How The World Is Run

[poliphilo]

It happened again. They put the ballot papers on the fire and the smoke coming out the chimney was white. Everybody in the square was jumping up and down, weeping and clapping their hands- we have a new Pope! And then the smoke turned black. Sorry, folks, no Pope today.

Quaint.

But communicating by smoke signals isn't the half of it. We're choosing a man to fill one of the most powerful posts in the world and the electorate consists of a handful of (supposedly) celibate old gents in their seventies.

Why aren't we laughing?

This is the 21st centry, not the 14th.

But I guess you and I don't get to vote for the chairman of Microsoft either.

Comments

[ibid.livejournal.com]

C'mon holy spirit - we need you!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't think the Holy Spirit has much to do with what's going on in the Vatican today.

I think the Holy Spirit moved on to fresh climes and pastures new a long, long time ago.

About 1950 years ago.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

That's why we need s/he/it back!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, the wind bloweth where it listeth- so there's always hope.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I don't think the Holy Spirit has much to do with what's going on in the Vatican today.

The fundamental problem, it seems to me, is that they think it does.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Exactly so.

And that millions of people world-wide agree with them.

[airstrip.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that the "Holy Spirit" doesn't get a lot of mention anymore, almost like they're trying to phase it out.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The pentecostals and the charismatics have made it so the rest of us are a little afraid to talk about the spirit in case we're accused of happy-clappy "enthusiasm"