Recently my attention was drawn to a post declaring that our popular and well loved humble pope had stated that "All religions are true", amongst other radical changes to catholic church beliefs. Even though snopes.com has confirmed my doubts over the legitimacy of this 'report', it still triggered many loud thoughts so I thought I would share them alongside some article excerpts here...
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| Pope Francis the 1st - humble and loved |
God is infinite love
"...a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God"
- Yep His love is infinite! But I'm sorry that doesn't actually mean that you can't suffer if you choose to reject his love. His love is relational - if you don't respond then you're not accepting His love, and then, yes you can go to hell. But it's your doing, not God's doing.
"Our church is big enough for heterosexuals and homosexuals, for the pro-life and the pro-choice!" - i certainly agree. Jesus hung out and ate and spoke with all kinds of people. Most of them weren't 'his type' - but that didn't matter. His love is for anyone who wants it :)
Asylum seekers
“Racism today is the ultimate evil in the world. When Italians, Spanish or French turn back the boats of African migrants seeking a better life, are they not like the inn keeper who told Mary and Joseph that there was no room for them and the infant Christ? These migrants are children of God and we are commanded to love them!” So now our writer friend addresses a massive issue in the media - the asylum seekers one. To accept or reject? To welcome or to turn away? I agree with the passionate stance on welcoming all - if we did indeed live in a perfect world of peace. I don't know if anyone else has opened their eyes lately but you don't have to go far - usually not even beyond your own family to see that humans are all selfish and not everyone is full of 100% good & pure desires.
A racist is not a true Christian. A racist casts aside his humanity to become a beast, a demon! He is the embodiment and personification of evil, a Satan!”
Everyone is a beautiful creation in God's image
“because Muslims, Hindus and African Animists are also made in the very likeness and image of God, to hate them is to hate God!
I agree. No matter what they've done or where they come from, or how different they are, everyone should be respected. Everyone is one of God's masterpieces :)
"All religions are true, because they are true in the hearts of all those who believe in them. What other kind of truth is there? Whether we call God, Jesus, Adonai, Allah or Krishna, we all worship the same God of love"
-And yes, each has his own form of spirituality but to reduce God to the single word of love is not adequate! He tells us who he is in a great book about himself - the Bible - and there is more. Plus, love is defined in many many ways as you will find out if you just ask a room full of people to give their definitions. How can there be any right and wrong if each is allowed to completely define his own dictionary?! Truth has to be absolute on some points and there's no denying that.
Tolerance/Intolerance
Perhaps the most striking point of this whole article to me was the issue of tolerance/intolerance in the context of freedom to practice different faiths and infiltrate certain religions into foreign cultures. I am all for peace, openness, sharing, welcoming of foreign cultures into our land. And yet I do not welcome these things at a direct expense and cost to my own personal freedom as an australian. As the satirical 'Cardinal Arinze Account' states in response to the growing power of islamic law in his home country: "Is it racist to desire to preserve one’s own home? Why is it racist to want to preserve your own culture and a future for your people and your children? Have white people gone stupid today?” He is right. I agree.
The vibe of this article is nice but it is naive. We don't live in a world of perfect peace. And we don't live in a world where perfect peace is possible. But if we embrace Jesus and love him & others in the same way he loved us, in justice and mercy and sacrifice then we can look forward to living in a new heaven AND a new earth where peace will exist and endure, because Jesus will have come back. I think the best thing to do now is to let him know we're waiting and looking forward to that!
