Nobody expects....

Consider it another example of why freedom of religion must include freedom from religion.

The Toronto Star for Sunday reports that

[t]he Vatican issued a letter yesterday attacking the "distortions" and "lethal effects" of feminism, which it defined as an effort to erase differences between men and women — a goal, the statement said, that undermines the "natural two-parent structure" of the family and makes "homosexuality and heterosexuality virtually equivalent."

The source was a 37-page letter written by reactionary Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a chief adviser to Pope John Paul II. Ratzinger, who has his own fan club - I am not joking - heads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which the Vatican's website says is intended to "spread sound doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines."

Founded in 1542 by Pope Paul III with the Constitution "Licet ab initio," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was originally called the Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition as its duty was to defend the Church from heresy.

In other words, these are the people who brought you the Inquisition. Of course, now they do it in a "collegial fashion." Including squelching liberation theology, punishing moves to ecumenism (because they fail to accept the primacy of Catholicism), controlling diocese budgets, transferring dissenting clergy, excommunication, and trying to deny disfavored Catholics the sacraments of their faith: Ratzinger was behind the attempt to bar John Kerry from receiving communion.

Showing the continued connection to the real world of Ratzinger's minions, Suzanne Scorsone, spokesperson for Archbishop Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic of Toronto's Roman Catholic church, said

"most people in the West ... would agree with the principle" that human rights for men and women should be equal. But, she said there is other more extreme thinking stemming from feminism that, as the document states, isn't necessary. ...

"Somewhere down the line, the thinking became a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. The thinking became that male and female relationships became all about the domination of one of the other. For women to get married was like they wimped out."

She said that this way of thinking could have been what led to many homosexual relationships.

That's right, not only is feminism "lethal," it - gasp! - causes homosexuality! And we all know how evil that is, yes? It's almost as evil as feminism! Or maybe even more! Or - well, anyway, they're both really, really bad!