By the time the NT rolled around, that control through fear remained although it was softened somewhat with discussion of showing kindness and compassion toward others.

History has shown again and again, it's amazing the control you can have over large groups of people when you introduce fear into their minds, no matter how irrational.

(Jolly good show.)

Take God out of it, if you want - it's still brutal, and calous. Few care about the unborn.

You're mistaken there: fortunately, many if not most women in industrial democracies are responsible and compassionate enough not to give birth to children they are not willing and able to adequately care for.

That *is* the kind of caring you're talking about, right?

As for "The Silent Scream", that little piece of misguided propaganda goes back HOW many years now (or DECADES) with procedures and policies that are no longer used! If you are going to talk like you know something, have something to back it up.

I'm glad someone addressed this, because I would have otherwise. Not only is "Silent Scream" an outdated bit of argumentum ad gross-out-iam, but the procedure described therein was outdated and misleading at the time the film was made, twenty-odd years ago. Moreover, it's hard to be "brutal" to something that can't feel pain, like a 12-week-old fetus. There's hardly a fact in "Silent Scream," but what it lacks in logos it absolutely makes up for in pathos. The only time it ever ought to be cited is as a perfect example of a bad argument against abortion.

I think what theists are tacitly admitting to is evolution. Unfortunately, they are blind to the fact that it is continuous. You can't have it both ways. But this is an evolution that is participatory.

shifty

The Church has made mistakes, but everyone has. We'll grant them that much leeway. However, they seem keen on making the same kinds of mistakes over and over again, and this is exacerbated by the fact that whatever doctrine they preach is "infallible."

Did you know that the Catholic Church had agreeable relations with not one but two evil dictators?

Read the text of the official Catholic concordats (the equivalent of a treaty) between the Church and the Third Reich, and the Church and Franco's Spain.

Third Reich: http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_ss33co.htm

Franco's Spain: http://www.concordatwatch.eu/showkb.php?org_id=845&kb_header_id=828&order=kb_rank%20ASC&kb_id=1700

On topic, papal encyclicals are official church teaching. Even if they are not spoken ex cathedra, they are still binding on Catholics. They're sneaky - you see, there are two ways for a doctrine to be infallible, and in fact, all doctrines are infallible. If they are spoken "from the chair" or if they are held traditionally and taught by the Magisterium. It's that second part that not many people realize. Everything that the Church teaches is binding upon Catholics. Thankfully most Catholics don't know or believe this! I think bringing such encyclicals to life is one way to make sure that they never do.