No more limbo at church dances?
Well, it’s happening.
Limbo is in limbo.
Theologians have met in Rome to discuss what happens to unbaptized babies who die.
Traditionally – but not officially, as it was never formal doctrine – such innocent souls were consigned to Limbo, a place of happiness, but not union with God.
They could not go to heaven, after all: That original sin thing.
Some folks even consigned good heathens to Limbo, too.
Original sin again.
Anyway, it seem that the theologians will be getting rid of Limbo
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0512290251dec29,1,1200276.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed)
Pope Benedict clearly favors such a move. Back in 1984 he said, “Limbo has never been a definitive truth of the faith. Personally, I would let it drop, since it has always been only a theological hypothesis."
I always found Limbo troubling on a theological level – why deny union with God to children who never had an opportunity to do anything good or bad?
But on other levels, it was kind of fun.
I always imagined babies floating and bouncing around in clouds, giggling, having a jolly old time. Sort of like that baby “sun” in the Telletubbies show.
Sometimes I even pictured them doing the “limbo”!
And then I imagined good heathens like Buddha or Muhammad or Gandhi bouncing around with them.
I had a hard time picturing Buddha doing the limbo, though.
So while the theologians are figuring out what to do with all those unbaptized souls, I’m busy trying to come with a new dance for them.
After all, the bad Catholics, bad Christians and bad heathens in Hell have disco – and the Macarena.
How about the Hokey Pokey?
I can imagine Bu
ddha doing that.
Limbo is in limbo.
Theologians have met in Rome to discuss what happens to unbaptized babies who die.
Traditionally – but not officially, as it was never formal doctrine – such innocent souls were consigned to Limbo, a place of happiness, but not union with God.
They could not go to heaven, after all: That original sin thing.
Some folks even consigned good heathens to Limbo, too.
Original sin again.
Anyway, it seem that the theologians will be getting rid of Limbo
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0512290251dec29,1,1200276.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed)
Pope Benedict clearly favors such a move. Back in 1984 he said, “Limbo has never been a definitive truth of the faith. Personally, I would let it drop, since it has always been only a theological hypothesis."
I always found Limbo troubling on a theological level – why deny union with God to children who never had an opportunity to do anything good or bad?
But on other levels, it was kind of fun.
I always imagined babies floating and bouncing around in clouds, giggling, having a jolly old time. Sort of like that baby “sun” in the Telletubbies show.
Sometimes I even pictured them doing the “limbo”!
And then I imagined good heathens like Buddha or Muhammad or Gandhi bouncing around with them.
I had a hard time picturing Buddha doing the limbo, though.
So while the theologians are figuring out what to do with all those unbaptized souls, I’m busy trying to come with a new dance for them.
After all, the bad Catholics, bad Christians and bad heathens in Hell have disco – and the Macarena.
How about the Hokey Pokey?
I can imagine Bu
ddha doing that.
posted by A Secular Franciscan | 1:38 PM
4 Comments:
Lee...please include the Electric Slide among those dances available on Satan's karoake machine...Like ice skating, I never could figure it out, therefore it is a little bit of hell for me...like your sense of humor...check out my site if you get time....tom
Lee, if you picture the Buddha as Keanu Reeves playing Siddartha, he fits quite nicely under the limbo pole.
;-P
Talmida - I'll let you keep that image in mind....
Hey Lee,
We ALL know
"Doin' the Hokey Pokey - That's what it's all about!"
Happy 2006!
Cindy
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