Pope Criticizes Atheism in Encyclical

Pope Criticizes Atheism in Encyclical

www.breitbart.com

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI strongly criticized atheism in a major document released Friday, saying it had led to some of the "greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice" ever known.
In his second encyclical, Benedict also critically questioned modern Christianity, saying its focus on individual salvation had ignored Jesus' message that true Christian hope involves salvation for all.

The document, titled "Saved by Hope," is a deeply theological exploration of Christian hope: that in the suffering and misery of daily life, Christianity provides the faithful with a "journey of hope" to the Kingdom of God

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I suppose this post might rub some the wrong way, but what is this guy smoking? A short list that comes to mind without even trying...

Religiously motivated murder:
Persecution of the early Christians by Roman Empire
Jewish pogroms in Europe(several hundred thousand?)
Jewish Holocaust of 6 million by Christian Nazis
Islamic forced conversion of the middle east Christians
The Crusades
Spanish Inquisition
The expulsion/forced conversion of Muslims in Spain and Europe by Christians
Murder of Cathars in France by Catholic Church
Decimation of the Native Americans by Christian invaders(justified as they were "heathens"); millions died here
Decimation of Australian Aborigineal people(same reason) more millions
Salem Witch Trials, Salem, MA
The murder of 3 million Iraqi citizens by US forces in a failed attempt to convert the middle east to democracy(code word for Christian). OK, maybe a stretch...but have fun with it.


on the Atheists side, to be fair:

murder of a few priests and nuns during USSR/European/Cuban communist revolutions(for political activity, not for their religion)

Yes, there have been murderous acts by atheists, but not directed at people because of their religion. Usually it is because those people are using their religion as a cover for antigovernment activities. An example is the recent unrest in Burma and the Chinese persecution of the Tibetan Buddhists.

On the whole, I would estimate that the religions of the world have murdered far more than the atheists for purely religious reasons. Feel free to respond....I am wearing an asbestos pantsuit, LOL






www.breitbart.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 1-12-2007 by j_kalin]

I could swear there's already a thread about this somewhere, which was posted within the last week or so. I remember posting in it.

Pope - Encyclical

Still driving the wedge of divinity between the religious and the non believers, I see. Men of all walks don't quite seem to take all the other variables of "cruelty and violations of justice" into account. The Pope has no bearing on the way I live my life or the way I view the religious. I just think it's a failed attempt to touch a nerve with everyone involved. Though, it seems this same type of rhetoric is increasingly falling on deaf ears.

Very christian of him. 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone'? Seems this ex-nazi pope needs to study his bible a little closer.