Fast track to Sainthood?

[Rocker5150]

The new Pope has decided to waive the five-year waiting period for beautification procedures involving the Sainthood of John Paul II. Now they have to confirm two 'miracles'. I'm sure it will be a grueling process just like for Mother Theresa!

So what is a miracle? Monsignor Gianfranco Bella said of John Paul, ''Certainly he had many gifts, and touched so many people....Even the conversion of one person is a miracle.''

Huh?? That really is some miraculous feat!

If the topic isn't ridiculous enough, Vatican procedures say a miracle must have occurred after death for it to be considered. What?! They not only will manufacture false miracles, but they are going to claim John Paul performed them from beyond the grave? How can people born after the middle ages fall for such made-up foolishness? How can the church even speak such nonsense and not turn red from embarrassment? It's almost sad to think of the masses of stupid people that truly believe this tripe.

The entire planet should be pointing and laughing at this idiocy!


-Kevin

[wolveraptor]

And then God said, "Let there be brains!", and there were brains. And God saw brains, but they were not good.

[Dalton]

The entire planet should be pointing and laughing at this idiocy!

No kidding. The Catholic Church is equivalent to the nut standing on the corner with a sign saying "THE END IS NIGH". I can't believe that there is an entire organization of people who decided a class on exorcism was a good idea.

[Drooling Iguana]

And then God said, "Let there be brains!", and there were brains. And God saw brains, but they were not good.

Nah, it was the Serpent that gave us brains, which pissed God off mightily.

[Chmee]

Let him bring forth juniper berries.

[Rocker5150]

"The Catholic Church is equivalent to the nut standing on the corner with a sign saying "THE END IS NIGH"."


Funny you said that. I have a Christian friend (who is big into pseudoscience) that I often debate with who once described me as 'the nut on the corner standing on a box screaming that the world was going to end". It was because I had just happened to watch a show about impacts, and was telling him that there will be another major one sometime in the future. You would have thought it was the 1300's and I was speaking about 'dangerous rocks in the sky'! Maybe if I was predicting the rapture.......


-Kevin

[Molyneux]

The entire planet should be pointing and laughing at this idiocy!

No kidding. The Catholic Church is equivalent to the nut standing on the corner with a sign saying "THE END IS NIGH". I can't believe that there is an entire organization of people who decided a class on exorcism was a good idea.

I dunno...I'd love to take a class like that. Might come in handy, as long as it differentiates between actual alien presences and mental illness or things like that.

Note that I said "might" come in handy. I doubt that there really are demons possessing people, but eh, it pays to hedge your bets.

[mr friendly guy]

The entire planet should be pointing and laughing at this idiocy!

No kidding. The Catholic Church is equivalent to the nut standing on the corner with a sign saying "THE END IS NIGH". I can't believe that there is an entire organization of people who decided a class on exorcism was a good idea.

I dunno...I'd love to take a class like that. Might come in handy, as long as it differentiates between actual alien presences and mental illness or things like that.

Note that I said "might" come in handy. I doubt that there really are demons possessing people, but eh, it pays to hedge your bets.

Such a class might make interesting material for a fantasy / horror novel, other than that I can't really see a use except to aid in indoctrination. The "hedging your bet" mentality is ridiculous in the same way pascal's wager is ridiculous.

[HemlockGrey]

What the fuck? John Paul's been dead for about a month now. He hasn't even finished moving his stuff into his heavenly penthouse. Where the hell is he gonna get the time to perform a miracle?

[Molyneux]

No kidding. The Catholic Church is equivalent to the nut standing on the corner with a sign saying "THE END IS NIGH". I can't believe that there is an entire organization of people who decided a class on exorcism was a good idea.

I dunno...I'd love to take a class like that. Might come in handy, as long as it differentiates between actual alien presences and mental illness or things like that.

Note that I said "might" come in handy. I doubt that there really are demons possessing people, but eh, it pays to hedge your bets.

Such a class might make interesting material for a fantasy / horror novel, other than that I can't really see a use except to aid in indoctrination. The "hedging your bet" mentality is ridiculous in the same way pascal's wager is ridiculous.

I dunno...I just think that there's a significant difference between the choice of whether to believe in a God or not, or the choice of learning to recognize and expel demons or not.

If demons don't exist, then eh, I didn't waste too much effort on the class, and as you said, it'd be useful for writing occult-ish stuff. If demons/dybbuks/supernatural whatevers do exist, then I know how to deal with 'em. S'a win-win situation.

[Drooling Iguana]

I dunno...I just think that there's a significant difference between the choice of whether to believe in a God or not, or the choice of learning to recognize and expel demons or not.

If demons don't exist, then eh, I didn't waste too much effort on the class, and as you said, it'd be useful for writing occult-ish stuff. If demons/dybbuks/supernatural whatevers do exist, then I know how to deal with 'em. S'a win-win situation.

And if demons sis exist, what makes you think that the Catholic Church knows anything about how to deal with them? Learning how to perform exorcisms from the Church could put you at a severe disadvantage, as you'll waste valuble time trying the methods that you've been taught before realising that they're ineffective and starting to devise your own methods.

[Stofsk]

So what is a miracle? Monsignor Gianfranco Bella said of John Paul, ''Certainly he had many gifts, and touched so many people....Even the conversion of one person is a miracle.''

What a cheap shit. Remember when miracles used to mean something? Like, you stabbed yourself in the palms with a rusty nail and the guy next to screamed "STIGMATA!" Or shit, conquering a whole other continent of savages and giving them free bible lessons. Now those were miracles.