing the point, this visit is completely unnecessary for the purposes of charity.>> Charity doesn't only mean money. There is also spiritual charity. <<It's not a visit aiming to generate charity, it's a visit aiming to generate more catholics and it's being paid for by UK TAX MONEY.>> I think your country would be better off with more Catholics. I mean, if you think more British should be. . . . like YOU. . . God help your country! <<Not catholic tithing or donations, but by tax money that could have went else where and done some actual good.>> Your overlooking the fact that the pope is also a Head of State. As such, your laws dictate that Heads of State are ENTITLED to security. Now, if you don't like your tax dollars going to the security of Heads of State, your beef is not with the pope, or the Catholic Church - it's with your own government!
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