The last pope has been elected...

[1000meterstare]

Don't care if you all think I have a tinfoil hat.  The signs of the times are self-evident.  Petras Romanus.

[Kentactic]

Let me guess, its another insignificant old dude who will do nothing.

[Deathstyle]

Wasnt the last dude suppose to be the last pope before the apocalypse? Also as I have stated on my facebook page. Unless this new guy used to be a Nazi too, I wont be impressed. I dont know why?

[crudos]

New Pope, same as the old Pope. I find it fun to watch all the pomp and ceremony from a time well past it's best days, but it all means very little anymore. Certainly not the end of days, or whatever you wish to call it.

[WhiteWolfReloaded]

Eh, we'll have to wait and see. I ain't saying he is, but I can't deny the times we live. Just to give you guys a brief history lesson, and I mean BRIEF, read this article http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/pope-francis-historys-final-pontiff/ then continue.

Now if you're not a Christian the significance of him being a Jesuit and wanting to assert papal authority won't mean much. Catholics have a nasty tendency to take some creative approaches to history and what the written word means. For instance, during the Crusades priest would tell soldiers it was okay to do whatever they did in battle: rape, steal, murder, etc. because their fight was for God and Church and they'd be guaranteed a place in Heaven. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. And there's no wonder the layman wasn't taught to read or he'd have known otherwise. Sound like another religion we know? On top of this Jesuits tend to lean far left supporting socialist agendas, abortion, homosexuality, antisemitism, and so on. Now, I ain't saying all Catholics are "evil," but looking back in time understand about that papal powers contributed anywhere from 50 million to 500 million deaths by some historians estimate. Many people were martyred to bring about reform and purification to the church which have brought us divisions like Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist. The books we read you can thank to Christianity because if it were not for men like Johann Gutenberg we'd still be taken advantage of by corrupt Popes. Or should I say even more so 

But hey, don't read to much in to what I say. I'm a Baptist who leans Quaker so I don't trust authority of any form 

[APX808]

Hey WhiteWolf the new pope is Argentinian, and all the leftists here are really angry because they say the guy is a fascist.

He for sure isn't a leftist, he was against abortion and homosexual marriage, when homo marriage was approved here in Argentina, he said that was "work of the devil", some say he helped the military dictatorship here, he declared in a trial but was never accused.

He usually traveled in public transportation and lived in a small apartment and is very respected here with exception of leftist and pseudo communist we have around here.

[1000meterstare]

It's undeniable that popes have serious political clout.  They can kiss my ass before I ever kiss the ring. [img]http://www.smileydesign.n

[APX808]

It's undeniable that popes have serious political clout.  They can kiss my ass before I ever kiss the ring. [img]http://www.smileydesign.n

No doubt. Church is a political institution, controlling the masses is its goal.
God is in people's hearts, not in the Vatican.

[Ghost]

God is in people's hearts, not in the Vatican.

Bang on [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[RS762]

lol ive been reading about him and im glad APX beat me to it.

Doesn't seem very lefty to me...
Also i don't really buy into end times dogma, every generation believes itself to be the last generation.

[sledge]

Although I'm not much into other people talking to God and then telling me what he says.  I am happy the Catholics might have someone who will clean up the mess.  I know my gf is.  She is pretty disgusted with all of the monetary settlements that have been made as hush money.  But it's not like it is only a Catholic problem.  Look at all of the protestant TV holy men who have crashed and burned.

I think we are better off just taking the Bible for what it says.  For instance one of my favorites pertains to "Let him who has fine garments and no sword, sell his garments and buy a sword."  Sounds like pretty good advice to me. 

[Deathstyle]

You guys are a hoot, God bless your hearts.

I am proud to be a Catholic, and I struggle to be a good one.  So, I will just quote the greatest Catholic of all time and say no more.

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Blessed Regards,

Walker

I was catholic but now I just prefer to figure stuff out on my own. Funny post though. 

[1000meterstare]

Jesus wasn't Catholic, or Baptist, or any denomination really.  If anything he was a reformer of the corrupt parts of the Hebrew religion back then.  He was all God and all man; something we'll never fully understand. [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[sledge]

Jesus wasn't Catholic, or Baptist, or any denomination really.  If anything he was a reformer of the corrupt parts of the Hebrew religion back then.  He was all God and all man; something we'll never fully understand.

That is exactly how I feel.  Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus put a name on his followers.  That is something that we (man) has done.  In history we have used the names we have created to divide us, segregate us, and even to kill each other at different points.  We try to act like the only thing we have in common is that some other religions think that we should all convert to theirs or be put to death.

I'm a protestant but attend a Catholic Church.  It's a little different in it's approach because of the priest at that particular church believes in community and that we are all worshiping the same God. (He has caught flack for his approach from some within the congregation.)    I really like this guy a lot.  He has a saying, "We need to remind ourselves that we are a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints."

I don't agree with everything at that church.  For instance, I think the mass is too ritualized.  As sinners our lives are very fluid things.  Shouldn't our relationship with God be fluid as well?  Rituals allow some people to just go through the motions for what they think is "fire insurance" instead of contemplating their relationship with God their creator.

On the other hand, there are some really good people there who are truly devoted to living a Christian life in their relationships with others.  I don't think that I'll ever be converted, but I don't feel out of place worshiping my God among the other believers there.   



   

[1000meterstare]

Good for you, sledge.  I like that priest's mindset.  We shouldn't go to church to put on airs or do the holier-than-thou thing.  We need church because we AREN'T perfect.  If we were perfect, we wouldn't need it. [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[crudos]

Being a good man or woman is far more important than what flavor of religion (or none at all) you follow.

[special-k]

Ahhh!  Now that I see where this topic is going, I found this old YT video that fully encapsulates all I would like to add to this subject:

Bang Head Here

[sledge]

"wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

Saint Ignatius of Antioch
Letter to the Smyrnaeans AD 110

Of course, all of those early Church fathers just made things up to "exert power over others" because they were so popular and loved back then that for the first few hundred years after the resurrection the vast majority of them were tortured and murdered.  Makes sense now.

Walker, I'm not sure why you put that up.  No doubt there have been good men of many religions.  No doubt many have been persecuted for their religious beliefs.  No doubt none of them were God.  If Jesus had said do this in remembrance of me and do it in a Catholic Church, I'd say ok.  Or if any of the original twelve had said it, I might say maybe.  But God didn't name his church the Catholic Church, or any other name. 

To say that God prefers or finds one denomination more pleasing than another is very much like making assumptions and putting words in God's mouth.  Not that there haven't been more than enough people doing that over the centuries, but I still don't think it is a good idea for a man to do so.  That's why I'm not big on Popes or Elders or what ever a denomination happens to have.   They may be good men, they may be reverent men, they may be later proclaimed saints, but they are only men.  (Yes, I am aware that the Elders part is in the Bible.  God must have been aware that there would be many sheep in his flock that would need to be lead.  I prefer to read and think for myself versus having someone else do it for me.  No offense to anyone, to each there own.) I much prefer to put my faith in God versus any man.

Anyone is free to believe however they feel or not at all.  Free will is a God given absolute.  If you think the Catholic Church is God's chosen Church I have no beef with that.  I do have a beef if you think anyone else should think so.

[1000meterstare]

Walker, St. Ignatius was an idiot.  Just because he coined a famous quote, it does not make it true.  How about, "where Jesus is, there are God's people also."  (No denomination specified).

[WhiteWolfReloaded]

Special K, I agree. How about we all just sit back and see what happens. I don't personally care what your religious biases are as long as you're all seeking the truth (fact and not subjective jargon). If that's the case you'll escape the religious zealots and be your own men. Way I see it, Noah, Moses, Abraham, and so on didn't have Bibles. They followed God and submitted to his will. Joshua 24:15 "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Remember the Lord's prayer? Notice it doesn't say Pope? Whatever he is, he is not the Lord.

By the way, point isn't that he leans left. The Jesuits do. And we know what happens when special interest groups get their leaders in power now don't we? By the way, the last Pope as part of the prophecy is supposed to be "black." The leader of the Jesuits is called the "black pope." Prophecy fulfilled? I'd say so, but doesn't change my day to day operation. Back to banging my head on the wall.

[thatGirl]

Ultimately that's all that one can ask of another, is to be a good person in the most universal, basic sense.  You can fashion your concept of what a good person is however you like, but the more you tack onto that term, the more often you will be disappointed. 

It's admirable to truly believe in something, as it is to want those you like and love to have the same understanding, especially if you think that lives, souls, etc... are at stake, but more admirable than that is to support, listen to, and enlighten those friends to the best of your ability while acknowledging and respecting their free will. 

I've had many wonderful people in my life tell me that they wanted to see me in the afterlife, which is a beautiful sentiment, but you can't force anyone to believe whole-heartedly in something, that's up to them and their creator.  Though painful to think of never seeing certain people again, I say goodbye to folks all the time knowing that it's likely the last time, such is life-- life is pain and to love is to suffer...

Let's all bask in the thought that the prepping community is a fine example of folks transcending race, creed, gender, etc... to join forces and help each other out.

Although it's just one perspective, here's a clip that may help those who are lost understand the "meaning of life" (no disrespect meant to the topic)...

Vita est Lavorum

[WhiteWolfReloaded]

You win Walker. This one's for you buddy. (No homo)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGslvYmEYyA (The video's owner prevents external embedding)

[sledge]

Walker, Catholics are good people.  I don't hate them or anyone else.  I misunderstood what you were trying to get across.  I'm glad that you are proud of your beliefs.

Bygones.

[Alex1992]

Considering I'm Catholic I really don't give a fuck what you say people have been bashing the Church for as long it has existed, and can we just CALM DOWN please.

[Deathstyle]

Screw this ... Im converting to Islam. Those guys get along with each other great! [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co