Popetacular

Here's an example of what gave me a headache in the previous post, though with a happier ending.

I witnessed an exchange which was the gentlest, most hilariously deft... well, to go with the old gamer term, pwnage I have seen in ages. It was a true coup de grace, that is, a touch of grace that killed the argument dead.

W1 is a fairly thin-skinned bomb-thrower, one who, as they say, can dish it out but not take it. She's a proud and loud atheist who questions the provenance of anything someone like the Pope says until he says something she likes, at which point he's a great person to reference as authority, whatever the topic. To be fair, she usually questions his statements when it's about something irrelevant to his position or realm of influence. But inconsistency happens a lot with her, being someone easily driven by the puppeteers of spin. I love my old friend, and she's no dummy, but she's got issues which make her look quite loony on social media, and which I've no idea how to nudge toward rationality.

W2 is a mutual friend of ours, admirable in many ways. Aside from her intellect, beauty, and many skills, she has a wit no duller than my own but so nimble that one hardly thinks to take offense.

W1: His Holiness is throwing down! [link to article about the Pope saying something W1 likes]

Arguments of somewhat random theology are made by several commenters as well as W1.

W1: Look, this is my place, and I agree with the Pope. Complain to him if you don't.

W2: Cool! When you comin' back to church?

There was no reply.