Wait, what? I thought, "throughout history, especially recent history, the Papacy has been recognized worldwide as a non-partisan advocate of human rights, peace, and freedom. The Pope is welcomed and respected by virtually all of the world's leaders, as an unbiased advocate for not only the 2 billion Catholics worldwide, in every country on earth, but for all of humanity." You are telling me the popes are just as flawed as normal men? You are telling me popes have raped and murdered? Even sold the position? Just kidding, you didn't have to tell me.
My favorite Pope is now that first guy Steve 6 who dug up his predecessor, tried him posthumously, cut off his already dead fingers and threw him in a river. That's some serious papal hate. _
Again. Pissing match. You just keep repeating the same nonsense. Like I said, if my child was introduced to the concept by someone else and asked me questions, I would ask questions back. Asking honest questions is how you get to the unlikely scenario that a god exists.
Fictitious characters are great when your child knows the difference between real life and fantasy. If there was a god comic or series of movies about the super powers of a Jewish carpenter, I would treat it exactly the same. For some reason, we treat religious fiction as if it were real.
I repeat it because you keep avoiding it because you know it reveals that your argument is weak. But let's carry through your "I'd ask questions back" answer. If your child asked questions about Greek mythology you wouldn't answer it directly, you'd answer back "what do you think about the Greek's belief in Zeus and Andromeda?"
So the problem is your child isn't smart enough to understand the difference between reality and fiction even if you explain it to them? So, you don't let your children (I don't know if you have boys, girls or neither) about Batman, Iron Man, Barbie and My Little Pony for the same reason you don't introduce them to the concept of God, because they aren't smart enough to understand that Batman and Barbie are fictitious even if you tell them they aren't real. Just because some people treat religious fiction as real certainly wouldn't impact your child's belief if you explained to them otherwise, so that excuse holds no water, holy or otherwise. My condolences to you. I'll leave you be in this discussion, I can see where you wouldn't believe in God if you were burdened with handicapped children who can't understand fiction from reality even if you explain it to them, because clearly you are an extremely intelligent and rational person who could explain it so succinctly and intelligently that the only rational conclusion your children could come to is that God is fiction unless there was something wrong with your children. Though I'll give you credit for not being angry and blaming God for your children not being very smart.
"The Holy See and Palestine have signed a historic agreement that supports a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land, based on the 1967 borders between Israel and Palestine. The preamble recognizes the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, the importance of Jerusalem and its sacred character for Jews, Christians and Muslims, and the objective of a two-state solution. At the signing ceremony, Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, said he hoped the agreement would provide a “stimulus” for a “definitive end to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” “I also hope the much desired two-state solution may become a reality as soon as possible,” the archbishop said. He said the peace process could only move forward if it were “negotiated between the parties,” along with the support of the international community. The agreement comes at a time of “extremism, barbaric violence and ignorance” in the Middle East, noted al-Malki, adding that Palestine was committed to combat extremism and to promote tolerance, human rights and religious freedom. The latter are values that “reflect the beliefs and aspirations of the Palestinian people,” he said. Archbishop Gallagher said the agreement was a “good example of dialogue and cooperation,” which he said he hopes can “serve as a model for other Arab and Muslim-majority countries.” http://cny.org/stories/Vatican-Signs-Agreement-With-Palestine-Calls-for-Two-State-Solution,12818?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=Vatican signs agreement&search_headline=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=stories&town_id= Of course the mainstream media never covers all of the great things the Catholic Church accomplishes in the world. Totalitarian, dictatorial regimes always begin by trying to rip away the religious foundation of their people, of their communities, so that they can begin their program of extremism, barbaric violence and ignorance. They first eliminate organized religion so they have nothing in their way to enslave their people. ...... but in the end, these regimes always fail, and religion always returns, along with the freedoms it safeguards. As an example, Hitler, who was born and raised Catholic, abandoned his faith during his teenage years, because it would prevent him from carrying out his terrible agenda. He became violently opposed to the Church, arresting Priests and killing them, because the Church stood in his way. But he ultimately failed, and religion returned, along with freedom......as the timeless saying goes, "The Truth will set you free!"
As the saying goes, "The Truth will set you free"! If something is True, then by definitions other things are false, and we are restricted from doing those things. But the things that are false are things that oppress and enslave humanity, so that by following the Truth we are freeing ourselves from things that are false and harmful. People tend to be drawn to harmful temptations like flies to a glowing, electric trap. So we need religious truth to keep us free from that fate, from being tempted and sucked into self-destructive behaviors. When we become free from harmful temptations, we become free to be the best version of ourselves, a pure version of ourselves that will bring us the greatest fulfillment, inner peace, and joy. I am so glad that I have come to realize this now in my life; words cannot express how grateful I am for my Catholic Faith!!! And I am grateful to my parents for raising me Catholic, for introducing me to the Faith, even though I didn't begin to really accept it until my teenage years. I might never have found the truth on my own, or it might have taken me much longer to eventually stumble on it on my own, or to be introduced to it by someone else.
Nice deflection. Doesn't change the fact that you've painted yourself into that ridiculous corner and now you are trying to climb to the ceiling to get out. "Why would I tell my child about something that isn't real?" What a dumbfuck statement that only someone not bright enough to grasp the full logical extent of such an argument would make. Beyond the fact that it had nothing to do with the discussion. But, you're not reading my posts so what does it matter?
You know why the mainstream media didn't give this much coverage, because it was useless. I noticed you didn't include the last and most important part of that article.
LOL, you "didn't begin to really accept it until my teenage years". So basically you have been a cult member your entire life. What, when you were 11 years old you were "drawn to harmful temptations", at 9 years old you were "tempted and sucked into self-destructive behaviors". What a maroon.
At least the Pope is trying to help foster peace between Israel and Palestine...and as a neutral "3rd party", he can possibly do more good than any politician could. They've been fighting in the middle east for centuries; no one meeting is going to result in peace overnight.
Actually, you just made a good point - maybe part of the reason that I didn't fully appreciate the Catholic Church as an 11 year old is that no kid that age struggles with the kinds of temptations adults do. Kids are just kids, but as we get older, and we have things like pornography, addictions to foods that are unhealthy for us, addictions to alcohol, smoking, etc, we begin to appreciate the need to control our urges and behaviors to avoid falling into temptation. Fortunately I'm not genetically predisposed to alcoholism, and I've never felt peer pressure to start smoking (my friends never smoked growing up), but those other things I mentioned can be addictive to me and I need to watch my behavior in certain instances. I now understand that following Catholic morality, the best that I can, really helps me to avoid harmful temptations. When I do fall into temptation and sin, it leaves me feeling empty and even depressed. But when I stay "on the straight and narrow", so to speak; when I am successful at avoiding sin, I am much happier and experience a profound inner peace and contentment. Even more than that, it's like a profound spiritual joy at times (it builds to that, especially if I have gone a week or more without falling into certain sins). I have found this to be true through my own personal experience. So I know that the Catholic Church "works" when followed religiously (pun intended). ..... I'm a sinner like anyone else, but I've found when I follow "doctor's orders" (Church teaching) I feel better. And so, like someone who has found a great doctor, or a great diet, or some other prescribed therapy that works so well, I am simply passing on recommendations to others. That's all I'm doing here in this thread. That's what I'm trying to do.
Just a quick story about the Catholic church. About 13 years ago, my best friend asked me to be his daughter's Godfather. I was still a believer back then, so I accepted. It's a great honor to be asked to be someone's Godfather. My best friend was married in a Brooklyn church, but moved to New Jersey soon after. He chose to have his daughter baptized by the same Priest who married him. When the ceremony started, we noticed that the priest who married my best friend wasn't there. Instead, we were greeted by a very nice priest, but not the priest who married my best friend. Why wasn't the priest who married my best friend there to baptize his daughter? You don't have to be Einstein to figure this one out. He was moved to another parish because he had molested a child. The Catholic church is a criminal organization who moves child molesters from one parish to another instead of prosecuting them. Think about that. The one place that should be the safest turns out to the be the least safe. You can be good without religion. You can be good without "god." You just can't be good if you are part of a criminal organization who protects the absolute worst crimes against humanity. There isn't a single thing in this world that is worse than harming a child, especially in a sexual way.
I'll repost this since you either missed it or are just sidestepping it. Being 1/2 of the 2 sides that would be involved thinks it damages the prospects of peace I'll side with them over the church sticking their nose in where it obviously does not belong.
