Pope: Catholics, go forth and multiply... your Twitter followers
Faithful told to convert atheists 140 characters at a time
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The Pope has urged Catholics to use Twitter as a "portal of truth" and a way of converting non-believers to Catholicism.
In a letter published today, "Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization" the Pope, a new Twitter convert, warmly endorses the Web 2.0.
"Unless the Good News is made known also in the digital world," explained the representative of God on Earth, "it may be absent in the experience of many people for whom this existential space is important."
Go forth and share
Mulling over the occasionally inconsequential and trollish nature of social networks, the Pope suggested that we listen to the "gentle voices of reason" rather than the loudest and, we imagine, those who post the most photos of cats the most quickly.
At times the gentle voice of reason can be overwhelmed by the din of excessive information, and it fails to attract attention which is given instead to those who express themselves in a more persuasive manner.
The pontiff also appears to suggest that the devoted use multimedia to lure converts into an intimate encounter with the true faith. He must be referring to Tumblr, Instagram and YouTube. He observes:
In the digital environment the written word is often accompanied by images and sounds. Effective communication, as in the parables of Jesus, must involve the imagination and the affectivity of those we wish to invite to an encounter with the mystery of God’s love.
The pontiff urges a patient and respectful comportment on social media, where Catholics can testify to their faith "with their life" rather than by spewing lines of Gospel. He gives some final advice on social media comportment in the form of a quotation from Corinthians.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (1 Cor 13:1).
Think about that next time you're about to hit the publish button on a link to a Reddit meme. ®
Pontiff-icate
Justin Bieber has 32 million more followers than his Holiness.
COMMENTS
Gentle voice of reason! Do me a favour.
"At times the gentle voice of reason can be overwhelmed by the din of excessive information"
Or to put it another way, too much information is counter-productive to the aims of religion.
Or to extrapolate, education is the enemy of religion.
Ratzo would definitely prefer a population of poorly educated Catholics over well educated atheists any day which must put him counter to the best aims of humanity.
Before the trolls get agitated, the causal link is that a larger proportion of well educated people are atheists than the proportion of poorly educated folk.
They'd be better off...
trying to convert believers to Catholicism rather than non-believers. I mean, it's easier to get someone to switch from Gold Blend to Douwe Egberts that to recruit someone that never drinks coffee, right?
"I like that he admits that excessive information makes one less likely to go anywhere near Catholicism :D"
Yup, heres a few bits of info he would just love people to ignore....
Paedo priests, and the deliberate cover ups to protect them at the expense of their victims,
Being responsible for aids being spread amongst the poor in Africa, not to mention overpopulation of environments not able to support it by the lack of condom wearing,
The inquisition, and countless other atrocities
The suppression of science, holding back the advance of human knowledge.
Ordering scientists like coppernicus and galileo to shut the fuck up about the earth going round the sun, even though the pope knew full well they were right.
The extermination of South American peoples and cultures,
The fact that the vatican is one of the richest organisations in the world, but their followers are some of the poorest,
Punishing rape victims by forcing them to give birth rather than abort.
I could go on all day......
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