Comments on: Belgian Archbishop: “AIDS Is a Kind of Immanant Justice”

By: MJC

MJC — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 23:52:20 +0000

SOMEONE SHOULD THROW A WAFFLE AT THIS GUY.

By: werdna

werdna — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 10:16:24 +0000

I think the Archbishop's original statement was in French, and I'm not sure what adjective he used. Regardless, "immanent" and "inherent" are basically synonymous in this context. "Immanant" (which appears in the headline here) isn't the correct spelling of the word we're discussing! This follow-up article uses the same formulation of "a kind of immanent justice", though this one uses both "intrinsic justice" and "inherent justice", so I suspect it's just a question of the translator's preference. Re: Franck's comment, the Archbishop has clarified that he does distinguish between "good AIDS" and "bad AIDS":

"AIDS is not a punishment by God, but a logical consequence of changing sexual contacts", André Léonard explains. "I was not talking about AIDS caused by blood transfusions or as an illness that you are born with." The Archbishop made a comparison with smoking to explain his words: "If someone gets lung cancer through smoking, the cancer is a kind of immanent justice. The person in question was aware of what he did, and his choices have a consequence."

By: Lynn David

Lynn David — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:32:50 +0000

I think the correct phrase he used was that AIDS was a “sort of inherent justice” which I’d say is even a worse statement. This is the same fool who said, “homosexuality is not the same as normal sex, in the same way that anorexia is not a normal appetite.”

“If God exists, maybe he could provide a punishment for someone who utters such nonsense,” said Rudy Demotte, prime minister of Belgium’s southern Wallonia region.

By: Seraphiel

Seraphiel — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:00:25 +0000

So their position is that we should take advice about sex from people who would be celibate if they didn’t spend so much time raping children.

How about… no.

By: elaygee

elaygee — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:19:11 +0000

Who the cares what men who wear frilly dresses, gaudy jewelry and patent leather pumps say, especially when they have an “all powerful” imaginary friend who guides them thru his magic book of fairy tales?

By: Franck

Franck — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:56:46 +0000

I hope he doesn’t mean that the AIDS-triggered, premature deaths of millions in Africa – Christians and non-Christians, adults and especially children – is some kind of justice. I would be tempted to ask him if it has something to do with Africa being so homophobic.

By: Doctor Whom

Doctor Whom — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:26:37 +0000

This is why so many people have such a hard time accepting the Roman Catholic institution’s teaching authority on sexual morality. Something about specks, beams, and eyes comes to mind, as does something about knowing every tree by its fruit.

By: Leonardo Ricardo

Leonardo Ricardo — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:23:06 +0000

The Archbishop ought bury his head, in shame, in a more enligtening book…his fictional blame-spreading won´t cover up his desperation…more lies won´t cure his spiritual illness (not to mention lack of moral authority)…the whole of the Roman ¨blockade¨ of truth degenerates reality to fit some idealistic notion of twisted right vs. wrong…cowards all.