Comments on: Who Is Benedict XVI?

An Introduction To The Pope On His First Papal Visit To The U.S.

[ndjam]

Kenjiro1-- How do you know what he looked like? Were you there? Ive seen alot of Arabs from Syria, Jordan and Palestine who are pretty white.

[edjansen7]

It is my sense that this pope, in his exclusive perspective of the church, wants to role back the clock prior to the Vatican II Council. If there is any hope for the future of the Roman Catholic Church, I believe it will need a bishop who is looking into the future, rather than trying to regain the past. The issues of sexual perversion within the clergy, the unwillingness to change the celebacy requirements and dare I say, refusal to look at making women as equal citizens in the Kingdom of God must be addressed in an open way; willing to give up old ways that just don''t work any more. Face it guys, you''re not making it. Regardless of how powerful and unchangeable you believe you are, you''re losing your influence in the world because people, especially people who have lived in a free culture, are no longer willing to buy into your authoritarian ways. Question: Who did Jesus LORD over? Who did he control? What demands did he make of people? "Not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit," says the LORD.

[kenjiro1]

Everyone knows (who has sense) that the historical Jesus was not a tall, white skinned, blue eyed with brown hair. But neither was he African or black!
Jesus probably looked very much , and probably exactly, like what the people of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Iran look like today....olive or tan skinned, dark eyes, dark hair.

[cicada786]

"Catholics are distinguished in part by their adherence to informed interpretation of the Bible and other sources rather than literal acceptence."
Posted by CBS_Oliver

Catholics have consistently de-judify all passages and important people in both testaments of the bible. To finish the make over to match their fantasy the Catholic church anglicizes all the biblical characters like Mosses and Jesus to appear perfect specimens of an Aryan race.

Who in the Catholic church realistically portrays in paintings, sculpture and scripture the biblical persona as mid-eastern and north african? Who in the Catholic church will even acknowledge that Jesus had black kinky hair?

[denn034]

That Wikipedia article is entitled Number of the Beast. My mistake.

[denn034]

"Catholics are distinguished in part by their adherence to informed interpretation of the Bible and other sources rather than literal acceptence."
Posted by CBS_Oliver

I''ll grant that some verses can be non-literal like the "healing in his wings" statement in the Psalms. However, taking non-literalism to the extreme so allegorizes scripture that it becomes meaningless. Let me finish by pointing out that Hitler had to take a non-literal or allegorical approach to scripture to justify religiously his forsaking of the scriptural protections for the Jews like Genesis 12:13 and the Catholics have apologized not long ago for it''s actions during WWII.

[denn034]

"will he be taking the morman kids from texas back to the vatican for some ''reprogramming''?"
Posted by cpaide

Yesterday, I said that I felt the FLDS were a cover for crime and shouldn''t be given religious protections under the First Amendment. Your "reprogramming" comment, cpaide, causes me to think twice about that. Let me finish by pointing out that wikipedia under "Name of the Beast" lists Martin Luther as suggesting that Benediktos, the Greek version of the angelicized Benedict, can be rendered using Greek gematria as 666. An interesting fact of Christian history that''s for sure.

[kenjiro1]

Xalen54- I was defending the Catholic Church, not condemning it. What I was saying is that my family and I were subjected to harrassment in a southern State when we inquired about where the nearest Catholic Church was for Mass. Apparently there wasn''t one...but the locals let loose with a string of colorful anti-Catholic slurs all the same. That''s what I meant. Those people think they are the only true Christians...just like the Muslims in Iran think they are the only true Muslims, etc.
I''ve read alot of hate in these comments directed towards the Pope. That''s sick. Would anyone do it to Billy Graham, or if he were still around...Jerry Falwell? Or the Dalai Lama?
I''m a young Catholic, 23, and I love the traditions of the Catholic Church. I''m not into the "make-everything-up-as-we-go-along" Masses my parents (who are in their early 50''s) like. I go to the Tridentine Latin Mass, and I respect the Pope for brining it back.
But I''ve studied religion alot, and to me there seems to be only 1 religious tradition which has never (at least as far as I know), instigated wars for the sake of religion, been part of war due to religion, or persecuted others because of their religion. That''s Buddhism. I''m not considering converting (although it was the religion of my family 400 years ago), but it''s interesting that some Buddhists (the Dalai Lama etc.), act more like good Christians than some people who are Christian....(Pastor Hagee, Bob Jones, Jimmy Swaggart etc.).

[downsteamjim]

To CBSOliver: There was a grain of truth in your comment. You seperated regular people from liberals.

[irliberal]

IRLiberal,

Catholics are distinguished in part by their adherence to informed interpretation of the Bible and other sources rather than literal acceptence.

Posted by CBS_Oliver at 05:04 PM

I''m an ex Catholic. Im not sure where your "interpretative" fantasies come from but they didn''t come from the Catholic church. Perhaps wishful thinking on your part?

[downsteamjim]

Who is Benedict XVI. Benedict IV squared.

[isnogod-2009]

"Pope John Paul II was a born actor

That''s all you have to do to be a shielded pedophile, and leech riches from the masses. There''s a sucker born every minute.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in this ring I present the pageantry of the Catholic Church, in the all the grandeur you''ll never get to live in.

[omded]

Who is Benedict XVI?

Another Bozo in "Holy Garments".

[rushlimpdrug]

They were not given a choice...
Posted by LordDagan at 12:18 PM

Lord?

Is that you Lord?

Lord, when are you coming to America,
and how will we know it is you?

Can you give us a sign?

[irliberal]

Even though I am Catholic doesn''''t mean I believe everything the Bible says. The Bible was written by man, not God. There is a great possibility that they could have gotten it wrong.

Posted by Xalen54 at 03:19 PM

You''re not a Catholic. You''re not even a Christian. Congratulations.

[cpaide]

will he be taking the morman kids from texas back to the vatican for some "reprogramming"?

[xalen54]

& no matter where you go, there will always be people who discriminate against others. Not because of their religion, but it is because people are diverse, & so is their thinking. You just have to accept that there is someone out there that is racist towards us, or against (insert race here) & so on.

[xalen54]

Even though I am Catholic doesn''t mean I believe everything the Bible says. The Bible was written by man, not God. There is a great possibility that they could have gotten it wrong.

[xalen54]

Kenjiro1, Catholics are just better, deal with it. If you are so into "Bible Christians" then why don''t you worry about your own religion? You are like an annoying little atheists who won''t shut up.


*I am also Japanese-American & I am proud of my Catholic faith*

[pollroller1]

Kenjiro1, I am really sorry that you and your family were treated so badly. There are a lot of bigots in the world.
I do have to tell you one thing and this has nothing to do with who you are are where you come from. There is no such place as heaven or hell. The bible is just a book of stories and fairy tales written by other humans.