Respect For The Disrespectful? wrote on Jul 18, 2007 11:45 PM:In a recent showing of a lack of respect for other Christian churches, the Pope 'says other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation.' http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/07/11/faith/16_22_087_10_07.txt The Pope's message about Christian churches is wrong, immoral, and deceptive. Similarly, the Catholic church's illegal assistance promoting illegal immigration is wrong, immoral, and deceptive. Respect is earned by obeying the law, and respecting the beliefs of other religions. Morality is not bestowed by a calling, title, position, or history.

Starving Mexicans? wrote on Jul 19, 2007 12:44 AM:A pro-illegal immigrant supporter shown in the NCTimes video shouted that the worker's families would starve without the money sent home. Interesting, there no news articles about deaths from starvation in Mexico. Is the starving families argument another strand in the web of deception?

Randy wrote on Jul 19, 2007 5:50 AM:The LA diocese settled. The SD diocese did not. Jim, isn't this clear and convincing evidence of, at a minimum, bad faith on the part of the SD diocese regarding the decades of abuse of children by priests?

Tony wrote on Jul 19, 2007 9:22 AM:I understand about tolerance and respecting other religions. What I can't wrap my head around is how the Catholic Church would stand by and let little boys be abused? No one should have to tolerate that. Also, no one should have to tolerate, once again, Catholic Churches breaking our laws on immigration. I don't want to hear it's because these people are poor, there is no excuse. A law is a law and the Catholic Church is not above the law.

Really? wrote on Jul 19, 2007 9:40 AM:Gosh Jim, you don't suppose it has anything to do with the Popes recent comments about the Catholic religion being the only true religion? Or the years of covering up child molestation? Or the fact that they thumb their noses at federal laws regarding illegal entry into the U.S.? Naw, must be simple intolerance to the Catholic religion.

Another Catholic in Denial! wrote on Jul 19, 2007 10:33 AM:Jim, you are just like millions of other Catholics who have been so indoctrinated the only Catholics are the "one true faith", that you have been blinded to the truth that thousands of leaders in your church are corrupt to the bone. Again its proven that power = corruption. Until good Catholics out there rise up and take back their church from these corrupt entities, this will only degrade into religious war. At a time when we should be fighting Muslim extremists, Protestants find themselves battling the Catholic church. Catholics need to back off and fix their internal problems before they attack others!

Nancy wrote on Jul 19, 2007 10:49 AM:In the last month I discovered that two of my friends who are life-long faithful Catholics are becoming very impatient with the position of Cardinal Mahoney on illegal immigration. They are looking for new churches. They do not want to belong to organizations which engage in activity harmful to the United States. Encouraging illegal activity is criminal even if the perps wear a collar.

Political Views Open To Attack wrote on Jul 19, 2007 10:50 AM:In 2003, as part of a 'Justice for Immigrants' campaign, there was issued A Pastoral Letter Concerning Migration from the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States. The letter is a script for the pro-illegal immigration arguments I have heard in this community over the last year. The letter includes a quote from the Pope declaring, 'Since land everywhere offers the possibility of supporting a large number of people, the sovereignty of the State, although it must be respected, cannot be exaggerated to the point that access to this land is, for inadequate or unjustified reasons, denied to needy and decent people from other nations, provided of course, that the public wealth, considered very carefully, does not forbid this.' Is this religous belief that must be respected, or a political belief that, when combined with actions (which are illegal), should be attacked and abated? I believe it is a political view, and the attacks are justified. Not one word of the pastoral letter explains how illegal immigration saves souls. My religious position is that illegal immigration is immoral, and places the souls of those who violate the laws of the land, at risk in the final judgment.

Jim Trageser wrote on Jul 19, 2007 11:13 AM:A church issuing a statement saying it believes it is most faithful to God falls into the category of "no kidding ..." The pope's statement did not insult other Christian churches - it merely delineated the Catholic church's own self-definition of its place in the larger Christian Church, and invited other Christian denominations to craft similar statements of self-definition ahead of this fall's ecumenical council. Of course the Catholic church feels it adheres most closely to God's plans - EVERY church believes it is doing the best job, else why have your own denomination? The fact that the secular media (mostly) got it wrong only reflects what the Pew Center has consistently reported as the huge chasm in church attendance patterns between reporters and our readers ...

Shirley wrote on Jul 19, 2007 12:39 PM:Jim, the difference is that other Christian denominations do not say they are the ONLY true church and others are defective. All denominations have the same core beliefs - you choose your church based on its fit to you. I am offended by the Catholic Church and what it said about my "defective belief". My husband left the Catholic church years ago and the relatives warned the cousins to stay away from him or else he might corropt them. That IS your "Catholic" belief.

Don't forget Jim Jones! wrote on Jul 19, 2007 1:23 PM:They had a right to practice their religion also! And remeber Heaven's Gate they too had the same right as the Catholics!

Faith wrote on Jul 19, 2007 1:30 PM:Why are the MM mentioned above in an opinion about the Catholic Church? Is this due to the Catholic Church hosting sanctuary for illegal aliens? If this is the case, then why is scripture not mentioned as well. Personally I feel that "God" and the "Word of God" should always be before the word "church" or "religion". If God was truly in the center of this debate, churches would not provide sanctuary for illegals, instead they would feed them not only with food, but with the word of God. Praying and asking them to repent of their sins and then requesting they go back home and remain faithful. Romans 13:1-13, Matthew 22:21, Exodus 20:15-17, Exodus 23:2, Leviticus 19:13-15, Deuteronomy 28 & 8:6-20, Proverbs 6:30-31, James 2:1-12, Hebrew 12:5-11, and the entire books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicle (and there is plenty more).

Legal Citizen wrote on Jul 19, 2007 1:38 PM:How can anyone respect any institution that openly breaks a law to aid and abet illegal aliens. Only Bush and the neo-cons can do that. Religion has nothing to do with it. It's the law stupid! It is sort of odd having liberals defend a religion; actually they are defending illegal immigration that is being supported by a church. Confusing isn't it.

Tolerant1 wrote on Jul 19, 2007 3:11 PM:Nice try, Jim, but the Pope did not say he believed the Roman Catholic was, in his opinion, the closest to the truth. He declared it to be THE ONLY TRUE FAITH! Good luck to those non-Catholics attending this fall's ecumenical conference. The Church is the last place to seek a trace of tolerance towards the faiths and beliefs of others. I grew up in Massachusetts where the Church used its political influence to deny even non-Catholics the right to purchase birth control, and all based on a misrepresentation of a single story in the Old Testament! (And how much human misery has the Church caused over the years with that?) No tolerance there! I have listened to the Church's pro-life sermons, and have seen the lists of approved pro-life politicians endorsed just before elections. No tolerance there, either! The Church has no problem tolerating homosexual clergy - as many as 40% of the clergy, by some estimates - yet mercilessly stirs up intolerance of non-clergy homosexuals, even though God has made it abundantly clear that it is He who creates them. I could go on, but I think I have made my point. The day the Church decides to become tolerant towards others is when it can ask for tolerance from others.

To Toleratant1 wrote on Jul 19, 2007 8:08 PM:Well Said!!!!!

Claire wrote on Jul 19, 2007 8:20 PM:It is very ironic to hear a complaint against religious intolerance coming from a Roman Catholic, whose pope just last week stated that the Church is the only one true faith. How is it possible for the Church to play victim/martyr when, by their actions, they have done little to earn the respect of both Catholics and non-Catholics? How is it possible that the Church that has paid out over two billion dollars in sex abuse scandals, is wondering why others take a dim view of their Church? How is it possible that Pope Benedict has the unmitagated gall to tell the world that the Church is still the "one true faith"? "By their works, ye shall know them". The works haven't been all that stellar, and from the Inquisition to the present day, there remains several fatal flaws in the one true Church. The Church's nurturing and protecting of child molesters and pedophiles who have chosen to be what they are, while promoting intolerance of homosexuals who have no choice, is hypocrisy of the first order. It is truly warped. One estimate gives the percentage of priests who are active homosexuals at 40%, yet they play out the part of "don't ask, don't tell".

Bot wrote on Jul 20, 2007 5:29 AM:Proclaiming your faith as the one true relgion is not necessarily disparaging others. In my view, there is truth in all Christian denominations. Let us build on our common values, and elect candidates (i.e., Mitt Romney) who reflect those. His "trophy wife" is also his "starter wife", a claim no other GOP candidate can make. He has never lobbied - let alone for Planned Parenthood, like Fred Thompson.

Are you kidding me? wrote on Jul 20, 2007 10:09 AM:I find it difficult to believe that Mr. Trageser is scratching his head over the treatment that the Catholic church has been receiving of late. Decades of child abuse, and worse, COVERUPS (!!!), have finally been brought to light, to the tune of ruined lives and an expensive, ugly lawsuit. A local church which seems to believe it is above the law is thumbing its nose at our nation's immigration laws, as well as at the will of ITS OWN PARISHONERS. And just recently, the Pope tossed out that unspeakably arrogant remark about Catholicism being the one "true" faith. Imo, all of this has demonstrated precisely how UNWORTHY the Catholic church is of anything like respect or tolerance.

To Claire wrote on Jul 20, 2007 10:38 AM:Very well said!

Alf wrote on Jul 22, 2007 9:44 AM:Please, "Shirley", tell me you did not write "the difference is that other Christian denominations do not say they are the ONLY true church and others are defective". The hallmark of most fundamental(ist) Christian sects is exactly that, if you are not saved by their church, you are not truly saved. Jehovah's Witnesses are one of the most obvious ones. Are all the whites guys in a village to be judged by the screw-ups and collusion of a part of them? I am not Catholic and yet I can only place blame on the people who "did and hid", while noting that, yes, their "system" needs a tune-up, not being scrapped. Alf, a Libertarian.

Spiritual but not religious wrote on Jul 24, 2007 3:31 AM:I agree with Alf on this one. I was raised as a fair weather Methodist but it didn't stick. I used to amuse myself by keeping a tally of those who warned me that I would go to hell. These included Methodists, Catholics, Baptists, Witnesses, Jesus Freaks etc. I prefer to take a longer view; micromanagement rarely if ever works.

Spiritual but not religious wrote on Jul 24, 2007 3:40 AM:BTW, if I thought that going to heaven meant that I had to spend eternity with most of those who assured me that they were heaven-bound, I would rather go to hell! Heaven and Hell...I'm really not sure...I think I will put my trust in Karma.

Are you on crack? wrote on Jul 25, 2007 10:21 PM:This guy is a bloviating enabler. Talk about being in denial... The only appropriate response from Catholics, in general, should be to negotiate a fair settlement for the victims, in good (if not great) faith, period.