I've had plenty to say about the Catholic Church and it's not been great. The Pope shouldn't have a political leaning but they do and this one has been the most outspoken socialist to date. And today he came to America and shook his crooked little finger at us. Sorry, but that doesn't work for me. "Francis grew up around the rancid political culture of Peronist populism, the sterile redistributionism that has reduced his Argentina from the world’s 14th highest per-capita GDP in 1900 to 63rd today. Francis’s agenda for the planet — “global regulatory norms” — would globalize Argentina’s downward mobility. As the world spurns his church’s teachings about abortion, contraception, divorce, same-sex marriage, and other matters, Francis jauntily makes his church congruent with the secular religion of “sustainability.” Because this is hostile to growth, it fits Francis’s seeming sympathy for medieval stasis, when his church ruled the roost, economic growth was essentially nonexistent, and life expectancy was around 30" I suggest this book.... Very informative. Not so great if you are Catholic.....and I am not.
And I've been victimized and understand the cycle of cover up. The Church is a rapist in every word. And that may have a little to do with my issues.
The Catholic Church has evolved poorly, as have most churches. They're stuck 1,000 years ago on many issues. A gold-glittered upper tier of secretive aged celibates cloistered in Rome does not relate well to the real world out there. The pedophile priest situation is so long lasting, pervasive, and endemic that it is fracturing their credibility badly. It's going to take a lot more changes and modernization to remain relevant in the 21st century than nuns in T-shirts and sneakers.
I agree with what you say Red especially about the top tier. I do have to say the base (not the pedophiles and the like) of faithful and their faith are a powerful force for the betterment of man. Sometimes we forget that churches are artifacts of a vey imperfect mankind. It's value is that it's trying to do better and reflect the virtues of the god they worship.
The Church has always been political. It was Church politics that decided what books were going to be included in the New Testament. It could have been a very different book. It was the Church that essentially ruled Europe in the Middle Ages. Conservatives loved the Church and the Pope when he was against homosexuality and abortion. Now the Pope takes a different stance and "he is just playing politics". Every stance taken is political here because everything is political here. Nothing has changed but opinion. This Pope seems more like Jesus than his predecessors.
Of course it has.....they aided thousands of nazis. And prior to today, the stand on abortion has been clear and it is intrinsically a political issue. I was dumbfounded at the Pope's very vague treatment in his speech. And this is the first Pope to ever address Congress. I never loved the church and only really enjoyed what one Pope has stood for and the way he did it. The Pope today, has gone batshit leftist IMO. He does? His big theme today was immigration. Take in the refugees, he said. Lol, let's take a look at the ole hometown.
And while he eschews the whole guns and capitalism thing..... "The pope’s visit was designated as a National Special Security Event, usually reserved for the State of the Union and political conventions, which allows the Secret Service to access additional federal funds and resources....Tactical teams and snipers were on standby as the pope traveled throughout the Nation’s Capital and undercover officers milled about in between the large crowds. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Capitol Police and Park Police all provided officers to supplement the Secret Service protection. The Multi-Agency Communication Center in Philadelphia became operational today and will remain in full effect until Monday to serve as the nerve center for more than 50 partner agencies. “We’ve been coordinating with our law enforcement partners, here and abroad to ensure that we’re getting all the intelligence information possible, and providing that information to the right people, ” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge of Philadelphia,” John Kelleghan" I kept reading about how a 5-year old had breached the security lines that we spent so much money setting up.....and then I saw this....
Nice pic. It might say a lot. Can 4 million refugees fit in there? It reminds me of Capitalism today.
