Comments on: After an African-American president, an African pope? http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/ Religion, faith and ethics Sat, 25 May 2013 11:19:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: moetheshmo http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-76489 moetheshmo Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:43:16 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-76489 The need for a black pope is greater than ever, he and Obama can sit side by side touring the world in their pope mobile. They would be a dynamic duo that will cause millions of heathens to accept the Lord of the cross. The need for a black pope is greater than ever, he and Obama can sit side by side touring the world in their pope mobile. They would be a dynamic duo that will cause millions of heathens to accept the Lord of the cross.

]]> By: Oblivion http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-18452 Oblivion Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:13:07 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-18452 Who cares? Just shows how gullible people are to do what some guy wearing a funny hat says and give him their money. Oh well, it's their money to give. No skin off my snout. I'd like to put on a funny hat and tell people they owe me money, too, but I guess the catholics have a monopoly on that. Oh well, they've been at it a long time and have the routine wired. Who cares? Just shows how gullible people are to do what some guy wearing a funny hat says and give him their money. Oh well, it’s their money to give. No skin off my snout. I’d like to put on a funny hat and tell people they owe me money, too, but I guess the catholics have a monopoly on that. Oh well, they’ve been at it a long time and have the routine wired.

]]> By: Patrick http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-18419 Patrick Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:12:56 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-18419 "it is known for it’s bias" should be: "it is known for its bias". “it is known for it’s bias” should be:
“it is known for its bias”.

]]> By: Anon http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-17391 Anon Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:02:46 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-17391 The subject of religious success is not one that Christianity is particularly happy to discuss. It is happy to point to surveys on total believers (eg. Tick the box if you believe in God), and to leave it at that. But such surveys are not indicitive of the true situation. The level of actual involvement in religion is in decline. Those who identify on a survey as Christian, are now less likely to actually practice the belief. The levels of non-practicing Christians, agnostics and Athiests are on the rise. Decades ago these things were unheard of. Now their numbers are significant. And in turn, the level of fundamentalist christians is dropping. Church attendances levels are dropping. Less people are becoming priests or members of the cloth. Fewer people regularly follow religions rituals And even if numbers of Christians are rising, it is not in line with population growth. As a percentage of global population, practicing theists are falling. Even the World Christian Database indicates this, and it is known for it's bias. And there is a direct inverse relation to the level of education in a nation, and the level of theism that can be found. The sad truth is that the future of religions is in the lands of the uneducaded. The Middle East, Africa, South America. Places where education is low or non-existant, non-theists can be marginalised, and religion can superimpose itself on the vulnerable and young. The next time the Church claims that Theism is on the rise, ask yourself how many of those believers are just ticks in a box? The subject of religious success is not one that Christianity is particularly happy to discuss.

It is happy to point to surveys on total believers (eg. Tick the box if you believe in God), and to leave it at that. But such surveys are not indicitive of the true situation.

The level of actual involvement in religion is in decline. Those who identify on a survey as Christian, are now less likely to actually practice the belief.

The levels of non-practicing Christians, agnostics and Athiests are on the rise. Decades ago these things were unheard of. Now their numbers are significant. And in turn, the level of fundamentalist christians is dropping.

Church attendances levels are dropping. Less people are becoming priests or members of the cloth. Fewer people regularly follow religions rituals

And even if numbers of Christians are rising, it is not in line with population growth. As a percentage of global population, practicing theists are falling. Even the World Christian Database indicates this, and it is known for it’s bias.

And there is a direct inverse relation to the level of education in a nation, and the level of theism that can be found. The sad truth is that the future of religions is in the lands of the uneducaded. The Middle East, Africa, South America. Places where education is low or non-existant, non-theists can be marginalised, and religion can superimpose itself on the vulnerable and young.

The next time the Church claims that Theism is on the rise, ask yourself how many of those believers are just ticks in a box?

]]> By: Dan Costello http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-17351 Dan Costello Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:27:55 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-17351 Many people were certain that Cardinal Arinze would have been the Pope last time. Instead it is Pope Benedict. I would not have been surprised if it had been Arinze, who now has the Pope's last job. However, one is presuming this as a purely secular election. If one is a beleiver one must presume the hand of God in the election. As for failing numbers, it depends on what news service you listen to. But from the surveys I rezad it is rising. Many people were certain that Cardinal Arinze would have been the Pope last time. Instead it is Pope Benedict. I would not have been surprised if it had been Arinze, who now has the Pope’s last job.

However, one is presuming this as a purely secular election. If one is a beleiver one must presume the hand of God in the election.

As for failing numbers, it depends on what news service you listen to. But from the surveys I rezad it is rising.

]]> By: Tom Heneghan http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-17350 Tom Heneghan Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:38:24 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-17350 Irenaeus, if I hadn't already known there were African popes before, I would have learned it from the first paragraph of the John Allen story I linked to in this post. But this was not the issue here. The last African pope died in the year 496, far further back than the last non-Italian pope before John Paul II, so electing one would not be as uneventful as you seem to present it here. You seem to think I said he would be the first, but that's not written anywhere in the post. Irenaeus, if I hadn’t already known there were African popes before, I would have learned it from the first paragraph of the John Allen story I linked to in this post. But this was not the issue here. The last African pope died in the year 496, far further back than the last non-Italian pope before John Paul II, so electing one would not be as uneventful as you seem to present it here. You seem to think I said he would be the first, but that’s not written anywhere in the post.

]]> By: Stephen http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-17348 Stephen Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:30:23 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-17348 Scratch that. Scratch that.

]]> By: Stephen http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-17347 Stephen Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:28:59 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-17347 If he is from Ghana, the headline is not exactly accurate in calling him African-American, is it? If he is from Ghana, the headline is not exactly accurate in calling him African-American, is it?

]]> By: Irenaeus http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-17345 Irenaeus Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:57:02 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-17345 The RCC has already had 3 African popes. Do your homework. You can check the NAACP website where they proudly post their biographies. As to the previous comment about Church numbers falling. This is not the concern it was 10 years ago. Vocations have been on the rise for some time. The only falling numbers are that of liberals in her ranks. The RCC has already had 3 African popes. Do your homework. You can check the NAACP website where they proudly post their biographies.

As to the previous comment about Church numbers falling. This is not the concern it was 10 years ago. Vocations have been on the rise for some time. The only falling numbers are that of liberals in her ranks.

]]> By: Anon http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/comment-page-1/#comment-17344 Anon Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:42:03 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=8781#comment-17344 Makes sense. If the church is going to shore up falling numbers by taking advantage of poorly educated third world populations, it is expected that those people will be represented in the Vatican. And that means an African, or South American Pope is on the cards. Makes sense.

If the church is going to shore up falling numbers by taking advantage of poorly educated third world populations, it is expected that those people will be represented in the Vatican.

And that means an African, or South American Pope is on the cards.

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