Religion

cbayer

(146,218 posts) Tue Oct 9, 2012, 11:24 AM Oct 2012

Pope Benedict XVI Confronts Secularism With Synod Of Bishops On 'New Evangelization'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/09/pope-benedict-xvi-secularism_n_1949751.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Religion News Service | By Alessandro Speciale
Posted: 10/09/2012 9:41 am EDT Updated: 10/09/2012 9:41 am EDT

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his speech at the opening of the synod of bishops, at the Vatican, Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council revolutionized life inside the Roman Catholic Church, hundreds of bishops from around the world are gathered in Rome to confront an external threat: a mounting tide of secularization.

The Synod of Bishops on "New Evangelization" brings together 262 top church leaders for a three-week summit at the Vatican, joined by lay experts and representatives of other Christian groups.

In a wide-ranging speech aimed at setting the tone for the bishops' discussion, Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl called on Christians to "overcome the syndrome of embarrassment" about their faith with a more assertive offense against the "tsunami of secular influence" that is sweeping away "marriage, family, the concept of the common good and objective right and wrong."

Wuerl has been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the "relator general" of the synod, with the key task of summing up the main points of the bishops' discussions.

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14 replies

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Pope Benedict XVI Confronts Secularism With Synod Of Bishops On 'New Evangelization' (Original Post) cbayer Oct 2012 OP

Relevance would be a good starting point, Your Holiness. MineralMan Oct 2012 #1

That sounds more like wishful thinking than analysis. rug Oct 2012 #8

Does it? MineralMan Oct 2012 #10

It does. rug Oct 2012 #11

The pope can piss off. Goblinmonger Oct 2012 #2

Lol rug Oct 2012 #9

Glad you've finally realized the ridiculousness of the pope. Goblinmonger Oct 2012 #13

Well, what I find ridiculous does start with "po--", bit the word is not pope. rug Oct 2012 #14

"the concept of objective right and wrong": How about hiding child-rapists... DetlefK Oct 2012 #3

It will be interesting to see whether they address any of these things or just cbayer Oct 2012 #4

+1 hrmjustin Oct 2012 #6

I support this dmallind Oct 2012 #5

Yep, doubling down on the crazy and radical, immoral, teachings of the church... Humanist_Activist Oct 2012 #12

The RCC is under tremendous pressure to be even more radically wacko rightwing. dimbear Oct 2012 #7

MineralMan

(146,317 posts)

1. Relevance would be a good starting point, Your Holiness.

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 11:49 AM

Oct 2012

Your church is increasingly irrelevant to the lives of many of its members. It focuses on things that those members know not to be valid, and drives them away from active participation. You can evangelize all you like, but if what you are selling is irrelevant to the listeners, you will not succeed.

rug

(82,333 posts)

8. That sounds more like wishful thinking than analysis.

Reply to MineralMan (Reply #1)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 07:45 PM

Oct 2012

MineralMan

(146,317 posts)

10. Does it?

Reply to rug (Reply #8)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 08:15 PM

Oct 2012

OK. Suit yourself.

rug

(82,333 posts)

11. It does.

Reply to MineralMan (Reply #10)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 08:17 PM

Oct 2012

And even if it didn't, you'd be an odd spokesperson for them.

Goblinmonger

(22,340 posts)

2. The pope can piss off.

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 11:55 AM

Oct 2012

Since his argument is

"tsunami of secular influence" that is sweeping away "marriage, family, the concept of the common good and objective right and wrong."

then I have no reason to want to listen to him because it is just more of the same bullshit that people in here have spouted that our society would be horrible without religion and that atheists have no basis for a moral code.

My only hope is that Catholics actually leave the church so that it goes away sooner than later.

rug

(82,333 posts)

9. Lol

Reply to Goblinmonger (Reply #2)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 07:46 PM

Oct 2012

Goblinmonger

(22,340 posts)

13. Glad you've finally realized the ridiculousness of the pope.

Reply to rug (Reply #9)

Wed Oct 10, 2012, 10:54 AM

Oct 2012

Or........

rug

(82,333 posts)

14. Well, what I find ridiculous does start with "po--", bit the word is not pope.

Reply to Goblinmonger (Reply #13)

Wed Oct 10, 2012, 10:56 AM

Oct 2012

DetlefK

(16,423 posts)

3. "the concept of objective right and wrong": How about hiding child-rapists...

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 12:15 PM

Oct 2012

...so the catholic church wouldn't be embarrassed?
How about giving those guys a second chance in a job where they would meet children again?

Was this objectively right or objectively wrong?

How about speaking out against condoms in Africa, even though they prevent the spread of HIV?
How about all the lives this decision has ruined and cost?
Was this decision objectively right or objectively wrong?

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

4. It will be interesting to see whether they address any of these things or just

Reply to DetlefK (Reply #3)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 12:22 PM

Oct 2012

dance around them.

hrmjustin

(71,265 posts)

6. +1

Reply to DetlefK (Reply #3)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 12:42 PM

Oct 2012

dmallind

(10,437 posts)

5. I support this

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 12:30 PM

Oct 2012

Since aggressive evangelism and outdated moral absolutes are well-established incentives to turn thoughtful people away from religion in droves, may his god go with him ( thanks, Dave Allen).

Humanist_Activist

(7,670 posts)

12. Yep, doubling down on the crazy and radical, immoral, teachings of the church...

Reply to dmallind (Reply #5)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 08:57 PM

Oct 2012

will drive a lot of people away, already has in many cases, I wonder how many "unchurched" Catholics there are out there.

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

7. The RCC is under tremendous pressure to be even more radically wacko rightwing.

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 05:55 PM

Oct 2012

It's only fair they go with the flow, and the lefties can very literally be damned.

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