He had an uncanny and most unique pratice of journalism. Enmesshing himself in ever available bit of information on a forthcoming guest, Tim knew how to home in, after listening ahwile, to the contradictory statements used by the guest, often showing videos where they made statements that were self-indicting.

He came on TV locally, at 7 am Sunday, and I always made a point of rising early in order to hear him. What a guy! Such an untimely death and there is really no one that can begin to fill his shoes.

It is heartening to see that public life and profound human decency can go together as well as it did in Tim Russert. Maybe we've become too cynical about humanity. As the nation buries a great man, isn't it time that SDAs bury the 19th century theology which libels so shamelessly the church that was everything to Russert?

What is this 19th century theology related to the RC church that needs to be buried?

If one reads the news, whether from a source sympathetic to Catholicism or Protestantism (does it still exist?), it is quite clear that Rome never changes.

Your Friend, I provided an example of Catholicism for the common good in Tim Russert's testimony.

Would you care to share a "never" change example? What doesn't change? I'm curious what you read for news.

If you haven't had a chance to read this NY Review of Books piece on the weakness of the church in face of both Communism and Fascism, I recommend it as the research punctures a lot of Adventist myths about the power of 20th century Catholicism.

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/article-preview?article_id=21493

Subscription required.

Did Hitler Plan to Kidnap the Pope?
By Istvan Deak
A Special Mission: Hitler's Secret Plot to Seize the Vatican and Kidnap Pope Pius XII
by Dan Kurzman

Da Capo, 284 pp., $26.00

Few popes were met with greater public expectation than Eugenio Pacelli when he was elected in 1939. It was hoped that as both an admired religious leader and a well-known diplomat, he would prove a welcome agent of European stability, a 'prince of peace.' Yet few popes exercised less political influence during a great world crisis than he did. Later generations, nevertheless, insist on assigning world-historical influence, whether blessed or evil, to a man whose politics were mainly characterized by inefficiency and hesitation. Immersed in mystical meditations—which among other things produced the 1950 dogma of the assumption into heavenly glory of the body and soul of Holy Mary—Pope Pius XII rarely made use of his considerable experience in international affairs. Neither as the autocratic ruler of a sovereign state nor as head of the world's Catholic community was he able to change the course of world events, either during World War II or thereafter.

I was as shocked as the next person when the "moderate liberal" Tim Russert passed away, (by the way only one year older than I am). However, as much as I respected Russert as a Historian and fair interviewer, I have questions relative to how that is contradicted by his zealous RCC faith. Did he not research about the Inquisition and other injustices perpetrated by this church, and say, "Can I be part of this without my viewership wondering about me?"

Good father, good citizen, good husband, loyal RCC member,... all true, but some how, there is something incongruous.

Also, not much has been said about his enlarged heart and it's diagnosis or lack there of. If you read about "asymtomatic heart disease" and enlarged hearts, the heart can be beating against a cavity that is not big enough for that heart. No talk of angioplasty in his case or heart caths to determine if they could have lessened his chance of plaque breaking loose. What kind of care was he getting when his own doctor seemed to be surprised with the autopsy results of an enlarged heart. I work with a guy who knows he has one, ther are ways of finding out you have one.

Just reading this makes me want to get a wood rosary and keep it in my pocket. Often my prayer list is so long, but maybe a little rosary close to me would help me remember those people and thoughts more frequently. I like to think of sincere, praying people, talking with God, no matter what their religious persuasion. Maybe I'm too simplistic, but I think He hears us ALL!

It really shows some weird prioritizing that some folks would leap over to classic old Adventist Catholic critique on the topic of Tim Russert's tragic passing. Just listen to Tim Russert's son, Luke, in this interview and then read the comments by Your Friend and RDS.

It is bizarre that the guy who brings up the inquisition inquires about someone's religious beliefs at the time of their death: "Did he not research about the Inquisition and other injustices perpetrated by this church, and say, 'Can I be part of this without my viewership wondering about me?'"

These days its very fashionable for some folks to qualify there comments about the Catholic Church in Revelation by saying. . .but the people are good. But as RDS' comments show, this often masks the same old prejudice as he says of the recently departed, "good father. . .but he's Catholic. . .so something is incongruous." I'm just hoping to God that you didn't mean it that way.

It's not always easy for some men to model this (I know), but we cannot separate doctrine from concern for all humanity.

For God so loved the world. . .

Do unto others. . .

If God is Love. And Jesus was the example of God on earth. And Jesus is the truth. And love is the act of empathy, (seeing oneself in the situation of the other), then empathy is the Truth, which is to be like Jesus.

And I'm sorry if either of you are in any kind of personal pain. I would empathize with you as well, but here on the Spectrum site, we ought to have a little respect for human loss, no matter what church.

Alexander, I stand by my words. I think he was a man that was called a historian, that complimented his skills. He asked probing questions, admittedly by some to a fault. Why isn't his religion fair game. Does he believe that the wine actually turns to blood, does he actual believe the wafer turns to flesh.

Alex, were you sensitive to how people felt about homosexuality and their experiences when you suggested on another thread, that Adventists ought to support gay marriage, going directly against the Bible. Sheeesh!!! as you like to say.

Aage, so because a good guy died and was Catholic, we should overlook the history of that church, because he was a nice guy? I think history being what it is, we should wonder how he could have overlooked so much that is Catholic, with such an inquistive mind. Something written that is true, is not libel. You ready to accept the Pope as Christ on earth? WOW!!!

RDS
The problem I see is this: The classic SDA view of the Roman Catholic Church is an American 19thecentury equivalent of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a libelous forgery which claims that a Jewish cabal is at work to assume world power. This poisonous document is still being spread by anti-semites all over the world.

Let's look at some of the ingredients in the anti-Catholic conspiracy theory, which unfortunately was embraced and sanctioned by God himself, if you're a believer in EGW:

1. The Catholic church eviscerated the ten commandments by removing the Sabbath commandment. Truth: This was done by the same early Christian church that established the Canon, the doctrine of the Trinity and other Christian verities, and it happened at a time in history when it's meaningless to talk about the "Roman Catholic Church".

2. The RCC, according to the conspiracy theory, used brutal force, such as the Inquisition, to persecute "God's people." Truth: All churches in the Middle Ages suffered from "homicidal certainity in theological matters" (Will Durant). John Calvin murdered Servetus in Geneva, Martin Luther encouraged the authorities to drown the "anabaptists" and persecute sects. Obviously the RCC operated on a bigger scale than Protestants, but both groups agreed that heretics should be persecuted.

3. The Pope is the incarnation of the Anti-Christ. His tiara even carries the Vicarius Filii Deii inscriptions that generates the Number of the Beast, 666. Truth: A bald lie. And even if it had carried this inscription, reflecting as it would Catholic theology, so what? And as for the numerology that generates 666, it also works for Ellen White (as e.g. Martin Gardner pointed out years ago).

4. The Pope was flooding America with Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Italy to take over the American government and reinstitute the Inquisition and the Middle Ages in the New World. Truth? Oh, come on!

5. Catholics and "apostate" Protestants are going to form an alliance, the purpose of which is primarely to deflect blame for everything that's bad in the world onto a religious group that nobody has heard about, the Seventh-Day Adventists. They will set in motion a religiously motivated genocide in order to purge the world of Adventists. Truth? If you think so, I wouldn't even begin to know how to argue you out of such a position.

Tim Russert was an upstanding Christian, a member of a flawed church, true, but isn't that the case with all churches? People just happen to like their flaws better than those belonging to groups they much know.

Aage, read the following article:

http://www.born-again-christian.info/catholics.htm

There are some that would debate your idea that Catholics are Christians, and this article states the reasons.

Please read "Big Russ and Me" Especially if you are a father or son. As a new dad the images and commentary on Mr. Russert and his family over the weekend have inspired me to revel in my son as much as I possibly can, because tommorrow is not promised.

Do you think extremist Moslems love their children, of course. That's not the point. The Faith aspect of the title is what is being addressed. Alexander and Angela want to gloss over certain aspects of Rsssert by saying look at the wonderful relationship with the son. That is one aspect.

Issues have been brought up that bring into question if Catholicism is Christian. It's fair game, Alex, whether Adventist or Moslem or Jehovah's Witness.

RDS
I looked at the article you cited and shuddered. I'm no longer part of the Christian community and when I read things of this nature, I breathe a sigh of relief. If I had thought that such views were representative of the Spectrum community, I would have been out of here a long time ago.

Might we be "glossing over" certain aspects of Russert by appreciating his relationships? Of course! Because thats what you do in order to connect with people in meaningful ways. You look beyond their shortcomings in search of their heart.

Have you considered that you may be "glossing over" Russerts phenomenal relationship with just about everyone he met(borne out by dozens of testimonies) in order to speculate on wether or not he struggled with the dicotomy of his faith(something we won't know till heaven)?