The Pope's Encyclical - coming to a Thursday near you...

originally posted by: Ignatian
FF.....The world is NOT overpopulated, and contraception is inherently evil. A tool of Satan. Don't believe everything you read. The secular world is full of lies.

The world IS overpopulated and contraception isn't evil, it's common sense.
Sorry, but I know all the Catholic teaching on this and I know the science as well.
The Catholic teaching on this is a Bronze Age 'war by womb' mentality.
ATS Thread - Outbreeding the Enemy


If the pope really wants to help the world ecologically speaking ... he'll work on changing church teaching on birth control. Instead of talking about redistributing wealth and doing a political smack down on the West ... he'll work within the confines of his own sandbox. That's where he can do the most good.

a reply to: FlyersFan

a reply to: Kali74
I hope that reply to both of you works :-)

Since I'm not Catholic, or religious - and I'm not even close to being a religious scholar - I can't really talk about what all goes into being pope. I don't know how this pope might be different from previous popes, what's acceptable - whats over the line - etc...

My sense of all this is that Francis is a man that is an activist. He is shrewd. Bold - even courageous. Even I know that he can't arrive on the scene and rearrange centuries of teaching and belief in a few years - no matter what he personally believes

So Kali and Flyers - I agree - he's the head of the Catholic church - there's only a certain amount that he can tackle - but this is for all of us. Somewhere yesterday when I was reading I found a statement that said he wants this encyclical to be for everyone - Catholics and non-Catholics

Based on a few things he's said and done here and there I don't think it's too difficult to see which way he leans. Obviously - this is going to be a problem for some. Who knows what he might tackle given enough time. I admire him so much for just this - because this has to come first

He's not (from what I've been reading) just taking on climate issues, but the issues that make it possible for some to ride roughshod over an entire planet

Pope Francis to Explore Climate’s Effect on World’s Poor

Partha Dasgupta, a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences who helped organize the symposium, said many scientists — having dedicated their careers to raising awareness and trying to influence policy — were perplexed at the seeming lack of broad political response. Mr. Dasgupta, an agnostic, said he hoped that Francis could capture public attention by speaking in the language of faith.

“The pope has moral authority,” said Mr. Dasgupta, a prominent expert on development economics and climate change. “It could change the game in a fundamental way.”

I don't know how much of an effect this will have. It seems to me that right now, at this particular point in history - first thing's first - and this should come first

I'm curious who or what they are going to fight. The corporations that are creating the problem or the people who are leeching from the corporations and perpetuating the problem..

originally posted by: AVoiceOfReason
I'm curious who or what they are going to fight. The corporations that are creating the problem or the people who are leeching from the corporations and perpetuating the problem..

Actually, I wondered about the same thing. Curious as to what percentage of Congress is Catholic, I found this:

Catholics will once again be over-represented among Washington, DC, lawmakers compared to the general population when the 114th Congress is sworn in Tuesday.

Nearly 31 percent of the incoming Congress identifies as Roman Catholic, compared to 22 percent of the overall population, according to Pew Research’s Religion and Public Life Project. Protestants also are over-represented, making up 57 percent of Congress vs. 49 percent of the population.

www.cruxnow.com...

Including both Pelosi and Bohner. I was surprised at the high number.

I wonder if they will take the Pope's views to heart, or if Congress is indeed being paid for votes by the very ones who are creating most of the problems.

Then of course there is China, perhaps the biggest offender. I've seen no evidence that they listen to anybody. Money talks, as they say.

I, too, in any case, will try to remain hopeful.

So here it is...
Encyclical

I haven't had time to read it all to be honest.
But I was hoping Jesus Himself would have stepped in and teamed up with Francis to kick some ass, like in the video you posted. Talk about false advertising, lol
But would the Republicans take it seriously even then?

a reply to: athousandlives

Thank you!

Got busy in another thread on the same subject and forgot my own...typical

here's one I've been following - for reactions:
The pope's encyclical on climate change – as it happened

originally posted by: Spiramirabilis
Or - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

For some, this is a long time coming

The most anticipated papal letter for decades will be published in five languages on Thursday. It will call for an end to the ‘tyrannical’ exploitation of nature by mankind. Could it lead to a step-change in the battle against global warming?

However, it is certain to anger sections of Republican opinion in America by endorsing the warnings of climate scientists and admonishing rich elites, say cardinals and scientists who have advised the Vatican.

But then again, for others - a kind of slow motion horror story guaranteed to make some pee their pants

In an unprecedented encyclical on the subject of the environment, the pontiff is expected to argue that humanity’s exploitation of the planet’s resources has crossed the Earth’s natural boundaries, and that the world faces ruin without a revolution in hearts and minds. The much-anticipated message, which will be sent to the world’s 5,000 Catholic bishops, will be published online in five languages on Thursday and is expected to be the most radical statement yet from the outspoken pontiff.

I'm not Catholic, and I can't possibly agree with Francis on everything - but I am definitely feeling the love. What an ally this planet potentially has in il Papa. Though, I'm sure there are many that disagree...

That's why this thread :-)

What do you think kids? Friend or foe? Game changer - or same ole same ole?

So, while you are "feeling the love" on this encyclical, care to comment on the anti-abortion aspect of it?

a reply to: NavyDoc

Not sure what you're looking for Doc :-)

I'm pro-choice - all the way . The Pope? Not so much:

“In the face of the so-called culture of death, the family is the heart of the culture of life.” And, “Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion.”

I would expect nothing less from His Holiness

I'm not sure exactly where you stand on this - if you've said someplace else here at ATS I don't know. You must realize I'm leftier leaning, and you probably by now also know that I'm a feminist

I think the mistake we all make sometimes is that we turn those labels into a kind of easily understood cartoon. I think that you might think I must be militant about certain things. Do you want (maybe) to force some kind of admission from me over this? Or to prove that I'm disingenuous - hypocritical - naive? I'm not sure - maybe I have you wrong

Like I said: I'm pro-choice. Choice being the most important part of that. The Pope - and Catholics - see life as sacred. Without exception. Don't mistake my support for freedom of choice as a callous disregard for human life, although the Pope most certainly would. I know he would - and I can't hold it against him. Try as I might

What to do?

When Francis says: Christians have misinterpreted Scripture and “must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.”

This really resonates with me. Don't know how much of it you've read. It's very beautiful. I'm an atheist, so...not sure where to go with much of it, and yet:

The Catholic Church is open to dialogue with philosophical thought; this has enabled her to produce various syntheses between faith and reason. The development of the Church’s social teaching represents such a synthesis with regard to social issues; this teaching is called to be enriched by taking up new challenges.

So, my comment on the abortion part of this encyclical? I think that we need to ensure that our planet can support mankind long enough for us to work out our differences

Yes - I honestly feel that strongly about our responsibility in all this. Desperate times. Don't know if that's what you're looking for - if not, kindly ask me more specific questions

:-)

Source: Catholic Answers via Catholic Exchange: "Pope Francis's Environmental Encyclical, 13 Things To Know And Share"

10) Does this mean Catholics are obliged to believe in man made global warming?
Answer: No

13) Does the pope say things that are critical of the standard secular environmentalism that is popular in the media?
Answer: Yes, among other things, he rejects approaches that:
- Treat mankind as if it is fundamentally
harmful to the environment.
- Fail to take into account human needs,
especially of the poor.
- Blame the world's environmental
problems on population growth.
- Seek to justify abortion on environmental
grounds.


This encyclical is a beautiful read. God Bless our Holy Father.

a reply to: Spiramirabilis