Has Protestant attitudes towards the Vatican and Pope changed?

[reddogs]

I have never seen the hoopla and great preparations for a Papal visit in America, or a White House so enthusiastically welcoming the Pope. This is uncharacteristic of any American President in view of how our politicians try so hard to maintain the seperation of church and state. Has someting changed...


"President Bush has quite a birthday present for Pope Benedict XVI: at least 9,000 excited guests gathered on the White House's South Lawn for a 21-gun salute, a famed soprano's rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" and an emotional presidential welcome.

The pontiff turns 81 on Wednesday, the first full day of his first trip to the United States as leader of the world's Roman Catholics. He'll spend most of the day at the White House, only the second pope to do so and the first in 29 years.

In remarks during pomp-filled festivities that have had Washington aflutter for days, Bush was to tell the pontiff and the crowd how glad America is to have him visit — and to tell Americans they should listen to his words......."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080416/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_pope

"....President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, who greeted the pope Tuesday on his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, will welcome the pontiff in an elaborate ceremony Wednesday morning on the South Lawn of the White House.

"It will be one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House,"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/16/papal.visit/index.html

[sentipente]

What's the big deal? Do Americans do whatever their president tells them to do? Can he force them to?

[honorthesabbath]

It's curious to me that the popes arrival and b/day should trigger..

"It will be one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House,"

Do you think if Doug Batchelor or Jan Paulsen showed up they would receive such fanfare?

But here is a man who dares take upon himself the name and position of God Himself on earth, and world leaders fall all over themselves.

I just cannot wrap this around my mind. How are they so stupid?

[sentipente]

He is a world leader. The head of an independent state. I can guarantee you that our church leaders don't turn down such special treatment from foreign governments when they go oversees.

[midnightcry]

It's curious to me that the popes arrival and b/day should trigger..



Do you think if Doug Batchelor or Jan Paulsen showed up they would receive such fanfare?

But here is a man who dares take upon himself the name and position of God Himself on earth, and world leaders fall all over themselves.

I just cannot wrap this around my mind. How are they so stupid?



I agree. The whole thing is kind of strange.

Actually, I think there are two reasons for all the fanfare. First, I think the US and the Vatican are up to something. That's fairly obvious.

Second, and this is just my opinion, when our leaders do not want to talk about certain issues like the economy, the falling dollar, the rising price of oil, the budget deficit, the quagmire in Iraq, the coming recession or depression ahead, they use an event to distract the American people from the real news.

The media will totally be all over the Pope's visit, as if it's an important event in everyone's life. I would rather see coverage of gas prices and what our leaders plan to do about them.

[midnightcry]

In answer to your original question,"Has Protestant attitudes towards the Vatican and Pope changed,?" I would yes, most definitely.

The Protestant Churches are now most accepting of the Catholic Church and they seem to be searching for more and more commen ground. The ecumenical movement is alive and well.

[OntheDL]

Consider this...

When President Harry Truman wanted to establish diplomatic relationship with Vatican, it caused such uproar in the country. His own Baptist pastor denounced it from the pulpit.

When JFK ran for president, he had to go to Texas to ensure to the protestant ministers that he would not put his catholic faith before the republican constitution, and would not put forth the cannon law before the (protestant) English Common law.

Fast forward...

President George W Bush told NY Times Americans should put the teachings of the Pope to their every day life.

[TrustAndObey]

In answer to your original question,"Has Protestant attitudes towards the Vatican and Pope changed,?" I would yes, most definitely.

The Protestant Churches are now most accepting of the Catholic Church and they seem to be searching for more and more commen ground. The ecumenical movement is alive and well.

If you ask a young person today what a Protestant is, most of them have no clue.

They have no idea what it is exactly that they're protesting against!

I heard something interesting while flipping through the channels today....in the Catholic encyclopedia, the pope's mitre is called..."The two-horned mitre".

[TrustAndObey]

BTW, even though my grandparents were staunch Southern Baptists, they knew EXACTLY what a Protestant was!

[TrustAndObey]

Did anyone else study Dagon the fish god in your high school World History classes?

http://img2.putfile.com/main/4/10818124638.jpg