[orgaelin]

The problem is, Bishop, that good deeds by bad dudes are just... a little suspect.

I understand how your views arrive from your perspective, and I'm sure you can appreciate how my views are a natural corollary of my perspective. Thus it might be helpful if I clarify my perspective...

I don't see a benevolent and helpful spiritual leader who is intent on doing good for humankind in the name of God. I see the opposite. I see a history of hundreds and hundreds of popes who have done so very many wrongs to individuals and to the world. I see a church that was founded on the proved-false "Donation of Constantine", a lie. I see that the church was founded on a lie, and has always used corrupted teachings with only one specific goal in mind: power. Power is everything for the Papacy, and everything is power. When the pope does good deeds, it is not for goods sake, it is to make the church look good so that good people are drawn to the church and bring in more money and more power. Money. Power. Why else would any institution *sell* forgiveness?!

I managed to say all of that without making a single reference to the thousands of deaths caused by the Roman Catholic church over the years!

For me to respect the pope or his church, he (whoever the next 'he' is) would have to come before a world audience and lay it all on the table and then apologise. He would need to open up the Vatican archives and say "Here's all the truth we've been hiding, here's everything we ever did wrong, why we did it, and how sorry we are."

~ Org.