Help Me Understand
 

I want to ask about something specific, but feel free to use this thread for questions about any current events that you don't want to make a whole thread for.

Help me understand the big deal about the pope. I don't really have a Catholic background, and most of what I understand is he's basically the top guy in the hierarchy of... whatever it is that's apparently extremely important to a lot of people.
To me, it's just a guy in a position that doesn't affect me. But I keep hearing people freaking out about the fact that a new pope was chosen. Isn't that inevitable?
And why does it get so much news coverage? Basically the media is in a frenzy for however long it takes for the right color smoke to come out, then after it happens and a couple days pass, the frenzy dies down and everyone goes on with their lives without ever mentioning anything at all about popes until one dies and another takes his place.

If he's that important, why isn't he in the news all the time? Or do people really just get excited over the whole "who's gonna be the next pope? Not that I care or even know who the guy is! But still!!!!"

I mean, that's the impression I get.
Any takers?

He's the most powerful person in the largest and most powerful denomination of the largest and most powerful religion on planet so when they select a new one it's not surprising that it's pretty big news. When the popes are in office they're pretty big news as well. I'd definitely say I see more news stories about the pope throughout a given year than I do about 90% of the heads of state in the world.

I'm surprised it's covered so much too. I don't to notice many stories about the Pope in New Zealand papers but of course they are covering the new Pope being elected.

The entire, and I mean entire, news was dedicated to him yesterday. They even ran an extended version to make sure they got the announcement and the blessing!

Yeah, I find it ridiculous too: people were crying, punching the air, as if some great event had just taken place. I suppose from the point of view of practicing Catholics, the pope is God's representative on Earth, the highest position in the Catholic Church, and with the stepping down of Pope Nazi there woudl have been worry about who was going to take over. Sometimes these things take a long time and while there's no pope I guess people feel they're without a leader, not that he leads much.

It's pretty pathetic. It's like people can't think for themselves without a pope. A better idea would have been to have elected no one and told people to look after their own lives and follow their own hearts, but sure, people can't do that can they?

How long now to another scandal, I wonder?

I get why some people care so much, but I just don't know why news coverage has to interrupt General Hospital two days in a row. I hope Diane Sawyer gets pushed down a flight of stairs.

Maybe he was senile and a few cups of prune juice away from calling a religious war against jellyfish and rye bread.

Religious people who can't think for themselves? Shocking!

Makes sense. That much I understood. But it seems like if the pope was really so awesome 365 days a year, people would be all, "OMFG! POPE IS BEING POPE! LA LA LA... SITTING THERE IN HIS HAT LIKE A BADASS! THIS IS SO AMAZING. (4 months later...) I LIVE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE POPE IS BREATHING STILL! LOOK AT HIM! LOOOK AT HIM!!!! WOOOOO POPES!!!!!"

But in reality they're all, "POPES!!! WOOOOOO!!!.... (24 hours later) BREAKING BAD WOOOOOO! WALKING DEAD WOOOOOOO!!!! EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT POPES WOOOOOOO!!!!!"
It's almost like, to the general public, new popes are a summer fashion trend, and they only freak out about it when the style burns out and comes back around full circle in like 10-15 years.

Is you trolling, or is you suggesting Atheists or Agnostics are somehow markedly different in this regard?

*fart*

Is you trolling, or is you suggesting that critical thinking and analysis is common to both?

So atheists and agnostics can't think for themselves either? Hmmm...

I was raised Catholic but I'm pretty much atheist these days and kind of vague on the details. However by my vague recollection the Pope is essentially standing in for Jesus and kind of a direct conduit for God's instruction. I guess as the main figure head he pretty much leads the way so I guess it's exciting for reformists to get their hopes up for a new era of enlightenment. I don't see the Catholic church as being able to reconcile much with modern values though. Jesuits are pretty cool on the street level but still have to toe the party line.

i think the peaks and valleys of attention and media coverage regarding the papacy revolve largely around what the pope does. the roman catholic church is a major player on the worldwide cultural stage and also in world politics. some popes do genuinely good things (kinda like princess diana did) (and we haven't seen one of these in a real f*cking long time) and those ones will get more coverage. some popes do really nasty sh*t though, and they'll get a lot of attention on the internet but slim to none in mainstream media. it's bad for business, and the church has got connections in the media. so, every time a new one is instated the people who feel the pope should guide them experience a sort of resurgence in terms of a unified effort to be divine (or something) in light of the fact that this new one stands a chance of not being a total piece of sh*t like the last one. technically, the church symbolizes something good, so i think its followers (and maybe some who aren't followers, if for no other reason than acknowledging the sheer power of the vatican and it's potential to do good) just get excited when a new door opens for "man to do right by god."

2 pennies in.

Sometimes I wish I knew if you were a Christian Conservative, a Non-denominational Consevative or somebody who likes to be different and edgy, sometimes funny, and on a rare occassion very insightful. :)

I don't know about the division line between Atheists and Theist. They're both human. Everybody follows something.

He trolls only.

He's an atheist I believe. He's just a misanthrope who doesn't like anybody, whether they agree with him or not.

Speak you like Yoda, read it should "He only trolls" be.

Pope
 

He is the head of an institution that runs the biggest thought control scam in the history of man, where everybody that follows has to mindlessly repeat rituals and hear interpretations of a text that has been modified ever since it was written, without paying attention to how interest of nations move behind it.
Not a big deal, its just the modern representation of the impetus of an idea started long ago. Has a lot of people to follow it, and will probably end up killing us all.

well, its just my look on it.

I am Pope, taker of little boy virginity.

The Pope has nothing to do with that.

Look I'll give him this much. His first action (more or less) the day after he was elected was to go back to his hotel, personally collect his stuff and pay his bill, and thank the staff there for looking after him. This may not seem like much, but it's something he could have had a flunky do, and he did it himself. He says he wants to be a "man of the people", so I think that's a good way to start.

Mind you, now they're saying he didn't stand up to the Junta in Argentina when he was bishop there or something. Always some negative to balance out the positive, and anyway, what pope ever stood up to any dictator? Think John XXIII or whoever stood up to Hitler in World War 2? Nah..

I have to laugh though at Irish news: "still no word on a papal visit to Ireland" --- Jesus the guy has been pope three days and they're already expecting him to come to Ireland!!! :rofl: :eek:

The leaders of Europe had plenty of time to stand up to Hitler but didn't.
"Winston Churchill warned Britain and the Western world about the dangers of Adolf Hitler and Germany." Churchill's Warning for Today - theTrumpet.com


John XXIII didn't fight the Nazi's but he helped the Jewish people.

A charity worker with a silly hat on.

It's really been bugging me, I know the new Pope looked familiar, and today I figured it out. He's a dead ringer for Jeffrey Tambor


http://25.media.tumblr.com/d99fddcce...pwi0o1_500.jpg

http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncsta...uters.jpg?ve=1

There's always money in the banana stand.

:laughing:

There were two points, unfortunately my main point - that critical thinking and analysis are in permanent short supply everywhere - wasn't clear enough.

I love the irony here.