Following the Pope Cape Flap Coverage

The Pope arrived in Philadelphia yesterday.  For many years I lived in Philly.  I was working in center city Philadelphia when Pope John Paul visited in 1979. Hundreds of thousands turned out to see Pope John Paul on that spring day in 1979.  I  don't remember security holding me back from going out at lunch.  My only delay was the shoulder to shoulder people.

Today, I understand that Philadelphia is in lockdown.  Everyone who enters Philly is searched, more thorough than airport security.  Wow. Am I ever glad I don't live in Philly now.  The world has changed folks.  On days like this I am glad I live in LSD, also known as Lower Slower Delaware (Sussex County).  Oh we have our crowds.  Check us out at the height of the summertime season when a tsunami of tourists descend on our welcoming shores.  Thankfully the tourists have left and the parking meters are turned off.  We have our sunny, sandy, windy shores back.

Yesterday, while watching Pope Francis deliver an address to a somewhat sparse crowd at Independence crowd, I amused when his cape blew up over his head.  For an instant I thought the Pope was celebrating Halloween early as a ghost.  I'm sorry, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. And oh, who was THAT who was helping him to keep his cape under control on that windy day?  Ah ha!  That was his ever present interpreter.  I want to know more about HIM.  He could follow me around anytime. 

So you see folks, I'm not all that serious about the Pope.  I think he's delivering a good message of kindness and inclusiveness but I can also see the humor.  And there were times when the Pope saw the humor too but maybe not with his cape covering his face.  

A little early for Halloween ghosts

I don't know, was God sending a message? Mother Teresa?

Pope Francis Visit - Part Deux

Yesterday my longtime good and every vigilant friend Lar informed me via Facebook that the Pope Francis quote I posted yesterday was an Internet hoax.  Oh well, I fell for a hoax again.  Surely not the first time nor the last time I will be suckered in an Internet hoax posting for something that I believe in.  My first response to my friend Lar was "So what?"  It's the way I feel.  And friends, that is the way I feel. 

I don't believe that one has to go to church every Sunday to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Actually, I don't even believe in the Afterlife but I can't help but hedge my bets.  Just in case there is something after we pass on, I don't believe that those who don't accept Jesus Christ as their savior will not enter Heaven.  Just doesn't make sense to me.  You mean all those in this world, which is the majority of people, will not enter Heaven?

  

Of course I am well aware of the impregnable self certainty of many Bible reading, church going Christians that they and only they will go to Heaven.  I do not condemn then for their beliefs, unlike what many of them do for those who do not believe their way. If they find comfort in their faith, then I am happy for them.  But please do not condemn me because I don't subscribe to YOUR beliefs.  My response has always been to those who try to proselytize me because they want to "save" my soul is "Worry about yourself, I'll take care of my own life. Don't make your life's work trying to change me to your beliefs."

I remember a conversation I had with another longtime friend of mine when we was trying to "save my soul."  He actually told me that Ted Bundy, the serial killer, would enter Heaven before me because, Mr. Bundy, a few minutes before he was executed for his horrendous crimes, had accepted Jesus Christ as his savior.  I pointed out to him, "Don't you think that the manipulative Mr. Bundy only did his conversion at the last minute to save his life?"  My friend, who I have always considered very intelligent and had common sense, said "No, as long as he (Ted Bundy) accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior he will go to Heaven before you."  I asked him "Do you mean that the little old lady who lives at the end of the block, and has been good her whole life but did not Believe, would not go to Heaven?"  He said "Yes."  

Well, if he was trying to convert me, or "save" me,  this line of reasoning was unsuccessful.  

These days I try to avoid religious and political discussions because I find that if someone disagrees with you, I can never change their mind.  NEVER.  And of course they will never change my mind.  So it is a waste of my time and their time to even engage in such a conversation.  

I saw this live on TV this morning.  Pope Francis was leaving the Philadelphia airport but stopped and got out of his car to give his blessing to this young man.

But getting back to the original point I want to make, I believe that if one lives a good life or as good a life as possible because all of us have faults, that their will be no punishment at the end of our life just because we didn't accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. There are too many good people in the world who aren't Christians.  All of those are damned?  

I am a spiritualist.  I believe that, if there is a God, then He (She?) is in each of us.  This life we live now is IT.  We only get one time around and we should make the best of it.  Of course we have many failings as human beings do, but we can always strive to do better.

All this week I've been following the coverage of Pope Francis' visit the U.S. While all the pageantry of the Catholic Church still make me uncomfortable, I understand the goodness of this man in reaching out to the children, poor, homeless, physically disabled and disaffected. That can't be wrong. And his visit makes me feel good.  

P.S.
Now I await someone (Lar?) to tell me these photos were Photoshopped.  

Pope Francis

I've been absent from these parts the past few days.  In addition to my regular activity, I've been following the almost continuous coverage of Pope Francis's visit to America.

At first, I was annoyed by what promised to be wall to wall Pope coverage.  But you know folks, the more I watched, the more I became at peace.  This man, Pope Francis, is sending a different message than previous Popes or religious leaders.  His message over and over is one of inclusion.  Dignity and respect for even those of us who are on the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder.

I'm getting a big kick out of watching how the Powers That Be try to keep taking the Pope away from contact with the Great Unwashed Masses, and keep him isolated for their exclusive use.  

Yesterday, after his address to the joint session of Congress, did he have lunch with the Powers That Be?  All the IMPORTANT people.  Or rather, self-important people?  No, he had lunch at a D.C. homeless shelter. Brave Pope Francis.

Over and over again Pope Francis exudes inclusiveness.  To me, even though I'm not religious, the true tenants of the Christian faith.  How novel in a religious leader, not to condemn but to practice inclusiveness.  He even said yesterday while addressing the mass of people outside House Speaker John Boehner's balcony office at the Capitol building (and I paraphrase here):

"Those who believe, pray for me and those who do not believe wish me well."

Finally, something I can say when so many other are offering prayers for whatever malady has befallen them or their families.  I've never felt comfortable saying "I'll pray for you" because I don't believe in prayer but I do believe in wishing people well.  

Thank you Pope Francis, for being a true emissary of Christianity.