Pope Labels (Totaliarianism Masquerading As) Democracy "godless"

Telegraph ^ | 2/23/2005 | Bruce Johnston

[Pyro7480]

Pope labels democracy 'godless'
By Bruce Johnston in Rome

The Pope published a new book yesterday strongly attacking the "negative" society of the West, calling it a godless "anti-Gospel and new totalitarianism" masquerading as democracy.

Entitled Memory and Identity: Conversations Between Millenniums, John Paul II's fifth book, printed first in Italian, blames the moral permisiveness of the West for undermining society with divorce, free love, abortion, euthanasia, and genetic manipulation.

He also talks for the first time of the attempt on his life in 1981, describing his survival as an "act of divine intervention".

But its main focus is the risk democracies pose to the law of God. La Repubblica, the Italian daily which was shown advance excerpts, wrote yesterday: "The nihilism of the West is disturbing to the Pope. His claim is that democratic parliaments are the carriers."

Driven by "powerful economic forces," the Pope claims, the "anti-Gospel" is spreading the idea that "one must live life as if God does not exist".

By contrast, Eastern Europe, the Polish Pope said, had reached "a spiritual maturity for which certain important values are less devalued than in the West".

He adds: "The main threat which central Europe finds itself facing is that of falling without criticism under the influence of the negative culture so widespread in the West."

[Pyro7480]

Here's something that didn't appear in yesterday's thread on the Pope's new book. (A HREF="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1348813/posts">Pope Calls Gay Marriage Part of 'Ideology of Evil'

[Pyro7480]

Bad link above. It should be: Pope Calls Gay Marriage Part of 'Ideology of Evil'

[Pyro7480]

Monarchist ping! Ping the other people you know who may be interested in this.

[pissant]

Yeah, europe has become a collection of Godless socialist tyrannies.

[Edgerunner]

Is he calling the USA Godless? Or is it the EU he speaks of?

[Pyro7480]

I think he's directing that comment more at the EU, but the U.S., at least in the blue states, isn't far behind.

[oldleft]

I believe Western Europe. In the circles I run in "nihlism" is code for Western Europe.

[lnbchip]

The Pope is right. And the Founding Fathers were right. Democracy and Freedom only work and fulfill their purposes under a system that recognizes and honors God. The Secular Democracies of the West (Canada is a Great Example) have taken the idea of personal freedom to a point where the greater societal good is completely ignored. Without a moral compass that is based upon Faith in God, Western Democracies have been guilty of some of the most heinous crimes against nature and humanity in the name of personal freedom - Abortion, Euthanasia (God Save Terri), Enslavement by the Welfare State, etc.

[bahblahbah]

The problem is if you embrace statism and secularism then you strangle the church.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Driven by "powerful economic forces," the Pope claims, the "anti-Gospel" is spreading the idea that "one must live life as if God does not exist".

The "powerful economic forces" in question are the economic imperatives of commercial mass-market journalism. Those forces drive the superficiallity and negativity - in addition to the grandiose arrogance - of journalism.

All coalescing in the cynicism which says that you should do whatever you can get away with. The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters but PR.

[A. Pole]

The Secular Democracies of the West (Canada is a Great Example) have taken the idea of personal freedom to a point where the greater societal good is completely ignored.

And even this "freedom" is primarily understood as freedom to manipulate and control others through the "democratic" process. Good example is the supression of freedom to smoke or to express your opinions if they violate the ever changing rules of Political Correctness.

We have less freedom in the modern secular democracy than we had under many autoritarian regimes of old.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - Come home for Easter and experience God’s merciful love. Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[mason-dixon]

The papacy has already stated its antipathy towards American Representative Democracy in Piux IX's Syllabus of Errors (see http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9syll.htm)
In particular, look at #55 which says that separation of Church and State is an "Error"... Also take a look at section X. Errors with respect to Modern Liberalism
America, from its beginnings with the Declaration of Independence is an "Error"... see #63 "It is lawful to refuse obedience to legitimate princes, and even to rebel against them. "
Any pronouncement "from the Vatican" must be interpreted in the context of this world-view.

[Coleus]

But its main focus is the risk democracies pose to the law of God. >>

ALL democracies are opposed to God. It's a form of govt. where the "individual" has no God-given rights and where the collective MOB group does. It's a form of govt. where Paganism is the rule where man doesn't live up to his potential and lives a static life wasting human enegry waiting for the pagan god, ruler, king, to rule over and decide for him.

Did you know that before the 1900's no US President ever uttered that word "democracy" because the US of A is far from one.

Remember when we say the Our Father we say "thy kingdom come" not "our kingdom come" from the time of Abraham to Moses to Christ, the individual rights were always foremost and paramount and thank God our forefathers knew that.

[Brig_Gen_George_P_Harrison_CSA]

With regard to #55, you misread it. The separation of Church and State is clearly advocated:

"55. The Church ought to be separated from the .State, and the State from the Church. -- Allocution "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852."

[ninenot]

...and in those circles, "nihilism" also identifies "modernism," against which ChesterBelloc fought valiantly...

[ninenot]

NOTHING actually matters but PR

I'll go you a step further--and add 'successful advertising.' Because IMHO, it's not PR--it's PROFITS.

[ArrogantBustard]

Is he calling the USA Godless?

Is a nation which legally protects the slaughter of the unborn, and commits such slaughter more than 4000 times each day Godly?

[Aquinasfan]

With regard to #55, you misread it. The separation of Church and State is clearly advocated: "55. The Church ought to be separated from the .State, and the State from the Church. -- Allocution "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852."

The list is a list of errors. The above error is categorized under "VI. ERRORS ABOUT CIVIL SOCIETY, CONSIDERED BOTH IN ITSELF AND IN ITS RELATION TO THE CHURCH." Of course, the idea of "separation of Church and State" is nowhere to be found in our Constitution, and is wholly a creation of Hugo Black.

[the invisib1e hand]

The Pope abosolutely rocks! Tell-it-like-it-is alert.