Being a non catholic myself I take offence to the new Pope declaring that the rest of christandom is lesser than the catholic church. after a review of international and national comments on the new Pope's views, here's were he stands:
1. Will not make any compromises on abortion, embryonic stem cell research, artificial contraception, celibate clergy, homosexuality and the ordination of women. A period of ultra conservatism
2. He was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, once known as the Holy Office and responsible for the Inquisition
3. His view of other faiths si that they are defective in comparison to the Church of Rome. Even other churches, he has said, are not proper churches at all and salvation can only be found for certain in Catholicism, the one true church of history and tradition.
4. He has mad it clear to catholic politicians around the world that on the issue of marriage, sexuality, abortion and euthanasia, there can be no compromise. During the last US presidential elections he wrote a letter to American bishops advising them to deny communion to politicians who supported abortion rights.
His brother in Germany George Ratzinger, said that “his brother was not physically up to the challenge of the job”. He suffered a stroke in 1991 and was recently ordered to give up drinking beer. A Pope who likes drinking beer but is against the equality of women in the church and does not accept married clergy. I think his drinking is clouding his views.!
But fear not the medieval Irish archbishop Malachi, predicted a line of Popes ending with the end of the world. The second last Pope is Benedict and is only predicted to live about 10 years and then be replaced by the last Pope called Peter of Rome and then the church will collapse defeated by the Arab nations!
Oh dear - and I just popped in to cheer myself up!! Hear what you're saying - but if, like me, you're not Roman Catholic I guess it shouldn't matter too much to you - well or me come to that. I really cannot embrace any religion that cannot understand that other people have other ways of seeing and dealing with life. I shall hang on to my own tentative belief in the "Power of love" and all that goes with it. I wish the new Pope no ill - but my feelings are irrelevant to him so tonight - I'm not going to get too excited about it.
Now I'll retreat back into my head muffled with a cold and sit by the fire feeling sorry for myself. Someone say something uplifting or even funny...........ppeerrlleeeaaassse!!!
Angel - thanks for responding so quickly in your sorry state of health. if you convert to catholicism, then the Pope and the church will quickly fix your head and anything else about you and transport you to paradise!
Go for it Angel - at least you have the right name already!!
Hey Garabaldi - transportation to Paradise sounds good!! Where do I find a ticket? I want the kind of paradise that has gentle waves lapping on palm fringed beaches, an abundance of pawpaw and mangoes, golden sunsets and a cooling breeze in the night that gently billows the mosquito net that keeps me safe while I sleep........... gosh do you think I've got a temperature? Am I hallucinating? Better take some more Paracetamol and get an early night.
Hi Jeremy, sounds like my bank a bit - I don't agree with what they do with my money sometimes but at least I know where I stand with them - a pauper!
But if you are a catholic and in essence support them, them as defined by them you are one of the saved ones and we are not! I have a friend who is a 'lapsed catholic' he carries a badge around with him for party time which says " I survived a catholic education"
I think the holier than thou attitude is basically un-scriptual as well as abusing little boys!
I could go on, I was a scriptual scholar and lay-preacher in another life, but I think I am just thankful that Henry the IIX kicked them out of controlling this country. they do interfer in politics rather too much.
Yes I've seen a few drunken clergy in my time. The inclusion of the word Roman is interesting. The church in it's infancy (see church history), was forced to adopt Roman influence to survive and took on the same structure as the Roman Empire. Whereas the name of the church that is quoted in the Bible is either simple "the Church of God" or the "Church of Christ". For my money these are truer reflections of what the church should be all about. And of course the original greek word for church had nothing to do with buildings either.
I'm the dyslexic (who invented that stupid word?) agnostic, insomniac tonight. Now I've forgotten my point and I have to drop the page to see what that Aussie was trying to wind me up about--------OK, I saw your ramblings- sorry- writings!
I don't think I'll be one of the saved ones but I'm not going to condemn myself on this webpage. I like the bit about surviving a Catholic education- I passed my 11 plus and got a place in a Jesuit college. Luckily my family moved to another part of the country and my life took another route.
By the way, who has read "The Da Vinci Code" and what did they think about it. Also, given the title of this topic, has anyone read "Angels and Demons" by the same author? I must be a heretic!
You did well to get out of the Jesuits grasp they're claim to fame amongst other things banal was "give me the boy until he's seven and I'll give you the man" - phew what a lucky escape!
glad you made it to manhood without the jesuits - you could have been emasculated -or is than emancipated - bit dyslexic myself at times!
Incidentally Jeremy none of us are condemned at all - the catholics simply got it wrong as they usually do!
try looking at "conversations with God " by Neil Donald Walsch - very illuminating and it comes in three easy volumes. In one of them, God explains - "even Hitler went to heaven" - that can make you gulp a bit. But as freud once said - all religion is an illusion!
