[tiereenny]

New inquisition + waterboarding.

[wrewsTear]

if his smart he would play the sympathy card and not try to blame other religons. would probly restore some faith in christianity for alot of people.

[BWJfEkOB]

Would it be so different from when Mehmet Ali Ağca tried to assassinate Jean Paul II? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_Po...nation_attempt

The Pope dies as do several dozen other people there is damage to the buildings of the Vatican. The effect of a burning St. Peter's' Basilica might make a comparable impact on non-European Chatolics as seeing the twin towers collapse was for Americans.


Also this time its not an individual with some quiet rumors of KGB support. It is a well organised terrorist attack with the assaulting party proudly claiming proof of the falsness of the Chatolic (and Christian in general) religion coupled with the obligatory calls of conversion to Islam and the destruction of Israel.

[CealialactBek]

Pope Rambo I

[chuecaloversvvp]

Is it an antimatter bomb?

No.

[dserbokim]

Why non-European?

Many European Chatolics are Chatolic in name only. You thus get confusing demographic data, where the % of people who belive in God is substantly lower than the % of Chatolics (also pause to consider all the non-Chatolic monotheistic religions present). Europe is mostly seculal.

[Nesskissabe]

@Heraclitus

You are mixing two things, the conscious act of denying the catholic faith and the Vatican as symbols for the western civilization for large group of people.

Even for many non catholics, the catholic church represent an affective symbols in itself. His destruction could enrage a large groups of Europeans (right wing, nationalist, monarchist). And I don't speak of Catholics (traditionalist or not) The killing of the pope and the destruction of the Sixtine chapels, would cause massive, but VERY massive uprising of right wing movement.

Even if it's 20-30% of people. These peoples would become politically very strong, and very motivated...

[BronUVT]

The Vatican would force annoying Slovenians to marry their fat girlfriends and produce children in order to halt the demographic decline of Europe.

[Elitiachirl]

The Pope dies as do several dozen other people there is damage to the buildings of the Vatican. The effect of a burning St. Peter's' Basilica might make a comparable impact on non-European Chatolics as seeing the twin towers collapse was for Americans.

Why non european catholics?

There are more right wingers in Europe (moderate Christian Democracy parties, anti immigration racists, Le Pen, Haider neo nazi wackos) than in Latin America, which has mainly leftist populist and social democrat governments (Chavez, Evo, Lula, Kirchner, Bachelet etc).

The Vienna is not Istanbul crowd which does not want Turkey in the European Union would go crazy if muslims killed the pope and destroyed Saint Peter

[sestomosi]

Italy would nuke Mecca and Medina.

[hotelhyatt]

It would be interesting to see a revival of the religious orders such as the Templars and whatnot. There's really no reason why they couldn't also work in the modern sense, by recruiting those who have already had military training.

troll alert, troll alert

thru my years of lurking in silence i always suspected you where a clever troll ben kenobi. But here you really blew your cover.

[BariGrootrego]

well mr. Kitman, I don't know what to tell you. I wasn't kidding.

[rsdefwgxvcfdts]

You think I posted that to get a rise out of folks?

In case you didn't notice the OP already stated that I'd probably be calling for a Crusade in the first place.

I think the OP knows just a wee bit more about me then you do.

[Fiipolera]

You think I posted that to get a rise out of folks?

This would explain 99% of your posts better than anything else I can think of.

[LeaderBiz]

I love how open minded people are to contrary opinions. Of course, I can't believe in that because it would be so ridiculous.

[ggandibazz]

Stupidity is like gravity, it binds the universe together?

[Stovegeothnon]

We'd probably crusade again.

The first one was triggered by the destruction of the Church of the Nativity.

It would be interesting to see a revival of the religious orders such as the Templars and whatnot. There's really no reason why they couldn't also work in the modern sense, by recruiting those who have already had military training.

If the rank and file were sufficiently motivated, and were willing to fund it through tithes, then yes, you could see folks from all over the world.

One of the main reasons why Popes of the last while have held back is out of concern for Christians in Arab-held lands. The Christians who were there before the Arabs, particularly in Syria and Egypt have suffered tremendous persecution. It would take an event like the successful assassination by the Pope in the Vatican, with damage to St. Paul's to get the next Pope to put caution aside.

Religion is nearly dead. No one gives a **** anymore...

[GutleNus]

Note that, at the time of the original Crusades, western Europe was little more than a collection of warlords and their thugs lording it over the peasantry, while the Arab world was pretty much the apex of civilization. Today, the circumstances are nearly reversed, and you see their lunatics flying planes into our buildings. Holy Wars are how barbarian peoples deal with their troubles. Hopefully the Arabs will learn, like we did, to civilize themselves once they're done with the hacking and the burning.

[DoctorNiCYDEn]

Note that, at the time of the original Crusades, western Europe was little more than a collection of warlords and their thugs lording it over the peasantry, while the Arab world was pretty much the apex of civilization Google Carolingian Renaissance.

That's what our history books would have us believe, but it's wrong.

[geraint.faughn]

Aren't we already engaged in a full scale "crusade" to eradicate al-Qaeda? We've got a multi-national force at work in Afghanistan and the Pakistanis fully engaged in Pakistan. What could "non-european Catholics" or new Teutonic Knights possibly contribute? Do you really think that NATO forces would allow a bunch of mercenaries to work with them in Afghanistan? Who's going to fund these new Teutonic Knights? APCs, tanks and helicopters are expensive. My guess is that at max you'd get an outpouring of sympathy, a pledge of renewed efforts from the leaders of NATO and perhaps some cautiously worded statements from the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan.