The idea of God is indisputable only when the religious Thought that supports that idea stands indisputable from all counts of human probing. That is why there are numerous discourses and debates in Hindu Thought, the crux of which can be seen in Brahma sutras and Upanishads. These texts have established that such a God is "Satyam, gyanam, anantham Brhama" . The rishis have established that even words and mind cannot reach Him. That puts God in a pedestal high above everyone. One has to emulate Him (madbhaavam) if he wants to reach Him.
Suppose a God can be reached by the modern tool of Twitter, can he be a God? For Christians it is not an issue. By offering to reduce the time of confinement for the sins, to the Twitter followers of the Pope, Christians have demonstrated how shallow their Faith is and how there is absolutely no theological or even rational basis for their Religion.
Given below is the best of the comments I have come across on this amusing idea. It is given by an Octogenarian, Mr MK Krishnaswamy, who was one among the two who were instrumental in making me take up blogging. He says,
" It was interesting to note that 'time' measured by earth-standard is the universal scale to determine the period of punishment in other regions of the universe. Science may yet escape this by discovering travel-back in time; they can then patent their technique and compete with the pope!
Or, the well-funded sinners can manage to escape from confinement (purgatory) by continuing their earthly cunning ways after death from wherever the prison is.
May be, after failing to prevent/catch sinners, the Pope likes to try in other ways adopting modern techniques like Twitter - minimum effort, maximum result. Tweet and catch - it's so easy. Wonder how they didn't think of it earlier."
Another comment from an unknown person,
"I thought Rome had abolished Hell and Purgatory,
leaving Heaven as the only option [ without the Seven Virgins, of course ].
Nota bene: Today is NOT the 1st of April "
Details in The Guardian article here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/16/vatican-indulgences-pope-francis-tweets
Vatican offers 'time off purgatory' to followers of Pope Francis tweets
Papal court handling pardons for sins says contrite Catholics may win 'indulgences' by following World Youth Day on Twitter
By
Tom Kington in Rome
The Guardian, Tuesday 16 July 2013 18.50 BST
In its latest attempt to keep up with the times the Vatican has married one of its oldest traditions to the world of social media by offering "indulgences" to followers of Pope Francis' tweets.
The church's granted indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.
The remissions got a bad name in the Middle Ages because unscrupulous churchmen sold them for large sums of money. But now indulgences are being applied to the 21st century.
But a senior Vatican official warned web-surfing Catholics that indulgences still required a dose of old-fashioned faith, and that paradise was not just a few mouse clicks away.
"You can't obtain indulgences like getting a coffee from a vending machine," Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the pontifical council for social communication, told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
Indulgences these days are granted to those who carry out certain tasks – such as climbing the Sacred Steps, in Rome (reportedly brought from Pontius Pilate's house after Jesus scaled them before his crucifixion), a feat that earns believers seven years off purgatory.
But attendance at events such as the Catholic World Youth Day, in Rio de Janeiro, a week-long event starting on 22 July, can also win an indulgence.
Mindful of the faithful who cannot afford to fly to Brazil, the Vatican's sacred apostolic penitentiary, a court which handles the forgiveness of sins, has also extended the privilege to those following the "rites and pious exercises" of the event on television, radio and through social media.
"That includes following Twitter," said a source at the penitentiary, referring to Pope Francis' Twitter account, which has gathered seven million followers. "But you must be following the events live. It is not as if you can get an indulgence by chatting on the internet."
In its decree, the penitentiary said that getting an indulgence would hinge on the beneficiary having previously confessed and being "truly penitent and contrite".
Praying while following events in Rio online would need to be carried out with "requisite devotion", it suggested.
Apart from the papal Twitter account, the Vatican has launched an online news portal supported by an app, a Facebook page, and it plans to use the online social networking site Pinterest.
"What really counts is that the tweets the Pope sends from Brazil or the photos of the Catholic World Youth Day that go up on Pinterest produce authentic spiritual fruit in the hearts of everyone," said Celli.
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