Peter RogersPope Offends Italian Intellectuals’
January 15th 2008 22:38
January 16, 2008.
In a wonderful little story from Italy, some lecturers opposed to Pope Benedict XVI's views on science have urged Rome's academic authorities to cancel his visit to the city's prestigious La Sapienza University this coming Thursday.
Sixty-seven academics have signed a letter saying they were offended and humiliated by the invitation, because the Pope had previously condoned the trial and conviction of Galileo for heresy - the astronomer who, in 1633, was forced to publicly recant his view that the Earth revolved around the Sun.
Usually, I don’t stand for political correctness or those who are 'easily offended' - but this story makes me giggle.
Surely, it’s not the same as the Turkish lawyer who had hoped to sue Italian football giants, Inter Milan, for wearing a strip with a “Crusader-style” red cross, when they played the Istanbul-based team, Fenerbahce. The strip is apparatnelty, “offensive to Muslim sensibilities”.
No similarities? Maybe, but in an opposite direction.
And finally, East Timor's President, Jose Ramos-Horta, is appealing to the Federal Government to let thousands of his country's workers fill labour vacancies in Australia. If they have the relevant skills, why the bloody hell not?
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