Sainthood for Mother Teresa exposes the delusion of religion

[trotsky]

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4330620-155/op-ed-sainthood-for-mother-teresa-exposes

In canonizing Mother Teresa as a saint ("Pope declares Mother Teresa a saint," Sept. 5), the pope publicly confirmed the essential tenets of Catholicism: That God could have stopped Catholic priests from raping altar boys. But, overall, He didn't want to.

...

The reality is that the priests really did rape altar boys. And the reality is God didn't stop them. There is no excuse of "metaphor" to hide behind here, as moderate theists so often do when it comes to their holy scripture.

Put simply, God was either unable or unwilling to intervene. The Catholic God purportedly is omnipotent and hence was able to stop the rapes — even though He didn't. The Catholic God is also omnibenevolent. So sitting out and willfully letting the rapes continue was also the right thing for Him to do.

In essence, that's what every Christian believes — liberal moderates as well as conservative fundamentalists. Though few like to admit it.

[napi21]

1. I went to 12 yrs of a Catholiic school, and what we were taught was

God COULD prevent all bad & evil things. When we asked WHT he doesn't, we were told that he gave man a "free will". It is up to US as God's children, to use that free ill to do good and not sin. However, if we err and do sin, he gave priests the power to absolve us of or sins through Confession.

GEESH! I haven't talked THAT religious in many decades! I'm surprised I still remember grade school teachings and I'm now 73!

[trotsky]

2. Free will!

What about the free will of the children who were raped? I kind of doubt they chose it. (Though some Catholic officials have disturbingly implied exactly that.)

[anoNY42]

3. You don't even need to worry about "free will" when arguing against Catholic dogma,

you can just do what I do and point to childhood cancers. In that case, omnipotent "gods" have no excuse akin to "free will".

[trotsky]

4. Yup.

Another one that the "free will" magic wand won't make disappear.

[Lordquinton]

5. That's a great racket

God made everything, but he won't intervene here, but he's the only power on earth, but won't punish people, because he trusts we'll do good (even though he knows exactly what we'll do due to omnipotence)and if we screw up he'll punish us unless we say we're sorry to his agents on earth (even though he could do it himself) and when we die we'll face punishment (that was determined long before we were born because god knows all)

so convenient and messed up when dissected.