Read the New York Times Piece about Pope Francis' interview today 9/19/2013, and then hate filled conjecture and condemnation from "sola scriptura" heretics - blessed to be "friends" on Face Book. I realized that neither the Secular Humanists nor the Bible Thumping Fundamentalist have the foundation to grasp the meaning of Pappa Francis' words. Francis talked about striking a balance between pressing the dogmatic teachings and expressing Christ's ministry of Love to hurting sinners. Is this Christian or not?
"Jesus NEVER spoke unkindly to a sinner, but he blasted the religious hypocrites" I could not help thinking this as I read some of the Bible Thumping responses. One "loving christian" wrote, "lets see..what would be a balance when it comes to abortion..killing half the baby? how about homosexuality....for men one will have his pee pee whacked off, and for women chastity belts? This poop is not a man of God if he does these things.."
I am a blunt spoken man when dealing with a person pressing the Gay Agenda. I'm very blunt in describing that their consciousness never rises above their belt buckle. Nor spare them the fact that they discount the slaughter of the innocent for the furtherance of their secular humanist agenda. But that is a "political" statement. When I am dealing with a Gay, one on one, human to human, I afford that human every dignity I know how to extend.
Pope Francis is NOT talking about "balancing the teaching of the church" he is talking about balancing the "expressions" of teachings with the expressions of Christ love. All this holier than thou B.S. that comes from protestants is SHAMELESS - as if EACH one of us is NOT a sinner. And in fact it holds NOTHING of Christianity about it. Rather it is an expression of hubris and pride.
What these "interpreters" (both the secular humanists and the Bible Thumpers) of Papa Francis' interview don't realize is that he is stating the foundations of Orthodox Catholicism as in Eastern Orthodox Catholicism, the understanding of the primary and undivided Catholic Church, removed from the scholasticism and dogmatic language of both the Roman Catholic Tradition and her Protestant and Puritan children, which has encrusted the same.
His very first statement, "I am a sinner" is the FIRST identity of all true Orthodox Catholic Christians, from Patriarch to newly baptized convert. From that position of being a sinner, one looks around at other sinners with love and concern and not consternation and condemnation, nor does one speak "theory" but words of Life giving LOVE. He has not diminished one whit any dogmatic teaching, merely spoken the truth in love.
The interview reminded me of a CNN interview with the Greek Orthodox Roman Catholic Ecumenical Patriarch of the East, Bartholomew. The CNN reporter inquired how he should address him, "Your Grace? Your All Holiness? Your Imminence?" He responded, "Bart." The CNN reported could not process what he had heard, so taking pity, the Patriarch said, "You are not Orthodox, you are not speaking with your religious or philosophical leader or teacher, we are speaking human to human, so please just call me, Bart." Francis is speaking with that kind of humility, human to human.
In a REAL way, Pope Francis gave the same object lesson to the Roman Catholic world, today, that this protestant pastor did. Instead of the dirty beggar covered in ragged clothes, who these self-righteous protestants shunned, he gave them the image of the hurting, confused human being, covered in sins and challenged, "as you do to the least of these, you do also to me."
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