[MikefromOhio]

whatever...

Zapatero wouldnt have been within 10% in the election without that terrorist attack.

But lets continue on with the myth that it is all the Catholic's fault...

[sinkspur]

And the reason is that the Vatican State Department declared war on the allied coalition against Iraq.

Yep. JPII's minions, led by the despicable Archbishop Martino, accused the United States (and by implication, the entire coalition) of conducting a "criminal" war.

Lay the loss of Spain at the feet of the Eurotrash Cardinals of the Roman Curia.

[Unam Sanctam]

The terrorists are responsible for the attack and the election of the horrible Zapatero. The Vatican, however misguided its prudential judgment on Iraq may have been is not responsible, nor is Bush, as many Spaniards and Leftists seem to think.

[marshmallow]

For your information, the Spanish have been doing rather a good job of apostatizing on their own, with little or no help from outside, for some time now. As in most of Western Europe, Mass attendance is miserable and secularization is everywhere. If that wasn't enough, you should know that the Spanish birth rate is the lowest in the world. Spanish women were having an average of 1.07 children in 2000. That tells you all you need to know about their attitude to contraception, abortion, marriage and the family and how seriously they take their Roman Catholicism.

Given this, it is utterly unsurprising that they have elected the government that they have. It is simply a reflection of the prevailing mentality in the country.

As for Iraq, the Pope was absolutely right. He pleaded with us not to go. We turned a deaf ear. Now when things are not running according to plan, we turn around and blame him. He was right. As usual. The Catholic conditions for a just war were far from being satisfied with respect to Iraq. The Pope told us so and we told him to shove it.

Contrast this with Afghanistan. Afghanistan, through its proxy, al-Qaeda attacked the US. Intervention was justified. As a result, a country which the Soviet Union could not overcome was subdued in weeks, the terrorists were rooted out and the country has been stabilized. Weeks go by with little or no reports of death or trouble.

What are we bringing to Iraq? Christianity? No. The secular god of "democracy" instead and which the Iraqis probably do not even want. When we finally realize that there is not an American waiting to get out of the inside of every foreigner, we will be far better off.

In case I'm not being clear, let me summarize.

It is the fault of the Spanish that they are now in servitude to atheists and agnostics in government and it is our fault that we are now mired in a war with no foreseeable end and which may ultimately serve the cause of Islamic fundamentalists.

[verity]

"And the reason is that the Vatican State Department declared war on the allied coalition against Iraq."

Failed your logic course, did you?