BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Polish Culture Your thoughts about cardinal Ratzinger being pope?

Yes, we do live in interesting and also dangerous times, if you ask me. In fact, it seems like we're going backwards in time. I liked Ratzinger until I heard this past weekend that the US evangelicals also like him very much--too much. Currently there's much too much mixing of religion and government for my liking. Matters of church and state should always be separate for the good of both.

You will probably see exodus of those Catholic who take what they want and leave the rest............but also a return from those that need dogma carved in stone,tired of the wishy washy "whose on first" dogma. Making up only 6% of worlds Catholics - I think America could drop off the map and not really make a big difference to the Catholic church.

From what I observed during the death of John Paul and now the doings for the new Pope - I'm betting that Benedict will continue to make a stand as in the past, but not as a front line heavy hitter......now he's working at the CEO top level and will change his tactics......however, some folks will go away angry, picking up their toys and going home - others will do their homework, and find that his teaching are the teachings for the last 2000 years...and will obey.

American Catholics may make up a small percentage of world Catholics, but don't fool yourself into thinking that they don't carry a tremendous clout. An i'm not just talking financially, although i doubt if the Vatican would meet their budget without it.
In so far as " picking up their toys and going home", lets take a look at Humanae Vitae ( the ban against birth control ). 90% of Catholics ( and a good percentage of the rest of the worlds Catholics ) ignored the Vatican teaching. What the Church apparentaly had not learned yet is that Catholics are not uneducated peasants anymore. They disagreed by not paying attention to the edict. They have gone on with their spirtual life and ignored its Churche's teaching.Its not an issue with them anymore, even though many say its the worst Vatican decision in this century. And one more thing. They haven't taken their toys and gone home. They stayed with the Church and tried to make it better and more inclusive. They are not going away and the Church cannot afford to let them go away. They picked up their toys and they are staying put!

Hey guys....lily here!

In so far as " picking up their toys and going home", lets take a look at Humanae Vitae ( the ban against birth control ). 90% of Catholics ( and a good percentage of the rest of the worlds Catholics ) ignored the Vatican teaching.*****WRONG PERCENTAGE....MORE LIKE 45% IN THIS COUNTRY AND GOING DOWN AS THE NEXT GENERATION IS GETTING THEIR ACT TOGETHER. What the Church apparentaly had not learned yet is that Catholics are not uneducated peasants anymore.******MAYBE NOT UNEDUCATED AS FAR AS WORLDLY WAYS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MORTAL SIN AND THEIR RESPECTIVE ETERNITY......VERY UNEDUCATED. - They disagreed by not paying attention to the edict.*****THAT'S OK, ...HISTORICALLY THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE DAY ONE - AND IN FACT, THERE IS A RESULT THAT WILL HAPPEN, EITHER HERE OR THE NEXT PLACE. DOESN'T REALLY MATTER IF THEY AGREE OR NOT, THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE......... They have gone on with their spirtual life and ignored its Churche's teaching.****THEY HAVE GONE ON WITH THEIR LIVES, BUT NOT THEIR SPIRITUAL LIVES, AND IN FACT, THEY HAVE SEPERATED THEMSELVES FROM GOD. AGAIN, IT'S OK, GOD LOVES THEM, WE LOVE THEM, AND CONTINUE TO LOVE THEM EVEN IN THE STATE OF MORTAL SIN THEY ARE LIVING. THEY DON'T LAY DOWN THE LAW - ALL THEY DO IS TAKE WHAT THEY WANT, CALL THEMSELVES CATHOLIC, AND LEAVE THE REST. DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY IN THE END - AND GOD WILL HAVE THE FINAL SAY. Its not an issue with them anymore, even though many say its the worst Vatican decision in this century.****MANY CATHOLICS SAY - AND HAVE ALWAYS SAID - BLAH BLAH BLAH, BUT IN THE END, GOD WILL SORT THEM ALL OUT. And one more thing. They haven't taken their toys and gone home. They stayed with the Church and tried to make it better and more inclusive.*****AND THEY HAVEN'T, ... AND BECAUSE OF THEIR DISOBEDIENCE, WE PAY THE PRICE, AND AGAIN, IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT FROM DAY ONE. They are not going away and the Church cannot afford to let them go away. They picked up their toys and they are staying put! ****UNTIL A CRASH - WHICH TRADITIONALLY HAPPENS - SORT OF A SPIKE THAT GOD SENDS ALONG TO HUMBLE US TO REALIZE WE REALLY ARE NOT IN CONTROL AT ALL - WE MAY THINK WE ARE - WE MAY LOOK LIKE WE ARE DURING OUR GENERATION - BUT KINGS AND KINGDOMS ALL PASS AWAY.........BUT THE WORD OF GOD REMAINS INTACT. I REALLY FEEL THAT THIS POPE WILL 'TAKE ON' THE CHALLENGE OF ISLAM - BUT HE WILL ALSO GIVE THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC A SOLID FOOTHOLD, NO MORE HANKY PANKY TAKE WHAT YOU WANT AND LEAVE THE REST. HE WILL - AS HE HAS FOR OVER 25 YEARS - SAY IT LIKE IT IS........LIKE IT OR NOT...........TAKE YOUR TOYS AND LEAVE, OR STAY..........BUT HERE'S THE WAY IT IS, FROM THE VICAR FOR CHRIST! ****IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT, THEN THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT A PRACTICING CATHOLIC ANYWAY.
AS FAR AS THE EVANGELICALS LIKING HIM - THAT'S A GOOD SIGN!
IT MEANS WHAT IT MEANT WHEN FOR THE FIRST 30 YEARS MOST OF THE PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS WERE FOR ABORTION. HERE IN FLORIDA THE BAPTISTS WERE REALLY FOR IT - NOT TOTALLY AGAINST. I THINK THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS - JEWISH - ISLAM - AND THE OTHER FAITHS.........GOT A GOOD LOOK INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, AND MANY 'OPINIONS AND FAULTY BLAH BLAH' WERE CLEARED UP.

AS FAR AS THE SOUTH AMERICAN OR AFRICAN POPE - I THINK THAT IS COMING.........NOT TIME YET.......RATZINGER WILL KEEP THINGS RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND CARRY ON WITH POPE JOHN PAUL ll's WORK.

AS FAR AS JUDGING - LET'S LEAVE THIS TO GOD - HE WILL STRAIGHTEN IT ALL OUT IN THE END ANYWAY. THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS THAT WILL DETERMINE OUR ETERNITY ANYWAY, ABORTION IS ONLY ONE ISSUE..............

GOD BLESS YOU

lily

Post Extras

Only 45% of Catholics disagree with Humanae Vitae? Gee i wish i could take a poll of people who post postings on this web site, but its kind of a personel question so i'll leave it at that , but i think this 45% business is absolutely rediculious.
In so far as us birth controllers going to hell, i can only quote a priest from the 1968 humane vitae commision ( who by the way voted 35 to 5 to liberalize the birth control edict )when he said. " If we liberalize birth control, what are we going to say to the millions of souls who we already sent to hell? A woman on the commision replyed, " Maybe God didn't pay attention to you". Common Lily, do you really believe that God will send us birth controllers to hell? I suppose a good number of priests, Bishops and Cardinals will also be going there, because a good many of them also believe Humanae Vitae is WRONG!
But don't worry the Church may change. Afterall, the Church at one time believed that slavery was morally acceptable. They also believed that usary ( borrowing money at intrest rates was a moral sin ) . They also believed that sexual intercourse within marriage should only used to create a child. So you see Lily, the Church has changed during the course in time. Hopefully this will happen again. I'm sure it will, but not in our lifetime. Don't forget, it took the Church 450 years to apologize to Galleallo ( spelling? )for stating that the earth evolves aroung the sun and not visa versa. So you see Lily, these changes may take a while.