Catholic church condemns Christian right for "intransigent intolerance"

[Proud2BAmurkin]

says parts of the bible are not to be taken literally

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1811332,00.html

The Bible is true in passages relating to human salvation, they say, but continue: “We should not expect total accuracy from the Bible in other, secular matters.”

They go on to condemn fundamentalism for its “intransigent intolerance” and to warn of “significant dangers” involved in a fundamentalist approach.

“Such an approach is dangerous, for example, when people of one nation or group see in the Bible a mandate for their own superiority, and even consider themselves permitted by the Bible to use violence against others.”

<snip>

As examples of passages not to be taken literally, the bishops cite the early chapters of Genesis, comparing them with early creation legends from other cultures, especially from the ancient East. The bishops say it is clear that the primary purpose of these chapters was to provide religious teaching and that they could not be described as historical writing.

Similarly, they refute the apocalyptic prophecies of Revelation, the last book of the Christian Bible, in which the writer describes the work of the risen Jesus, the death of the Beast and the wedding feast of Christ the Lamb.

The bishops say: “Such symbolic language must be respected for what it is, and is not to be interpreted literally. We should not expect to discover in this book details about the end of the world, about how many will be saved and about when the end will come.”

[JNelson6563]

1. A welcome statement from the RCC!!

Bravo!!

Julie

[Seen the light]

2. Interesting

But that's not the Vatican itself though saying that.

[MindPilot]

3. BREAKING: Pot calls kettle "black". n/t

[Zenlitened]

4. Gimme a break. With all the shit the catholic church spews...

... at gays and lesbians, they're going to lecture ANYBODY about intolerance?

Gimme a fucking break.

[Matariki]

7. you have a point

but any step in the right direction should be welcome, imo.

not that the fundies care what the catholics think anyway.

[Zenlitened]

9. Sorry, but IMO it makes the statements all the more outrageous.

Be nice if these bishops were aiming their remarks at their counter-parts in the US. :grr:

[Bridget Burke]

23. The Bishops in the US already know it.

I was raised Catholic & went to Public School. Had a few Catechism classes on Saturday. I learned: The Bible is NOT all literally true. Some of the stories are symbolic, etc.

Speaking of intolerance towards gays: Which "fundie" churches are campaigning for GLBT rights?

[Zenlitened]

24. "Which "fundie" churches are campaigning for GLBT rights?"

The good ones? :shrug:

[StatsBabe]

17. Many of the fundies don't even consider Catholics

"real" Christians!

[rkc3]

20. Many - try all.

[yorkiemommie1]

21. i say i'm catholic

and they ask ' but are you a CHRISTIAN?' my fundie brother is praying for my soul. ( my brother and his wife who have rooked our mother out of thousands of dollars )

the nuns and priests who taught me ( k-12) never taught literalism.

liberalism for me was more a natural outgrowth of my religious upbringing than conservatism ever could be. i guess i was lucky because by the time my daughter started hs in the 90s things had gotten a lot more conservative.

[StatsBabe]

22. I never know what to say to, "Have you accepted Jesus as

your personal Lord and Savior?" What's up with that? It always sounds like baptism, confirmation, etc just isn't good enough for them!

[yorkiemommie1]

25. it has to be their BORN AGAIN ways.

I saw this great bumpersticker the other night..

" Born Again and Again and Again "

ok, it took me a few minutes to figure it out but i got it, lol.

[patrice]

5. "significant dangers" of Fundamentalism = RACISM

and I'd say the proof is pretty much self-evident on that matter, if you look at the extremities of any sect.

Yep, that's the Bible to too many people, "proof of Superiority".

It's sad, because the Bible is good, but I think, as one of the Berrigans said once, the Bible should be put on a shelf for a while and people should go out and find someone who needs help and isn't getting it.

[triguy46]

6. Hey, is this the same Catholic church...

that keeps track of your voting record prior to communion? "Hey, pot, watch your mouth!, Don't you call us skillets black!"

[jeff30997]

13. Up here in Quebec (Canada) until the end of the 50s...

The priest told you for who to vote.Their slogan:Heaven is blue and Hell is red.Pretty ridiculous isn't it ?

[triguy46]

8. A diversionary attack...

to distract the public from their bankrupt diocese, the hundreds of indictments, the millions in out of court settlements. I think a little humbleness would be in order, removing the mote from their own eye, etc.

[jeff30997]

10. Sometimes I'm kinda proud to be a Catholic but...

The damn fundies alwas cite the OLD testament with all the fire and brimstone(and also revelation and all that crap).BTW I'm not a true believer and the last time I went to Church was 10 years ago for Christmas.All that primitive mumbo-jumbo is sickening.

[Solly Mack]

11. Too hot? Redirect the heat!

ho hum

[triguy46]

12. On the other hand,

We could stand some mainline protestant churches standing up and refuting the current fetish of LaHayan end times apocolypse. It is NOT a universal belief, certainly not consistent with most prominent and/or historical theologians.

[Qibing Zero]

14. And in an amazing turn of events...

..the Catholics move ahead of the Protestants for the first time in 400 years, though the Eastern Orthodox still claims it has always held the lead. New reports indicate, however, that little has changed, and all are still light years behind Cyrus the Great.

[melody]

15. Maybe Dope Benedict figured out his anti-gay stance was too too

There are fundamentalists in all religions - maybe this is a hopeful sign for a reverse in Catholic fundamentalism from the head of the Inquisition. Not that the fundie Prots are going to notice, but...

[charlie]

16. Okay, so there might be some hypocrisy in this

Lotta jeers of pot.kettle.blackism upthread. That's fine.

But when bishops of the largest of the "mainstream" churches tells the fundie wackjobs to knock off the hyperliteral mouthbreathing, especially to quit fetishizing that abominable Book of Revelations, I've gotta ask myself -- is this a good thing?

You'd better believe this is a good thing. It's what I want to hear from mainline churches. Loudly. Often. GOOOO Bishops!

[gratuitous]

18. Separate the wheat from the chaff

From the snippet, it seems to be a pretty good statement. Biblical literalists are enthralled with the Genesis creation stories (note the plural) and the near-incomprehensible wrack and ruin of Revelation. The make deathless, eternal pronouncements based on a cursory reading of a few favored texts, and the pronouncements usually come out the same: They're glory-bound while you're doomed.

Yet those same literalists suddenly get all exegetical and sophistic when it comes to some very clear passages in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Hosea, the Gospels, and several of the epistles about folks who observe the form of religion without the spirit behind it.

It's time and past time that fundamentalist concussion evangelism was brought low.

[StellaBlue]

19. hmm

As a former Catholic, I say

:bounce:

[Silverhair]

26. News Flash: The RR doesn't care what the RC thinks.

Most of them think the RC is apostate anyway.