Pope Francis Declares the Internet a 'Gift From God'

[highplainsdem]

Source: Mashable

Pope Francis declared the Internet was a "gift from God" that can break barriers between different groups of people by giving them a platform to discuss their differences.

In a statement written for the Catholic Church's World Communication Day, the Pope called the Internet a breakthrough for humanity, not technology. He said the power of social media lies in having political, economic and religious dialogue among disparate peoples and that such conversation can lead to a more united "human family."

Francis acknowledged that people can use the web simply to seek out like-minded individuals and reinforce their own opinions. But, in a move that will likely ruffle the feathers of the religion's more conservative members, he called on Catholics to do just the opposite.

The Pope wants them to seek out interfaith dialogue, and said doing so "means to believe that the 'other' has something worthwhile to say." It doesn't mean you must renounce your own faith, just acknowledge your ideas are not the only valid ones.

-snip-

Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/01/23/pope-internet-gift-god/

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Did he just call DARPA 'god'?

[tridim]

2. Maybe Al Gore?

[AtheistCrusader]

5. He certainly had a hand in shifting it over to a civilian infrastructure.

Much to the chagrin of a pack of gibbering hyenas of a certain political affiliation, when one points it out.

[Pterodactyl]

44. Hey, that was my joke!

[Rozlee]

3. Blessed be the military industrial complex.

Although, Al Gore can take a bow for introducing the High Performance Computing Act of 1991.

[MsPithy]

6. It is only 9 am, here, but I'm calling it.

AtheistCrusader wins the internets, today!

[DFW]

8. My brother would be thrilled

He does stuff for DARPA

[onehandle]

27. Jesus came as a carpenter. Gozer came as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Who knows what's next.

[snooper2]

35. He finally let the cat out of the bag LOL

Do the convoys of people know where to travel to yet or will they have to google it

[BootinUp]

4. While its not something I would take literally, I get what he is trying to do

and I think it makes a lot of sense.

[WhoWoodaKnew]

45. Me too

[Enrique]

7. and God said

Let there be cat videos

[Peace Patriot]

17. Lol!

nt

[tavalon]

19. Duzy!

Cat videos and well, let's be honest, porn. But especially cat videos!

[JackInGreen]

21. I think you've not read

your Lolscripture, hooman.

[jsr]

9. Hey, Francis: U.S. appeals court strikes down internet rules

http://news.yahoo.com/u-appeals-court-strikes-down-internet-rules-152128670--sector.html

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. Dear God, I really like the porn part. Thanks!

[jsr]

11. And gifs

[TexasTowelie]

12. Great minds think alike.

[DeSwiss]

41. ....

''Whatever is funny is subversive, every joke is ultimately a custard pie... a dirty joke is a sort of mental rebellion.'' ~George Orwell

[Shoulders of Giants]

13. Why does God keep taking the credit for the accomplishments of scientists, engineers, and inventors?

[phantom power]

14. +oo

[Arugula Latte]

31. Well, to be fair, deluded humans are speaking for this strangely absent supernatural creature.

[Orsino]

15. Clearly, he's not infallible...

...or he hasn't seen my browsing history.

[AtheistCrusader]

36. Technically he's only infallable when he puts on a special hat and speaks from a special chair

in a special tone of voice.

[Botany]

16. HMMMMMM?

[Nye Bevan]

18. "seek out like-minded individuals and reinforce their own opinions?"

Utter nonsense. And anyone who disagrees with me on this is going to be immediately added to my Ignore list.

[Kelvin Mace]

20. Did the Pope

just troll us?

[olddad56]

22. Then is the Pope on facebook?

[BodieTown]

23. Our Comcast/Verizon, Who art in heaven...<eom>

[madrchsod]

24. "it means...just acknowledge your ideas are not the only valid ones."

oh my, this guy is going to ruffle a lot of feathers with that statement.

[onehandle]

25. Anything is possible. nt

[snooper2]

37. you are being serious correct?

LOL...



Of course, I did see jesus once many years ago next to the battery plant in a central office. To this day I still don't know WTF he was doing there

[happyslug]

26. Here is the actual statement:

http://www.news.va/en/news/popes-message-for-the-48th-world-day-of-social-com

The actaul wording is as follows:

“In a world like this, media can help us to feel closer to one another, creating a sense of the unity of the human family which can in turn inspire solidarity and serious efforts to ensure a more dignified life for all. Good communication helps us to grow closer, to know one another better, and ultimately, to grow in unity. The walls which divide us can be broken down only if we are prepared to listen and learn from one another. We need to resolve our differences through forms of dialogue which help us grow in understanding and mutual respect. A culture of encounter demands that we be ready not only to give, but also to receive. Media can help us greatly in this, especially nowadays, when the networks of human communication have made unprecedented advances. The internet, in particular, offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God.

In simple terms it is NOT the internet that is the gift from God, it is the "immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity" that is the Gift from God.

http://www.news.va/en/news/popes-message-for-the-48th-world-day-of-social-com

[Javaman]

28. I guess he doesn't know about griefers. nt

[happyslug]

29. Neither did I till you mentioned them and I looked it up on the net

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer

Personally it is a fact I would like to forget now for I can live without ever knowing it. Thus I will try to forget the term "Griefer".

[Arugula Latte]

30. It's funny how his deity waited hundreds of thousands of years to gift mankind with such technology.

But, otherwise, the logic is flawless on this.

[polynomial]

32. Centuries ago with brilliant effort

or argument great minds like Newton, Leibniz, Gauss, Galileo, Huygens, Bernoulli many others made their comments about God too. But in time the printed word via a book was in an important way specifically stated from that time till now; one of the books considered the word of God. That being one of the first gifts of God, the word. The words still give me goose bumps John 1

New International Version (NIV) ;


“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

It’s interesting now that one of the most powerful persons in religion says the internet is a gift from God. From my view he is right.

Imagine as many think speak and feel alive here or anywhere on the internet God is with you. However there is more to the message from the Pope. As Dante Alighieri the poet wrote in the Divine Comedy “Ah, Constantine how much evil was born from this conversion“. A short snip from the dialog the first wealth received to a Pope from a gift that Constantine making conversion to Christianity. So the caveat Dante’s Inferno explains more than the bible to obstruct the soul. Is that a religious right? No, but many think so...

[freshwest]

43. Good post and yes, that passage always gives me the chills. Quite a thought, there. n/t

[JDPriestly]

33. With the exception of his ideas about women and abortion, I am liking this Pope more and more.

And coming from a staunch Unitarian who believes in the eternal spiritual search and struggle, not easy, manufactured, answers written by people who lived millions of years ago before the age of science and discovery, it certainly proves that the internet can bring people with different views together.

[notemason]

34. Agreed

Isn't the net responsible for the world turning more democratic as more and more curtains fall and major gaps appear in the propaganda machines? I, too think the Pope has a valid point. (I am concerned the elite will attempt serious control and wonder if the Net Neutrality ruling was the start.)

[Enrique]

38. how does the Pope shop online?

PaPal!

[FSogol]

39. Groan.

[GeorgeGist]

40. Sometimes the Pope is just a dope ...

like the rest of us.

[Cha]

42. I just saw a tweet about that on

another site! It a gift alright.. we love it!

[PD Turk]

46. He's obviously never visited FR