God is the answer you have been waiting for

Gareth37

from www.alive.ie

Pope Benedict: God is the answer all people are waiting for

They sat in their seats gob-smacked, among them many of Europe’s leading lights. Most of them atheists, agnostics or lapsed Catholics, they had come to Paris expecting Pope Benedict XVI to give a routine address on church-state relations.

Instead, sitting before a 700-strong audience, Benedict had set about dismantling the very foundations of their whole outlook on life. Humbly but firmly he invited them to open their minds and hearts once again to God.

“The deepest layer of human thinking and feeling somehow knows that God must exist; that at the beginning of all things, there must be not irrationality, but creative Reason—not blind chance, but freedom,” he said.

And he added that any attempt to build a society without God was doomed to failure. “The search for God and the readiness to listen to him remains today the basis of any genuine culture,” he said.

The lecture gave a clearer view of why Benedict insists that the European Union must acknowledge its Christian foundations—this is not just for the sake of the Christian faith but also for the very future of Europe as a centre of civilisation.

The Pope told his audience that today’s world has “much in common” with the pagan world in which St Paul preached. “God has truly become for many the great unknown,” he said.

But even in the modern world “the absence of God” brings no joy into people’s lives. “Quaerere Deum—to seek God and to let oneself be found by him, that is today no less necessary than in former times.”

Benedict politely challenged his listeners to break out of their own narrow vision and confront the issue of God, the greatest issue of our times, the ultimate question. Reason itself, is at stake here. He told them:

“A purely positivistic culture which tried to drive the question concerning God into the subjective realm, as being unscientific, would be the capitulation of reason, the renunciation of its highest possibilities, and hence a disaster for humanity.”

In a lecture which will be remembered for many years, the Holy Father showed how European culture—its thinking, language, music, science, even its attitude to work—is rooted in the desire and the search for God.

Christians, for example, see great dignity in work, it is “a special form of human likeness to God, a way in which man shares in God’s activity as creator of the world.”

But where this is forgotten, “where man arrogates to himself the status of god-like creator, his shaping of the world can quickly turn into destruction of the world.”

Gaining access to this God is possible, stressed Benedict, because he has made himself known in Christ his Son. “The novelty of Christian proclamation is that it can now say to all peoples: he has revealed himself. He personally. And now the way to him is open.”

From this came the first Christians’ sense of obligation to proclaim the Good News. “They did not regard their missionary proclamation as propaganda, designed to enlarge their particular group,” said Benedict.

Rather, they were driven by “an inner necessity, flowing from the nature of their faith: the God in whom they believed was the God of all people, the one, true God.” And he is still “the answer for which all people, in their innermost hearts, are waiting,” said the Pope.

Zombrex

I think Pope Benedict should spend a little less time preaching to leaders of the EU and a little more time reading up on European history ... :pac:

--amadeus--

Not sure that a copy & paste really is a discussion opener but any-hoo...

They sat in their seats gob-smacked

Pics or it didn't happen :pac:

CerebralCortex

I actually read that on the front page of a free RCC propaganda newspaper that came in the door one day. Can't remember the name of it but believe it or not they thanked Russell Brandt for proclaiming the resurrection of christ, which I thought was hilarious and really damaged integrity(pretty poor to begin with if you ask me) of the paper. He said something like "If Briteny was Jesus this[some MTV bullsh!t] would be her resurrection".


PS it actually was alive I didn't see the link up top.

Zombrex

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Pics or it didn't happen :pac:

indeed, I'm not sure why Europe's "leading lights" would be gobsmacked by the Pope proclaiming that Europeans need to be more Catholic-like and put God at the center of their culture. Isn't that like, his job or something?

Now if he had told them he was converting to Islam, yes that would be gobsmacking..

robindch

Ratzinger wrote: »

“They did not regard their missionary proclamation as propaganda, designed to enlarge their particular group,”

The whole problem is that they, or their successors, never considered it might have been.

irish_bob

IMO ,thier is nothing as useless as god

Fanny Cradock

Bob, funnily enough, those type of opinions are not welcome on this forum. Please read the charter.

Cheers

Ricky91t

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHHA

Fanny Cradock

Please post constructively, Ricky91t, or not at all.

philologos

Gareth (we share a common name), great post and thank you for giving us an insight into how Catholicism regards the search for faith in the modern age. God is indeed the answer that we are looking for, and he can be just as unknown today as he once was back then.

Mr. Presentable

Thank you OP, now, what was the question?

rockbeer

When will my pay cheque arrive?

God.

No, doesn't work for me

condra

Benedict had set about dismantling the very foundations of their whole outlook on life.

Eh... no.

jill_valentine

I have a theory that Alive's whole purpose is actually just to wind me up. They're good at it, in fairness.

PDN

jill_valentine wrote: »

I have a theory that Alive's whole purpose is actually just to wind me up. They're good at it, in fairness.

Extreme intolerance of other's beliefs can indeed tip over into paranoia.

I find it much better to chill out and live and let live.

jill_valentine

You know, I don't believe I've ever been more personally insulted than by that post, in my entire time on boards.ie.

I find it much better to chill out and live and let live.

I'd agree with that philosophy for the most part PDN, but Alive doesn't.
Anyway.

Things Alive thinks are corrupting our children:
Amnesty International.
Mixed schools.
"Sexual and reproductive rights", gays.
Science (Generally).
"Gender equality", feminists.
The Vicar of Dibley.
Global warming.
The EU.

They're particularly afraid of feminists. Their attitude to most groups isn't really surprising, but their abject horror at feminists is truly mind boggling, and if you want to talk about paranoia, then you won't find a better example.

I never said "I am intolerant of Christians", or indeed of Catholics.This magazine is an awful piece of nasty propaganda, and I wouldn't rush to fight it's corner if I were you. I get Alive shoved through my door fairly regularly, and if you're going to defend that rag on the basis that I'm being intolerant, then I think the irony of it might just break the internet. It's not just a Christian or Catholic publication, and it frequently attacks Christians and Catholics that don't strictly conform to it's interpretation of those terms.

There are plenty of Catholic and Christian publications more worthy of your time than Alive.

Zombrex

PDN wrote: »

Extreme intolerance of other's beliefs can indeed tip over into paranoia.

I find it much better to chill out and live and let live.

i am pleased that you managed to over come your extreme intolerance ... :pac:

as for Alive, they certainly do seem to produce quite provocative pieces. The main objection I think most people have to this piece is the not necessarily what the Pope was saying (another day another silly thing from the current Pope) but the way Alive presented it in a way that it is supposed to have had a profound effect on his audience.

djeddy

There are plenty of Catholic and Christian publications more worthy of your time than Alive.[/QUOTE]

The sacred heart messenger, anyone read it?

Hivemind187

Um, I think that "Alive" (and I get it here sometimes too) technically qualifies as hate-propaganda doesnt it?

The BNP use similar tactics of not outright calling for the "horrible foriegners" to be sent back where they came from or to be burnt at the stake but the implication and intent is clearly there - just as it is with "alive".

I wonder if any of the legal types out there could shed a bit more light on this (I know what we were told in Journo school but I am foggy on the legality).

CerebralCortex

djeddy wrote: »

The sacred heart messenger, anyone read it?

My mother gets it every week.

Gareth37

CerebralCortex wrote: »

I actually read that on the front page of a free RCC propaganda newspaper that came in the door one day. Can't remember the name of it but believe it or not they thanked Russell Brandt for proclaiming the resurrection of christ, which I thought was hilarious and really damaged integrity(pretty poor to begin with if you ask me) of the paper. He said something like "If Briteny was Jesus this[some MTV bullsh!t] would be her resurrection".


PS it actually was alive I didn't see the link up top.

Why make a mountain out of a molehill?

Alive preaches the truth, and so you know it.

You call it propagnada, I call it truth!

Gareth37

irish_bob wrote: »

IMO ,thier is nothing as useless as god

Then why enter the Christianity forum.

You don't want to beleive in God because you are a sinner, are you evil?

Gareth37

rockbeer wrote: »

When will my pay cheque arrive?

God.

No, doesn't work for me

If everyone beleived in God the concept of money would not exist

Kershaw.D

:eek:If You Are A Secondary School Student Or Teacher Please Do Everything That You Can To Stop Cut Backs
1)Get Your Whole School To Sign A Petition
2)Go In Front Of Board Or Mannagement And Threaten To Organise A Strike
3)When That Doesnt Work Start Organising A Strike
4)Let Local Media Know About It
5)Get A Large Lock And Chain And Lock The School Gates Closed(Don't Have To)
6)Protest Outside School
7)Other Schools Will Start Doing It
8)Then The Education Cutbacks Will Have To Be Reversed

CerebralCortex

Kershaw.D wrote: »

:eek:If You Are A Secondary School Student Or Teacher Please Do Everything That You Can To Stop Cut Backs
1)Get Your Whole School To Sign A Petition
2)Go In Front Of Board Or Mannagement And Threaten To Organise A Strike
3)When That Doesnt Work Start Organising A Strike
4)Let Local Media Know About It
5)Get A Large Lock And Chain And Lock The School Gates Closed(Don't Have To)
6)Protest Outside School
7)Other Schools Will Start Doing It
8)Then The Education Cutbacks Will Have To Be Reversed

This kids is an example of thread hijacking

rockbeer

Gareth37 wrote: »

If everyone beleived in God the concept of money would not exist

Gareth you really need to go and read some history. Oh, and maybe go and suggest to your local priest that the Catholic church could use some of its monstrous hoarded wealth for good.

Zombrex

Gareth37 wrote: »

Why make a mountain out of a molehill?

Alive preaches the truth, and so you know it.

You call it propagnada, I call it truth!

what ever about preaching Christianity ("the truth" as you guys like to call it), Alive clearly make stuff up, such as the supposed reaction to the Pope's speech, to push a particular agenda.

djeddy

CerebralCortex wrote: »

My mother gets it every week.

Our readers write my fave part of the messenger

robindch

Hivemind187 wrote: »

Um, I think that "Alive" (and I get it here sometimes too) technically qualifies as hate-propaganda doesnt it?

I'd imagine it probably does. A german friend of mine compared it to the far right hate-rags that got pushed through her letterbox back home. Similar topics too, mostly. Same target population also -- the ignorant, the gullible and the hate-filled.

No surprise that it seems to have been banned by Archbishop Martin in the leadup to the Lisbon Referendum, when its deceitful scare-mongering amongst the vulnerable reached a shrill height that was dizzying, even by its own disgraceful standards.

robindch

Gareth37 wrote: »

If everyone beleived in God the concept of money would not exist

Could you explain how that might work?

Lazare

Gareth37 wrote: »

But even in the modern world “the absence of God” brings no joy into people’s lives.

What a ridiculous and patronising statement.

I've no god in my life, but I do have joy. In abundance.

Biro

jill_valentine wrote: »

I have a theory that Alive's whole purpose is actually just to wind me up. They're good at it, in fairness.

I have this new theory that if you don't read it, it won't wind you up. It is just a theory though, and it is new.

jill_valentine

I can't help it. I keep trying to find a punchline.

Biro

jill_valentine wrote: »

They're particularly afraid of feminists. Their attitude to most groups isn't really surprising, but their abject horror at feminists is truly mind boggling, and if you want to talk about paranoia, then you won't find a better example.

Funny, I don't scare easily, but I'm afraid of Nell McCaffery too... If I woke up and she was in the bed beside me, I'd be horrified!

jill_valentine

Fear of a specific feminist doesn't count, lol.

Biro

jill_valentine wrote: »

Fear of a specific feminist doesn't count, lol.

Admit it though - you're kind of scared of her too!

oobydooby

Biro wrote: »

Funny, I don't scare easily, but I'm afraid of Nell McCaffery too... If I woke up and she was in the bed beside me, I'd be horrified!

There was a picture of a portrait of her in the Irish Times yesterday. Arty. And scary.

oobydooby

Just read the rest of this thread, hard to imagine how the image in my previous post came to mind from it:o

My 2c on the OP: while Alive wouldn't be my cup of tea, Pope Benedict (or Joseph Ratzinger) is a very highly regarded intellectual. That somebody would question his competency to comment on European culture or history is surprising. I know jests are made of his being a member of Hitler Youth etc. but academics of most disciplines would acknowledge his gifted insights into many seemingly impenetrable subjects and his broad erudition.

Personally I find the story plausible, but exaggerated. I have often been extremely impressed by excellent scholars who really know their stuff speaking - e.g. I heard Noam Chomsky give a brilliant technical talk on linguistics and neuroscience. I've no reason to think Ratzinger would be any less impressive. The fact that he holds a high office in the Catholic Church should not disqualify his ideas from a fair-minded analysis.

Húrin

Alive's frequent sweeping attacks on fellow Christians ("liberal Catholics", Protestants, etc) make me question whether the Holy Spirit is guiding the newspaper at all.

Gareth37

robindch wrote: »

Could you explain how that might work?

The birds in the sky have no money yet they survive

Gareth37

Lazare wrote: »

What a ridiculous and patronising statement.

I've no god in my life, but I do have joy. In abundance.

You cannot have a sustainable happiness without God. Its simply not possible because without God you must look forward to suffering and death

CerebralCortex

Gareth we're not birds in the sky or birds full stop. I'll take your answer to mean you don't know.

Gareth37

Húrin wrote: »

Alive's frequent sweeping attacks on fellow Christians ("liberal Catholics", Protestants, etc) make me question whether the Holy Spirit is guiding the newspaper at all.

Well if thats frequent don't read it any more. Blasphemy is often used like this to discredit the truth.

I will continue to read it for I understand what they print is the truth.

Gareth37

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Gareth we're not birds in the sky or birds full stop. I'll take your answer to mean you don't know.

You must live on this forum to reply within 30 seconds of my posting

To answer your false agenda, what good is money to your soul? Money brings corruption of society and corruption of minds led by evil tyrants.

The world survived before without money and can survive again.
Money is piece of material with the crown of your lead tyrant embroiled. It is ther for materialistic greed, it is not there for God

hairyheretic

How long do your figure your soul will be staying in your body if you decided right this moment to stop using money?

Do you plan on bartering for your food? How about heating and electricity now that winter is coming?

robindch

Gareth37 wrote: »

The birds in the sky have no money yet they survive

Do you use money?

rockbeer

Gareth37 wrote: »

You cannot have a sustainable happiness without God. Its simply not possible because without God you must look forward to suffering and death

tbh, Gareth, it's just this kind of superior, arrogant and patronizing claptrap that puts a lot of people off religion.

How do you know what kind of sustainable happiness is or isn't possible without god? Just because you fondly imagine something to be impossible doesn't make it impossible.

Personally I find the knowledge that there is no eternity extremely liberating: it frees me to live for the moment and be happy in the moment, to make of my life what I can without fear of the judgment and damnation of a petty-minded deity. The kind of fear that can seriously interfere with happiness. I don't look forward to suffering and death - I look forward to enjoying the rest of my life.

I can understand that you have to believe these things to make yourself feel good about your life choices - it's a vital plank of all religions that they offer "the one true path to fulfilment". But it's arrogant beyond belief to generalize from the personal in this way.

Gareth37

hairyheretic wrote: »

How long do your figure your soul will be staying in your body if you decided right this moment to stop using money?

Do you plan on bartering for your food? How about heating and electricity now that winter is coming?

Money doesn't heat or light your home, resources from earth does this. Money is a manufactured principle used as a tool by evil tyrants to corrupt peoples minds and make them work for their false Gods that they present

View the signs of life and society. Money is not the answer, its a psychological conditioning that makes people work and live in a certain way. Money has destroyed love with fornication and drunkeness just like the Bible said it would.

rockbeer

Anarcho-socialism is probably a more constructive belief system than christianity if you want a money-free society.

Gareth37

rockbeer wrote: »

Personally I find the knowledge that there is no eternity extremely liberating: it frees me to live for the moment and be happy in the moment,

It frees you on earth to do what ever you want. Congratulations. You are well conditioned by the manufactured society. The truth is hidden from you by the makers of society to make you think like this but nothing I will say will convince you otherwise. You must read the bible and find the enlightenment for yourself.

Im not your leader, Im just another sinner.