Saints Alive! It's Brother André!

[Spade]

CBC News - Canada - Montreal's Brother André now a saint

Meanwhile, Down Under...

Nun whose order fought abuse becomes saint - CNN.com

What do these modern saints teach us?

 

[Cliffy]

It seems rather ironic that such a humble man who gave everything to the poor would have such a monstrous edifice constructed in his remembrance. I remember in the sixties, the oratory was still not complete. Someone asked why it was taking so long. A friend replied that the bottom had fallen out of the saint market. It seems the bottom has been fixed.

As a side note: in the early seventies some young men stole Brother Andre's heart, preserved in formaldehyde, from the small temple dedicated to him on the property of the oratory. I can't remember clearly why they did it, but I don't think it was for ransom. I think they were protesting the monstrosity that had been built in honour of such a humble man... but I could be wrong. I don't recall how or if it was returned (I was already living in BC at the time).

 

[Spade]

In my humble opinion, the focus on miracles, and the ascent of the steps to the Oratory on one's knees, miss the point of his simple dedication to his fellow man. Isn't Christianity a practice for daily life rather than a set of myths?

 

[Cliffy]

In my humble opinion, the focus on miracles, and the ascent of the steps to the Oratory on one's knees, miss the point of his simple dedication to his fellow man. Isn't Christianity a practice for daily life rather than a set of myths?

How true.

 

[#juan]

How true.

The place is a monstrosity. I climbed up all those stairs about ten years ago on my feet. I wouldn't do it today.

BTW, there are 283 stairs up the front of the bldg.

 

[Cliffy]

An obscene amount of money was spent on the thing. I just keep thinking of all the poor it could have fed.

 

[#juan]

An obscene amount of money was spent on the thing. I just keep thinking of all the poor it could have fed.

St. Joseph's Oratory is 863 feet tall and it is against the law in Montreal to build a taller building.
The Oratory web site says it cost 2.3 million dollars but that is nonsense. I would guess something in the order
of several hundred million.

 

[Spade]

Begun in 1924, the Oratory was completed in 1967.
If the $2.3 million were 1924 dollars, that sum would be $29.82 million today.
If the $2.3 million were 1967 dollars, that sum would be $14.67 million today.
Regardless, I agree the true sum should be in the order of hundreds of million dollars CAD.

 

[damngrumpy]

I could see a modest structure for a modest man, however, even Brother Andre
would turn over in his grave if he saw that thing. The trouble is looking for Saints
in the modern is a bit over the top. The law of statistics is in fact the age of
miracles. Exorcisms, miracles and so on have long since been explained as the
unexplained. Have you ever noticed if there is no resistance to something that
happens it a miracle, or a wonder of Gods work. If it gets questioned at all, then
of course its another great mystery of the Lord and not to be questioned.
I would hope these large structures could be sold to pay for the abuses of the
church, and or to help the poor and homeless that Christ himself said should be
given food and shelter.
Christ did in my opinion exist he's just not the same person the churches now
portray him to be. Saints preserve us when will it end?

 

[Risus]

An obscene amount of money was spent on the thing. I just keep thinking of all the poor it could have fed.

Not only Andre's shrine, look at the wealth the catholic church has. Personally I don't think they give a crap about the poor and needy in the world.

 

[Cliffy]

Not only Andre's shrine, look at the wealth the catholic church has. Personally I don't think they give a crap about the poor and needy in the world.

The church doesn't but individuals within the organization do. In South and Central America, it is the priests and nuns who lead the fight for equality and social justice. That is why so many are killed by US backed dictators.

 

[damngrumpy]

Actually Cliffy I will agree with you on that one. The clergy in South America
are often in trouble with the Vatican. In fact they fly in the face of many South
American Dictators and they anger the corporations like Coca Cola as well.

 

[Spade]

Actually Cliffy I will agree with you on that one. The clergy in South America
are often in trouble with the Vatican. In fact they fly in the face of many South
American Dictators and they anger the corporations like Coca Cola as well.

BBC - Religions - Christianity: Liberation theology

 

[YukonJack]

Nothing is more edifying, satisfying and riduculous than atheists displaying their ignorance in matters of religion.

 

[petros]

They revoked St Christopher's sainthood. Maybe he gave bad directions or had too much wine and was nabbed at a spot check?

 

[YukonJack]

petros, rumour has it that St. Christopher's sainthood was revoked due to the pressure of powerful capitalisic interests like AAA, CAA, CARP, AARP, MapQuest and the manufactures of GPS units, who were unable to convince him to join them.

 

[petros]

YJ : My grandmother gave me something like this for my bicycle. Maybe the "greenie weenies" or Dutch could ask the Pope for reinstatement?

 

[Cliffy]

Nothing is more edifying, satisfying and riduculous than atheists displaying their ignorance in matters of religion.

Actually Jack, atheists and ex-Catholics are far more educated on religion that the religious as they make it their business to know who their enemies are and what they are thinking. The reason atheists are so politically active is to protect themselves from the religious who are politically active and trying to return us to so draconian past.

 

[YukonJack]

Actually, Cliffy, atheists are so politically active, because they know that they CAN BE.

If anyone, i.e. a person of faith, were as offensive and abrasive towards atheists as you are towards those who don't think that the universe, the living things, humans, the human brain, the rainbow, the love, hope and charity that decent people posess are nothing but the dumb luck, random result of blind evolution, would be banned, with you cheering and jeering and clapping in the background.

Atheists deride people of faith for prostelyzation, while they themselves never fail to grab any and all oportunity to promote and prostelyze the most vile religion, atheism.

A watch, no matter how well made does not have to understand its watchmaker, just as you or I don't have to understand who created us.

Show me a watch that evolved from the primal mud, without thought or design.

 

[petros]

Show me a watch that evolved from the primal mud, without thought or design.

Time is a creation of man.