abe smith

You Infidels read the news here at this site? noted last week report that His Hucksterism JP2 emitted opinion in publc that the INTERNET shd be CENSORED? oh yeah, BAYBEE; and guess who wd like to take over doing that heavy task for the benefit of humankind & its poverty, chastity, obedience and whatever else, you-name-it?

Anunnaki

Ugh! Didn`t that moron put on his dress a couple months ago to bless the internet? This means the internet belongs to Jesus now and it`s tough peanuts for us heathens.

BLoggins02

I understand why people feel the need to censor things from their (young) kids, but what I'll never understand is why adults feel they should "protect" other adults from what they personally deem inappropriate.

In my opinion, if you're over the age of 14 (give or take) you probably have enough sense to form your own opinions about the world, enough so that viewing some porn isn't going to turn you into a deviant or something (whatever deviant means )

Amos

I think he understands that nobody can tell a freethinker what to do but it is just nice to able to say "I told you so." Yes this implies that censorship is needed.

bonduca

Am I the only one who finds it ironic that this comes from a little old man in a long white dress?

brighid

Well, there is a “valid” reason to do so – it won’t be so easy to find out the truth about Christianity if the net is censored. The Internet is the main reason I am where I am in my belief structure today. There is no way I could find all this information in my local library, nor would I have the time to really research these topics. The Internet makes that research SOOO much easier and because I have access to a T1 – even faster than normal. The Catholic Church and other Christian Churches don’t want you knowing what happened in the past or to have the ability to make up your own mind and read opposing views or arguments.

If you’ve got nothing to hide – why censor or restrict access? Too bad our own Administration doesn’t adhere to that policy? I wonder what Cheney is hiding?

Brighid

IvanK

Here's the only part of what the Pope said that I might take issue with:

"Public authorities" I take to mean governments and their instrumentalities. "Harm" is pretty vague, unconstitutionally so I'd wager if we're talking about the U.S. But I see no "responsibilty to guarantee" that any particular communications medium "serves the common good" on the part of "public authorities" anywhere.

I wonder if His Holiness would agree with the Chinese Government's conception of the "the common good" or what it is doing to carry out its "responsibility to guarantee" that the Internet "does not become a source of harm?" Somehow I doubt it.

You can read it yourself if you care to on the <a href="http://www.vatican.va" target="_blank">Vatican Web site</a>. Click on your preferred language, then "Latest" and "World Communication Day." I'm not pasting the whole honking url for you.

Chad

The primary reason the pope wants the internet regulated is because it "leads people to place more importance on facts than values."

brighid

Facts – not values! Oh goodness – how terrible that anyone should consider the facts before formulating educated conclusions – the insanity of it all! Surely, the world will perish if we all start considering the FACTS!!!!! Eeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkk – run for the hills, run I say – Satan is coming to get us all and he is using FACTS!!!!

Brighid

elwoodblues

"The primary reason the pope wants the internet regulated is because it "leads people to place more importance on facts than values." "

Did he actually say that? Can you get a cite?