Pope Francis defends atheists

[BettyG]

='BettyG' pid='453942' dateline='1370112867']
There once was a point when it was not at all acceptable for Catholics to believe that the Bible was not literal truth. That Catholics are allowed to do so now is the result of the Church pragmatically understanding that conflicting with reality would make the church irrelevant at a faster pace. One might ask why God didn't clarify this centuries sooner, it could have done humanity (to say nothing of the religion itself) a lot of good.

Humani generis is a papal encyclical that Pope Pius XII promulgated on 12 August 1950 in response to neo-modernism ideas of atheistic evolution, says, "Some imprudently and indiscreetly hold that evolution, which has not been fully proved even in the domain of natural sciences... " The truth is that no one can prove atheistic evolution beyond a shadow of a doubt. For example, punctuated equilibrium and Cambrian explosion, lack of a complete fossil record, etc. It is wise to stick to the facts about what we know and not assume anything beyond the facts.

Yes, and that's fine. The problem lies in there being a horrifying punishment in store for those not accepting this offer. That is neither merciful nor just. That is outright criminal.

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Say a boss says, "Do your job or you'll get fired!" Is that unjust if the person gets fired when they refuse to obey? They were warned of the consequences. Except with heaven, the end result is so great that it is worth any price. In the short run, sinning looks better, but in the long run, life is much better and happier without serious sin. It is not a sacrifice at all to obey. It is a joy. Heaven will be mind-blowing ecstasy! If people really knew that, there would be a different kind of world.

I love that sentiment, but I am familiar enough with God's commandments to not agree with much of what God thinks of as 'good'.

The purpose of the Ten Commandments is to guide us toward a holy, virtuous life by warning us of the things that will not make us happy in the long run. If one does not think that is possible or desirable, then they make no sense. I find a lot of inner peace and integrity from following them. It is counter-intuitive. It is something one has to experience.