Vatican reaches out to atheists

The Vatican is planning a new initiative to reach out to atheists and agnostics in an attempt to improve the church's relationship with non-believers. Pope Benedict XVI has ordered officials to create a new foundation where atheists will be encouraged to meet and debate with some of the Catholic Church's top theologians.

via Vatican reaches out to atheists – but not you, Richard Dawkins – The Independent.

So let’s see.. according to the Kubler-Ross model, the 5 stages of grief – such as you might go through when mourning the death of your God or your power – are:

1. Denial <– ‘The Colosseum lions will not hurt me, for I am with the Lord”, 3rd Century
2. Anger <– Inquisitions, 12th – 15th Centuries
3. Bargaining <–  Outreach programme  , 2010
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

So in a few hundred years time, expect to see a rise in alcoholism and Prozac consumption, followed by a mass cashing in when all the property is sold during stage 5.