Would the pope ban the Internet?

[blasf]

Had the pope enough political power to become the Official Religion of America [amending the Constitution, obviously], and easy access to the State’s weaponry [nuclear bombs, too], would he move against anything that opposed his cult?
[PS: remember that Trent's Anathemas are still valid today.]

[Furrowed Brow]

I do not expect any religious leader or leadership given large amounts of power to behave any differently regarding control of information and demands of faith and subservience to doctrine as they have done down through history.

Whilst it would be nice to be wrong I do not wish to take the risk of testing this assertion.

[McCulloch]

Why is this in Politics and Religion and not Fantasy Religious Paranoid Delusions of Conspiracy Theories?

[Flail]

Had the pope enough political power to become the Official Religion of America [amending the Constitution, obviously], and easy access to the State’s weaponry [nuclear bombs, too], would he move against anything that opposed his cult?
[PS: remember that Trent's Anathemas are still valid today.]

We would all be forced to relinquish our condoms in exchange for a ritual necklace. I would,however, lobby that all Priests,Bishops,Cardinals and Popes be required to wear a condom when having sex with children.

[blasf]

Well put!
The bastards are criminals of the worst type, taking advantage of their religious appearance to attack innocent children!
The guillotine should return to chop the neck off of those animalistic humans!
All done with a certain amount of dignity, you understand.

[Lux]

I do not expect any religious leader or leadership given large amounts of power to behave any differently regarding control of information and demands of faith and subservience to doctrine as they have done down through history.

Whilst it would be nice to be wrong I do not wish to take the risk of testing this assertion.

I completely agree. Although I would love to think that human kind has become much more civil than it was centuries ago, I don't see a single example of a religious entity that has had the power to oppress and didn't do so.

[East of Eden]

I completely agree. Although I would love to think that human kind has become much more civil than it was centuries ago, I don't see a single example of a religious entity that has had the power to oppress and didn't do so.

That also goes for secular entities, and much more so. Somehow I think the problem is fallen man, hence the need for a Savior.

[East of Eden]

Why is this in Politics and Religion and not Fantasy Religious Paranoid Delusions of Conspiracy Theories?

Good question.

[Lux]

I completely agree. Although I would love to think that human kind has become much more civil than it was centuries ago, I don't see a single example of a religious entity that has had the power to oppress and didn't do so.

That also goes for secular entities, and much more so. Somehow I think the problem is fallen man, hence the need for a Savior.

Not denying that. The question was whether we think the pope would ban the internet, had he the power to do so. Not if the pope is the only person in the world who would ban it.