TomJoe
04-09-2005, 06:20 PM
So, I was thinking of writing a piece about the potential/possible/probable (eventual) canonization of Pope John Paul II, and why I think this is a good thing. So I was browsing the net and came across this article by American Atheists entitled Pope Running "Saint Factory" (http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/vatican4.htm).
This article perplexed me. Why exactly, should the American Atheists give a rats ass as to what the Vatican is doing? I'm also appalled by the lack of evidence in their article. They bandy around a few unsubstantiated rumors, these "free thinkers", and a critical eye is nowhere to be found.
Plus, so what if the Pope is running a "Saint Factory"? Pope John Paul II made no bones about canonizing almost 500 saints during his quarter of a century plus, as Pope. The Pope has constantly spoken about the need for Catholics, especially youth, to have role models that they can emulate. What better choice than people who led faithful lives? Especially those who have recently "walked the walk". The Church isn't claiming these people were perfect (for instance, one person who may eventually become a saint, Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker, had an abortion before she became a Catholic), and many of them had led very ugly lives prior to their conversion (St. Paul was a murderer, right?), but rather ... they tried their hardest to live the Catholic call, and were more often than not, successful if not because of their own holiness, because of the grace of God.
Now, I know very few people here will believe that (you know, the whole grace of God thing), but why would anyone want to obsess about it? Is the Pope canonizing a person here or there a reason for atheists to be upset? I wouldn't really think so ... so what am I missing here? Please enlighten me.
This article perplexed me. Why exactly, should the American Atheists give a rats ass as to what the Vatican is doing? I'm also appalled by the lack of evidence in their article. They bandy around a few unsubstantiated rumors, these "free thinkers", and a critical eye is nowhere to be found.
Plus, so what if the Pope is running a "Saint Factory"? Pope John Paul II made no bones about canonizing almost 500 saints during his quarter of a century plus, as Pope. The Pope has constantly spoken about the need for Catholics, especially youth, to have role models that they can emulate. What better choice than people who led faithful lives? Especially those who have recently "walked the walk". The Church isn't claiming these people were perfect (for instance, one person who may eventually become a saint, Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker, had an abortion before she became a Catholic), and many of them had led very ugly lives prior to their conversion (St. Paul was a murderer, right?), but rather ... they tried their hardest to live the Catholic call, and were more often than not, successful if not because of their own holiness, because of the grace of God.
Now, I know very few people here will believe that (you know, the whole grace of God thing), but why would anyone want to obsess about it? Is the Pope canonizing a person here or there a reason for atheists to be upset? I wouldn't really think so ... so what am I missing here? Please enlighten me.