Frank the Hippie Pope videos

[joeybaggz]

Hans Fiend (oops Fiene) did this? Are you sure it isn’t Pauly Shore? Sure sounds like “the dude”.

 

[steido01]

There is an appropriate time and place to use snark and satire in Christian conversation. For example, when one considers himself so righteous and more holy than other Christians so as to be above reproach.

I’ll let Pr. Fiene explain it himself:

 

[steido01]

Even stopped clocks are correct twice a day.

That’s why even the LCMS, to which both Pr. Fiene and I belong, considers even the pope to be a truly, rightly called and ordained shepherd of the church. So before you start throwing down that favorite Roman Catholic “gotcha!” of Lutherans believe the Papacy to be anti-to-Christ, why don’t you take a moment to learn why, and what they mean by it.

Firstly, “antichrist” is not used by Lutherans in the same nutty sense as the dispensational-premillenialist folks. Lutherans only mean that the Papacy acts against Christ, or anti-to-Christ through its obscuring of the Gospel with works. It’s a surgical, theological term that could apply to any false teacher. Frankly, Joel Osteen fits the bill.

Secondly, the LCMS understands this charge to apply only to the Office of the Papacy itself. The men who fill that office are often wonderful Christians who set great examples for Roman Catholics and Lutherans alike. (I’m particularly fond of Benedict XVI, and I miss him greatly.) Considering how well Lutheran-Catholic Dialogues have been going for 50+ years, Roman Catholic clergy don’t seem to perturbed by the charge. Nor are Lutherans offended by charges of being “heretics!”

Thirdly, the charge is conditional. This means it doesn’t continue forever; it can be lifted. Lutherans have given three reasons for their belief, and when these three no longer apply, the charge is rescinded:

1. The Papal Office claims that it is supreme above all bishops and pastors in Christianity by divine right, rather than by human necessity.
2. The Papal Office considers itself ruler of both church and state. The Pope historically acted as a kingmaker and practically considered itself above all kings in the world/Europe/the Holy Roman Empire.
3. The Papal Office claims that these things must be believed in order to be saved.

Make those three reasons obsolete (2 and 3 seem to be gone already) and the charge disappears too.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m sorry, but this whole defense of the Lutheran guy just made my eyes glaze over.

He’s being disrespectful of the head of another faith. The fact that Catholics may sometimes also publicly disrespect or be unfairly biased against the heads of other faiths doesn’t excuse it. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

I honestly could not care less what the “LCMS” thinks or “understands” about the Office of the Papacy, the antichrist, or anything else. I’m not even interested in reading it.

 

[steido01]

Was Christ disrespectful to the heads of the Sanhedrin? To the Pharisees and Saducees when he called them a “brood of vipers?”

Obviously, these things have a place. Christianity isn’t merely “being nice.”

The key is knowing when the snark is warranted.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If you are trying to make some argument that snark by a Lutheran clergyman against heads of other religions is “warranted”, that’s just sad.

 

[steido01]

They’re a joke. Folks should calm down.

By my count there are 80+ Lutheran Satire videos, ranging on topics from ‘Lutherans who do Lutheranism bad,’ to ‘Lutherans who do church bad,’ to ‘Lutherans who don’t do Lutheranism at all,’ to ‘Lutherans who don’t do church at all,’ to ‘Why the Huffington Post doesn’t understand Christianity at all.’

There’s a whopping 4 videos on “Frank the Hippie Pope.”

Even Roman Catholics thought they were worthwhile:

 

[AugustTherese]

That’s why even the LCMS, to which both Pr. Fiene and I belong, considers even the pope to be a truly, rightly called and ordained shepherd of the church

Lutherans only mean that the Papacy acts against Christ, or anti-to-Christ through its obscuring of the Gospel with works

So, Christ keeps calling “truly, rightly called and ordained shepherds” to the papacy and they all just happen to “act against Christ” by their “obscuring of the Gospel with works”?

 

[steido01]

So, Christ keeps calling “truly, rightly called and ordained shepherds” to the papacy and they all just happen to “act against Christ” by their “obscuring of the Gospel with works”?

The Holy Spirit calls Christian men to feed Christ’s sheep through his church, in general. The Church, in particular, acknowledges and accepts this call through ordination.

When a rightly called and ordained servant of the Word fails in his obligation to go and make disciples of all nations, preaching the Good News and baptizing in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or is otherwise handcuffed by the office he holds due to unnecessary, un-Scriptural human additions, the Gospel is often obscured. That’s the Lutheran understanding.

 

[AugustTherese]

So, Christ keeps calling “truly, rightly called and ordained shepherds” to the papacy and they all just happen to “act against Christ” by their “obscuring of the Gospel with works”?

So, the Holy Spirit keeps calling men to be handcuffed by the office of the papacy, an office that has “unnecessary, un-Scriptural human additions” where “the Gospel is often obscured”?

 

[steido01]

So, the Holy Spirit keeps calling men to be handcuffed by the office of the papacy, an office that has “unnecessary, un-Scriptural human additions” where “the Gospel is often obscured”?

What do you think is going to happen with this line of questioning? That you’re going to Gotcha! me into some sort of Donatism? Look, God makes use of sinful people and unjust institutions daily. He is wondrous.

Surely even you would admit that God brings non-Christians to Christ through non-Roman Catholic churches. That God uses a church body populated by “heretics” to bring salvation to people should be no more shocking than the fact that he also uses a church body that, from another’s perspective, might be “anti-to-Christ.”

Chill, bro.

 

[adgloriam]

Chill, bro.

Same for you man! Those tasteless caricatures of Mohamed getting buggered had the results we all saw. So, the old discussion where humor and free-speech stop and profanation starts are exhausted (as are many other discussions). Christians are tolerant enough and if anyone takes offense they are probably right!

 

[AugustTherese]

Neither are millions of Protestant and schismatic Christians.

 

[AugustTherese]

That God uses a church body populated by “heretics” to bring salvation to people should be no more shocking than the fact that he also uses a church body that, from another’s perspective, might be “anti-to-Christ.”

Chill, bro.

God intervening and bringing good out of evil is not comparable to the Holy Spirit continuously calling and ordaining men to an office that employs “unnecessary, un-Scriptural human additions” where “the Gospel is often obscured”.

Thanks, bro! I am chill, bro!

 

[steido01]

I’ve not said that God calls men to any unnecessary or un-Scriptural offices. I’ve said that the Holy Spirit calls men to the Pastoral Office (Bishop). Anything beyond that is human-made.

Why do you debate like this? Why twist a word to make it mean what it does not? Brilliant minds in your communion have made convincing arguments without burning straw men. Do better.

 

[ontheway1]

You do understand, I trust, that the pope’s official title and position is the Bishop of Rome.

 

[steido01]

You do understand, I trust, that the pope claims many powers and titles above that of a humble bishop. “Vicar of Jesus Christ,” and “Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church,” among them.

 

[AugustTherese]

You do understand, I trust, that the pope claims many powers and titles above that of a humble bishop. “Vicar of Jesus Christ,” and “Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church,” among them.

If mere titles bother you, I wonder how you feel about Jesus Christ giving him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

[steido01]

Obviously, we are discussing more than a “mere title” – rather, we’re discussing the claim that title represents (which all of non-Roman Christianity understands to be false).

I’ve already stated that the pope, like any bishop/pastor, has authority as a truly, rightly called and ordained shepherd of the church to exercise the Office of the Keys.

One would think that an olive branch like that would not be so tenaciously and pedantically attacked.

I’m not a fan of this sort of discussion. God bless you, and have a blessed Christmas.

 

[Xantippe]

This reminds me of a conversation I had with Big Girl.

Big Girl: [Classmate] says his [Protestant] pastor talks about Catholics all the time!

Me: That’s funny. Fr. John never talks about [Classmate’s] church.