Bishop Barron on The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Another part of a video series from Wordonfire.org. Bishop Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture. For more visit www.wordonfire.org
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To good Catholics HH Pope Benedict XVI was terrific. To nominal "Catholics" that think they can pick and choose which teachings and dogmas they wish to believe in he was terrible. That tells you just how great a really was.
I could not imagine a better Encyclal than God Is Love. And I love and miss this transparently Holy Man. Cars.
They are excellent. Benedict is an extemely clever guy. Way way above other theologians. Very good books. Simple explanatory and converted me
Pope Benedict XVI is a very smart theologian. Protestants should read his work and be educated.
I have and loved it. You should state all Christians or even everybody not just protestants. I haven' t met many Catholics who read his works or respects him.
Crimes against humanity? Anyone?
@@kflo3924 I agree with you K Flo. It is unfair that Michael O suggests that "Protestants should read his work and be educated". If a small fraction of Catholics read and absorbed Benedict's writings - and others - we would be much stronger Catholics and have a stronger Church. And by stronger I mean of course that we would love God and our neighbour more deeply.
You know what might be helpful, friend: a real engagement of the argument. Contingent does not mean "natural;" it means dependent. How do you explain a dependent reality through an endless appeal to similarly dependent causes? That's the hinge of the argument. "Sky fairies," should they exist, would be contingent realities; they would have not a thing to do with what Catholic theology means by "God."
Danke für diesen Beitrag und den Schatz der durch diese Betrachtung den nachfolgenden Generationen ins Herz gelegt wird.
Thank you Fr. Barron.. It's good to get a scholarly view of his legacy and the treasures he has gifted us with. - Rene
Oh brother... I can't tell you how tiresome this "objection" is! What do you call your father when you refer to him in the third person? Don't you see how silly it is to take this saying of the Lord literally?
John Beer
The modern claim of don't call any man Father and take it literaly is a narrow-minded silly idiot claim you have to grow up stop your protestant lies. God never meant that stupid meaning or you stop calling your father father and call him in his own name. What the hell? We are fed up!
Amen. That was beautiful! Christ-centered - indeed. To speak of Christ is to speak of the Father and the Holy Spirit. His incarnation is at the heart of the Christian faith. Thank you Fr Robert Barron!
Hello Father, I would agree with every assessment on Pope Benedict's legacy you gave. And I will add 1 more: humility. He inherrited an indescribable mess from (created by?) his predecessor: he didn't contribute to it as has been proven-- actually he tried to resolve/prevent it. But in the spirit of humility, he took on the responsibility and culpability as the leader of the church and apologized for something he had nothing to do with. I can think of few church leaders with more humility.
Another wonderful video on the legacy of Papa Benedicto. Thank you Father Barron.
Pope Benedict, you will be missed! Thank you for your papacy and for your inspiration. You've made a huge and good difference in my life and the lives of many of my friends. God bless you in your future and God bless your successor. I hope the next successor continues your work and that of JPII
Fr Barron, thank you for this. I'm at university in Scotland reading theology, and the synthesis of nature & grace, reason & revelation articulated so well by Ratzinger (and von Balthasar) has been a pivotal factor in my journey from Barthianism to the Catholic faith. Yes, this is a bittersweet day for the whole church. But it is especially so for those with a particular investment in systematic theology. BXVI epitomised fides quaerens intellectum in this unbelieving, irrational world of ours.
CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!!
It was a pleasant surprise to see that you brought up Benedict's use of joy.
I like receiving on the tongue too for the same reasons as you, but then I think about it and Jesus handed the bread to the disciples and so it is handed to us too in hand. Yes, it is an awesome moment.
I love your videos. You have so much wisdom and different point of view from what we so often hear. Thanks for doing your best to spread the truth, and keeping it intelligent!
Great testament and recognition of Pope Benedict 16. Thank you Bishop Barron.
"accuse oneself, not excuse oneself"
That's profound. Always seen the value of confession, in Scripture and in the Church.
Lord have mercy on me a sinner.
I would suggest that your comparative religion teacher hadn't read the texts of Vatican II closely.
Without Vatican II the crisis of faith might be much larger than what we've witnessed today, for many might know what the liturgy is like but they did not understand most of it. Vatican II enables me to partake in the liturgy not only with my outward gestures but also with my mind. Truly the Spirit of truth has guided the council of Bishops with Wisdom.
Father Barron, you are my hero.
Well, let's take things one step at a time! The non-conditioned ground of contingency must be that reality whose very essence is to be. And this implies that there is no limitation to his being, all his conditions being fulfilled. The medievals termed this quality Actus Purus. But this in turn implies that the non-contingent source of contingency is in possession of every ontological perfection: knowledge, love, power, etc. As the for the Jewish carpenter...I've run out of space.
Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and a step towards restoring the Church to its true glory.
Indeed! Time will show what a great Pope he truly was.
And here we are now with pope Francis and his Traditionis Custodes... Let us pray for unity in Church.
This video brought me great joy in a time of great suffering. Thank you for uploading!
Thank you for an insightful commentary, Father Barron. I am so sick of the "hermeneutic of discontinuity" both from the progressives, in order to lobby for American liberal political sacred cows, AND from the conservatives who want to live a 'Groundhog Day' of 1930's catholicism as THE expression for all eternity. Missionary Council, JPII and BXVI as authentic interpreters, affirmative orthodoxy, Christocentrism, Church fathers, biblical literacy, joy. Thanks.
The Church provides the means for the Pope to live. He lives in an Apartment provided by the Church like many pastors in America. Pope Benedict XVI was a prisoner of War, and His father was a policeman and his mother a hotel cook (before she married). Pope John Paul II 's father was a Captain in Poland's Military. To the best of my knowledge the Pope receives no salary.
This is true! Thank you, Fr. Barron.
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all this through him who gives me strength"
Quits because of lack of strength.
Reply to "...for our bishops have let catechisis fall into virtual non existience."
I see three problems with the current "typical" catechesis in parishes that are not necessarily the bishop's problem:
1) not enough volunteers
2) catechesis books assigned to teachers that are either too vague or boring. The book that I teach 7-8th graders is pretty good, but I have had some pretty bad ones.
3) It takes greater skill than ever to teach kids on Sunday since they are more image-oriented.
That's a very cool conversion story. I will send it to my 80 year old Mom. She has no idea what to make of anything anymore! Latin not Latin. She speaks Latin of course She is hearing all types of stuff.
Once again, another top video from Fr. Robert Barron. I have no doubt that he is a true blue man of God and that I shall get to see him in Heaven every single day.
The Pope writes a lot of homilies. I subscribe to Zenit Vatican news service which shows his homilies and speeches nearly every day. He is always publishing books, too. I hope that Pope Benedict XVI finishes his Creed series.
I think you are correct on all counts. Often in the religious life it is obedience, the Saints being the most obedient of all Gods servants, that makes the man or woman. Pope Benedict served out of obedience. Father Barron is obedient!. I just see it in him. We should all learn such obedience! And I am really looking forward to see what Pope Benedict does in his retirement. And how his recent move will draw so much attention to his writing. I current have 20! books by him in my Amazon Cart.
I dropped my subscription to the New York Times once Maureen Dowd libelled B-16.
I'm impressed by the service B-16 performed by resigning once he realized his limitations; this is good for the church and a sign of a real leader.
I did get the impression that he would rather live a quiet life writing books and so on than be Pope and your post has reassured me somewhat. It makes sense that he would rather be Vatican librarian. I do hope he'll continue to write if health serves him in the following years as he has definitely got a talent for it.
Here's one I might suggest: There's one that's entitled: "Fr. Barron comments on What Faith Is and What Faith Isn't"
But that's just a guess of what might appeal to you -- I can't be 100% sure what you're looking for.
Too bad he resigned.
We should always be Cristo Centric.
I too am drawn to the Latin Mass and to the Language. I was born in 1961. What I read last night, was the the younger people are asking for it. My reason for wanting it is the richness of the culture. Some priests and many people say Vatican II as a license to "do your own thing". It is so disheartening that even in the Church I have to deal with secularism. I've changed parishes because of these "secular" priests and lay people. I will have to look closer to Pope Benedict motives, it is scary.
One of my favorite characters in any book is Bishop Myriel from Les Miserables. He was the penultimate opportunist. When confronted by a very powerful man, and asked what he saw he replied; "you are looking at a good man, and I at a great man".
This is 2013, and the world has moved on. How can you live with your own dishonesty? If you can't be honest enough to admit the supernatural doesn't exist, then YOU will be the only one to personally suffer. The world will do just fine without you.
it takes more courage to believe in your faith these days then to deny it. faith and science are not opposed to each other, as you seem to 'assume.' perhaps the real courage is being a faith filled scientist.
Pope Benedict XVI obviously had a mixed legacy, given what he inherited from Pope John Paul II. That matter should never be forgotten.
Pope John Paul2 deserves exceptional credit for his deconstruction of communism. As a Pole--given that the Polish people suffered mightily during the entire 20th century in ways that non-Poles have not been informed of, John Paul2 was a man of his time. He knew the issues at stake--he knew the best way to respond to such within his milieu--and he utterly defeated secular atheism within his country, and not only there but throughout the then-Communist world of his time and place. Good for him, and more importantly good for the church of God's people there!
JP2 might have been the greatest pope of the past century had his papacy ended there. Sadly--for the sake of the church as a whole--it didn't.
JP2 understood well the issues were between the church and anti-church forces within his particular milieu--but not under different circumstances with different forces at play.
In Latin America in particular, the shoe was on the other foot. Whereas JP 2 equated challenges to the church with advocacy of atheistic communism, and its economic justice pretense within its own false frame of reference, he failed to recognize where and when the Catholic Church rooted in support of the oppressed represented the Christian alternative to anti-Catholic forces.
Note how the archbishop of El Salvador was murdered by anti-church forces which JP2 failed to address. Note also how JP2 equated anyone who recognized social justice issues with "communism," because of his own narrow frame of reference.
JP2 went on to support some of the worst examples of pedophilia just because they were part of the institutional church, and here is where Benedict deserves credit: one of his first actions was to hold Marcial Maciel--the pedophilic head of the religious order "The Legionaires Of Christ"--accountable for his sins and corruption. Good on Pope Benedict!
More to the credit of Pope Benedict:
He publicly acknowledged Islam for what it was--and is, in terms of its challenge to Western European countries. I regret that he was apparently pressured to apologize for his having done so, but for a brief moment in history his honest insight was allowed to stand.
He recognized that the Vatican bureaucracy was incredibly corrupt, and that he didn't have the strength or skill to address the issue, and therefore he resigned! God bless him for his doing so for his humility and his stepping aside for the greater interest of the church! If only JP2 would have done likewise!
Christian naming is from Catechism P.2156 “The Christian Name” and Canon Iuris Canonici Can.#855. The renaming at Confirmation is a biblical tradition to symbolize that the person is a new creation, but it is not obligatory especially when the parents have already given them a Christian name at Baptism.
During Pope Benedict XVI’s reign, dioceses started background-checks on every staff and volunteer that works in the church. Those who work around youth or other vulnerable people are subjected to very strict reviews. Vocation offices are quizzing prospective seminarians on every aspect of their life. The Catholic Church does such a good job at making the church a safe environment for children that other Christian denominations approach her for training so they can eliminate their own problems.
Thank you, Father!
You will learn that Pope Benedict did not want to be Pope. He wanted to retire and be with his brother, who is also a priest. Or he wanted to be the Librarian at the Vatican. At first I was sad and confused, but now I am so happy for him to be able to rest and reflect in his last days and I am happy for us that we get to pray for and with him and that we get to see a new Pope in such an important time in Church History.
Thomas had no problem affirming the ancient truth that from nothing, nothing comes. He recognized that this was a first principle of all the natural sciences. All change proceeds from some existing thing or condition. God’s creative act, however, is not a change. God’s causality is so different from that of any of his creatures that he is able to call forth into being the complete reality of all things.
I'm still kind of shocked at the resignation. I was actually reading "Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration" a few days ago and still have to finish it so being in the middle of that might have made this hit me even harder than it otherwise would have done. I agree that his personality doesn't match what some in the media claimed early on and his theological contributions make him far more than just an interregnum pope. Thanks for making this video, Fr. Barron.
Oh, too bad. I love my confirmation name and so do my brothers and sister. It is a good way to learn about the Saints. Thanks for giving me the Catechism on the subject. I'll look at it later today.
Fr. Barron you mentioned the positives of his legacy but it would be an injustice not to mention his negatives as well. The Church teaches that one sins by omission and by not taking action in reprimanding abusive Cardinals, Bishops, and Priests also corruption in the Roman Curia. By this non action he sinned gravely. His role as Pontiff is to spread joy but to also be firm when need be.
Forgiveness and mercy is not part of the doctrine? I don't think we should punish and judge, God will do that, judge wisely is very difficult and this should take more than hasty actions. We must think in the future to avoid new incidents. So if that's the only negative aspect you can mention then I just reafirm he is not perfect, but is a very good pope.
Indeed, Jesus did speak of joy. He also spoke of other things..
I picked up The Infancy Narratives, hopefully I run across the Baptism to Transfiguration and Entrance of Jerusalem to the Ressurection soon.
#BringBackBenedict !
EWTN has tons of documents, the 1962 Missal, video and all of Pope Benedict's work on this. They have a special page in their library devoted to it. Thanks! I would not have looked or even know without your comment! It's awesome!
There are fundamental confusions in Krauss’ analysis. In defense of his understanding that something comes from nothing, he tells us that the principle “out of nothing, nothing comes,” is a “metaphysical rule” which he denies. The principle, however, is not a principle of metaphysics, it is a principle of all the natural sciences. Recognizing its truth requires a good understanding that all change comes from a prior something-and this is really what Krauss himself admits...
Can anyone tell me what the Pope actually DOES? This is not a sarcastic question, but a genuine plea. Why is the Pope so important? What makes a Pope so special?
v nice vid - BXVI has accomplished a huge amount in the last 8 years. 1 friendly point: Y r we "reeling from the news"? why the "shock" the media is throwing around? :) BXVI is a teacher thru & thru. With this last act he seems 2 b doing what he has done throughout: pointing 2 Jesus. The Petrine Ministry isn't about any one man; it is an immense gift of the Holy Spirit. By retiring he's humbly saying he's no longer able & it's time 4 another. He thinks freely, acts lovingly. Amazing man.
"let he who is without sin, cast the first stone" remind me who said that?
POPE BENEDICT 16th WAS MY FAVORED POPE. AND I MISS HIM DEEPLY! By Saba K.
I find it hard to believe that Benedict XVI was a disaster. For one, he had initiated to course all complaints of sexual abuses to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith during his time as the head, and he literally read almost all of these complaints while in the congregation. For one, the sexual abuse crisis is not a single-layered problem that needs a single answer. Even in the world of high communication technology, each problem ( some of which can be traced as far back as the 1950s) is only a tip of the iceberg that requires no small amount of effort to rectify and time to correct. What Pope Benedict XVI did was to lay a firm ground from which remedial options can be anchored. As well, I have always believed that the Pope-Emeritus has truly understood the problem of Islam, which could not be ignored, and he went right to the heart of what constitutes the problem. The Regensburg Address in a general way sums up why there is a problem between Islam and the Modern World.
Father may have another idea, but I have learned that many of the original iconic paintings of Jesus were done from personal experiences with him while he was alive that were passed down to early church members. If you put together many of these early icons, you will see they are very similar. . The purpose of the icon is to allow the viewer to reflect for long periods of time on the image. When you do so, you can see it come "alive." It is not meant to be glanced upon...
till quite a large event in the life of the church and dealt with matters doctrinal as well as pastoral. Pope Benedict XVI called us to consider deeply the documents of Vatican II during this year and I would like to see more careful examination and a desire to avoid misinterpretation in both directions.
Father Barron continually says there is no rupture, that Vatican II was an evolution not revolution. Our work to understand. The opening paragraph of Lumen Gentium, states, "Since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament...a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires now to unfold more fully to the faithful of the Church and to the whole world its own inner nature...This it intends to do following faithfully the teaching of the previous councils".
You should really listen to this guy, BarFlySupreme, he's very logical in his approach. I'm much more emotional in mine so I think I'll step back and let him do the talking.
Christo-centrism= Summorum Pontificum + Ad Orientem + Restoring the "Sacred"
Father: Do you also consider then Cardinal Ratzinger's book on the Eucharist: "God is Near," to be a sublime rendering of the heart of our Church? It also fits into your idea that Pope Benedict saw the centrality of Jesus to be a key aspect of Vatican II. God Bless you for your great work!
Continued..., even though he calls this prior something, “nothing.” As we have seen, when thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas defend the doctrine of creation out-of-nothing, they do not contradict the first principle of the natural sciences; they recognize that creation is not a change at all.
Chosen by God to fulfill a mission. Realises that he no longer has the strength to fulfill that mission. Does not cling to power - invites a younger man to fulfill that mission.
I'm not sure what I said, but it is traditional for religious to change their name when entering a religious order. Priests don't do it, but nuns and monks do. Hence, you will see lots of Franciscans named, with Sister Mary Francis or Brother Mary Francis or some variation. Also at confirmation the newly confirmed add a name after their middle name from the Saint they have chosen as there patron. My name is Angela Maria Bernadette. If I became a religious I would keep all of those names. Peace!
Fr. Barron, I can accept that God exists. I can accept a good deal of Catholic theology. But it's very difficult for me to accept miracles, and to believe it. How does one make a distinction between what is rational to believe with regard to the supernatural and miraculous, and what's irrational? What is the measuring stick, and how do you apply it?
Very enlightening, fr. Barron. I will forward it to a friend :)
It had to take the Mother Of God, to Appear at Fatima in 1917, to give warnings regarding Vatican 2( Bad Council).They did not release the 3rd Secret, in 1960.She appeared in Garabandal 1961 to release the 3rd Secret.
Of course other issues come to mind as well. He lifted the excommunication of a bishop who called Jews "enemies of Christ" and is a holocaust denier. Not to mention the aggressive stance of himself and the Vatican in regard to priests and nuns with more progressive views on various issues. The list is very long.
I hope the next pope makes better decisions with more focus on reason and humanity.
Hi, Did you see the reply a few posts below this one. It turns out that a confirmation name is not mandatory. I of course because I had mine and love it thought everyone hand one. I remember having to tell it to the Bishop. But just because you don't have a confirmation name or a middle name does not stop you from adopting any of the 10,000 Catholic Saints or several as your special patron. My patrons are St. Joseph, the Foster Father of Jesus, St. Teresa of Avila, Padre PIo, St. Faustian...
Father, I am a cradle Catholic & I applaud Benedict VI for his "reform" of The Liturgy of The Word & other changes. My concern would be, if Vatican II was so good for the Church why did it backfire & become such a big failure throughout the world? I mean, there is no doubt that morality has deteriorated in the past 40 or so years, but the vast apostasy from the Church is alarming. Less respect is paid to the Eucharist. Almost NOBODY goes to confession. The holiness & mystic elements are ignored.
These people you're arguing with is generating a lot of hateful comments towards you. For what it's worth I think it's not wasted effort, accepting that a god doesn't exist doesn't take the type of courage that wins a war or can shoot a gun to kill another human being, it's the type of courage you can only find within that deep part of your psyche. For what it's worth I find your words extremely encouraging and thank you for sharing them with us.
Father Barron talks about the sins of the Church. Not much was swept under the rug. John Paul II made a pubic act of contrition to the world for all the past sins of the Church. We are now waiting for the rest of the world and the rest of the nations to do the same. My parish priest told me we have to stop apologizing for being Catholic. I hope that helps you. Peace!
Father Barron,you talk in your videos about a lot of literature and that we should arm ourselves with the knowledge of great apologists and the church's opposition. Can you suggest a good beginning reading list of five to ten books that are must reads? I read the Adult Catechism and the Compendium regularly, but aside from that I don't know where to go.
In hearing the continuing revelations of impropriety of those at the highest level within the RCC, those who are entrusted with selecting the next pope, I'm beginning to wonder if there may be something to the prophesies of St Malachy, forgery or not.
One of the problems I see with Vatican II is just the fact that it has been so incredibly misunderstood and misapplied by so many. Too much of the Council lent itself to that, due to too much ambiguity and openness in it's writings to misuse. The spectrum of interpretations is huge. It has been used to further everyone's and anyone's pet ideology. Even conservative Catholics took away very varying readings of it. I fault the Council for not being more specific and clear.
infallible isn't a title; its a charism. It simply means that the pope, when teaching in His official capacity as head of the church, speaks on faith and morals (note, not science etc.) he wont speak error.
Do you have any videos for non-believers who are on the fence about things and have questions in that area?
Opportunist? The encounter with the emperor was in the first chapter as I recall. Did you continue to the part where Myriel turns the bishop's mansion into a hospital and gives his money to charity?
You're judging sinners whereas Christ embraced them and taught you to do the same. That's whats so radical about Christianity. When you think of Repentance or Confession it doesn't mean ask for forgiveness of sins, it means CHANGE the way you see the world--view the world as Christ did and God.
Excause me, but I don't want to even think about all the people who go to mass and are receiving communion in a state of mortal sin. Just ask any average Catholic when was the last time they've been to confession.
Also, kneeling at the altar railing for communion, besides being a very pious and perfect practice, instills in onlookers more reverence and awe of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
It's my impression that there is very little Eucharistic devotion today.
Mika, I spent a good part of the day working on an essay that I think will help you. I am trying to be as trough and thoughtful as possible. Unfortunately I had dinner to get to and other mundane matters. Tomorrow I have and appointment in the afternoon, so it maybe Thursday or Friday before I can get back to it. I ask that you be patient until you receive the PM. I do hope it will help with some of your concerns.
Hi Fr. Barron! Just a small question about something that I've always found a bit odd about your videos: Is there a reason why you chose to speak not looking directly at the camera? Is there anyone interviewing you and you edit the pieces of the talk? Don't you think looking directly at the camera would be better?
LOL, my Friends, former Catholics, knowing of my conversion have asked if I made the Pope Benedict resign. NO! It couldn't be me! There is humor in the question.
Thank you
This is interesting, because my comparative religions teacher, a bad Catholic, suggested that Benedict's and JP's aims were both to reverse the legacy of Vatican II. I'm sure she's wrong, but I wonder how you two could have come to such disparate conclusions.
I feel like Benedict wasn't charismatic, and wasn't really cut out for the figurehead part in general, But I also get the sense that he was desperately trying to re-evangelize Europe and save it from secularism and try to restore the invironment he grew up in, but the sex abuse scandal (which he had already solved 20 years before) erupted and the media latched unto this for the sake of sensationalism. And from the sensationalism he was bewildered with the impossiblity to carryoutevangelization
Fr. Barron,
Doesn't a Christ-centered approach conflict with the teaching that the Father, Son and Spirit are coequal?
Well that's the funny thing about the bible. We are all free to interpret it how we please. That's why there are so many religions that stemmed from it. Hello!
I'm sorry. That's not what I meant to do. I'm pointing out the practice of sacreligious communion.
Today, people who receive Our Lord in a state of mortal sin are at less fault, for our bishops have let catechisis fall into virtual non existience. Most of our shepards are not sheparding.
And, confession does change the way you see the world. You acuse yourself, instead of excuse yourself, of sin. You, in reality, not only in the mind or heart, call them by name.
The bishop of Rome sits in the Chair of Peter, Who was ordained by Jesus Christ as the Prime Minister, the keeper of the Keys to the Kingdom, ( ref Isaiah 22:22, Matt 16:13-19) The Chair of Peter would have been called the Chair of Moses in the Old Testament (Exodus 18:13) The Chair of Peter is greater because from it the Pope preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He oversees the Universal Church, appoints bishops, and overall ensures the One True Gospel is being taught & preached in the World.
The crisis of faith in the west is a different story.
Besides, the Church is not a company where vocation are a profit margin.
Already in 1969 Ratzinger said that the Church in the future might become 'smaller, humbler and be purified'.
The evolution of the Church regards how the Church can bring the Gospel to the people, how it can adapt, not in its message, but how it brings forth that message to the people.
New vocantions will come.
Can you point to anything that we, as Catholics, have done positively in the last milleniia, or are you the type of person who merely looks for the mote in others' eyes? Do share with us what these things.
Catholics have done positive things, for sure, but we also have to own up to the negatives as well and not just sweep them under the rug.
Jesus Christ is Lord, and He sets every one who believes in His Name: FREEDOM.
Dont let anyone steal your FREEDOM, not even the pope.
Ah, I agree for sure, I am actually a huge fan of the existentialist philosophers and I can even get something out of Nietzsche, so I don't dismiss all atheists out of hand. Like yourself, it's the "new atheists" with whom I have a problem. They seem more concerned with being anti-Christian than actually discussing what life might mean in a Godless universe like the more intelligent atheist thinkers to have come before them. Also, thanks for letting me know of this site.