What's the future of Catholic Church and Satan?

[ronedee]

Hey Guys,

I'm a Christian myself, although not a Catholic anymore. I'm also a big SF fan. One of my main interests is what will happen with Catholic Church in the future, and I mean like 200 years from now or something like that. Its been around for 2000 years, so we can safely assume, that it'll be around for at least couple hundred more. Will it expand to other planets? Will it change into corporation? Will they use biomechanoids for Popes? Or maybe it will fall? What's your take on this?

And the second question - it feels to me that Satan doesn't really work anymore as a method of fear. The vision of Satan changed couple times during the centuries and I think that Satan needs a new version, quickly, as modern people simply do not believe in a guy with horns. It might be that Vatican's PR division is thinking about his new image the very moment. Let's give them some ideas, will Satan be replaced, and how?


Thank you for all the answers.

Dominik

Hi Dom, The Catholic church has never been so popular! One, because of Pope Francis. Secondly, its the only Christian religion that actually celebrates the Eucharist.

20 years ago, things were looking pretty bad. The churches were empty! I remember them saying it wasn't worth keeping the lights on. There were literally, 5 people at the evening masses. Today? You can't find a seat in church! And lots of young families, and college students. Very, very surprising. i believe the RCC has been constantly cleaning up its past messes. And actually reaching out to the community. In my diocese, they are pulling all races together for functions and scripture. Its been a real benefit for the community.

For all of its man-made faults, the RCC is still the closest to tradition, and teachings of the Holy Bible. Its here to stay!

And as far as the "old man"? What's that Spacey quote: "The smartest thing Satan ever did was to convince people he doesn't exist." Funny that people have no problem believing in the devil. But, God? Nope!

[*Deidre*]

Hey Guys,

I'm a Christian myself, although not a Catholic anymore. I'm also a big SF fan. One of my main interests is what will happen with Catholic Church in the future, and I mean like 200 years from now or something like that. Its been around for 2000 years, so we can safely assume, that it'll be around for at least couple hundred more. Will it expand to other planets? Will it change into corporation? Will they use biomechanoids for Popes? Or maybe it will fall? What's your take on this?

And the second question - it feels to me that Satan doesn't really work anymore as a method of fear. The vision of Satan changed couple times during the centuries and I think that Satan needs a new version, quickly, as modern people simply do not believe in a guy with horns. It might be that Vatican's PR division is thinking about his new image the very moment. Let's give them some ideas, will Satan be replaced, and how?


Thank you for all the answers.

Dominik

Maybe people should just stop pretending like Satan and heaven and all the nonsense that the RCC teaches ...is remotely true. 

[Homeless Nutter]

Catholicism will be gone in less than ten years.
This is the last pope. [...]

 
Note to self: laugh this dumbass off the face of the Earth, the moment next pope is elected...

[abaris]

20 years ago, things were looking pretty bad. The churches were empty! I remember them saying it wasn't worth keeping the lights on. There were literally, 5 people at the evening masses. Today? You can't find a seat in church!

From that statement I gather, you aren't European.

[Minimalist]

Pope Francis is not Italian. He was born in Argentina. His parents were an Italian immigrant and an Argentinean of Italian descent, but he himself is Argentinean.

The prof is impervious to facts.  Most dickheads are.

[vorlon13]

(quoting problem, sorry)

[vorlon13]

Hey Guys,

I'm a Christian myself, although not a Catholic anymore. I'm also a big SF fan. One of my main interests is what will happen with Catholic Church in the future, and I mean like 200 years from now or something like that. Its been around for 2000 years, so we can safely assume, that it'll be around for at least couple hundred more. Will it expand to other planets? Will it change into corporation? Will they use biomechanoids for Popes? Or maybe it will fall? What's your take on this?

And the second question - it feels to me that Satan doesn't really work anymore as a method of fear. The vision of Satan changed couple times during the centuries and I think that Satan needs a new version, quickly, as modern people simply do not believe in a guy with horns. It might be that Vatican's PR division is thinking about his new image the very moment. Let's give them some ideas, will Satan be replaced, and how?


Thank you for all the answers.

Dominik

Hi Dom, The Catholic church has never been so popular! One, because of Pope Francis. Secondly, its the only Christian religion that actually celebrates the Eucharist.

20 years ago, things were looking pretty bad. The churches were empty! I remember them saying it wasn't worth keeping the lights on. There were literally, 5 people at the evening masses. Today? You can't find a seat in church! And lots of young families, and college students. Very, very surprising. i believe the RCC has been constantly cleaning up its past messes. And actually reaching out to the community. In my diocese, they are pulling all races together for functions and scripture. Its been a real benefit for the community.

For all of its man-made faults, the RCC Eastern Orthodox is still the closest to tradition, and teachings of the Holy Bible. Its here to stay!

And as far as the "old man"? What's that Spacey quote: "The smartest thing Satan ever did was to convince people he doesn't exist." Funny that people have no problem believing in the devil. But, God? Nope!

There, fixed that for you.

[Cyberman]

One more thing surprizes me - you Guys seem to be pretty "religious" in terms of being atheistic. You react to my words exactly as my Catholic friends react to my graphic novel Atheism can be as much evil as the worst religion.

Well, at least you've found a way to feel superior to both groups, that's the main thing.

[loganonekenobi]

from what i remember of history the catholic church came about after the fall of the roman empire. At that time all chaos was loose on the world. Many reasons of misfortune and death could not be explained plainly so in comes Satan. It's easy to get the populas together if the enemy can be named. I remember when i first started to question the christian faith. Of course it was the devil that was tempting me or when i finaly dropped the faith altogether i then served the devil even though i didn't even believe in that entity.
Fear and guilt have always been the tools of choice in the monotheistic faiths and as long as people fall to such trickery then it will survive for quite a while as you said.
My humble theory is that there are two main forces at work in the human evolution. Fear and drive to become better... i cant think of better words but i'm sure there are some.
Fear is our natural animal side and of course religion plays well into that. On the other hand if you ask most people they would want a life with less fear and more individual choice. For example; when we are kids we dont know any better than to not look down the street for cars as we chase the ball...SPLAT! so our parents teach us not to cross the street and instill a good sense of fear of the SPLAT. Eventualy we grow up and learn to look down the street but we want to see what's across the street.
Now we have a choice. Do we never cross that street because our parents told us to be afraid or do we explore but with the wisdom we have learned.
Christianity is based on the idea that we are all connected to the guilty party of Adam and Eve. Some will accept this and remain where they are but many don't accept this idea as a reason we shouldn't move on away from guilt and fear.
I feel that for us to evolve we must move away from the 2000 year old ideas. It may well be that the church will see this and adapt.

[Minimalist]

from what i remember of history the catholic church came about after the fall of the roman empire.

Not exactly. 

In the West, xtianity was legitimized early in the 4th century and was made the official state religion later in the 4th century.  The Western Roman empire "fell" late in the 5th century so the jesus freaks had plenty of time to co-exist and steal everything that wasn't nailed down in the process.

In the East, xtianity spent an additional 1,000 years with it's dick firmly implanted up the ass of the Byzantine Empire.