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Originally Posted by
njtom
What I like about the Catholics is their consistent, womb-to-tomb, pro-life stance, encompassing not just abortion but also poverty, health care, war and peace, the death penalty, and the environment.
Though the Roman Church itself may be consistent, not all rank and file pew warmers are. Some are pro death penalty, some are not; some are anti abortion, some are not; some are hawks, some are doves; some care about the environment; some don't; some are pro Obama Care, some are not; some are anti divorce, some are not; some are loyal to the hierarchy, some are not; for example when Mr. Obama was running for President the first time around, Rome encouraged its followers not to vote for him, but thousands of Catholics voted from him anyway; and in point of fact, I read somewhere not long after the election that were it not for the Catholic vote, Mr. Obama would have failed in his bid for a first term.
The average rank and file pew warmer is probably unware that disunity with the hierarchy is all the same as disunity with the monarch whom the hierarchy represents.
America is a democracy consisting of a representative form of government. The Church is a theocracy consisting of a monarchal form of government; viz: The Church is not now-- nor has ever been --a government of the people, by the people, and for the people; but rather; it's a government of Christ, by Christ, and for Christ: a monarch who expects nothing less than 110% loyalty from his subjects; which, relative to the pew warmer, implies submission to Christ's hierarchy and compliance with the catechism and the laws of God. Christ is not a plastic monarch. His wishes are not optional; they are law and nobody gets to vote on them.
†. Matt 16:19 . . And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Those keys were not given to the rank and file; they were given to Christ's hierarchy; therefore, Catholics who dissent with Rome are actually rebelling against the Christ whom Rome represents.
†. Heb 13:17 . . Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Several years ago, on Good Morning America, a Monsignor was asked by David Hartman and Joan Lunden about Catholic dissidents, and he replied; "They've left the Church; and don't know it."
Not only have dissidents left the Church and don't know it, but Christ has left them as well.
†. Rev 3:15-16 . . I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
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In essence, the beads of a rosary are little more than a string of rote prayers rather than the candor commanded by Heb 4:16. So then rosaries are in essence a string of mantras repeated over and over and over again, which is a clear violation of not only Heb 4:16, but also Christ's God-given instructions.
†. Matt 6:7-9 . . In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
I appeal not only to your reason, but also to your sensibilities. Suppose the door bell rang one day and when you opened up-- yikes! --it was God himself in person! Would you welcome God into your home by reading from a missal and/or chanting a rosary; or would you greet Him as you do real visitors? Well, the Bible's God is real; so treat Him with the courtesy and respect that His intelligence deserves if you expect Him to reciprocate and treat you with courtesy and respect in return.
Do you speak to your friends, your associates, your spouse, your domestic partner, your significant other, your doctor, your dentist, supermarket cashiers, or the cops by repeating the same thing over and over again? Of course not. They would write you off as one in desperate need of therapy if you did. Then why would anyone think it makes sense to speak to God by saying the same thing over and over again?
Don't you think He looks upon rote chanters as mental cases when they do that? Of course He does; who wouldn't? How would you like it if everybody spoke to you like that? Well, He doesn't like it either. God is far more intelligent than anybody you could possibly name and rote chanters are treating Him like a totem pole. The Bible's God is a king who deserves far more respect than a US President yet people are speaking to Him like a tape recorder rather than the ultimate Sovereign that He is.
Don't ever treat Christ's father like some sort of sounding board. Not even Forrest Gump would appreciate being spoken to in rote, and God's IQ is way higher than Forrest's; so how do you suppose He feels about being addressed in rote. The Bible's God is a sentient, sensible person; and we all need to show some respect for His intelligence. I guarantee He will be most grateful for your regard.
According to Christ, his Father is dissatisfied with rituals; preferring instead honest, heart to heart associations with His worshippers.
†. John 4:23-24 . . A time is coming, and has now come, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
A very serious flaw with rosaries is the number of mantras devoted, not to God, but to a woman-- Jesus' mom --which is in direct opposition to the spirit of God's son, and the spirit of adoption.
†. Rom 8:15-17 . . For you have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out: Abba! Father.
†. Gal 4:6 . . And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His son into your hearts calling out: Abba! Father.
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Yes, I never really "got" the concept of scripted, repetitive prayers, as in the priest's instruction (following confession) to "say ten Our Fathers and five Hail Mary's".
But what I have heard is the following: The purpose of this style of prayer is to focus the mind of the person doing the praying. In this sense, you could say it's a kind of "Christ-focused spiritual meditation."
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Rome's poster child, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (a.k.a. Mother Teresa) is a terrible disappointment. It turns out Teresa was a remarkable actor. Her public image bore no resemblance whatsoever to the secret life of her inner being. Below are some quotes taken from her own private letters; and excerpts of her statements from other sources. You be the judge: role model or role player, believer or make-believer?
"Only pray that I keep up this joy exteriorly. I deceive people with this weapon-- even my Sisters."
"I am grateful to for all the kindness & help you give to my Sisters and me. My prayer, though miserably dry & frozen, is often offered for you & your work for souls."
"When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. How painful is this unknown pain-- I have no faith."
"I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."
"Now Father-- since 49 or 50 this terrible sense of loss-- this untold darkness-- this loneliness, this continual longing for God-- which gives me pain deep down in my heart-- Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind nor with my reason-- the place of God in my soul is blank-- There is no God in me-- when the pain of longing is so great-- I just long & long for God-- and then it is that I feel-- He does not want me-- He is not there-- God does not want me-- Sometimes-- I just hear my own heart cry out-- "My God" and nothing else comes-- the torture and pain I can't explain"
"My smile is a great cloak that hides a multitude of pains."
"The damned of Hell suffer eternal punishment because they experiment with the loss of God. In my own soul, I feel the terrible pain of this loss. I feel that God does not want me, that God is not God; and that He does not really exist."
"If there be God . . please forgive me."
"Of course I convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu or a better Muslim or a better Protestant. Once you've found God, it's up to you to decide how to worship him" (Mother Teresa Touched Other Faiths, Associated Press, 9/7/97).
"We never try to convert those who receive [aid from Missionaries of Charity] to Christianity but in our work we bear witness to the love of God's presence and if Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, or agnostics become for this better men-- simply better --we will be satisfied. It matters to the individual what church he belongs to. If that individual thinks and believes that this is the only way to God for her or him, this is the way God comes into their life-- his life. If he does not know any other way and if he has no doubt so that he does not need to search then this is his way to salvation."
The April 7-13, 1990, issue of Radio Times tells the story of Mother Teresa sheltering an old Hindu priest. "She nursed him with her own hands and helped him to die reconciled with his own gods."
Teresa was virtually 100% estranged from both God and Christ during the whole five decades of her work in India. She experienced a darkness of the soul unparalleled among Catholic mystics. Some say this was in preparation for her eventual sainthood. But Paul the apostle was a "saint" and he never once experienced Teresa's depth of abandonment. In point of fact, he never experienced any abandonment whatsoever; nor should any other of Christ's followers.
†. John 14:15-18 . .If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may abide with you forever-- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
†. John 14:23 . .If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
†. John 15:10 . .If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.
†. Phlp 4:5-7 . .The Lord is nearby. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your concerns to God. And the peace of God, which is beyond the intellect, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
†. Rom 8:15-16 . .For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out; Abba! Father! The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
The Spirit's silence in Teresa's heart, and her utter lack of peace, were indicative of something very gone-wrong in her association with Christ.
†. 1John 1:5-7 . .This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
Father Neuner, one of Teresa's spiritual advisors commented: "Why had God abandoned her totally? She had to lead the Sisters, initiate them into the love of God and into a life of prayer, which had been wiped out in her own life as she lived in total emptiness. Had she become a shameful hypocrite who spoke to others about the divine mysteries which had totally vanished from her own heart?"
All evidence points to the obvious conclusion that Teresa was the most convincing Christian pretense the twentieth century ever produced; and if she was a charlatan, who else is playing church inside the Church?
†. Matt 7:22-23 . .Many will say to me in that day; Lord, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them; I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
Christ's statement doesn't target Atheists, nor Buddhists, nor Hindus, nor Muslims. No, it targets people professing to have prophesied in "thy name", and to have exorcised demons in "thy name", and to have done may wonderful works in "thy name"; viz: it targets Christians-- and not just your average rank and file pew warmers either, no, but rather, it targets the cream of the crop; the celebrities of the Christian world; renowned for their accomplishments, their piety, their perseverance, their love, and their dedication.
It is to many of those very kinds of Christians that Christ will say: I never knew you. Why? Because though those luminaries glistered, they were never in league with Christ though they certainly appeared to be; and that is really scary because it make one wonder who to trust.
Recommended Reading:
Mother Teresa / Come Be My Light
The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta"
Edited with commentary by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C.
ISBN 978-0-385-52037-9
NOTE: The book is a collection of Teresa's letters written privately to spiritual counselors; published with hierarchy approval by her long-time friend Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk M.C.; director of the Mother Teresa Center, and a Postulator in favor of her canonization.
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Originally Posted by
njtom
Yes, I never really "got" the concept of scripted, repetitive prayers, as in the priest's instruction (following confession) to "say ten Our Fathers and five Hail Mary's".
But what I have heard is the following: The purpose of this style of prayer is to focus the mind of the person doing the praying. In this sense, you could say it's a kind of "Christ-focused spiritual meditation."
Is it Christ focused? If the Holy Spirit is not allowed to guide our praying (as in the rosary is and a prayer book is) it seems to me it's just a mental workout of a religious nature. Not saying that He can't interject when someone is using a Rosary but seems to me if I say follow me you have to look at me...if I say follow and you believe an outlined path is following me then at the end of the journey I am most likely not around...
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So Weber, do you believe Teresa was trying to earn peace through her work or that suffering as she describes was her 'cross to bear'? I view neither as true wonder what drove her to continue is she was in so much anguish with no relief from a relationship with God through Jesus?
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Originally Posted by
Quest
wonder what drove her to continue is she was in so much anguish with no relief from a relationship with God through Jesus?
If you've done any background on Teresa, then I don't have to tell you that she was a little workhorse; a virtual bulldog. Once she set her mind to a task, Teresa was a D-9 Caterpillar tractor and not easily thwarted once she put things in gear.
Had she been a man, Teresa could have been a Navy SEAL as they refuse to be beaten. If SEALs were to play hopscotch, it would turn violent because they do not like to lose; and they are not easily deterred from accomplishing their mission no matter how disagreeable, nor how impossible. Make no mistake about it; Teresa was one scrappy little gladiator.
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Last edited by WebersHome; 08-09-2015 at 11:36 AM.
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†. Matt 16:18 . . I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The verse above was taken from the Douay Rheims. Modern versions of the Bible have changed the wording just a bit to more accurately reflect what Christ actually said, because hell (as we usually understand hell) is incorrect since the Greek text doesn't use the word geena; instead, it uses haides, which indicates the underground abode of the dead; so that the verse should read like this:
†. Matt 16:18 . . I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld will not overcome it.
Some versions substitute the word "powers" for gates, but the Greek word is pule (poo'-lay); which literally does mean a gate, viz: the leaf or wing of a folding entrance. So then, the netherworld is depicted as a walled community the entrance to and/or exit from is controlled by gates the likes of those in the walls of the old city of Jerusalem, which had twelve gates. Gates then, are designed to either keep people in or to keep people out. Apparently the purpose of the netherworld's gates is to keep people in.
According to Jonah, the netherworld's gates are like the bars of a prison. (Jonah 2:6)
Christ testified that his church could not be held by the bars of the netherworld. He didn't say some of his church, nor most of his church. Seeing as how he didn't qualify his statement, I think it's pretty safe to assume Christ meant his entire church; from the lowliest pew warmer to the top of the hierarchy.
Roman Catholicism insists that it alone is Christ's church. So then, if Rome's claim is true, then the gates of the netherworld should be powerless to permanently confine even one Catholic. In other words: no Catholic should be in danger of missing out on heaven; but the fact of the matter is: Rome cannot guarantee its followers 100% safety from the wrath of God; but instead, fully expects to lose a number of its people to hell; and that should not be if Roman Catholicism is Christ's true church; especially seeing as how Christ is the custodian of the keys to the netherworld's gates.
†. Rev 1:18 . . I hold the keys of death and the netherworld.
†. John 5:24 . . I assure you, those who heed my message, and believe in God who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already transferred from death into life.
†. John 6:39-40 . .This is the will of Him who sent me, that of all that He has given me; I lose nothing
†. John 10:27-28 . . My sheep heed my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
How many Roman Catholics can honestly say: I have eternal life, I have passed from death into life, I will never be condemned for my sins, and I will never perish? The reality is: they better not make such a claim because the Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon 16 slams all such with anathema for presuming to have that kind of confidence.
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* Toxic Troll - Negative Nancy
Originally Posted by
WebersHome
[FONT=Verdana]-one of my half brothers is now a semi retired Friar
Where'd he work... Mickey D's ?
I sure hope nobody ever introduces me to a catholic preacher guy and expect me to call him "father".
It's not going to go well, because Jesus said to call no man on earth father... I'll call him bubba!
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Originally Posted by
Farm Truck
I'll call him bubba!
I was right... when you disappeared I said you were in prison....now the lingo
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