The Pope on Atheists

[Philip]

The Pope says WHAT?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religio ... stics.html

[Jac3510]

Strictly, there's nothing the pope has said here that strays from traditional Catholic doctrine. The problem comes when people assume that he's somehow being more inclusive or changing Catholic doctrine, especially by suggesting that the pope is now saying that atheists can be saved. But the pope has never said that. He is not a stupid man, and he is picking his words very carefully. What he is doing is taking a different tone than has often been taken, but his doctrine--it's completely traditional.

[1over137]

He said

The Pope wrote: "The question for those who do not believe in God is to follow their own conscience. Sin, even for a non-believer, is when one goes against one's conscience.
"To listen and to follow your conscience means that you understand the difference between good and evil."
He said that the "mercy of God has no limits" and encompassed even non-believers, but his remarks failed to impress the Italian Union of Atheists and Agnostics.

So?

[RickD]

I really don't have a problem with what the we are told the pope said there. It seems very orthodox to me too. I actually like something in the article if it is true:

The unprecedented gesture came as his incoming number two, the Vatican's newly-nominated secretary of state, said that the rule that priests should be celibate was not "a dogma of the Church" and could be open for discussion.

The pope says priests being married should be discussed. That's positive news!

[Philip]

I really don't have a problem with what the we are told the pope said there. It seems very orthodox to me too. I actually like something in the article if it is true:

The unprecedented gesture came as his incoming number two, the Vatican's newly-nominated secretary of state, said that the rule that priests should be celibate was not "a dogma of the Church" and could be open for discussion.



The pope says priests being married should be discussed. That's positive news!

I could swear #2 had a smirk on his face in the AP online photo!

The pope says priests being married should be discussed. That's positive news!

MUCH agree!

[GreyDeSilvisanctis]

I really don't have a problem with what the we are told the pope said there. It seems very orthodox to me too. I actually like something in the article if it is true:

The unprecedented gesture came as his incoming number two, the Vatican's newly-nominated secretary of state, said that the rule that priests should be celibate was not "a dogma of the Church" and could be open for discussion.

The pope says priests being married should be discussed. That's positive news!

Whoa, I feel like becoming a fan of this new pope.
The marriage thing might make some of the priests more accountable to their actions but I lack further data on this hypothesis.

~Grey

[Philip]

Well, God made men as sexual beings. Most have a natural, healthy sex drive - many have quite a strong one. Deprive priests of their natural, God-ordained need and outlet to express their own sexual urges within the bounds of marriage, and then the door is open for enormous temptation to express it in many sinful ways. And then their are the sins and corruption that follows in attempts to hide and cover up their sexual sins.

Oh, and the RCC calls Peter the first and its most revered "Pope" (despite the unscriptural and historical problems with this teaching). And yet, good ol' Pete was married, as apparently also were some of the other apostles. See a bit of a problem here? The RCC has spent untold millions in cases related to the widespread priest molestation cases - hard-earned money that could have gone for good works and charity. So sad.

One last thought: Who can better advise and lead people upon issues related to marriage than one whom has experienced it himself. There are things about marriage that aren't nearly so easy to learn vicariously. So a priest whom has never been married can't possibly be nearly as wise about marriage as one that is married.

So, I say, further COMPLICATE the lives of priests - let them be married!

[Sam1995]

Forgive me if I am wrong, is he saying that atheists and agnostics can still enter into heaven after rejecting the Gospel as long as they live morally and according to their consciences? Please tell me that he didn't say that!

[Jac3510]

Forgive me if I am wrong, is he saying that atheists and agnostics can still enter into heaven after rejecting the Gospel as long as they live morally and according to their consciences? Please tell me that he didn't say that!

He did not say that.