Papabile: Papal predictions thread

[Admiral Yi]

Praying is dialogue directed at God.  You can't pray unless you believe God exists.

[Valmy]

God no wonder we have crazy protestant fundies here in the US. Catholic Church sounds worse than Church of England/Unitarians as at least those latter two groups are a bit more honest with their charade.

Disagreeing with protestant fundies' views on religion does not mean you are a charade.  Man they have brainwashed everybody, it drives me nuts.

[alfred russel]

Francis is taking the job at the right time, if he wants to take advantage. He has the opportunity to keep opposition to abortion, women from any kind of leadership position, and opposition to same sex marriage, but still come across as a major progressive reformer.

[Valmy]

Praying is dialogue directed at God.  You can't pray unless you believe God exists.

So all those Catholics praying for intercession from a Saint aren't doing it right?

[Eddie Teach]

Marti lacks the courage of his convictions.

He's a lawyer, he has no convictions.


(wonder if BB can resist making the obvious pun  )

[Admiral Yi]

So all those Catholics praying for intercession from a Saint aren't doing it right?

You're splitting hairs.

[garbon]

God no wonder we have crazy protestant fundies here in the US. Catholic Church sounds worse than Church of England/Unitarians as at least those latter two groups are a bit more honest with their charade.

Disagreeing with protestant fundies' views on religion does not mean you are a charade.  Man they have brainwashed everybody, it drives me nuts.

I think it is a charade if you don't believe in the god that is a significant part of your holy trinity.

[Neil]

This shouldn't really be an issue anyway, because Law should be in prison in the United States.

Yeah. Boohoo, the Pope gives cold shoulder to a criminal who has a cushion retirement in the church.

The low standards the catholic church is measured against over these things reminds me of an old joke about why Stalin is the most charitable man in the world for giving a candy bar to a starving kid who asked for food - because he could have ordered the kid executed instead.

So... raping children is good, but covering it up is bad?

You're a weird dude.

[Valmy]

So all those Catholics praying for intercession from a Saint aren't doing it right?

You're splitting hairs.

Not really.  Buddhists also pray and a god is not always a part of their religion.  Besides that is ridiculous, obviously you can pray regardless of what you believe.  You just sit down and start praying.  What you believe about your prayers is a separate issue.

[garbon]

So all those Catholics praying for intercession from a Saint aren't doing it right?

You're splitting hairs.

Not really.  Buddhists also pray and a god is not always a part of their religion.  Besides that is ridiculous, obviously you can pray regardless of what you believe.  You just sit down and start praying.  What you believe about your prayers is a separate issue.

I think it sounds like an odd practice to say "I'm a Christian but I don't believe in God".

[Admiral Yi]

Not really.  Buddhists also pray and a god is not always a part of their religion. 

Minayana Buddhists don't pray, they chant while meditating.  Hinayana Buddhists do pray because they've deified Buddha. it might be the other way around.

Besides that is ridiculous, obviously you can pray regardless of what you believe.  You just sit down and start praying.  What you believe about your prayers is a separate issue.

Not much that I can respond to here.

[Martinus]

Prayer in Catholicism can be a form of meditation - just ask Jesuits.

[Admiral Yi]

I'm willing to bet I'm the only one here who's ever smoked ganja with a Jesuit. 

[Valmy]

Minayana Buddhists don't pray, they chant while meditating.  Hinayana Buddhists do pray because they've deified Buddha. it might be the other way around.

Fairly often I hear prayer referred to as a form of meditation

For me personally it is a practice of gratitude, I thank God for everything that is good in my life.  The fact I do not really care whether or not God exists has never even occured to me as an issue actually.  As far as I am concerned I am good either way.  If I did the exact same thing but felt that faith in the existance of God was really important and did indeed aspire to that faith would that actually change what it is I am doing?  The whole grace and blessing part of it feels pretty real on a spiritual level.

[Valmy]

Not much that I can respond to here.

Sorry I guess I was having a hard time wrapping my head around valid and non-valid prayer.  I mean that concept certainly exists inside certain theological frameworks but outside?  I probably could have stated that better.