I am always puzzled that so many Roman Catholics can visit the vatican, to see the elaborate display of embarassing wealth, then to see the hundreds of homeless, helpless beggars outside the wall... and come away with joy.
I don’t mean to pick on RC’s - I certainly share many values with them and greatly admire their tireless war for the lives of the unborn.
“Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to destruction and FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT.” (Matt 7:13-14)
“For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
Karl Marx and Judas Iscariot spoke similarly.
I have visited the Vatican several times and have never seen “hundreds of homeless, helpless beggars outside the wall.” What have I missed? Do you have any photos of these crowds of mendicants? There are beggars in Rome, but not in huge numbers and certainly not as many as I see in Washington, DC every day.
Why would you even write something as dishonest and insulting as this? This has been a staple of Communist propaganda for years. But you probably don't even know that.
You could ask why do Americans visit Washington DC and see the elaborate monuments and museums and then see the poor and homeless in DC and not hate America. It is just as stupid and dishonest as your statement.
And by the way, you spelled embarrassing wrong. Also Vatican is a proper noun, it should be capitalized.
Why would you even write something as dishonest and insulting as this? This has been a staple of Communist propaganda for years. But you probably don't even know that.
You could ask why do Americans visit Washington DC and see the elaborate monuments and museums and then see the poor and homeless in DC and not hate America. It is just as stupid and dishonest as your statement.
And by the way, you spelled embarrassing wrong. Also Vatican is a proper noun, it should be capitalized.
I’m always puzzled why people let religion and other’s beliefs, bother them.
I can see you’re saved too. God Bless You.
“...the elaborate display of embarassing (sic) wealth,..”
That “wealth” has been freely and generously provided by those who greatly revere the Lord, Jesus Christ and believe in His divine Presence. This is based on humility, reverence and worship in front of God.
Consider God’s own guidelines for the building of His temple in the Bible. ;-)
Since you are clearly well informed, perhaps you might reflect on Exodus 20:16.
You wrote:
“I am always puzzled that so many Roman Catholics can visit the vatican, to see the elaborate display of embarassing wealth, then to see the hundreds of homeless, helpless beggars outside the wall... and come away with joy.”
Simple. 1) We know scripture. Jesus reminds us in scripture that we will always have the poor. It was Judas who wanted to deprive Christ of an “elaborate display of embarrassing wealth” (see John 12:4-6). You, being perhaps a Protestant or anti-Catholic, naturally think like Judas. How sad.
2) Pilgrims and visitors to the Vatican give millions in donations to help not only keep up the Vatican, but also to feed the poor in Rome. This has always been the case. The Catholic Church does more to help the poor than all other churches combined.
3) That so-called embarrassing wealth was donated by the faithful for the service of God. We like it where it is and want it to continue being used for His service and service to the poor. If everything in the Vatican was sold billions would be raised but then quickly spent on the poor and you would STILL HAVE THE POOR. Didn’t LBJ’s Great Society teach us that after hundreds and hundreds of billions have been spent in just 40 years.
But go ahead and think like that great humanitarian Judas. Gee, things turned out so well for him too.
What do you consider the wealth of the Vatican and the Catholic Church to be? How would they liquidate that wealth and to whom and how would that impact the millions they feed and clothe from the proceeds of their dividends?
Have you seen the temple of Joel?
Mother Teresa was a great, living Christian testimony to Protestant power in action in the midst of the most filthy, lowest, abjectly hopeless areas of extreme human poverty offered on God's good earth.