pope's dead

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

i guess thats about all i have to say about it.

[Mr Punch]

It affected me as deeply as Terry Schschhshchiavo. Which affected me as deeply as it did Maddox. When I found out who she was (through Maddox - I'd been resolutely avoiding that piece of "news" for weeks).

Of course I feel sorry for the billion Catholics to whom he meant something. But I still wish they'd die along with all the Jews and the Moslems, and leave the world to (us) Buddhists and (us) ****roaches...! :D

See you in Hell GDA... :o

[Becca]

I'll have to remember that the next time something that means something to you comes up, Mat. Though I shouldn't say anything, as I discided not to go to church today because it will likely be a miserable mass... :o

It's kinda sad, as he's been the Pope since I was a little girl, but other than allowing divorcees to accept the Eucharist, little of what he did made any real impact on me. :(

[Happeh]

Hallelujah the pope is dead! It is good he is dead!

The poor guy was being kept alive with medical technology. He should have died months ago. Every time I saw him, he seemed to be suffering in agony. He was 84 or so right? People die. When it is time to go you are supposed to go. Not let people fill you full of drugs or hook you to machines so you gain another few pain filled months or years.

Honestly, would you want your last memories to be of all the good things you did in life or would you want your memories to be dominated by the last few months/years of invasive medical procedures, physical pain and probable loss of mental acuity?

[Ground Dragon]

Hallelujah the pope is dead! It is good he is dead!

Honestly, would you want your last memories to be of all the good things you did in life or would you want your memories to be dominated by the last few months/years of invasive medical procedures, physical pain and probable loss of mental acuity?

I agree, but this case is different. I think the pope wanted to go through everything he did as an example, that life is about suffering and it can be endured. He was very dedicated, he was doing church business up until the end.

I'm not particularly religious, definitely not affiliated with any organized religion. I didn't agree with some of the things the pope professed, but he was still impressive. It's somehow reassuring to see how a major religion can sincerely try to be a force for good in the world and not just exist to promote their own political agenda.

[Starchaser107]

I think he died respectfully.
He did alot in his "career" as the pope
his passing shouldn't be a mournful thing, his accomplishments should be celebrated within the catholic community, why is everyone sad?
surely they believe in heaven, I would think that based on thier belief system the pope's soul would be now united with the lord.
eventually there will be a new pope. I'm very worried about (the possibility of) what a new pope with a new agenda will have to bring to the table.

[David Jamieson]

hundreds and thousands die everyday. what of them?

this cause of celebrity is ridiculous.

are we all so vapid and vaccuous?

the pope is dead, move on, you'll have another in a few days who's ring you may kiss to your hearts content should you ain an audience.

[Becca]

I'm not so much sad at his passing, as at the realization that the bible thumpers in the Catholic communities are going to be holy terrors (the pu was intended). I worship as I feel I need to, and for the next several weeks, or even months, there will be thouse who will be critisizing me and my family for this. There is always an uproar of "we need to go back to doing things the old way." The old way, for me, did not work. And the idea that someone can and will use the passing of this great man as an excuse to go against everything he stood for is sad... :(

[ZIM]

I'm very worried about (the possibility of) what a new pope with a new agenda will have to bring to the table.Didn't know you were Catholic. :)

Every pope addresses what areas he's led to, I guess is a good way to put it. This one had to clear out some rubbish that affected his own people, then the larger world, and maybe he couldn't deal, with everything everyone would have wished, but for all that he was a light unto this world.

Perhaps the next one will see another sort of work to be done. Reforming the excesses of the US Church [or exposing them and holding evry priest accountable], addressing the scourge of AIDS and other diseases in a new way, supporting third world freedom from tyranny, or [I'll bet] working to heal the rifts with Islam, especially to prevent further wars.

At their best, any pope does his level best to do good in the world. I hope the new one will be even half as effective as JPII was since we could all use some of that. The danger is that he'll see so much to do and spread his admittedly limited influence too thin & exhaust himself in the process. Or do nothing much at all other than shepherd.

Although I am not Catholic, I think I will take the time to grieve Pope John Paul II. Because it is human to do so, yes, but also because after being constantly reminded over the past couple of weeks how less than ordinary most of us are, it makes me sad and lonely to lose someone that is extraordinary.

[Chang Style Novice]

It's somehow reassuring to see how a major religion can sincerely try to be a force for good in the world and not just exist to promote their own political agenda. It is to laugh. And cry.

[SPJ]

Mourning.

---

[wdl]

I think it's ironic that a user with the name GunnedDownAtrocity started a thread about the pope's death.

-Will

[JAZA]

Don't forget he was a diplomatic figure too, with a great impact in issues like the possibility of war between Argentine and Chile and the fall of communism.

[MantisFistMonk]

His heart and intentions were never wrong, nor did he ever stop doing what he believed in. He showed dedication and discipline the likes of which we will never see from anyone on this forum for any reason.

He's traveled the world and won the hearts and approval of the most powerful people ever to step foot on this earth to date.

I'm sure him not winning any of yours is not that big of a deal.

The whole world has lost a great man.

God bless him.

[Dim Wit Mak]

We have lost a good man who was a true leader. His efforts to bring about as much unity as possible will always been appreciated by me and many others. He showed us how to live and how to face death. I will miss him, but will also see him again some day. :( :)

[Hakaisha]

I'm closer to Pagan than anything else, but I really don't belong to any religions. As such, the passing of the Pope didn't really mean anything to me. What I do find interesting though is the Vatican's use of technology to keep the Pope alive when they have always denounced and been somewhat at war with scientists.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

We are here for a time, then we are not.. we pass through these flesh and bones, some without notice or effect.. some with brilliance and hope.. to have the courage of your convictions as did the Pope, will make a lasting mark..

I have no fondness for "religion", but i have enormous respect for those that can change civilization for the better (details and nuances notwithstanding).. and, as others have noted thousands pass daily without even honorable mention, such is the pity of society's view of Life..

Be well..

[_William_]

AFAIK, the Vatican had/has nothing against medical technology, only "extraordinary means" of keeping people alive. No contradiction there with the Pope.

I will miss the Pope. He was a gentle and good man. It took courage to hang in there in his final days.

[Sacktavius]

I'm Catholic, as well as some others on these forums. The man did some great things, and with that we must move on for the future of the Church. I think what the Church needs now is a younger pope to make some good descisions and not be physically prevented from doing so. I hear there is a canidate from Nigeria! That would be cool.

Pax,
SACKTAVIVS

[cerebus]

Chris, this is what I've said several times on here myself. However, it's like trying to argue with a wall. If people are completely determined to believe something regardless of that little obstacle knwn as "reality", then you just can't ever get through to them regardless of how clearly and logically you put it. :(

[cerebus]

Right you are. Right you are...

[Akhilleus]

I just spent the whole fall in Rome..not that that makes me an authority on anything...I just thought it was neat...as for helping the poor, you could probably feed a small country on the money from the decorations of Rome's most modest Catholic church...but we can say that about almost anything on which money is spent (that it could have been put to other uses)...

I feel that people should be able to believe what they want, and just because I don't agree with them doesn't mean we can't be friends...of course fanatics can be annoying at times, if that is all that they talk about, but that goes for all things, perhaps moreso for tcma than religion...

Who knows who is right and who is wrong?

In some cases it seems as if religion was used to justify violence that would have occured anyway, and in others religion has been a direct cause of that violence...does that make religion bad? Hasn't religion also caused people to do good? I don't have any answers here...

[Christopher M]

This thread is about a man who has just died. Please have some respect. If you cannot restrain your religious intolerance, please start a thread to discuss at as a distinct topic.

[Hakaisha]

I concur. To me, religion is a product of people's insecurities. It exists to calm those insecurities by explaining what will happen to you when you die. As former practitioner of magick and now one of reiki (sp?), I can tell you there is definitely a great deal of supernatural influence in this world. I couldn't tell you where it comes from, but it is there.

[Hakaisha]

Yes, but there is one big difference. I am only talking from experience. I am not trying to convince anyone what I say is true. I may be delusional. I may be right, I may be wrong.

[Christopher M]

You seem to have burdened my request with much more than I actually asked. So I will simply ask again: please have some respect for a man who just died. That is all.

[cerebus]

Hmmmm. Let's see.... the title of this thread is "pope's dead". Hardly sounds like it would be an homage to the man. Besides which neither I nor Chris commented on the man (didn't even know him). The commentary being objected to was on religion in general and Catholicism in particular.

Peace all. ;)

[Shaolinlueb]

im kinda glad he's gone. no more suffering. that poor guy was suffering so bad. i am glad his soul is at rest. he was a good pope.

[KungFuGuy!]

If I met the pope, he'd tell me I'm going to hell twice. Once for having pre marital sex, and the other for using protection when doing so. This kinda makes it hard for me to feel as bad as I could. I still feel somewhat bad, though.

[Chang Style Novice]

I for one, am deeply trouble that Christopher M, a man who's posts here I seek out and invariably find informative, well written and valuable is...

...wearing a Jethro Tull avatar!?

[Mo Lung]

You seem to have burdened my request with much more than I actually asked. So I will simply ask again: please have some respect for a man who just died. That is all.The fact that he just died doesn't automatically demand respect for him if you didn't respect him in the first place. He was a great intellectual thinker, but it was a wasted intellect in my opinion. For example, anyone that expressly forbids the use of condoms, even to combat AIDS, doesn't really deserve much respect as far as I'm concerned.

This thread isn't a eulogy to the man, nor is it on Catholic Faithfull website, so your request is pretty irrelevant really.

[ZIM]

Say...look who actually had some class... (http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5652908&cKey=1112553326000)

[Mr Punch]

I seriously didn't mean any disrespect to him... and I shouldn't have been so flippant.

But there I go again... this is no place for a critique of Catholicism, just as whatever the intention of the thread is, Chris M has a right to express his distaste.

I do hope that the next Pope relaxes the Catholic church's stance on condoms so we can see a sea change in the way the AIDS problem is dealt with in Africa. Since John Paul was all about love and peace in his funeral address, let's hope that goes with common sense and respect.