Re: In today's news...
Speaking personally as an atheist, but also from the perspective of a former catholic, I really don't think the Pope should even be a thing anymore. I don't say strip the world of Catholicism, just that head in the Vatican. I assume it would benefit the atheists on the humanitarian front. And on the Catholic front, I think it would increase people's personal relationships with their God. If the bible is their truth, then they will have less sources of truth to spread their attention to. They'll have their bible, and their local priest for help in interpretation.
The Pope and an entire center for Catholicism was never necessary and it especially isn't now. Vatican City is one of the highest crimes per capita and one of the lowest age of consent areas in the world. It's a golden villa sworn to poverty. I can't imagine the last bit of good it's done for the world on it's own, and I don't know anyone who actually hangs their life on specifically the word of the Pope alone. I know my stance is controversial, but it's not even done through a hate of religion. I just think that having a main church setting the tone when churches around their world already take their own freedoms and liberties anyway is not only useless, but a massive drain on the whole of the world.
So maybe this pope will be a good one? But I'd rather it just not exist as an institution than take a gamble on someone who will most likely still be anti-gay, anti-contraception, and still commands faith from followers around the globe.
