Pope Francis: The devil is the root of jealousy, war

[trotsky]

Remember folks, "true" modern believers don't think that gods are human-like deities with magic powers.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/02/09/pope_francis_the_devil_is_the_root_of_jealousy,_war/1122281

“Who is the father of war?” Pope Francis asked. “The devil!” the children answered.

Pope Francis said the devil is the “father of hate”, “the father of lies” who seeks disunity.

...

“Because the devil takes stupidity and makes a world,” he continued. “Then these enmities continue and multiply for years. It destroys the family: Parents suffer because their children do not speak to each other, or with the wife of a son…And so this jealousy and envy, it is sowed by the devil. And the only one who can drive out demons is Jesus. The only one who can heal these things is Jesus. So to each of your: Have yourself healed by Jesus.”

Popey has also said that marriage equality is from Satan as well. What an awesome guy.

[Cartoonist]

1. So who created the devil?

Oh yeah, the Big Guy did. I guess he didn't speak to Lucy thereby sowing jealousy and envy.

Wait a second, is Frank putting this unsubstantiated bullshit into the minds of kids? That's child abuse!

[Warren Stupidity]

2. He is Pope Awesome SpankYourKid!

But your mistake is in thinking that the pope literally means that there are demons and bad angels running amok in the world. He doesn't. When he says "the devil" he actually means "trader joe's chocolate coconut milk ice cream", which, as far as I can tell, is the cause of all evil in the world. You just need a decoder ring.

[Hoppy]

3. "Because the devil takes stupidity and makes a world."

Does that mean fundamentalists are creations of the devil?

[GeorgeGist]

4. And God is the root of the devil.

[Arugula Latte]

12. And the human imagination (with some possible hallucinogenics thrown in to boot) is the root of God.

Last edited Wed Feb 11, 2015, 12:46 PM - Edit history (1)

[mr blur]

5. You see, this is just ignorance and stupidity -

Last edited Wed Feb 11, 2015, 09:39 AM - Edit history (1)

I don't care how humble and wise this clown appears to be, anyone who doesn't just laugh at such superstitious drivel is just as guilty of being deluded and backward as Awesome 1st is.

There is no - I repeat, no - justification at all for treating the RCC with anything but scorn and disgust, and this ridiculous little man with more of the same.

[p style= text-align:center;color:#005ebc;](note for jury: this is an opinion, posted in a safe haven, between like-minded people, all adults. Please consider that anyone alerting on this was likely looking for something to be 'offended' by).

[trotsky]

6. Well, considering that anytime a prominent atheist criticizes this kind of belief...

they are chided and attacked for not confronting "sophisticated, modern theology", it makes you wonder when those same attackers are going to go after the pope.

I'm not going to hold my breath.

[RussBLib]

10. you got it

Laughing at these comments was indeed my first reaction. Geez, ever heard of personal responsibility, Frankie?

Here you have "the leader" of the RCC excusing the actions of humanity making war over the centuries as simply the machinations of a malevolent being, e.g. the devil. No human individuals bear any responsibility or culpability, because we are all just pawns in this cosmic farce.

"The devil made me do it" is such a stupid cliche, but Frankie pulls it out again. It's not anger, or the lust for power or land that causes war: it's the devil. It's not revenge for perceived slights, it's the devil. It's not the acts of a lunatic, it's the devil.

It's consistent with their narrative, but it's an exceedingly ignorant and insulting narrative.

[skepticscott]

17. But...but....SOUP KITCHENS!!

In reality, it's very sad that some people over in Religion can talk themselves into a favorable view of this guy. Apparently they are so desperate to defend and legitimize religion in any form that they think a worldwide campaign of sexism, homophobic bigotry and propagation of poverty is somehow outweighed by a few feel-goody platitudes that any decent human being should adhere to.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. I am so envious of such convenient thinking, that I want to fight.

[JNelson6563]

8. What nonsense!

It's beyond that, it's madness!

Julie

[edhopper]

9. Are we allowed

to mock such a silly belief?

[Curmudgeoness]

11. That depends.

If you are here in A&A, it is required. But if you are in other groups, you are not allowed to mock anything that is someone's revered personal religious belief. You know, when in Rome......

[trotsky]

15. You're not allowed to mock anything...

unless it's Mormonism. Then you can post about how you "laughed" at their holy text on a road trip.

Or Scientology. Mock away.

Pastafarianism can of course be ruthlessly attacked because it's "made up", unlike other religions.

And so on.

[onager]

18. And of course, that tiny minority of Fundamentalist Assholes...

Found in <2 minutes on Google...

Evangelical Churches Still Growing, Mainline Protestantism In Decline
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/report-us-churches-contin_n_823701.html

Why IS liberal Protestantism dying, anyway?
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/scienceonreligion/2013/07/why-is-liberal-protestantism-dying-anyway/

Religion Census: Increase in Evangelicals, Mormons, Muslims; Decrease in Catholics, Mainline Protestants
http://www.christianpost.com/news/religion-census-increase-in-evangelicals-mormons-muslims-decrease-in-catholics-mainline-protestants-74207/

Decline in US mainline denominations continues
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/decline.in.us.mainline.denominations.continues/25305.htm

Evangelicals challenge Catholic Church's dominance in Brazil
https://www.minnpost.com/global-post/2013/03/evangelicals-challenge-catholic-churchs-dominance-brazil

[Warren Stupidity]

22. Offer up a pastafarian prayer in the "all are welcome" prayer group and get your ass

booted the fuck out, 'cause its made up, unlike the zombie god.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Hater! Bigot!

[edhopper]

14. To paraphrase

The church's greatest trick was to convince people that the devil exists.

[edgineered]

16. To shun is part of being a non-theist.

Who ever heard of a religious group doing such things?

... their children do not speak to each other, or with the wife of a son…And so this jealousy and envy ...

[onager]

19. Wonder who the Pope would agree with...

...in this dialogue. From Robert Bolt's play/movie "A Man for All Seasons," about devout Catholic Thomas More:

William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!

Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

Oh wait, no need to wonder. We already know the churches are constantly working to replace "Man's laws" with "God's." Whether they're interfering with women's health care, fighting civil laws on marriage equality, pushing for blasphemy laws to keep their precious deity from being offended, or evading taxes.

[LiberalAndProud]

20. Did somebody say devil?

[trotsky]

21. Aieee!

[Fix The Stupid]

23. That guy is actually serious? He thinks they "sold" their souls to the devil?

He can't distinguish between jesting and serious conversation?

That's scary.

And anyway, all the best musicians sold out to the 'devil' a long time ago...

Robert Johnson's "Dust my Broom"? or "Crossroad blues" - freaking amazing tunes...

That dude has to be a poe...

[LiberalAndProud]

26. I think he has convinced himself.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK95UP-hLxoemJTcRma8AVA

He's ready for the rapture. Strange. I think it's much the same mindset required to believe every CT ever proposed by anybody.

[Lordquinton]

24. This is a translation

You have to read it in the original Klingon.

[Warren Stupidity]

25. Uranus variety?

[Lordquinton]

27. Static

[AlbertCat]

28. Whew!

That lets me off the hook!