Reuters reports: Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis said on Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions – or no religion – work together.
The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made his comments in the homily of his morning Mass in his residence, a daily event where he speaks without prepared comments.
He told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus.
“Even them, everyone,” the pope answered, according to Vatican Radio. “We all have the duty to do good,” he said.
“Just do good and we’ll find a meeting point,” the pope said in a hypothetical conversation in which someone told a priest: “But I don’t believe. I’m an atheist.”
No, we don’t really need the pope’s blessings, but it seems like he was making this observation in order to open the minds of Christian bigots who attach more importance to religious affiliations than the way people conduct their lives.
Your comment reminded me of the way you say Israel deflects criticism: by claiming that “you attack us not because of what we do, but because of who we are”. The same for religions. Like you say, a lot of people put a lot of weight on religious affiliations, as if these determined your actions.
Well, I guess the blessing of an old man can’t hurt. Bring it on.