Total disappointment in the Church leaders

[mateo]

FightingFalcon said:

It doesn't. But it is implied since Jesus personally picks St. Peter who then goes to Rome, establishes the Roman Catholic Church, becomes pope and is martyred.

The catholic (small c) church was established right after Christ's death by His followers. This church is frequently talked about in the NT and I can quote it for you if you want. What St. Peter did was officially give this church a capital and organization. His efforts became known as the RCC.

and who wrote the BIble? Men. How many times has it been rewritten? Lots.

[FightingFalcon]

Mateo said:

and who wrote the BIble? Men. How many times has it been rewritten? Lots.

If we start calling into question the entire Bible, we must question whether or not Jesus even rose from the dead.

[MARIO]

Mateo said:

I was hoping to see a new pope from a third world area like Africa. Perhaps from a nation wear Catholicism and Christianity as a whole is supressed. To add insult to injury, the Church leaders had the audacity to elect a former Hitler Youth. Now, before all the rationalizing begins, hear me out. I understand that service in NAZI Germany was compulsury. You served or you were sent to a camp and/or killed. Is not one of our beliefs as Catholics that those who are persecuted for God's sake shall be saved? Where was Pope Benedict's higher moral authority when he wore the NAZI uniform? I have no doubt that he was never a true believer in NAZI ideaology. I also understand that his father was anti-fascist and anti-NAZI. That still doesn't erase the fact that as someone who is supposed to be the direct representative of Christ on Earth wore a NAZI uniform.

As for me, I don't need priests to talk to God for me. I don't need confesisonal booths and I don't need absolution from a weak mortal. I talk directly to God, for God makes no man better or greater than anyone else.

-Oh, come on. He deserted when he was 18. He never pulled a trigger. He was forced to serve. And we don't even know how religious he was at this age.

Initially, I didn't like the idea if a German becoming the Pope. But to be quite honest, I don't think the guy is that bad.

[mateo]

MARIO said:

-Oh, come on. He deserted when he was 18. He never pulled a trigger. He was forced to serve. And we don't even know how religious he was at this age.

Initially, I didn't like the idea if a German becoming the Pope. But to be quite honest, I don't think the guy is that bad.

Oh, yeah, I forgot: He, and all the rest of the NAZIs, were just following orders.

[FightingFalcon]

Mateo said:

Oh, yeah, I forgot: He, and all the rest of the NAZIs, were just following orders.

It's easy to criticize when not in their situation. Any NAZI that disobeyed an order was put to death - case closed.

Don't criticize until you are in that situation.

[mateo]

FightingFalcon said:

It's easy to criticize when not in their situation. Any NAZI that disobeyed an order was put to death - case closed.

Don't criticize until you are in that situation.

Are you kidding me? So I guess we can't criticize the SS troops who were just carrying out orders when they slaughtered millions of people, can we?

[FightingFalcon]

Mateo said:

Are you kidding me? So I guess we can't criticize the SS troops who were just carrying out orders when they slaughtered millions of people, can we?

All I'm saying is, it's easy for you to sit safe at your computer and criticize NAZIs for not rebelling against the might of the German Empire. I'd like to see what would happen if you were actually in that situation though.

[mateo]

FightingFalcon said:

All I'm saying is, it's easy for you to sit safe at your computer and criticize NAZIs for not rebelling against the might of the German Empire. I'd like to see what would happen if you were actually in that situation though.

Ok, I won't criticize the people who killed millions of innocents for no other reason than they were different.

[MARIO]

Mateo said:

Oh, yeah, I forgot: He, and all the rest of the NAZIs, were just following orders.

That was the excuse put up by Goering and the other higher-ups in Hitler's regime.

But the fact remains that tens of thousands of young Germans were conscripted and forced to serve. To refuse was to be killed.

Ratzinger's father was very anti-Nazi. Ratzinger deserted at age 18. He was a young boy. I don't think we need to be calling the guy a Nazi.

Remember, Reagan visited Bitburg Cemetery in Germany. It wasn't because he respected Nazism.

[mateo]

MARIO said:

That was the excuse put up by Goering and the other higher-ups in Hitler's regime.

But the fact remains that tens of thousands of young Germans were conscripted and forced to serve. To refuse was to be killed.

Ratzinger's father was very anti-Nazi. Ratzinger deserted at age 18. He was a young boy. I don't think we need to be calling the guy a Nazi.

Remember, Reagan visited Bitburg Cemetery in Germany. It wasn't because he respected Nazism.

When did I call him a NAZI?

[MARIO]

Mateo said:

When did I call him a NAZI?

Ok fine, in your original post you concede that he probably never believed in Nazi ideology. But you criticize him for not dying by defying the Nazis.

What good would that have done?

Had he been killed, he wouldn't have been doing good for all these years.

[mateo]

MARIO said:

Ok fine, in your original post you concede that he probably never believed in Nazi ideology. But you criticize him for not dying by defying the Nazis.

What good would that have done?

Had he been killed, he wouldn't have been doing good for all these years.

Who says he would have been killed? We believe in miracles, right?

[FightingFalcon]

Mateo said:

Who says he would have been killed? We believe in miracles, right?

A miracle is one thing. Taking on the entire NAZI Empire by yourself is completely different.

[mateo]

FightingFalcon said:

A miracle is one thing. Taking on the entire NAZI Empire by yourself is completely different.

And who said he was going to take on the entire NAZI empire by himslef?