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POPSPope meets with Iran-based Muslim group, method for dialogue agreed on 4. "Both sides agreed to further co-operate in order to promote genuine religiosity, in particular spirituality, to encourage respect for symbols considered to be sacred and to promote moral values." 5. "Christians and Muslims should go beyond tolerance, accepting differences, while remaining aware of commonalties and thanking God for them. They are called to mutual respect, thereby condemning derision of religious beliefs." 6. "Generalization should be avoided when speaking of religions. Differences of confessions with Christianity and Islam, diversity of historical contexts are important factors to be considered." 7. "Religious traditions cannot be judged on the basis of a single verse or a passage present in their respective holy Books. A holistic vision as well as an adequate hermeneutical method is necessary for a fair understanding of them".
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POPSWas the Sistine Ceiling a Papal Insult? look at the shape that frames God, and the flowing fabric that falls down from it do you actually see a spinal cord? "Now, what's interesting is in Kabbalah we have different kinds of wisdom," said Doliner. "The right side of the human brain in Kabbalah means wisdom chokhma." And God is appearing from the right side of the brain in that fresco. How about the fresco of Adam, Eve and the serpent in the garden? Most depictions of the Garden of Eden show an apple tree, but not on the Sistine ceiling. As in an ancient Jewish tradition, the tree is a fig tree. Blech finds it another hidden message. "I think this is one of these powerful proofs, that not only did Michelangelo know Jewish texts, but he felt it important to incorporate the ideas of these texts into some of these frescoes."
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POPSPope Genuflects Before United Nations The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), which monitors U.N. affairs, has documented the involvement of the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) in coercive birth control programs, including forced abortion, in China. The Vatican suspended its own financial support for another U.N. agency, the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after accusing the agency of involvement in abortion activities. Benedict said nothing about these controversies, however. “That is why the Church is happy to be associated with the activity of this distinguished Organization, charged with the responsibility of promoting peace and good will throughout the earth,”Benedict said. In fact, the U.N. has been dubbed “the House that Hiss built” because of the role that Soviet spy and State Department official Alger Hiss played in founding the organization.
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POPS24 hours in pictures - 17th April 10 Simbach am Inn, Germany: A sculpture of the river God Aenus looks out over the town. The sculpture caused controversy in the border area between Bavaria and Austria because the sculpture's buttocks point directly at the neighbouring Austrian town of Braunau 5 Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo: People gather near newly dug graves of the victims of an air crash
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POPSChild Marriage in America vs Texas Sect "Abuse"
Country star Lorretta Lynn was married at 13. History has been forgotten that marrying before 16 even was not entirely rare. Most States permit marriage at 16 with parental consent, some even less (e.g. 14). The news about the sect has largely been filled with inflammatory rhetoric, even fraudulent in an attempt to justify a CPS raid that looked like Waco. Now we hear that the raid was sparked by a fraudulent (CPS planted?) "informant", who was doubtfully involved in the sect at all since she was black. Even some conservative talk radio, like Michael Savage, termed it "Bush's Waco" when it broke--i.e. a news-creating distraction to many more important matters they would prefer to sweep under the public carpet. Modern democratic society hates and distrusts all religion, even marriage, and considers indoctrination of children (which actually everyone does) as a form of tyranny. Yet the Roman Catholic church, and Pope, were not raided over proven sex abuse with SWAT teams!
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POPS24 hours in pictures - April 21st 13 Tokyo, Japan: A street performer is surrounded by amateur photographers and spectators while she is interviewed by local TV reporters during a promotion for the 'maid cafe' in which she works for as a waitress 15 Alajuela, Costa Rica: Light technicians at sunset during the second day of Imperial Festival at the La Guacima racetrack 4 Old City, Jerusalem: An Orthodox nun holds a palm frond during the Greek Orthodox Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
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POPSChild Abuse in Sickening Detail. Death a relief Having read the details of this horrific child abuse, which is beyond anything I've previously read, I'm left incapable of rational thought. Recently there was a sex/cult event in Texas. In comparison with this it was a non-event. This has been kept hushed up. Why? Is it because of the involvement of a Haredi Orthodox Rabbi as the prime torturer? Recently another child abuser in Australia was given safe haven in Israel. Is it opportune while the pope seeks forgiveness in the USA, that abuse of children that would put the Nazis to shame would see the light of day in the 'free and fair' USA media. Is there a word on this atrocity? What society allowed this to happen? This was no overnight phenomenon. What religion sees it as creed to torture children beyond what would be acceptable to the worst criminal or terrorist? How sick is the society?
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POPSFor those touched most by 9/11, a turning point in faith
rest of article: Brian Jordan, a Franciscan priest who ministered to rescue and recovery workers, says there were no atheists at Ground Zero — suddenly everyone had a spiritual life, no matter how tortured or confused. Jay Rosenbaum, a Long Island rabbi, says he was almost overwhelmed when he arrived at Ground Zero on Sept. 12. But later, he conducted a simple prayer service in vestments that included a hard hat, combat boots and a prayer shawl. “Our mission is to look not only at the devastation there,” he said in his impromptu sermon, pointing to the shell of one tower, “but the devotion here” — the dusty, exhausted, rescue workers around him. “It was one of the most affirming moments of my life,” he says now. “I felt this was something I was worthy of doing.” To others, 9/11 seems to belie the notion of an all-loving, all-powerful God. Sam Harris began writing The End of Faith, his best-selling attack on religion, the day after the attacks. Jonathan Miller, who wrote
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