Opinion of Pope John Paul II

[JSojourner]

A truly great man and a beloved brother in Christ.  I still miss him. 

He was also a wonderful poet.

[JSojourner]

Great discussion about Latin America.  I don't particularly care for Opebo's characterization of the United States in his op, but I think he probably had Guatemala in mind.  Efrain Rios Montt was a very outspoken Protestant Evangelical -- a Pentecostal, I think, but I could be wrong.  He used his faith, not unlike the "good Christians" in Uganda's "Lord's Resistance Army" to perpetuate terror and murder across his country.

Often, Roman Catholic priests and nuns stood in opposition to Rios-Montt.  And paid for it. 

Still, let's be completely candid here.  No church, denomination or religion is without its shameful, embarassing and even brutal adherants.  Any person whose faith instructs them to hate people, deny human beings basic human rights, discriminate against minority religions or other groups or use violence as a means of bringing about some sort of apocalypse is a sick and shameful example of "a person of faith".  I don't care if they are Evangelical Christian, Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant, Muslim or Hindu.