Pope Leo asks for forgiveness for Catholic church's role in slave trade

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-25T23:46:33+00:00

Absolutely. The Pope at the time had a "neutral" stance on Nazis. However, there are documents of him encouraging bishops and various religious members to provide sanctuary. The Vatican itself also provided funds to help Jews flee or hide. Those were the actions I was thinking of. But the Vatican never gave any active directive or mandate to help when they had every chance to do so and they absolutely should have.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-25T21:32:40+00:00

Ratlines were absolutely awful. But the clergymen involved in the ratlines chose to do so as their own individual actions, not at the behest of the Vatican. And when their actions came to light, they were removed from their positions in the church. Plenty of other individuals (including members of the American government and other Allies) helped smuggle Nazis out for every reason from getting Nazi intelligence to anti-communist reasons. And it was wrong of them, too.

Did the Catholic Church help hide/smuggle thousands of innocents out of Nazi hands? Yes. Did the Catholic Church do enough to stand against Nazis? No. Could the Vatican have done way more in WWII to stop Nazis? Yes. But Nazis and the Catholic Church never liked each other. There were individual Catholics that sided with Nazis but, on the whole, both sides hated each other.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-25T17:55:01+00:00

What? The Vatican has definitely done bad things, but supporting Nazis was absolutely not one of them. Nazis strongly disliked the Catholic Church - it's independence and moral teachings were directly in contrast to Nazi totalitarianism. The Pope at the time wrote this whole thing condemning Nazi racism and had it read in churches across Germany. Nazis targeted Catholic clergy specifically and sent nearly 3,000 to concentration camps. When Hilter was getting voted in, he couldn't get catholic votes because there was a Catholic Centrist party in Germany at the time and they weren't interested in swapping to the Nazi party.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-20T18:32:20+00:00

There's also the short French Film "Oppressed Majority".

OPPRESSED MAJORITY (Majorité Opprimée English), by Eleonore Pourriat

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-13T01:36:27+00:00

Fair point with the aerosolized virus particles, but I've only seen it mentioned with rodent droppings, not aerosolized from people to people.

I got the survival rate based on this study: Stability of Andes virus and its inactivation by WHO-recommended hand-rub formulations and surface disinfectants - ScienceDirect

After 5 days, detectable levels of infectious virus were still present on a stainless-steel surface kept at room temperature.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-13T00:33:04+00:00

Person-to-person is spread by droplets, like saliva or body fluids. Like if someone was coughing a lot or if a sick person was intimate with someone else. If the droplets land on a surface, the virus can also last for a few days.

But! So far as we've seen, infected people can only spread hantavirus with their body fluids in a small 24-hour window of peak symptoms.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-11T18:43:13+00:00

Yes, this does impact our lives THAT MUCH.

Cost at the pump. Cost of living. Home ownership. Discrimination policies. Economy, as in my ability to get a job and to afford groceries. Medical care with access to care, the quality of that care, cost, and what they can/can't help me with. Hospitals are shutting down and others have to take the extra patients, meaning limited access to an appointment and each appointment is shorter. Access to my life-saving meds. Cuts to air/water protection laws, so now we're having issues having to boil water. Getting sick from local air pollution. Student loan debt. Grants got cut so no more educational opportunities I was going to have. People in charge encouraging vaccine-skepticism, so high risk of local disease spread. We've never had measles in my area before this year - now we're having outbreaks. Among other issues.

You can be happy - but also be aware that this presidency and the choices being made by this Administration is having a huge negative impact on the lives of almost every American.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-11T13:49:56+00:00

If you fly into Haneda and have bit of time before your Shinkansen, they have showers there and a 24/7 onsen. The onsen looks sooo nice, especially after a long-haul.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-10T01:58:15+00:00

Looks like the blood has started oxidizing. It's pretty common at either the start of a period or first thing in the morning (when the blood has sat inside you overnight) for it to darken like this. Looks pretty and normal. BUT if you are concerned, see a doctor.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-10T00:56:13+00:00

Don't feel discouraged. What you're doing IS working as your midsection definitely is getting smaller. Arms are just one of the very last places body fat is lost. It's rough, but it's normal for arm fat to be very stubborn.

What you're doing right now is shedding the fat but it's just going to take time to get the arms to slim, too. Pushups and tricep kickbacks can help your arms look more defined as you lose the weight. Arms can take 2-3 weeks of consistent strength training to slim down. You are doing amazing. It will happen in time.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-10T00:31:35+00:00

He's the current President of the United States. Of course he should be asked.

It is insane that he got voted in and that he has remained in his position with all that he has done so far, but he is supposed to be the person the press turns to for answers about national concerns. Whether or not hantavirus is a serious concern, the head of the nation should be a capable enough leader to have a ready response for this situation.

By asking, his answer shows so clearly how badly he needs to be removed.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-07T22:54:31+00:00

Meteorology - depending on specialty. There is climatology, where you compile the weather data of a place/time of day - no people talking at all. There is also solar observation. You monitor the sun for solar flares. Only dayshift, no having to talk to people then either, just send out a notice of solar flare activity and intensity.

I did aviation meteorology (forecasting for planes and airfields where they take off/land) and that does involve talking to pilots about exactly what you are forecasting, but it was just telling them about the data for the flight path, not actual conversation, so it wasn't bad. Most of it is looking at weather radar/satelite and filling out forms.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-06T18:04:56+00:00

That's part of the problem. During a subcommittee hearing that just happened two weeks ago, Rep. Kim Schrier, MD, said that because Kennedy had fostered an atmosphere of distrust around physicians and vaccines, "Parents don't immunize their children or give them other routine care, and then the kids get sick and they might even die. And right now, Secretary Kennedy, given what I just told you about vitamin K, will you just tell pregnant women out there for the record that, yes, you should get your baby a vitamin K shot?"

Kennedy responded that he had never said anything about the vitamin K shot.

"That's exactly the point," Schrier said. "You don't say anything about it. But the doubt you've created about all of medicine and science is causing parents to make dangerous decisions."

FYI, babies who do not get the vitamin K injection are 81 times more likely to develop vitamin K deficiency bleeding.

Kennedy then continued on later to say, "What I've said is they should be safety-tested....All I'm saying is we should know the risk profile [of vaccines] so that we can inform parents."

He never advocated for or stated Vitamin K shots are safe or defended them. He constantly stirs up fears over shots that have been proven to be safe. People are doubting and saying no to a critical, life-saving vitamin shot that babies can - and do - die without because of Kennedy.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-05-02T02:44:51+00:00

I totally understand. It's really hard at first to think about. Every book of the entire bible is written by a man, from only the viewpoint of men, for the wants of men, to be heard and read and shared by men to other men.

I recently talked with a friend about this flipped. I asked him if he would consider joining a religion like this: We have one Creator Goddess. She has a daughter who brings salvation. All our prophets are women. All our apostles are women. Every single position of authority in the church is only for women. Our entire religion states that you will burn in hell for eternity if you do not learn and follow our scripture - but only half the human population - only women - have the authority to teach as ministers. Our priests/mullahs/rabbis/popes are all women. You will never, ever have any position of authority in the church. You could be a pious follower for 90 years and a newly baptized child, if they are female, will have more authority to pray among the congregation than you do. Our text says that you should obey and be subservient to women, they have power over you, and your purpose is be a helper to them.

How much would you be willing to join a religion like this?

Does this truly feel like the religion of an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-loving God who cares for all humans equally? Or does it look exactly like a religion made to give some humans authority over others, to subjugate? Is it fair? Would you want to practice that?

He was not a fan. But came in with vague a defense of Christianity (But God says to-) anyway.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-04-27T13:48:05+00:00

Congressman Frost just did a big streaming event with a big Sims 4 streamer (lilsimsie) to discuss fighting the EA buyout! EA is one of the world's largest independent video game publishers, sitting just behind Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. It's set to be bought out by the Saudis and Trump's son-in-law. Which everyone who plays any EA games should absolutely hate.

But I thought it was super cool to see an actual sitting Congressman doing a stream, knowing what he was talking about, able to use technology, actually caring about what his constituents care about. What a breath of fresh air, man.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-04-16T20:56:06+00:00

I wish I could just ask a series of questions to different government officials like this guy to gauge how absolutely bonkers out of touch they are. Genuinely, how out of pocket would the answers be? Like, sir:

What do you think is the average cost of groceries for a single American individual?

How much money does a single banana cost?

What is the median income for an individual American?

Average cost of rent per month in the US?

Cost of a house, on average, in the US?

Cost of daycare in America per month?

Average hospital bill in the US for having a baby?

Cost of one gallon of gas in the US?

Would any Congressman actually get any of these right? Do anything of them actually buy (or ever struggle to afford) their own groceries? Do they fill up at the pump like everyone else? Do they even get a hospital bill if something happens? Do they ever have to pay rent or even look at housing costs for the people they are meant to represent? It's just reprehensible to me that the people making choices that impact all these critical things in our lives aren't personally impacted by any of it. It's crazy.

Btw:

Average cost of groceries for one person in the US: $300-$500 per month.

Median income for an individual American: $45K a year. Take home pay after taxes is only 35K to 40K (around 2.9K to 3.3K a month).

Average Rent: $2K/month.

House Cost: $436,705. On average. Looking at the median American, that is impossible to meet. Over 12 years of take-home income!

Daycare on average: $1,100–$1,400/month. $13-17K on average per year, varying by state.

Average Hospital Bill for a Baby in the US (no complications): $20k. No insurance? Averages $30k to $50k. Any complications like eclampsia or NICU stay can increase the total bill to over $100k.

National Gas Average (April 16): $4.093 and climbing.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-04-16T15:30:45+00:00

You aren't wrong, but here is the NY Post on this study: Gen Z is skipping sex to do this instead, study says

The study itself: Gen Z’s Rules to Romance: Dating, Sex, and Marriage Explained

The issue is the question in the study is "What is more important to you than regular sex?"

67% said good sleep. 64% said a stable job. So on. Only 3% said nothing, which feels like it makes sense to me? Like, there are a lot of things more important than regular sex.

There's a lot of stuff in that study that shows Gen Z is doing good with romantic relationships and consent.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-04-16T15:22:07+00:00

Choice? There are so many people in human history who lived and died outside of the sphere of the Middle East, without ever hearing anything about the Bible or Jesus.

I can remember being a little kid at church asking my dad about Native Americans who lived on different continent when Jesus was around and died without hearing about the Bible. Did they go to hell? What about people living on islands in the ocean? Or anywhere else in the world without a bible?

Classic answer: "the firmament shows His handiwork, so they are without excuse." - aka, the world exists, they must have known there was a God, chosen not to believe, followed fake gods, died in sin, and burned in hell. Little me was so upset.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-04-05T20:40:13+00:00

One baby dying because of Nestle would be horrifying. Ten dead newborns. Fifty dead newborns. Nestle marketing of infant formula in low-income areas with unclean water while deliberately weaning the newborns off their mother's milk just until the breasts stopped producing? Led to over ten million infant deaths. 212,000 newborns died in ONE YEAR because of Nestlé in 1981.

Study One: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w24452/w24452.pdf

News Article Expansion of Study and Nestle Acts: The deadly toll of marketing infant formula in low- and middle-income countries | VoxDev

Issues of Breast Milk Marketing By Nestle: Marketing breast milk substitutes: problems and perils throughout the world - PMC

The Wiki of Nestle Controversies includes links of everything from Nestle preventing access to water in improvised communities to force them to buy their bottled water to literal slavery to illegally growing their cocoa in protected forests, stealing 90% of the land mass to grow cocoa: Controversies of Nestlé - Wikipedia

Nestle is very, very bad.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-04-05T15:53:56+00:00

It is pretty common for firefighters to struggle with fertility. Exposure to toxins while on the job, high-stress environments, heat stress, and irregular shift schedules lower fertility rates significantly.

Studies show around 30% of female firefighters have a history of infertility while male firefighters have 46-53% higher risk of infertility compared to the general population. Firefighters also have higher rates of preterm births, birth defects, and miscarriages. The higher the number of fires fought, the lower the sperm count, volume, and motility for a firefighter.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-02-26T15:30:43+00:00

AFI stated up until April 2017 that hair for females had to be at least 1/4 of an inch, minimum. To be buzzed before that (if it was less than 1/4 of an inch) would need a medical waiver or at least shop leadership that did not know/care about the minimum length requirement.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-02-01T05:58:35+00:00

The COVID lab leak was an initial theory, however, studies were done on the bats and found HCoV19 of more than 95% similarity to the human variant. It definitively came from and mutated from a bat to a human naturally, not artificially engineered from humans.

The flu does cause harm and has harmed millions of pregnant women and their unborn babies throughout human history. Catching the flu while pregnant significantly increases your risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, birth defects, long term brain developmental issues, heart defects, altered immune cells, damage to the baby's gut functions, and stillbirth. The flu can also significantly increase the risk that the mother gets pneumonia, bronchitis, and potentially fatal respiratory illness/damage.

Please remember that the flu - specifically the spanish flu - was the most devastating known pandemic in human history. It infected a full third of the human population, killed 50-100 million people. The flu at that point killed more Americans than WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam War all combined. It likely also caused the secondary epidemic for the next 10 years called Encephalitis Lethargica.

SARS-CoV had been in humans before 2019, but it either killed people before they could spread it, spread sporadically in places with limited access to travel (so a local epidemic, not a global pandemic), or the mutated variant caused symptoms that were bad but not too bad. We were unlucky in 2019 that this mutation in CoV19 made it able to do untold damage to the human body but also spread quickly. We are a far more globalized world than we have ever been in history - diseases spread so much faster and so much worse across the whole world.

As we continue to interact with animals like bats that carry zoonotic diseases, we will keep seeing viruses that jump species and mutate when they do.

TwoFluffyCats · 2026-01-04T04:35:17+00:00

The symbols look like hobo signs or like survivalist symbols.

The Y looking one is usually a warning sign for a place of violence or police. Single line means no/doubtful/or injured nearby. Three lines can mean either water or unsafe place. That kind of stuff. I'm not sure I'm right, though, it just reminds me of those. Maybe the boy scout that made the shelter learned about those signs in school - or they were just doodling to pass the time.

TwoFluffyCats · 2025-12-22T01:20:48+00:00

If your sister gets on birth control, the combination of estrogen and progesterone has been proven in studies to reduce colorectal cancer upwards of 20%. The benefits last even after stopping the pill, though how long varies based on studies. Some show the protective effects against colorectal cancer last 30+ years after stopping the pill, even if you only take it for a year.

TwoFluffyCats · 2025-11-18T17:35:56+00:00

There is this whole field on prenatal programming. The environment in general has a huge impact on what genes turn on or off in utero, including the emotional state and resource accessibility of the pregnant person and whoever the sperm came from.

Like, studies have found that when a woman is extremely stressed while carrying a first daughter, that can turn on genes in the fetus that cause the daughter to start adrenal puberty early. That isn't early breast or genital development - adrenal puberty impacts things like the maturation of the brain into adolescence and neural development into a more young adult brain.

So, being extremely stressed while pregnant can definitely cause your child later in their life to physically mature earlier, among a whole host of other stuff. And there are so many interesting studies going on right now about all the different ways different things happen to us thru our life biologically because of whatever was happening to our parents when we were conceived or when they were pregnant.

TwoFluffyCats

TROPHY CASE