Posted on 02/11/2005 10:28:25 AM PST by Rutles4Ever
Spare me. Where does he say anything about a personal experiece with watching a loved one in the death throes of terminal illness? It's about his opinion that the Pope is not abdicating out of pride and basically scandalizing the Church because it makes people uncomfortable to watch him suffer.
Moreover, this wasn't a terminal illness that put him in the hospital - it was the flu - and if that's the case, every senior citizen over 80 is in a state of terminal illness since the flu can be fatal in their weakening physical being. If you're implying that we need to start for death for people with Parkinsons....
Quite an idiosyncratic interpretation. I bet a lot of good Christians are unaware of it, and have been committing blasphemy all these centuries. Also makes you wonder why the earliest text we have of verse 6:10 in Matthew's Gospel (in Koine' Greek) uses an imperative form---"genetheto," i.e., "let it happen"---regarding God's "thelema"---His Will.
See "Wedding at Cana"....
To liken a criticism of an utter crackhead to Communist era propaganda is asinine. As soon as you start praying for the Pope's death, you have inhaled mightily on the crackpipe of idiocy.
When, in the middle of a long-night's party, one is heard to exclaim joy at another's leaving, the departed is either on a beer-run or is spoilimg the reveler's fun.
Arguing chapter and verse, even in Koine, is spurious. Theology is a living creature and the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is hardly the end all and be all of Christian thought.
"Spare me. Where does he say anything about a personal experiece with watching a loved one in the death throes of terminal illness?"
He doesnt. Thats why its a PERSONAL experiece, understand?
Our beliefs and emotions are shaped by our PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, not just reading political novels.
Look I dont really care what you believe regarding prayer or death, my point is that Buckley is entitled to his opinion,as are you, and myself included.
Just show the man some respect, for Gods sake.
And he's entitled to be criticized for it, just like you can criticize me for my opinion. I don't see why he should get a pass because he's "Buckley".
Heck, even Rush criticizes Bush occasionally - especially on his fiscal policy.
BTW - love your tagline.
Woops - meant to direct the "nice tagline" comment to you.
I get it. You're as much an authority on "Christian thought" as Jesus.
Why bother with Jesus at all then? He seems to just get in your way....
Thanks..it took me months to come up with that tagline.
Okay. Answer me this: can you change the will of God?
Seeing how God always acts in the way that is most perfectly good, any deviation from His predetermined plan is necessarily less good since it supposes that God has made an error in selecting the best possible outcome.
The only way around it is that God's plan foresaw your attempt at prayer, and you merely believe that prayer has been effectual, when, really, it can't possibly be.
I understand. I'm in full Friday meltdown.
MUST. START. WEEKEND!
"To liken a criticism of an utter crackhead to Communist era propaganda is asinine. As soon as you start praying for the Pope's death, you have inhaled mightily on the crackpipe of idiocy."
So thou sayeth...I rest my case.
Carry on.
MUST. START. WEEKEND!
You and me both!
Enjoy.
Castro did not melt and in fact immediately cracked down on the church more vigorously than before the pope's visit. So much for Papal Diplomacy.
Buckley should have kept his death prayers to himself. Come to think of it, maybe Buckley wants to die and is projecting his subconscious wishes on the pope, who clearly does not want to expire.
I didn't sense the wickedness in this old Mr. Buckley's article that many others did, but instead only candor. It is plain to see that the church is suffering, in jarring dissonance with the challenges to be faced. He, like me, or at least I hope, wishes this good man well, but senses the urgency of vigorous and vibrant leadership, renewal.
One in every three babies born in France is a Muslim. Italy has 1.2 babies per couple; abortion and morning after pills are freely offered in Spain; gay marriage is a reality in many European countries, soon even in La Cattolicissima Espana.
In 30-50 years Belgium will be Belgiumstan, France will be 50% + Islamic, Sweden as well. In UK avowed satanists are allowed to become officers on warships; Dozens and dozens of churches in Italy and France and other places no longer have priests to officiate, some are being deconsecrated and turned into discos.
And meanwhile Italian Catholic churches distribute and share rainbow flags with No Globals and Red Peace demonstrators.
The situation of the Church in Europe is appalling. Catholicism, old and wonderful Catholicism, rich and brilliant Catholicism, the kind that could reach to peasants and scholars, the Catholicism of poetry and hard logic, work and prayer, celebration and piety, carnival and lent, the Catholicism of guidance, is decaying before our eyes.
Going to mass, well, at least here in Italy, has become a dreadful, uninteresting, anti-aesthetic, joyless bore, with nothing to kindle hope or spark enthusiasm, but plenty to allow one, already prejudiced by years of Gramscian propaganda to sense corruption, decay, weakness.
I'm not imagining firebrand demagogues or catchy drumbeats, I'm imagining arguments, words, mysteries, rituals, enthusiasm, meaningfulness, resurrection, the kind of Catholic Church that would make Chesterton proud, the same that allowed him to successfully answer the Shaws and Huxleys of his day... and even enthuse me, a half-dead Hudobna from torpor.
I realize it is hard to wish both things: health and nothing but well for a frail and aged Pope and yet a revival of Catholicism to face the REAL and impending disasters. One is the logical negation of the other. Logic is also the negation of God. Logic is also what has made euthanasia and abortion popular in Holland.
Probably Mr. Buckley's silence on the matter would've been the proper choice, but he's a journalist, a Catholic journalist, expressing the views of a great many alarmed and unhappy Catholics.
Some Catholics make a vow of silence, others, journalists make a vow of speech. Mr. Buckley's virtue is his sin and his sin is his virtue, and that is why he wished a good and peaceful death to a good and peaceful man as we go reeling towards a bad and violent future.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.