That’s my feeling too. People are criticizing his climate change encyclical because he doesn’t tackle over-population, but what do they expect really. It’s better than the Southern Baptists etc who deny anthropogenic climate change is even real. I say we take what we can get. I’m perfectly happy to praise the good stuff and criticize the bad stuff. As you say, 2,000 years of bad traditions aren’t going to dissolve overnight.

I’m a bit more leery than you about the potential benefits of exorcism. We’ve had a couple of cases of people dying during exorcisms in NZ (they were fundamentalist Protestants, not Catholics, so didn’t get a mention), so as well as not helping, I worry about how dangerous they can be.

Hi Paxton, your comments got caught up in moderation for some reason – not sure why. Anyway, I’ve approved them all, and hopefully you should be OK now.

Let me know if you want me to delete any of your comments. (I’m happy to leave them all up.)

I think religion can be regarded as a universal placebo. Sometimes it feels better to think that something is helping, even if it isn’t. It’s not unreasonable to regard addictions to drugs, gambling, porn, etc, even hatred, as demons. We know these demons are not independent external entities, but malfunctions in the addict’s brain. Exorcism can be regarded as a form of therapy to try to restore some self control to the addict. Like any therapy, it should be judged by the results.

As for Pope Francis, I think we have to take what he can give. It’s out of the question that he’s going to undo 2000 years of wrong beliefs and mandates in a single lifetime. Yes, it’s very disappointing that he rejects population control as essential to environmental protection. But it is helpful that he has accepted the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, and softened his position on gays. His denunciation of exploitative capitalism is especially encouraging. I know other popes have done that before, but it is more compelling coming from this pope, who seems more open to change than his immediate predecessors. I can’t agree with those who reject half a loaf because it’s not the whole thing. I hope the pope lives long and keeps growing. (As you know I am not a catholic, nor a Christian.)

Good essay. Why didn’t we hear of this from msm?

I think we can regard religion as a giant placebo. Sometimes it helps people to believe something is true, even if it isn’t. It seems reasonable to regard addictions to drugs, gambling, porn, etc, even hatred, as being possessed by demons. We know these are not independent external entities, but afflictions of ones own psyche. But we can see exorcism as a kind of therapy, that may in some cases help the afflicted get some control over the affliction.

As for Pope Francis, I think we must accept what he can offer. It is too much to expect that he will overturn 2000 years of harmful beliefs and practices. But his softening on the gay issue, his denunciation of exploitative capitalism, and his acceptance of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, are enormous steps in the right direction. It was very disappointing that he rejected population control as a method to mitigate environmental destruction, but again, we can’t expect everything at once. I just hope he lives long and keeps growing.

It seems to me that religion is a giant placebo. Sometimes it helps just because people think it helps. It is not unreasonable to think of people addicted to drugs, gambling, porn etc as being possessed by demons. We know that these are not external entities, but afflictions of the psyche. But we can see exorcism as a form of therapy to give the afflicted some control over these inner demons.

As for Pope Francis, I think we rationalists must take what we can get from him. It’s too much to think that he’s going to throw over 2000 years of bad traditions. But his speaking out against exploitative capitalism, his softening somewhat on gay issues, and his acceptance of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, are all good things, and put religious obstructionists in a difficult position. I just hope he lives long and keeps growing.