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Vatican Warns That Internet Promotes Satanism

Posted by timothy on from the perhaps-this-is-why-I'm-not-at-church dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "The Telegraph reports that the Roman Catholic Church has warned that the internet has fueled a surge in Satanism that has led to a sharp rise in the demand for exorcists. 'The internet makes it much easier than in the past to find information about Satanism. In just a few minutes you can contact Satanist groups and research occultism,' says Carlo Climati, a member of the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University in Rome who specializes in the dangers posed to young people by Satanism. Organizers of a six-day conference that has brought together more than 60 Catholic clergy as well as doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers and youth workers, co-sponsored by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments and the Congregation for Clergy, say the rise of Satanism has been dangerously underestimated in recent years."

21 of 585 comments (clear)

  1. Back at you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Internet Warns That The Vatican Promotes Stupidity.

    1. Re:Back at you. by stonedcat · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hail satan!

      --
      You can't take the sky from me.
    2. Re:Back at you. by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They appear to be using "the Internet" as a scapegoat (not to be confused with goatse, but an understandable mistake considering where they often lodge their noggins). People are doing the same shit that they always have but now they can:
      * find it easier on the internet
      * find others who are doing it on the internet
      * blame the internet when they get caught

      Meet the new boogeyman, same s the old boogeyman.

    3. Re:Back at you. by fermion · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Pretty much. And one of the stupid things Catholicism promotes is the idea of Satan. Honestly, one cannot be a satanist unless one is a christian, because Christianity makes it's hallmark the separates the continuity of good and evil into a polarity that is then split into autonomous creations.

      Honestly, there is no reason for a scapegoat unless one is going to continuously blame others for your problems. Rational people understand that is necessary to take some control over their own lives. They can't just sit back and wait for a deity to provide for them. They can't just blame the satanist when things are not working out.

      If there is anythings that makes christianity in general, and catholicism in particular, a joke to some many people is the externalization of blame. If satanism a problem, then clean up your own backyard. We can start with the focusing of the teaching of the christ in christianity and his directive to be better people, rather than to use any means necessary to force others to behave in ways that we agree. Of course christianity is not unique in it's use of force to promote religion, but it is, IMHO, uniquely positions to promote self discipline over blame.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    4. Re:Back at you. by Will.Woodhull · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ...the number of "posessions" is very small, so is it really worth convening 60 church officials for a week to talk about what he considered to be a small problem?

      Of course that is not worth it.

      But if you want to begin to mobilize the masses of uneducated and gullible Catholics in every corner of the western world, you need to start somewhere. And a good place to start is by demonizing the Internet, which is the one thing that is doing the most to reduce the number of uneducated Catholics who would be gullible enough to do whatever the Church tells them to do.

      This week has seen a couple of dozen killings in Afghanistan because somebody reportedly burned a Koran half a world away. There is no significant difference between an ignorant, gullible Islamist and an ignorant, gullible Catholic. Either can be turned into an explosive terrorist simply by feeding them disinformation about the world. If the Catholic Church is deliberately trying to keep its masses barefoot, pregnant, and in the pews by demonizing the Internet, this is cause for concern.

      --
      Will
    5. Re:Back at you. by davester666 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hell, the best promotion for Satan appears to be the Catholic church itself.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    6. Re:Back at you. by RobertM1968 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      [quote]The Vatican stated fact: you have more "Satanists" because there is more information about it available to everyone.[/quote]

      The Father in the article admits that the number of "posessions" is very small, so is it really worth convening 60 church officials for a week to talk about what he considered to be a small problem? In regards to the demon possessions, I wouldn't be surprised if they're all just untreated severe mental disorders or chemical problems.

      I think it's more likely to be a deliberate distraction from the internal problems they are having.

      The number of possessions is actually ZERO. I guess that qualifies as "very small". The thinking that people are becoming possessed is simply nonsense that the Vatican is promoting ON the Internet (or promoted on their "behalf" on the Internet) - but it's still nonsense. Part of the problem is that various sects of Christianity promote (in various places, including online) that people can excuse their baser or more vile actions by blaming it on the devil - which leads us right to situations like this.

      It's not the Internet that's the problem - it's the church.

      --
      StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
    7. Re:Back at you. by Mindcontrolled · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Lucifer was always the "light bringer" - from latin "lux" the light and "ferre" to carry. So it is the light bringer or the light bearer, but not the light maker. Of course, he was an angel of god, and I completely agree that most of the mythology is not biblical, but derived from Milton and Dante - the whole doctrine of hell is not biblical, but rather heretic, come to think of it. Then you got a lot of conflation if arabic ibis/shaitan demonology to top it off...

      --
      Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
    8. Re:Back at you. by TheRealGrogan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The catholic church has much to fear about the internet... even worse than satanists, it puts their flock in contact with people who know the truth: There are no such things as gods or devils.

      They are losing their means of control.

  2. Internet promotes Christianity by data2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The internet says that it also promotes christianity, using the same arguments. Within minutes you can research churches, bible groups and also contact them...

    1. Re:Internet promotes Christianity by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But they want to be the ONLY faith that you can read or talk about.

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    2. Re:Internet promotes Christianity by wonkavader · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They're not protestants. You don't read about religion. That's not your role. You go to church and get information from a priest, who has a greater connection to God through the hierarchy of the Church, which has at it's head God, and right below that the pope, with whom he has conversations daily.

      OK, it's a pre-Vatican-two sort of world-view, but it's historically that of the Catholic church.

  3. Well fair is fair by Dunbal · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If the Catholic church can get away with an apology for the rape of countless young boys and girls on behalf of its members, then please your Holiness, accept this apology on behalf of the internet for our "satanic" practices.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  4. They are afraid of an educated populance by earthforce_1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They can't control the flow of information and keep the people in check through ignorance like they used to. Much harder to cover up church scandals like pedophile priests with the internet available to a wide population.

    --
    My rights don't need management.
    1. Re:They are afraid of an educated populance by Sprouticus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "They haven't had the luxury of ignorance or the power to control information for many, many years"

      Tell that to the people in Africa and South America. There is a reason that the Church is growing in areas of low educaiton and high ignorance and poverty. They share their brand of salvation and afterlife to make people feel better about their shitty lives now.

      Same thing applies to Islam.

      You never grew up in the church, you apparently are not familiar with their tactics. By 'warning' the faithful, they actually intend to scare those who may already be uncomfortable with using the web (older folks, the uneducated or undereducated, etc).

      Make no mistake, this is a direct reaction to the sex scandals.

      Before you start stomping on others for modding something, perhaps you should do a little legwork. I know this is slashdot, but judging the validity of the opinions of others invites a very negative response.

  5. Gutenberg by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hrm, where have we heard this one before?

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  6. Internet Warns that Vatican Promotes Pedophilia by moxley · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Internet Warns that Vatican Promotes Pedophilia

  7. My invisible friend.... by Tanuki64 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...is good. Yours is evil.

  8. Methodology by retroworks · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Reading the story... the evidence provided is that demand for exorcists has increased. This, according to the Church, suggests that Satanism is on the increase - the same as an increase in sales of flu medicine may indicate increase in illness. To explain the rise in demand for treatment of Satanic possession, they formulate the theory that the internet could have promoted Satanism, increasing demand for exorcists. An alternative explanation would be that exorcists formerly could only advertise in very large markets - not in the yellow pages of rural areas. With the increase in internet, victims of Satan have wider access to exorcists, who defeat Lucifer in areas where he formerly established safe harbors. Therefore the Internet promotes Exorcism, not Satanism. And flu medicine sales may indicate meth labs are also on the increase in rural areas, which could also increase demand for exorcists. Personally, I find crackheads scarier than Satan.

    --
    Gently reply
  9. Re:That Wouldn't Be A Bad Way To Go by PPH · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well, I've heard of a few problems with young Muslim girls being married off to older men. But I think this is tribalism, not a feature of the specific faith (the offshoot Mormon cults tend to behave in a similar manner). Isolate a population from the moderating influences of society, and the village elders are free to look for whatever excuse is available to pounce on young tail (boys, girls, whatever).

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  10. Re:Actually by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Don't forget to count int the thousands if not more "Saints" and the dozens of Angels they "pray to".

    angel'o'sphere

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.