Bending over to Catholicism

[Lucanus]

Italy. A fine country, home to a great many geniuses throughout history. A country of craftsmen, sailors, explorers, poets, scientists and engineers.

A country of dull-witted, closed-minded, xenophobic catholic chuckle fucks.
A secular country by the constitution, albeit with crucifixes exposed in public classrooms, courts and public offices.
A secular country where the decision of an headmaster not to make a nativity scene (presepe) in the public school he directs outrages everyone.

(Article in Italian)
http://bergamo.corriere.it/notizie/crona...ce61.shtml

The outrage is bipartisan. Even a "Socialist" and "secular" MP said:

Even though the intentions and the reasons of the headmaster are understandable, we cannot give up our traditions and religions just because it might offend people who have different religions and traditions.

But wait, this one is a moderate... Here's the nutjobs.

The Lega Nord, the xenophobic nationalist party of Northern Italy (think something like a fusion of the Scottish National Party and UKIP) had some of its brightest minds right on the issue.
The party's general secretary, Matteo Salvini, posted this status on Facebook:

Why take away from the children of any race and culture the beauty of Christmas? I'm thinking about bringing a presepe there myself

The vice-president of the Senate, another member of Lega Nord (Roberto Calderoli, who wrote the current electoral law he himself defined as something "a pig could write") said:

As a man from Bergamo [the city where this school is located] I'm ashamed of this and I apologize to everyone who believes in such a symbol. If someone doesn't like our presepi, they can go back where they came from. I'm willing and able to pay for their tickets, on the conditions that they depart now and never come back

So much for "Secular Europe".

[Whateverist]

Yeah. Just like the dimwits here who are always going on about how exceptionally exceptional the US is when most of those who say it qualify for the special olympics.

Maybe it isn't the Italian people or American people who are failing so badly. Maybe it is simply the species as a whole that is simply not uniformly sapient?

[vorlon13]

Got me there with a G rated item. Saw the topic and figured we were going to be treated to another sodomacious pedofile priest outrage.

Curiously pleasant to have the Catholics lathered up over something and no child had to suffer groinal trauma for a change.

[Minimalist]

they can go back where they came from. I'm willing and able to pay for their tickets, on the conditions that they depart now and never come back

Sounds just like the morons in Oklahoma.

[abaris]

Yes, we had the catholic nutters go berserk over removing crucifixes in schools too. We also have a secular constitution, but the Catholic hierarchy is still strong though fewer and fewer people buy the snake oil they're selling. 42 percent of the general population consider themselves as not religious and about ten percent say they're strong atheists according to a recent Gallup poll.

But it has it's upsides too when the state recognizes cahtolicism, since there are many many catholic holidays. Monday's one of them. No work for the wicked.