Comments on: Progressive Pope?

By: swami bv tripurari

swami bv tripurari — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:11:34 +0000

From the article: ” While his goals are revolutionary, his politics are quite conservative.” I am not sure “revolutionary” is the right word.

By: Amara dasa

Amara dasa — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:44:50 +0000

Progressive Pope? What a joke! That’s a contradiction of terms as far as I’m concerned. With all due respect, many of the Pope’s ideas about social issues (women, gays, birth control, etc.) lack not only knowledge but also compassion. He is personally responsible for holding back much of the world’s social progress. Maybe he is better on the subject of money and the economy, I don’t know…

By: Gauravani dasa

Gauravani dasa — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:41:28 +0000

The activities that constitute service to God depend upon an individual’s degree of faith and understanding in him. A particular tradition’s scripture will reveal certain aspects of God. Based upon those aspects, a person of faith will perform activities that are conducive to spiritual growth from their current level of understanding.

For example, Christian doctrine reveals very few details about the personality of God. Therefore, Christians perform charitable activities for the benefit of humanity. By building schools and hospitals, they give to the less fortunate, rather than seeking to exploit them. In Matthew 25:40, Christ states, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

In a similar manner, the Buddhist bodhisattva prolongs his or her liberation until all other beings are liberated. They dwell in the thought, “May all my actions bring enlightenment to all sentient beings.”

Even science holds a particular kind of faith in reasoning and sense perception. Based upon that faith, public government funding and private charitable foundations fuel research to cure diseases and advance technology. Their ideal is to leave the world better off than when they got here.

All of the above are grounded in varying degrees of selflessness and have room to increase that degree by applying the principle. Without selflessness and humility there is no room to either ask or answer the question, “what is God.”

By: ancientmariner

ancientmariner — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:50:37 +0000

That is a good point. I have even heard it theorized that the powers that control the banks and control the government are intentionally destroying the economies and soveriegnty of every nation to bring about a world government and then followed by a world religion of some sort so if this is true then these people view using greed and lust for power as ultimately serving God.

By: swami bv tripurari

swami bv tripurari — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:53:12 +0000

If you know what materialism is—what selfishness is—and you find it unfulfilling and sense that there is more to life that this, then you know something about God, something about love. If you then pursue selflessness you will meet God, for selflessness is the basis and essence of any service to God. The rest is all details.

By: Seeker

Seeker — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:23:56 +0000

When our self-conception progresses beyond materialism we will find dynamic harmony through service to God.

What would mean “service to God”?

What about many of those who are not convinced that God is, or have some different idea about God and don’t want to be smirked upon by believers?

Many acknowledge the existence of God — they swear by it, although all of them cannot prove their claim by any objective mean. But do they “serve God” simply by believing?

Add to this that many in the name of “service to God” demolish other people’s land and lives, or eagerly convert non-believers, so is the “service to God” a true lowest common denominator to achieve public welfare?

Probably the best question is: what is God, actually?

By: Gauravani dasa

Gauravani dasa — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:25:22 +0000

In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith argues that the “invisible hand” of individual self-interest will guide a free market to serve broad social interest. Obviously, this has not been the case, but it is not because of legislation or lack thereof. Our notion of the “self” and therefore “self-interest” is to blame.

If our conception of the self is limited to the body (composed of senses) or the mind (compose of thoughts) then markets will inherently be unstable and unfair. The mind, which guides the senses, is described in the Bhagavad-gita (6.34) as being fickle and uncontrollable like the wind. If we are unable to control our own thoughts and desires, how can a government composed of individuals with similar minds expect to effectively legislate an economy?

Economies are a direct reflection of self-knowledge: we seek to exploit others and our environment due to an inaccurate self-conception. When our self-conception progresses beyond materialism we will find dynamic harmony through service to God.

By: ancientmariner

ancientmariner — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:31:31 +0000

Only problem is Obama isn’t reforming anything. He is giving more and more power to the federal reserve and the banks that engineered this crisis so I don’t know what exactly is the solution the Pope is suggesting to this continued centralization of power in the bankers hands and their attempt at complete control over the economy.