Pope Seems Like a Nice Guy

Well a big week for the Papists!  Pope Francis....

..... when I heard Jesuit my first thought was zealot, passionate about his beliefs, possibly fanatical but on reflection devout seems better suited and, a first perhaps?  A man who truly believes in his God!!  On the plus side I am sure his appointment is striking fear into the hearts of those who feel their celibacy oath only applies to anybody over 16!  Can one man clean up so much that is wrong?  The child sex scandal cover ups that suggest acceptance? The unparalleled wealth?  The hypocrisy?

On the other side of the coin, his doctrine is allegedly based on archaic beliefs better suited to the Middle Ages or worse the Middle East 2,000 years ago!  Surely such primitive views compound this apparent acceptance of child sex abuse?  In Biblical times, child brides were accepted, as they still are in many under developed nations, isn't it time to move with the times?  Allow priests to have normal relationships & families, accept same-sex relationships, acknowledge the need for abortion & encourage birth control? 

Proof is in the media on a daily basis, the doctrine, as it is portrayed, doesn't change anything, rather it results in heartache, blackmail, illegal acts and God forbid!! [*sarcasm alert*] Priests holding gay sex parties or getting married in secret!

How many back street abortions still go on today? How many children are still being abused by "trusted" priests?  How many unwanted babies are born every day?  How many people have committed suicide in agony over their sexual feelings?

.... And how can our little planet continue to sustain the population growth encouraged by the Catholic church?  Already over 7 billion!

... And so, back to Pope Francis, he certainly has his work cut out, at first glance it looks unlikely he will be sucked in by the power and luxury, but it will take a strong man to stand firm as he increasingly becomes the subject of worship.  Early indications suggest he might even give away the riches of the Church to the poor! That will make him popular!  I shall watch with interest!

Vatican Secret Archives

How fascinating would it be to delve into The Vatican Secret Archives?

Hundreds of years of history and mystery and although the Church has apparently opened its doors, there is still so much it seeks to protect.  Why?  Surely if the Church is what it claims to be, there is no longer a need for such secrecy?

These documents are so incredibly valuable and special, they should be scanned and preserved for future generations - how tragic that in another few hundred years so many of them will probably be dust with their secrets lost forever.

Controversy Over Pope's Resignation

So firstly, let's agree, the Pope's resignation was (in part) a diversionary tactic that has backfired beyond all expectations.  The world was meant to speculate on the incoming Pope; where the outgoing Pope might reside; how he might spend his time; and so on.  While these events unfold we were not meant to wonder "what is the real news?".  It would appear that quite the reverse has happened!

Controversy Over Pope's Resignation

So to the real story - what are the contents of the big red books?  While they remain secret (and no doubt they will) the world will continue to speculate.  Gay orgies?  Is that really as bad as it gets?  Hardly earth shattering stuff and certainly no surprise to those on the outside.  I imagine it suits the Church to allow this speculation to continue - it is likely to be far less damaging in the long run than the truth that they will endeavour to continue hiding.

What could be so bad? Hmmmm .... let me think about that one..... a gay Pope? Nope! ... Proof that Dan Brown was right all along? Highly probable but would that be enough to stand down? Surely not - the theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and they had a daughter has been around forever... something worse? 

It has to be something that would truly hurt the  Church at its heart.... but what?

Religion, Faith and Morality

Defined in the Oxford dictionary as "the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods", religion is thought provoking, controversial, inspires strong emotions and at its worst moves people to perform terrible acts of violence and war in its name.

Faith is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something" or "strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof".

For me, faith is distinctly different from religion.  Religion furnishes religious institutions with the power to control by fear.  Faith on the other hand allows for the pure belief in an entity without the need for fear and worship.  Faith allows freedom of thought, will and speech where religion does not.

Organised religion has a part to play in society, it provides a social network and a safe haven in times of personal trouble or hardship.  In times of conflict it appears that more people turn to religion for reassurance so it becomes self feeding, especially when you consider how many wars are fought in the name of religion.

Do we need religion to tell us right from wrong?  Do we need religion to tell us how to think?  Does religion have a place in Politics? No to all of these things

Does religion hold us back and stop society from evolving? Does religion tell people how to think and judge?  Are morals better today than previously? Yes to all!

The mainstream religions were founded thousands of years ago and while I don't claim to be an expert on founding dates, my research suggests Hinduism beliefs were founded some 6000 years ago, Judaism 3800-5000 years, Buddhism around 2500 years, Christianity ~2000 and Islam ~1400 years ago.

Can the teachings of ancient times still be relevant today or do they hold us back and stop society from evolving.  We are still fighting the same wars hundreds and even thousands of years on, where is the sense?

From what I can see, religion is about power and control, not just of those who embrace a particular doctrine but also about dictating the lifestyles and thinking of those who share the planet.

I have so much more to discuss on this topic but will save for another day.  Have morals declined or improved over time?  Has anybody else noticed how religion is heavily male dominated?  Is any religious institution female dominated?  Oppression....?