Comment Bump Up: Too Cynical? … Or Too Optimistic?

Time for a comment bump up from Matt Taibbi’s post, “Why Do We Care Whose Side the Pope Is On?”

Posted by eat2evolve on September 24, 2015 at 11:44 pm edit

Laura, can you summarize here? So much cynicism makes my brain shut down! Thank you, d 🙂

Posted by laurabruno on September 24, 2015 at 11:48 pm edit

Sorry, Diana, no time to summarize. If you don’t want to read it, that’s fine. Not everything I post is for everyone. 🙂

Posted by diana on September 25, 2015 at 3:17 am edit

I read it 🙂 I just don’t get the cynicism. I was interested because, of course, I noticed that the Pope is in town. So what’s up with all the negativity? It’s weird to me that there even IS a pope, in the first place. But I have to say, I do like this one better than the last one. Just my opinion. xo

Posted by laurabruno on September 25, 2015 at 3:57 am edit

Well, I prefer Count Dracula to the previous one, so yeah, Francis is much more likable than he was! The article is based on quite solid research and doesn’t even go that far in terms of cynicism, given the Jesuit Oath.

For starters, despite the outward show and words of caring, Francis just canonized a genocidal slave owner who brutalized the Native population. Having lived in California and seen and researched the missions there, wow, I really don’t know where to begin on that one, particularly in terms of symbolic actions. The Native Americans had quite a lot to say about it, though, and begged him not to canonize Junipero Serra, but he did anyway. The canonization speaks greater volumes than a token acknowledgment of Native American pain.

Then there’s the showing of more sympathy to pedophile priests than to their many, many, many spiritually, physically and emotionally devastated victims, some of whom I’ve spoken with in sessions. He mentioned the victims almost like an afterthought, with the primary concern being compassion for the pedophiles.

I could go on, but I prefer not to. Yes, it’s weird that there is still a patriarchal “gateway to God.” If Francis were truly following in St. Francis’ footsteps he would be giving away at least some of the vast wealth of the Vatican, which along with the Queen of England, owns most of the world. How many immigrant families is the Vatican housing for all its talk of compassion and in all its vast mansions and rooms? Two. St. Francis gave away all of his father’s money. If Francis really wanted to emulate him, he could start by giving away at least some of the Vatican’s gold. Jesus threw the money changers out of the Temple. This pope’s not advocating for that. He’s positioning the Vatican to be back in charge of the money, along with everything else.

I only posted the article because people have been asking me my opinion, and I didn’t feel like devoting my own article to it. Not a fan, but then, I’m neither a fan of the Vatican nor the entire Judeo-Christian-Muslim Sky God “my God is better than your God, shame, indoctrinate and/or kill to convert” religious miasma.

All these people getting so much media play, from Trump to the pope … what do they have in common? Big daddy government and/or big daddy religion will swoop in with more regulations, more rules, and more control to “fix” what corporations (and the Vatican really IS the biggest one) have caused. Problem. Reaction. Solution. Oh, and if he’s so concerned about overpopulation, then why, in the 21st century is there still a prohibition on birth control? So, instead of taking an obvious, direct measure to allow voluntary self-directed action by individuals to stop contributing to the so called carbon burden, he’s championing Agenda 2030, which makes Agenda 21 look like a walk in the (still accessible to humans) park.

Nice smile, though. I agree with his advocacy of the Golden Rule. I just wish he and his institution would make the first move beyond largely symbolic gestures and platitudes.

Plant a garden. Love your neighbor. Find your OWN connection to the Divine. Some people view those religions, their doctrines and “unerring, heavily edited texts” as the problem, not the solutions, and certainly not the only gateway to the Divine.

I seem like a cynic, but maybe I’m too optimistic for the human race. I like to believe that given real information, an end to manipulation, an end to childhood sexual abuse (which fractures souls and is pretty much institutionalized by the Catholic Church at this point) … and given even the tiniest opening of the Vatican’s DEEP coffers, humanity could right itself, find its own Divinity and move on to an age in which the Golden Rule just comes naturally, rather than being mandated from above by self-proclaimed elites. Haven’t we been there, done that? Isn’t that how we got into this mess or at least exacerbated it?

But maybe I’m too optimistic. Maybe this world really does need a totalitarian papa to corral the humans into little cages for their own good. A girl can dream, though.

UPDATE:
eat2evolve posted the following reply on the same day on the original post. I thought it had shown up here in the string of comments, but just realized per her comment today that it had not. My apologies, and I hope this explains where she was coming from. Had I realized her reply had not posted on this post’s comment string, I would have added it in. It speaks for itself, and so I did not realize the comments below would have been taken in a personally attacking context. Diana’s a very smart, sweet, talented woman whom I’ve known for years, even met in person. I meant no disrespect, but I do agree with the comments below elucidating an all too common dynamic. Diana herself was not part of that dynamic, though. 🙂 Anyway, here’s her missing reply:

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question with this long comment, dear Laura. I always appreciate your observations and I don’t find you cynical at all, it was Matt’s tone (smart as he is) that blocked me from being able to discern his message. That is why I asked you for a sensible, straightforward summary, but you didn’t have to, really! It was fine to not. So… thank you.

Now I see what people are all hackled up about. Nothing new, really. Indeed, the Catholic Church may be one of the most devilish institutions on earth. No surprise that its leader buys into and wants to perpetuate, even elevate, the system that created him, right? The Vatican, Inc. is not going away any time soon, so if PF can do any relative good at all, I hope he will. Recognizing climate change? Bravo. (insert cynical *eyeroll*)

As for canonizing a killer, just sounds like more gross, pandering, hypocritical business as usual. But stop. Let’s ask ourselves this: what makes a person a saint, anyway? To me, it is simple. Brave, pure and loving thoughts and deeds. Goodness. Ahimsa. Holiness is not something one bestows upon another. It comes from within. When it’s really there, you can’t miss it.

No matter what we foolish humans do, Nature will prevail. The sky, the changing seasons, the wild things that share our planet, rocks and weeds and creatures all teach lessons and speak truths that resonate as real. If we listen… we will hear. One can only do one’s best. Ever evolving. Peace now. Blessed be. xo