Posted on 11/30/2007 10:50:29 AM PST by Pyro7480
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict, in an encyclical released on Friday, said atheism was responsible for some of the "greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice" in history.
The 75-page "Spe Salvi," which takes its Latin title from a quote by St Paul (in hope we were saved), is an appeal to a pessimistic world to find strength in Christian hope.
In the second encyclical of his papacy, Benedict urges Christians to put their hope for the future in God and not in technology, wealth or political ideologies.
Atheism could be regarded by some as a "type of moralism," particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries, to protest against the injustices of the world and world history, he said.
Reciting arguments made by atheists, he said: "A world marked by so much injustice, innocent suffering and cynicism of power cannot be the work of a good God. A God with responsibility for such a world would not be a just God, much less a good God."
History has proven wrong ideologies such as Marxism which say humans had to establish social justice because God did not exist, the Pope wrote.
"It is no accident that this idea has led to the greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice," the Pope said. Such a concept was grounded in "intrinsic falsity."
Marxism, the Pope wrote, had left behind "a trail of appalling destruction" because it failed to realize that man could not be "merely the product of economic conditions."
ATHEISTS REACT
The encyclical is the highest form of papal writing and addresses all members of the Church. This document is written in a highly academic, professorial style in which the Pope quotes saints, philosophers and writers to make his point.
Atheism has been a hot topic recently thanks to best-selling books questioning the value of religion such as "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and "God is Not Great" by Christopher Hitchens.
The Pope seemed to be addressing the fresh interest in atheism in the developed world with phrases such as: "Let us put it very simply: man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope."
Italy's Union of Atheists, Agnostics and Rationalists (UAAR) said by taking such stands the Pope would push more people away from the Church.
"The existence of a billion non-believers in the world should be enough to make the Pope understand that man can live very well without God, but with reason," a statement said.
The Pope urged Christians to put their hope for a better future in God.
"We have all witnessed the way in which progress, in the wrong hands, can become and has indeed become a terrifying progress in evil. If technical progress is not matched by corresponding progress in man's ethical formation, in man's inner growth, then it is not progress at all, but a threat for man and for the world," he said.
Christian hope also meant protecting the planet, even if people felt powerless to make changes in their lifetimes, he said.
"We can free our life and the world from the poisons and contaminations that could destroy the present and the future. We can uncover the sources of creation and keep them unsullied, and in this way we can make a right use of creation, which comes to us as a gift..." he said.
(Editing by Janet Lawrence)
So you’re saying that since it’s unfair to blame the Crusades and Hitler on the Catholic faith, it’s unfair to blame Lenin and Stalin on the beliefs of atheists?
I’m so glad we are in agreement. :)
Please explain how Hitler’s plan to kidnap and hang Pius XII in Saint Peter’s Square was inspired by “Catholicism.” I will be watching for an answer.
Well, there’s probably a hundred million easily in Europe — about 25 million at least in the UK alone — and another 20 million in the US.
But, okay, so even if you’re right, how does changing “hundreds of millions” to “tens of millions” make my point any less valid?
From where do these rights reside? The Founding Fathers of the Greatest Nation ever say God.
No. Atheism in combination with Human Nature leads to tyranny. Christianity in combination with Human Nature militates against tyranny.
Many countries in Europe are majority non-believers, or close to it, and since the Wall came down, none has shown any desire or propensity to impose a dictatorial atheistic regime.
No? Ever hear of the European Union?
No one's blaming the evils of communism on non-belief. We're blaming the existence of the monstrous communist political philosophy (which leads to mass carnage of commodity human beings) on the bankrupt and despairing notion that God doesn't exist. It certainly wasn't Christianity that devised Marxist thought, so, I'm afraid the atheists will have to take the blame for this one.
If you’re not reading this post in Arabic, thank a Crusader.
Source please?
LOL! Honestly, I don't think that nonsense even deserves a reply.
Agreed. The problem is, Communism, in its proper order, negates the individual and his free will - leaving him inevitably fodder for tyrants who can sweep hundreds of thousands of us away without an ounce of remorse. People who use religion as a tool to do these things do not pass judgment on religion, but their perverted, evil interpretation of Christian teaching, which, last I checked, does not provide for genocide and squashing of the human spirit.
You just said there were 20 million Atheists in this country. Seems like enough man power to keep the mills and the propaganda pumping.
“But, okay, so even if you’re right, how does changing “hundreds of millions” to “tens of millions” make my point any less valid?”
I just wanted to know how seriously to take many of the facts in your posts.
You should silverleaf's post again because I think you misread it.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Okay, I don’t have the stats to hand. I do recall seeing a study a while back, but I can’t find it, and you can’t use the raw stats because of the different availability of abortion services in different states skew the states.
So I withdraw that comment, but it remains undeniable that given the tiny proportion of atheists in the US population (less than 10%), blame for the vast majority of the abortions in the US must be be laid at the feet of believers. If there was no supply, there would be no demand.
Hitler renounced Catholicism. Hitler and his minions were adherents of Norse Mythology, which was a lovely precursor to... wait for it... the New Age movement.
So far as "1,000 years of killing" it's a lot better than, "1000 years of being killed", or, "1000 years of being Muslim", wouldn't you say?
As Stalin rightly opined, "How many divisions does the Pope have?" The answer is "none". So much for the military might of the Vatican.
Catholics don’t like to be reminded that Hitler was one of theirs, or that his Catholic upbringing steeped him in anti-semitism. He often referred to his drive to exterminate the Jews as the “Lord’s Work”, from his writing in Mein Kampf to his public addresses during the Nazi years.
If the current Pope doesn’t want to embrace Hitler’s legacy as a Catholic one (as Pope Pius XII did in 1939), then it seems unfair of him to attempt to link Communism with Atheism.
That’s being awfully selective with history.
Right. Communism.
Atheism has as little to do with Communism as you claim that real Christianity has to do with genocide.
And it’s not atheists who have a holy book which provides examples of righteous and justifiable genocidal activities, including the mass slaughter of babies and children and the mass enslavement and rape of virgin women.
Remember, God supposedly commanded these things, and thus according to Christianity genocide, rape, and enslavement are sometimes a “good thing”.
I would agree with you that so-called believers have not done enough to prevent abortion, absolutely. But I would argue the percentage of practical atheists is higher than 10% consisting of liberal Christians, agnostics, and the like. I believe the 10% figure is more likely those who openly profess themselves Atheists. And even the 10% figure is probably a bit high because I don't truly believe all Atheists are faithful to their atheist religion when the chips are down.
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