The answers were blowing in the wind

julesrules

New Member
Joined
30 Mar 2005
Messages
7
Visit site
"What was so great about the pope?", was the question.

Well, we got all the answers we needed about John Paul's greatness this morning, scores of them; and if Jimi the blonde took time off from enlighting us on the forums to watch what was the greatest human
'turn-out' the world has ever known, in celebration of the life of one person, he will never have to ask that question again, god bless him!
 
The turn big turnout was only due to all those wanting to confess their sins and be forgiven. An insurance policy for their future, just in case this existance isn't our only one.
 
I had the greatest respect for the Pope. I also admire the current Archbishop of Canterbury.I dont know or care about the religion of most of my friends.

What I can not respect is people who feel its OK to offer such total disrespect to the point of obscenity to a recently passed away man especially doing so in the full knowledge that this will offend many forum users.

Unfortunately this seems to have been of secondary importance to having a cheap laugh.

If you are not religious fine thats your perogative but please realise that for many people their religion is as important as life itself.
 
I have refrained from commenting on any threads about the Pope for that very reason Graham. Totally agree with you! I am not a Catholic or even a Christian but I respect anyone who stands up for what he genuinely believes in and this Pope certainly did that. But I would never speak ill of the dead regardless and consider it very bad taste to do so.
 
I switched the TV on as I was packing to go to the airport yesterday, and found the funeral of the pope on no fewer than 11 channels. I am not Catholic and disagree with them on a number of points of doctrine, dogma and policy. However a number of things about the service deeply impressed me.

Firstly the life of the man himself. As a pole he had suffered under two of the most oppresive regimes of the 20th Century (Nazism and Communism). He was true to his beliefs and remained a humble and honest man. How many men of such influence have nothing to leave in their will?

Then there was the simplicity of it all - he was laid to rest in the simplest of wooden caskets; the image of the pages of the gospel on top of the casket turning in the wind will stay with me for a long time.

Thirdly the spirit of the crowd. This was not a hysterically mourning crowd - I saw no tears. Quiet and pensive, just a group of people giving thanks for the life of a good man; testiment, if one were needed, that this was a man who had touched the lives of millions.

Finally the respect of world and religious leaders; drawn together from many nations and faiths. Many of whom will have met the pope personally.


I do not think that there has ever been a funeral like that; and it may be a long time before we see another.

Yesterday the world gave its verdict on the life of one man. If he does not deserve the title "Great" then what man does?
 
Pierrot

I do agree with your sentiments. I was disappointed that you couldn't have maintained your detachment and eloquence on other threads.

Cheers
 
i have just had a second look at The "what was great" thread "I didnt try to read all 200 posts but It seems to have been edited with some of the really distastefull images removed(or were they on a different thread?)

I think that now in the main it is a reasoned debate in most instances. I dont think that Jimi is either bigoted or sectarian but he must have realised that at this sensitive time his thread would open the flood gates to those who are.
 
images were on a completely different thread, one of a few threads on similar topics that have been removed. The particular thread you refer to remained quite sensible on the whole
 
[ QUOTE ]
I had the greatest respect for the Pope. I also admire the current Archbishop of Canterbury.I dont know or care about the religion of most of my friends.

What I can not respect is people who feel its OK to offer such total disrespect to the point of obscenity to a recently passed away man especially doing so in the full knowledge that this will offend many forum users.

Unfortunately this seems to have been of secondary importance to having a cheap laugh.

If you are not religious fine thats your perogative but please realise that for many people their religion is as important as life itself.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am not a catholic, and I do believe that anyone is entitled to their beliefs, and I will respect that. But even though he is not my pope, he has had a large influence on my world. So I am entitled to my opinion of the pope. If catholics do not appreciate the critical remarks made to certain policies of the pope, then please ask the next pope to refrain from any politics which may have 'worldly' consequences. Do I agree that he was an exceptional man? Yes. Is he without fault ? He was mortal, like all of us.
 
Top