Italian professor claims Rome fell due to rise of homosexuality
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"A top Italian history professor has caused outrage after he claimed that the Roman Empire fell due to the rise of homosexuality.
Roberto De Mattei, 63, a devout Roman Catholic, had already raised eyebrows by saying the Japanese tsunami was ‘divine punishment’, and now with his latest claim he faces calls to resign.
“The collapse of the Roman Empire and the arrival of the Barbarians was due to the spread of homosexuality,” the Daily Mail quoted the vice-president of Italy’s prestigious Centre for National Research as saying in a radio interview.
“The Roman colony of Carthage was a paradise for homosexuals and they infected many others. The invasion of the Barbarians was seen as punishment for this moral transgression.
“It is well known effeminate men and homosexuals have no place in the kingdom of God.
“Homosexuality was not rife among the Barbarians and this shows God’s justice comes throughout history,” he stated.
Fellow historians, gay rights groups and politicians expressed their outrage over his claims.
“I have tabled an urgent call for the education minister to intervene,” Paola Concia, an MP with the Democratic Left, said.
Italian homosexual groups said the professor’s comments were ‘based on superstition, ridiculous and outrageous’ and called on him to resign from his Rome-based post.
“It is highly improbable homosexuality led to the fall of the Roman Empire,” historian Emilio Gabba, a leading light in Roman history, said.
However research would seem to suggest homosexuality was rife in ancient Rome, and it is widely portrayed in ancient Roman art and was seen as acceptable 2,000 years ago.
“There is no proof Rome had a high number of homosexuals. I can safely say Rome did not fall because it was gay,” Professor Lellia Cracco Ruggini, an expert on Roman history from Turin University, added."
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This is not a new world view of history by homophobes. I've been hearing this claim for decades.
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Roberto De Mattei, 63, a devout Roman Catholic,
Well, he is a devout roman catholic and it could not be otherwise: homosexuality is the cause of the fall of Roma Empire.
The Titanic accident was because of homosexuality, too.
And the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, too.
Gay people has those kind of power: beware!!!
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What did the Romans ever do for us? :laugh:
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What did the Romans ever do for us? :laugh:
We provided to give you one of the best gay porn actor in Raging Stallion movies: Francesco D'Macho.
Or, were you thinking to other things?
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:crap:
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Well, as a roman guy I really don't believe to all of those things written by that author.
But, it's really sad, living in Rome, and feeling all that hate and anger from heterosexual people and from the Vatican only and just because I am and we are all gay.
I hope this year europen gay pride in Rome will solve matters but deep in my heart I guess it's only a mere illusion.
Especially after seeing that in Italy marriage or gay rights are still a broken dream
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i hate right-wingers are soooo… holier-than-thou.
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Again… I don't know about in all countries, but at least in any area that calls themselves a "civilized" society, what ever happened to "separation of church and state"?
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How come I keep imagining the professor is the pope's boytoy? Where is that confessional with the glory hole, and hot priest again?
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Again… I don't know about in all countries, but at least in any area that calls themselves a "civilized" society, what ever happened to "separation of church and state"?
Ummm… that's a U.S. concept only. You live in Canada, right? Isn't your head of state the head of a major religion? She is referred to as "Defender of the Faith." Most, if not all, European countries have a state religion. In northern Europe, it's Lutheran, southern Europe is Catholic, and the British Commonwealth worldwide is Anglican.
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Anyway, in the middle of Rome I have Vatican State with Pope, Ratzinger.
He says that he represents Vatican's only but it's otherwise: they only give orders to italian government and they obey, with no excuses.
If gay parties in Rome and Italy don't live well it's because of the Pope's rules on us unfortunately
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Here in the Philippines the separation of church and state isn't all that clear. There is a big pressure on the state to keep certain things as status quo.
We've even had two heads of non-catholic religious groups run for president. Course, they're a different church.
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Therein lies the problem… In a lot of cases, there is no such thing as "separation of church and state"
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REALLY NOW REALLY
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Ummm… that's a U.S. concept only. You live in Canada, right? Isn't your head of state the head of a major religion? She is referred to as "Defender of the Faith." Most, if not all, European countries have a state religion. In northern Europe, it's Lutheran, southern Europe is Catholic, and the British Commonwealth worldwide is Anglican.
There's a vast difference between a country having a monarch who's title encompasses "Defender of the Faith" but in a largely secular society and who's role is mainly ceremonial, and a country where a political leader is openly religious, is expected to be openly religious by a large percentage of it's citizens and where their religion shapes decision making.
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I think it would be nearly impossible for a European leader to get elected unless he/she was a believer.
The UK panders to the believers by giving them taxpayer money so they can have believer schools to brainwash their kids. When they cleared the House of Lords out of the old system, the left the seats for the the Bishops and Cardinals of the Church of England.
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I'm not aware of any European leaders being overtly religious as say, the US President who has to be seen to a believer. Didn't Nick Clegg say he was an atheist during the election campaign (although he did say a number of things that got conveniently shelved). Famously Tony Blair waitied till he was out of office before converting to Catholicism. He said in his book …
"'I recall giving an address to the country at a time of crisis. I wanted to end my words with "God bless the British people".
'This caused complete consternation. Emergency meetings were convened. The system was aghast. Finally, a senior civil servant said, with utter disdain: "Really, Prime Minister, this is not America you know".' -
I seriously doubt the sincerity and open-mindedness of people who will reject a blessing from any person, no matter in which god's name.
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Nick Clegg said in 2007 that he doesn't believe in god, but he forces his kids to go to catholic church. That seems like a "just in case" scenario. Besides, Clegg never had a chance to lead the UK.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown wore their religions on their sleeves, as did the vast majority of the "new" Labour. Tony Blair couldn't be Prime Minister and be catholic, because it's against UK law. That's why he stayed in the "I'm not catholic, but I go to catholic church every Sunday and Wednesday evening with my family" closet until he left 10 Downing St. This is why Catholic Adoptions Agency got a 7 year exemption allowing them to discriminate against gays, when everyone else had to obey the law immediately. Ruth Kelly, a cabinet member under Blair and Brown, was/is a member of Opus Dei {of Dan Brown books fame} the ultra conservative catholic self harming lunatic group.
As for the "this isn't America" comment from a civil servant, who cares. Brits say that all the time when they don't like something someone does. You can't turn on the tv without something like "it's shit", "then it must be American" every 2 seconds.
Believers in the UK have so much power that they get to use taxpayer money for their exclusive schools, where they can teach young earth creationism and homophobia. Name me a school in the US that uses tax payer money and gets away with that kind of crap.
Does the US Senate have permanent seats for the official state religion?
The last atheist European leader was gunned down in the street. I don't remember his name, but he was the bald guy that was murdered in the street a few years ago.