Which is interesting, because growing up Southern Baptist, we were always taught that babies who died went to heaven, because they weren’t old enough to understand sin. Not that we were given a set age when apparently you were old enough to go to hell.

Trust me, I firmly believe that is the actual reason; I just wonder how it’s justified and presented in a palatable way.

Basically, anything to do with gender. I guess it would be hard to come up with something resembling modern standards of respect from a book from the iron age.

I love this movie.

I just heard on NPR that it’s okay to rape and murder — mostly done by men — but an abortion, and you’re O.U.T. of the church.

But he’s so cool! Let’s all blow him because he’s slightly less awful than the last guy!

One is a crime a man could commit.

I think it’s that some things you have to confess to a bishop instead of just a priest. Dunno what difference that’s supposed to make.

Oh, I see. But a formal excommunication is and has been pretty rare for a long time in the Church, fwiw. I think the more typical situation is called excommunication latae sententiae, which is, essentially, default excommunication for a heretical act.

Remember: He wasn’t around for the Holocaust as Pope.

The Washington Post noted that priests already routinely absolved women of abortions, so the letter represents not so much a change in procedure but a public statement advocating mercy.

I think it’s honestly (stupidly, moronically, nonsensically) because of the whole original sin thing. Fetuses can’t be saved until after they’re born.

So I’m married to a priest (Episcopal, so not sure it counts). I’m not very religious, but some things you learn from being around it all the time and I’m around it all the time and have a ton of ordained friends. I just texted my spouse about this because I was like, 99.9% sure that Jesus didn’t have a list of sins…

Oh gee thanks for your approval, guy!

In May, the pope announced he would dispatch “missionaries of mercy” who would be tasked with pardoning women who had had abortions and the doctors who had performed them.

The previous pope was a Nazi. Like, an actual one. Not using hyperbole here or the way people call someone a “grammar Nazi.” I think he’s claimed he “wasn’t really into it” but...Nazi.

Nah, bro.

My ultra-Catholic family is losing their shit. They don’t know what to do with this pope anymore.

This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Is there anything else that just gets you excommunicated and can’t be absolved? I didn’t realize some things couldn’t be forgiven...