I’d like to formally slay the following comment left on my Nazi Pope Debate article. So many commenters have already left wonderful explanations, defenses and attacks, but I just had to pick on this one poor soul…

All of you who engage in this petty banter deserve pity. There were many good people who were caught up in terrible times. No one would ever defend the Third Reich, but not every German who lived between 1933 and 1945 was evil. It is also amusing that Jewish leaders from around the world have denounced your “Nazi-Pope” line of thinking as simply ridiculous. Well, it seems you are a group of self-absorbed narrow minded miscreants who simply need something to attack, all merit aside.

Maybe I should actually do a line-by-line. At least for some of them. Here goes:

All of you who engage in this petty banter deserve pity

You know what we call this where I come from? Hypocrisy. Or having your cake and eating it too. You can’t suddenly “engage in petty banter” and then say all YOU who engage in this. You should more rightfully say (if you’re going to even make this point at all - and you shouldn’t cause it’s stupid): “All of us who engage in petty banter…” Welcome to the petty banter club, motherfucker. Population: You! Consider this your initiation.

Secondly, this isn’t “petty banter.” This is a serious debate. Just look at all the time, effort, intelligence and more which have gone into arguments from all sides (well, all sides but yours). This isn’t just some fucking squabble over which hairstyle Jennifer Aniston looks better in. This is one of the most important leaders in the free world. He ought to be not just analyzed, but fucking scrutinized ruthlessly. Furthermore, the debate we’re ultimately having also relates back to an even more important topic in the world: the place of religion in the governance of people.

No one would ever defend the Third Reich…

Wait, by joining in the army (whether or not he claims to have “fired a shot”), wasn’t Ratzinger actually defending the Third Reich? That’s what an army’s for, right?

It is also amusing that Jewish leaders from around the world have denounced your “Nazi-Pope” line of thinking as simply ridiculous

Yes, what an amusing anecdote. Mhaw ha huah! Now let’s all go drink our tea and forget about this whole thing, shall we? Look, not a single lick of this is fucking “amusing” (besides your dumb comments). This is the Pope. He’s the symbolic head of a religious organization, and is supposed by that organization to be the closest man to god. As such, this dude better be fucking spotless. But he is not. And I frankly don’t care that much about his was-he-wasn’t-he Nazi past. Much more chilling is his enormous history of standing up for antiquated elitist bullshit. He helped keep secret the molestation of children by priests. He decreed that John Kerry couldn’t receive communion because of his stance on abortion - right before the election (as if Kerry needed any help to lose). Even just these two are far more damning than any Nazi bullshit. The Nazi stuff is just the wrapper on the candy. It’s time we look past that at the man’s professional record. It’s anything but a happy one.

Secondly, why should I care if “Jewish leaders” say “Nazi? No big deal!” First of all, what are they gonna do realistically? Are they gonna denounce one of the most powerful men in the world, and somebody who has enormous influence in the Holy Land? NO FUCKING WAY! They are gonna hold their tongues for the sake of civility. Secondly, they regularly deal with Nazi stooges all the fucking time anyway. Look up Mr. George W. Bush’s grandfather. Guess who he got into trouble for supporting during WWII: The Nazis! I’m not making this up. It’s historical record.

More important, you’re demonstrating what’s known as falling for the oldest trick in the book. “Leaders” put out a statement and everybody falls inline. The leaders don’t put out statements saying what they really think. They put out statements telling YOU what they want YOU to think. And you swallowed it hook, line and sinker. “Gosh golly willikers everybody. Them thar leaders done goneded and telled us not ta werry ’bout nuthin’. Why don’t we stop all this fussin’ and get back to kissin’ ar sisters! Whee-paw!”

Well, it seems you are a group of self-absorbed narrow minded miscreants who simply need something to attack, all merit aside.

Self-absorbed? Maybe. Miscreants? More than likely. Narrow-minded? Anything but. We’re the ones who are sitting here examining the many facets of this complex issue. We are able to see not only your arguments, but to transcend them, look at all the arguments, and then have the knowledge and judgement to truly decide what the best one really is. And guess what: it’s not yours.