Psychoactive1984 said:

Further, she responded to stimulus, showing that indeed their was still some of her "spirit/conscious/whatever-the-fuck-you-choose-to-call-it" left in her. She wasn't completely braindead, and wasn't completely empty... it's hypocrisy, and contradictory to not hold ones self in the same respects as others in regards to their right to life.

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Quote:

Involuntary behavior includes blinking or wandering, nonpurposeful eye movements; nonspecific sounds and grimace-like expressions in reaction to noxious stimuli; and primitive reflexes, including grasp, postural, startle, and alerting responses.

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CaptainJailew said:

I don't know, but playing devil's advocate here I would say...

The pope, if stricken with a stroke (non-fatal) were to then take prescription drugs I wouldn't say he is thwarting God's will. No one can thwart God's will if he/she is omnipotent, if Benedict believes this and sees God as being omnipotent then there is nothing he can do to change what God wants.

If God wants him dead, it is called a heart attack, a freak papal hat accident, or a bullet to the forehead - saying that using anything human-made is against God's will doesn't seem to make sense to me. That is like saying using a lamp to get around when it is night time is bad because God meant for us to use the sun as light. I don't think the use of medicine, or of medical technology necessarily negates the power of God when we look at s/he in a transcendent view.

[/devils advocate]

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CaptainJailew said:

I don't know, but playing devil's advocate here I would say...


- You really think?


The pope, if stricken with a stroke (non-fatal) were to then take prescription drugs I wouldn't say he is thwarting God's will.


- I'm not saying that it is against God's will...my point is that he chose to be the pope no matter if he prayed and God didn't listen. By that comment he is using God's will to mask his own.

No one can thwart God's will if he/she is omnipotent, if Benedict believes this and sees God as being omnipotent then there is nothing he can do to change what God wants.



- Did God created the catholic church or was it created by mere mortals? Did God wanted the church to commit such horrible past crimes against humanity or was it done by us humans? Free will is the will of God. Do as you wish but for every action there is a reaction of the same magnitude but in the opposite direction...the law of karma. Some think because the law of karma doesn't come into effect instantly therefore it is not true, but what's the point of free will when is not free at all. If you would get the reaction instantly...how would this make any sense?


If God wants him dead, it is called a heart attack, a freak papal hat accident, or a bullet to the forehead - saying that using anything human-made is against God's will doesn't seem to make sense to me. That is like saying using a lamp to get around when it is night time is bad because God meant for us to use the sun as light. I don't think the use of medicine, or of medical technology necessarily negates the power of God when we look at s/he in a transcendent view.


- Me neither...I totally agree with you. But my point was that he is just masking his will with the will of God.

[/devils advocate]

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CaptainJailew said:

No, I sincerely believe that the pope believes in God, and is ready to do whatever it is that he thinks God has told him to do. Whether he wants to or not. I think the pope could have wanted the position or not wanted it but the end result is still the same. If the pope really did not want that office, and yet he felt that God told him to, then he would take office.

My point isn't that the pope didn't want the position in the first place - but don't dismiss his comment about praying against himself simply because you don't feel the same conviction that he does for a religion. I have done things many times that I didn't want to do, and I actively hoped I wouldn't have to do them, and yet did them anyway because it was the "right" thing to do. I think the pope could be in the same position, so why not give him the benefit of the doubt?

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CaptainJailew said:

No, I sincerely believe that the pope believes in God, and is ready to do whatever it is that he thinks God has told him to do. Whether he wants to or not. 

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I personally would not form such a baseless and unfounded belief....

Seriously, what do you base such a sincere belief on? I personally only know the pope's name, his country of religion, what he physically looks like, and a handful of other small facts about him. I am not privledged to having experienced being in the same room with him, I have never heard his sermons or his professed beliefs. I certainly do not have access to his thoughts, and this is where the actual information one would need to justly form such a belief lies in the first place.

I personally do not have any real information to form any conclusions as to the nature of the pope's intentions, the nature of who the pope is, etc. etc. etc. Any knowledge I have of this pope I have retrieved from a medium that is presented to me through indirect sources (always considering that these sources are being used to influence the way I think).

Thus, I personally could not feel secure in forming a sincere belief in this manner. All I know is that, facially, he looks evil.




Peace.