Just Gimme Some Truth

[poliphilo]

Silly old Pope.

Silly old Muslims.

Of course Islam has a history or violence. I don't know the Koran, but either that text about spreading the faith with the sword is in there or it's not. If it's in there I don't know what the beef is about.

But then most Muslims are as ignorant of the Koran as most Christians are ignorant of the Bible.

And if the Koran is violent, so is the Bible. And not only the Old Testament.

"Don't imagine that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword! " Who said that? Not Mohammed, but Jesus.  Matthew 10. 34.

Neither Christianity nor Islam is a religion of peace. Check  the record. Religion is a divisive force. Especially when it's montheistic. 

OK, secular ideologies are equally divisive. People like killing one another. Full stop.

So the Pope shouldn't have said what he said.  It was undiplomatic of him. It was arrogant, divisive, unhelpful,  partisan-

But it wasn't untrue. 

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Time Magazine (or Newsweek) for this week had a cover article, "Does God Want You to be Rich?" about how some megachurches (a new U.S. phenomenon featuring thousands in the congregation) are preaching that if you trust God you'll get lots of money.

The chasm between what Jesus supposedly said and meant and how it is being interpreted these days is disgusting. This isn't Christianity any longer--as the article pointed out, some of the preaching sounds like a sales meeting...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's not Christianity as I understand it.

What about camels going through the eyes of needles?

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and the rich man who went away sad because he couldn't give up everything to follow Christ.

All that aside, it's the preachers who get the richest. Always.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

And the Pope- or the Church he represents- is the richest of them all.

Just imagine what those Michelangelos of his must be worth!

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

But they're not his. He's just their steward.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Remember that movie where Anthony Quinn (a likely candidate) got elected Pope and proceeded to sell off the Church's assets?

I think there's something anomalous about a Christian leader sitting on such a treasure chest.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't remember the movie. And my comment was about 50% tongue-in-cheek. It's more than anomalous that a church should sit on great wealth. I'm conflicted about art treasures, though, particularly when the public has access to them.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You're right, someone has to care for things like the Sistine Chapel.

And, by and large, religious works of art look better in churches than they do in museums.