Pope John Paul's Beatification ....

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

And do you actually believe such stuff? If so, you're in no position to criticize Muslim terrorists expecting dozens of virgins IMHO.

You're right, of course. One should have no reason to hope their love life is any better in heaven than it is on Earth.

So, you're suggesting that those who might attribute a favorable outcome to their prayers for a cure to their own affliction or for the improved health of a loved one to their God or thier religious beliefs are no better than a blood-thirsty terrorist? That's an interesting, and I hope singular, perspective.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by whell

You're right, of course. One should have no reason to hope their love life is any better in heaven than it is on Earth.

So, you're suggesting that those who might attribute a favorable outcome to their prayers for a cure to their own affliction or for the improved health of a loved one to their God or thier religious beliefs are no better than a blood-thirsty terrorist? That's an interesting, and I hope singular, perspective.

lol

typical disingenuous whell post

here is the bottom line

attributing or predicting actions based on faith is inane and shallow

[whell]

Originally Posted by noonereal

lol

typical disingenuous whell post

here is the bottom line

attributing or predicting actions based on faith is inane and shallow

God Bless You, Noone!

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

You're right, of course. One should have no reason to hope their love life is any better in heaven than it is on Earth.

So, you're suggesting that those who might attribute a favorable outcome to their prayers for a cure to their own affliction or for the improved health of a loved one to their God or thier religious beliefs are no better than a blood-thirsty terrorist? That's an interesting, and I hope singular, perspective.

Not exactly. Someone who prays and thinks improvements in their status are based upon a specific prayer or prayers offered (among many in their lives) is one thing. The Catholic Church in Rome glomming on to that belief and beating the bushes for similar attestations to support canonization is another thing altogether.

As noted in the OP, I find this ritual "decidedly odd." I'm not sure I would characterize that as "bashing religion," as you asserted, but me wondering aloud about the ongoing activities in Rome.

For the record, I attended a private audience with Pope Paul VI on the first day of his Papacy in Rome in the early '60's. Pretty cool stuff for a 10 year old kid at the time.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

As noted in the OP, I find this ritual "decidedly odd." I'm not sure I would characterize that as "bashing religion," as you asserted, but me wondering aloud about the ongoing activities in Rome.

To be clear, it was not your comments (at least up to the "terrorist" comment) that struck me as "bashing." Some of the comments in the thread that followed however, did seem a bit pointed.

[Combwork]

Originally Posted by whell

You're right, of course. One should have no reason to hope their love life is any better in heaven than it is on Earth.

So, you're suggesting that those who might attribute a favorable outcome to their prayers for a cure to their own affliction or for the improved health of a loved one to their God or thier religious beliefs are no better than a blood-thirsty terrorist? That's an interesting, and I hope singular, perspective.

Not that singular. Pleas for divine intervention to cure a loved one or promises to attack the non-believers can both be made in the name of the same religion. It's nothing new; Christians were at it in both crusades, Caligula used belief in his own divinity to justify terrible acts. Vlad the impaler? Barking mad but also believed in his own divinity.

I have no religious beliefs. I don't know if there's an afterlife, or some other form of continuity but I don't feel the need to kneel before a totem, no matter what religion it represents. Arrogant? No, just being realistic. Belief is not the same as faith, and imo neither should depend on blind acceptance of cruelty. Is there any difference between extreme believers in Islam stoning an adulteress to death, or extreme Evangelical Christians beating the devil out of a child. "Yep, the operation was successful, but the patient died".