Why did the Catholic church support that thug Manuel Noriega?

[Earth]

I would've said fuck the Vatican and would've stormed the embassy to arrest him anyway.

That could've been the worst pr move of the second half of the century.

Worse than the Catholic Church's PR? Besides, I doubt any Protestants would give a sh!t.

Yeah, the church is still wholly redeemable in a lot of people's eyes, but for a government to start an international incident by storming the Vatican embassy would've brought much of the western nation's condemnation down upon them.

[Keystone Phil]

"brtd is being an ass" is not a valid defense.

Except that's not my defense of the Church in this case. I'm just telling BRTD he ought to personally watch what he says. He doesn't have some high ground on issues of morality.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Real nice, Alcon.

[Хahar 🤔]

Phil, it's clear that BRTD's morality is different from your morality.

[Sensei]

But why continue to shelter him from the US? The goal was simply to arrest him, and he's still alive now, just in a federal prison in Miami (unless he was extradited back to Panama, not sure on that.) That concern has nothing to do with protecting him from the US force.

I would've said fuck the Vatican and would've stormed the embassy to arrest him anyway.

I'm curious by the way what "moral failings" of mine compare to Noriega's. To compare a brutal dictator to pretty much anyone on the forum in terms of that is downright asinine.

he's out of jail. But, things would've been way, way uglier if Noriega hadn't been allowed in the embassy.

[12th Doctor]

BRTD is, as always, an idiot who fails to see reason when it suits him, which seems to be always.

It is Vatican policy not to turn away anyone seeking asylum... in fact, it has been the position of the Catholic Church for the last 1500 years not to turn away anyone seeking asylum... or the term with which we might all be more historically familiar, "sanctuary".

Of course, they didn't like Noriega anymore than they like like anyother criminal... and I am reasonably confident BRTD knows this.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

BRTD is, as always, an idiot who fails to see reason when it suits him, which seems to be always.

It is Vatican policy not to turn away anyone seeking asylum... in fact, it has been the position of the Catholic Church for the last 1500 years not to turn away anyone seeking asylum... or the term with which we might all be more historically familiar, "sanctuary".

Of course, they didn't like Noriega anymore than they like like anyother criminal... and I am reasonably confident BRTD knows this.

Need I explain the issues with such an all inclusive policy? I mean supposedly they would grant asylum to Lenny Murphy or Milan Babic under this. LOL, ironic. You might argue that's noble but would Protestant or Serb Orthodox churches doing that be seen as noble. Or noble if they protected IRA terrorists or Ante Gotovina.

[12th Doctor]

BRTD is, as always, an idiot who fails to see reason when it suits him, which seems to be always.

It is Vatican policy not to turn away anyone seeking asylum... in fact, it has been the position of the Catholic Church for the last 1500 years not to turn away anyone seeking asylum... or the term with which we might all be more historically familiar, "sanctuary".

Of course, they didn't like Noriega anymore than they like like anyother criminal... and I am reasonably confident BRTD knows this.

Need I explain the issues with such an all inclusive policy? I mean supposedly they would grant asylum to Lenny Murphy or Milan Babic under this. LOL, ironic. You might argue that's noble but would Protestant or Serb Orthodox churches doing that be seen as noble. Or noble if they protected IRA terrorists or Ante Gotovina.

And yet strangely, I don't give a sh**t what you think.

I actually never siad whether I thought it was a good idea of not.  You, however, charged that this was proof that the Catholic church supported Noriega, when it is nothing of the sort.  Its a consistent policy.

[J. J.]

In some was, they saved from being shot in the streets, or lynched by Panamanians.

Like Mussolini or Ceausescu? How tragic.

You'd prefer a mob to a trial.  Okay, I'll remember that.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Ceausescu got a trial. So did Noriega.

[Keystone Phil]

Phil, it's clear that BRTD's morality is different from your morality.

Brilliant excuse. I'm always a fan of that.

[12th Doctor]

In some was, they saved from being shot in the streets, or lynched by Panamanians.

Like Mussolini or Ceausescu? How tragic.

Back in 1992, in a western city, a wealthy white guy was driving through a black neighborhood in a BMW when he accidentally hit a black kid.  The white guy got out, checked, saw that he was badly hurt and then ducked back into his car.

A group of local people who were hanging out saw this a dragged the guy out of the car.  After all, he was this rich white guy who was trying to flee the scene, and since he hit a poor black kid, he would probabaly get away with it... so they started to beat him.  A crowd formed, and soon, a dozen people joined in to beat on this guy.  They killed him through blunt force trauma to several parts of his body.

Whose side do you take on this?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That is comparable to Mussolini or Ceausescu? Hahahahahaha.

[12th Doctor]

That is comparable to Mussolini or Ceausescu? Hahahahahaha.

Answer the question.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I don't support what happened to the guy obviously.

[12th Doctor]

I don't support what happened to the guy obviously.

Well, that's good.  I don't give you nearly enough credit, I suppose.  Or more likely, you probably sensed the trap.

It turned out that the reason the guy had ducked back into his car was to call 911 on his car phone.  He had every intention of helping th kid.  The kid could have been helped, but instead he died because help didn't get there fast enough.  Had the mob stayed cool, two people wouldn't have died needlessly.

That sums up my view of mob justice, in a nut shell.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I don't support what happened to the guy obviously.

Well, that's good.  I don't give you nearly enough credit, I suppose.  Or more likely, you probably sensed the trap.

It turned out that the reason the guy had ducked back into his car was to call 911 on his car phone.  He had every intention of helping th kid.  The kid could have been helped, but instead he died because help didn't get there fast enough.  Had the mob stayed cool, two people wouldn't have died needlessly.

That sums up my view of mob justice, in a nut shell.

OK so as I said not even remotely comparable.

[12th Doctor]

I don't support what happened to the guy obviously.

Well, that's good.  I don't give you nearly enough credit, I suppose.  Or more likely, you probably sensed the trap.

It turned out that the reason the guy had ducked back into his car was to call 911 on his car phone.  He had every intention of helping th kid.  The kid could have been helped, but instead he died because help didn't get there fast enough.  Had the mob stayed cool, two people wouldn't have died needlessly.

That sums up my view of mob justice, in a nut shell.

OK so as I said not even remotely comparable.

You only know that through hindsight.

[12th Doctor]

i cant believe you guys almost trashed xahar's reputaion on my words!

What?

[Хahar 🤔]

Phil, it's clear that BRTD's morality is different from your morality.

Brilliant excuse. I'm always a fan of that.

No other way to put it.

[Matt Damon™]

Phil, it's clear that BRTD's morality is different from your morality.

BRTD has a clear coherent morality? I haven't seen evidence of such.