News-Record.com

I suppose it would be appropriate to greet the Pope, as a world leader, with a reasonable amount of decorum and respect, but this seems a bit over the top. And I think, if anything approaches a breech of the non-establishment clause, this does! The amount of favor and pro-Catholic impetus it will generate is beyond appropriate, it is unconstitutional.

This is not a personal or generalized acknowledgement of God in American life, (which is perfectly constitutional) but a tacit endorsement of an insitituion and its head. I, for one Reformed Christian, am extremely irritated that my tax dollars are being used to PROMOTE the head of a particular religious institution - which the non-establishment clause prohibits.

I heard it touted on the news somewhere as a wise tactical move, considering how close American and RCC global socio-political policies are, and how many people are under the sway of the Pope. (Which is highly dbuios). I still think it's wrong - and unconstitutional! I wouldn't want Billy Graham or the Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Church to be greeted in this way either.

In addition to being the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope is also the leader of the Vatican, which is a sovereign state. Given the special role that the Pope plays as both spiritual and temporal authority I believe it is entirely appropriate to roll out the red carpet when he visits.

Where were the complaints when the Dali Lama was here? Didn't Congress award him the Congressional Gold Medal? On September 14, 2006 it was reported:

Washington, DC – The House of Representatives approved legislation last night to award the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his advocacy of peace, tolerance, human rights, non-violence, and compassion throughout the world.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who introduced the legislation in the Senate with Senator Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.), today welcomed the passage of the bill. The Senate approved the legislation on May 26.

“The Dalai Lama is a worthy recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal. He is one of the world’s greatest religious leaders and has used human compassion, courage and conviction as his tools in carving a path for peace. For half a century, he has struggled to better the lives of the Tibetan people. In doing so, he has been a shining light to all those fighting for freedom around the world,” Senator Feinstein said.

Certainly the reception the Dalia Lama received was at least equal to that planned for the Pope. I suspect that Nancy's question stems from her believe that the Pope simply is the wrong sort of religious leader.

Q.) "Do you think the pope still speaks for the majority of American Catholics?".................................

A.) only when he says something they agree with, otherwise it seems they make up their own rules and vacate the rules & regs from the catechism - which is btw very lengthy and wordy. much of its discourse needs to be interpreted by an attorney (imo). here is a link to the 2nd edition of their catechism:

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

the rcc makes it ever so easy to NOT be held accountable for following their own catechism - they say if there was no intent , knowledge or if you simply forgot to adhere to their catechism, then you are not held accountable. the rcc has broken 'sin' into two categories 1.) a big sin (i.e. mortal sin) or 2.) a little sin (venial sin). if you've committed a mortal sin and die in that condition you go to hell (ouch) - if you've committed venial sin and die in that condition you get to go to purgatory to suffer until you've cleaned yourself up and then you get a ride to heaven, unless however you've committed a series of similar (venial) sins which amount to one large sin and therefore it can become a mortal sin (whew). - that is unless the sin(s) you've committed are done so without you're knowledge they are sins, in which case you are scott free. and just think there are only 2865 rules & regs you must live by (i.e. the catechism) to be in good grace with the rcc. i'm fairly certain that i can find Gods grace without all of that (hallelujah).
this much i can honestly say "the pope does not speak for me".

To make it short, PI, libs love the Dalai Lama because it brings to mind the incense-filled days of yore (60s) when they swooned over Timothy Leary's version of the Tibetan Book of the Dead (not the band), Beatle songs with sitars twanging away and peace sit-ins, etc. Anything non-Christian they want to exalt and toute. Too bad he is an instrument of Satan to decieve the world's peoples with false religion and a false peace.

As for the pope, I acknowledge the RCC as an orthodox church because of its adhearance to the ecumenical Creeds; but it is so filled with residual errors and superstitions from the past that the Gospel is very difficult to discern. It has its high points and low points. But - too much power and adulation for one Christian bishop - you know, "absolute power . . ." And its track record is riddled with abuse and oppression.

No church has ever saved anyone! Only believing the preached Gospel of grace and conituance in learning and living the Word of God equals biblical salvation. All else is futility and empty show. "Religionism" is the most potent enemy of grace orientation. And how the masses swoon over these larger-than-life figures. One good Bible study that gets in one's spirit is worth a million popal extravaganzas.

Sorry, but that's the truth. How easily we forget the blood that was spilled to get us our Bibles and freedom from papal oppression.

The over-the-top issue really should center on why our secular government and administration felt the need to have a specifically Christian prayer offered up on an official basis and the performance paid for by tax dollars. I suppose a potential rationale would be to claim it wasn't a prayer proper, but more akin to a performance of, say, snippets from Mozart's Requiem, hence like merely appropriate themed musak.

The whole horse and pony show is ridiculous. But so are political rallies, conventions and the shooting match (sorry, VP Cheney).