Pope Benedict XVI Says He Will Resign

[Sam Vara]

Let's send the man a little good will, whatever we think of his organisations and beliefs. He is 85, and has admitted to being mentally and physically too frail to do what he presumably thinks is the most important task in the world.

Fully worn out is this body, a nest of disease, and fragile. This foul mass breaks up, for death is the end of life.

Something very similar will come to all of us.

[Jay1]

The website is biased.

The website doesn't exist to give a comprehensive overview of all events in the Bible. It simply showcases, quite effectively, I might add, the depths of cruelty to which Jehovah sinks to on multiple occasions. No amount of positives on the other side could give pardon.

It showcases a fundamental misunderstanding of the Christian faith. It doesn't expose evil acts of God because it does not understand scripture.

[beeblebrox]

Let's send the man a little good will, whatever we think of his organisations and beliefs. He is 85, and has admitted to being mentally and physically too frail to do what he presumably thinks is the most important task in the world.

Fully worn out is this body, a nest of disease, and fragile. This foul mass breaks up, for death is the end of life.

Something very similar will come to all of us.

Hi Sam,

Thank you for making this post.

The website doesn't exist to give a comprehensive overview of all events in the Bible. It simply showcases, quite effectively, I might add, the depths of cruelty to which Jehovah sinks to on multiple occasions. No amount of positives on the other side could give pardon.

Just how can a non-existent disembodied intelligence be cruel?

Exactly... I think this sort of thing is a bit unfortunate. It's a bizarre world that we live in.

[Coyote]

Personally I find the history of the modern Catholic church fascinating an await to see which direction the next pope takes the church. The man was a great scholar and theologian (so I'm told) so it will be interesting to see where his influence takes Catholic doctrine and practice. I think we live in "interesting times" with regards to traditional ecclesiastical Christianity. Just from my nerdy historian point of view it has been really interesting watching from the sidelines to see how he has influenced the church and how he contended with his predecessors legacy, not to mention the various scandals ect. It's a pity this history has to happen in the real world though, it's easy to forget that.

[Jason]

Personally, I can't say that I'm sad to the pontiff — who, among other things, called Buddhism "self-indulgent eroticism" and thought it was OK to say that condoms increase the problem of AIDS in a country where 22.5 million people are living with HIV — go. Not really a huge fan, although I'm sad to see that it's because his health is declining.

Like massive boulders,
mountains pressing against the sky,
moving in from all sides,
crushing the four directions,
so aging and death
come rolling over living beings:
noble warriors, brahmans, merchants,
workers, outcastes, & scavengers.
They spare nothing.
They trample everything.
- SN 3.25

[ground]

Lucky Pope, he is able to let go being aware that capacities are limited in the sphere of aging and death. Wisdom is independent of religion.

[alan]

In a more rational world, the Pope would be a subject of mockery.
Take over the Vatican, sell it's assets, and spread that money to all the poor families in the third world who have suffered from the idiotic policy that bans contraception. That's what we should do.

[tiltbillings]

Buddhism

Though his advent was congratulated by Buddhist leaders around the world, [3][4] critics remembered that in March 1997 Cardinal Ratzinger predicted that Buddhism would, over the coming century, replace Marxism as the main "enemy" of the Catholic Church. Some also criticized him for calling Buddhism an "autoerotic spirituality" that offered "transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations", though that might be a mistranslation from the French auto-erotisme, which more properly translates to self-absorption, or narcissism.[37][38] Also the quote did not address Buddhism as such, but rather about how Buddhism "appears" to those Europeans who are using it to obtain some type of self-satisfying spiritual experience.[39] -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology_o ... nedict_XVI

[jonno]

Hi all.I've no intention to enter into any contraversary , or to criticise anyone. I simply feel that as Buddhists we should practice forgiveness understanding and compassion for all beings. Namaste Jonno

[James the Giant]

Waa-hee!

In 1990 Ratzinger commented on the Galileo affair, and quoted philosopher Paul Feyerabend as saying that the Church's verdict against Galileo had been "rational and just".

The Pope about Harry Potter books:

"these are subtle seductions which act imperceptibly and thereby deeply, and dissolve Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly."

Distributing condoms to help prevent HIV:

"would result in at least the facilitation of evil".

About Gay and Lesbian people adopting children:

"Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children."

On LGBT rights:

"The Archdiocese should withdraw all support from any group, which does not unequivocally accept the teaching of the Magisterium concerning the intrinsic evil of homosexual activity."

And

"although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder."

[tiltbillings]

Hi all.I've no intention to enter into any contraversary , or to criticise anyone. I simply feel that as Buddhists we should practice forgiveness understanding and compassion for all beings. Namaste Jonno

One can forgive him, but that does not mean that one cannot also reasonably critique some very atavistic teachings, pronouncement and such.

[GraemeR]

Well he was no friend of Buddhism and I hope his successor may be more sensitive.

" Perhaps one of his most worrying comments was regarding Buddhism, which he called an "autoerotic spirituality" that seeks "transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations." He also made the point that, by the year 2000, Buddhism would replace Marxism as the church's biggest foe. (See National Catholic Reporter Vol. 35, No. 17, Feb. 27, 1999). Perhaps he was not aware that Marxism had all but disappeared by 1990. He has also made other blunders such as quoting a former Byzantine monarch's comment regarding Islam at a particularly insensitive time."

http://cathar-martyr.tripod.com/inquisition.html

Graham

[GraemeR]

Dear all

I haven't seen positive confirmation of this, but it's circulating quite widely:

http://itccs.org/

An arrest warrant may have precipitated his resignation

With Metta

Graham

[Buckwheat]

The website is biased.

The website doesn't exist to give a comprehensive overview of all events in the Bible. It simply showcases, quite effectively, I might add, the depths of cruelty to which Jehovah sinks to on multiple occasions. No amount of positives on the other side could give pardon.

Just how can a non-existent disembodied intelligence be cruel?

Kim

[Buckwheat]

Buddhism

Though his advent was congratulated by Buddhist leaders around the world, [3][4] critics remembered that in March 1997 Cardinal Ratzinger predicted that Buddhism would, over the coming century, replace Marxism as the main "enemy" of the Catholic Church. Some also criticized him for calling Buddhism an "autoerotic spirituality" that offered "transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations", though that might be a mistranslation from the French auto-erotisme, which more properly translates to self-absorption, or narcissism.[37][38] Also the quote did not address Buddhism as such, but rather about how Buddhism "appears" to those Europeans who are using it to obtain some type of self-satisfying spiritual experience.[39] -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology_o ... nedict_XVI

So, he basically said the watered down Buddhism taught in many western dharma centers is selfish feel-good-ism? Ain't there some truth to that?

[tiltbillings]

So, he basically said the watered down Buddhism taught in many western dharma centers is selfish feel-good-ism? Ain't there some truth to that?

Which Dhamma centers would those be? And, no, he did not specify "watered down Buddhism taught in many western dharma centers."

[GraemeR]

Which Dhamma centers would those be? And, no, he did not specify "watered down Buddhism taught in many western dharma centers."

I went to excellent Buddhist Centres in Britain, they are much better than most I have seen here in Thailand, where good Wats seem to be the exception, rather than the rule. Buddhism here can be watered down with Hinduism, Taoism animism etc in may temples.

In my view the Pope just loves to hate - Buddhists, Muslims, anyone who doesn't follow his dogma. To me his use of terms like 'Enemy' is simply awful.

With Metta

Graham

[Buckwheat]

Buddhism

Though his advent was congratulated by Buddhist leaders around the world, [3][4] critics remembered that in March 1997 Cardinal Ratzinger predicted that Buddhism would, over the coming century, replace Marxism as the main "enemy" of the Catholic Church. Some also criticized him for calling Buddhism an "autoerotic spirituality" that offered "transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations", though that might be a mistranslation from the French auto-erotisme, which more properly translates to self-absorption, or narcissism.[37][38] Also the quote did not address Buddhism as such, but rather about how Buddhism "appears" to those Europeans who are using it to obtain some type of self-satisfying spiritual experience.[39] -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology_o ... nedict_XVI

If the Pope was referring to Buddhism in general, he was either neglecting Kamma or ignorant of the teaching. However, the framework around this quote indicates he is referring to what is seen in European dharma circles. Due to my ignorance, I will have to defer to others regarding the respectability of European dharma centers. What I have seen is that in California and Utah several Mahayana dharma centers have a pretty weak respect for the workings of kamma, which is what drove me to Theravada in the first place. (There are also some Mahayana centers which command my utmost respect, but I was already "converted" to Theravada.)

FYI - I don't like the Pope. I am kind of glad he is stepping down, although saddened as I realize they will probably just select another Pope I don't like.

[Kim O'Hara]

... I realize they will probably just select another Pope I don't like.

From http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/sensible-move-by-benedict/story-e6frg7ko-1226578731927:

However, because Benedict has appointed so many of the cardinals who will vote for his successor, it's unlikely the new pope is going to be any kind of ecclesiastical revolutionary.

Kim

[Kusala]

Buddhism

Though his advent was congratulated by Buddhist leaders around the world, [3][4] critics remembered that in March 1997 Cardinal Ratzinger predicted that Buddhism would, over the coming century, replace Marxism as the main "enemy" of the Catholic Church. Some also criticized him for calling Buddhism an "autoerotic spirituality" that offered "transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations", though that might be a mistranslation from the French auto-erotisme, which more properly translates to self-absorption, or narcissism.[37][38] Also the quote did not address Buddhism as such, but rather about how Buddhism "appears" to those Europeans who are using it to obtain some type of self-satisfying spiritual experience.[39] -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology_o ... nedict_XVI

If the Pope was referring to Buddhism in general, he was either neglecting Kamma or ignorant of the teaching. However, the framework around this quote indicates he is referring to what is seen in European dharma circles. Due to my ignorance, I will have to defer to others regarding the respectability of European dharma centers. What I have seen is that in California and Utah several Mahayana dharma centers have a pretty weak respect for the workings of kamma, which is what drove me to Theravada in the first place. (There are also some Mahayana centers which command my utmost respect, but I was already "converted" to Theravada.)

FYI - I don't like the Pope. I am kind of glad he is stepping down, although saddened as I realize they will probably just select another Pope I don't like.

Catholic encyclopedia on Buddhism... http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03028b.htm

"The fundamental tenets of Buddhism are marked by grave defects that not only betray its inadequacy to become a religion of enlightened humanity, but also bring into bold relief its inferiority to the religion of Jesus Christ. In the first place, the very foundation on which Buddhism rests—the doctrine of karma with its implied transmigrations—is gratuitous and false..."

"Another fatal defect of Buddhism is its false pessimism. A strong and healthy mind revolts against the morbid view that life is not worth living, that every form of conscious existence is an evil. Buddhism stands condemned by the voice of nature the dominant tone of which is hope and joy. It is a protest against nature for possessing the perfection of rational life. The highest ambition of Buddhism is to destroy that perfection by bringing all living beings to the unconscious repose of Nirvana. Buddhism is thus guilty of a capital crime against nature, and in consequence does injustice to the individual..."

"Buddhism has accomplished but little for the uplifting of humanity in comparison with Christianity. One of its most attractive features, which, unfortunately, has become wellnigh obsolete, was its practice of benevolence towards the sick and needy. Between Buddhists and Brahmins there was a commendable rivalry in maintaining dispensaries of food and medicine. But this charity did not, like the Christian form, extend to the prolonged nursing of unfortunates stricken with contagious and incurable diseases, to the protection of foundlings, to the bringing up of orphans, to the rescue of fallen women, to the care of the aged and insane. Asylums and hospitals in this sense are unknown to Buddhism..."