marky 54
Mega Poster
Joined: 18 Aug 2006
Posts: 3293
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 Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:02 am Post subject: pope: seek truth about life (addressing U.S youth) |
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a intresting message.
YONKERS, N.Y. - Pope Benedict, recalling his own youth under the yoke of the "monster" of Nazism, urged young Americans Saturday to avoid the snares of drugs and materialism and seek the truth about life.................
.........................He urged the young people to cherish their freedom and appreciate the sacrifices of those who made it possible but also to beware of falling into the darkness........................
......................He said they should not be afraid to speak "the truth about what is good" and to beware of pitfalls hiding behind the guise of freedom........................................
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24218079
hes apparently talking about drugs etc.
anyone else think there is a hint at other things there?
he seems to liken his own childhood to theirs. |
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xmasdale
Angel - now passed away
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 1959
Location: South London
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| Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:10 am Post subject: Re: pope: seek truth about life (addressing U.S youth) |
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| marky 54 wrote: |
hes apparently talking about drugs etc.
anyone else think there is a hint at other things there?
he seems to liken his own childhood to theirs. |
Speaking as an oldie, I think we all tend liken our own childhoods to those of the young people we know. We see them going through archetypal experiences which we have been through, such as coming to terms with our own egos, our own successes and failures and our own sexuality.
I am not drawn to this highly conservative man, but one thing I will say about him from my time in Germany during the 1960s is that I do not hold his membership of the Hitler Youth against him. Kids at that time were put under almost irresistible pressure to join the Hitler Youth and the consequences of refusal to do so could be extremely grave.
I don't actually find much in what he has reportedly said in the US that I disagree with and certain paragraphs are actually positive:
"Americans have always been a people of hope," he said during his homily. "Your ancestors came to this country with the experience of finding new freedom and opportunity.
"To be sure, this promise was not experienced by all the inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves."
An America which believes it has the right to dominate the world by force of arms, needs to be reminded of its violent and inhumane history.
Of course there are parallels between Neocon America and the Nazi Germany that young Joe Ratzinger grew up in. Though extremely conservative, I would doubt he is a supporter of the Neocon agenda as some in this movement allege.
I think he was probably referring to drugs and sex. It comes down to the Catholic obsession with sex and the old joke:
"Question: Why does the Pope wear swiming trunks in the bath?
"Answer: Because he doesn't like to look down on the unemployed." |
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