Comments on: Catholic Church Revives Practice of Indulgences

By: An Interested Party

An Interested Party — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:04:53 +0000

Forgiveness...along with a "charitable contribution"? I can't imagine how that could be a difficult concept for some...

By: DL

DL — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:19:32 +0000

Catholic bashing is what is back in play. The Church never took indulgences out of play - it was those pretend Catholic parishes that ignored them, and the confessional, and sin, etc. Why do you think 53% of Catholics voted for the first infanticide seeking president ever? Not one bit of dogma changed in Vatican II but those too close to the incense went far left and far away from Catholicism in the "spirit of Vatican II." Needless to say, indulgence are and have been a legitimate part of Catholicism (without the selling of course)

PS So has forgiveness been a main teaching -apparently a difficult concept for some.

By: steve s

steve s — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:46:40 +0000

Catholic Church Revives Practice of Indulgences; Continues Age-Old Practice of Sexual Deviance Not to pick on the Catholic Church. I'm not an anti-pope protestant, I'm an atheist. But if I wanted to commit crimes internationally, and get special treatment by law enforcement, you can bet I'd don some kind of clerical garb.

By: tom p

tom p — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:37:48 +0000

All I know is I am going to avoid guys named Loki on the bus... especially if they have an onion in one hand and a knife in the other.

(gotta love that movie)

By: legion

legion — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:38:20 +0000

You cannot buy one ... but charitable contributions, combined with other acts, can help you earn one.

Ummm... isn't giving money to the Catholic Church itself within the definition of 'charitable contribution'? *sigh* Everything I hear about Benedict's decisions just makes me respect him less, and gives me less hope for any sort of co-existence with other religions.

By: John425

John425 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:13:37 +0000

Sam is slightly off base about Mel's backsliding. Mel acknowledges that he is a proponent of "vacant chairs", particularly when he wants to sit in one, but he categorically denies that he would sit in the lap of someone who is already seated. Such heresy would be akin to that of a Seventh Day Adventist getting a "lap dance" on a Saturday night. Mel is a true syncretic and attends St. Michael's Church of the Psychic Parlor.

By: sam

sam — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:53:45 +0000

Mel Gibson, puportedly on the Papal Shit List

For a wonderfully inside-papalball account why Mel might be on the PSL, see this:

Is Mel Gibson a Sedevacantist? Sedevacantism verses Sedeprivationism

By: Anderson

Anderson — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:23:32 +0000

Herb's link takes one to a critique of the article's headline, but which is otherwise uncritical of the article's content -- "an otherwise solid news article."

By: Herb Ely

Herb Ely — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:59:36 +0000

Be skeptical of the NYT's coverage of religion stories. Before formin an opinion, go here for a critique of this story by an experienced religion reporter.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:31:17 +0000

Dogma was, in fact, the first thing I thought of when I read the headline.

By: John425

John425 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:27:22 +0000

The Pope has had secret meetings with Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh. In the spirit of Ecumenism, they have agreed that beheadings MAY be appropriate in certain situations when pertaining to their respective faiths, but may not be performed by anyone outside their particular faith. Mel Gibson, puportedly on the Papal Shit List, was not available for comment.

By: Bithead

Bithead — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:22:26 +0000

I note with interest the similarity between these and carbon credits.

I note also,a large increase in the number of Yahoo seraches on the 95 thesies.

By: Alex Knapp

Alex Knapp — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:38:54 +0000

LaurenceB -

You caught me. :)

By: yetanotherjohn

yetanotherjohn — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:34:51 +0000

There are partial indulgences, which reduce purgatorial time by a certain number of days or years, and plenary indulgences, which eliminate all of it, until another sin is committed. You can get one for yourself, or for someone who is dead. You cannot buy one — the church outlawed the sale of indulgences in 1567 — but charitable contributions, combined with other acts, can help you earn one. There is a limit of one plenary indulgence per sinner per day.

Me thinks someone has been talking to madison avenue. Buy one to give and buy one to keep. Planned obsolescence with the commission of another sin. Not for sale, but give to charity and its yours, Limit one per customer per day.

Of course there is the slight problem of Protestants undercutting the market, offering forgiveness that has already been paid for by someone else on your behalf.

By: LaurenceB

LaurenceB — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:26:28 +0000

I believe that entire post was just a setup for the punch line, wasn't it? lol