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Pope resigns

Wonder if popes will start retiring now.

That's a good question. Healthcare has gotten so good in recent decades that people will live to be older and older. It's quite possible that Benedict's decision could augur a future where popes are more likely to resign rather than die in office. Because news travels so fast now it's impossible to plausibly keep a long term illness or incapacitation a secret, especially in an era where a pope is expected to make frequent public appearances.
 
Censorship has been done by the Catholic Church, and I'm getting censored.

What censorship? The propaganda that the Church told the faithful not to read the Bible? Hogwash. The Church banned certain translations, but never the Bible itself. Not like it mattered anyway since most couldn't read at the time.
 
I should have said that it was a practice by the Catholic Church long ago, but not now.
But then the list of atrocities, done by the Catholic Church long ago, no longer happen... The list would be one long ass list though.

Indulgences still exist. The problem was simony, and that's always been illegal.
 
Remind me to tell you the story of my getting kicked out of a Catholic Church when a Priest found out that I was Greek Orthodox... That was a trip.

See ya soon Bonz.

I'm guessing you tried to receive the Eucharist.
 
There's no verbiage that's going to satisfy those predisposed to hate the church. No amount of mea culpa, no dollar figure will be enough. Good thing that God is the one from whom forgiveness flows.

How exactly is condemning child rapists being "predisposed" to hate the church? If it wasn't complicit in the mass rape of children, and instead actually worked to prevent it, investigated its priests, and turned them over for prosecution, I wouldn't hate it. Well, okay I would, but that's for other reasons... because of its actions. You're try to pretend that people are just rabidly hateful as matter of existence. If the Catholic Church would stop doing evil things, no one would be angry with them. Its stances against birth control, especially in AIDS-stricken Africa, against Abortion, against sexual and gender equality... those are not excuses by which someone who has already decided can use to attack the church, those are reasons to make a decision about the church's morality.

Stop trying to make excuses for, and defending, child rapists. Stop being an apologist. Demand that your church take action to punish their rapist employees, and stop protecting real evil. Then people won't hate it so much.
 
I'm guessing you tried to receive the Eucharist.

My wife is Baptist and everyone at the church knows it, never kicked out of our Catholic church. Then again, she was respectful enough not to attempt to receive communion.
 
My wife is Baptist and everyone at the church knows it, never kicked out of our Catholic church. Then again, she was respectful enough not to attempt to receive communion.

That's the difference. You will never be bothered for attending Mass. In fact exactly the opposite, you will be welcomed. Just don't dare try to receive that which you don't believe to be the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ if you don't believe it to be so.
 
Except for his views on papal authority and the Eucharist. Other than those two apparently teeny tiny issues, he was a conservative.

It's interesting to me how easily the peoples of Northern Europe were able to assimilate the "morality" of Judea. But, truely baffling, is the then endemic hatred of the Jews. Sort of like a wigger who hated black people........................
 
How exactly is condemning child rapists being "predisposed" to hate the church? If it wasn't complicit in the mass rape of children, and instead actually worked to prevent it, investigated its priests, and turned them over for prosecution, I wouldn't hate it. Well, okay I would, but that's for other reasons... because of its actions. You're try to pretend that people are just rabidly hateful as matter of existence. If the Catholic Church would stop doing evil things, no one would be angry with them. Its stances against birth control, especially in AIDS-stricken Africa, against Abortion, against sexual and gender equality... those are not excuses by which someone who has already decided can use to attack the church, those are reasons to make a decision about the church's morality.

Stop trying to make excuses for, and defending, child rapists. Stop being an apologist. Demand that your church take action to punish their rapist employees, and stop protecting real evil. Then people won't hate it so much.

You're ignorant of the Church if you think nothing has changed. Massive reforms have been instituted to prevent this from ever happening again.

As for AIDS and Africa, it would seem the best solution is monogamy rather than indiscriminate sex. Condoms aren't foolproof.
 
I'm a religious individual but it's one thing to not believe in God and it's another to attack those who do. The atheist movement is obsessed with attacking believers or those of faith...I have my opinions, views and faith but I really don't enjoy playing dictator as those of "anti-faith" and I suppose those of faith do - and certainly that is what the whole debate is about when it comes to religion (well anything in general for that matter).



If so many Christians in the USA weren't trying to shove their religion and its wacky ideas down everyone's throats we would have fewer problems.

Think about it.
 
It's interesting to me how easily the peoples of Northern Europe were able to assimilate the "morality" of Judea. But, truely baffling, is the then endemic hatred of the Jews. Sort of like a wigger who hated black people........................

The Jews persecuted the early Christian Church. Why are you surprised by a backlash?
 
If so many Christians in the USA weren't trying to shove their religion and its wacky ideas down everyone's throats we would have fewer problems.

Think about it.

Replace Christians with atheists and religion with secular humanism and you'd have a point. The disintegration of society starts with the attack on the traditional family and monogamous relationships.
 
How exactly is condemning child rapists being "predisposed" to hate the church?

Give me a break, Paschendale.

I wouldn't hate it. Well, okay I would

...

You're try to pretend that people are just rabidly hateful as matter of existence. If the Catholic Church would stop doing evil things, no one would be angry with them.

Then you go on to define evil as...

Its stances against birth control, especially in AIDS-stricken Africa, against Abortion, against sexual and gender equality... those are not excuses by which someone who has already decided can use to attack the church, those are reasons to make a decision about the church's morality.

...which means you are predisposed to hate the church because it doesn't meet your definition of good. Your definition of morality is the new one on the block, brother, not the church's.

Stop trying to make excuses for, and defending, child rapists.

I make no excuses for inexcusable behavior, and I never have.

Stop being an apologist.

Never.

Demand that your church take action to punish their rapist employees, and stop protecting real evil. Then people won't hate it so much.

I have never suggested that anyone NOT be punished for the evil they have done. And I don't give a damn who hates the church, that's their problem. All I want to do is set the record straight.
 
You're ignorant of the Church if you think nothing has changed. Massive reforms have been instituted to prevent this from ever happening again.

Not nearly enough.

As for AIDS and Africa, it would seem the best solution is monogamy rather than indiscriminate sex. Condoms aren't foolproof.

Church doctrine prohibits married couples from using condoms. How much more monogamous do you expect people to be?

The disintegration of society starts with the attack on the traditional family and monogamous relationships.

Which no one is attacking. Except for the whole "a man is king in his castle" part, where a woman has to be subservient to her husband and is essentially a second class citizen. That part we're attacking like crazy. But my desire to have whatever sex I want with whomever I want for whatever reasons I want has nothing to do with your choice to do the same, or not, as you desire. My life has no effect whatsoever on your family or relationships.

And what would such an attack even look like? No one is trying to make it harder for monogamous, heterosexual couples to marry and have children. I think you are confusing attacks for not getting preferential treatment.


These dots stand for your selective edits, I see. Can't honestly address the idea that the church ought to be judged on its actions?

Then you go on to define evil as...which means you are predisposed to hate the church because it doesn't meet your definition of good. Your definition of morality is the new one on the block, brother, not the church's.

Harm = evil. Stopping or preventing harm = good. That's nature's definition, and it's a whole lot older than any human institutions.

I make no excuses for inexcusable behavior, and I never have. I have never suggested that anyone NOT be punished for the evil they have done. And I don't give a damn who hates the church, that's their problem. All I want to do is set the record straight.

Stop worrying about the record and FIX the problem. No one wants mea culpas, you're right about that. What people want is to be sure that their local priests aren't going to rape their children, and that if they do, that the church won't help cover it up.
 
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The Jews persecuted the early Christian Church. Why are you surprised by a backlash?

I am surprised because they opted to adopt the values, no one was forcing them to. They sort of identified with people they WEREN'T, that is Jews who split off from Judaism...................
 
I am surprised because they opted to adopt the values, no one was forcing them to. They sort of identified with people they WEREN'T, that is Jews who split off from Judaism...................

And the people that Paul converted? Those were not Jews.
 
Did the Pope resign?
 
That's the difference. You will never be bothered for attending Mass. In fact exactly the opposite, you will be welcomed. Just don't dare try to receive that which you don't believe to be the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ if you don't believe it to be so.

I attended one of her family's Baptist Christmas services. Time came to pass bread and grape juice (lol) around, I didn't participate. They believe that the bread and grape juice is transformed into the body and blood of Christ upon ingestion. You know that Catholics believe that this occurs with the priests admonition to God to transform it.

Since my beliefs about the Eucharist are very specific, I did not feel comfortable participating, since from my perspective, the bread and grape juice could not have really been transformed, and it would be disrespectful to participate in their ceremony without a true belief in what would occur as a result.
 
Not nearly enough.

As you claim.

Church doctrine prohibits married couples from using condoms. How much more monogamous do you expect people to be?

There wouldn't be much of an AIDS epidemic in Africa if monogamy were universal now would there?

Which no one is attacking. Except for the whole "a man is king in his castle" part, where a woman has to be subservient to her husband and is essentially a second class citizen. That part we're attacking like crazy.

Funny how enemies of the Church always leave out the second part, you know, husbands love your wives.

But my desire to have whatever sex I want with whomever I want for whatever reasons I want has nothing to do with your choice to do the same, or not, as you desire. My life has no effect whatsoever on your family or relationships.

And what would such an attack even look like? No one is trying to make it harder for monogamous, heterosexual couples to marry and have children. I think you are confusing attacks for not getting preferential treatment.

The dependency of the family for the father and cohesion has been obliterated with indiscriminate welfare.
 
I attended one of her family's Baptist Christmas services. Time came to pass bread and grape juice (lol) around, I didn't participate. They believe that the bread and grape juice is transformed into the body and blood of Christ upon ingestion. You know that Catholics believe that this occurs with the priests admonition to God to transform it.

Since my beliefs about the Eucharist are very specific, I did not feel comfortable participating, since from my perspective, the bread and grape juice could not have really been transformed, and it would be disrespectful to participate in their ceremony without a true belief in what would occur as a result.

That and their bread and grape juice are invalid matter, by an unordained minister, with no intent to consecrate, and not using the words of consecration. Of all 4 requirements, they fulfill none. Yes, it is absolutely disallowed for Catholics to receive the eucharist from churches not in communion with Rome.
 
And the people that Paul converted? Those were not Jews.

Right. But who tries to "convert" from their race ?...............That's heavy duty weirdness, like wiggerism...........................
 
I should have said that it was a practice by the Catholic Church long ago, but not now.
But then the list of atrocities, done by the Catholic Church long ago, no longer happen... The list would be one long ass list though.



The terrible things that the church did in the past can't be wiped out by saying, "that was long ago, we don't do that now".

What was done can't be undone.
 
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