More thoughts

I wish for a safe recovery for Pope John Paul II, who has undergone a tracheotomy to help him breathe more easily, the BBC reports. However, I am distressed by some of the comments that the pope has made in his newest book, "Memory and Identity." According to CNN, the pontiff wonders whether proponents of gay marriage are part of "a new ideology of evil" and compares abortion to the Holocaust.

I don't think there's anything "evil" about two people of the same gender wanting to marry each other. Love and commitment are laudable values, in people and in societies. In his book, the pope criticizes Communist dictatorships, whose evils stemmed from the fact that they denied basic freedoms from their citizens -- religion, yes, but the list is longer: freedom to dissent, freedom to assemble, a fair and impartial trial by a jury of one's peers. The pope essentially criticizes the Communist governments for denying rights to their people -- and then supports the movement to continue withholding the right of marriage to same-sex couples.

On the comparison between abortion and the Holocaust: The Holocaust, as I have mentioned in the case of Ward Churchill (see below), holds significant emotional meaning for many people across the globe. So, of course, does abortion. But it is irresponsible to link these two very charged issues. It seems that the pope has abandoned his previous policy of treating the Holocaust with respect.