Was this guy a heretic or a radical visionary like Jesus?

[Selatius]

Theologian Criticized by Vatican Dies



Sat Jan 1, 3:08 PM ET Europe - AP

ROME - The Rev. Jacques Dupuis, a Belgian theologian whose book on religious plurality exploring salvation through non-Christian faiths was attacked by the Vatican (news - web sites), has died in Rome. He was 81.

...

The theologian's work on pluralism drew the ire of the Vatican at a time when it was underlining the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church over other religions.

Asked what his ideas were, Dupuis said, "For me Jesus Christ is the universal savior, but at the same time I believe that in the divine plan the other religious traditions of the world have a positive contribution to make to humanity."

His book "Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism," first published in 1997, sought to reconcile the doctrine that only Christ brings salvation for mankind with pluralism that sees the possibility of salvation through other religons.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's guardian of orthodoxy, launched an investigation into the book — a sign that the Vatican was concerned he was suggesting one religion could be as good as another

Article found http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050101/ap_on_re_eu/obit_dupuis">here.

The article goes on to say that he was forced into silence, while his ideas were attacked. He eventually signed a statement that said he'd insert Vatican criticisms into his book in exchange for escaping sanctions against him. It almost sounds like Galileo, no?

Once again, it's the Catholic Church declaring that it's way is the only way. All others are not worth saving.

[neweurope]

1. It‘s similiar with the German catholic theologian Hans Küng.

1979 the Vatican declared that Küng could no longer be a catholic theologian, shortly afterwards he was forbidden to teach church matters.

Küng initiated and presides over the "Foundation Word Ethics" and largely responsible for the „Declaration of World Ethics“ by the Parliament of World Religions (Chicago 1993).

2001 he got the Planetary Consciousness Prize which the Club of Budapest gives to persons who live exemplarily in the conscience of global responsibility.

Küng:
„My vision for the 21rst century focuses the unity of (christian) churches, the peace of religions and the community of nations....
- No peace between nations without peace between religions
- No peace between religions without dialogue between religions
- No dialogue between religions without basic work within the religions
- therefore not confrontation of cultures but cooperation of cultures.

...A new communion of nations can only be founded on a new world justice: "e have to create new and more just structures of World economics."

For this he was forbidden to teach by the Vatican. Fundamentalists everywhere. I think our only hope is work in Küng's intention.

[bobbieinok]

3. wasn't he attacked because of his book questioning papal infallibility??

for those interested in philosophy and theology, his book Existiert Gott? (Does God Exist?) has some of the best summaries of Kant, et al

sure wish this book had been around when I was in grad school

[Selatius]

4. He wouldn't be the first to question papal infallibility

Too bad the Catholic Church is still hasn't gotten the memo after, oh, several centuries.

[ixion]

2. S.O.P for the catholic mafia

Having grown up in a catholic household I had the happiness of seeing this first hand.

It's not about the substance. It's about the brand.

:eyes: