Heres one for the 'no shit' category

[DKSuddeth]

msnbc link

Pope worries about 'soulless' life in America
Says U.S. in danger of favoring materialistic desires over spirituality

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II warned several U.S. bishops Friday that American society is in danger of turning against spirituality in favor of materialistic desires, giving way to a “soulless vision of life.”

To fight this, the pontiff argued, the U.S. church must study contemporary culture to find a way to appeal to youths. He made his remarks to bishops from Indianapolis, Chicago and Milwaukee who were making a periodic visit to the Vatican.

The American church “is called to respond to the profound religious needs and aspirations of a society increasingly in danger of forgetting its spiritual roots and yielding to a purely materialistic and soulless vision of the world,” John Paul said.

“Taking up this challenge, however, will require a realistic and comprehensive reading of the 'signs of the times,' in order to develop a persuasive presentation of the Catholic faith and prepare young people especially to dialogue with their contemporaries about the Christian message and its relevance to the building of a more just, humane and peaceful world.”

 

[NewGuy]

Part of the reason for him saying this is for the EU fiasco where the catholic church was pushing for a mention of a christian foundation (catholic) in the EU constitution.

Technically, it is still floundering.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by DKSuddeth


VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II warned several U.S. bishops Friday that American society is in danger of turning against spirituality in favor of materialistic desires, giving way to a “soulless vision of life.”

Good thread title, DK. I mean, no shit Sherlock? I was but a child when the 80's began but this was a decade certainly marked by excess.

This seems like sort of an obvious result of a government that is not a theocracy or totalitarian, capitalism as an economic system, and plenty of American dreamers...

I wish that his call for a "comprehensive reading of the 'signs of the times'" was undertaken by the GOP prior to the Iraqi invasion...


What do you all think would help the US, in general, better balance our spiritual and materialistic desires?

 

[KLSuddeth]

The American church “is called to respond to the profound religious needs and aspirations of a society increasingly in danger of forgetting its spiritual roots and yielding to a purely materialistic and soulless vision of the world,” John Paul said.

Ya think??? Hell, I say this all the time and no one listens

 

[Zhukov]

www.getanf'ingcluejohnnyboy.com

Zhukov worries about 'spineless' attitude in Vatican
Says Vatican in danger of becoming irrelevant

CLEVELAND - Zhukov warned the Pope Friday that Catholicism is in danger of becoming irrelevant if it can no longer recognize the inescapable reality of the need to battle evil in this world.

He also mentioned if you think God is talking to you, you're probably a schizoid.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

excess is relative. This sort of talk is the precursor to socialist crap. Stay tuned, more to come, and if the bible is right, keep eyes open for the birth of new (old)religion, communism.

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
excess is relative. This sort of talk is the precursor to socialist crap. Stay tuned, more to come, and if the bible is right, keep eyes open for the birth of new (old)religion, communism.

I don't recall communism being the religion.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by NewGuy
I don't recall communism being the religion.

But it is a religion. It must claim ultmate supernatural authority to deny the existence of god. Maybe they will do a slightly new version, but it will be a humanistic system based around communist principles. What else would people living in the biblical age have called communism?

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
But it is a religion. It must claim ultmate supernatural authority to deny the existence of god. Maybe they will do a slightly new version, but it will be a humanistic system based around communist principles. What else would people living in the biblical age have called communism?

Considering the religion takes on the policy of beheading and is also associated with having been parallel to Christianity, been around since the roman days, and all of the references with the woman riding the beast, I would assume it NOT communism, but catholocism and islam together.

I think the religion is predominantly catholocism as made clear by scripture and incorporates islamic law to add the function of religious intollerance toward true non-ritualistic Christians and beheading.

Socialism is just the mechanism to allow the one-world machine to exist politically. -Not religiously.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by NewGuy
Considering the religion takes on the policy of beheading and is also associated with having been parallel to Christianity, been around since the roman days, and all of the references with the woman riding the beast, I would assume it NOT communism, but catholocism and islam together.

I think the religion is predominantly catholocism as made clear by scripture and incorporates islamic law to add the function of religious intollerance toward true non-ritualistic Christians and beheading.

Socialism is just the mechanism to allow the one-world machine to exist politically. -Not religiously.

Yes, a sick hybrid formed out of the hell fires of political triangulation; that sounds righter.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by NewGuy
Considering the religion takes on the policy of beheading and is also associated with having been parallel to Christianity, been around since the roman days, and all of the references with the woman riding the beast, I would assume it NOT communism, but catholocism and islam together.

I think the religion is predominantly catholocism as made clear by scripture and incorporates islamic law to add the function of religious intollerance toward true non-ritualistic Christians and beheading.

Socialism is just the mechanism to allow the one-world machine to exist politically. -Not religiously.

That's fucked up.

 

[Zhukov]

Jesus was in many respects a communist.

It is true however that communism, as it is commonly practiced, seeks to supplant God with the State.

Would worshipping the State be religious?

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by Zhukov
Jesus was in many respects a communist.

It is true however that communism, as it is commonly practiced, seeks to supplant God with the State.

Would worshipping the State be religious?

I would suppose anything, when being the focus or center of attention, would be considered a religion when dealt with in a ritualistic way.

People are religious about politics.
People are religious about keeping themselves clean.
People are religious about geting to work everyday.

That is why Christianity cannot be a religion, but is a faith.

It is also why the end times one-world religion is NOT a faith, it is simply a ritualistic practice attempting to make something into a diety which it is not.

-Like the tower of Babel, another feeble attempt for man to reach God instead of letting God reach man.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Do you have more on the muslim/catholic hybrid endtime faith? This is fascinating.

 

[JohnGalt]

My history is a little rusty, but in India during the reign of the Mughal empire, wasn't the state religion an official mix of both Hinduism and Buddhism? Wasn't that also one of the largest causes of the fall of the Mughal Empire? I mean, aside from being attacked by the Ottoman's.

 

[acludem]

The Mohgul empire fell because it's leaders fought amongst themselves. That I know of, Buddhism and/or Hinduism were not part of the Mohgul (Mongolian) empire. The Mohguls tended to be absorbed into whatever culture existed in the area. This happened in China and in India.

acludem

 

[JohnGalt]

Same Mughal? The Mughal empire that was one of the three great Islamic empires (Saffavid, Ottoman, and Mughal) and I didn't mean the Mongols. The Mughal took control of what was the former Delphi Sultanate, transforming it into a "gun-powder nation."

 

[Avatar4321]

Crazy idea, if you want to spark spirituality in people, teach them the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People dont want to see churches trying to manipulate the popular culture to promote spirituality. You cant serve God and Mammon. If you want to bring people closer to God, teach the truth by the Spirit. Because if you use some other way, its not of God and will never be spiritual.

 

[Bullypulpit]

Originally posted by NewGuy
I don't recall communism being the religion.

The state replaces the godhead. That's also why communist regimes have a tendency to suppress religion...it is just another competitor in the power game.

 

[Bullypulpit]

Originally posted by Avatar4321
Crazy idea, if you want to spark spirituality in people, teach them the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People dont want to see churches trying to manipulate the popular culture to promote spirituality. You cant serve God and Mammon. If you want to bring people closer to God, teach the truth by the Spirit. Because if you use some other way, its not of God and will never be spiritual.

It is possible to lead the "good life" while maintaining and nourishing one's spiritual side. The key lies in understanding that "All this is empty." Not empty as in having no existence, but empty as in having no permanent, eternal existence. With this understanding of the truly ephemeral nature af everything we see around us, we can relinquish our grasping after those things, we can have those things with the understanding that they, and we, too shall pass. We can enjoy those good things which come into our life, and whenit is time for them to pass away, or move on ,we can let them go with no fear or anxiety.

It is this fear and anxiety over the loss of those things we hold dear...our loved ones, the material things we have, our lives...that leads us to cling so desperately to them, and it is this clinging and fear of loss that leaves us feeling empty, wondering, "Is this all? Isn't there more?".