"Modern Society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its lifestyles."
-Pope John Paul II
More like this
The comment that has stirred up the most condemnation from the press is Richard Dawkins' mention of "Pope…Nazi," which everyone assumes was about the current Pope. Wrong. Everyone knows the current Pope is most properly addressed as "Pope Palpatine".
You've gotta see this amusing post from Gribbit about Pope Benedict and his now-infamous statement about Islam being spread by the sword. He says the Pope shouldn't have to apologize for his remarks, which I agree with.
The Pope has said while in Africa that condoms may increase AIDS problems. What? He is so insulated from science that even the most basic application of science to our problems eludes his comprehension.
Not that it's saying much, but JP2 was far and away the most progressive pope. Here are some other thoughtful quotes from Poland's favorite pope:
"Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes."
"Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it."
"My predecessor Pius XII has already affirmed that there is no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation, provided that we do not lose sight of certain fixed points....Today, more than a half-century after the appearance of that encyclical, some new findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than an hypothesis. In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies -- which was neither planned nor sought -- constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory."