Pope Francis Smacks Trickle Down

[D1B]

Many of em, deep down, know the truth. They live a life of blissful delusion and some of the more honest ones, like Ivytalk, admit this...."I could not handle knowing there is no ultimate purpose of life. Its too depressing."

They've been taught to not question. That's the problem. Once you start questioning things, you allow doubt to enter the equation. Doubt has no room in a faith-based organization.

From birth, they've been forced by threat of punishment to believe a myth. As they got older they were taught rationalizations (theology, apologetics, dogma) or excuses when reality and facts clashed with their beliefs. They cannot be trusted to grasp the unfiltered truth. They live, literally, in a fantasy world and are no different than the Tom Cruises, crazy muslims and magic underwear wearers of the world.

[Ibanez]

They've been taught to not question. That's the problem. Once you start questioning things, you allow doubt to enter the equation. Doubt has no room in a faith-based organization.

From birth, they've been forced by threat of punishment to believe a myth. As they got older they were taught rationalizations (theology, apologetics, dogma) or excuses when reality and facts clashed with their beliefs. They cannot be trusted to grasp the unfiltered truth. They live, literally, in a fantasy world and are no different than the Tom Cruises, crazy muslims and magic underwear wearers of the world.

I was brought into that world. Raised in a strict RC environment, went to Catholic school, youth groups, church once a week...it was horrible. Sometime around 14, 15 years of age I started to smell bullshit.

[D1B]

From birth, they've been forced by threat of punishment to believe a myth. As they got older they were taught rationalizations (theology, apologetics, dogma) or excuses when reality and facts clashed with their beliefs. They cannot be trusted to grasp the unfiltered truth. They live, literally, in a fantasy world and are no different than the Tom Cruises, crazy muslims and magic underwear wearers of the world.

I was brought into that world. Raised in a strict RC environment, went to Catholic school, youth groups, church once a week...it was horrible. Sometime around 14, 15 years of age I started to smell bullshit.

Same here, but my experience was pretty good. We went to a great school, many nice people in the parish, priests didn't rape us, I think. We hated having to move and switch schools.

Peer and community pressure are huge factors keeping sheep in the flock and the dark. Guy like Joe is rightfully revered in his tight, catholic community and there is no doubt he and his family derive much pleasure being a part of it. Leaving would be traumatic for him. So he makes it work.

[Ibanez]

I was brought into that world. Raised in a strict RC environment, went to Catholic school, youth groups, church once a week...it was horrible. Sometime around 14, 15 years of age I started to smell bullshit.

Same here, but my experience was pretty good. We went to a great school, many nice people in the parish, priests didn't rape us, I think. We hated having to move and switch schools.

Peer and community pressure are huge factors keeping sheep in the flock and the dark. Guy like Joe is rightfully revered in his tight, catholic community and there is no doubt he and his family derive much pleasure being a part of it. Leaving would be traumatic for him. So he makes it work.

I had a good experience but I began reading more and more about religions and started really reading the bible and things weren't making sense. The contradictions, people living to 900 years of age, etc... I couldn't blindly believe (aka faith) all of that.

[D1B]

Same here, but my experience was pretty good. We went to a great school, many nice people in the parish, priests didn't rape us, I think. We hated having to move and switch schools.

Peer and community pressure are huge factors keeping sheep in the flock and the dark. Guy like Joe is rightfully revered in his tight, catholic community and there is no doubt he and his family derive much pleasure being a part of it. Leaving would be traumatic for him. So he makes it work.

I had a good experience but I began reading more and more about religions and started really reading the bible and things weren't making sense. The contradictions, people living to 900 years of age, etc... I couldn't blindly believe (aka faith) all of that.

Noah's Ark did me in. That's complete bullshit, yet I guarantee you Joe, Gannon, Hen all taught that shit as fact to their children to further hook em.

[Ibanez]

I had a good experience but I began reading more and more about religions and started really reading the bible and things weren't making sense. The contradictions, people living to 900 years of age, etc... I couldn't blindly believe (aka faith) all of that.

Noah's Ark did me in. That's complete bullshit, yet I guarantee you Joe, Gannon, Hen all taught that shit as fact to their children to further hook em.

I find it funny that people believe that arctic animals and animals that are not indigenous to the Middle East were on the Ark. Something tells me that the Southern Bald Eagle didn't instructively fly to Noah. Once again, a story of a natural event that was blown way out of proportion.

[CitadelGrad]

This is a pretty good article explaining the stupidity of the Pope's attack on "trickle-down" economic policies.

It’s actually difficult to make sense of the Pope’s statement, as he seems unaware of what’s going on in the world around him. Thus we are forced to guess what the Pope would think if he understood the actual impact of free markets.

http://www.themoneyillusion.com/?p=25089

[JoltinJoe]

Sort of comical that a guy who doesn't grasp what the Pope is saying criticizes the Pope for not understanding economics.

[CitadelGrad]

Sort of comical that a guy who doesn't grasp what the Pope is saying criticizes the Pope for not understanding economics.

I think he grasped perfectly what the Pope was saying. Francis clearly doesn't understand even rudimentary economics.

[JoltinJoe]

Sort of comical that a guy who doesn't grasp what the Pope is saying criticizes the Pope for not understanding economics.

I think he grasped perfectly what the Pope was saying. Francis clearly doesn't understand even rudimentary economics.

Well, let's start with the proposition that Francis wasn't delivering an economic message, but a moral one, and his principal criticism was of greed, not capitalism. To read his message, as a whole, as an economic message is to misread it fundamentally.

But his criticism of trickle-down, unregulated capitalism as one which deifies markets without regard to human needs is spot on, as is his call for the wealthy to share their wealth with the poor.

[D1B]

I think he grasped perfectly what the Pope was saying. Francis clearly doesn't understand even rudimentary economics.

Well, let's start with the proposition that Francis wasn't delivering an economic message, but a moral one, and his principal criticism was of greed, not capitalism. To read his message, as a whole, as an economic message is to misread it fundamentally.

But his criticism of trickle-down, unregulated capitalism as one which deifies markets without regard to human needs is spot on, as is his call for the wealthy to share their wealth with the poor.

[JohnStOnge]

Noah's Ark did me in. That's complete bullshit, yet I guarantee you Joe, Gannon, Hen all taught that **** as fact to their children to further hook em

But the Catholic Church does not teach that stories such as Noah's Ark are literally true. It's considered allegory.

Look, I was raised in a devout Catholic family. I stopped being a Catholic very early on. Probably in high school some 40 years ago. Became agnostic.

But I've got a brother who has a genius level IQ. Measured as such early on because school officials could see that he was off the charts smart. Graduated valedictorian from his high school. Never made less than an "A" on any report card or even on any single test. And he is still a devout Catholic. It's not because he's stupid and it's not because he's not aware of thought processes that led people like you and me to leave Catholicism behind. It's very possible to be very intelligent, very informed, and very thoughtful and still be Catholic. And part of the reason is that being Catholic does not mean believing that the Bible is a literal history of existence.

[JoltinJoe]

Just to clarify, in his statement, Francis never questions that capital markets are the most efficient or effective means of producing wealth. Nor does he suggest that owning private property is a bad thing. In fact, the Church has always maintained that private and personal property rights are moral rights which government has no legitimate authority to confiscate.

What he does say is that capitalism is an amoral economic system -- neither inherently moral or immoral in itself -- and that reliance on the "trickle down" theory as the means to deliver the benefits of the creation of wealth to the underclasses has proven ineffective. As an amoral system, capitalism does not have an inherent moral compass which directs the benefits of the system. Those who benefit most directly from the creation of wealth thus have a personal moral duty to share the benefits of the system with the poor.

Thus, contrary to the article you post, Francis has not questioned the efficiency of capitalism; he has questioned how effectively unregulated capitalism shares the wealth it creates. Perhaps we can meet about 20 blocks from where I went to college -- let's say Webster Ave. and 171st St. in the Bronx -- and discuss whether Francis is right.

[JoltinJoe]

But the Catholic Church does not teach that stories such as Noah's Ark are literally true. It's considered allegory.

Exactly. I was never told Noah's Ark was literally true. I was even corrected once in a lower grade when I told one of the nuns that Noah's Ark had been found (I saw that in a headline in a paper at the check-out of the A&P ).

Since Augustine, the Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Bible stories are often to be read as allegory, and not necessarily as literal events.

[D1B]

But the Catholic Church does not teach that stories such as Noah's Ark are literally true. It's considered allegory.

Exactly. I was never told Noah's Ark was literally true. I was even corrected once in a lower grade when I told one of the nuns that Noah's Ark had been found (I saw that in a headline in a paper at the check-out of the A&P ).

Since Augustine, the Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Bible stories are often to be read as allegory, and not necessarily as literal events.

Bullshit.

[D1B]

Noah's Ark did me in. That's complete bullshit, yet I guarantee you Joe, Gannon, Hen all taught that **** as fact to their children to further hook em

But the Catholic Church does not teach that stories such as Noah's Ark are literally true. It's considered allegory.

Look, I was raised in a devout Catholic family. I stopped being a Catholic very early on. Probably in high school some 40 years ago. Became agnostic.

But I've got a brother who has a genius level IQ. Measured as such early on because school officials could see that he was off the charts smart. Graduated valedictorian from his high school. Never made less than an "A" on any report card or even on any single test. And he is still a devout Catholic. It's not because he's stupid and it's not because he's not aware of thought processes that led people like you and me to leave Catholicism behind. It's very possible to be very intelligent, very informed, and very thoughtful and still be Catholic. And part of the reason is that being Catholic does not mean believing that the Bible is a literal history of existence.

Yes they do, to kids, who don't know any better.

Mant geniuses are cowards and or scared.

[JoltinJoe]

Exactly. I was never told Noah's Ark was literally true. I was even corrected once in a lower grade when I told one of the nuns that Noah's Ark had been found (I saw that in a headline in a paper at the check-out of the A&P ).

Since Augustine, the Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Bible stories are often to be read as allegory, and not necessarily as literal events.

Bullshit.

http://college.holycross.edu/faculty/al ... nesis1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In the case of a narrative of
events, the question arises as
to whether everything must be taken accordi
ng to the figurative sense only, or whether it
must be expounded and
defended also as a faithful record of what
happened. No Christian will dare say that the
narrative must not be taken in
a figurative sense.

[D1B]

Bullshit.

http://college.holycross.edu/faculty/al ... nesis1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In the case of a narrative of
events, the question arises as
to whether everything must be taken accordi
ng to the figurative sense only, or whether it
must be expounded and
defended also as a faithful record of what
happened. No Christian will dare say that the
narrative must not be taken in
a figurative sense.

So Jesus dying and coming back to life and all that bullshit should be taken literally? Hard as it may be, but you can actually build an ark and fill it with beasts. The Jesus shit cannot ever be done.

Who decides what should be taken literally?

[D1B]

But the Catholic Church does not teach that stories such as Noah's Ark are literally true. It's considered allegory.

Exactly. I was never told Noah's Ark was literally true. I was even corrected once in a lower grade when I told one of the nuns that Noah's Ark had been found (I saw that in a headline in a paper at the check-out of the A&P ).

Since Augustine, the Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Bible stories are often to be read as allegory, and not necessarily as literal events.

From The Catholic Toolbox: Lesson Plan - Noah's Ark

Friday, October 24, 2008
Lesson Plan- Noah's Ark (1st grade on up)


Noah’s Ark

Objectives: The students will be able to
- retell the story of Noah’s Ark
- describe ways that we can obey God like Noah
- explain that God always keeps his promises
- explain the meaning of the rainbow



Review:
Prayer, Take Home Sheet, and vocabulary from last week’s lesson and also Objects Used at Mass cards.



Vocabulary Words: (Write words on the board and discuss with class)

Ark- a very large boat built by Noah for his family and all the animals
Noah- man who built the ark when God told him to
Flood- a very large amount of water covering land that used to be dry
Drown- to be underwater until you die from not having oxygen
Dove- a small bird from the pigeon family
Rainbow- a multicolored arc (half circle) of light that is separated into bands of color



Plan:

Read story: “Noah’s Ark”. Then ask questions from the Take Home Sheet that will be sent home today.



Activities:

Introduce activities: Who built the ark?

sermons4kids.com- A Plan For Success object lesson with coloring, puzzles, quiz, etc.

sermons4kids.com- A Plan For Success (group activities) crafts, games, songs, etc.

sermons4kids.com- A Rainbow of Promise object lesson with coloring and puzzles

sermons4kids.com- The Colors of the Rainbow object lesson

dltk-bible.com- The Story of Noah’s Ark lesson with memory verse, teacher's guide, puzzles, take home sheet, coloring pages, crafts and activities, etc.

childrensermons.com- God’s Plan To Save Us object lesson

childrensermons.com- The Great Flood lesson

childrensermons.com- Rainbows & Promises lesson

kidsclubs4jesus.com- Noah’s Ark, Rainbow Promise lesson with puzzles, coloring sheet, Bible readings, questions, memory verses, key points, object lesson, drama, puppets, etc. (These files are set up and formatted so that they can be easily made into weekly booklets for your children's ministry, youth ministry, etc., with 4 sheets of legal paper and two staples).

calvarycurriculum.com- Noah Builds An Ark, God Sends A Great Flood, God’s Covenant lessons with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.



More Crafts

Introduce craft: Who built the ark? Noah. What did it look like? What was it like on the ark? Let’s find out!

Noah’s Ark Craft- a fun and educational craft

first-school.ws- Rainbow and Noah's Ark Craft
Students make an ark with God's gift of a rainbow that represents that promise.

sundayschoolkids.com- Noah’s 3D Ark (two versions available)

freekidscrafts.com- Paper Plate Noah’s Ark Craft

ellenjmchenry.com- Cut-and-assemble Noah’s Ark


Introduce craft: How many days did it rain?

enchantedlearning.com- Rainstick

dreamboardgenesis.com- Rainstick


Other crafts:

Rainbow Light Catcher- A rainbow light catcher that can be used to emphasize God's gift of a rainbow that represents his promise never to flood the world again. (Gifts to Make for Your Favorite Grownup by Kathy Ross, pages 74 & 75).

Raindrop Mobile- God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. (Every Day Is Earth Day by Kathy Ross, page 28 & 29).

Taking Flight- A bird that can be a dove that you make out of white paper and using the child's handprints. (From the Hands of a Child by Anthony Flores, page 41).



More Games

Introduce game: What was on the ark with Noah and his family? Can you find what animal is missing from the ark?


Noah’s Ark (What animal is missing)

Need: Cards with animal pictures on them.

Directions: Place a group of different animal cards on the chalk tray. Have the students name what animals that they see. Students hide their eyes while the teacher removes one animal card. Then the students look and guess which animal is missing. Who ever guesses right gets to remove an animal and have everyone guess "Who's Missing".


Memory- Play Memory using the animal cards (must have two cards of each animal).



Introduce game: What was it like building the ark? Do you think it was easy? Etc.

Puzzled and Mixed Up (Noah Builds the Ark)- In this game, your students will identify with Noah the Ark builder as they work with their friends to complete a challenging task. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry by Group Publishing, page 19.



Snacks:

Introduce snack: What was the sign that God did that promised that He would never flood the whole Earth again? A rainbow.

enchantedlearning.com- Rainbow in a cup


What did Noah build? An ark.

christiancrafters.com- Edible Ark



Puzzles, Mazes, Worksheets:

The Great Bible Big Fun Activity Book: From the Old and New Testaments by Toni Lind
Follow the Dots to find Noah’s special helper. Draw a branch in it’s mouth. (dove)

More 365 Activities for Kids (do any of the Noah puzzles, mazes, dot-to-dot, spot the difference, etc. from January 13 - 23).

sermons4kids.com- Rainbow of Promise (dot-to-dot)

dltk-bible.com- (anagrams, crossword, cryptograms, maze, word mining sheets, word search)

A Beautiful Sign (find and circle the story related items hidden in the picture)- Hidden Pictures Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s Word: Grades 1 - 3 by Linda Standke, page 4.

maxipraise.com- Noah & the Ark
Cut out the pieces and fit them together to make an ark. Then find out God’s instructions to Noah about what to put into the ark.

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (word search)

maxipraise.com- Noah & the Ark (code breaker)

maxipraise.com- Noah’s Ark (crossword)

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (crossword)

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (multiple choice)

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (fill in the blanks)



Homework: Prayer and Take Home Sheet (It is in MS Word and can be changed any way you like according to your student’s abilities.)

[kalm]

I think he grasped perfectly what the Pope was saying. Francis clearly doesn't understand even rudimentary economics.

Well, let's start with the proposition that Francis wasn't delivering an economic message, but a moral one, and his principal criticism was of greed, not capitalism. To read his message, as a whole, as an economic message is to misread it fundamentally.

But his criticism of trickle-down, unregulated capitalism as one which deifies markets without regard to human needs is spot on, as is his call for the wealthy to share their wealth with the poor.

Both extreme capitalism and socialism end in the same place.

[JoltinJoe]

Exactly. I was never told Noah's Ark was literally true. I was even corrected once in a lower grade when I told one of the nuns that Noah's Ark had been found (I saw that in a headline in a paper at the check-out of the A&P ).

Since Augustine, the Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Bible stories are often to be read as allegory, and not necessarily as literal events.

From The Catholic Toolbox: Lesson Plan - Noah's Ark

Friday, October 24, 2008
Lesson Plan- Noah's Ark (1st grade on up)


Noah’s Ark

Objectives: The students will be able to
- retell the story of Noah’s Ark
- describe ways that we can obey God like Noah
- explain that God always keeps his promises
- explain the meaning of the rainbow



Review:
Prayer, Take Home Sheet, and vocabulary from last week’s lesson and also Objects Used at Mass cards.



Vocabulary Words: (Write words on the board and discuss with class)

Ark- a very large boat built by Noah for his family and all the animals
Noah- man who built the ark when God told him to
Flood- a very large amount of water covering land that used to be dry
Drown- to be underwater until you die from not having oxygen
Dove- a small bird from the pigeon family
Rainbow- a multicolored arc (half circle) of light that is separated into bands of color



Plan:

Read story: “Noah’s Ark”. Then ask questions from the Take Home Sheet that will be sent home today.



Activities:

Introduce activities: Who built the ark?

sermons4kids.com- A Plan For Success object lesson with coloring, puzzles, quiz, etc.

sermons4kids.com- A Plan For Success (group activities) crafts, games, songs, etc.

sermons4kids.com- A Rainbow of Promise object lesson with coloring and puzzles

sermons4kids.com- The Colors of the Rainbow object lesson

dltk-bible.com- The Story of Noah’s Ark lesson with memory verse, teacher's guide, puzzles, take home sheet, coloring pages, crafts and activities, etc.

childrensermons.com- God’s Plan To Save Us object lesson

childrensermons.com- The Great Flood lesson

childrensermons.com- Rainbows & Promises lesson

kidsclubs4jesus.com- Noah’s Ark, Rainbow Promise lesson with puzzles, coloring sheet, Bible readings, questions, memory verses, key points, object lesson, drama, puppets, etc. (These files are set up and formatted so that they can be easily made into weekly booklets for your children's ministry, youth ministry, etc., with 4 sheets of legal paper and two staples).

calvarycurriculum.com- Noah Builds An Ark, God Sends A Great Flood, God’s Covenant lessons with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.



More Crafts

Introduce craft: Who built the ark? Noah. What did it look like? What was it like on the ark? Let’s find out!

Noah’s Ark Craft- a fun and educational craft

first-school.ws- Rainbow and Noah's Ark Craft
Students make an ark with God's gift of a rainbow that represents that promise.

sundayschoolkids.com- Noah’s 3D Ark (two versions available)

freekidscrafts.com- Paper Plate Noah’s Ark Craft

ellenjmchenry.com- Cut-and-assemble Noah’s Ark


Introduce craft: How many days did it rain?

enchantedlearning.com- Rainstick

dreamboardgenesis.com- Rainstick


Other crafts:

Rainbow Light Catcher- A rainbow light catcher that can be used to emphasize God's gift of a rainbow that represents his promise never to flood the world again. (Gifts to Make for Your Favorite Grownup by Kathy Ross, pages 74 & 75).

Raindrop Mobile- God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. (Every Day Is Earth Day by Kathy Ross, page 28 & 29).

Taking Flight- A bird that can be a dove that you make out of white paper and using the child's handprints. (From the Hands of a Child by Anthony Flores, page 41).



More Games

Introduce game: What was on the ark with Noah and his family? Can you find what animal is missing from the ark?


Noah’s Ark (What animal is missing)

Need: Cards with animal pictures on them.

Directions: Place a group of different animal cards on the chalk tray. Have the students name what animals that they see. Students hide their eyes while the teacher removes one animal card. Then the students look and guess which animal is missing. Who ever guesses right gets to remove an animal and have everyone guess "Who's Missing".


Memory- Play Memory using the animal cards (must have two cards of each animal).



Introduce game: What was it like building the ark? Do you think it was easy? Etc.

Puzzled and Mixed Up (Noah Builds the Ark)- In this game, your students will identify with Noah the Ark builder as they work with their friends to complete a challenging task. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry by Group Publishing, page 19.



Snacks:

Introduce snack: What was the sign that God did that promised that He would never flood the whole Earth again? A rainbow.

enchantedlearning.com- Rainbow in a cup


What did Noah build? An ark.

christiancrafters.com- Edible Ark



Puzzles, Mazes, Worksheets:

The Great Bible Big Fun Activity Book: From the Old and New Testaments by Toni Lind
Follow the Dots to find Noah’s special helper. Draw a branch in it’s mouth. (dove)

More 365 Activities for Kids (do any of the Noah puzzles, mazes, dot-to-dot, spot the difference, etc. from January 13 - 23).

sermons4kids.com- Rainbow of Promise (dot-to-dot)

dltk-bible.com- (anagrams, crossword, cryptograms, maze, word mining sheets, word search)

A Beautiful Sign (find and circle the story related items hidden in the picture)- Hidden Pictures Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s Word: Grades 1 - 3 by Linda Standke, page 4.

maxipraise.com- Noah & the Ark
Cut out the pieces and fit them together to make an ark. Then find out God’s instructions to Noah about what to put into the ark.

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (word search)

maxipraise.com- Noah & the Ark (code breaker)

maxipraise.com- Noah’s Ark (crossword)

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (crossword)

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (multiple choice)

sermons4kids.com- Noah and the Ark (fill in the blanks)



Homework: Prayer and Take Home Sheet (It is in MS Word and can be changed any way you like according to your student’s abilities.)

Not sure where the kids are being instructed to accept the story literally in that lesson plan.

[Ibanez]

But the Catholic Church does not teach that stories such as Noah's Ark are literally true. It's considered allegory.

Exactly. I was never told Noah's Ark was literally true. I was even corrected once in a lower grade when I told one of the nuns that Noah's Ark had been found (I saw that in a headline in a paper at the check-out of the A&P ).

Since Augustine, the Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Bible stories are often to be read as allegory, and not necessarily as literal events.

If so, then you fellas need to get the word out.

[D1B]

From The Catholic Toolbox: Lesson Plan - Noah's Ark

Not sure where the kids are being instructed to accept the story literally in that lesson plan.

In my grade school, it was never explained to us that many of the great stories in the bible we were taught - those that appeal to kids or lovers of violence/sex - were allegory or myth. I doubt they made that clear to you either.

Again, kids don't know better. You hook em with the fairy tales, punish them severely if they don't believe the other stuff and follow through with the indoctrination rituals (confirmation), repetition of mass every Sunday for their entire infancy, childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, scare em with bloody shit, threaten them that they will go to hell if they don't believe - only then are they ready to blindly accept the nonsense into adulthood.

You let your kids be free of your superstitions until they're say, 18, then tell them what you believe and they will laugh in your face and pity you. All the above ensures that doesn't happen.

[D1B]

Exactly. I was never told Noah's Ark was literally true. I was even corrected once in a lower grade when I told one of the nuns that Noah's Ark had been found (I saw that in a headline in a paper at the check-out of the A&P ).

Since Augustine, the Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Bible stories are often to be read as allegory, and not necessarily as literal events.

If so, then you fellas need to get the word out.

No shit. They don't because its a great story that both fascinates/entertains and scares children. It's got all the elements of a Disney production - animals, compelling heroes and villians, god and the supernatural, a harrowing journey and fairy tale ending. Kids eat it up and it's a perfect hook. It's catholic dogma baby food.

[D1B]

Well, let's start with the proposition that Francis wasn't delivering an economic message, but a moral one, and his principal criticism was of greed, not capitalism. To read his message, as a whole, as an economic message is to misread it fundamentally.

But his criticism of trickle-down, unregulated capitalism as one which deifies markets without regard to human needs is spot on, as is his call for the wealthy to share their wealth with the poor.

Both extreme capitalism and socialism end in the same place.

Ideologically, Catholicism/Christianity is thoroughly communist.