It seems that ever since the pope has died, people have been ranting on and on about how noble he was in life. I don't mean to be cruel, but I really don't see what all the hype is about.

People have been droning on about John Paul II's morality. I have even heard some go so far as to call him the most moral person in the twentieth century. But in all actuality, this is an insult to all the others who have changed history this century alone. Have they forgotten about Gandhi? JFK? Martin Luther King Jr.? The Dalai Lama? Jimmy Carter?

I know I have not.

Another claim is that John Paul II extended an olive branch to Jews and Muslims and help bridge the gap between Catholics and these religions. But he could not stifle the mutual hatred between the followers of these faiths, which pervades every facet of their relationship.

Besides, these are all faiths of the Abrahamic tradition and have many similarities; what did he do to reconcile differences between Catholics and various pagan religions who have been oppressed by the Roman Catholic Church for centuries.

Let's not forget about the pope's position on such issues as abortion rights, homosexuality, and women priests. How could such an "enlightened" person be so anti-civil rights? And what's more, how is it that even liberals are praising him for this trait? Quite frankly, it disgusts me.

By no means am I celebrating the death of this man, but it's time we live up to some standards and stop bestowing titles of moral leaders on people just because they follow a certain religion. As I've said many times before, religion and morality do not necessarily go together.