It's a cracker!

[daedalus 2.0]

IT'S A FRACKIN’ CRACKER!
Category: Religion • Stupidity
Posted on: July 8, 2008 8:05 PM, by PZ Myers

There are days when it is agony to read the news, because people are so goddamned stupid. Petty and stupid. Hateful and stupid. Just plain stupid. And nothing makes them stupider than religion.

Here's a story that will destroy your hopes for a reasonable humanity.

Webster Cook says he smuggled a Eucharist, a small bread wafer that to Catholics symbolic of the Body of Christ after a priest blesses it, out of mass, didn't eat it as he was supposed to do, but instead walked with it.
This isn't the stupid part yet. He walked off with a cracker that was put in his mouth, and people in the church fought with him to get it back. It is just a cracker!

Catholics worldwide became furious.

Would you believe this isn't hyperbole? People around the world are actually extremely angry about this — Webster Cook has been sent death threats over his cracker. Those are just kooks, you might say, but here is the considered, measured response of the local diocese:

"We don't know 100% what Mr. Cooks motivation was," said Susan Fani a spokesperson with the local Catholic diocese. "However, if anything were to qualify as a hate crime, to us this seems like this might be it."

We just expect the University to take this seriously," she added "To send a message to not just Mr. Cook but the whole community that this kind of really complete sacrilege will not be tolerated.".

Wait, what? Holding a cracker hostage is now a hate crime? The murder of Matthew Shephard was a hate crime. The murder of James Byrd Jr. was a hate crime. This is a goddamned cracker. Can you possibly diminish the abuse of real human beings any further?

Well, you could have a priest compare this event to a kidnapping.

"It is hurtful," said Father Migeul Gonzalez with the Diocese. "Imagine if they kidnapped somebody and you make a plea for that individual to please return that loved one to the family."

........
So, what to do. I have an idea. Can anyone out there score me some consecrated communion wafers? There's no way I can personally get them — my local churches have stakes prepared for me, I'm sure — but if any of you would be willing to do what it takes to get me some, or even one, and mail it to me, I'll show you sacrilege, gladly, and with much fanfare. I won't be tempted to hold it hostage (no, not even if I have a choice between returning the Eucharist and watching Bill Donohue kick the pope in the balls, which would apparently be a more humane act than desecrating a goddamned cracker), but will instead treat it with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web. I shall do so joyfully and with laughter in my heart. If you can smuggle some out from under the armed guards and grim nuns hovering over your local communion ceremony, just write to me and I'll send you my home address.

Just wait. Now there'll be a team of Jesuits assigned to rifle through my mail every day.

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008 ... racker.php

'Body Of Christ" Returned To Church After Student Receives Email Threats

POSTED: 12:47 am EDT July 7, 2008
UPDATED: 8:37 am EDT July 9, 2008

Orange County, FL -- One week after a University of Central Florida student snatched something sacred from church, armed UCF police officers stood guard during Sunday Mass to protect what Catholics call "The Body of Christ."

Minutes before the Mass began, Student Senator Webster Cook returned the Holy Eucharist he was holding hostage in a Ziploc bag ever since smuggling the blessed wafer of bread out of the Catholic Mass service Sunday June 29.

Carol Brinati with the Diocese of Orlando said the Catholic community was "concerned about the possible desecration of the Eucharist," and pleaded for its safe return.

Cook, who was raised Catholic, said he decided to bring the Eucharist home after a church leader tried to physically pry it from his hand. Cook broke Church rules by failing to consume it immediately during communion and then removing it from his mouth once seated.

Cook said he just wanted to show the Eucharist to a friend he brought with questions about Catholicism before consuming it. But outraged Catholics across the globe didn’t believe him and suspected he intended all along to steal the Eucharist and bloggers sent out e-mail messages damning him to Hell.

"I am returning the Eucharist to you in response to the e-mails I have received from Catholics in the UCF community," Cook wrote in a letter to the church. "I still want the community to understand that the use physical force is wrong, especially when based on assumptions. However, I feel it is unnecessary to cause pain for those who are not at fault in this situation."

Cook said some threatened to break into his dorm room to rescue the Eucharist. Brinati said the Diocese of Orlando didn't condone those threats, but was happy Cook had a change of heart and returned it.

"We've been praying about that," she said.

...........

http://www.wftv.com/news/16806050/detail.html



I wonder if his "change of heart" had anything to do with the death threats and threats to break into his dorm more than the prayers? There have now been multiple calls on many atheist sites to take as many concecrated wafers as possible.

The idea is to reconstruct a Jesus voodoo doll with the wafers, or, use them in some other sacrilidgeous use.

I implore all atheists who have a chance - kidnap a cracker and take home a piece of Jesus for your very own!

Transubstantiation (in Latin, transsubstantiatio) is the change of the substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ occurring in the Eucharist according to the teaching of some Christian Churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, while all that is accessible to the senses remain as before. In Greek it is called μετουσίωσις (see Metousiosis).

wiki




Ahhhhh.... Religion at its best!

[McCulloch]

Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

[nygreenguy]

I abstained from voting because of the piss poor choices given.

I think what the kid did was wrong. I think what he did was disrespectful as well. I think the violent reactions were also in error.

I have zero problems with attacking other peoples ideas. Im actually quite for it. But what this kid did was go into a place of worship and he violated their trust. The wafer is intended for only certain catholics and if we are guests in their church, we should respect that even if we disagree.

[JoeyKnothead]

I'm gonna go about with nygreenguy with one caveat...

Where those religions would try to impose on my freedom, or restrict it in any way I would then be willing to blaspheme their gods in the name of freedom.

[nygreenguy]

I'm gonna go about with nygreenguy with one caveat...

Where those religions would try to impose on my freedom, or restrict it in any way I would then be willing to blaspheme their gods in the name of freedom.

Well, this happenes with EVERYONE in our culture who doesnt agree with you. Other vote and help decide how our culture evolves. This is why I dont believe in the "live and let live" philosophy.

HOWEVER, I dont think we should violate their privacy and property to make a statement.

[daedalus 2.0]

The kid said he was doing it to show a friend a consecrated wafer. For what purpose I don't know. Is it that important? I think its odd that religious dogma and craziness has gotten to the point where we defend these kinds of actions.

A guy goes into a Secular Humanist meeting and prays - should he be physically restrained until he takes it back?

I can't see anything that justifies the claim that taking home a consecrated wafer is a problem.

(I might add: the CC started putting the wafer into people's hands because of hygiene: The very physical presence of GOD in a wafer can't suspend disease? Jesus himself can't ward off AIDS (or whatever the Priests might have), for a moment? It's like the joke: "I still say a lightning rod on a Church shows a lack of Faith".)

To wit:

1. the policy of the Church was to physically restrain anyone who hasn't consumed the wafer.
2. People sent death threats. (One said, "If God doesn't get you, I will.")
3. People threatened to break into his dorm and take.
4. The church claimed this was a kidnapping. (Imagine telling the parents who actually had their child kidnapped that the church equated their pain to losing a cracker.

And, btw, where is the outcry of the systematic cover-up of Priests molesting children?

It certainly shows a severe lack of prioritizing. Is this the summation of 2000 years of preaching the "good word"?

Has the CC gotten anything right? (I mean, except the massive profits they have reaped.)

[JoeyKnothead]

I'm gonna go about with nygreenguy with one caveat...

Where those religions would try to impose on my freedom, or restrict it in any way I would then be willing to blaspheme their gods in the name of freedom.

Well, this happenes with EVERYONE in our culture who doesnt agree with you. Other vote and help decide how our culture evolves. This is why I dont believe in the "live and let live" philosophy.

HOWEVER, I dont think we should violate their privacy and property to make a statement.

Fair 'nuff. I see your point, and I was a bit strong in my statement. Let's say I would reserve the right to blaspheme in extreme cases. Or maybe better I would try to do like the Founders? I don't know, I just know I don't want my freedoms restricted. But you're right, we can't all just go crazy over a law we don't like.

Dang you, how dare you correct me in front of everybody!

[OnceConvinced]

(I might add: the CC started putting the wafer into people's hands because of hygiene: The very physical presence of GOD in a wafer can't suspend disease? Jesus himself can't ward off AIDS (or whatever the Priests might have), for a moment? It's like the joke: "I still say a lightning rod on a Church shows a lack of Faith".)

Very very good points. The question can also be asked about how the wine glass in churches became little tiny plastic cups. Seeing as this is holy communion and God is involved there should be no concerns about the passing of germs. It should never happen.

[daedalus 2.0]

Latest News:

UCF Student Senator Who Took A Eucharist From A Catholic Mass Is Impeached

U. Central Florida'sstudent government association impeached student senator Webster Cook Thursday in a33-2-0 vote after allegations he was involved in an altercation at a Catholic Mass on campus.

The vote signals the start of a two to four-week investigation by the Legislative, Judicial and Rules Committee. After the investigation, the Senate will hold another meeting and vote whether or not to remove Cook from his elected position.

The impeachment willhave no effect on Cook's status as a student wrote Dustin Robinson, service and public relations chairman for SGA, in a release.

"The Student Government Association does not have the ability to expel Webster Cook, this is a power given solely to the Student Conduct Board," Robinson wrote.

Sen. Cook was not present at the meeting where he was impeached.

At the beginning of the meeting, Speaker Brian Peterson gave a report on the matter to the Senate.

"Let me begin by addressing an issue that's recently received a great deal of attention and cast a negative light on our efforts within the Student Government," Peterson said. "The situation involving Senator Cook and the Catholic Campus Ministry is an isolated event and one that has interfered with our true purpose."

Webster Cook, along with a friend, went to a Catholic Campus Ministry Mass on June 29. During the Mass, Cook had an altercation with various members of the organization after he pocketed a Eucharist, which is against Catholic tradition.

Cook ended up leaving the Mass with the Eucharist. He said he was holding it until he got an apology for being grabbed by his elbows and told he had to return it. During his time holding the Eucharist as collateral, Cook said he received threats after the story gained national attention. A week after taking the Eucharist, he returned it without getting an apology.

SGA Official Anthony Furbush submitted the impeachment affidavit last week against Cook. Furbush was present in the audience during the impeachment vote.

On July 16, the Legislative, Judicial and Rules Committee, an internal committee within the legislative branch of SGA, voted in favor of sending the impeachment affidavit to Senate to allow them to vote.

It is unknown at this time when exactly the investigative meetings will be held, but they must be completed within four school weeks. Special meetings could be used in order to speed up the process.

Supporters and opposers of Cook's actions were present in the audience during the meeting.

Sara Wong, a political science major, had a banner around her waist that said "Respect the Jeez-its," mimicking the label of the popular cheese cracker with pictures of tiny Eucharist.

Wong, who is Catholic, said she was happy to see Cook impeached, but also hopes that he has a chance to state his side of the story in front of everyone.

"I'd like to see it as a positive chance for Senator Cook," Wong said.

She said she would continue to go to the meetings until the ordeal came to an end.

Daniel Winstead, a political science major and member of the Campus Freethought Alliance, was also in the audience. Winstead has been offering free advice in understanding the legal aspects of everything that has happened with Cook.

Even though Winstead has been giving Cook legal advice, he said he is not surprised about the way the impeachment vote went, especially with the closeness the situation has to religion.

"I foresaw it going this way," Winstead said. "It appears as if there are outside motivators." ?

Copyright © 2008 Central Florida Future via UWire






Children are dying in Africa, we're at war and priests are molesting children.... but save that cracker!

[nygreenguy]

The kid said he was doing it to show a friend a consecrated wafer. For what purpose I don't know. Is it that important? I think its odd that religious dogma and craziness has gotten to the point where we defend these kinds of actions.

It is a private institution which he disrespected and broke the trust they have with not screening everyone who comes in.

Its like going somewhere and stealing something. It isnt up to us, the public, to decide the value of the object stolen but those who the object was stolen from. Just because we disagree with the sacredness of such a wafer doesnt lessen the impact of the infraction.

A guy goes into a Secular Humanist meeting and prays - should he be physically restrained until he takes it back?

Was this kid physically restrained?

I can't see anything that justifies the claim that taking home a consecrated wafer is a problem.

Argument from ignorance.

1. the policy of the Church was to physically restrain anyone who hasn't consumed the wafer.
2. People sent death threats. (One said, "If God doesn't get you, I will.")
3. People threatened to break into his dorm and take.
4. The church claimed this was a kidnapping. (Imagine telling the parents who actually had their child kidnapped that the church equated their pain to losing a cracker.

Relevance?