http://www.statenews.com For the past two weeks, the attention of American media has been largely focused on religion, spirituality and philosophy as the country hosted two of the world’s most revered spiritual leaders: the pope and the Dalai Lama. I think their experiences here illustrate how great of a distance exists between their worlds. en-us Foundry4 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:19:35 -0500 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:34:27 -0400 webmaster@statenews.com http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16434/view A subtle hint of anti-Catholicism: the Pope called for conversion to God’s truth, not the Pope’s truth, as the article suggests. http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=15129 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:13:30 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16434/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16435/view I think there isn’t a whole lot of difference bewteen the two. They both are people who are looking for a true happiness and trying to get people to find it. The Pope firmly believes in the teachings of the Catholic Church and Jesus and the dalai Lama believes in the efficacy of the Buddhist teachings. While I do not agree that “all paths lead to the top of the mountain” I think there are good things to be found in both traditions. As a conservative Theravada Buddhist myself, I can find merit in some of what the Dalai Lama and the Pope has to say. Both men are trying to wake people up from the moral cesspool of war, violence and secular humanism run wild. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:21:20 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16435/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16449/view A StateNews columnist bashing Christianity and the Pope? How original!! What next, a pro-choice abortion article? Great work Ryan. Yawn. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:33:12 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16449/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16462/view Unfortunately we do need “pro-choice” articles because worthless reactioanaries like you believe in female reproductive slavery. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:53:06 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16462/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16470/view Let’s see… The SN likes Buddhism and the Dalai Lama, so he gets his title capitalized. The SN hates Catholicism and the Pope, so the Pope gets his title in lower case. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:12:15 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16470/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16475/view Looks like you nailed it on the head Ben and Alex. I guess we see Dinkgrave’s bias here. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:36:11 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16475/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16480/view My question to Ryan, is what opposition is the Pope facing? Yes the priest sex abuse scandal is black mark but I wouldn’t necessarily call that opposition. And the Church is settling with the victims, which is more than I can say for all the other denominations in this country where pastors have been caught frolicking with the kids. It’s funny that I don’t see lawsuits going after the Baptists, Methodists, and all the other Christian churches where this kind of stuff happens on just as frequent of a basis. Dinkgrave also does a disservice by saying the Catholic Church has not laid out steps to correct the problem. This is patently false. They have removed several priests from parishes that were still active (It may have taken a couple years but it is being done). The seminaries are also looking closer at their students for signs that the potential priest may be a problem. What else is he looking for? And as far as lawyers trying to limit how much of a settlement…what is the Church supposed to do? Roll over and just give people whatever they’re asking? Again, why aren’t these lawyers going after other denominations? Oh wait, I know the answer…do you Ryan? And while the Dalai Lama may condemn the violence that is being done in the name of Tibet, he certainly hasn’t done much over the years to really quell it. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:56:11 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16480/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16488/view I do agree this article has a vague anti-Catholic sentiment (and though it is irrelevant, I am not Catholic). But, regarding the pope/Pope controversy, the State News seems to be trying to follow Associated Press guidelines on capitalization. “The first reference to a clergyman or clergywoman normally should include a capitalized title before the individual’s name. ... If known only by a religious name, repeat the title: Pope Paul VI or Pope Paul on first reference, Pope Paul, the pope (not Paul) or the pontiff on second.” From page 220 of the AP Stylebook (http://alumni.imsa.edu/org/hadron/ap.pdf) The problem is they never definitively establish who they refer to as “the pope” with a proper first reference. The first sentence should have ended “the country hosted two of the world’s most revered spiritual leaders: Pope Benedict XVI and the Dalai Lama.” Oddly, the pope is never named in the entire column. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:35:52 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16488/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16493/view I’m not sure what the Catholic Church is expected to do other than pay settlements, begin screening candidates for priesthood and fire those who are found to have molested children. Mr. Dinkgrave alludes to victims being unhappy with the Vatican’s response, but fails to identify which requested measures have not been taken. MSUAlum- I’m not sure what you are getting at with your statements regarding other sects not being sued. What proof do you have that this is occurring in Lutheran Churches, Methodist Churches etc? The only reason I can think of for only going after the Catholic Churce is because of money and that they have shown a willingness to settle. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:14:14 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16493/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16505/view Tim, I’ve read countless articles of pastors in churches getting involved with teens in their churches. I’m not going to cite every instance, but a couple have occurred in St. Joseph County. A Baptist minister in the Detroit area got popped a few years ago for trying to meet a teenage girl he met on the internet. And you are absolutely correct on why the Catholic Church is being singled out for lawsuits….Money. They’re a lot more deep pocketed than the rest and there is a slight anti-Catholic bias in this country. I’m sure if lawyers went hard after other churches, they’d settle too but what’s the point when you can only get a couple of million at most versus a couple HUNDRED million? Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:18:46 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16505/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16506/view And the other proof I have is that even Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” has caught ministers and rabbis. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:20:05 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16506/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16508/view This is a worthless article written by a fool with a lurid comprehension of current events. Mr. Dinkgrave’s laughable attempt at a tactful commentary disrobes his absolute ignorance and bias regarding Benedict’s message to America. He wholly disregards any thoughtful consideration of the pope’s theme of unity and reconcilation. But this is to be expected. Liberals/socialists/communists would never pass on opportunity for vituperation against Christianity, and his pathetic comparison with Buddhism offers nothing but garrulous banter. Mr. Dinkgrave’s belligerent second-to-last paragraph trucently illustrates liberalism’s inate antipathy and hatred of Christianity, and defines the greatest scheme to discredit the Christian Church in the last one hundred years: blaming the sex abuse scandal on clergical hypocrisy instead of the real reason for the shame and horror, which is homosexual pedophilia. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:26:04 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16508/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16512/view Dan: Big words still can’t cover a small mind. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:43:24 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16512/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16518/view Dan, Big Mouth/Big Words. Stop BLAMING all of your thoughts and problems on anyone that may NOT have your Conservative mindset. I’ve come by a lot of your —extremely— Conservative comments, one day you have to realize people have their own broader viewpoints. (By the way, I am a Christian and a liberal) Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:40:28 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16518/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16521/view Dan, I have no doubt there are homosexual pedophiles; there are creeps everywhere, of every race, religion and sexual orientation. However, it is irresponsible and WRONG of you to lump all perverted clergy in the category of “homosexual pedophiles”. Aside from the, the scandal isn’t JUST the terrible acts that have occurred (those these certainly stand on their own); it is also scandalous how the Catholic Church has dealt with this. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:56:06 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16521/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16524/view Religion is the greatest scourge of mankind. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:23:39 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16524/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16530/view I don’t think religion is the greatest scourge of mankind, but it is still pretty terrible! Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:10:19 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16530/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16540/view I have read allot of stupid things in the SN online, but Amir “female reproductive slavery”, this is far and away the stupidest thing I think I have ever read. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:44:06 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16540/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16542/view Ryan is a genius! Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:51:12 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16542/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16555/view Ryan’s an idiot. Thankfully, so’s Dan. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:05:26 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16555/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16561/view Bill, can you tell me what is not “slavery” about the state essentially owning a female’s body for 9 months? Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:54:21 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16561/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16565/view Who “owns” a female’s body for 9 months???? Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:18:32 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16565/view http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16569/view Defeat Another Hussein. Elect John McCain! Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:34:27 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/16569/view