Is the Pope a jerk?

[Gooblah]

Trying to save the souls of unbelievers is a douchey mission?

From the vantage point of the nonbelievers, it is.

 

[Bill3000]

Because he believes that he is right and everyone else is wrong without showing a shred of evidence.

I'm pretty sure he has a lot of personal evidence, otherwise he wouldn't have a strong enough Faith to become eligible to be the pope.

From the vantage point of the nonbelievers, it is.

Douchiness isn't relative to the viewer. It either is or isn't.

 

[PeteAtoms]

I'm pretty sure he has a lot of personal evidence, otherwise he wouldn't have a strong enough Faith to become eligible to be the pope.

I was under the impression that becoming pope was more a matter of politics within the Church than any actual faith.

Is the pope a jerk? I don't think so. I think he is doing what he does with the best intentions in mind. The church in general is a jerk about birth control though...

 

[Lillefix]

...personal evidence...

Sounds like an oxymoron. Evidence should be a rather objective thing.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

NY Times:




So, according to people in the Richard Dawkins thread, coming to some place trying to convince people about your truth is a sign of jerkiness.

The Pope came to this country to combat secularism and atheism (among other things), does it mean he's "an arrogant jerk", "arrogant fool", "jackass" or "arrogant douche"? (The words are not mine. I'd just like to add that dumber people often find clever people arrogant.)

I don't think so. He's of course wrong as a believer, but I wouldn't call him like that because he's trying to persuade people about his truth. Funny that the other side isn't willing to extend the same tolerance to Dawkins and other atheists who are vocally opposed to religion and it's role in the society.

Discuss, if you want.

Yes, he is an arrogant fool.

EDIT: I mean both.

EDIT2: The OP does not prove his jerkiness however. The real jerky thing was his comment about condoms and Africa.

 

[Bill3000]

Sounds like an oxymoron. Evidence should be a rather objective thing.

Religious experiences tend to have the slightly annoying habit of being viewable only to the individual. That doesn't mean that it isn't objective, though.

 

[Onionsoilder]

when was the last time A. Pope came to the Czech Republic

It's irrelevant if a pope has actually been there before. The point is, the Czech people have made it clear they don't want to be converted, yet the Pope is going there anyway.

 

[Bill3000]

It's irrelevant if a pope has actually been there before. The point is, the Czech people have made it clear they don't want to be converted, yet the Pope is going there anyway.

If the Czechs cared enough, they could always prohibit the trip.

 

[Leonel]

I think it's not the message that makes one a jerk, but the presentation.

 

[Winner]

It's irrelevant if a pope has actually been there before. The point is, the Czech people have made it clear they don't want to be converted, yet the Pope is going there anyway.

Czech people tend to see him as a head of an organization they don't find very interesting or useful, but they generally show him the respect that's expected... for whatever reason. A big day for Catholics, a show for the rest.

Winner, presenting an argument against secularism is not being a jerk, just like presenting an argument against religion isn't on itself being a jerk. It's the manner in which the argument is presented that may cause one to be labeled a jerk.

Great, so is the Pope a jerk? After all, he's hardly any more or any less ruder than Dawkins, but every bit as convinced and willing to argue.

 

[Shadylookin]

Religious experiences tend to have the slightly annoying habit of being viewable only to the individual. That doesn't mean that it isn't objective, though.

Well it is pretty much the exact opposite of what objective means. Therefore it isn't objective.

 

[Cutlass]

yes .

 

[civ_king]

Is the bible thumper who continually knocks on your door in the morning, distributing pamphlets and asking you to come to a church meeting, despite you telling him repeatedly that you don't want to convert and wish to be left in peace a jerk?

If so, then yes, the Pope is a jerk, because what he's doing is a glorified version of the same thing, only on a nation-wide scale.

It's irrelevant if a pope has actually been there before. The point is, the Czech people have made it clear they don't want to be converted, yet the Pope is going there anyway.

Moderator Action: Trolling - warned.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Mise]

Winner, presenting an argument against secularism is not being a jerk, just like presenting an argument against religion isn't on itself being a jerk. It's the manner in which the argument is presented that may cause one to be labeled a jerk.

Exactly...

 

[laffy]

List of popes who were douchebags:

Pope Sergius III
Pope John X
Pope John XII
Pope Benedict IX
Pope Paul II
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Julius II
Pope Leo X
Pope Paul III
Pope Julius III
Pope Pius IV

 

[Shadylookin]

Winner, presenting an argument against secularism is not being a jerk, just like presenting an argument against religion isn't on itself being a jerk. It's the manner in which the argument is presented that may cause one to be labeled a jerk.

Regardless of the delivery I can't see how you can tell someone that they should abolish separation of church and state and install a theocracy based on Roman Catholicism(it isn't even a dominate religion there) without being a jerk.

Unless of course he delivers it like this

"Yo Czech Republic, I really happy for your secular democracy and Imma let you finish, but Catholic theocracy is one of the best systems of government of all time"

 

[Shaihulud]

No he isn't, I think its part of his job to convert atheists, besides im sure there are Roman Catholics in the Czech republic who would welcome him, if he only restricts himself to places where he is adulated, then he is being a loser.

 

[Mark1031]

No he is not. And this:

I'd just like to add that dumber people often find clever people arrogant.)

is the heart of the problem. It is in fact the entire basis for political discourse in the US. If you try to make a reasoned argument you are an elitist and arrogant jerk and people will vote for the dumb guy. Exceptions made in the case of world wide economic meltdown.

 

[Arwon]

The pope has a quasi-state behind him, along with a global monarchical hierarchy of tens of thousands of workers, hundreds of billions of dollars in questionably-acquired assets and claims of a direct mandate from heaven itself.

Dawkins has a university chair and some books.

I'm not seeing a comparison.

 

[useless]

Popes are pretty much Jerks. Especially to the Jews.