Interesting quote on women soldiers

I never thought about this issue in this life, but this little quote by Cardinal Ratzinger makes me question my previous support of women soldiers.

"Personally it still horrifies me when people want women to be soldiers just like men, when they, who have always been the keepers of the peace and in whom we have always seen a counter-impulse working against the male impulse to stand up and fight, now likewise run around with submachine guns, showing that they can be just as warlike as the men. Or that women now have the 'right' to work as garbage collectors or miners, to do all those things that, out of respect for their status, for their different nature, their own dignity, we ought not to inflict on them and that are now imposed on them in the name of equality. That, in my opinion, is a Manichaean ideology that is opposed to the body" (p.82).

denial that "persons are their bodies," Ratzinger comments, is "a kind of egalitarianism that does not exalt women but diminishes their status. By being treated as male, [women] are dragged down to being undistinguished and ordinary" (p.83).

What are your thoughts on the issue and on the quotes?

cardinal whats his face should STFU. Let the women bathe in blood for all i care.tocklestein2005

Are you whipassmt?SpaceMoose

My brain hurts. Alright...I'll bite. 1. Should we consider Cardinal Ratzinger an expert on matters relating to war? 2. Does anything of what he said with regards to gender roles seem a little...outdated? As in, does it sound like something a man in the U.S. would say back in, oh, 1950 or so? Edit: We should also probably be calling him "Pope Benedict" now. This is THAT Cardinal Ratzinger right?nocoolnamejim

[QUOTE="SpaceMoose"]Are you whipassmt?JoeRatz16

People are not always their bodies, e.g. the transgendered. Also, I wouldn't use the current Pope as a reflection of anything other than the past.CodingGenius

[QUOTE="JoeRatz16"][QUOTE="SpaceMoose"]Are you whipassmt?SpaceMoose

Thats a, what do you call it? Positive sexism?

Its like complimentary racism, like "all asians are good at math". Sure, its a nice thing to say, but its still offensive, untrue, and just wrong.

As for the guy, I think he suffers from excessive chivalry. He is problably too nice to women, think men should protect them, and women should not do much physical work.

Its the 21st century, fella; while I agree with his sentiments a little bit, to limit women like that is bad. If they want to fight and kill, I think they can be almost as capable (and capable enough) as a man. I Know a few guys who went to Iraq and Afghanistan and served with women and they loved having them around. It made their units almost seem like a family unit, complete with mother and sister figures...and no, sex did not become an issue. I asked them that and they got offended and equated it to incest.

Thats a, what do you call it? Positive sexism?

Its like complimentary racism, like "all asians are good at math". Sure, its a nice thing to say, but its still offensive, untrue, and just wrong.

As for the guy, I think he suffers from excessive chivalry. He is problably too nice to women, think men should protect them, and women should not do much physical work.

Its the 21st century, fella; while I agree with his sentiments a little bit, to limit women like that is bad. If they want to fight and kill, I think they can be almost as capable (and capable enough) as a man. I Know a few guys who went to Iraq and Afghanistan and served with women and they loved having them around. It made their units almost seem like a family unit, complete with mother and sister figures...and no, sex did not become an issue. I asked them that and they got offended and equated it to incest.

mrbojangles25

why wouldn't you know, don't you have eyes? And the Latin in my sig is merely the name of the pope's first encyclical. I don't know Latin.JoeRatz16

And as for outdated, maybe people might not say such a thing now, but just because they did in the past doesn't mean they won't in the future, so then is it outdated or futuristic?JoeRatz16

e[QUOTE="nocoolnamejim"]My brain hurts. Alright...I'll bite. 1. Should we consider Cardinal Ratzinger an expert on matters relating to war? 2. Does anything of what he said with regards to gender roles seem a little...outdated? As in, does it sound like something a man in the U.S. would say back in, oh, 1950 or so? Edit: We should also probably be calling him "Pope Benedict" now. This is THAT Cardinal Ratzinger right?JoeRatz16

[QUOTE="CodingGenius"]People are not always their bodies, e.g. the transgendered. Also, I wouldn't use the current Pope as a reflection of anything other than the past.JoeRatz16

[QUOTE="SpaceMoose"]Are you whipassmt?JoeRatz16

My opinion is that he is incredibly condescending towards women and ignorant. Men and women are different physiologically but there is nothing more to it.

Gender roles and the idea of how men and women are "supposed" to be is all B.S.! It's pre-conditioned, archaic, B.S.

cardinal Ratzinger?

you mean the current pope? :P

I don't think women should be allowed in war just because of the still giant problem of sexual assault sadly not all men are bad but there are still the bad things that happen in war that no matter the amount of training can not be helped or monitored an women being in access so easily makes it mroe likely that the statistics of sexual assault would rise.

or even the other way around women that are Crazy! like the dog colar women that get into a postion where they can perform these gross acts.

Yet then again if I had it my way their wouldn't be anyone in war beause I wouldn't let there be war but that's in my own imaginary peaceful world...