My thesis is that the Pope is making it up as he goes along.
Evidence: guardian.co.uk/world/2013/ju … cis-tweets
Is the kind of ad hoc theologizing going to help or hurt the faith? At the very least it diverts attention from the rampant corruption of the Roman Catholic hierarchy for a moment of levity.
Check it here. You can lessen your after life purgatory like getting it from a vending machine :
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/one-hell-of-a-deal-pope-francis-offers-reduced-time-in-purgatory-for-catholics-that-follow-him-on-twitter-8713666.html
It’s applying a principle to a new reality. If I don’t take the concepts literally, I generally agree with this map of human intention, attention, etc. Devotion, good will, etc. produce certain kinds of results, i.e. the lessening of burdens of the soul.
Fact is the Pope has always made it up as he went along.
That is the Beauty of Being the Hotline to God: Literally the “Bridge” by which all acolytes and devotees may access the Heavenly Father and his son.
It was the Medieval world that saw the time-off model in the form of 'Indulgences" which gave license to the rich to fornicate a murder whilst receiving a get-out-of-sin card, there result was the Reformation and the wars of religion.
Tell me if I am wrong, but “Purgatory” is a pure invention of the RC church, not to be found in the Bible. If the RCc can invent it in the first place them I suppose they can give time off purgatory’ to followers of Pope Francis tweets.
Sadly this will not harm the fortunes of the church: then no one ever prospered by overestimating the intelligence or sense of decency of the public.
I can’t find this funny. It just confirms the worst impression I have of the human race.
But is it funny? Or do you take it seriously?
It’s funny because it sounds funny. But I understand it. For a Catholic, all he’s saying is more devotion and sincere good intention lighten your burdens. Even an atheist such as myself can agree - things work this way. I know he’s saying more than that - i.e. that purgatory is a real place, etc., but I think the only thing he’s making up as an individual is the new application to Twitter, which is perfectly acceptable to the tradition.
“The rules and standards have developed in the past and are binding on the present, and although they can sometimes be changed by the community as a whole those changes should be consistent with the principles of the game as it has developed in the past. This would seem to be a very conservative doctrine, as it is in the hands of someone like Edmund Burke (cf. Reflections on the Revolution in France), but MacIntyre is explicit that traditions that are in good order require ongoing internal debates about the meaning of the tradition and how it is to be improved and developed for the future. He is not advocating blind loyalty to the past, nor is he saying that all change is bad. He is only acknowledging that the present rests on the past and must take that past into account in its self-understanding as well as in its planning for the future. We have already mentioned changes in the rules of chess, but other transformations can occur without changing the rules. Today, for example, chess players may decide that they must revise what they know about the game and how it is played in order to compete against computer opponents which use very different methods of playing than human opponents do. This requires new approaches and tactics which will become part of the tradition that is available to players in the future. But developing new methods does not require starting from scratch – the past provides materials for use in the present and should not be dismissed as irrelevant.”
From SEP on MacIntyre.
Well to an atheist this is hardly a revelation, all religions have been making up as they went along since their inception. It’s kinda of mandatory. 
The thing is though even without The Popes papal bull on matters of dogma being unquestionable, how do you tell the difference between the true faith and making it up. There seems little way of testing it out…?
Purgatory is choosing to spend time on ILP when you could be doing just about anything else. My problem with the Pope’s new innovation is that it is unfair to all the souls that went B.T. i.e. “Before Twitter”.
How so? The point isn’t Twitter, the point is devotion and goodwill.
Because they missed out on this opportunity due to their untimely deaths. That is, unless they can follow the Poe’s Twitter feed from purgatory.
I think you’re not understanding what I’m arguing. There is no missed opportunity. Twitter is just a new form of what’s always been available. Let’s say a Protestant believes there should be no human intermediary between himself and God. But he gets really inspired by Billy Graham, who he saw in St. Louis one evening. Is that unfair to all the Protestants who were born in the 19th century, or who couldn’t travel to St. Louis?
Maybe you should try subscribing to the Pope’s twitter feed and see what it’s like. That might provide some insight into the purgatory comment. I mean, I doubt he talks about church controversies there. Probably some daily words of inspiration that bring devoted Catholics a feeling of relief from dread and stress.
I’m sorry but I can’t help but ask.
Considering the sexual immorality issue in the RCC, that we’ve now come to know goes all the way to the top, even the Vatican, with that as the backdrop in mind …
If hanging on the Pope’s twitter feed reduces time in purgatory, does giving him a BJ allow for skipping of purgatory altogether?
Just wondering. Cuz then, the advantage goes to only those that can get close enough to give him a BJ … and then, purgatory is not a matter of who you know (Jesus) but … who ya blow. 
It’s absurdity upon absurdity. And Hobbies is right, yes we can laugh, but really it’s pitiful.
According to Wiki on Purgatory, there are scriptural references. Most protestants, however,do not consider the references “explicit”.
Oh really.
And what, pray tell, insights do you have into the reasonings of the Pope?
Do you have a very special talent of which we are unaware?
You, as all bedevilers, make easy potshot accusations, yet your “evidence” is innocuous, revealing nothing associated with your accusation.
I don’t have to be Catholic to see conspicuous and bias/bigoted bedeviling going on.
That the Pope has control of the afterlife is not an article of faith I subscribe to. It isn’t a proposition for which I have seen evidence. That he wishes to exploit the popularity of new media puts him in the company of our most successful capitalists. As a rival for the hearts and minds of the public in these days of spiritual warfare who can fault him for that? Calling me a “bedeviler” is demonizing me. Around here that’s what we call an ad hominem. You will refrain from doing that again or there will be consequences.
Big surprise “[size=150]Board Warning issued[/size]” for not going along with the moderators insidious activity.
I suppose that’s an argument of a sort. You’ll have to explain what is insidious about my activity apart from not believing in the absolute authority of the Pope. I hate to break it to you but as large as the Roman Church is, most of the world’s population including many Christians are with me on this one. Posting on a public internet forum where people are free to argue civilly is far from stealthy. If you think i have distorted the facts of the Pope’s action, please explain how. I posted and V followed up with two news reports of the event so people can make up their own mind. If you think the Pope influences the afterlife somehow, I would simply remind you this is a philosophy website where all claims are subject to question and valid evidence or argument are the standard by which claims are judged.
…except those of the obvious bias moderator.
“It’s okay to demonize the Pope, as long as you don’t demonize ME!!!…or anyone else I like.”
In an honest debate, you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
Felix, it’s called a noble lie I think. The Pope may not believe in a literal purgatory or afterlife himself.
I’m a little confused about why you haven’t responded to my comments. I’m trying to sincerely engage this topic.