How can the Vatican justify its wealth?

Of course. There is one true God. I don't know the point you are trying to make though.

 

So, a non believer of of them rejects all, he only differs from you by one religion.

 

Well even a non believer worships something. It's in our DNA to worship whether it be an ideology, drugs or self worship.

 

Why isn’t the church perfect if indeed the Pope speaks for god. It’s the god who protects the abuser and is against equality for women.

 

Then you look at science as a religion even though by definition, that’s a false premise. Because DNA is both observed and worked with. I know of no one who has a working relationship with god that has doubled the life expectancy and eased the suffering of millions more then science including the study of dna.

No,one worships dna.

 

I never said anyone worships dna. And frankly I didn't mention science either. I was communicating that we are made and created to worship something. What we worship is our choice or it might be what we fall into that fills the spiritual void. We can choose to worship something or grab on to whatever is available.

I look at the history of man and great civilizations. All great civilizations begin and advance through the worship of a higher intelligence. No memorable civilization has seeded and foundated on the concept of no higher power.

It's good evidence to consider.

 

Well I don't really understand the function of the Pope. They are in my mind...sinful men. Just as all Christians are. Perfection only exists in God. We are veiled from God's holiness through our sin. Which is why Jesus was put on this earth, to give us a way of salvation. That comes with the responsibility to sin no more...and we strive not to. But on this earth we are still sinners.

A church is filled with sinners who try not to sin. And since we know what sin is...when Christians sin its worse.

BTW the church teaches that women and men are both created in the image of God and equally valued. That does not mean they are created the same for the same purposes.

Men and women obviously have different gender traits...physical, mental and spiritual.

 

Really ? Other then child birth, name one.
You can’t. Women can serve in every employment men can. That includes priesthood. It women are created in the image of God, of course that should be holding the highest positions in the church….

 

Other then child birth, they are as adaptable. It’s only about physical limitations that smaller men would not be suited for either. You can’t name a duty or occupation with in the church or military for that matter that women don’t deserve the same consideration for any role they want to participate in.

 

Of course you did. You said it was in our DNA to do things including worship. No discipline but science has even conjured up the notion of DNA, certainly not religion. Any time you talk about anything science depends so heavily on, you’re talking about science.

 

I totally disagree. Each gender is unique different and important to our families and our society. Some churches do have women in positions of leadership. Some don't. But that is that church family's business. Women are strong and fully capable of deciding where they want to worship.

 

Are you interested in communicating or obfuscation?

 

That don't countersay what I says, material and more spiritual reasons can meddle.

 

The ones that don’t, do so out of unfounded prejudice hidden under the guise of worship a male God figure . We use women as a bellwether for all predudices. Religion especially the Catholic Church is at the Christian forefront of prejudicial behavior against woman. Islam and others too at much more extreme lengths, but in Christianity, Catholics lead the way.,

Its one of the root factors in clergy sexual abuse of minors behavior that has run though the clergy for decades. Until the Catholic Church addresses their submissive role of women, they’ll never address sexual abuse of minors by male members of the church. I have no problem with male priest hypocritically acting out their fantasy with consenting adults. But with minors, that’s criminal.

 

There is no poof of that at all. You want to believe it, that’s fine. I would Just State it that way.

 

Really ? You make a false claim about DNA and say you weren’t mentioning science.. Science depends upon our understanding of what they call DNA. Without science, you’d never know the terms at all. You’re using science to make a false statement.

 

Me neither. But I’ve been told the general job description.

 

You can find some of the services of the Catholic Archdiocese of NYS on the link below, but not all, as well as some of the institutions and charities that have closed because of a shortage of funds.

My grandchildren were born in Saint Vincent's in Harrison and it was a lovely hospital. Carvel even donated a whole wing for a children's ward but the hospital was forced to close from a lack of funds - probably due to some attack on the Catholic Church by a self serving lawyer.

I know that many Catholic schools closed also for a lack of funds, which is a pity because the always emphasized social issues in contrast to state schools. Also the costs of those schools were minimum and did benefit the minority communities.

I also know the Catholic Church at one time paid for the funeral costs when a person didn't have a family member as well as the hospital bills regardless of their faith. My sister in law was in a coma for years, and my brother was lucky in that he was able to get her into a Catholic Institution rather than a State one.

I'm not Catholic by the way, but I do believe in giving credit where credit is due. I am a Christian.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...n_the_Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_New_York/.

 

Everyone seems to equate the wealth of the Catholic church to its art and churches. I think its real wealth is in its land holdings.

The Catholic Church owns roughly 177 million acres or 277,000 square miles of land. It is the largest non-governmental landowner in the world.

People may be able to visit Vatican city and view the beautiful art and architecture in the churches but how do they enjoy all of that land? Maybe they could sell of some of that and still keep all of their historic treasures?

 

Sorry - but here I dis-agree.
The Catholic faith still does have other qualities than just "the protection of wealth".

 

How about starting this way, personally:
Sell all your property and give the money to the poor?
It is always easy to a point finger at others and tell them what to do.
Doing it one-self - now that is a different matter.

 

To point out the RCC's consistencies says more about those pointing out the consistencies, then it does about the RCC. What It shows is an ignorance of Christianity and the distinction between its core beliefs and the human nature and limitations of its members.

This doesn't mean there aren't differences between the Catholic Church, Protestants and Orthodox. If there wasn't, they would be united today. Most of it has to do though with semantics as well as their ethnic and cultural differences.

There are those who try to exploit the differences and cause more schisms for political expediency, but God is undoing it in a most miraculous way. Man makes his plans, but God has His own.

 

Maybe you should ask them the same thing when they are preaching charity to the masses. Why is it OK for them to tell others and not for others to ask them? This is the first time I have suggested they give to help the poor. They do it constantly.

 

Why should the RCC sell that land when it can be used for its own institutions rent free, and maybe even collect rent for their different charities? Do you really think that privately owned land would be more beneficial to anyone other than the owner of the land?

These complaints remind me of the land deal in Greece between the Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi Monastery in Mount Athos and the Greek government. The Elder had exchanged some land they had for a piece of valuable government land outside of Athens to build a hospital.

Well it was a great deal for the monastery, but the socialists freaked. They started rumors about the monks vacationing in the Caribbean etc., etc. - so the Elder and the one who helped negotiate the deal were dragged to court.

The government fell and the socialists took over, so a journalist from the New Yorker went there and to find out what was going on. Well it turned out the rumors were all lies.

That though wasn't the end of it. The Elder Ephraim was Vladimir Putin's spiritual father (confessor), so a few years later Putin asked him to bring a precious relic from the monastery to Russia for the people to worship. Well he did, and his connection with Putin infuriated the EU so much, that when the Elder returned to Greece they put him in jail under the pretense of the land deal.

Of course the Elder was freed, and the prisoners hated to see him go. It also stands to reason that Vladimir Putin now has an elder from a Russian monastery for his spiritual father.


The Monastery of Vatopedi at Mount Athos
Established by Saint Constantine in the 4th century.

 

Yes, they give help to the poor constantly.