Pope Francis Raffles Off His Swag to Help the Poor

The Daily Beast ^ | 11.18.14 | Barbie Latza Nadeau

[MamaB]

Where is the proof? I am on here several times a day and I do not remember ever reading statements like that.

[mountainbunny]

I’m Catholic, and apart from Muslims and some Hindus, am unaware of any modern-day iconoclasts.

Please expand on your claims.

It would be very interesting, because I am not aware of any real Protestant iconoclasm outside of maybe the Amish or related sects, since the Protestant Reformation - the 1600’s or so.

[Alex Murphy]

Post 17: I realize there are some people of the Protestant persuasion who feel this is sinful but most people are happy to know that the Church is a great caretaker of these works and make them available to millions of people.

Post 38: Many of the people who post here do not believe in representation of the Christ figure - they’ve told me it is an abomination. One fellow suggested the entire Vatican be burned to the ground. Not exactly art lovers.

IMO there's art, there's icons, and then there are idols. Any of the first two can become an idol. I can understand why some FReepers (I'm not one of them) might think that any visual representation of Jesus Christ is sinful. I would imagine that, in their thinking, any art representing a religious figure being prayed to would quickly become an idol.

[MamaB]

Yep. They just toss remarks out there and hope some of them stick. Very misleading.

[NorthMountain]

Anything can become an idol, if someone mistakes it for God.

IMHO, the worst (and most common) idol in XXI Century America is the Almighty Self.

[Resettozero]

They just toss remarks out there and hope some of them stick.

Today, it has been easier for me to see why some FR posters call the RCC a cult.

Some posters here are baptized fully into the RCC in a cultic manner and will defend their lack of knowledge with even more lack of knowledge...to their eternal detriment.

None so blind...

[Resettozero]

I can understand why some FReepers (I'm not one of them) might think that any visual representation of Jesus Christ is sinful.

Is this true? I'm 68 and haven't heard this until this thread today.

[Resettozero]

IMHO, the worst (and most common) idol in XXI Century America is the Almighty Self.

Yep. Keeps on wanting to de-throne the Lord in my life. Romans Chapter 7 over and over again.

Thank God for Chapter 8...and I don't mean bankruptcy.

Speaking of Romans: Why isn't Paul the first church pope since he spent so much time in Rome as a teacher and as a prisoner? Only the RCC can produce any "evidence" that Peter ever was there.

[NorthMountain]

Here’s another idol: The incessant bickering, backbiting gotcha-games that characterize the Religion Forum ...

[CynicalBear]

That seems to be the least of the concerns of Catholics here. Their obsession with earthly treasure is rather striking however.

[Resettozero]

Here’s another idol: The incessant bickering, backbiting gotcha-games that characterize the Religion Forum ...

The only way to win thermonuclear war is...

[Elsie]

ouch

[CynicalBear]

>>Only the RCC can produce any "evidence" that Peter ever was there.<<

You noticed that too ey?

[Elsie]

The only way to win thermonuclear war is...

http://buzzinn.net/hiroshima-and-detroit-then-and-now/

[NorthMountain]

Not to play.

“War Games”, 1983.

“WOPR” = War Operations Planned Response ... In my engineering career, I have seen far worse examples of force-fitting words into a cool-sounding acronym.

I try to avoid the FR/RF interdenominational garbage. I’ve seen nothing good come of it in the year that I’ve been here, and a glance through the archives is even worse.

Quite frankly, if I weren’t already Christian, the FR/RF might put me off Christianity entirely.

[Gamecock]

Oh? Really?

[xp38]

Been to the Vatican and enjoyed it a great deal. One thing I found tacky though were the lines on the floor indicating how large other famous churches were in comparison to the enormity of St Peters. That kind of oneupmanship was not very becoming. The funny thing is the church in the Ivory Coast which is equal or a bit larger than St Peters and was modeled after it wasn’t drawn. ;)

[Alex Murphy]

Is this true? I'm 68 and haven't heard this until this thread today.

I can't think of a single name at the moment, but I've encountered maybe a half-dozen over the last fourteen years. IIRC all of them were semi-pelagian at best. None of them stuck around very long.

[Resettozero]

Quite frankly, if I weren’t already Christian, the FR/RF might put me off Christianity entirely.

I too had a similarly low opinion of Christianity in general due to my youthful vigor and massive ignorance of the truth...until I encountered the Lord Jesus Christ at age 32. That said...

You obviously have fused together the Church that Jesus Christ founded, and which still exists worldwide even today in 2014, with the separated Roman Catholic church, which claims it is the ONE true and ONLY Christian church, headquartered at the Vatican in Italy.

[NorthMountain]

With respect, sir, you'd be well advised to refrain from attempts at mind-reading. It's a really bad habit, and it's a violation of this forum's rules. You'd also be well advised to actually read and comprehend what other folks write.

I'll say again: The interdenominational squabbling on this forum, the incessant backbiting, the gotcha-games, are all repugnant.

Enough said.