The Pope's speech to the German Parliament

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http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/the_listening_heart
As ever, the man is worth listening to. But the responses in the comments thread just show how bloody useless it is to deliver intellectually distinguished and morally valuable speeches in a world where most people know no history but are stuffed full of out-of-context factoids and believe themselves entitled to judge.

Comments

Free will

[fpb.livejournal.com]

P.S.: I can't help but feel bewildered by the state of mind that can be stung into putting a brief, negative rejoinder to an article only just read and not heretofore known, and still can say: "I was doomed to do this and nothing else from the beginning of the universe". And, on top of it, to do so while denying any Mind originating any such doom.

Re: Free will

[ihuitl.livejournal.com]

Just because I don't believe in free will does not mean I am hard determinist (I believe in the role of probability and complexity in our actions). My response was prompted by a personality that feels the urge to discuss such matters, and the brevity was due to a time constraint, etc. I assure you there is no ghost in this machine.