Update: Never mind. Weirdness today is that Kim Davis, a woman who is NOT Catholic, beat feet to go meet the pope and get some rosaries from him. Further, the pope asked that the meeting be kept secret . Of course he IS principally a politician, but what else is he keeping secret?
There is an absolutely wrong proposition that some people have, that atheists are not good or ethical people, which is nonsense.Today, in listening to the pope Francis speaking before Congress, I found the values he espoused to be MY values and it was absolutely refreshing to hear someone in power saying what I think AND in a position where Congress had to listen. Now, was it at all appropriate that a religious figure was given the stand to school Congress AS IF he was over them? I don't think so. Should every religious charletan be invited to use Congress as a church? Nope, this country was founded on the principles of separation of church and state. Since he was going to be there, however, I listened to his speech to see why Republicans seem to hate the guy for his positions. Here's one part.
Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.
and another
In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present. Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.
Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12).
This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.
The pope is not elevated above any other politician (and politician he is) in this country. In the same way that there are political parties, flawed, hypocritical political parties where the elected can be crooks, same thing with religion. Does that mean that if I hear someone in power say something that I agree with from a value level that I'm not supposed to say anything or appreciate it simply because I don't believe that anyone's power or authority derives from god(s)? Of course not.
Anyway, I"m just saying I have ethics and, even if the pope is a member of the catholic church, which i have zero respect for, I do like that SOMEBODY in power gets air time and I agree with them about a lot of stuff. It's affirming, even if I'm not running out after to buy a case of snake oil.
