The Pope Wants To Baptize Aliens

[Ehropa]

You heard it right, it's not a fake story either. He said that if asked, yes, he would indeed baptize aliens. So, do you think he has lost his marbles?

 

 

 

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/05/13/Pope-Francis-says-he-would-baptize-aliens/8621399985308/

[Buffy]

Can you give me a single Ecclesiastical reason why he should not? 

 

An alien is just as much a creature of God's creation as anyone else. Why should he not also be saved by Jesus?

 

I happen to think that Pope Frank is the best thing to happen to the Catholic Church since de-Latinizing the Liturgy. Or maybe even since the Reformation.

 

 

Wretched are those who are vindictive and spiteful, :phones:

Buffy

[sanctus]

Not at all (wrt lost his marbles), he is just very coherent. As said somewhere in the article the church is supposed to have open doors. I think this statement  makes him even cooler!

[Eclogite]

You heard it right, it's not a fake story either. He said that if asked, yes, he would indeed baptize aliens. So, do you think he has lost his marbles?

 

 

 

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/05/13/Pope-Francis-says-he-would-baptize-aliens/8621399985308/

Let me answer your question with one of my own. Have you lost your marbles? Why would he not be prepared to do this? Or, is it that you think aliens don't exist? Now had you said his attachment to the Christian faith meant he had lost his marbles you might have had more than a case, but I quite miss your point here.

[arissa]

Even if aliens do exist what makes him, or anyone else for that matter think that they would not have their own belief structure that they follow? I understand "Welcome to Earth, if you would like..." but to just come right out and say it has many people question both his sanity as well as his random act of kindness (if you want to call it that). What about all the people who follow him, or did before he made this remark that do not believe in aliens? I see this as a great way to divide the church and I am not really that religious to start with.

[Gregb]

I like this pope. The church needs a modern pope with some humor and common sense.

[Buffy]

Catholic church doctrine on things like life beyond earth is actually quite liberal. Heck Catholics are just fine with Evolution. It's the evangelical Baptists who insist on Biblical inerrancy that get their knickers in a twist about there being no intelligent life beyond earth.

 

Pope Frank is going to be just fine with his flock. Now some of the bought-and-paid-for Corporate Cardinals, that's another story altogether....

 

 

I like it when someone tells me 'I don't agree.' This is a true collaborator. When they say 'Oh, how great, how great, how great,' that's not useful, :phones:

Buffy

[sanctus]

Arissa, he just replied to the question whether he would baptise aliens or not. This does NOT imply any of:

1) He believes in aliens

2) He expects aliens to want this

 

I think therefore your point does not relly hold, since you kind of imply the two things above.

[Ehropa]

 

Why should he not also be saved by Jesus?

 

Buffy

 

 

Saved from what? Us?

 

Look, I like what Pope Francis does. He seems more modern and open minded than previous Popes, but what he said was too weird for me to agree with.

 

"If aliens asked I would baptize them". Why would he say that if he didn't presume it? I think he just needed to let people know that he is open to the idea of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, which is a logical thought, and left it at that. Presuming that aliens want to be a part of an organized religion, assuming they even know what that concept is, is more than presumptuous. It's a little arrogant and it reminds me of all these religions who want to save the souls of the "savages" who are not advanced and don't know any better.

[arissa]

Arissa, he just replied to the question whether he would baptise aliens or not. This does NOT imply any of:

1) He believes in aliens

2) He expects aliens to want this

 

I think therefore your point does not relly hold, since you kind of imply the two things above.

 

But at the very same time the Pope is speculating that even if we were given the chance to meet an alien that they would even want to ponder the idea of being baptised in the first place. My mother was a die hard Catholic, to the point that after she divorced her first husband (excommunicated from the church in their eyes) she still sent weekly tithes. That is how die hard she was, many people who are that religious are going to want to spread the "Good word" but do you really expect an alien to jump at the chance to be involved in a religion that seems to take over the world?

 

I honestly don't see any point in this and I don't mean to offend anyone with their beliefs but I really just do not understand it. If aliens come to visit, great, but give them something better to understand us by, not just religious beliefs that many people might agree on, but others don't. Between religion and politics how many wars and deaths have happened? I mean seriously, give them something better, something more humane to judge us by. I still stand by my word, the way it is presented leaves it open to the idea that he:

 

- does want to include any species within his beliefs, and opens all ("with open arms").

 

- is open to the fact that it is possible, otherwise he would have not really said anything (Why would he do such a thing coming from a religious background, most of the people that talk "aliens" are considered "crazy", normally the Pope is considered one of the best judges around, and does not "talk alien").

 

- it is also possible that being a new Pope he just wanted to try something different, get the media attention (which he did).

 

- it still does not explain why he would think (as many do) that an above average intelligence (compared to us, as many speculate) would even want to participate in such a thing.

Edited May 16, 2014 by arissa

[Buffy]

Saved from what? Us?

 

Oh, to be clear, I was answering this question from a purely Theological viewpoint. "Saving" is one of those things religions claim to do: I pass no judgment on their ability to actually do so, but insofar as they spend time and effort on the process in fulfillment of that claim, it's well within his purview.

 

Look, I like what Pope Francis does. He seems more modern and open minded than previous Popes, but what he said was too weird for me to agree with.

 

Yah, Pope Frank totally rocks it, even if you're not Catholic. Says weird things too like: "A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just." Weird at least compared to other religious leaders who say stuff like "God hates fags."

 

 

"If aliens asked I would baptize them". Why would he say that if he didn't presume it? I think he just needed to let people know that he is open to the idea of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, which is a logical thought, and left it at that. Presuming that aliens want to be a part of an organized religion, assuming they even know what that concept is, is more than presumptuous. It's a little arrogant and it reminds me of all these religions who want to save the souls of the "savages" who are not advanced and don't know any better.

 

Yah but as mentioned by Sanctus above, he was asked the question and answered it openly and honestly. 

 

I'd think a lot less of him if he tried to change the question and mumbled something about "There is much we don't know about God's Creation, and we should seek to improve it through committing our lives to Christ."

 

Don't'cha think?

 

 

I love tango, and I used to dance when I was young, :phones:

Buffy

[Turtle]

... 

Yah but as mentioned by Sanctus above, he was asked the question and answered it openly and honestly. 

 

... 

I love tango, and I used to dance when I was young, :phones:

Buffy

I'm down with all you say in that post save the above quoted. I followed a link from the OP article that led to the Official Vatican Network page and as far as I can tell no one asked the question when the padre made the alien comment. The Pope was delivering a homily when he made the statements and he was not doing an interview. Which is not say someone didn't ask him or other church official at some other time of course. :angel:

[Buffy]

...as far as I can tell no one asked the question when the padre made the alien comment. The Pope was delivering a homily when he made the statements and he was not doing an interview. Which is not say someone didn't ask him or other church official at some other time of course. :angel:

 

Pope Frank is cool enough that I'd not be surprised. Still hardly makes him a freak, just an incredibly creative communicator.... :cheer:

 

 

My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters, :phones:

Buffy

[Turtle]

Pope Frank is cool enough that I'd not be surprised. Still hardly makes him a freak, just an incredibly creative communicator.... :cheer:

 

My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters, :phones:

Buffy

Agreed he is as cool as his ilk gets. Also agreed he's proving to be a good communicator. The Catholic church has been pretty big on astronomy for many years and own and operate their own observatory. Can't be making another mistake like Simplicio's with Galileo now can we? :doh:

 

Vatican Observatory

The Vatican Observatory (Specola Vaticana) is an astronomical research and educational institution supported by the Holy See. Originally based in the Roman College of Rome, its headquarters are now in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and an observatory at the Mount Graham International Observatory in the United States.[1]

 

The Director of the Observatory is Father José Gabriel Funes an Argentinian Jesuit.In 2008, the Templeton Prize was awarded to cosmologist Fr. Michał Heller, a Vatican Observatory Adjunct Scholar. In 2010, the George Van Biesbroeck Prize was awarded to former observatory director, the American Jesuit, Fr. George Coyne.[2] ...

I see the current director is also a Jesuit and from the same neck of the woods as Francis. Small world. :angel:

Edited May 17, 2014 by Turtle

[Ehropa]

 

I'd think a lot less of him if he tried to change the question and mumbled something about "There is much we don't know about God's Creation, and we should seek to improve it through committing our lives to Christ."

 

 

 

I for one agree with what you're saying, but you have to admit he seems to be stumbling over this "Be more popular to the masses" type thing he's trying to do. 

 

I think he needs a better writer, better advisor or both.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Ehropa

[Ehropa]

..........many people who are that religious are going to want to spread the "Good word" but do you really expect an alien to jump at the chance to be involved in a religion that seems to take over the world?

 

 

 

Rational people do not expect that, you're right, but overly zealous religious people were never known to be rational people.

 

I wouldn't call the Pope overly zealous but religion is obviously a lifelong commitment for the,man so he is going to see things a little differently than the average person.

 

People need to see the differences in how he is going to see this and how we are going to see this in order to put it in proper perspective.

 

The Pope should do the same. 

[Elisa]

 

Can you give me a single Ecclesiastical reason why he should not? 

 

An alien is just as much a creature of God's creation as anyone else. Why should he not also be saved by Jesus?

 

I happen to think that Pope Frank is the best thing to happen to the Catholic Church since de-Latinizing the Liturgy. Or maybe even since the Reformation.

 

 

Wretched are those who are vindictive and spiteful, :phones:

Buffy

 

 

Agreed. Why not? I think that finally there is a pope who is open and modern and he wasn't issuing a statement on whether or not aliens existed but that the church's job is to be OPEN and loving. I admire him for that.