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Why is the Pope special?

Van Basten said:
He leads over a billion people, well, in their spiritual lives.

Not a catholic, nor a fan of the pope (as a position) or the worship the position entails, but it's a pretty clear-cut thing.
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Most catholics pick and chose what they believe and follow.
Vast majority ignore all kinds of things the pope suggests they should do, follow, and believe.
 
Dragonfly said:
Most catholics pick and chose what they believe and follow.
Vast majority ignore all kinds of things the pope suggests they should do, follow, and believe.
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I know, I have numerous catholic friends.

Wouldn't be the first religious denomination to be like that.
 
shrubnose said:
The Pope is special because the Pope is the Pope.
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What circular logic nonsense!

Is ISIS right and we are wrong because ISIS is ISIS?

Are pedophiles normal because pedophiles are pedophiles?

Cannot cancer ever be cured cause cancer is cancer?
 
haymarket said:
I do not think your analogy is an apt one. There is but a single Pope of the Catholic Church. One in the entire world. There is lots and lots and lots of popcorn.

And I guess that does make him special by virtue of holding that position.
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So if someone is special and virtuous because there are no others like him, then Charles Mansion should also be special and virtuous just like the Pope, cause there is nor there can ever be anyone exactly like Charles Manson's personality.

Think about that?
 
Your Star said:
I mean, he's just another dude. Always a dude, but that's another thread entirely. Anyways, he gets elected by a bunch of cardinals, and now he's the most holy person on Earth and completely infallible? How does this make any sense whatsoever?
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It's because of the role that this man plays in life -- like anyone else -- their role determines their significance to the rest of us.

The Pope reminds us of the words of Jesus and that we must try to live our lives in accordance with some kind of rules.

Whether you get your rules from religion, from philosophy, from science, or from law, everyone needs rules, or else we would all just rob from and kill each other -- no reason otherwise not to.

None of the other major Christian spin-off's from the Roman Catholic Church has a head pontiff. They have all splintered and gone their separate ways.

The fundamental constitution of the Eastern Orthodox Churches is that each of the various Patriarchs of that church is independent.

The fundamental constitution of the Protestants is that each person may commune with God directly thru the Holy Spirit and therefore no one church official is even needed.

In the Pope is represented the one oracle and speaker for Jesus, just as St. Peter before him was.

The Pope is a symbol and he plays a vital role. He reminds us to be good to each other, as Jesus himself would have said if He were here at the moment as well.
 
DDD said:
So if someone is special and virtuous because there are no others like him, then Charles Mansion should also be special and virtuous just like the Pope, cause there is nor there can ever be anyone exactly like Charles Manson's personality.

Think about that?
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You can go visit Charlie Manson if you want -- he is in prison still in Southern California.

Then you can write down all of his sayings and publish it in a book.

Good luck with that venture o' your'n.
 
Dragonfly said:
The point being, something is only special if you think it's special.

I don't think the pope is any more special than many other people.

If one of my daughters was on a sinking boat with the pope and I could only save one of them I'd sure as hell save my daughter.

People "worship" the ground Paul McCartney walks on. Women used to cry and faint when they saw the Beatles perform.

What's "special" to one group of people isn't anything special to others. As I said in another post, it's much like the royal family in England. For many they're special, for others they're rather not special and quite often rather embarrassing.

But you know, whatever it takes to get you through the day.
I'm about 30 miles south of where the Pope is, and I couldn't care less about his being there.
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Exactly,

Its groundless decision to just name one special and put him on a position of religious (which also cannot support the majority of its claims) position.

There are smarter, better looking, more physically built, richer, and more powerful people on the world than him. But on such occasions they at least have something to back up their greatness other than groundless faith.
 
DDD said:
What circular logic nonsense!

Is ISIS right and we are wrong because ISIS is ISIS?

Are pedophiles normal because pedophiles are pedophiles?

Cannot cancer ever be cured cause cancer is cancer?
Click to expand...

You should consider their fruits -- they go around cutting off people's heads with sharp knives.

Do you think you would last long among them ??
 
DDD said:
So if someone is special and virtuous because there are no others like him, then Charles Mansion should also be special and virtuous just like the Pope, cause there is nor there can ever be anyone exactly like Charles Manson's personality.

Think about that?
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Not virtuous by any means. And there are lots and lots of serial killers - some a whole lot worse than Manson who really was nothing special like the one of a kind Pope. I would grant you that Manson is very different but not special in the way that the Pope is special.
 
Dragonfly said:
Most catholics pick and chose what they believe and follow.
Vast majority ignore all kinds of things the pope suggests they should do, follow, and believe.
Click to expand...

Exactly -- which is actually a Protestant notion to begin with and not orthodox Catholic.

My own Catholicism is a blend of Catholic, Protestant, and ancient Greek Olympian.
 
spud_meister said:
He's the head of a massive (get it massive?), powerful, and wealthy global organisation, whose billions of followers believe he's invested with authority from the bearded Jew of the sky. Yes, he is just a dude, but he's also a key element to many peoples faith.
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The main power of Catholics world wide is that they vote.

1/5th of Americans is Catholic.

1/7th of the world is Catholic.

So what the Pope says matters more than what any other one many or woman says because of the audience.
 
DDD said:
Exactly,

Its groundless decision to just name one special and put him on a position of religious (which also cannot support the majority of its claims) position.

There are smarter, better looking, more physically built, richer, and more powerful people on the world than him. But on such occasions they at least have something to back up their greatness other than groundless faith.
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Blah blah blah ... you are definitely on a roll. And it is downward and a spiral today.
 
Your Star said:
I mean, he's just another dude. Always a dude, but that's another thread entirely. Anyways, he gets elected by a bunch of cardinals, and now he's the most holy person on Earth and completely infallible? How does this make any sense whatsoever?
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Ignoring your incoherent rage, the answer is that as the successor of St. Peter, he is the vicar of Christ.
 
shrubnose said:
The Bible was dreamed up before the Pope existed, how could those who dreamed it up have any idea what kind of person any Pope would be? Fill us in.

:lamo
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Many Protestants believe that the Hand Of God reached down from the Heaven and wrote the Bible with pen and ink in English.

If you try to point out to them the real history of the library of scrolls called "the Bible" they get really upset with you.

Be careful then !!

:)
 
haymarket said:
Not virtuous by any means. And there are lots and lots of serial killers - some a whole lot worse than Manson who really was nothing special like the one of a kind Pope. I would grant you that Manson is very different but not special in the way that the Pope is special.
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Manson was a mere beginner when compared to some popes.

Top 10 Worst Popes in History - Toptenz.net
 
PoS said:
It's the hat. Anyone who wears that pointy thing must be special.
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I'll stick to my military boonie hat. Easier to get in and out of the wilderness with, and keeps the sun off my face and out of my eyes.

Top hats with tall stovepipes used to be really popular in America as well. These were derived from England and English gentlemen, and from the Freemasons.

British sea captains wore a 3 cornered hat, and their lieutenants a two cornered one.

But a hat is just a hat.

The Pope's hat simply says "I am the Pope."
 
OP, he is special because he is the head of one of the largest religions on the planet in the same way that Barack Obama is special because he is head of one of the largest and most powerful governments on the planet. Why did I need to tell you that?
 
fmw said:
OP, he is special because he is the head of one of the largest religions on the planet in the same way that Barack Obama is special because he is head of one of the largest and most powerful governments on the planet. Why did I need to tell you that?
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Why can't all Catholics vote in a papal election?
 
Riveroaks said:
Many Protestants believe that the Hand Of God reached down from the Heaven and wrote the Bible with pen and ink in English.
Click to expand...

If you try to point out to them the real history of the library of scrolls called "the Bible" they get really upset with you.

Be careful then !!

:)
Click to expand...



Some of them also believe that we live on a flat planet which the Sun revolves around and men used to ride around on Dinosaurs.

:lamo
 
shrubnose said:
Some of them also believe that we live on a flat planet which the Sun revolves around and men used to ride around on Dinosaurs.

:lamo
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Do you mean that this is not a documentary!?

 
Well, I think THIS Pope is special.

He seems closer to Jesus' actual teachings than any in recent memory.
 
zyzygy said:
Why can't all Catholics vote in a papal election?
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It isn't structured that way. Are there any major religions in which all the members vote for their leader?
 
Your Star said:
I mean, he's just another dude. Always a dude, but that's another thread entirely. Anyways, he gets elected by a bunch of cardinals, and now he's the most holy person on Earth and completely infallible? How does this make any sense whatsoever?
Click to expand...

Tradition.
Even though the Papacy is still considered a state, it used to be that Christian heads of state (aka King/Queen) weren't officially heads of state unless the Pope/Papacy approved.
Technically, the Pope was suzerain to most Christian nations and their nobility.

Even after this started to wane, the Papal states ruled large parts of Italy itself and had massive properties outside of Italy proper.
They were rather powerful during their time.
 
fmw said:
It isn't structured that way. Are there any major religions in which all the members vote for their leader?
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It was comparing the pope with Obama that sparked the question.
 
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