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IF I prayed, this is what I would pray for. That God would take better care of his faithful Catholic clerics — starting with the pope.
Yes, yes — I know all about ‘Free Will’ (or ‘Free Williy‘ as I call it) & how God does not micro-manage.
But, come on. He is said to know all. So, he had to know this was about to happen.
Poor priest. Doing the GLORY of GOD and then this.
And we have the poor, crippled pope. God should be nicer to the pope. He is an old man. Cut him some slack. Don’t make him a cripple. Give him non-stop HICCUPS as was the case with WWII pope Pius XII. I could live with the pope hiccuping as he spoke. Better than seeing him hunched in a wheelchair.
The exposed text says, and it is ‘Pope Francis’ speaking: “I have prayed for time to stop wars, to save the planet, to welcome all the refugees, to restore justice and renew the Church. But God, perhaps …”
WOW. WOW. WOW.
“But God, perhaps …”
This cartoon strip which is ULTRA FRANCIS FRIENDLY is admitting that Pope Francis’ prayers …
Well, I have SAID it BEFORE — about how Francis needs to STOP PRAYING. I have said it more forcefully.
I really don’t KNOW. That is why I am asking. Maybe it says so in the Bible? OOOPs! My mistake. Popes are NOT mentioned in the Bible. Oh?
The recent work I have been doing about popes got me THINKING (which is something I just can’t stop doing).
God & St. Peter between them must have SOME CRITERIA as to what is RIGHT and what is WRONG.
Yes? No?
Let’s, for the sake of it, take the blessing of same sex couple?
Where does God stand on that? He must have a position. Where does St. Peter stand on that?
The traditionalist are opposed to that and many other things. Are THEY RIGHT? Is God on their side. What about St. Peter.
From what I know, (THOUGH, I, OF COURSE, don’t believe in heaven (and SURE don’t won’t to be stuck there for eternity), St. Peter is the arbitrator. Plus, popes are his special envoys.
Just asking. Let me know. Are there any OFFICIAL Church teachings as to popes and heaven.
I know of AT LEAST two popes who deserve to be in heaven. AND PLEASE, don’t start talking about SAINTS. Men create popes as Saints! Not God. God, & St. Peter, are not bound by what men do, even popes … especially the ones that they might not let into heaven.
The ONLY two popes I can be sure of. My FAVORITE pope of ALL TIME — Saint Celestine V. Now that was a POPE. He was a MAN. He was a true Saint. My next Saint John XXIII.
Up until now, i.e., August 2023, religious prayers were NEVER an issue at the Laconia Rotary Club — where I WAS a member as of TODAY.
All of the Rotary Presidents I have had the honor of serving under, until now, understood & appreciated the NON-RELIGIOUS aspect of Rotary.
Not so now. The new leadership (as of July 2023), under the cunning influence of a Club Elder, has started to use the God prayer. The Club Elder had the AUDACITY to have LAMINATED card printed with that prayer! This is 2023.
I really STRUGGLED over this.
Very unlike I, who prefers not to mull too much about decisions & actions, I wrestled with this for weeks.
I finally decided that I cannot …
Just cannot.
NO, I WOULD NOT ask for the Club to rethink its stance. I strongly believe in majority-rule & democracy. I THINK I am the ONLY non-Christian in the Club. Yes, some may not be practising Christians now, but I think they were all born Christian. I can’t think of any that may be Judaic. I am also the ONLY NON-WHITE. The bulk of the Club is made of up retired males. They don’t have to change their ways for I. I would NEVER expect us.
This is why Darwin gave me LEGS. I can walk out — & I will. SMILE.
I also appreciate that the God-centric prayers, still referred to by SOME as ‘Rotary Prayers‘, are from way back — having their roots in the 1920s.
Up until now, i.e., August 2023, religious prayers were NEVER an issue at the Laconia Rotary Club — where I am currently a member of.
All of the Rotary Presidents I have had the honor of serving under, until now, understood & appreciated the NON-RELIGIOUS aspect of Rotary.
Not so now. The new leadership (as of July 2023), under the cunning influence of a Club Elder, has started to use the God prayer. The Club Elder had the AUDACITY to have LAMINATED card printed with that prayer! This is 2023.
I have ONLY been to ONE meeting where I was subjected to this prayer. I WAS STUNNED. So stunned that I was not quick enough to walk out. Well I have had plenty of time to reflect on it. As I have told a number of other members the NEXT TIME I am at a meeting where this prayer is invoked I WILL WALK OUT — & it will be my last meeting. My days at Rotary are numbered anyway. Very unlikely that I will be a Rotarian in 2024 — & IF I AM, it certainly will not be at this Club that is RAMMING GOD down my throat.
NO, I will NOT ask for the Club to rethink its stance. I strongly believe in majority-rule & democracy. I THINK I am the ONLY non-Christian in the Club. Yes, some may not be practising Christians now, but I think they were all born Christian. I can’t think of any that may be Judaic. I am also the ONLY NON-WHITE. The bulk of the Club is made of up retired males. They don’t have to change their ways for I. I would NEVER expect us.
This is why Darwin gave me LEGS. I can walk out — & I will. SMILE.
I lucked out this week. We had a temporary leader. He knew that I was all set to walk out. So, he, very astutely & KINDLY, did a ‘minute of contemplation’. That was VERY COOL & I am very grateful for his gracious act (so much so that I treated him to lunch).
Smile. Well some of you know my feelings about prayer — never mind God.
Click to ENLARGE. From the ‘Walter Isaacson‘ (2011) book — page 571.
Last week I finally finished reading “Walter Isaacson’s” mammoth biography of ‘Steve Jobs’ — sanctioned (& semi-approved) by Jobs. It too me 5.5 months to read all 600 pages. I had wanted to read it for a long time & I am glad I did.
I had a very strange, complicated relationship with Steve Jobs.
Over the years he made me a LOT OF MONEY with ‘Apple‘ & ‘Pixar’ shares. I owned Pixar from its IPO & have owned Apple shares for close onto 20 years. So, yes, I owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
For 8-years, between 1991 & 1998 YOU would NOT have found a more ardent fan & advocate of Apple Macs than I. I was ALL, 100% Mac — & very gungho about Macs.
In 1998, I had 8 Macs in the house.
In 2000, I had NONE! I had switched, totally & utterly, to PCs & Windows!
Jobs had managed to LOSE ME. That took some doing.
Despite owning AAPL for two decades I stayed away from Apple products. I let others make the money for I. SMILE.
Steve Jobs was, obviously, a brilliant, talented, once-in-a-decade guy. No question about that.
The book confirmed much of what I had known over the years. He was very conflicted — & not that happy.
In many ways he was a sick puppy before he truly became sick.
All that wealth & he STARVED himself.
I found his views on God & life-after-death AMUSING & in the end, emblematic of him.
I on the other hand, have NO DOUBTS. And I thank God for that.
I do NOT believe in God. Never have. Never will.
I also do not believe in life-after-death. That is the biggest consolation in my life. I know that when I die — that is it. The switch is TURNED OFF. Poof. Nothing. What a relief.
The Argentinian Pope Francis could not have asked for a better 86th birthday present (his birthday having been yesterday).
As I had already pointed out France, when it came to this World Cup Final, was playing against BOTH the Pope & Argentina. They really never had a chance — especially IF it is true that the Pope has some connection with God.
Well, with this win Francis can continue to keep up the belief that he in someway as the inside track with God. If Argentina had lost Francis, at some stage, would have to have explained why ‘his friend’, God, had not intervened. But, now Francis is golden.
He has claimed that he did not watch the match on TV — that he hasn’t watched TV since 1990. Maybe he watched it on his phone.
Well, the Pope WON! Wow. Poor France (a good Catholic country at that).
Pope Francis readily admits that he is a HUGE soccer fan & that he does, quite naturally, support HIS National Team (i.e., Argentina) & some Argentinian Soccer Clubs.
He has also admitted, openly, that he follows the progress of matches involving Argentina. He has aides that keep him apprised of the score & progress. He has even hinted that maybe the ONLY time he now watches TV is to watch Argentina play.
So, there is NO QUESTION, whatsoever, that the Pope, Francis, is fervently rooting for HIS Argentinian Team.
To be fair Francis has renounced his ‘Vicar of Christ‘ title — thus indicating that he is no longer Christ’s representative on Earth.
But, he is still Pope. That has to mean that he MUST have a better relationship with God than anyone else on earth.
So, IF Argentina loses on Sunday …
That would be a blow to Francis’ credibility.
It sure has to mean that God does HIM no favors.
God, omnipotent, cannot but help knowing what is going on. He must know what the score is.
So, IF Argentina does NOT WIN on Sunday I will be demanding that the Pope abdicate. He will no longer have even a shred of credibility.
So, bet on Argentina WINNING.
France, a Catholic country (to be fair), has NO change — IN THEORY — against the clout of the Pope.
Over the millenia God has had way too much fun at the expense of his popes. Yes, some deserved it, BUT then again it begs the question why HE let them be pope in the first place (given the entrenched belief that the Holy Spirit sure plays a pivotal role in papal elections).
I feel bad for the pope — & I will refrain from calling him ‘poor’ because he is not poor. He does not, at least in the above picture, look happy.
Of course, the pope himself, God is omnipotent. He supposedly could have, IF HE WANTED, stopped COVID in its tracks. This pope prayed ardently for that. God did NOT listen to the pope. The pope has prayed, I have lost count of the times, for peace — NOT just in Ukraine. God has ignored him. Now this.
Yes, I know that Pope Francis relinquished his title of being ‘The Vicar of Christ‘. Maybe this is God’s way of chiding him for it.
Yes. Yes. YES. I know. ‘Free Will‘. God does not ‘micro-manage‘ etc. etc. I get all of that … & in a sense I am glad. But, but, this is what then confuses I. Why are we THEN praying to God to intervene? I am SORRY. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t eat the cake & keep it too. Why is this pope constantly praying to God. God could make him stand just by raising his eyebrow. But, it appears he can’t be bothered. Hhhhmm.
I could, of course, be wrong. I don’t think it is a good look for a pope. Yes, I know that we have millions that are wheelchair bound & having a pope in one gives them home. OK. Maybe that is it. But, wouldn’t it be SO, SO, SO GREAT if God made everyone, including the pope, rise from their wheelchairs. Now, that would be quite the miracle. If he did that, he could have me. Not until then. Sorry.
Yes. Yes. YES. I know. ‘Free Will‘. God does not ‘micro-manage‘ etc. etc. I get all of that … & in a sense I am glad.
But, but, this is what then confuses I. Why are we THEN praying to God to intervene? I am SORRY. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t eat the cake & keep it too.
Click image to access ‘CBN‘ original. Google for more, much more.
If God gave us ‘Free Will’ & will not micro-manage, why are we bothering him with prayer? We are asking him to intervene — to micro-manage, override our Free Will.
I am just sharing with YOU where I stand.
There is one thing that I know for certain. I just LOVE — just LOVE — God’s sense of humor.
