Teh interesting (non-PHL-related) news stub thread

[Grim]

Here's something really interesting... a subway stripper, arrested.

Subway stripper arrested

Jul 11 - Chilean stripper Monserrat Morilles takes pole dancing act to Santiago's subway, but gets arrested.

It was guaranteed her act in skimpy underwear would get commuters' attention but Morilles said she had a different goal in mind when she took her performances to this rather unusual venue.

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[Twin-Skies]

I've always considered myself a moderate Catholic, so this story really struck a nerve:

Anti-life pols must be refused communion

MANILA, Philippines—Catholic politicians who push for abortion should not be allowed to receive Holy Communion because they are “in a situation of sin,” according to a top leader of the Catholic Church.

Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus Dosado has issued a pastoral letter saying that politicians who consistently campaign for and endorse permissive abortion should be taught about the Church position.

Priests should also tell the politicians that, unless they stop their pro-abortion actions, they should not insist on receiving the Holy Eucharist because they will just be denied, Dosado said in a report posted on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, CBCP public affairs office chief, said the CBCP as a whole had yet to discuss the stand on refusing communion to pro-abortion politicians.

But it is in the canons of the Church that those who have engaged in abortion and those who have participated in such an act are banned from receiving Holy Communion, Iñiguez said.

They have to be forgiven first by a bishop before the prohibition could be lifted.

Dosado’s pastoral letter came days after the CBCP said it was alarmed by “anti-life” bills in the House of Representatives.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo said at a press briefing after the two-day CBCP plenary assembly ended last week that the bishops would lobby against the bills.

I sent a letter to the inquirer regarding this. Quite frankly, I was pissed :

I find it painfully hypocritical that the CBCP would suggest not giving communion to members of the church simply because of their stance on family planning. What about other members guilty of other "sins?"

What about the politicos who steal from the people and still have the gall to show their faces at church every Sunday? That's been going on for decades, and yet they pick this as a reason to kick somebody out?

Why not also refuse to give communion to Gloria's entourage who flew overseas just to watch Pacquiao's bout, even as we were still reeling from Typhoon Frank's aftermath?

Talk about double-standards!

While I don't agree with Gabriella on many matters, I will side with their point that abortion happens simply because many women here have neither the financial nor the emotional means to care for their child. There are probably more reason, but given our level of poverty, this is the most likely cause.

If the church really is so against abortion, then why don't they care for the unwanted child? Or would they rather he/she will grow up in "a situation of sin," where starvation and neglect will push them to resort to drastic actions just to stay alive?

I am angered especially because I am also a practicing Catholic - since when did we end up leaders this backward-thinking? Family planning does not equal anti-life. If anything, it ensures that the couple will have the means to properly take care of their offspring.

As for the argument that sex education will lead to immoral acts - this flow of logic implies that reading about lockpicking will also encourage us to commit thefts, or that reading about serial killers will turn us into murderers.

Except that this doesn't happen normally - unless the one reading is already mentally disturbed - and it only reveals that the CBCP is selling their pulpit's common sense and integrity short. We are smarter than that, and we certainly deserve better leaders than that.

[Sforza]

Corrupt politicians don't go the church or congress and say, "hey guys, I'm a corrupt politician, lol!". They don't file bills legalizing corruption either. These pro-abortion politicians filed bills that stated they were pro-abortion, and that's the main difference. The technicalities to achieve this end don't really matter, so long as there's a fetus that doesn't end up as a baby.

The Catholic church isn't a democracy either. That means either you accept the official stance, or you're living in sin. You're free to switch religion if you can't accept that.

[Twin-Skies]

Corrupt politicians don't go the church or congress and say, "hey guys, I'm a corrupt politician, lol!". They don't file bills legalizing corruption either. These pro-abortion politicians filed bills that stated they were pro-abortion, and that's the main difference. The technicalities to achieve this end don't really matter, so long as there's a fetus that doesn't end up as a baby.

The Catholic church isn't a democracy either. That means either you accept the official stance, or you're living in sin. You're free to switch religion if you can't accept that.

Even the Catholic Church has factions - a lot of Jesuits I know have a very strong stance for proper sex education, and would frown at this sort of grandstanding. Then again, they never always agreed with the CBCP in the past.

The bill in question doesn't contain proponents for abortion either - it called for proper sex education and family planning.

What the CBCp has done in this regard is tantamount to lying.

[Grim]

The Catholic church isn't a democracy either. That means either you accept the official stance, or you're living in sin. You're free to switch religion if you can't accept that.

This pisses me off so much because it's true. The CBCP will only change their stance after great amounts of pressure from all sides. Even then they'd do it slowly so as to save face.

But like Antonio says, there are always people inside the Church who don't subscribe to the official word. That doesn't necessarily make them sinners. I can hardly call an upstanding priest or nun or whatever who disagrees with the governing body's decision to be "living in sin", no matter what doctrine may say.

[Sforza]

Well, the Pope is supposed to be God's representative so whatever the Pope says is canonical. AFAIK/IANAL (I am not a lawyer), (but) having improper or malicious thoughts actually is a minor sin. I don't know what canon law states either, but I don't think openly disagreeing with any official church stances will do well for any member of the clergy. I do believe sex education is permissible and should actually be taught to all students.

TS, if possible could you please post a link to an online version of the bill if it is available? I'd like to take a glance at it just to see what the fuss is about.

Honestly though? I couldn't care less about this issue xD Population control is another matter altogether.

[Twin-Skies]

Well, the Pope is supposed to be God's representative so whatever the Pope says is canonical. AFAIK/IANAL (I am not a lawyer), (but) having improper or malicious thoughts actually is a minor sin. I don't know what canon law states either, but I don't think openly disagreeing with any official church stances will do well for any member of the clergy. I do believe sex education is permissible and should actually be taught to all students.

TS, if possible could you please post a link to an online version of the bill if it is available? I'd like to take a glance at it just to see what the fuss is about.

Honestly though? I couldn't care less about this issue xD Population control is another matter altogether.

Benedict may be Pope, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything he says. Especially given how out-of-touch he can sound at times. Why would God burden us with free will if we can't even use it?

I'll see if I can dig a copy up.
@theGrim

One good example being Liberation Theology. It was a theological doctrine developed back in the late 70s by the Society of Jesus in light of the oppression and poverty being experienced in the Third World. Lib Theo called for social upheaval - to rebel against a government if the said authorities had proven to be oppresive/abusive of their subjects to the point that it dehumanized them. The move was met with much resistance from the Vatican since the doctrine based part of its principles from communism.

Proponents for Lib Theo in turn argued that the Vatican's existing doctrines are built for developed nations - hardly workable in countries like ours, or El Salvador. Quite frankly, I still think the Vatican's doctrines are outdated, and in serious need of study. That's how the Second Vatican Council came to be - because the church needed to either learn to accept and work with - not against - the world, or fade into nonexistence.

[Twin-Skies]

Guess what - we made gaming news in the US.

In a bad way:

Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year

A lawmaker in the Philippines has introduced a bill designed to prevent minors from purchasing violent video games.

As reported by the Asian Journal, the measure proposed by Rep. Narciso Santiago (left) could imprison retailers for up to one year for selling mature-themed games to underage buyers.

Santiago cited studies showing increased aggressiveness following violent game play. The lawmaker commented:

[The state has] compelling interests to prevent violent, aggressive, asocial behavior [and] prevent psychological harm to minors who play violent video games, and prevent physical harm to the victims of violent minors, including other minors.... It is also the responsibility of the state to eliminate any societal factors that may inhibit the psychological and neurological development of the youth and facilitate the health development of the youth into well-meaning productive adults.

What. The. Fuck.

I commented on the GamePolitics article as Twin-Skies. I encourage the guys here to post there to let them know what we think of this bill.

For the record, a parent who does not read the damn ratings on the game they're buying for their kid DESERVES to be landed in jail. It's called parental responsibility.

[Grim]

For the record, a parent who does not read the damn ratings on the game they're buying for their kid DESERVES to be landed in jail. It's called parental responsibility.

My thoughts exactly.

Also, it's almost laughable at how late we are when it comes to this issue. This has been a topic in existence since like, 1992. It's not even smart to say that we're just having a booming gaming industry now - people have been playing violent games here for years. And for that matter, it still isn't booming - we're not making the games, and we buy pirated ones to boot.

[J.E_Magog]

I have nothing against people who want to prevent minors from buying violent video games.

Video game violence has become more realistic if you ask me.
We didn't grow up with that kind of realism when we were kids.

IMO retailers and video game shops should take responsibility. It's those pirated copies that is making those violent games accessible to young kiddies in the first place. You can't just rely on parents because they can't keep an eye on their kids 24/7.

[Twin-Skies]

I have nothing against people who want to prevent minors from buying violent video games.

I have nothing against this point. This was the reason I never ended up buying either God of War or the later GTA games - because I need to keep an eye on what my siblings play.

Video game violence has become more realistic if you ask me.
We didn't grow up with that kind of realism when we were kids.

Agreed again, although quite frankly, a child's exposure to violence isn't just in games. Look around you - even watching the local butcher slaughter pigs and cows would count as violence. I'll bet you plenty us have seen at least one relative slit a chicken's throat or gut a fish to prepare a meal, all before we ever hit age 13.

Then there's the TV - local news report plenty of violent crimes at around 6:30, which is around the same time that most grade-schoolers are already home, either studying or getting ready for the family meal.

We are exposed to violence even outside games and quite frankly, I think most of us can handle it.

Let me ask you this: With millions of people around the world playing Counter-Strike and GTA, why is that the number of supposedly gaming-related acts of violence for 2007 to 2008 is just enough to be countable on your fingers? I've seen more violence happen over sports-statistics, basketball matches, or road rage. Have you ever seen that the UK is like when they lose the World Cup?

IMO retailers and video game shops should take responsibility. It's those pirated copies that is making those violent games accessible to young kiddies in the first place. You can't just rely on parents because they can't keep an eye on their kids 24/7.

I agree that retailers should take responsibility - ID requests are probably a good start. On the other hand, Santiago's law will have to face some serious problems.

1. What if it's the parent who knowingly buys the M-rated game for their kids? You can't fault the retailer for that since they are technically selling the game to somebody of legal age. Will the cops arrest you just because the parent's snotty-nosed little bugger wouldn't stop throwing a tantrum until they get Resident Evil? In some cases, there are also parents who buy the game despite knowing its rating, because they think their kid can handle it.

2. Why are we even focusing on games? Look at the malls and the legit video stores. When they hold a sale, they sell all their discount discs to just about anybody who's willing to foot the bill. Including porn - why don't we see Santiago doing anything about that? That is after all a far more prevalent problem.

3. Santiago's bill is patterned after a similar bill filed by attorney Jack Thompson for the state of Louisiana back in 2006.

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/25/the-po...louisiana/

For the record, the Florida Court's Judge Tunis is currently filing a permanent disbarment case against JT, due to a total of 27 charges including making false statements to tribunals, disparaging and humiliating litigants and other lawyers, and improperly practicing law outside of Florida.

In other words: So much for the bill's credibility.

[Grim]

I'd like to comment on the following point:

Agreed again, although quite frankly, a child's exposure to violence isn't just in games. Look around you - even watching the local butcher slaughter pigs and cows would count as violence. I'll bet you plenty us have seen at least one relative slit a chicken's throat or gut a fish to prepare a meal, all before we ever hit age 13.

I believe that's a different coin altogether Twin. Killing animals for food is something that's (relatively) accepted as a norm and necessity, but killing people isn't.

IDs are easy to fake, unfortunately. And with businesses in pursuit of profit, combined with the general level of trust people have in our government agencies, I doubt they'll refuse to sell a violent game to a minor who shows up with an ID which says he or she's 18.

Personally, I think we have more pressing issues to look after which affects a wider range of people, like soaring fuel costs.

[AppleHead]

There's also a proposed Magna Carta on women's rights under Philippine law which the UNDP is hoping to get passed.

It covers things like enforcing the budget allocation for women's programs which all government offices are supposed to have, revising the husband's control over marriage tax breaks, making the annulment process equitable, policies to crack glass ceiling in employment, etc.

There's also the non-existence of a child porn law with teeth. This is all apart from the soaring fuel prices which the whole world is feeling, and your country's corruption problems.

I doubt this grandstanding bill will ever get passed. Though if it gets tabled, you guys ought to be careful since the gaming industry/civil rights lobby is nowhere near as powerful as it is here.

[Twin-Skies]

Personally, I think we have more pressing issues to look after which affects a wider range of people, like soaring fuel costs.

In the end, the whole thing smells of legislative grandstanding and posturing, as Apple indicated. I wonder how much tax money we ended up shelling out just to have this bill made...

That's one reason I'm pissed.

[NiX]

Let's face it. The dude just doesn't have anything better to push for.