Is the Pope needlessly dividing the Christians with his assertion that Catholicism is the one true religion? I went back and read Pope Benedict's Without Roots, published last year, and I see that the Pope completely understands that the real threat comes not from Protestantism or even other religions but from an aggressive secular ideology that seeks to discredit God and drive religion out of the public square.
The book is subtitled "The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam." Pope Benedict diagnoses secular relativism as the mortal threat to Europe, sapping its resolve and eroding its birthrates. It is relativism, not Islam, that poses the greatest threat to the survival of the West. Indeed in the Pope's view it is relativism that prevents Europe from facing up to the threat posed by the radical Muslims. If Europe were more sure of itself, more anchored in its Christian heritage, it would in the Pope's view be much better equipped to meet its foreign adversaries.
In a discussion of America I read this passage, "The evangelicals, who used to be the most relentless enemies of Catholicism, are not only gaining ground...but they are also discovering a new commonality with Catholicism.They have come to see Catholicism as a defender against the pressures of secularization and an upholder of the same ethical values that they themselves possess, values that they feel have been betrayed by their Protestant brothers." Pope Benedict implies that he has more in common--theologically and morally--with an evangelical leader like Billy Graham than either of them has with nominal or nonpracticing Christians within their respective denominations. It's a remarkably prescient diagnosis of the peculiar situation facing Christians today.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
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asbbazivap at 10:32AM on Jan 24th 2009
2. The Catholic church cut itself off from god long ago. Apostles and prophets were to be the foundation of the church. Revelation from above was to guide the church below through them. Since divine order has been severed and esential guides eliminated, teachings and doctrines emanate from manmade commandments. There is a form of godliness but ordinances performed in these unauthorized circumstances are not recognized.
The ways of god are not of the world. The Catholic church has been and continues to be steeped in it.
The Nicene hellenized God is not the god of the bible but of the Greek philosophers. Protestants do not have a leg to stand on since they originate from the Catholic church.
Robert Decell at 4:01AM on Jul 12th 2007
3.
Here is a good Catholic reference:
http://www.truecatholic.org/baltcont.htm
It is easy to follow, and has searchable table of contents.
Ken Berg at 10:45AM on Jul 12th 2007
4. "I went back and read Pope Benedict's Without Roots, published last year, and I see that the Pope completely understands that the real threat comes not from Protestantism or even other religions but from an aggressive secular ideology that seeks to discredit God and drive religion out of the public square."
What do you mean by "discredit God?" I believe that there is no God. And in some contexts I tell people.
Wes at 7:35PM on Jul 12th 2007
5. There are no gods. There never were any gods.
There ARE Christians and churches and various Bibles with various interpretations and that kind of stuff... but no gods.
pboyfloyd at 8:19PM on Jul 12th 2007
6. People need to understand that how the Pope defines "church" and how Protestants define "church" different greatly. The Pope's definition includes unity and authority. Protestants follow the "multiply by dividing" approach. No true, operational, traceable unity or authority.
They use extra-Biblical terms like "the invisible church", or they point to the Bible...for both unity and authority...but in point of fact there is no authoritative interpretation of what is in the Bible..and this is scene in hugely different positions on great issues....divorce, remarriage, salvation, homosexuality, views on sin, and sadly now even abortion.
In 1 Timothy 3:15: I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Bill at 5:41PM on Jul 13th 2007
7. Prove it Pbf.
In general it is difficult and usually not possible to prove a negative.
Ken Berg at 3:09PM on Jul 13th 2007
8. @ Ken (comment 5)
1000 babies die every hour of preventable causes...therefore there are no gods and there never were any gods.
The proof is induction. If we were to list all the gods that ever 'were'... the number of dead and living people who believe(d) in your god would be vastly outnumbered by the people who definitely do not or did NOT believe in your god.
Using induction in another way, modern humans have eliminated the 'need' for gods by eliminating the things that gods are supposed to do for us and/or eliminating the need for things that we are supposed to do for the gods.
Using deduction... if God were perfect in every way then He would have had no need to create the Universe...but He(according to theists) has created an imperfect world of imperfect beings ... for selfish reasons.
Theists imagine that the universe is pointless without God. The truth is that the universe is pointless even if there were a god... all this fearing and adoring and stuff... for nothing, nothing at all.
Simply because you and other theists can and do turn-tables, beg-the-question, poison-the-well, use 'tu quoque' arguments and every other logical argument in the book also proves to me that you cannot prove your positive view... and that is very telling.
The fact that you 'proudly' show off your logical fallacy (can't prove a negative) as somehow a 'proof' of inadequacy on my part when you simply CANNOT show off your positive point...
... well to illustrate my point.. you must believe that your faith can move mountains... go ahead Ken.. get together with a bunch of Christians and prove your faith... don't test GOD, Ken... test your faith... MOVE A MOUNTAIN... I challenge you... and BTW, I AM allowed to test YOU!!!
pboyfloyd at 3:43AM on Jul 14th 2007
9. @ Ken again..
Correction, Ken... what I meant to say was every logical FALLACY in the book.. not every logical ARGUMENT in the book...
...although I think that that is blazingly obvious it seems like something that theists would pounce on...
...there IS another reason why I don't believe that there are any gods at all... the whole 'existing outside of time' deal that some theists foist off on us as 'truth'... what IS that supposed to mean Ken?
The existence of anything... even an idea... depends on it existing in time. Nothing is outside of time and space... by definition.
Outside of time would be outside of cause and effect...outside of 'things and ideas happening... outside of existence.
So you guys can smugly believe that God exists outside time... meaning outside of existence itself all you want... but it is a ludricrous notion... and most of you don't even know that. (and don't quote some nutball physicist, practically outside of sanity himself, either)
pboyfloyd at 4:10AM on Jul 14th 2007
10. The Catholic Church knows that evolution is intelligent design. In a world that has evolved and things can go wrong, as Christians we can work together to fix things for the benefit of everyone. It's our choice to make a better world and we can do it. Free will exists in an evolving world. Let's start picking up the pieces and build our faith in Our Heavenly Father.
Ronald B. Zeh at 10:51PM on Jul 14th 2007
11. Athiests are just as dumb as the christian fanatics,they rant and rave about what is and what isn't proven. Humbleness can sometimes come at you with a loud voice,and you should only use it when asked or confronted about your OWN beliefs,not judgements.
marilyn at 3:50PM on Jul 15th 2007
12. @ Ronald B. Zeh (comment 9)
You say, "..as Christians we can work together to fix things for the benefit of everyone."
But you Christians have not done that now, have you?
If you mean that as a Christian, you would try to stop those thousand kids an hour dying... then THAT would just create a bigger problem leading to starvation for more and more people.
You guys do NOT have any answers at all. You've been in cahoots with several empires, now this one... and everything still keeps turning to shit.
@ marilyn (comment 10)
And what exactly makes you think that you know anything at all? If you are going to say anything about proof in response to my comment... at least tell me why you think that my proofs are no good.
What is it then ... a warm feeling in your 'foo-foo' tells you so?
That is just not good enough. It just won't do.
pboyfloyd at 8:14PM on Jul 15th 2007
13. @ Ken Berg et al
Here's another proof that there are no gods.
If you were brought up in another part of the world then you would believe what your family and the neighbours believe.
Therefore GOD is not speaking to you... society is.
pboyfloyd at 8:44PM on Jul 15th 2007
14. On my part I have too much to say so I will state flatly,WE DID IT. HUMANS,(humanity)we don't care about anything but ourselves. We're so arrogant,we put god at our own level of consciencenous so we can blame him/her. If you wanna change starving children and babies dying,stand up for their rights. Complain how the medical system is F#*@ up...on how we're so racist so we let thousands of people in Africa die every day,and go to the extent of killing for greed. Go read and find some enlightment,rather than listening to some radical christian conservative moron "preach" on tv.
marilyn at 11:32PM on Jul 15th 2007
15. @ marilyn (comment 13)
But it has always been 'us' and 'them' all the way down the line. The only really honest part of the Bible is right smack in the middle when that guy is saying, "All is vanity."
It really IS vain of you guys to think that there is an all powerful spirit on your side... then turn tables and try to make out like people who don't believe are just being self-centered.
As I said before, it is just an accident of where you were born that you believe in your particular god in the first place.... so that doesn't say much for 'HIM'.
Another proof... if God was there before the universe... why would HE be MALE if there were no females... did he think up maleness and femaleness and retroactively 'grow' the parts... it just doesn't make any sense at all... unless humans thought HIM up.
pboyfloyd at 12:03AM on Jul 16th 2007