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Why would that even be a good thing? Religion is inherently above politics. Politics is concerned for the temporal good of its subjects. Religion is concerned

Why would that even be a good thing? Religion is inherently above politics. Politics is concerned for the temporal good of its subjects. Religion is concerned for the ethical and spiritual good of its subjects. Politics are short sighted and can never produce a paradise. Religion can produce a paradise in the soul of one even in the worst political and economic circumstances. Jesus was homeless and broke.

soulofmischief 1y ago
That doesn't seem to mesh with the fact that religion has historically been deeply tied to politics and governance. Meddling in political affairs is a routine thing for organized religions. The very existence of the Pope is a power play designed to make the Church's power seem more legitimate and justified than politicians. Examples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_no_one_rid_me_of_this_turbulent_priest%3F https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_no_one_rid_me_of_this_tur... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn
- 90s_dev 1y ago
  The existence of the Pope is inherent in the need for doctrinal and disciplinary unity. Otherwise when there's a dispute over whether to obey a pastor or whether he's correct about something in faith or morals, there's no arbiter, so the church splits in two, and it continues on the pattern of cancer. Naturally there will be faithless people in the church who use such positions as if they were political, but only because "if there is no resurrection, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" and politics is the most obvious way of ensuring that luxury.
  - soulofmischief 1y ago
    How does this account for the numerous splits from the Church in the last 2 millennia?
    - 90s_dev 1y ago
      Fallen human nature and all its corrupt motives accounts for that. The most obvious being that a good number of religious leaders have no interest in truth and are fine with causing division as long as it profits them.
      - soulofmischief 1y ago
        I thought your thesis was that the Pope was supposed to protect the Church from that.

soulofmischief 1y ago

That doesn't seem to mesh with the fact that religion has historically been deeply tied to politics and governance. Meddling in political affairs is a routine thing for organized religions. The very existence of the Pope is a power play designed to make the Church's power seem more legitimate and justified than politicians. Examples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_no_one_rid_me_of_this_turbulent_priest%3F https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_no_one_rid_me_of_this_tur... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn

90s_dev 1y ago
The existence of the Pope is inherent in the need for doctrinal and disciplinary unity. Otherwise when there's a dispute over whether to obey a pastor or whether he's correct about something in faith or morals, there's no arbiter, so the church splits in two, and it continues on the pattern of cancer. Naturally there will be faithless people in the church who use such positions as if they were political, but only because "if there is no resurrection, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" and politics is the most obvious way of ensuring that luxury.
- soulofmischief 1y ago
  How does this account for the numerous splits from the Church in the last 2 millennia?
  - 90s_dev 1y ago
    Fallen human nature and all its corrupt motives accounts for that. The most obvious being that a good number of religious leaders have no interest in truth and are fine with causing division as long as it profits them.
    - soulofmischief 1y ago
      I thought your thesis was that the Pope was supposed to protect the Church from that.