Pope Francis

[noxibox]

I accept without hesitation the rights of those who reject religion - it is a tenet of my belief that one's free will is what defines us as humans. What saddens me, is the anger of those who refuse to accept that my belief is different to theirs. I respect those who choose to differ from my beliefs. It goes without question that they are carefully thought out. I just find it strange that someone can vilify my choice, insult my faith, question my motives and for what? I'm not really sure...

People don't have to respect your beliefs. Tolerate them, yes, but not respect them. It was quite that the previous Pope showed absolutely no respect for secular humanists and that's fairly typical for religious organisations. And unless these organisations are completely out of step with every member there are surely religious people who have no respect for other people's life choices. Many of these religious organisations take it a step further into intolerance, as in their support for the prohibition of homosexual marriage. And yet you're surprised that people who are not religious get angry at these religious organisations?

 

[daveza]

The Pope, wearing a fabulous vintage chiffon-lined Dior gold lame gown over a silk Vera Wang empire waist tulle cocktail dress,
accessorized with a three-foot House of Whoville hat and the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz, on his way to tell us it's Wrong to be Gay.

 

[Hosehead]

The Pope, wearing a fabulous vintage chiffon-lined Dior gold lame gown over a silk Vera Wang empire waist tulle cocktail dress,
accessorized with a three-foot House of Whoville hat and the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz, on his way to tell us it's Wrong to be Gay.

:wtf:

 

[SaiyanZ]

Well i think it's clear the catholic church are not totally aligned with God's perfect will at every turn, so the correct answer is a bit of both really. God may occasionally influence things, especially in cases where prayer and humility has lead those who run the church to seek his guidance and will, but the clear failings of the catholic church shows He largely allows man's choices to play out. The broad concept of sowing and reaping has to play out within the wider system. Any influence he chooses to manifest generally plays out in that context because that's how he chooses to deal with free agents.

If you look at the story of Israel in the OT. When the Israelites obeyed God and lived holy lives, in accordance with the laws he had give them, God blessed them and often positively intervened on their behalf as a clear consequence of their obedience. But when they repeatedly chose to sin generation after generation he eventually distanced himself somewhat, eventually allowing Satan and Israel's enemies to overtake them and carry them away. People make good and bad choices, and those choices either have good or bad consequences. If the Catholic church sort themselves out and begin to do a better job more closely resembling the actual Gospel presented in scripture, then obviously as a consequence of that they will gain a closer relationship with God and thus the benefits that relationship brings.

This is an example of a typical religious response. If something fails it's because of man's choices. Anything good that happens is attributed to God's will.

 

[undesign]

The Pope, wearing a fabulous vintage chiffon-lined Dior gold lame gown over a silk Vera Wang empire waist tulle cocktail dress,
accessorized with a three-foot House of Whoville hat and the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz, on his way to tell us it's Wrong to be Gay.

ROFL