What's wrong with the (catholic) church?

The pope has stated that there is crisis of religion in Europe and that the great churches in decline all around the world - except America. Of course he has readjust his statement for World( catholic) Youth day that Australia is the great southern land of the holy spirit.

But why are the great churches in decline?

The pope's theory is that people's attitudes these days are:

"We do not need God to be happy, we do not need God to create a better world. God is not necessary."

Hmm, maybe it has nothing to do with people's (common masses) attitudes, but something (everything) to do with attitudes of church hierarchy like Bishop Anthony Fisher [World youth day organiser].

Bishop Fisher said

"I think most of Australia was enjoying, delighting in the beauty and goodness of these young people ... rather than dwelling crankily as a few people are doing on old wounds,"

What are these old wounds? Sexual abuse, as children, by priests.

That's right. How dare these people, during an event celebrating the greatness of the catholic church, point out and remind us that the catholic church is not great. For some reason it's okay for the church to condemn an artist because he took some pictures, but if one of their priests "suffer" the little children, well lets just sweep that one under the carpet.

Of course the reason these people are "dwelling crankily" on these "old wounds" is the address and hopefully change this very attitude. The reason that an apology is not enough is because these people want reassurances that the catholic church will change. That people like cardinal Pell, the former archbishop of Melbourne, will stop stalling compensation claims, or stall investigations by moving priests from parish to parish until either there are no more parishs or the police get involved.

Yes, if the pope wishes to stop the decline (or delay the decline) the church must change. Of course it's hard when they keep electing as its leader some geriatric and usually conservative or a traditionalist.

But as the pope says,

"We must awaken consciences,"

So maybe these hope for all the crankily wounded dwellers within the church they still seem to support.

Get Smart

Went and saw Get Smart on Thursday.

I'm of two minds about it. On may hand (mind) I quite enjoyed it, but on the other hand (mind) I can't stop thinking "it's not the same"

Suffice it to say that it was better then I expected. Not quite a fugitive, but certainly not a bewitched.

There was plenty of homage to the original series, A brilliant "Would you believe..." gag, the shoe phone, agent Fang, agent 13 (Bill Murray as a tree) and a brief appearance of Hyme. But the movie was different enough that you can only compare the homages to the original show (like the lack of Don Adam's tones during the "Would you believe...") and not the entire movie. I suppose it may because that the original series was a parody of Cold war Bond and other spy shows such as Man from U.N.C.L.E where the movie is a parody of post cold war Bond and movies such as Bourne trilogy and Mission Impossible.

The only bit I will criticise was Terance Stamp's Siegfried. A lot of reviews I have read state that his performance was flat, and it was. Shame, as he is a good actor. But for me, it was more then that. They made Siegfried a Bond villain rather then a Kaos agent. In the series he was Max's Kaos counterpart. They were both just everyday agents trying to foil each other, which gave the Characters a kind of comradery so they play well off each other. It's just missing in the movie. (Oh, fun fact, Siegried's full name was Conrad Siegfried, so when said with a bad russian accent sounded like...)

So I give it three out five stars.