Should the state provide funding for the Pope's UK visit?

[You kip if you want to...]

No.

At a time when the government is about to announced major cuts and redundancies, it's morally despicable that they should give any money for the head of a state/church to visit. Catholicism isn't even our official denomination. People would be in major protest if we payed for some high-up Muslim cleric to visit (extremist or non-extremist).

This is before I get to the matter of the homophobia, the sexism and the paedophile defending. No government of any composition should endorse such views. There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

[Јas]

It's standard fare to pay for invited state visits. If you want to avoid paying for same, you shouldn't issue the invitation - rather than trying to stiff them with the bill.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Why was the Pope even invited for a state visit?

[Dr. Cynic]

     Why was the Pope even invited for a state visit?

I think they want to find a way to get him in the same room with Ian Paisley to see who'll kill the other first.

[GMantis]

     Why was the Pope even invited for a state visit?

He's the leader of a major religion with a significant following in the UK and he's never been on a state visit there. Courtesy, perhaps. Their timing, however, is rather poor.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

He's here to beatify Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) and it seems to have been decided that the visit might as well be expanded somewhat.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No. No. No. Absolutely not.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

[You kip if you want to...]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

Expressing my opinion is trolling? Sorry, i'll remember next time.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

Expressing my opinion is trolling? Sorry, i'll remember next time.

You're only trying to antagonize other forumites (Catholics, that is). You're trolling.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

Expressing my opinion is trolling? Sorry, i'll remember next time.

I've been infracted for "trolling" for expressing opinions far less bigoted and hateful than yours.

[Phony Moderate]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

Expressing my opinion is trolling? Sorry, i'll remember next time.

I've been infracted for "trolling" for expressing opinions far less bigoted and hateful than yours.

Change08's comment wasn't objectively "bigoted" or "hateful".

[Joe Republic]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

If you report a post that you find objectionable, you're given the opportunity to elaborate on why you find it objectionable.  Please use it.  There are few things more irritating to us than empty reports; even Inks has said so, and he's the least irritable of all the mods.

Furthermore, once you have reported a post, please do not reply to it.  It makes it harder and less likely that any action will be taken against the original post.

[You kip if you want to...]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

Expressing my opinion is trolling? Sorry, i'll remember next time.

You're only trying to antagonize other forumites (Catholics, that is). You're trolling.

I'm not trying to antagonize Catholics. I think that Catholicism is a very respectable religion actually, once you ignore the homophobia and the sexism which exists at the top of the church, of course.

[GMantis]

No. No. No. Absolutely not.

Then they shouldn't have invited him.

[k-onmmunist]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

Expressing my opinion is trolling? Sorry, i'll remember next time.

I've been infracted for "trolling" for expressing opinions far less bigoted and hateful than yours.

It's not trolling if it's true, though religion as a whole is backward, not just Catholicism.

[You kip if you want to...]

There was outrage when Geert Wilders visited, why not the extreme head of a backwards religion?

Stop trolling.

Expressing my opinion is trolling? Sorry, i'll remember next time.

I've been infracted for "trolling" for expressing opinions far less bigoted and hateful than yours.

It's not trolling if it's true, though religion as a whole is backward, not just Catholicism.

^ agreed

[Joe Republic]

No. No. No. Absolutely not.

Then they shouldn't have invited him.

Gordon Brown took it upon himself to invite him, in another demonstration of his impeccable judgement and good timing.