IndyArms 10,186 Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 ROME (Jan. 20) - Lawyers for a small-town parish priest have been ordered to appear in court next week after the Roman Catholic cleric was accused of unlawfully asserting what many people take for granted: that Jesus Christ existed. The Rev. Enrico Righi was named in a 2002 complaint filed by Luigi Cascioli after Righi wrote in a parish bulletin that Jesus did indeed exist, and that he was born of a couple named Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth. Cascioli, a lifelong atheist, claims that Righi violated two Italian laws by making the assertion: so-called "abuse of popular belief" in which someone fraudulently deceives people; and "impersonation" in which someone gains by attributing a false name to someone. Cascioli says that for 2,000 years the Roman Catholic Church has been deceiving people by furthering the fable that Christ existed, and says the church has been gaining financially by impersonating as Christ someone by the name of John of Gamala, the son of Judas from Gamala. He also asserts that the Gospels - the most frequently cited testimony of Jesus' existence - are inconsistent, full of errors and biased, and that other written evidence from the time is scant and doesn't hold up to scholarly analysis. Prosecutors, who in Italy are obliged to investigate such complaints, initially tried to have the case dismissed, saying no crime could be verified. But Cascioli challenged them, and Judge Gaetano Mautone set a hearing for next Friday in Viterbo, north of Rome, to discuss preliminary motions in Cascioli's bid to have the court appoint technical experts to review the historical data and determine if Jesus really did exist. Cascioli, 72, said in a recent interview that he decided to pursue the case against Righi, a priest in the village of Bagnoregio, near Viterbo, because the cleric had written in the parish bulletin that Jesus existed. Asked why he went after Righi - a schoolmate when he and Cascioli were boys - and not any number of bishops, cardinals or even the pope who have asserted the very same thing, Cascioli said it didn't really matter whom he named in his complaint. "When one demonstrates that Christ didn't exist, attacking a simple priest is the same thing as attacking a bishop or cardinal," Cascioli said. Cascioli is quick to stress that he has no problem with Christians freely professing their faith. Rather, he says in his complaint, he wants to "denounce the abuse that the Catholic Church commits by availing itself of its prestige in order to inculcate - as if being real and historical - facts that are really just inventions." Righi, who has been a priest for 50 years, declined to be interviewed on the advice of his lawyers before the pending court date. But he set out his rebuke of Cascioli in a recent issue of his parish bulletin "Risveglio," or "Awaken," and said by telephone that the article encapsulated his position. Righi argues that the existence of Christ is "unmistakable" because of the substantial historical evidence - both pagan and religious - testifying that he indeed lived. "Cascioli maintains that Christ never existed. If he doesn't see the sun at midday, he can't denounce me just because I do. He should denounce all believers!" Righi wrote. He cited many known observers, including non-Christian ones, who have written about the existence of Jesus, including the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, considered by scholars to be the most important non-Christian source on Christ's existence. A passage of Josephus' "Jewish Antiquities," completed in A.D. 93, cites the execution in A.D. 62 of "the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, James by name." Righi also cited Pliny the Younger, who in the early second century described a policy of executing Christians who refused to curse Christ, and Tacitus, another writer of the same time who wrote that Jesus was executed by the sentence of Pontius Pilate. "You would have to give lie to each, one by one, to cancel the Christ man that they speak of," Righi wrote. R. Scott Appleby, a professor of church history at the University of Notre Dame, concurs. There's "no real doubt" that Jesus existed, he said. "But what Jesus of Nazareth did and what he means is a different question," Appleby said. "But on the question of the existence, there is more evidence of the existence of Jesus of Nazareth than there would be for many other historical people who actually existed. Not only did Jesus actually exist, but he actually had some kind of prominence to be mentioned in two or three chronicles." Cascioli says he fully recognizes that his case has a slim chance of succeeding in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy, but not because his argument is lacking. "We aren't optimistic - unless the Madonna makes a miracle, but I don't think that will happen," he joked. Cascioli says he is merely going through the necessary legal steps in Italy so he can ultimately take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights, where he intends to pursue the case against the church for "religious racism." "I was born against Christ and God," he said. "I'm doing it (the complaint) now because I should do it before I die." 01/20/06 12:16 EST I guess time will tell, wont it?!?!?!? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kresk 10,063 Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 ROME (Jan. 20) - Lawyers for a small-town parish priest have been ordered to appear in court next week after the Roman Catholic cleric was accused of unlawfully asserting what many people take for granted: that Jesus Christ existed. The Rev. Enrico Righi was named in a 2002 complaint filed by Luigi Cascioli after Righi wrote in a parish bulletin that Jesus did indeed exist, and that he was born of a couple named Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth. Cascioli, a lifelong atheist, claims that Righi violated two Italian laws by making the assertion: so-called "abuse of popular belief" in which someone fraudulently deceives people; and "impersonation" in which someone gains by attributing a false name to someone. Cascioli says that for 2,000 years the Roman Catholic Church has been deceiving people by furthering the fable that Christ existed, and says the church has been gaining financially by impersonating as Christ someone by the name of John of Gamala, the son of Judas from Gamala. He also asserts that the Gospels - the most frequently cited testimony of Jesus' existence - are inconsistent, full of errors and biased, and that other written evidence from the time is scant and doesn't hold up to scholarly analysis. Prosecutors, who in Italy are obliged to investigate such complaints, initially tried to have the case dismissed, saying no crime could be verified. But Cascioli challenged them, and Judge Gaetano Mautone set a hearing for next Friday in Viterbo, north of Rome, to discuss preliminary motions in Cascioli's bid to have the court appoint technical experts to review the historical data and determine if Jesus really did exist. Cascioli, 72, said in a recent interview that he decided to pursue the case against Righi, a priest in the village of Bagnoregio, near Viterbo, because the cleric had written in the parish bulletin that Jesus existed. Asked why he went after Righi - a schoolmate when he and Cascioli were boys - and not any number of bishops, cardinals or even the pope who have asserted the very same thing, Cascioli said it didn't really matter whom he named in his complaint. "When one demonstrates that Christ didn't exist, attacking a simple priest is the same thing as attacking a bishop or cardinal," Cascioli said. Cascioli is quick to stress that he has no problem with Christians freely professing their faith. Rather, he says in his complaint, he wants to "denounce the abuse that the Catholic Church commits by availing itself of its prestige in order to inculcate - as if being real and historical - facts that are really just inventions." Righi, who has been a priest for 50 years, declined to be interviewed on the advice of his lawyers before the pending court date. But he set out his rebuke of Cascioli in a recent issue of his parish bulletin "Risveglio," or "Awaken," and said by telephone that the article encapsulated his position. Righi argues that the existence of Christ is "unmistakable" because of the substantial historical evidence - both pagan and religious - testifying that he indeed lived. "Cascioli maintains that Christ never existed. If he doesn't see the sun at midday, he can't denounce me just because I do. He should denounce all believers!" Righi wrote. He cited many known observers, including non-Christian ones, who have written about the existence of Jesus, including the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, considered by scholars to be the most important non-Christian source on Christ's existence. A passage of Josephus' "Jewish Antiquities," completed in A.D. 93, cites the execution in A.D. 62 of "the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, James by name." Righi also cited Pliny the Younger, who in the early second century described a policy of executing Christians who refused to curse Christ, and Tacitus, another writer of the same time who wrote that Jesus was executed by the sentence of Pontius Pilate. "You would have to give lie to each, one by one, to cancel the Christ man that they speak of," Righi wrote. R. Scott Appleby, a professor of church history at the University of Notre Dame, concurs. There's "no real doubt" that Jesus existed, he said. "But what Jesus of Nazareth did and what he means is a different question," Appleby said. "But on the question of the existence, there is more evidence of the existence of Jesus of Nazareth than there would be for many other historical people who actually existed. Not only did Jesus actually exist, but he actually had some kind of prominence to be mentioned in two or three chronicles." Cascioli says he fully recognizes that his case has a slim chance of succeeding in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy, but not because his argument is lacking. "We aren't optimistic - unless the Madonna makes a miracle, but I don't think that will happen," he joked. Cascioli says he is merely going through the necessary legal steps in Italy so he can ultimately take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights, where he intends to pursue the case against the church for "religious racism." "I was born against Christ and God," he said. "I'm doing it (the complaint) now because I should do it before I die." 01/20/06 12:16 EST I guess time will tell, wont it?!?!?!? Like you I remain neutral. Just reminds me some folks would argue that "absence of proof does not mean proof of absence." Always wanted to use that quote somewhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gaddis 1,689 Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Hmm, I actually have a hard time myself believing that a higher power *DOESN'T* exist somewhere... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Beer is PROOF that God loves us and want's us to be happy! The lovely Miss Saiga is is proof that God answers our prayers! G O B Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kresk 10,063 Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Ben Franklin would have said that too!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunboy69 50 Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 --> QUOTE(G O B @ Jan 21 2006, 08:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Beer is PROOF that God loves us and want's us to be happy! The lovely Miss Saiga is is proof that God answers our prayers! G O B Someone as perfect as Miss Saiga does'nt happen without heavenly guidence. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pistonring8 1 Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Even an atheist would hafta agree that Ms. Saiga is devine! 6 out of 8 Pistonrings approve! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Looks like 2 out of 8 pistonrings are playing pocket pool! G O B (with Miss Saiga that close, who could blame him!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted January 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gaddis 1,689 Posted January 23, 2006 Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 Grr, if you Mods are gonna feck with my picture, at least make it a good or funny one. That's alright though, that wasn't one of my favorite Miss Saiga pics anyway. --> QUOTE(G O B @ Jan 22 2006, 06:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Looks like 2 out of 8 pistonrings are playing pocket pool! G O B (with Miss Saiga that close, who could blame him!) Heh, his "cardboard" Miss Saiga, you mean. You want me to have Chiristina send you a personally signed nudie spread, Pistie? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted January 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 I guess that explains that.... Cause for the life of me, I couldnt figure out why an old woman in headhones made any sense... And since she DIDNT MAKE ANY SENSE.... Here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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