Fine examples - now tell us what good comes from the torture by the church of single mothers in its care, the rape of young boys serving in church choirs, feral children in South America because their families cannot afford them but the church refuses to allow them contraception!
If you can see good coming out of evil in this I cannot!
Jeremy was right -It's just something [you keep] telling [yourself] so that [you] can deny the obvious evidence of [your] own eyes that either there is no god, or if there is, it is not the embodiment of good.
Matt, if you are going to challenge a statement, make sure you challenge the statement not your (slight) rewording of it. Alan referred to a belief that good can come out of evil. That doesn't mean that it always does, though when we look at the various instances of evil that have occurred over the centuries, I think that youy would agree that it is a society reacting to the evil of its time that moves society forwards. That may not take place instantly; it may take many years (as with, for example, slavery in the 18th century). Regarding your specific examples, perhaps we are now beginning to see a Pope who wants to see the church modernise and come closer to what Jesus taught.
My rewording, however slight, is on the basis that I disgree with his statement regardless of any spin put on it. Alien stated, and I quote "God allows some evil in order that a greater good will occur.". Some evil to accrue a greater good . . . but according to historical records no evil can occur in the world without your god's aquiescence.
The new Pope is trying to move in the right direction, yes, but I will lay bets that, like Obama an gun control the Ope will find himself battling a Curia that will put every possible obstacle in his way in order that they are not brought to bvook for furiously covering up the misdeeds, the evils committed by their clergy.
Regarding the issue of feral children, is this a purely religious issue, or is it also something to do with the acknowledged fact that societies tend to choose not to use contraceptives until their average lifespan is over 50 years of age?
the problem of the feral children is most noticable in Christian (Roman Catholic) South America - the Catholic bans condoms in any and every Cathoilic dominated country. Even, as Stephen Fry pointed out, as a means of preventing AIDS, even going to the length of the ouright lie that condoms spread AIDS.
Don't lie for the Church Hope, it lies perfectly well for itself.
And don't say "Oh, but is that the Catholics"; you are all Christians, you all follow the same god and in matters like this you are all equally despicable.
