“There is no belittling here. You had quoted a scriptural saying love of God and love of neighbor) to essentially all what needs and hence this helps undermine the need for the Catholic Church. Each person can simply “ experience” the infinite, whatever this experience means, and nothing further in the form of beliefs, rituals, and the forgiveness of sins is needed.”
In other words, you’re accusing Talisker of being the Pope!
Atheist Reporter: Your Holiness, is there is a single vision of the Good? And who decides what it is?
Pope Francis: “Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is Good.”
Atheist Reporter: Your Holiness, you wrote that in your letter to me. The conscience is autonomous, you said, and everyone must obey his conscience. I think that’s one of the most courageous steps taken by a Pope.
Pope Francis: “And I repeat it here. Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”
John Paul II, Address, May 22, 2002: “Praise to you, followers of Islam… Praise to you, Jewish people… Praise especially to you, Orthodox Church…”
John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio (# 55), Dec. 7, 1990:
“God… does not fail to make himself present in many ways, not only to individuals but also to entire peoples through their spiritual riches, of which their religions are the main and essential expression…”
“This leads to the Church and its central beliefs including the Eucharist and its celebration in the context of the Catholic Mass. This, is not dogmatic as you appear to imply. Nor is this “bible pounding” to use your phrase. This is based on scripture, tradition, reason, and revelation.”
It gets a bit old how Catholics basically like to tell us what they believe, over and over again, as if it’s some kind of an argument.
As for converts, presumably the millions or so Christians who left the RCC during the Reformation outnumber your few anecdotes here or there. Heck, you guys were mortally wounded by it. Back in the good old days, you didn’t hesitate to burn people at the stake. Now your Pope’s can’t get their lips on an atheist’s butt fast enough. Oh how the mighty have fallen, who once imagined they could raise up kings and bring others down!
The private comments of Popes to extend the mercy of Christ to non-Believers is not something new. Christ himself consorted with the most hated people of His times. But then again, this is typical of low-information Christian believers who are unable to separate the eternal verities expressed by the One true Church and its mortal leaders. Again, we see a pathetic understanding of the doctrine of infallibility.