Pope Francis Says He Would Definitely Baptize Aliens If They Asked Him To

The wire ^

[marthemaria]

Pope Francis would absolutely baptize an alien from Mars, if one showed up at the Vatican and asked for it. During his weekly homily on Monday, Franics said that aliens — which he imagines could be "Green, with that long nose and big ears, just like children paint them" — should be baptized just like anyone else who asks for it, because it's not up to any human to decide who should receive the Holy Spirit.

In other words: if God prompts some Martians to come to Earth, find the Pope, and say "we want in on this Catholicism thing." The pope would probably say "OK. cool." But probably in Latin.

Francis laid out the hypothetical situation as part of a discussion of the early Church's baptizing of Gentiles. Basically, the earliest Church contained some tension over whether there was any difference between the very early Jewish followers of Christ, and Gentiles who converted from paganism to Christianity, who would be considered "unclean" by the standards of Jewish law. Peter eventually persuades his followers that everyone is open to becoming Christian by saying, "If then God gave them the same gift He gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?"

So here's how Francis tried to illustrate that point on Monday, with a much more modern example:

That was unthinkable. If – for example - tomorrow an expedition of Martians came, and some of them came to us, here... Martians, right? Green, with that long nose and big ears, just like children paint them... And one says, 'But I want to be baptized!' What would happen?"

What would happen? They'd get baptized, that's what would happen. He goes on:

"When the Lord shows us the way, who are we to say, 'No, Lord, it is not prudent! No, lets do it this way'... Who are we to close doors? In the early Church, even today, there is the ministry of the ostiary [usher]. And what did the ostiary do? He opened the door, received the people, allowed them to pass. But it was never the ministry of the closed door, never."

The Vatican's astronomer — the same one who dismissed 'Intelligent Design' as 'bad theology' — said in 2010 that he'd baptize an alien because "any entity – no matter how many tentacles it has – has a soul." But, again, only if they request it. So glad that's settled. Now all we have to do is wait.

[Elsie]

So, to redeem a species of sinful aliens, He would have to become one of those aliens and perform a similar redemptive act.

But FIRST, He'd have to given them aliens some LAW to break...

[MinuteGal]

Pope Francis has a wry sense of humor and I'm sure the "alien" reference is part and parcel of it.

I'm Missouri Synod (conservative) Lutheran and I've had some reservations about the Pope for this and that as time has passed, However, a lot of the contention about him is gleefully whipped up by some media, political forum contributors, social media addicts and bloggers who are all just stirring the pot, picking at every nit, having a great old time doing it....and to them I say, "Lighten up on Francis, oh ye of too much spare time."

Sheesh, parsing EVERYTHING the Pope says is almost a blood sport on these FR pages and it's disgusting, seemingly endless...and getting stale.

Leni

[Elsie]

You seem to be saying God is not God and Creator of the universe and any other life that may exist.

Behold!

The Savior of the Aliens!!

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Behold the visage of the omnipotent Flying Spaghetti Monster. Bask in His Noodliness and stare agape at His meatitude.

 

 

“Hail meatsauce, full of beef. The Spaghetti Monster is with you...”

~ Ragu on Pastafarianism

“Come, Holy Sauce, Creator blest, and, in our pasta, give us thy rest...”

~ Ishmali Camuwundra on the Flying Spaghetti Monster

His Noodliness, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the ultimate truth in the universe. It is the central point of worship in the religion commonly known as Flying Spaghetti Monsterism or Pastafarianism, according to which it is The Creator and Overseer, watching our lives and our world, changing them as it sees fit, by use of his most holy noodly appendage.

Incredibly, this ancient religion was not well-known until its rediscovery in 2005 by graduate student Bobby Henderson. He shall live on forever in the afterlife next to the Beer Volcano. Due to this incredible rebirth, Flying Spaghetti Monsterism is now one of the world's most edible and fastest-growing religions.

 

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

[Elsie]

I think the analogous question would be, can an ET convert to Judaism?

I think a MALE alien just MIGHT find a reason to SHUN this one!

[Elsie]

I think the analogous question would be, can an ET convert to Judaism?

 
Deuteronomy 10:19  New American Standard Bible

 

"So show your love for the alien,
  for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

[ifinnegan]

Hi Elsie,

Those atheist boys love the Spaghetti Monster.

They are such clever boys.

[Elsie]

I don’t think you need to be hostile.

HMMMmmm...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfPWpEKhgfk

[Elsie]

The STAR or the PLANET?

[ifinnegan]

Good one.

[Elsie]

Oh?

[Elsie]

But more importantly, the discussion forces us to see what He says in His word about our salvation.

 

John 6:28-29

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

[Elsie]

Only in matters of faith and morals.

Too bad...

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In conclusion let us summarize this grand key, these “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”, for our salvation depends on them.

1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.

I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain—how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord’s anointed—the living Prophet—President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency.

Ezra Taft Benson

(Address given Tuesday, February 26, 1980 at Brigham Young University)     http://www.lds.org/liahona/1981/06/fourteen-fundamentals-in-following-the-prophet?lang=eng

[Elsie]

You'd get a fight on your hands, for they really HATE getting bet!

WHAT??

Did he mean BEAT?

Et?

Get?

Or WET???

[Elsie]

Yeah. I agree with tour reasoning

So do THESE folks!

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To Alien locations!

[Elsie]

Mine don’t seem to be bothered by snow. Jack is the one who always broke trail.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Perfect sequitur when God not mentioned as foremost!

[goat granny]

If my goats were way back in the pasture, at the first drops of rain, they stampeded toward the barn, some had to go to the other barn, it got so crowded....The most hair I got from 1 goat at a shearing, was our big buck, he sheared one year at 42 pounds...if wet, God knows how much it would weigh...He never came close to that again.always in the high 20’s.....

[Mr. K]

once again, you are assuming we know everything there is to know... by TODAY’s standards FTL travel to other planets is impossible...

But the aliens are doing it, so it must be able to be done (I am NOT joking, I seriously believe that)

[ifinnegan]

I think being in the presence eternally of the All Mighty would trump not having any of one’s kind about.

[Boogieman]

“once again, you are assuming we know everything there is to know...”

Not really, I’m just assuming what we already know. Wormholes would have to be singularities, and you can’t escape a singularity once you enter it, so it could only be a one-way ticket, and you likely could never survive the trip anyway.

“But the aliens are doing it, so it must be able to be done (I am NOT joking, I seriously believe that)”

I don’t think I’m the one assuming things here...