So the current Pope is retiring (not shy, just retiring). Now that doesn’t happen very often, and I am sure that there will be a great ballyhoo about the selection of the new Pope.
Who cares?
I certainly do not. the reason is that the Holy Roman Catholic Church is the most calcified major organization on the planet. No matter who is elected, it will not change. And, apparently, Popes who suggest significant change don’t live long. Change is not what Popes are for. They say the Pope leads the Church but I think it is the other way around.
So, that means for this country that the new Pope will be as ignored as the present one. For example, the Pope says Catholics may not use artificial birth control. Over 90% of American Catholic women do so. American Catholic Bishops created a hue and cry to try to get the Obama administration to enforce this dictum through Obamacare because they could not enforce it themselves. And there are many more of the Mother Church’s dictates that Americans turn a deaf ear to, which is fascinating because the Pope is infallible in religious matters. We know this because he has told us so.
The Catholic Church will remain as obdurate and backward as it always has been. So, we get a new Pope . . . BFD, who cares?
Uncommon Sense 
Yup
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Comment by john zande — February 12, 2013 @ 10:39 am |
Bless you my child, you observe and recognize wisdom when you see it. Oh, those religious wouldn’t use basic psychology to put us in a subservient position would they, using terms like Father, Holy father (Pope means “papa”) and them referring to us as “my child” and “my son,” to be able to invoke parental authority? Those dastards! Cheesy bastards!
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Comment by stephenpruis — February 12, 2013 @ 10:47 am |
I attended a mass given by John Paul in Rome when i was a kid. It was impressive. An hour later i was down in the crypt beneath the alter looking at the fresh tomb of the bastard who’d died only a few months before. Heavenly to dastardly in just a few steps.
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Comment by john zande — February 12, 2013 @ 10:50 am |
Yeah, what happened to JPI is quite a mystery, at least to those of us not “in the know.”
If one were to take all of that artistic talent (architechtural, painting, sculptural, musical) and use it for some good end . . . amazing that we will squander so much wealth. What does it say for the humility of the Catholic priesthood that Mother Church has accumulated so much wealth (I assume you know the schemes by which it did so)?
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Comment by stephenpruis — February 12, 2013 @ 11:55 am |
The church is one great big ugly SCHEME, Steve.
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Comment by john zande — February 12, 2013 @ 11:59 am |
Well, you do have a point there! (Quiz: To what movie was this comment a reference?)
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Comment by stephenpruis — February 12, 2013 @ 12:03 pm |
I have no idea. Should I?
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Comment by john zande — February 12, 2013 @ 12:05 pm |
I assume since you seem so well read and so literate that you would. I assumed you are aware of the divine right of kings, a scam that provides royalty *and* the church significantly more power through a mutual nonagression pact (talk about creating something from nothing). One of the favorite tactics of the medival Church was to accept second and thrid sons into the priesthood (strongly recommend to prevent sibling rivalries, assassinations, etc.). First and second sons often died on the battlefield resulting in the third sons inheiriting the estates and since they had now taken a vow of poverty and signed everything over to the Church, the Church inheirited vast tracts and fortunes, including buildings and serfs. They also coerced many a wealthy person into making lavish donations of cash and art by soliciting secrets and using outright blackmail.
Those kinds of things.
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Comment by stephenpruis — February 12, 2013 @ 12:14 pm |
Damn, i didn’t know that. Crafty bastards! Still, not much surprises me about the depths the church will dive to, especially in Medieval times. I was fortunate and skated through all the crap: Augustinian priests who never mentioned religion. A layperson (a junior English teacher) actually taught religious studies in our school. A good friend and I decided in Grade 11 to challenge her on the existence of god. She left the room crying. Next day she returned with the second in command to the Brisbane Archdiocese to set us straight. He didn’t do much better. I later found out that NONE of the priests in our school wanted to take the matter up leaving the teacher to appeal to a higher authority. They were pretty good men, i guess.
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Comment by john zande — February 12, 2013 @ 12:39 pm |
In your god creation effort I am guessing you came up against the impossibility of proving the existence of a god (or gods). Why someone wants a “proof” of the ineffable is beyond me, but I guess one just wants confirmation we aren’t making an ass of ourselves.
I think we would be much better off acknowledging that we are making an ass of ourselves and enjoy the process (playing the fool, that is).
Still I have dozens of books attempting such proofs and dozens more showing the proofs are flawed. Many of these are just juvenile. When the priesthood became so much less lucrative than it was, much of priestly talent was lost (they went where the pickings were better). In the good old days, if you were crafty with money and politics, you could become a bishop at the tip of a hat. (Most bishops had almost no ecclesiastical training in the heyday of ecclesiastical power. They were power mongers, plain and simple; whether god existed or not, it was a damned fine gig!)
The fascinating thing is is that all of the good educational institutions for the priesthood include in their studies all of the fallacies of Christian faith. Going to divinity school often leads to a loss of faith. Divinity school . . . going to school to learn how to become a “divine.” Amazing!
It’s nuts, I tell’s yuh!
And, the movie reference? Prolly before your time. A “made for TV” animated movie called “The Point.” Helped me land the love of my life. I was working alongside said women on her new house, covered in plaster dust and paint and she started humming a tune from the movie. I said, “That’s from The Point.” She said, “You know that movie?” I said “Sure, I have the soundtrack out in my truck.” She said “You do not!” We listened to the whole soundtrack while we worked not knowing that that was a turning point in our relationship (well, at least on my part; men are relationship blind, women always see those things).
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Comment by stephenpruis — February 12, 2013 @ 1:16 pm
Can’t say i know the film, but i LOVE the story!
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Comment by john zande — February 12, 2013 @ 2:24 pm
I keep meaning to write the screen play because it is much, much better than you might think. Here’s a teaser: the lady at the time was married to my best friend. And he is still my best friend.
If we had a great deal of beer and a table to sit around, I would tell you the whole fascinating story.
S
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Comment by stephenpruis — February 12, 2013 @ 2:45 pm
Your story about the music, that is
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Comment by john zande — February 12, 2013 @ 2:25 pm
Doesn’t matter who they choose as Pope, none can stop the decline of the Church. They might as well try to stop the tide
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Comment by Robert Nielsen — February 12, 2013 @ 4:09 pm |