Dear Catholics: I regret to inform you that your pope has lost his mind. Love, Shakespeare's Sister

I never thought I'd say it, but I quite genuinely preferred (and had more respect for, which isn't saying much) "God says so" as a justification for refusing to support same-sex marriage and reproductive rights. At least compared to calling them impediments to peace [via Mark]:

"The Human Family, a Community of Peace" is this year's papal message for the World Day of Peace, which will be observed Jan. 1.

Presenting the nuclear family as the "first and indispensable teacher of peace" and the "primary agency of peace," the 15-page document links sexual and medical ethics to international relations.

"Everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and woman, everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of new life ... constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace," Benedict writes.

Yep, that's right, Shakers. It's not the fundy religious wackos who blow shit up and start wars and repress millions of people because their god is the best god and he tells them to kill or control people in his name; no, they're not the threat to peace. And it's not the world leaders who sponsor terrorism and fund wars and build up massive weapons arsenals that could blow up the entire planet several times over, with money that could instead feed the hungry and treat the ill and solve the climate crisis, just for a start; no they're not the threat to peace. And it's not the mega-corporations that exploit human labor and destroy local economies and meddle in global affairs and destabilize entire regions like an überfleet of modern day pirates in three-piece suits; no, they're not the threat to peace.

It's the people who want to live their lives minding their own goddamned business and fuck whom they want and marry whom they want and have kids when they want; they're—excuse me, we're—the threat to peace. We're the "obstacle" to peace that must be overcome to heal the world.

Blow me.