Listen up!

Matthew 13:13

"This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.'"

I know this may ruffle some feathers,  but hear me out.

I'm not a Roman Catholic,  and I don't agree with him on all doctrinal points, but the more I read what he has to say (and don't just take the spin from the left or roght at face value), the more I like Pope Francis.

See, the guy is getting a bit of hard press from the right because he's supposed to be anti-capitalist, while he's receiving accolades from progressives because he's supposedly for same-sex marriage, or any number of other things.

Read carefully the transcripts of what he has to say and, well, he's not saying that at all. Everything I've read of what he has said or written points instead to somethig that is close to my own heart: the true mission of Christ.

Jesus was hated by the religious leaders of His day because He healed the sick, loved the unlovely, touvhed the lepers,  cast out demons, raised the dead, preached and lived love and forgiveness.

Ok, the pope says consumerism is bad. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give the money to the poor. The Apostle Paul told Timothy that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The Apostle James wrote that we should not favor the rich over the poor and the purest practice of religion is caring for widows and orphans. Seems to me, the Bible says consumerism, or materialism if you'd rather, is bad.

This is an unpopular stance in Christian America, but being rich is not the core teaching of Jesus. Yes, we should earn our keep. The Apostle Paul, in the second letter to the Thessalonians wrote (in so many words) "Stop sitting on your butts expecting others to take care of you while you wait for Jesus to come back. Go to work, earn your keep, or don't expect to eat." So, yes we should continue to work, and earn our keep, but this doesn't mean we should stockpile stuff and pile up "treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt."

Furthermore,  if God should bless us with wealth,  we should bless others with it. Along with this, we need to love people and show them Christ, and let Him do the work of healing and change in their hearts.

This is exactly what the Pope is saying.  It's perfectly in line with what Jesus taught and lived.

Then there is the claim that he said Atheists can get into heaven. Strictly speaking, he did, with the caveat that the atheist must accept Christ first. Yes, I read the statement in question in it's entirety, and Pope Francis said nothing new. He said exactly what has been said all along.

Let us not be those who look but do not see, nor those who hear, but  do not listen. We must read the scriptures, know them, and follow them.