The worst thing about Italian earthquake...

[Joods]

Didn't you feel at least a little bit idiotic writing that headline? Knowing that there are Italians on this board, no less?

Being only the second generation into the US, I DO have family living in Italy. Thank you Alex, for having the heart that the OP seems to lack here.

[abaris]

Oh, yeah... that will fucking help.  Pious assholes.

Does any of you even attempt to walk in the shoes of others? Such as this being a religious region that might find comfort in the pope praying for them? In that sense it may just be working - as consolation. Which is more than any of you offers.

The secular agendas are pretty well handled by Renzi, who instantly promised 50 millions and decreed the victims and communities to be tax exempt until the after effects have blown over.

[Minimalist]

Let the fuck dive into the Vatican bank account and send some money to help the relief efforts.  Yeah, it costs more than fucking praying but it might do some good.

[Joods]

Oh, yeah... that will fucking help.  Pious assholes.

Does any of you even attempt to walk in the shoes of others? Such as this being a religious region that might find comfort in the pope praying for them? In that sense it may just be working - as consolation. Which is more than any of you offers.

The secular agendas are pretty well handled by Renzi, who instantly promised 50 millions and decreed the victims and communities to be tax exempt until the after effects have blown over.

I don't need to walk in the shoes of others. I have had more than my share of shit to deal with. Enough to last several lifetimes. As for the OP, honestly, there are more important things about this earthquake to worry about than the pope. The pope is most certainly NOT the worst thing. How about the death toll and the fact that people lost lives, family and everything they own. Let's start there. 

Sorry but not sorry - the pope "praying" doesn't do shit but give him an excuse that he can use to sleep better at night.
How about he take off those holy robes, throw on some jeans and a tee-shirt and I dunno, perhaps get his hands dirty actually helping those who's lives were torn apart.

[The Grand Nudger]

IDK, I can understand the OP.  That a natural disaster is a tragedy of the first order is, I hope, a complete non-realization.  But what -could- make that worse, if not for the compulsion of some to aggrandize themselves and their faiths on the backs of it?  It's difficult to imagine a better way to reduce the importance of human suffering, while simultaneously causing yet more..... than by using that occassion to peddle magical trinkets and cantrips while currying favor for a pixie.

[abaris]

I don't need to walk in the shoes of others. I have had more than my share of shit to deal with.

I certainly didn't mean anyone already showing empathy. I meant the ones obviously being of the opinion that atheism is more important than showing empathy and who obviously aren't willing to consider that even prayer might do some good in the situation the victims find themselves in. For religious people it isn't wasted and some people tend to forget that. For religious people it's a source of consolation and that's all that matters in the end.

[Fake Messiah]

Does any of you even attempt to walk in the shoes of others? Such as this being a religious region that might find comfort in the pope praying for them? In that sense it may just be working - as consolation. Which is more than any of you offers.

The secular agendas are pretty well handled by Renzi, who instantly promised 50 millions and decreed the victims and communities to be tax exempt until the after effects have blown over.

As for the OP, honestly, there are more important things about this earthquake to worry about than the pope. The pope is most certainly NOT the worst thing. How about the death toll and the fact that people lost lives, family and everything they own. Let's start there. 

Yes let's start here but we always cut to the pope standing in Vatican in drag as if in some gay s&m club reading from his stupid paper (it seems he can't even speak Italian or Latin but read it). I'm just annoyed with, like I said, every video of that disaster must include the Pope. And yes we see him frantically saving his multi-billion dollar business of selling false security to people that they have control over natural forces by kissing statues and listening to him.

Not to mention that Church is the only one that's going to make huge profit out of this with all those funeral$.

[abaris]

Don't be an idiot or a dick? Or at least don't try to be. As far as I am concerned, our news don't show the pope at every given opportunity but correspondents on the ground, reporting on what has happened, the relieve efforts and the helpers. Occasionally they also feature Renzi, head of government. The pope has been a footnote, if that. And again, this is a deeply religious region. So the pope praying actually helps them in finding some kind of closure in times that seem hopeless.

[Thumpalumpacus]

My heart goes out to them who are suffering. I don't think religion is the important issue here.

[Joods]

I don't need to walk in the shoes of others. I have had more than my share of shit to deal with.

I certainly didn't mean anyone already showing empathy. I meant the ones obviously being of the opinion that atheism is more important than showing empathy and who obviously aren't willing to consider that even prayer might do some good in the situation the victims find themselves in. For religious people it isn't wasted and some people tend to forget that. For religious people it's a source of consolation and that's all that matters in the end.

I will concede, you do make a point for those who are religious. I guess the logical side of me thinks, what good does that really do, when it's action that really matters most. But yes, just as if I were to be at a dying relatives side and they were religious and asked me to pray with them in their last moments, if it offered them comfort, I would do it.