One of my personal reasons for liking Scientology is that if the general population can see the idiocy of that "religion", maybe, just maybe, they can see the little, or not so little things in other religions that make them just as rediculous.

"Headline" stolen from fark.com:

"Pope warns crowd that spiritual emptiness often accompanies material wealth. He then adjusted his silk robes, waved his golden sceptre and was driven off to his private Lear"

Not that there is anything wrong with the head of the religion that says something like; "It is easier for a poor man to get into heaven than it is for a rich one to".

This, the religions needing tithes, any of them, not just your sweet old fashioned fire-and-brimstone-you'll-burn-in-hell-if-you-don't-worship-OUR-god type religions was my first clue that something was amiss in the "Omnipotence" of the aforementioned religions diety.

So, you, uhm, smart, brilliant, midguided Catholics out there; How do you defend this opulence of your highest whatever you call this pope guy being so obviously self-indulgent?

I'll give it a go myself with almost no knowledge on the subject to go on and see how I do.
(I'll prolly argue with myself after that, 'cause I have an idea of what I'm gonna say and I realy don't buy it already.....)

OK, here I go.....

The pope is not self-indulgent as you say he is you narrowminded non-believer that is going to burn in hell. The pope is just following decrees set forth in the bible as mentioned in *** you jerk. You need to read up on your rants first before you spew shit out of it.

Yup, not liking that......

OK, MR END, "If" there is a biblical reference to refer to that says the pope should get a golden scepter, velvet padded throne, silk clothes, and many other things only the elite in society can have for themselves, then why don't you link them?
Hell, why don't you just give us a passage that explains why we have a pope in the first place and the verse that gives details on how this pope is to be selected, what his qualifications should be, how old, what level of knowledge he should have of the sacred testament etc...
Would also like to know just where the "specs" for becoming a bishop a lowly pastor or any other "rank" in this silly religion of yours comes from in the bible.

Um, I don't think it is exactly headline news that the Catholic Church is corrupt and deeply flawed. It started getting that way probably even before Bishop Iraneneous (sp?)started persecuting Gnostics, took a giant leap backwards at the council of Nicea, and hasn't improved any since. It is essentially an obsolete artifact of the Piscean Age.

My question for OP is, why is your heart so lacerated with savage indignation?

Not to mention his personal guards all have guns. If "god" was real why doesnt he just protect him instead of using the "popemobile"......

Wasnt the current pope in the hitler youth anyway?

Lol it is so obviously make believe. The number of people who believe it is true is astounding..

But I guess everyone is delusional in some way.. so it's okay.