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Conservatives’ uneasy relationship with Pope Francis I got even more complicated after he issued his recent apostolic exhortation that criticized the “idolatry of money.” Judge Andrew Napolitano blasted the pope for “attacking free-market capitalism” ( http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/4/napolitano-liberty-the-
wellspring-of-capitalism-an/) Rush Limbaugh accused him of preaching “pure Marxism” ( http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/02/rush-limbaugh-vs-the-pope/) And now, in an op-ed for FoxNews.com, editor Adam Shaw takes things one step further by calling Pope Francis the “Catholic Church’s Obama,” and not in a positive way.

The rest of Shaw’s headline — “God help us” — belies the tone of the article, which warns that the current pope will “prove a disaster for the Catholic Church” just as President Barack Obama “has been a disappointment for America.” He tells his fellow Catholics that “should be suspicious when bastions of anti-Catholicism in the left-wing media are in love with him.” He doesn’t mention him by name, but it seems possible Shaw is referring in part to Bill Maher, who has repeatedly said he believes the new pope is an “atheist.”

Throughout the column, Shaw offers at least five more direct, unfavorable comparisons between Pope Francis and President Obama:

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“Just like President Obama loved apologizing for America, Pope Francis likes to apologize for the Catholic Church.”

“Just like Obama thought he’d won over Putin by promising a reset, Francis thinks by talking vacuously about the poor, he will be respected.”

“Just as Obama snubs Britain and Israel, Pope Francis swipes at practicing Catholics.”

“Like Obama, Francis is unable to see the problems that are really endangering his people.”

“Like Obama he mistakes the faithful for the enemy, the enemy for his friend, condescension for respect, socialism for justice and capitalism for tyranny.”

Read the full column at http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/12/04/pope-francis-is-catholic-chu
rchs-obama-god-help-us/]

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Shaw ends his piece by upping the stakes of the new pope’s reign and suggesting that he’s “hell-bent on a path to undo the great work of Benedict XVI and John Paul II, and to repeat critical mistakes of the past.” http://www.mediaite.com/online/god-help-us-fox-news-columnist-calls-po
pe-francis-the-catholic-churchs-obama/

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

I think their points are valid. *shrug*

Funny how the libs are all praising the Pope on some issues, but will turn on a time when he still speaks out against abortion.

He's still against it, right ?

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw: He's the Pope, the cute old guy in the funny hat. He's a spritual leader without any real political power to do anything. Why are some people so angry and/or afraid of him?

You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with the Pope.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw: He's the Pope, the cute old guy in the funny hat. He's a spritual leader without any real political power to do anything. Why are some people so angry and/or afraid of him?

You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with the Pope.

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Tell that to Sinead O'Conner. Oh, how the Left LOVED it when she 'stood up' to the Pope then, but now, even after he's waded into the political arena, if anyone dares to question or challenge him, they're CRAZY !!

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
If psycho Sinead O'Conner is the new standard-bearer of what is appropriate and acceptable behavior, we're in a lot more trouble than anything this Pope has to say.

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but didn't pay attention to it at the time, any more than I pay much attention to what any celebrity says.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
If psycho Sinead O'Conner is the new standard-bearer of what is appropriate and acceptable behavior, we're in a lot more trouble than anything this Pope has to say.

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And you're missing the point, entirely. No one is using Sinead as any sort of standard for how to disagree w/ the Pope. No one on the Right is tearing his photo apart , on live TV.

All I'm saying is it's curious how the Left celebrated her antics, yet act all mortified the Right has its own points of contention.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
Funny how the libs are all praising the Pope on some issues, but will turn on a dime when he still speaks out against abortion.

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
If psycho Sinead O'Conner is the new standard-bearer of what is appropriate and acceptable behavior, we're in a lot more trouble than anything this Pope has to say.

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And you're missing the point, entirely. No one is using Sinead as any sort of standard for how to disagree w/ the Pope. No one on the Right is tearing his photo apart , on live TV.

All I'm saying is it's curious how the Left celebrated her antics, yet act all mortified the Right has its own points of contention.

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Are you sure that no one on the Left was actually upset and against what she did? I seem to recall a mainstream media backlash at the time.

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Originally posted by Niki2:
Sure wouldn't be nice if every time anyone who might possibly be left-leaning does or says something, Rap didn't turn it into "The Left".

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Originally posted by MAL4PREZ:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
Funny how the libs are all praising the Pope on some issues, but will turn on a dime when he still speaks out against abortion.

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Wow, is this an illuminating statement as to how the RWA brain works.

To me, when an authority figure backs issues that I believe in, I will speak my agreement and even praise the person. If that same person backs issues I do not agree with, of course I will not agree and praise. This is a no brainer to me. I support or not based on the issues, and I realize that I will not agree with any person 100% of the time. When I do I do, when I don't I don't. No need to hide it, no need to force it to be all black or all white.

Rappy, on the other, finds it "funny", by which he clearly means inconsistent and certainly a weakness to be criticized, to both agree and disagree with an authority figure. Once he has praised a person, he has chosen a side and must never switch over. Ditto with criticizing a person. All black or all white.

This is supported by all those years when Rappy licked W's jackboots (to use a Frem-word) no matter what and by his inability to say anything good about O now. Also supported by how he (and Geezer and Jongs) will NEVER start a thread praising a Dem or criticizing a Repub. That would only make him seem inconsistent and weak, I guess.

Yes, we already knew that RWAs follow authoritative personalities rather than being guided by issues (or facts), but I seldom see Rappy come right out and state it so bluntly. By the quoted post, he considers it is a character flaw to both praise and disagree with an authority figure, no matter what issues are involved.

Really: interesting.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

M4P - Wow. You sure did go through a lot of contortions and extrapolations to get from point A to point B. As well as some revisionist history, too. But I get that from folks like you. I really do.

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Funny how the libs are all praising the Pope on some issues, but will turn on a dime when he still speaks out against abortion.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:


The outrage was in the manner which she chose to display her dislike for the Pope.

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
I think the Catholic church will continue to be corrupt and I think Pope Francis, while having a lot of good points about materialism, is a human being elected to a position by other human beings.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
While it helps that Francis is probably more of a good guy than he predecessors, the whole system is wrong, and that includes taking your day to day philosophy from an ancient yext written for a bunch of desert tribes, and relying on a mythical being to uphold the law.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
They are different popes, different arguments, different circumstances.

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I don't believe anyone here is saying 'you shouldnt criticise the pope' so your argument is kind of null and void.

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Well, if the Pope wades into politics, and is sounding like a Marxist, why isn't it OK to criticize him ?

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:

He's arguing for theocracy, not communism. Which is bad in different ways. But you should be precise.

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Well, both desire power, under the guise of taking control " for the greater good ", and are threats to freedom, imo.

A socialist pope, well hell, that's just the worst of the worst.

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Originally posted by MAL4PREZ:
I have considered the place of God in my life and decided that if my excuse for being moral is my fear or love of HIM (cue the angel's voices) then I would not actually be moral. I would only be sheep, concerned with my own survival and self glorification. I would exist only as a reflection of some other (imaginary) creature.

I choose to act for the greater good because that is what *I* choose, and if I lose faith with everything around me (which I do) that's a bummer but it doesn't change the person I am.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:


Well, if the Pope wades into politics, and is sounding like a Marxist, why isn't it OK to criticize him ?

The problem I have , and that many conservatives have, is the attempt to some how connect caring for the poor, which is a fine thing indeed, as being some virtuous holy ground on which Marxism resides, and is therefore exempt from any criticism. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. As Bono so clearly points out. Promoting Statism as a means to combat any " crisis " , be it poverty or AGW, is a very real threat which DOES deserve attention and commentary.

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People must stand united against the scandal of hunger while avoiding food waste and irresponsible use of the world’s resources, Pope Francis has said.

People should “stop thinking that our daily actions do not have an impact on the lives of those who suffer from hunger firsthand,” he said in a video message launching a global campaign of prayer and action against hunger.

Organizsed by Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based federation of Catholic charities, a global “wave of prayer” was due to begin at noon today on the South Pacific island of Samoa and head west across the world’s time zones.

Pope Francis offered his blessing and support for the “One Human Family, Food For All” campaign in a video message released on the eve of the global launch.

With about one billion people still suffering from hunger today, “we cannot look the other way and pretend this does not exist”, he said in the message.

There is enough food in the world to feed everyone, he said, but only “if there is the will” to respect the “God-given rights of everyone to have access to adequate food”.

By sharing in Christian charity with those “who face numerous obstacles”, the Pope said, “we promote an authentic cooperation with the poor so that, through the fruits of their and our work, they can live a dignified life.”

Pope Francis invited all people to act “as one single human family, to give a voice to all of those who suffer silently from hunger, so that this voice becomes a roar which can shake the world.”

The Caritas campaign is also a way to invite people to pay attention to their own food choices, “which often lead to waste and a poor use of the resources available to us,” the pope said.

Caritas Internationalis invited its 164 member organisations and local churches to pray for an end to hunger and malnutrition, by acting on a local, national or global level against food waste and in favor of food access and security worldwide.

Caritas is urging Catholics to take a few moments at noon Dec. 10 to join the world in praying against hunger, and to engage in long-term action through raising awareness, advocacy, charitable work or other efforts supporting food security.

The right to food is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Food For All launch date of December 10 marks the UN’s Human Rights Day.

The Caritas campaign is calling on the United Nations to hold a session on the right to food at its 2015 General Assembly and is asking governments to guarantee the right to food in national legislation.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:


Well, if the Pope wades into politics, and is sounding like a Marxist, why isn't it OK to criticize him ?

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Originally posted by FREMDFIRMA:

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Originally posted by MAL4PREZ:
I have considered the place of God in my life and decided that if my excuse for being moral is my fear or love of HIM (cue the angel's voices) then I would not actually be moral. I would only be sheep, concerned with my own survival and self glorification. I would exist only as a reflection of some other (imaginary) creature.

I choose to act for the greater good because that is what *I* choose, and if I lose faith with everything around me (which I do) that's a bummer but it doesn't change the person I am.

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Booyah, on this we have an accord - of course, my claim to any morality is a bit shakier as I do some "good" things out of sheer spite against a society built around rewarding sociopathy while punishing altruism.

-F

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Originally posted by Storymark:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:


Well, if the Pope wades into politics, and is sounding like a Marxist, why isn't it OK to criticize him ?

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So, the teachings of Jesus are Marxist now?

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I love how you simpletons like to apply words like Marxism and Socialism to anything you don't like, regardless of how or even if the term applies.

It makes you so much easier to mock and dismiss as the idiots you are.

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
Are any of us even Christian? Why does it MATTER what Jesus was if we don't believe in his messages anyway?

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
Nothing matters.

We should not post here anymore.

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
Even if the guy is a pope, that's all he's got. So why is it particularly important how his message is interpreted? It's not divinely inspired or anything.

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Originally posted by FREMDFIRMA:

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
Even if the guy is a pope, that's all he's got. So why is it particularly important how his message is interpreted? It's not divinely inspired or anything.

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Because he is the figurehead and spiritual leader/example/exemplar for a very large faction of people.
Besides, divinity be stuffed, being a good example is something worthy.

-F

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
. . . Ultimately, nice sounding words are still just words.

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