Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis said Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions — or no religion — work together.
The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made his comments in the homily of his morning Mass in his residence, a daily event where he speaks without prepared comments.
He told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus.
"Even them, everyone," the pope answered, according to Vatican Radio. "We all have the duty to do good," he said.
"Just do good, and we'll find a meeting point," the pope said in a hypothetical conversation in which someone told a priest: "But I don't believe. I'm an atheist."
Now we're talking!
This is all that the non-religious want. Just stop treating us like a cancer on human kind.
Oh and stop indoctrinating our children.
The idea that the only way people can be good is by accepting God into their life is an antiquated lie that should have died out along with stoning adulterers and only eating fish on Fridays.
Pope Francis is so logical and kind.
ReplyDeleteOkay, have the smelling salts ready for Limbaugh, Palin and O'Reilly somebody. Better yet, don't, passed out is quiet.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I'll say for Catholicism (the religion in which I was raised but no longer practice)... unlike fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity, it teaches that more than faith (NOT "acceptance" -- I NEVER heard any variation of the phrase "accept Jesus as your savior" - EVER - in 12 years of Catholic schooling; it was always framed as having faith) is required to enter heaven. Practicing good works toward your fellow humans is also required. There's not much good I have to say about the Catholic religion at this point, but I do like that it teaches altruism as being as important as having faith, a point on which it totally diverges from the just-accept-Jesus-as-your-savior crowd.
ReplyDeleteAnd wants you not to use contraception. More fresh meat for the pedo clergy!
DeleteThis is one heck of a Christmas Wish. If this doesn't renew your faith in human kind, I don't know what will.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG-xGNh3diw#t=21
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/23/mothers-christmas-wish-brenda-schmitz_n_4489451.html
This man is so logical it's scary. Not to mention, the best example of a Christian since...oh, Jimmy Carter, who the 'Christian right' demonizes at every opportunity. Hard to demonize a Pope though (but I think the Bible rewrite is an attempt at it..)
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I was at a family gathering over the weekend, with my husband's right wing faux Christians. His sister hosted at her mansion...she became rich when she remarried a guy who runs a business and a town. He has no kids, so hers are benfitting greating, in a true Christian way, of course. I'm sure at least one of them attends church and volunteers with something. Or not. Anyway, she gathered her three siblings and her kids and grandkids around ostensibly to recall their father, who died a year ago. Oh, all except her eldest, because she doesn't approve of her boyfriend. Yeah, did I mention she is Christian? And right wing? And wealthy?
Merry Christmas.
He's a Jesuit - explains a lot.
DeleteUnfortunately, the misogyny is still there.
Pope Francis's messages of love and acceptance and doing good is a healing balm in todays world of strife and hate, m;uch of the vileness coming from so-called Christians.
ReplyDeleteI am an Atheist, but his words fill me with respect for him, hope for his leadership in the world. and a turning of the tide of Christian exclusivity.
Yeah, just don't be a female patient at a Catholic hospital who needs a life-saving abortion. Pope Francis's compassion only extends to the fetus.
DeleteWords are fine but unless they are backed up by actions on his and his church's part, they mean absolutely NOTHING.
DeleteI read that the Pope said something recently to the effect that Catholics are much too focused on abortion and contraception. Yes, just words.
DeleteAs a born and raised Atheist my parents taught us not necessarily that we had to spend our lives doing good deeds, but that we should "do no harm" and to give courtesy as we would receive it. They were strong on moral relativism which came in handy when we visited places that didn't necessarily exercise the same set of moral standards as people in the US. Most of all they encourage tolerance, for all people and all moral/ethical standards and ideas.
ReplyDeleteUhm..... moral relativism has been pretty muh debunked. Objectivism (NOT the Randian type) works pretty well.
Delete11:06am
DeleteI still maintain that I was raised with a moral system more akin to moral relativism than moral objectivism. I was taught that morals and ethics are fluid and can be affected by many factors, including socio-economic and cultural nuances. I was taught that there is no "standard" of morals or ethics and it's up the individual to bundle all experiences together and create his or her own moral standard. Thus, a personal moral standard is also fluid in that as experiences mount and education is continued a person's morals and ethics may change and adapt to new information or new awarenesses.
Moral objectivism tends to assume that there is a "base" from which all morality springs forth, a "moral standard" so to speak. I don't believe that, I believe that morals are unique to each individual and formed based on many factors.
As far as Ayn Rand's Objectivism doctrine, that works for some people and there is nothing wrong with it. The knee jerk reaction to objectivism is to call it "selfish" but really if a person wishes to engage only with self then what business is it of mine? Me, my, mine. Whatever floats your boat....
No matter how we perceive ourselves, there are some empirical Truths in all of these discussions:
DeleteDo No Harm.
Treat Others As You Would Have Them Treat You.
Think about it.
Draw your own conclusions.
There are times when I despair...
Peace...
Dearly love me some Pope Francis!!
ReplyDeleteHe is so wonderful! I love him!
ReplyDelete