Redstate

Congratulations to John Ratzenberger.

I had no idea he was 78 years old . . .

You'll look young, too.

Whether the church has a right to judge or not isn't an issue.  The Church can judge to her hearts content.  The Church can also be as doctrinally pure as she likes.  But fortunately the Church can no longer compel me in anyway to give a hoot about her judgement and purity.

We'll be loosing Opus Dei any day now. Thanks for reminding us that a few stones are left unturned.

Frankly, I couldn't give a rat's patoot about your hooting one way or another. All I care about is that the ability of men to effect evil is limited by law. You can think of that whatever you like.

we're in agreement.

Joe Ratzinger...

It is amazing how, when ideas that would be more at home shouted from a cardboard box on a street corner are placed in the ether of the net, we have to pretend to give them respect.

Ha-ha.

but I will support him & wish him all the best.

The guy isn't worth the trouble.  What a pile of hooey.

I agree that it is the business of the catholic church and nobody else what they and their religion stands for.  But my guess is that liberals will stop politicizing the pope and religion when conservatives stop trying to push prayer in school, ten commandments in courthouses, the filibuster as an attack on people of faith, etc...  

Catholic doctrine is Catholic. Prayer in public school is public.

While prayer in public school might go afoul of the First Amendment, it also may not. That's clearly an appropriate subject for political discourse.

It seems that some want to influence Catholic Doctrine for the sole purpose of effecting political change. It's theocracy in reverse. Pro Choicers might think that they can legitimize abortion through the authority of the Catholic Church, and so decry the new Pope as antimodern, but let's entertain a hypothetical. Would he be cursed as a theocrat should this Pope lead the way toward Catholic acceptance of abortion on demand? Of course not.

religious ideas can only be applied to public issues by one side of the aisle.  Are you saying that conservatives don't invoke religious doctrines to legitimize their views on public issues?

Every religion has a right to it's own doctrine, and I have every right to say that their doctrine is foolish or wise or insane or whatever.  And if the religion is large enough that it influences public policies, and does so negatively in my view, then it is my right and I think obligation to speak out against those policies as they pertain to the public sphere.  

My point is that its' foolish and wrong to meddle in doctrinal affairs of the Church when the goal is political.

Moreover, let's criticize policy as policy--not as doctrine.

You know as well as I that most of the secular elites who are critical of this Pope don't give a hang about him of his Church. It's about abortion and gay marriage.

One can support gay marriage, but let's not assume that opponents are necessarily fundie theocrats. I'm not saying that you are. I'm arguing that much of the criticism of this Pope is purely political.

Speak out on whatever you want. I just don't foresee much impact from your words or mine on word one about the Catholic Church. It's the upside to a hierarchical structure.

But knock your socks off.

of distaste over this pope or his various stances on catholic doctrine to be in any way out of bounds or uncalled for or "loony".  Like it or not, the catholic church does influence policies that effect people who are not in the church.  It is that fact that is being spoken to by people who dislike the choice of this pope, not the catholic religion or its doctrines.      

So because a lot of people are Catholic or listen to Catholic teaching gives you an in to criticize Catholic doctrine.

Gotcha.

Like I said, knock your socks off. Neither I nor the Church at large will give two flying leaps.

JESUS in MATTHEW 25 :

The Sheep and the Goats

   31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

   34"Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

   37"Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

   40"The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

   41"Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

   44"They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

   45"He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

   46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Footnotes:

   1. Matthew 25:15 A talent was worth more than a thousand dollars.

Even for you, though you'll clearly be on the left, as you are now.

We'll pray to God that he show you mercy. He would have done so for Sodom, for Abraham's sake.

I get the feeling you don't read the Bible much.