The Pope has died

Man With Hat wrote: It is truely a sad day Thoughts and prayers go out to all Catholics and people who loved the pope

A simple thank you.

ivan_2068 wrote: So don't judge a church for it's mistakes, every religion or country has their own. Iván

Dont worry about it, I support religion whole heartedly, just that was my first sour taste of religion from there i developed my own beliefs. Now i think its presumptous to give a name to whatever or however this universe was created. I read the bible myself and i think (although there are a few exceptions (pretty big ones at that)) the message is good. As with most religions, and that when it comes down to it is what is important. I was just unlucky when it came to religious experiances when i was young and willing to believe, but dont feel sorry for me in the end it became liberating i think. I just get really mad when people say (from any religion) that people are judged not by their character and the way they live, but in what they believe.

No need for a religious discussion on this one; indeed, I do not think this was the reason the thread was started in the first place.

Whether or not you agree/disagree with the Catholic church's teachings/doctrines, whether or not you consider yourself to be a practicing Christian (or a practicing member of any faith, for that matter), the fact remains that the spiritual leader of approximately 1 billion people passed away on Saturday night.

I for one, will not go into any percieved shortcomings of the late John Paul II, or use this thread as a soapbox against the Catholic Church as a whole - I would just express my best wishes to all those on the forum who are feeling a sense of loss at this time, and my sincere hope they find consolation in their faith.

As Maani would say -

Peace.

Velvetclown wrote: Pixel you´re a wiser man than me !!

I have learned from painful experience that if logic and reason have vacated the premises,don't go in.

Well I will take your advice, but I´m the kind of person who want that bloody Goldfish to learn how to play the Mandolin, at least.

 

 

Edited by Velvetclown

Velvetclown wrote: Well I will take your advice, but I´m the kind of person who want that bloody Goldfish to learn how to play the Mandolin, at least.

You're the last of the idealists. But "thanks" to political correctness,right and wrong don't exist anymore. Everyone is right in their own way. As a philosophy it ranks up there with the noble savage as the stupidest idea in the history of human thought.

Alucard wrote: Threefates wrote: What makes him so special, Velvie....... he was loved evidently by millions.  How many others can say the same!

With all my respect to the mourning christians, I don't think that "being loved by millions" is a quality mark in itself. At such a level of "staredom" the person himself disappears behind his icon. Stalin for example was and is still "loved" by a great part of the russians that doesn't make him a better human being in my eyes. The death of the pope didn't touch me at all. I was sad when Zappa died and I didn't met him either. So I realize that my"love" for Zappa is idolatry as well, but then everybody choses his own idols.

 

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As so many times through history: Look to France for intelligence.

Adolf Hitler too.

I can't get "sad" at the news. Consider this; the guy was 84yrs old. He'd reached the very top of his chosen profession (If you believe that he now has a special place in heaven, then death was his only chance of promotion.).

My godson died two weeks before xmas, after an asthma attack. He was 23. I'll save my sorrow for such more deserving cases if that's ok with everyone.

[/quote]Without casting any aspersions on the Pope, the "loved by millions" argument doesn't wash.  Fidel Castro is also loved by millions.  So is Donald Trump.  And Marilyn Manson.  And...........[/quote]

Well Maani, I was in Cuba twice so I can asssure you Fidel Castro is not loved, it's feared as Stalin or other dictators. There's also a lot of interest in that so called Love for politics, if you're publicly against Castro you'll go to prison if you were against Stalin you were dead.

Somebody mentioned Hitler, that was a different case, combined fanatism, interest, madness, nationalism and fear all together, but the ones who said to love him were the first to spit over him when he died. Mussolini was hanged and the people in Italy pissed over his corpse.

Stalin is a symbol of massacres and genocide, any comparuison with the Pope is absurd, when the USSRvanished, all the monuments of him were destroyed by the people and the cities changed the names that honoured him.

Artists or celebrities are a different thing, they are admired more than truly loved or respected in otherway than as artists.

In the case of the Pope BILLIONS from al over the world with no fear or interest, from different races, ethnias and even religions are mouning for John Paul's death.

This means something.

As for the insults trying to prvoke and offend some of us (Not by you Maani), I won't even care to answer them, it's not worth.

Iván

ivan_2068 wrote: As Fragile says Thanks Man with Hat and thanks to all of you, Catholics, Christians, Ateists, etc that showed support for those of us who really feel pain for the death of Pope John Paul II. Iván

 

Now that he truly has died I can say this:

 

I do too Ivan I hope all Catholics that loved this man finds comfort. 

 Sometimes people think that if the person is not someone they follow that others can't feel differently.  I am sure not every person in the world was sad the day John Lennon died and others that could not imagine that people thought as much of him as they did.  I think that can be said here also.