The Pope Sez...

Huh!???!  This one is really a good controversy.  Just wait…

Everyone has wondered how the newly selected Pope would function and handle the critical issues facing the world and the church.  Well, the Pope recently announced that atheists who were good could go to heaven.  Yes, that’s what he said.  I think he breathed a little too much of that black and white chimney smoke they used to announce when he was elected.  Maybe he’s on a new membership drive and plans to allow atheists to join the Catholic Church on some type of limited pass system?

I guess the corollary to that would be that you no longer need to tithe, pray, go to confession, etc. if you are Catholic…all you need to do is be good.  How good?  Hmmm….he didn’t say.  I’m not sure how you establish those standards.  Maybe we need a papal commission to set up some “goodness” rules for atheists.  Of course we’ll have to get rid of teachings about how we are all sinners, since we now can be good enough on our own to get into heaven whether we are Christian or not.  We’re gonna need a lot of Bible revisions, too. 

We shouldn’t be surprised by this kind of revisionist thinking.  After all, the atheists probably think it’s pretty unfair that you can be a total creep and a murderous monster and still get into heaven, if you accept Christ as your savior and are sorry for your sins.  Like all the other dilutions of theology that are pranced forward out of political correctness, we see the fallacy of making a man like the Pope into what many consider God’s mouthpiece on earth.  I have no problem, by the way, with Catholics.  Many of them put Protestants to shame with their love of God, knowledge of the Bible and their concern for their fellow man.  But I do have a problem with the Catholic Church.  When you start thinking you are God and can speak and make policy for Him, you are in dangerous waters.  In this case, the Pope’s comments are completely contradictory to Jesus words “No man comes to the father but by me.” and many other parts of the Bible.  I learned a long time ago that it wasn’t a good idea to think I was speaking for God.  Historically, people haven’t fared well doing that.  I figured I ought to let God be God.  I have enough trouble just trying to be me.

So, if God wants to let someone into heaven, well, that’s his decision and I leave that up to him.  I’m not going to speak for Him.  He is the one who judges.  If He wants to set up lodgings for some atheists, that’s His choice.  I know what He has said in the Bible though, so I’m going to pad my chances on that basis and not the Pope’s comments.