Pope: 'i Invite Even Nonbelievers To Desire Peace.' Gee, Thanks.

[SilentLoner]

The pope has included (nominally) atheists in his Christmas message.

He proved unpredictable again on Wednesday, when he went off script to include atheists in his call for peace, rare for a Catholic leader.

“I invite even nonbelievers to desire peace,” he said. “Let us all unite, either with prayer or with desire, but everyone, for peace.”

 

 

Speaking for myself…NO. I turn my back on this pope and any other.

 

I believe strongly that how you arrive at a conclusion is just as important as the conclusion itself; I care about the process, because even a flawed method will give you an answer — you just don’t know whether it is right or not. I can agree with the pope that peace is a desirable end, but I only happen to agree with him this time. I probably won’t agree with him on just about any other subject, and I can’t trust how he arrived at this mutually copacetic idea.

 

I also disagree on the nature of the peace he is looking for. The Catholic church desires the peace of ignorance, the peace of acquiescence, the peace of unquestioning acceptance of a dogma calibrated for fools. No, thanks. Give me the kind of peace where dissent can thrive and knowledge grows and ideas can change.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/12/25/i-dont-smile-back-at-the-smiley-pope/

 

What a nice guy, implying us nonbelievers don’t currently desire peace. Must be a foreign concept to us. 

[WaitingInfinity]

I like that he included non-believers for once in a way that wasn't calling them godless heathens or sinners deluxe or unhappy rogues or inhabitants of hell or minions of Satan.

 

I agree that we need some sort of dissent in order to grow. But you can peacefully disagree with someone too.

[Lilith666]

I like that he included non-believers for once in a way that wasn't calling them godless heathens or sinners deluxe or unhappy rogues or inhabitants of hell or minions of Satan.

 

I agree that we need some sort of dissent in order to grow. But you can peacefully disagree with someone too.

 

I agree. I see SL's point--that the way he put it sounded a bit condescending, like we are supposed to feel grateful. But it's a step for a pope to consider non-Xians. Particularly in the light of how liberal he is compared to past popes.

 

By the way, WaitingInfinity, your Tangled quote is adorable. That was on TV the other day. Great movie.

[SilentLoner]

 But it's a step for a pope to consider non-Xians. Particularly in the light of how liberal he is compared to past popes.

 

 

I agree he is the most tolerable pope that has been around during my lifetime, but my gut feeling is that once he kicks the bucket (he's not exactly young) the church will nominate someone who seeks to "return the church to its roots"  and disregard much of what this Pope says/does. 

[WaitingInfinity]

 

 

By the way, WaitingInfinity, your Tangled quote is adorable. That was on TV the other day. Great movie.

 

 

That movie is the story of my life. I am a real life Rapunzel and even when I am old enough to go out on my own, I am still restricted when I stay in the tower within the clutches of my parents.  But outside of the tower, I am free and I experience things I never thought I would. And it's so beautiful outside the tower walls. My boyfriend is Flynn--the man who knew the ways of the world from an early age and introduced me to all kinds of new things. Every time I watch that movie, I get very emotional. 

[mymistake]

I invite even Catholic Popes to defrock clergy that are known to be child molesters and turn over their names to law enforcement. 

[BendyLine]

How kind of him to allow us to desire peace. I was really getting tired of desiring chaos all the time. 

[Tollo]

This pope is better than the other ones but that's not saying much. To me the way they pretend to read the minds of unbelievers is probably the most annoying thing they say (pastor-priest types). "Their lives are full of despair," and "they live without love" and "how can we hold them to the same standard???" >.<

[owen652]

He doesn't seem to have achieved anything real, it's all symbolism and showmanship. His past comments regarding homosexuality, woman in the church etc etc are pretty standard, i.e. bigoted. He has done nothing about the church's paedophilia epidemic and even refused the UN's request for information about the allegations. And yet everyone says the same thing; 'he's finally changing the church for the better'. Uh.. how?

[Thurisaz]

Yeah I'm divided on this pope. He sure sounds better than most, and definitely better than Darth Sidious RATzinger before (though it'd have been hard to sink even lower I guess), but the opera ain't over til the fat lady sings. We'll see how serious he is eventually.

[slave2six]

I don't think Christians understand the meaning of the word "peace." For all the promises ("Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you"), I sure never experienced any when I was terrified of god and hell.

 

It seems to me that in the Judeo-Christian vernacular, "Peace" means terror and "Blessings" means curses. So, I'm not really sure that we should feel positive about being included in their wishes for peace.

[slave2six]

I like that he included non-believers for once in a way that wasn't calling them godless heathens or sinners deluxe or unhappy rogues or inhabitants of hell or minions of Satan.

 

I agree that we need some sort of dissent in order to grow. But you can peacefully disagree with someone too.

 

I don't trust those buggers. When I hear things like this, I intuitively know that they are simply trying to suck us into their Blob-like religion. The Pope is a politician and a dictator. He has his own country, after all. Since when could politicians be believed?

[slave2six]

How kind of him to allow us to desire peace. I was really getting tired of desiring chaos all the time. 

 

You gotta admit that chaos is a lot more interesting though...

[slave2six]

Yeah I'm divided on this pope. He sure sounds better than most, and definitely better than Darth Sidious RATzinger before (though it'd have been hard to sink even lower I guess), but the opera ain't over til the fat lady sings. We'll see how serious he is eventually.

 

Those blots on the landscape are just as corrupt as any politician. Pediphiles are given a pass but when the Pope's butler rats the Vatican out for its corruption, he's handed over to the authorities.

 

There is no reason to be divided on the Pope. He and his cronies are just as bad as they always have been.

[◊ crazyguy123 ◊]

I don't think Christians understand the meaning of the word "peace." For all the promises ("Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you"), I sure never experienced any when I was terrified of god and hell.

 

It seems to me that in the Judeo-Christian vernacular, "Peace" means terror and "Blessings" means curses. So, I'm not really sure that we should feel positive about being included in their wishes for peace.

 

I think peace for the belivers means "being comfortable with shutting up and believing and doing everything you're told". I don't think I want that kind of peace...

[TheRedneckProfessor]

At the heart on any religion's message of "peace" lies the idea that "when they all believe as we do, then there will be peace."

[moanareina]

Good pope bad pope...who cares...why does anyone need a pope and why is it the pope gets all that attention. I never understood that and I never will...

It would be halfway understandable that he gets attention from catholics, but all the media is just running around and its pope here and pope there...we should just dump that kind of attention and see what happens. Would the pope still do and say what he does without all that media without that echo? Its the media that puts him in that position of an almost god. And I think no one should be put in that position.

[florduh]

I feel so lucky! The Pope likes me! He really likes me!

 

I don't give a fuck what this or any other Pope says. He is the head of the most corrupt business conglomerate on the face of this planet. Fuck him and the morons who follow him.

[Ravenstar]

I call him the "PR Pope", the 'softer, gentler, more reasonable face of the Church'… no, until they change their policies, fuck them.

 

It's all spin… and his words were actually not that nice - implying that we don't want or desire peace? WTF? This, from the Catholic Church? An organization so insidious it makes most horror movies look like nursery rhymes?

[milesaway]

^Even if they did change their policies, it still wouldn't matter to me, Ravenstar. As far as I'm concerned, it's all too little, too late. Pope Frank is doing damage control, pure and simple. I'm not buying it after all that horrible, vile institution has done to people throughout history. That camel's back is broke. That line's been crossed.

 

I invite all Catholic church leaders (and congregation members with any knowledge of wrongdoing) to do the right thing and turn in predatory clergy within their ranks in FULL cooperation with law enforcement. This also goes for predatory congregation members. How this sick organization has gone this long with nobody going after them on a RICO charge for conspiracy to commit child abuse, crimes against humanity and conspiracy to provide alcohol to minors is beyond me. Then again, they've got friends in high places, and they can pull their shit with impugnity.

[Vigile]

Desiring peace seems about as effective as putting a Visualize Peace bumper sticker on your car.  Perhaps the Pope can line up his generals and get them to encourage their parishioners to stop 'supporting the troops' and to keep their sons and daughters home instead. 

[amateur]

How come when Miss America contestants sincerely wish for world peace as an answer to their question, they get made fun of, and when the Pope wishes for world peace he makes the front page news and people are all thrilled that he came up with that oh-so-original idea?

[Llwellyn]

Don't tell me to "work" towards an imaginary peace that will come in the future...  There is peace right now, and I, an atheist, share the credit.  I am neither the perpetrator or the victim of violence.  Neither are my family and friends, or anyone I know.  We are all secure in our homes which are safe and undisturbed.  This is called PEACE, and we have it.  PEACE IS ALREADY HERE.  (Granted there is violence in other parts of the world, but the responsibility for their condition generally lies with them. Besides, I generally do not know those people or love them.)

 

One way Christianity likes to keep humans on our heels all the time is to say that the present isn't GOOD ENOUGH and instead that SATISFACTION lies in the future.  The future is truly just a figment of imagination until it becomes the present.  But when it does become the present, then we'll hear the religion say that there is yet more reasons to wait until later to be satisfied.  These kind of sermons have a kind of underlying manipulative quality to them, like a back-handed complement.  They appear to be helpful or positive, but have an effect of making people less secure and less happy.

 

"Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so."  Robert Green Ingersoll

 

[Vigile]

This is called PEACE, and we have it. PEACE IS ALREADY HERE. (Granted there is violence in other parts of the world, but the responsibility for their condition generally lies with them. Besides, I generally do not know those people or love them.)

Aren't you in the military? Am I remembering wrong?

[RipVanWinkle]

“I invite even nonbelievers to desire peace,”  Pope

 

Wow! That's quite a turn around for a pope.  But even this seemingly thoughtful remark is an insult when you think about it. bill