Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
I believe that the most destructive thing that Catholic clergy or laity can say is " the Pope isn't saying anything the church hasn't being saying for years," or " don't take literally for every word that he says." The pope needs the Savior the same as the rest of us do, but he does not need saviors. He needs listeners who are in the dark as opposed to those who are in the know. It's an extremely difficult task for him in a world where knowledge is so highly esteemed and where admiration/human glory is the ultimate goal. From my point of view the most basic and important message that Pope Francis is teaching by his example at this particular stage of his mission is that certitude and the need for it must be heaved out the window. None of us are God and only the brainwashed could/ would believe otherwise.
ReplyDelete