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Thursday, April 1, 2010

Permission vs. Forgiveness - Pope Style

I was listening to a story about a married man who decided to go buy a $17000 motorcycle without telling his wife. He took the money out of their joint savings account and bought the bike. Surprise! He then explained, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission." Wow, we could all use this concept right? People can do whatever they want and then simply say..."sorry." I think the Vatican uses this concept. Maybe that's where it originated. As the Catholic church molestation scandal continues to intensify yet again, The New York Times reported that Pope Benedict is facing accusations that he and his worker bees did not alert civilian authorities or confront priests involved in sexual abuse when he was archbishop. And, the Pope has been quite vocal in dismissing a few other religions, calling some "evil and inhuman." Really? And here is where the forgiveness thing comes in...all those priests who violated children simply have to ask for forgiveness, go to confession, and then all is renewed and pure in the Catholic faith. Well guess what...moral authority does not exist within the Pope or any other religious leader. It is inside you, it is your conscience. You know, scruples, ethics, morals, right vs. wrong. George Santayana, a poet and philosopher said it best, "Religions are the great fairy tales of conscience."

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