All I can add to this is 'shuffle the pedophile'. Says it all.

From what I can see, when its over for us, its OVER, period.

It does sounds peaceful...

My retiree group has more than a few brought up Catholics. They all seem to agree and outdo each others horror stories. Most of them seem to reject their strict teachings and experiences. When three or more of them get going on the subject I have to keep my mouth shut. It's just like going to one of those "Late Night Catechism" sessions.

I guess it all depends on our definition of what "is" is.

Exactly. Interesting that what the pope claims when it comes down to real world pronouncements is invariably wrong

Prior to capitalism, the way people amassed great wealth was by looting, plundering and enslaving their fellow man. Capitalism made it possible to become wealthy by serving your fellow man.
Walter E. Williams

The pope is claimed to be the infallible authority on matters of faith and morality, requiring complete obedience. Fear is the psychological motive, but not the intellectual motive, which requires suspending reason and independence for faith in supernatural authority of which the pope is the spokesman.

Lost it's way in the 1100s? The Roman Catholic Church claims its origins with the Jesus myth. That is when it lost its way, except that it never had anything to lose.

They may look and act like they are in a trance but it is not drug-induced. It's chosen as a result of bad ideas accepted as they reject the mind.

The pedophile corruption in the church establishment is secondary to and a consequence of much worse.

It is not rational to aspire to his "position". His position as head mystic does not provide him with automatic individualism and self-interest; it makes them impossible. The question is not what you might do in his position, but to make sure you are never like him.

He knew evils of communism but not other forms of socialism.

Belief in the supernatural is not rationally "self serving". The original Christianity demanded to live for another world as a primary, with serving others in this world as a distant second required to enter heaven. Jesus was an 'individualist' in that the goal was saving one's own soul in another world. In practice it required self-renunciation in this world, which is where ethics matters for life.

The pope demands that we work to serve others ("raise all boats") in place of pursuing our own individual goals for our own happiness as an individual here on earth, which he denounces as "profit". Capitalism led to the highest standard of living in general, but serving others is not its justification.

Helping others out of benevolence if and when one can afford it is not a duty to provide welfare without or without the government. Government bungling and who "politicians think are in need" is secondary. Charity is not a primary virtue, let alone a duty.

"Interdependence" under the trader principle of mutual benefit is not what the pope means. We do not owe our lives to others, and, no, "self-interest in a nutshell" does not mean taking care of oneself so we can care for others.

They do seek to remove themselves from earth, but first accept a duty to suffer here as a means for something else. The core of Christianity from the beginning has been to live for another world in a supernatural realm, regarding life on earth as an inferior reality to be suffered while qualifying for the superior afterlife.

Pope Francis has combined that with modern misanthropic viro deprivation and collectivism, worshiping nature as he follows St. Francis of Assisi of the Franciscan+ Order c1200 (which is why he took the name Pope Francis). This was all pushed in his widely promoted Encyclical Care for our Common Home in 2015 http://www.vatican.va/content/frances... This was advertised as (and criticized by conservatives for) the pope being captured by the modern viro movement. On the contrary, they were taken in by the original Francis of Assisi.

+Not to be confused with its opposite Francisco d'Anconia.

Appeal to the largest group, and reap the rewards.

Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime
Give a man another man's fish, and he votes for you.

Religion doing what it does best...maintaining power.

"who hates life on earth "

If he hates life on earth, he should remove himself from this Earthy life.

There is no such thing as "common good".

Read C Hitchens.

"“All too often materialistic or utilitarian visions, sometimes hidden, sometimes celebrated, lead to practices and structures motivated largely, or even solely, by self-interest,” the pope said, in reiterating his firm belief in multilateralism."

I hope your supporters on the left head that advice.

Someone with his wealth, position, backing, and support should not have to be individualistic or have a self-interest, their position makes it automatic, they only have to go along for the ride. The question is, "What might I do in his position?"

I gave up catholic religion in college, maybe even earlier. If we just accepted that when you die, you dont exist anymore, there wouldnt be the attraction to religion.

If we only accepted that when its OVER, its OVER, we wouldnt be attracted to these crazy religions that promise everlasting whatever in places that dont exist and require sacrifices NOW for supposed benefits after you are dead. Crazy

I was raised a catholic, but gave it up totally in college (fortunately). A few years ago I happened to go into a catholic church, and had the same reaction to the statues- like what the hell ARE these...