In parts of the world *right now* there are people whose religious and "strongly held beliefs" include carving out the clitorises of pre-pubescent girls so that they will never know sexual sensation. These girls are essentially castrated and will live the rest of their lives that way. There has been strong advocacy for decades now in trying to stamp out this horrifying, disgusting practice, famously led by Tom Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson.

So just to clarify, if a fleetie lives in a part of the world where clitoral mutilation is regularly practiced and he talks about how it's not that big of a deal and who cares if it spreads to other parts of the world, are we really expected to "respect" that religious belief just because it's a belief? Should Rita Wilson just keep her mouth shut and let little girls get carved up because it's not "respectful" of the belief?

Or are we supposed to respect only some religious beliefs (i.e., the Christian ones)? Honest question, since that what it kind of sounds like.

Also, they just removed the Commendation cap from f2p and preferred players with the patch on 03/12. Maybe they're softening a little bit and might put in a Cartel market credit cap unlock!

Keep writing I want to know more of the adventures to be had bu the seemingly famous Counselor!

It's called the March to Makeb and it appears to be going only on the weekends for the next month or so and not every day till launch. So get on there and lvl up your toons people! :cheer:

http://www.swtor.com/marchtomakeb

Starting tomarrow and going for about a month SWTOR will be giving out double exp, so if you were thinking of ever playing this would be the time. They are doing this in prelude to dropping a new expansion.

MOD: While discussing religion and your opinion of it is fine, please keep in mind that others in this community do ascribe to these beliefs. Please be respectful of those beliefs.

You contend that a Jesuit pope is an improvement. Yet it is the Jesuit boast, ‘Give me the child for his first seven years, and I’ll give you the man,’ that is it absolutely chilling. The sinister way in which a gullible, vulnerable child is spoon-fed laughably false information that later leads to the oppression, violence, and death of millions of people makes their indoctrination of this hateful belief system so vile.

Religious leaders are well aware of the vulnerability of the child brain, and the importance of getting the indoctrination in early. It comes at time when the cognitive centers of the brain are still developing, which is why they can trick a child into believing with every fiber of his being that Allah rode into Heaven on a pony with wings and a man-face or that Yahweh magically impregnated a Palestinian girl so he could incarnate himself as his own child to save humans from behaving the way he created them to behave.

So powerful and effective is this way of getting "believers for life" that it convinces women that they should shut the hell up and let men lead everything. It convinces slaves that they should shut the hell up and listen to massah. And, yes, it even convinces gay people to shut the hell up and minimize and even dismiss the horrible things done to gay people in the name of Middle Eastern religions for thousands of years.

The brain is very good at shutting down thought processes that are upsetting and contradict things that were cemented as "true" when you were a gullible 5-year-old. The phenomenon is called cognitive dissonance. Would you be open to the possibility that cognitive dissonance, rather than your background as an academic, is what compels you to want to see the new pope and/or Catholic Church in a light far favorable than he/it is due?

Firstly Robbie, a lot of rhetorical ammunition has been expended by the Church to keep gays from marrying. I expected no change from this new pope in that regard. But I am not content to equate this man to Joseph Ratzinger just yet.

I am not naive enough to believe this college of cardinals composed 100% of John Paul II appointees and Benedict XVI appointees to select anything less than someone who agreed on the issue of gay marriage with JPII and BXVI.

The jobs of Cardinal and Pope are political, nothing more and nothing less. I do not expect to run blissfully back into the arms of my former church. But as an academic I am expected to analyze the doctrinal differences between Bergoglio and Ratzinger, despite my personal feelings.

I have read and translated Bergoglio's letter exhorting nuns to prepare for a battle between the conservative values of the church and the secular progressive leadership of Cristina Fernandez. The language used was not unexpected from an organization that has been trotting out "natural law" as a reason for over seven centuries. In some ways it is "comforting" to see that, because a doctrinal progressive IF elected would face incredible barriers.

The best anyone can expect from the Church is a doctrinal softening, a call for respect for gays and lesbians, but no softening of the anti-marriage position. There will be no ordination for women under this pope, and it is unlikely that priests will be given a chance to marry and have families either.

But the election of Francis signals the halt of Opus Dei's growth of influence. Jesuits lately have fared poorly in the doctrinal battles between orders and offices and Opus Dei benefitted. It also signals a reassesment of whether the office of pope should be held by a theologian or a pastor and the signal here could not be more clear. This pope is a pastor, not a theologian.

None of us will live to see the church change and embrace its gay and lesbian congregation, there is simply too much reverance for St. Thomas's natiral law arguments. Nonetheless, the election of this pope signals a shift to the left in terms of what the church has done since 1978.

I will take a wait and see approach. These old men are not stupid, they did what they felt they needed to do to attempt to reassert the church's relevance. You may expect changes to always be incremental with the RCC.

Respects,

~J

This new piece of crap, Pope Palpatine II, has in the past described same-sex marriage as a “destructive attack on God’s plan” and that same-sex adoption is a form of discrimination and abuse against children.

In 2010, he fought against the introduction of same-sex marriage and adoption rights in his home country of Argentina saying that the population would “face a situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family. He added: “At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”

He went on to describe introducing equality as a move from “the ‘Father of Lies’ who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God”. In the Gospel of John, ‘the Father of Lies’ is a term for the Devil.

Cristina Kirchner, the President of Argentina, said the Catholic Church under his leadership in the country was reminiscent of "medieval times and the inquisition." The president of his *own* country!

So when you have a loathsome asshole like that, I'm not sure how you could describe my feelings as "conflicted." They are rather clear: He is a disgusting pile of shit that will bring social, economic, and emotional ruination on millions of gay people around the world for years to come. By telling the gullible, illiterate unwashed masses of his religion that the devil is behind equality for gay people, he inspires and encourages behavior that not only leads to oppression, but to violence as well. One only need to look at Africa to see how Christianity has spread like a plague to the terrible detriment and danger to gay people.

Okay I found you but cannot claim a city in Greenwhich. Let me know when you can invite :)

The Pandora’s senior staff all looked at the admiral in shock. Even Oren-De showed a modicum of surprise as he responded.

“Admiral, I assure you that my senior staff is with me right now. You may send someone aboard to perform an identity confirmation, if you’d like.”

The admiral looked at Oren-De in careful thought before replying.

“Captain, hold your yacht at your current position. We will contact the Pandora and reconcile this. Admiral Daniels, out.”

The image blinked off before Oren-De could say anything else. The officers looked at each other in confusion.

“What do you think is going on?” Will asked the room at large.

“I’m not sure. This may simply be a very strange miscommuncation, but it’s unlikely,” Oren-De said as he thought about their next move. “Mr. Lacera, hold position. Mr. Shrel, what is the status of the Pandora?”

Shrel, who was already seated at a console, looked back over his shoulder at Oren-De.

“She is still in drydock, about twenty kilometers from our position.”

Maggie, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke up. “This doesn’t make sense. The sensitivity of the Partition and the Borg gate would necessitate identity-testing anyone on board the Pandora. There was going to be a Utopia Planetia security officer waiting for us in the Pandora’s shuttle bay to administer a blood test to each of us.”

A small chirping alarm started sounding from Shrel’s console. “Captain! The Pandora’s turrets just activated and opened fire!”

Oren-De’s head snapped to Shrel. “What was their target?”

“It’s difficult to determine exactly, sir,” Shrel replied with frustration. “There’s a large amount of plasma leaking out of some of the impact areas. Judging from the sources, I would say that the docking clamps holding the Pandora were the main targets... but they weren’t the only areas.”

“Mr. Lacera, take us toward the Pandora at full impulse. Ms. Matoya, give me a magnified view of the docking area.”

“Already on it, Captain. On your screen now.”

The screen next to Oren-De blinked back to life and showed the starboard region of the Panodra, with plasma spewing out of one of the docking clamps that had previously been secured to the ship. Oren-De gestured toward damaged areas of the dock itself on the side of the image.

“This area doesn’t house any structure that secures the Pandora. Mr. Sadda, what is this area of the drydock?”

War looked at the area Oren-De was pointing toward. His eyes suddenly widened. “I’m afraid that’s the command area of the dock. Judging from the damage, it’s likely the command staff, including the admiral, are dead. The area isn’t built to take a direct hit from an energy weapon at that range, sir.”

Before anyone could react though, the Pandora began to move on-screen. The ship, which was rapidly accelerating, quickly sailed off-frame.

“They’re stealing her!” War exclaimed in outrage.

“Apparently. However, they will not succeed,” replied Oren-De as moved toward the rear of the cockpit.

“Mr. Shrel, has the Pandora raised shields yet?”

“No, sir. Only the ship’s weapons and engines have been powered up.”

Oren-De nodded. “Our saboteurs are hoping to escape before reinforcements arrive. We’ll use this to our advantage. Mr. Lacera, send an emergency Priority One transmission to Utopia Planetia command alerting them to the theft of the Pandora. Everyone, take a weapon from this locker,” Oren-De ordered as he opened the cockpit’s weapons locker. “We are going to take the Pandora back.”

The officers quickly hustled to the weapons locker, with Will being the last to grab a phaser after sending the emergency communique and putting the shuttle on autopilot. He secured the phaser to his belt and let out a sigh. “I wish I had brought my collapsible sword with me. We are boarding our ship... to take it back from pirates... and I don’t have my sword.”

“I swear, boys and their toys,” Maggie muttered as she clasped her phaser to her belt and looked at Oren-De. “Captain, where are we beaming to? The bridge?”

Oren-De shook his head as he entered coordinates into the transporter controls. “No, it would put us at a tactical disadvantage. By now, the saboteurs have undoubtedly taken steps to secure the bridge, an area which has been designed to resist beam-in boarding. Instead, we will be starting from a position the saboteurs are unlikely to be in and which we can easily defend while delaying the Pandora as much as possible until Starfleet’s reinforcements arrive.”

“Where is that?” asked Red.

“Why, your Sickbay, Doctor,” Oren-De said with an ever-so-small grin. “Prepare for transport. Energizing!”

With a press of a button, the Starfleet officers disappeared in columns of blue shimmering light. Moments later, they reappeared in the Pandora’s Sickbay. Red was instantly struck by something that seemed very wrong about his domain of the ship and it took him a second to realize what it was.

“Why are the lights flashing green?”

Sure enough, the alarm lights in Sickbay, which normally flashed red during a Red Alert, were now flashing green. Shrel and Will looked equally perplexed, with the latter cocking an eyebrow.

“So... apparently we now have Green Alerts for when the ship is being stolen?”

Maggie glanced at Oren-De before looking at the Red, Shrel, and Will.

“Actually, the green lights mean that the Partition has been activated. Whatever our saboteurs want with the Pandora, the Partition is apparently required.”

“Wait, why does using the Partition require an alert?” asked Red, with no attempt to hide a suspicious tone.

Before Maggie could respond, Oren-De interjected. “We will discuss that at a later time. For now, we should focus on retaking the ship. Computer, how many lifesigns are currently on board the Pandora?”

No response came from the shipboard computer. Frustration began to show on the Pandora’s captain’s face.

“Computer, acknowledge my last command.”

Again, no response. Oren-De quickly looked at War’en. “Mr. Sadda, find out why the computer isn’t responding to my commands. I’m going to transfer all command functions here to Sickbay.”

“Yes, sir,” War quickly responded and set to work at the nearest console as Oren-De walked over to a larger one. Red accompanied Oren-De while the others took up defensive positions facing Sickbay’s only entrance.

“All voice commands have been disabled, Captain,” War reported.

Oren-De’s attempts were met with frequent error beeps from the console. “All ship commands have been locked to the bridge. I cannot transfer them here. Not even my override codes are working.”

Maggie looked at Oren-De in disbelief. “The ability to lock commands to the bridge, disable voice commands, and change your command codes are all functions that only the people in this room can perform. Who could be doing this!?”

As if on cue, a viewscreen in Sickbay suddenly came to life and spoke with a very familiar voice.

“You’ll have to excuse the inconvenience, Captain Oren-De. We’re in a bit of a hurry and we really don’t have time to deal with you and your crew causing trouble, so I took the liberty of changing the locks.”

The Pandora’s crew looked at the monitor in shocked surprise. Staring back at them, with a cocky, satisfied smirk, was another Maggie.

He also would clean the feet and kiss HIV AIDS victims. I dont recall any pope doing this. We aren't going to get the reforms we want but its a step in the right direction.

Just a few thoughts from a historian and medievalist.

I am aware that quite a lot of us have mixed feelings about the Roman Catholic Church, but if you will allow me I will do my best to try to put into perspective the signal the cardinals are sending the world with the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as Francis I.

The Church Perspective

It is not far from the minds of the Princes of the Church that the Roman Catholic religion is rapidly losing relevancy in the modern world. Two conservative popes who terribly mishandled the various pedophilia scandals and a strongly rising Opus Dei meant that none of the changes the Church needed to make would be made.

There was a practical reason to elect a South American pope, obviously the strength of the Church now resides in South America, 42% of the congregation are Latino and older Western Europe is on the wane.

Age: Bergoglio is already an old man, 76 years old. It is doubtful he will reign more than a decade, this could be seen as bow to the older conservatives who were strongly rejected in this Conclave for a cardinal doctrinally similar to Joseph Ratzinger.

This election is high theater and a strategic public relations decision. This pope's job will to be clean up the mess Ratzinger left behind. Bergoglio is doctrinally left of Ratzinger.

Symbology is everything

1. South American or New World Pope, a first.

2. Bergoglio is a Jesuit, no Jesuit had been elected Pope previously because the Jesuit order has been under interdiction twice for 100 years each. The Jesuits are one of the more liberal major orders.

3. No Pope has ever taken the name Francis (as in Francis of Assissi), a subtle signal that this Pope sees the value of humility, not the doctrinally certain mantra that Benedict sermonized, wrote and lectured about. Bergoglio took and oath of poverty and can be viewed as a return to a simpler philosophy of ruling the Church.

4. Bergoglio has often stated publicly that the Church should RESPECT (not merely tolerate), gay people. A stunningly liberal position for a cardinal and certainly for a Pope.

It bears watching if any of thia will make a difference, the Church rarely changes quickly...but this seems to be a signal to the world at large that the Church knows it needs to make some changes.

I don't view my post as prescient, but as a conversation starter. I would value other people's opinions, just keep it cool and respectful. You would be helping me out if you come to this topic with some well thought out opinions.

~JC

I had thought of that but when I tried creating a new uniform last night on an empty slot it still didn't work. When I get home I'll do the costume unlock rep mission. That's most likely the problem.

The kinship is called Knights of the White Lady. I was a member for awhile, but I keep losing interest in playing LOTRO...which is a shame, because that kinship is a really good one to join.

I will be trying to get the game on the 22nd if there is still space available I would love to be part of the community.

The dropdown being grayed out might also indicate that you're using your first costume slot, which I believe is locked to "Uniform" only.

Quote by Twinkleboy

Hey Nick I have connected to this region now so you should be able to invite me

Invite sent!

Thanks Milmar! That's what I was missing, duh :pinch:

Have you done the reputation project to unlock the tailor options?