Bigot -- thefreedictionary.com
a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, especially on religion, politics, or race.
Sadly the world has
no shortage of Bigots, religious or otherwise.
Nor, no surplus of compassion for those different than our peers, nor for those in dire need.
Such is the state of the world, of our nation. Such are the reasons why democratic-progressives to work so hard for change, year after difficult year ...
Struggling against the Religious Bigots who would inflame hatred, rather than quench it. For such self-righteous people have yet to learn the truth of these 5 simple words:
Who Am I to Judge?
by James Carroll, newyorker.com -- Dec 23, 2013
“Who am I to judge?” With those five words, spoken in late July in reply to a reporter’s question about the status of gay priests in the Church, Pope Francis stepped away from the disapproving tone, the explicit moralizing typical of Popes and bishops. This gesture of openness, which startled the Catholic world, would prove not to be an isolated event. In a series of interviews and speeches in the first few months after his election, in March, the Pope unilaterally declared a kind of truce in the culture wars that have divided the Vatican and much of the world. [...]
Pope Francis may be a lot of things ... but being a Religious Bigot, does not appear to be one of them.
'Who am I to judge?': The pope's most powerful phrase in 2013
worldnews.nbcnews.com -- 2013/12/22
Could five little words uttered in 2013 change the course of the Catholic Church?
Pope Francis -- also known as Time's Person of the Year and Twitter's #bestpopeever -- has done a lot of talking since he was installed on the throne of St. Peter in March, tackling everything from luxury cars to income inequality in a series of interviews, sermons and written exhortations.
But for veteran Vatican watcher John Thavis, the pontiff's most significant pontificating came July 29 when he gave a press conference on a flight back from Brazil.
"Who am I to judge?" he asked.
Francis was addressing the issue of gays in the church, but it was the tone as much as the topic that caught the public's attention.
[...]
It would seem that Pope Francis believes that Love is better that, stronger than Hate. Then again, Pope Francis seems to have taken his moral teachings to heart.
And it would seem Pope Francis has definitely taken these 'teachings in humility' to heart ...
John 8
[1]but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
[2]At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. [3]The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group [4]and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. [5]In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” [6]They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. [7]When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” [8]Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
[9]At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. [10]Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
[11]“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Pope Francis knows he's in
no position to Judge --
that's not his Job. Besides he has been strongly advised NOT to Judge others, too. For traveling down that road, leads to hypocrisy, and worse.
Wise man, that Pope.
Judging Others -- Luke 6
[37]“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [38]Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
[...]
[41]“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [42]How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Those folks, 'intolerant of any ideas other than their own, especially on religion, politics, or race', would be wise to learn a lesson or two from the new Pope.
They'd be wise to commit to memory, and 'morph it' into their daily outlook, and the occasional moment of self-reflection, these 5 little words:
"Who Am I to Judge?"
If and when
they do THAT, THEN they'll be in good company.
... the company of us fallible human beings.