Manny And The Pope

That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?


"Coming up after the game, it's another zany episode of 'Manny and the Pope', right here on Fox!"

Now, before anyone else calls for help to have someone come get me, let me explain what I mean.

Manny Ramirez is a talented yet zany (I can use 'zany' twice in the same post, right?) outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. He's a man who definitely marches to a different drummer.

But he is a man true to himself. He does bizarre things, such as selling his own grill on E-bay to make some extra cash (despite making $20 million a year), but no one gets upset about it anymore because doing the weird and clownish is expected. It's part of his character. It's who he is.

It's just Manny being Manny. In fact, that last sentence has become a well known catch-phrase to those in the baseball world.

"It's just Manny being Manny." Which brings me to the pope.

Recently Pope Benedict rubbed the fur of some Protestants and non-Christians the wrong way by suggesting the Roman Catholic Church was the only true Church on Earth. In fact, to read an excellent post on this, go here to Cranach. And for something really in depth, go to Cyberbrethren.

I find Benedict's talk refreshing. Not that I agree with him, but he speaks what he believes and what his church has taught for centuries. Of course he believes the Roman Catholic Church is the only church. HE'S ROMAN CATHOLIC, AND HE'S THE POPE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

Anybody who thought for one minute that the Roman Catholic Church had changed it's stance after almost 500 years was deluding themselves. All these supposed attempts by Rome at ecumenism are one-sided. All designed to bring Protestants back into the Roman Catholic Church. They have no intention of changing. Nor should they. Let them be who they are.

The Council Of Trent still stands. Therefore, if you're not Roman Catholic why waste time trying to be in fellowship with that church? You aren't. And non-Romans need to get over it.

We Lutherans believe, teach and confess a completely different salvation. Not the salvation of belonging to and following the teachings of Roman Catholicism, but the salvation of God through the work of Jesus Christ.

In fact, if you agree with the Lutheran Confessions, which I believe to be true expositions of Christian doctrine, then you have no problem seeing the seat of the Pope as the seat of Antichrist, not the top dog of the church.

Those who got upset over the pope's comments are the same people who get upset over Manny Ramirez and his statements and antics.

They need to learn- It's just the pope being the pope.

Or, if you prefer, it's just Popey being Popey.



"Ohhhhh, ho ho ho, Manny!" "Ohhhhh, ho ho ho ho, Popey!"