Posted on 05/13/2014 9:35:11 AM PDT by 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.
even if aliens have been visiting Earth, what would make a wormhole more likely the way than bending space (warp)?
How do we know they aren’t from a different dimension? or demons? or...
:-)
Sure. If God is omnipotent why wouldn’t he create races all over the place? I think it’s naive and selfish to think that Christian humans are the only enlightened species in all of existence.
Who says the whole thing about “debt” and “propitiatory sacrifice” in reference to the death of Christ holds any water? I don’t. I think it’s an unsustainable theological theory.
no
Good
Well Brigham Young taught there were inhabitants of the sun, if they got names, they would baptize them.
Amen about the rain!
Sometimes I use a spray water bottle to ‘coax’ them to go the way I want them to go.
If and Why - staples of TV's H2 channel...
Well...
The MTC is surely out of this world!
My step brothers son just went in this week to MTC on is way to Germany. I told him to be sure to enjoy the free vacation, the scenery, the history and the girls. They all gave me “that look”.
Poor kid.
Well, that’s pretty much the central theology of the New Testament, so if you dispense with that, I am not sure what you are left with.
You rascal!
They are praying SO hard for you...
“even if aliens have been visiting Earth, what would make a wormhole more likely the way than bending space (warp)?”
Actually, a wormhole would be much less likely, because, as I have been saying, it would be impossible to use a wormhole for FTL travel.
Neutralizing inertia is the way to do it. Take the equation F = ma and take “m” to near zero. Speed limit is no longer a factor. Use the zero point field existing everywhere and you have your fuel source anywhere you are traveling.
“Take the equation F = ma and take m to near zero. Speed limit is no longer a factor.”
Yes, it certainly is still a factor. If you have any rest mass at all, no matter how small, you will never reach c. If you have a zero rest mass, you could reach c, but go no higher. Of course, you would then be a photon, so that wouldn’t do you much good.
EXample: "If you have a zero rest mass, you could reach c, but go no higher." Prove it. According to minds a lot more able than yours the entire Universe was once expanding faster than c. Want to explain for us why that was or was not possible?
“Nonsensical circular reasoning, straining at a gnat while trying to hide a camel.”
Hmm? I’m not the one who tried to wish away a relativistic problem by using an inapplicable Newtonian equation.
“It is our understanding of dimension time that is the problem with reasoning this out, not an arbitrary speed limit.”
Sure. It’s not like we have heaps of experimental verification of Einstein’s theories to disprove your statement. Oh, wait, yes we do.
“But your reason for getting on these threads is not even remotely about reasoning out things, it is to poo poo someone else for trying to reason things out, finding flaws where they may exist.”
#1, this thread isn’t actually about your wackadoodle theories of FTL travel. #2, I didn’t come on to this thread to talk about your theories, I just had a spare moment to point out that they were incorrect while I was here.
“You named yourself appropriately for FR, and seek to live down to your moniker every day here.”
I’m think I’ve told you this before, but apparently you have no clue as to what my handle here actually means.
“EXample: “If you have a zero rest mass, you could reach c, but go no higher.” Prove it. According to minds a lot more able than yours the entire Universe was once expanding faster than c. Want to explain for us why that was or was not possible?”
Sure thing. There is no real contradiction between those two statements. Space can expand faster than c, because space is neither matter nor energy, and so it is not bound by relativity. Any other questions?
Wackdoodle? LOL, we have to give you points for that one.
You mean the Sanctimonious, Empty, Morgbot Prayers?
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.