How can an afterlife free of Catholics be hell?

Well, the Pope just stated what a lot of us believe. You can't earn your way into heaven, God loves us and Jesus bought our entry fee. He loves the fat ass glutton in the church pew and teh child molester just the same. He doesn't love many of our actions, though.

If you are truly a dedicated atheist, any religion's belief that you will burn in hell for it, should be the least of your concerns.

At least the Catholics unlike the Muslims, are not trying to send you to hell post- haste.

God loves us.

That's why He must burn you in a pit of fire for eternity when you either say "goddamnit" or stab your neighbor to death.

The Ten Commandments are VERY clear about this.

So don't fuck up!

I thought the Pope was the Vatican. In any case, the Pope is supposed to be infallible only on questions of doctrine of faith and morals, although only when he announces that he's speaking ex cathedra. The last time any Pope did this was in 1950.

Sounds like the Rev. Thomas Rosica thinks that he will be sitting on the throne on Judgement Day, telling God what to do. "No God, you can't let Amy into heaven, she's an atheist. Bad God! Bad bad God!"

And people wonder why I'm not a practicing Catholic...it's a festival of idiots over there.

And people wonder why I'm not a practicing Catholic...it's a festival of idiots over there.

Posted by: Daghain at May 27, 2013 9:05 AM

Yes, well there are still several million Catholics in the world, while the Episcopal church is dead and buried because in their race to become relevant in the modern world, they threw their reason for existing, under the bus.

What Patrick said. The standard assumption of what "Papal Infallibility" means just isn't the case. Popes screw up all the time. (And they'd be the first to admit it.) Our pop culture has seized upon a very, very rare and arcane legalism in Catholic doctrine to set up a strawman on this.

As Popes go, so far I like this one. The last Pope I liked lasted a couple weeks and a horrible Godfather movie was made. I have a feeling this one may not be around terribly long, but it will make for a great conspiracy film.

PS- fuck the Vatican's arrogance

He is certainly the most liberal Pope I've ever heard of. And he's a damned sight better than the last one.

The Cardinal appointments will be very interesting should this Pope hang around long enough to make them.

You must mean John Paul I, Eric. He reigned for 34 days.

Choices, choices...

Be a Moslem, or be killed.
Be a Roman Catholic, or be tortured for eternity.
Etcetera.

"How can an afterlife free of Catholics be hell?"

I'll say to you what I say to my ex, since your wit flows like molasses.

Oh Shut up Dave!!

I was raised Roman Catholic, though I don't practice anymore. You sir, may go fuck yourself, preferably with something sharp and pointy.

"What Patrick said. The standard assumption of what "Papal Infallibility" means just isn't the case"

The Pope is not infallible. According to Catholic dogma, only God is infallible. God is perfect, according to the Bible. To prove God wrong would be to negate all existence.

Another case of a religion twisting it's own scriptures to gain it's own ends. I'm shocked!

My question: Why does God care whether you wear a burka or a veil? Why does God care if you are Muslim, Catholic or Jewish? All are based on the same premise, the only difference is dogma and rites.

Other than that, same shit, different pile.

Also, God said in the Bible that "thou shalt have no other God before me." That means we are perfectly free to worship Satan if we want, as long as we put God first.

So where does this atheists are gonna burn come into the picture?

Idiots, when Ragnorak is nigh and the Frost Giants are feasting on your bones I'll be fuck Valkaries in Valhalla.

"I thought the Pope was the Vatican. In any case, the Pope is supposed to be infallible only on questions of doctrine of faith and morals, although only when he announces that he's speaking ex cathedra. The last time any Pope did this was in 1950."

Patrick, I'll admit my knowledge of Catholicism is rather weak, but isn't the current concept of papal infallability a 20th-century creation? I seem to remember being taught that it stems from a papal bull written by Pope John XXIII.

"'Do-be-do-be-do.' -- The Beach Boys"

Wasn't that Sinatra?

The Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman, spelled it out for the world on Thursday. People who know about the Catholic church 'cannot be saved' if they 'refuse to enter her or remain in her,' he said.

Wonderful thing about Christianity (at least in the view of people like Rev. Rosica): you can murder fifty people, molest an equal number of children and swindle thousands of old people out of their life savings but if, after all that, you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you'll be saved.

On the other hand, if you spend most of your life, say, working in Africa, trying to help kids from dying of disease and starvation, but you're an atheist (or a believer in God but not a Christian, then you won't be saved.

Amy, the only upside I see here is that if we are both wrong, perhaps we will get a chance to meet in person. I will save a very warm seat for you.

Why do atheists get their panties in a wad over this? If you don't believe then it doesn't matter what some religion says. It's like they're really half-in the church and half-out, and the half that's in wants to be in the church's good graces.