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Knights Templar Sue the Pope

pdragon04 writes "According to The Register, "the Knights Templar are demanding that the Vatican give them back their good name and, possibly, billions in assets into the bargain, 700 years after the order was brutally suppressed by a joint venture between the Pope and the King of France..."." I wonder what a holy grail goes for with 700 years of compound interest.

7 of 675 comments (clear)

  1. No legal standing to sue by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The real Templars were disbanded in the early 14th century. These claimants are nothing more than another bunch of modern wannabes (founded in 1804). They have no legal standing to sue. And since the only immortal survivor of the templar persecution died in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," I somehow doubt they're going to be able to find anyone who was an actual victim to join their lawsuit.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  2. Yes the Vatican Is So Pure & Holy by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wonder what a holy grail goes for with 700 years of compound interest.

    I'm much more interested in how you make up for the lives & civilizations your organization destroyed.

    I'm not saying this is true but Newsweek/MSNBC ran a story on pagan relics stored beneath the Vatican. I've also read and heard that many Native American (both North & South) relics and documents were shipped back to the Vatican to be stored under it so they could study heathenism and combat it. This was after their owners were either converted or burned/shot.

    I would think that the Catholic church could at least (as a sign of good faith) return these to their descendants or at the very least release them to a museum with all the information they have on it so that the rest of us can gain insight to their culture & religion. Of course, if this were true, I don't think the museum donations would be worth the black eye.

    "the Knights Templar are demanding that the Vatican give them back their good name and, possibly, billions in assets into the bargain, 700 years after the order was brutally suppressed by a joint venture between the Pope and the King of France..."

    The funny thing is that the Vatican probably has billions in capital at its disposal. I always got a kick out of the pope ruling a small nation-state in Europe (with its own currency, mind you) telling me to be more like Jesus. The same Jesus who said in Matthew 19:21

    Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

    Or what Luke said (12:23)

    Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

    Or John 3:17

    If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

    The funny thing is I could go on all day finding quotes from most major religions ... Like Buddha or Gandhi, I'm a huge fan of this Jesus guy. It's 99% of the people who purport to follow him that manage to genuinely fuck up the world.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Yes the Vatican Is So Pure & Holy by sm62704 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm much more interested in how you make up for the lives & civilizations your organization destroyed.

      I'm more interestded in how the list you pointed to is in any way relevant.

      1492: Christopher Columbus discovers the New World.
      1493: With the Inter caetera, Pope Alexander VI awards sole colonial rights over most of the New World to Spain.
      January 22, 1506: Kaspar von Silenen and first contingent of Swiss mercenaries enter the Vatican during the reign of Pope Julius II. Traditional date of founding of the Swiss Guards.
      April 18, 1506: Pope Julius II lays cornerstone of New Basilica of St. Peter.
      1508: Michaelangelo starts painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
      October 31, 1517: Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses, protesting the sale of indulgences.
      1516: Saint Sir Thomas More publishes "Utopia" in Latin.
      1519: Spanish conquest of Mexico by Hernando Cortes.
      January 3, 1521: Martin Luther finally excommunicated by Pope Leo X in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
      1521: Baptism of the first Catholics in the Philippines, the first Christian nation in Southeast Asia. This event is commemorated with the feast of the Sto. Niño.

      etc. What do any of these have to do with destroying people's lives?

      I would think that the Catholic church could at least (as a sign of good faith) return these to their descendants or at the very least release them to a museum with all the information they have on it so that the rest of us can gain insight to their culture & religion.

      I don't see how anyone could disagree with that. "Thou shalt not steal," not even if you are the Catholic Chruch.

      The funny thing is that the Vatican probably has billions in capital at its disposal.

      More pathetic than funny IMO, especially considering Matthew 19:23 - "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God"

      Never trust a preacher who wears a five thousand dollar suit preaching in a million dollar church.

      It's 99% of the people who purport to follow him that manage to genuinely fuck up the world.

      Amen to that. Pat Robertson has converted more Christians to athiesm than all the athiests at slashdot combined. Most of the people you find in any church worship money, not God.

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    2. Re:Yes the Vatican Is So Pure & Holy by Hal_Porter · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well.
      Margaret Thatcher

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    3. Re:Yes the Vatican Is So Pure & Holy by D+Ninja · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The funny thing is I could go on all day finding quotes from most major religions ... Like Buddha or Gandhi, I'm a huge fan of this Jesus guy. It's 99% of the people who purport to follow him that manage to genuinely fuck up the world.

      I'd love to see where you got your statistics.

      I don't disagree with you. Christians have done quite a good job of messing up the world. Heck...Christians are people too - we mess up. But, then again, we are all part of this earth, so we all hold responsibility for its state...it's not just Christians (and people of other faiths) who are at fault. The problem as I see it is, and as you very nicely pointed out, religions tend to be caught in their hypocrisy which makes them look that much worse. (What's worse - someone who does something bad, or someone who says to do good and still does the bad thing?)

      I am also not disagreeing with you that all of that capital could not be used to help millions (billions?) of people in this world, and it's not. I am with you 100% on that.

      With all that said, what I find interesting is that you quote passage after passage in the Bible, condemning Christians (and religions) about not being perfect, yet you forget one passage...

      Matthew 7:5 - You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

      I challenge you that, instead of complaining about how others are not doing the right thing, go out and do the right thing yourself. How much better would that make the world?

  3. Re:What about the native americans? by negRo_slim · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Okay I got modded troll I can live with that, but still the Europeans didn't send anyone. By most accounts it looks like a voluntary processes regardless of whether the group was well liked back home.

    Their leadership came from a religious congregation who had fled a volatile political environment in the East Midlands of England for the relative calm of the Netherlands to preserve their religion. Concerned with losing their cultural identity, the group later arranged with English investors to establish a new colony in North America.

    From Wikipedia, Or perhaps even more insightful...

    In 1617, discouraged by economic difficulties, the pervasive Dutch influence on their children, and their inability to secure civil autonomy, the congregation voted to emigrate to America. Through the Brewster family's friendship with Sir Edwin Sandys, treasurer of the London Company, the congregation secured two patents authorizing them to settle in the northern part of the company's jurisdiction. Unable to finance the costs of the emigration with their own meager resources, they negotiated a financial agreement with Thomas Weston, a prominent London iron merchant. Fewer than half of the group's members elected to leave Leiden. A small ship, the Speedwell, carried them to Southampton, England, where they were to join another group of Separatists and pick up a second ship. After some delays and disputes, the voyagers regrouped at Plymouth aboard the 180-ton Mayflower. It began its historic voyage on Sept. 16, 1620, with about 102 passengers--fewer than half of them from Leiden.

    From mayflowerfamilies.com

    I still stand by my statement, go take a history class.

    --
    On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
  4. Re:What about the native americans? by phoenixwade · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Knights Templar, as parent and GP mentioned, are very unlikely to be making any material claims.

    Ouch! It almost sounds like there are no consequences for perpetrating a successful genocide.

    Well Duh!

    I'm reminded of a quote from the mini-series " Shogun":

      Toronaga asked Pilot to name any excuse that justified making war on your Lord, the Pilot responded "Winning"

    --
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.