tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15111699197558729562024-03-18T16:21:01.457-05:00"A Humble Servant's Catholic Blog"David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-45492968903379455182023-03-17T15:11:00.006-05:002023-03-17T21:40:37.260-05:00More than Ever, The World Needs the Luminous Mysteries<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Using pebbles or beads as tangible prayer minders was nothing new by the 9th century, when Monks had begun making a daily or weekly recitation of all 150 Psalms. It made perfect sense, then, when the lay faithful, who wanted a way to participate in this pious practice, yet had difficulty learning the Psalms due to various reasons (e.g., widespread illiteracy), instead recited 150 prayers daily or weekly and kept track of them by means of pebbles or beads. Eventually this practice evolved into beads being strung together on a cord. The daily prayers would typically be the "Pater Noster" (the Lord's Prayer, found in Lk 11:2-4 or Mt 6:9-13) or the "Ave [Gratia Plena]" (the "Hail, Full of Grace" found in Lk 1:28, 41-42). Gradually, the second half of what we know today as the "Hail Mary" was added, reflecting Lk 1:43 and passages regarding praying for one another (e.g., James 5:16). This recitation of prayers on beads would eventually evolve into what would later be called a "Rosary", particularly after the 12th century. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">By 12th century, the Albigenses heresy had spread and, as a 15th Century legend has it, Our Lady instructed St. Dominic (in the 12th Century) <span style="background-color: white;">“<i>If you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter.</i>”</span> And she then proceeded to explain the Mysteries of the Rosary which countered the heresies and loss of faith that were being spread. This is obviously an over-simplified history, but you can find any number of well-written articles on "<a href="https://www.simplycatholic.com/where-did-the-rosary-originate/" target="_blank">Where Did the Rosary Originate?</a>". Using the phrase "my Psalter" made sense, of course, because the "150 Aves" had started as a means for the faithful to participate in the recitation of the 150 Psalms by the pious monks. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span>The Mysteries of the Rosary were theologically divided as follows:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Joyful:</b> 1) The Annunciation [of the incarnation of Christ to Mary]; 2) The Visitation [of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth]; 3) The Nativity of Christ; 4) The Presentation [of the Baby Jesus in the Temple]; 5) The Finding of the Child Jesus [at the Temple when he was 12 years old].</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Sorrowful:</b> 1) Christ's Agony in the Garden; 2) The Scourging at the Pillar; 3) The Crowning with Thorns; 4) The Carrying of the Cross; 5) Christ's Crucifixion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Glorious:</b> 1) The Resurrection; 2) The Ascension of Christ into Heaven; 3) The Descent of the Holy Spirit [at Pentecost]; 4) The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary [into Heaven by God's Power]; The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fast forward to the 20th Century, with additional truths of the faith coming under attack (e.g., the necessity of Baptism rejected by evangelicals in the late 1800s to 1900s; the rapid increase in divorce rates following World War 2 and, even more so, after the widespread acceptance of contraception and abortion; a modern rejection of the notion of eternity (that there is a Heaven and Hell); disbelief that Christ is truly God; and a decline in the belief of the reality of Christ's true presence in the Holy Eucharist). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">About 1957, Saint Fr. George Preca proposed a new set of mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries, which would meditate upon the ministerial life of Christ. These were eventually approved and made available to the laity by Saint Pope John Paul II. You can read more here: </span><a href="https://catholicheartandmind.com/2019/08/08/why-the-luminous-mysteries-of-the-rosary/" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Why the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary? – Catholic Heart and Mind</a>.</p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span>The Luminous Mysteries are as follows:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Luminous:</b> 1) The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan; 2) The Wedding Feast in Cana; 3) The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven; 4) The Transfiguration of Christ [before Peter, James and John]; 5) The Institution of the Eucharist.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">These Luminous Mysteries of the Life of Christ are timely for meditating, and more than ever we need to remind ourselves of the truths of the Gospel which they convey. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan</span></b></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="1600" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippPdVDott-mAZnfJ7YPZmuMILPtXqVftCl4IMczAUTs1Dc9TcTCbCx8-X__5HwJpyFRfn8JfyQ5eE7oZ-S6te-RUkMgVTsB3p4FOCfOCp5QWBzQQ4FkEMbNddeiMzn7J0LHYbJoy4mlfsyKE8B3bTIB9-TjsoBFtNRLZ-GwpKp8Hnz5o6H7brkhZ4TQ/w400-h354/depositphotos_140339592-stock-photo-baptism-of-jesus-in-the.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>A</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">s Scripture plainly tells us, "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5) and "baptism...now saves you" (1Pet 3:20-21). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is important that parents give this life-giving profession of faith on behalf of their children and have them Baptized to incorporate them into the family of God. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's neat how it</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> mirrors those whose faith was able to garner a cure for their friend (Mk 2:2-11), and those parents of our spiritual ancestors who professed this faith in God on behalf of their children in the circumcision that prefigured Baptism (e.g., Gn 17:1-14; Col 2:11-12). </span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-21TpwI9hmOil6f9dOMFn_W-xFWFriSepujyUvNxajpHvNZMIp5jnAu7wBNq5KuiTOCMdKeOMh-UuTGWHu6LCtZ0YJd89MPSEyc_aVTYN3Jul3zoxTYCSQggemZQs9V-fCMihELsC3hKjgpQfSRRGuEG3V66PgRMcXyN6I4CRHd5xECikSe9rTXiPyw/s1024/wedding-at-cana-esteban-murillo.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Wedding Feast at Cana</span></b></div></b><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="1024" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-21TpwI9hmOil6f9dOMFn_W-xFWFriSepujyUvNxajpHvNZMIp5jnAu7wBNq5KuiTOCMdKeOMh-UuTGWHu6LCtZ0YJd89MPSEyc_aVTYN3Jul3zoxTYCSQggemZQs9V-fCMihELsC3hKjgpQfSRRGuEG3V66PgRMcXyN6I4CRHd5xECikSe9rTXiPyw/w400-h306/wedding-at-cana-esteban-murillo.webp" width="400" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div>At the wedding in Cana (Jn 2:1-11), Christ raises Marriage to a sacrament. He teaches more on this when he raises the bar for those who thought they could dismiss their wives through a bill of divorce (e.g., Mt 19:3-12). Marriage is a sacred bond between a man and woman, sealed by God Himself (Mt 19:6)</div></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Christ thought Marriage was so important that He answered His Mother's intercession with His first public miracle to help assure the continuation of the wedding celebration. We should place the same importance on Marriage that Christ did, and we can start by meditating on this mystery of Christ's life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtCch48tPoxIOtXoMFq4XKWdOZNzO4ZSEhsottheqXz1fBDhpNOqSbkaEie-BGwCPhgYfqI78pwyP8H0S_xDJU59ukG6XlUY_DRc4d-OyAIpx4xrLsUfAm2AeNDzThjBNJF_hPg6Vg2Z_rN_09nKMupCdO4IQrjFFxmbmcl7KP_SnBXAKCT74LlwTdg/s600/ProclamationoftheKingdomofGod.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></b></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtCch48tPoxIOtXoMFq4XKWdOZNzO4ZSEhsottheqXz1fBDhpNOqSbkaEie-BGwCPhgYfqI78pwyP8H0S_xDJU59ukG6XlUY_DRc4d-OyAIpx4xrLsUfAm2AeNDzThjBNJF_hPg6Vg2Z_rN_09nKMupCdO4IQrjFFxmbmcl7KP_SnBXAKCT74LlwTdg/w400-h400/ProclamationoftheKingdomofGod.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Heaven is real, and so is Hell. They are both mentioned many times over in the Scriptures. </span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>Priests used to preach on "The Four Last Things" (Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell), just like Jesus did, so that Christians would focus on something really important: living with the purpose of knowing, loving, and serving God in this life, so to be with Him in eternity. That's a message few of us hear anymore. Even less so, the need for us to proclaim the Kingdom to each other.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Transfiguration of Christ</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="300" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw2dL2oYzE0t4yXw8e-r-WuCG-srWE1Wt_zFhpbodoQBiAqgYMrkNt7IbJQWCv0CSj2m6I65HWEEA4A5gv6uFoYVEl-bRMYtF9Pa5Fb1pLDxjAYabBhr4uk9OzPdw7olCiRPJe7UnFs2UOvjTM3eLCGZFM-K2hWefW4eudxScvS9HRGfkphSp5y56Vw/w400-h363/Transfigurationraffaelo-300x272.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jesus is really God. Aside from actually saying it (Jn 8:58, et al.), He took three of His disciples (Peter, James, and John) up to a mountain and allowed them to see it (Mt 17; Mk 9; Lk 9). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meditating on the Transfiguration is a great way to remind ourselves of Christ's bold statement to those who thought Him to be a blasphemer: "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am" (Jn 8:58).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Institution of the Eucharist</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZrZteHsNQX7hZDuW-K_MblbpVQyD8ZlgooD0yLnuf0mocPZqvqWzlL-Nrb3uCVLIWWoEVKuYxNVHK7XyOgbxsQMl5CboxRIEOU-l_xtSjrQYu5P3RuCY3oSGYYg_g0GqcpwNDwEKdzK7JJwBEPgOWePNCW6GGEZWRtgKyYPh79HFJOQ9tutKxumHwA/s1920/LastSupper.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1920" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZrZteHsNQX7hZDuW-K_MblbpVQyD8ZlgooD0yLnuf0mocPZqvqWzlL-Nrb3uCVLIWWoEVKuYxNVHK7XyOgbxsQMl5CboxRIEOU-l_xtSjrQYu5P3RuCY3oSGYYg_g0GqcpwNDwEKdzK7JJwBEPgOWePNCW6GGEZWRtgKyYPh79HFJOQ9tutKxumHwA/w400-h254/LastSupper.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jesus is truly present to us in a way for all Christians, regardless of their existence in time, to participate in the Last Supper. He tells us plainly "I am the bread of life" (Jn 6:35, 48). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">He goes on further, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of <b>this bread</b> will live forever; and t<b>he bread that I will</b> give for the life of the world <b>is my flesh</b>" (Jn 6:51, emphasis added). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And when the Jews grumbled about Him being able to give His actual flesh, He clarified it for them six more times over, getting more graphic as He explained it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:53-58). Those who have studied the Greek (not that you need to) will recognize the word for "eat" is finally the one-same word for chew/gnaw...to literally eat. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>And if there were ever any doubt, He states plainly again at the Last Supper, when taking the bread, "This is my body, which is given for you"; and "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Lk 22:19-20). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>I find it remarkable and beautiful that He identifies the New Covenant/Testament (they are the same root word) with the cup of His blood. The Eucharistic meal is literally the "New Testament". </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>Meditate on the mysteries of the Life of Christ. It will always bring you closer to Him, and will help us all in this fallen, and declining, world. </span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credits:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">1. Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, Depositphotos.com</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">2. Wedding Feast at Cana, Callingcouplestochrist.org</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">3. Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, Cradio.or.au</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">4. Raphael's Transfiguration, media.accentionpress.com </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">5. Last Supper, Christthekingtrumbull.org</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-59415925595055632932023-03-04T12:37:00.002-06:002023-03-04T12:41:53.376-06:00Just Do it the Way He Says<p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Too many times, man receives a nudge from the Spirit to do something, only to decide to "do it my own way" and completely mess it up for himself, and usually for everyone else around him. What would happen if we would just do what God says, and follow exactly the way He says to do it?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I felt a nudge from the Lord to tell my wife something...something I KNEW would become an argument, because it did the last 3 times I brought up the topic. It's a topic regarding a particular family devotion that has been a point of contention which, in the past, had left us both with hurt feelings. The nudge was to reintroduce the topic, and to state it in a very specific way: "<i>I want us to start doing</i> [this particular devotion]".</span></span></p><div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;">
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I prayed about it and reminded the Lord (<i>because hey, who doesn't think that the Lord needs us to remind Him of things??</i>) that this was a very contentious topic, and I was not up for having the argument, because it's not something obligatory, not a moral issue, and I would rather have a peaceful family than stir up trouble.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I started thinking of different ways to word it, or different ways to reintroduce the topic (e.g., invite my wife to join me "just tonight" in this devotion). I could sense the Spirit reminding me of all those passages I've been reading from the Old Testament, where all these great prophets and kings would get Word from God, and then "do it their own way", or try to explain to God why His way couldn't possibly work, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and it always messed things up.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">"<i>Fine, Lord, I will do it just like that; just be with me</i>.", I prayed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have this heavy-duty metal Rosary (made by my niece...special order because I have broken so many in the past) that has been touched to the relics of about 161 Saints and Martyrs. I grabbed it and asked they all be with me as I prepare for what I was sure was going to be a heated response from my wife. At least I'd have the comfort of the Saints, my Guardian Angel, and the Lord with me. I was not going to argue; just speak the words I felt I was given, and let it be. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">"<i>Honey, I want us to start</i> [the thing]".</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span>--Wife: "Okay." (Smiles, then goes back to her evening Bible reading.)</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">"<i>Um, so you're not going to argue with me?</i>"</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span>--Wife: "Nope." (Smiles, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">then goes back to her evening Bible reading</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I did a quick prayer of thanksgiving, silently in my heart, and then just sat there in awe at what just happened...and didn't happen. No argument; no fuss; nothing but peace. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we do things the Lord's way, it's just better. I had no idea what was on her heart that night, or what He was telling <i>her </i>at that moment<i>.</i> (Later we discussed it, and God's timing is always perfect, of course.) And so it was in those Old Testament Scripture passages where man could have had it so much better; and so with all these other instances where God tells us today "<i>hey, do this; and do it like this</i>". If we just do it the way He says, we're probably going to be fine. It's when we decide to take 'our own approach' (not trusting fully in God) that things go awry. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Praise be to Jesus!</span></div></div>David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-69670622391898222392022-05-05T11:52:00.001-05:002022-05-05T11:53:00.020-05:00Did God Give us a Religion, or a Relationship?<span style="font-family: arial;">I continue to see comments lately that pit “relationship” against “religion”, as though there’s a new trend with Christians trying to distance themselves from “rules” that they might be expected to follow. The latest I heard was "<i>Religion gets you to church, but relationship helps you grow in your faith</i>". Other examples are, “<i>Having a religion is against my relationship</i>”, or “<i>God gave me a relationship, not a religion to follow</i>”, or “<i>I have a personal relationship with Christ, I don’t need a religion’s rules to tell me what to do</i>”. There are various ways of saying it, but the main message is that “<i>Christ gave us a relationship with Him, not a religion to follow”, </i>and it's an incredibly short-sighted and incorrect view of what Christ has given us. The <b>religion that Christ gave us</b> to follow <b>is a reflection of our relationship with Him</b>. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"Religion", from the Latin "religio" means to <i>bind oneself </i>[to something]. In this case, our Christian religion is the <i>binding of ourselves </i>to Christ. They go hand in hand. You don't have a relationship with Christ if you do not <i>bind yourself</i> (religio) to Him. <br />
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I’d like to offer a few questions for you to consider about that, and I pray that anyone reading this will honestly answer them to themselves. <br />
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Where in Scripture does it say that religion is a bad thing? Did Christ ever give us any rules? Did Christ abolish the commandments? Where does it say that we are no longer bound to Christ’s words in Lk 22:19 (“do this in remembrance of Me”) or 1Cor 11:23-25? Where did Scripture nullify our obligation to obey James 5:16? Since James 1:26-27 defines good works and freedom from sin as “religion”, does that mean that caring for orphans and avoiding stains of the world are “<i>against our relationship</i>” with God?<br />
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Consider also the example that Christ gives us. Christ has a true relationship with God, and He was very religious…attending the Jewish festivals, admonishing His followers to obey the authorities who “sit on the Chair of Moses” (Mt 23:2-3), etc… Are we not to follow Christ’s example and obey Him? <br />
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The reality is that <b>He gave us BOTH </b>a religion and a relationship. In fact, our relationship with Christ is an aspect of our religious adherence to Him and His commands. You could also say that our religion [Christianity] involves having a relationship with Him. Not just that, but I will go so far as to say that <b><u>the degree to which we practice our Christian religion is directly related to the depth of our relationship with Him.</u></b> We cannot have a deep, personal relationship with Christ while ignoring or renouncing the religion that He gives to us. They are hand-in-hand.<br />
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I like an example given by a fellow Christian who compared it to Marriage: “<i>It’s against my relationship with the person I love to get married.</i>” It makes about as much sense as snubbing religion. Isn’t the depth of your relationship with that person indicated by how united you are to that person? If you refuse to bind yourself to that person (marriage), do you really have a full and deep relationship with them? You are literally saying, “<i>I love you, but not enough to fully unite myself to you.</i>” <br />
<br /><b>Absolutely, we are called to have a personal relationship with Christ!</b> Part of that relationship involves giving ourselves to Him and subjecting ourselves to Him and His Holy Will. Part of His Holy Will is for us to be in communion with His Body, the Church (Col 1:8; 1Cor 6:15, 12:20-27; Eph 5:30; Rom 12:4-5; cff. Jn 10:16, 17:17-23; Eph 4:3-6; etc…). <br />
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God gave us a religion in the Old Testament, no one argues against that, as Paul states it very clearly in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=religion&qs_version=NRSVCE" target="_blank">Acts 25:29 and 26:5</a>. <br />
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Scripture tells us that the old is but a shadow of the good things to come (Hebrews 10:1). Christ tells us that He came “not to abolish the law” but "to fulfill” the old law (Mt 5:17). So, what does that fulfillment of the old look like? Scripture gives us several clues, such as in in James 1:26-27, Mt 26:27, Mk 14:22, Lk 22:19, Jn 14:21, and 1Cor 11:23-29. It is up to us to participate in the fulfillment of that...to <i>bind ourselves </i>to God and the religion Christ has given us [Christianity] as a fulfillment of the Old Law. <br />
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Christ <i>did</i> tell us to follow a religion, via the establishment of His Church and the command for us to go forth. He first established a Church (Mt 16:18). Then He said that His Church (His Flock) would be ONE and that its members would listen to His Voice (Jn 10:16, 17:17-23). <br />
He said that the leaders in His Church would speak with His Voice, saying whoever listens to His Church listens to Him, and who does NOT listen does NOT listen to Him (Lk 10:16). <br />
Then He gave the leaders of His Church the authority to bind and loose "whatever", including our sins (Mt 16:19, 18:18; Jn 20:21-23). <br />
He also told us to go to His Church during matters of unsettled dispute (Mt 18:15-17). <br />
He gave His Church the great commission to spread the Gospel, baptize us, and teach us to obey all He commanded (Mt 28:19-20). <br />
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So, yes, He expects us to follow His religion [Christianity] through His Church whom He gave the authority and duty to convert us to Him. And part of the beauty of His Church is that it’s “the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Tim 3:15) and it speaks with the very voice of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28) who leads the Church into all truth, for all time (Jn 14:26, 16:13; 1Jn 2:27; Mt 28:20). <br />
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With all that from Christ through His Church, why would anyone NOT want to be part of His Church, practicing the religion that He gave us? <b>What is a relationship with Christ if it doesn’t involve accepting what He gave us? How deep is our relationship with Him when we renounce some of the things that He established and commanded?</b><br />
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Just for fun I did a word search on "church" in the Bible. The link opens to the King James Version, but you can select whichever translation you like. For KJV, there are 111 references to "church". Check it out. <br />
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=church&qs_version=KJV" target="_blank">CHURCH</a><br />
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Here’s the one on “religion” which was linked above:<br />
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=religion&qs_version=NRSVCE" target="_blank">RELIGION</a><br />
<br />
I think a better statement would be, “<b>It’s against my relationship with Christ to reject the religion and Church Christ gave me</b>”. <br />
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Father Vincent Serpa, O.P. of <a href="http://www.catholic.com/" target="_blank">Catholic Answers</a> sums it up nicely in answer to a similar question: <br />
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“<em><span style="color: blue;">The Catholic Church has no founder other than Jesus Himself and it alone has the authority to interpret Scripture. It was the Catholic Church that compiled the New Testament and determined which books it would contain---all by the authority that Jesus gave it.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">It is only though the Church that He founded that we can know Him personally, have faith in Him and rest assured that what it teaches is true. It matters immensely that one belong to it and not any number of others that He did not found</span></em>.” <br />
(<a href="http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=280628&highlight=religion+OR+relationship" target="_blank">Link to the Q&A with Fr. Serpa</a>, O.P.)</span></div>David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-85372327102340962762021-09-07T11:47:00.003-05:002021-09-07T15:48:09.229-05:00A Hospital for Sinners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fgJyiaR2aJo/YTfOWmev2wI/AAAAAAAABIE/GxglV55Xhd82h5WvtSwJd7gtIt25tp_KgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/ChristTheHealer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="433" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fgJyiaR2aJo/YTfOWmev2wI/AAAAAAAABIE/GxglV55Xhd82h5WvtSwJd7gtIt25tp_KgCLcBGAsYHQ/w328-h484/ChristTheHealer.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><br />- "<i>If I touch the holy water font, it'll melt.</i>"<div>- "<i>I better not go to confession because, if I enter the church, it may burn down!</i>" </div><div>- "<i>I'm just too 'dirty' to go before God right now...I need to clean up first.</i>" <div><br /></div><div>Whether they are an excuse to not go to church, or a genuine notion that someone actually has to 'get right with God' BEFORE they receive the Sacraments, these comments (paraphrased, but you are likely familiar with many variations of them) are wrong minded, backwards, and completely miss the purpose of the Sacraments. <div><br /></div></div><div>You may have read in any number places, in any number of ways, that "<i>the church is not a museum for saints; rather it is a hospital for sinners</i>". And this is the truth of the matter. </div><div><br /></div><div>We need not be "clean" in order to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (i.e., going to confession). Reconciliation is given to us by Christ for exactly that purpose...to reconcile us to Him, because we are not strong enough to do that on our own. This is the Sacrament for when we know we are weak, and have committed sin, and we need the Good Doctor to heal us and to cleanse us. We don't need to heal or cleanse ourselves; we can't! No one who is injured in an accident would say, "<i>I'm too injured to see a doctor right now; I need to get well first, and then I'll go to the ER</i>". No, they go to the ER to be triaged, diagnosed, treated, and provided the medicine that can heal them. In the same way, Reconciliation (and the preparation for it, such as an examination of conscience and a firm purpose to amend one's life) gives us a reconciled relationship with Christ and provides us the graces necessary to not only heal that relationship, but to help us stay well.</div><div><br /></div><div>We don't need to be saintly in order to go to Mass. We, sinners, <i>become</i> saintly over the course of our lives by going to Mass and exposing ourselves to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. And when we are properly disposed (e.g., in a state of grace (i.e., not in a state of mortal sin)), we actually receive Him in communion and are fed the Bread of Heaven. We don't say, "<i>I am really hungry, so I better make myself full before I eat</i>". On the contrary, our souls, hungry for Christ, go to Him to be fed, because only He can satisfy our hunger. </div><div><br /></div><div>The holy water font won't melt when you touch it. It's there to remind you of your Baptism into Christ and help you remember to renew your commitment to Him, especially in times when you are failing. The church building won't burn down when you enter it, no matter how soiled or sinful you are. It's there so you can unite with your fellow Christians, who are ALSO struggling with sin, and ALSO need Christ to give them the graces needed to get back on the right track. You don't need to get clean before you go to confession to confess your uncleanliness. That's what Confession is for...to reconcile you to Christ and give you the graces you need, and without which you are likely to never "get clean". </div><div><br /></div><div>The church was given to us by Christ as a means to bring sinners to Him, and as a means by which He gives us Himself, especially in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. He didn't give it to us so that already-holy people could have a place to hang out and talk about how holy we are. He gave it to us, a needy and wounded and ailing people, in order to give us a place to worship together, to heal together, and to provide us with the Sacraments that initiate us into His Family, heal us when we are wounded, and help us along our journey as we "run the race" (cf., 2Tim 4:7) and "work out our salvation" (cf., Phil 2:12). </div><div><br /></div><div>"<i>Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance</i>" (Lk 5:31-32; Mk 2:17). Don't let your need for repentance be the barrier that keeps you from coming to church or going to confession and reconciling with Christ. His church is a hospital for us sinners. And the saints that adorn its halls became saints by recognizing their need for the hospital. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>Image: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif;">Lawrence Lew, O.P., </span><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/13504776223" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e32636; margin: 0px; outline-offset: -2px; outline: -webkit-focus-ring-color auto 5px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Detail from a window in Bath Abbey</a>, originally posted in "<a href="https://opeast.org/2016/06/36379-2/" target="_blank">Christ the Healer: Jesus as the Physician of Souls</a>", 7/23/2016 by </span></span></i><em style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York, a ministry of the Province of St. Joseph centered at St. Catherine of Siena Priory in New York, NY.</span></em></div></div>David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-60945578009711582642020-03-31T12:27:00.001-05:002020-04-09T16:54:01.803-05:00Coronavirus and an Opportunity for GreatnessBefore this pandemic hit our nation, I considered myself a good Christian. I give to the Church; I help others when I can; I give an honest day's work to provide for my family; I raise my children in the faith handed down to us by our Lord. But this pandemic has opened my eyes in the past couple weeks. <br />
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My wife and I quickly realized that the burden that would hit us, as our state went on "lock-down", would impact other people as well...and probably hit them harder. After all, I have a job that allows me to work from home, so I won't lose a paycheck (yet). And despite the initial mob that emptied our local grocery store, we have a place nearby to buy the essentials and we are both capable of going shopping. ("Both capable of going shopping" is something I didn't realize I was taking for granted until recently.) And while it meant having six children at home, like wild rabbits being chased by a cage, we are more adjusted to that than most because we homeschool. Never mind the missed field trips, co-op classes, play dates and other outings to which they are accustomed which makes a "lock-down" rather miserable. But I digress. <br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rmpA8LqzLuI/XoN9RItfUSI/AAAAAAAAA7M/t1YKhY3PJ7AocjPkbGrno42reEDu046aACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MO-grocery-delivery-jason-varney-940x540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="579" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rmpA8LqzLuI/XoN9RItfUSI/AAAAAAAAA7M/t1YKhY3PJ7AocjPkbGrno42reEDu046aACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MO-grocery-delivery-jason-varney-940x540.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
So, my wife posted a basic message on a neighborhood-based website simply stating that we were willing to help people obtain supplies and food, as needed, and could make deliveries if necessary. <br />
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What I expected to find were people who were directly impacted by "Coronavirus" and needed help as a direct result of the pandemic. What we really found were people who needed help regardless of any virus, regardless of world-wide illness, regardless of a state "lock-down". We found families who needed help before "Covid-19" ever hit the ears of the general American public. We found people isolated in their homes because their vehicles had broken down long ago and they couldn't afford to fix them. We found a man who couldn't stand on hard surfaces for more than a few minutes at a time whose wife had broken her back. We found a young single mother who broke her ankle and couldn't take out the trash and clean the house so that her young child had a clean and safe environment. We found couple, both disabled and with no reliable income, whose three children had just eaten the last of the food they had, and they didn't know what they were going to eat the next day or the next week. We found people who are in need. But more than that, we found an opportunity to serve. We found a chance to physically provide sustenance; to offer not only our prayers but our physical and material assistance. We found an opportunity to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted. Where we thought we would have a chance to help those affected by Coronavirus, we found a chance to help those in need regardless of it. <br />
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When we were fist told that our state would be on "lock-down", I dreaded the idea of being stuck at home all day "with nothing to do". Now I feel rather ashamed that it took a "lock-down" for me to see what I should have been doing all along. The Coronavirus has its negatives, to be sure; people are dying from it, after all. But it also have a positive. It gives us an opportunity to serve...an opportunity for true greatness (Mt 23:11).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image is a cropped-down portion of "Grocery Delivery in Philadelphia" by Jason Varney; posted in <a href="https://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/03/29/grocery-delivery-philadelphia/" target="_blank">Philadelphia Magazine 03/29/2015</a></i></span><br />
<br />David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-63887002136170931792020-02-28T22:37:00.003-06:002020-02-29T09:34:56.519-06:00Drive-Thru Christianity<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LoWQCcBSj50/XlnqjPkHcFI/AAAAAAAAA6M/xQqUfWrxw5o2fOtelBI6WkMk2WwxSMOtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/drive_thru_ashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LoWQCcBSj50/XlnqjPkHcFI/AAAAAAAAA6M/xQqUfWrxw5o2fOtelBI6WkMk2WwxSMOtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/drive_thru_ashes.jpg" width="320" /></a>I noticed it this past Ash Wednesday, as the local news channel was covering "drive-thru ashes" for Christians who wanted to get their Wednesday ashes but didn't have time to stop into a formal service or Mass. Various denominations had set up stops in various places for people to stop by for a quick dusting upon their foreheads, grab a donut and coffee, and then go about their busy day.<br />
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I'm sure the intention was genuine: meet people where they are in their lives and attempt to bring bits of the faith to them. It's a good sentiment. But that's about all it is, and I believe it delivers a message that completely contradicts the whole point of "Ash Wednesday" from the very start.<br />
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Here's the message: "We know you are busy and don't have time to 'make time' for things of the faith, so we'll make it more convenient for you so that your faith life doesn't get in the way of your 'other' life".<br />
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But isn't that completely the opposite of what our faith life is supposed to do? Our faith is supposed to remind us that our 'other' things are less important. It is the 'other' stuff that is getting in the way of our faith and our relationship with God. And it is the 'other' stuff that is supposed to be inconvenienced in order to make proper time for things of the faith. ESPECIALLY on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is when we are supposed to remember that "we are dust, and to dust we shall return". This is precisely a time for making a concerted effort to put everything else on the back burner so we can renew our relationship with God. It is a time for devoting ourselves to fasting and prayer, just like the Apostles did, and just like Christ foretold we would do. <br />
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Yet, instead of placing our faith at the forefront of our lives and putting everything else in its proper place, and fasting for [only] a day, here we are seeking out a "quickie" of ashes, and a donut, so that we can get on with our busy lives and not dare let our faith get in the way of that. <br />
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It's just so backward. David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-86443237684383270562020-01-26T14:29:00.000-06:002020-01-26T14:29:16.148-06:00Right to Life Being Preached by a Sinner?<i>My brother shared a video of the first sitting President to attend a March for Life event giving a speech at said event. The speech was wonderfully supportive of babies' right to life and I think it's historic and precedent-setting that a President has made this pro-life move, regardless of his motives. Yet, there was one gentleman who kept trying to dismiss the pro-life message and draw focus away from it by trying to refocus on the person of the President. It led to some interesting dialog but gave me an opportunity to dive back into a question to which I have yet, after years of asking, to receive an actual answer or any focused discussion. You can decide whether this ended differently.</i><br />
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<br />
<i>Ray's words will appear in plain text, <span style="color: blue;">mine in blue.</span></i><br />
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Ray: It's called pandering and it doesn't mean he is a good and moral man. Trump once declared in a 1999 interview that “I am pro-choice in every respect.”<br />
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(<i>Nevermind that people can change. As another person in this discussion mentioned, Abby Johnson was also once "pro-choice" and supported women's rights to abortions. Now she is the leading voice in the Pro-Life Movement.</i>)<br />
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Dave: <span style="color: blue;">Agreed [with a prior comment that this isn't about Trump; it's about "<i>the message, and the office from which it is delivered</i>"]. That the President would offer a voice for the voiceless and support the right to life of babies at this march is historic and, I hope, precedent-setting. I have yet to see a politician with a clean past, so I see no reason to dwell on that when I can, instead, focus on the fact that the right to life is being professed from all levels of politics.</span><br />
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David Manthei, One issue does not make a President or a Church. What about the President’s actions harming immigrant children?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">What do you mean by “harming “? Do you mean “dismemberment in their mother’s womb”? Or perhaps “scorching their skin and innards with an injection of salt solution into their amniotic sacs”? Or “being sucked through a tube with blades at the mouth to cut their bodies into manageable pieces”?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">I’ll make you a deal: I’ll entertain Trump’s wrongdoings with you if you can reason with me on this: if a human has no right to be born alive in the first place, why do any other rights matter?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Where you seem to want to make this about Trump, I am making it about a right to life, from conception to natural death.</span><br />
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David Manthei, just so you understand that you are being played by a real estate salesman who doesn’t have an ounce of the conviction that you do on this issue.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Ray, you seem to be under the impression that I am all “Trump is my hero” and the like. Meanwhile, I could care less about party politics and, instead, I am simply excited that someone in the Oval Office has made a public stand for babies in the womb. I don’t understand why you keep trying to pull the focus away from the right to life, and instead keep making this about Trump. But I did notice you decided not to engage the actual topic.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">So, Ray, tell me DO you believe in a baby’s right to be born alive?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">And if not, if that child had no right to be alive in the first place, why do any other rights matter?</span><br />
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(<i>After taking a look at his FB profile and seeing other discussions with other folks, it seemed that some clarification would be helpful.</i>)<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">I'll see if I can ease your mind here. I don't like Trump, and I have argued with his vehement supporters in the past regarding his erroneous ways.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Now then, back to the issue at hand: So, Ray, tell me DO you believe in a baby’s right to be born alive?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">And if not, if that child had no right to be alive in the first place, why do any other rights matter?</span><br />
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David Manthei, does your fight for the sanctity of life extend to the death penalty?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Ray,</span> <span style="color: blue;">Yep. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">That was a direct answer to your question. Now I'd appreciate an answer to what I asked you (third time now):</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">DO you believe in a baby’s right to be born alive?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">And if not, if that child had no right to be alive in the first place, why do any other rights matter?</span><br />
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(<i>Quoting text from a co-discussion going on in the same thread</i>):<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Ray, [you said] "<i>I don't agree that the death penalty depends on circumstances. Pro-life means all human life including criminals.</i>"</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Sure, but let's not pretend we are comparing apples to apples, there, because we're not. Aborted babies and Criminals on death row (or even wrongly convicted innocent people) have a critical difference: the right to be born in the first place, and a chance at life. Pretending that the circumstances there are equal just makes our fight to end the death penalty look disingenuous and ignorant.</span><br />
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David Manthei, to go with your point below, no. Am I a bad person? Am I going to Hell?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">I don't know what you are talking about in that last comment. You said, "no", but it was a 2-part question:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">1 - DO you believe in a baby’s right to be born alive?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">2 - And if not, if that child had no right to be alive in the first place, why do any other rights matter?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">So, if your "no" was that you do NOT believe in a baby's right to be born alive, why do any other rights matter?</span><br />
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David Manthei, I thought it best to sleep on this subject and attend Mass before responding. Here is what I believe. God gave Man free will and a basic code we should live by. Man decides what laws and rights that our society lives by. Man is allowed choices. The 5th Commandment is thou shall not kill, period. But Man has chosen to allow killing to punish crimes and to kill during war. As a believer in free will, I agree there should be a death penalty and we can send young men and women to die on a battlefield to protect our rights and freedoms. So no, I don't believe in fetal rights. That's your endgame here, right? I believe in fighting for the poor, the sick, and the oppressed who are already out of their mothers womb There are currently over 350,000 adoptable children in our system right now. Do you fight so hard for their lives?<br />
[snip text from co-discussion]<br />
If Jesus was amongst us now, what do you think his opinion would be of Mr. Trump?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Happy Sunday, Ray. Yes, I fight for the born and unborn. And yes, God gave us free will and the ability to come up with laws and rights. (Careful with your slippery logic, though, because that same logic was used to justify slavery and the holocaust). God holds us accountable for the rules we make.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">But you still are choosing to avoid answering the question. Why do any rights of the living matter, if we don’t even have an inherent right to be alive?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">And what makes you think we’ll get a free pass from God on dismissing His Commands on the basis of “but hey, God, you gave us free will”?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">And “free will”?? You mock your own claim because you pretend you extend that free will to all men, but deny all men (in their infancy) the right to live and thus exercise it.</span><br />
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David Manthei, I have answered your question. Maybe not the way you want with the red herring argument. I already pointed out that we executed men for stealing horses. Maybe I am wrong and we are all subject to damnation by God but I believe my God is benevolent and forgiving. If you believe abortionists are doomed by God, why not wait for his judgement?<br />
And what about Trump's hypocrisy? You are skating by that?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Well, it’s no red herring because having an inherent right to be alive is key to having other rights. Without it, no other rights matter.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">You did a lot of work to dance around it, more than any other I have asked. But answer it, you did not. But hey, you take your argument to Christ and let Him tell you His opinions. 😉</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">As for what Christ thinks about Trump, I’m more concerned with His opinion of me. And I think we should all have that concern instead of worrying about what He thinks of our neighbor.</span><br />
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David Manthei, I disagree with you that you must have a fetal right to life or the others don't matter. That's my opinion. Our country is great because I have that right just you have yours. Unless you wish to waive that right since it doesn't matter?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">So help me understand. Scenario: A homeless man wants assistance, and believes he has a right to food. Billy approaches him and says, “well sir, you don’t actually have the right to be alive...so...it would make more sense for me to cure your hunger permanently by killing you rather than string you along cruelly by giving you temporary sustenance”. Why would Billy be logically and ethically wrong?</span><br />
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David Manthei, I'd love to continue this with you but I have a tile floor to complete today. I admire your conviction but going back to my original comment, Trump is taking advantage of your convictions for his political advancement, otherwise he would have attended the March when he first became president. vaya con dios mi amigo.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Ray, thanks for the dialog. I would love to continue as well, and if you ever get free time, my personal email is equesgladiostricto@gmail.com. Going back to the original intent of the video [my brother] shared: fetuses are baby humans, just in early development, and all humans have an inherent right to life; and it's refreshing that a sitting President finally had the nads to stand up with the March for Life and declare this from his Office, despite his shady past.</span><br />
<br />
<i>My brother ended up summing it up quite nicely (keep in mind there were other discussions going on besides just between Ray and me). </i><br />
"<span style="color: purple;"><b>Hey, guys since it seems this discussion may be ending, in all seriousness I'd like to point out that indeed, regardless of a belief, that life begins at conception (basic medical and biological fact). The Catholic Church's teaching is clear on the sanctity of life. So indeed it is grave matter to support abortion, and such material support with full knowledge...would constitute mortal sin.</b></span>"David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-22302568678581496962019-11-12T12:30:00.000-06:002019-12-12T12:23:03.718-06:00Pulling Back on the Reins<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yRLtaiYFDQ4/Xcr4171EDcI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/6-CuXNGSp7k77X2fXe45Z6HxsmIlBMM1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/your-plan-vs-gods-plan-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1600" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yRLtaiYFDQ4/Xcr4171EDcI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/6-CuXNGSp7k77X2fXe45Z6HxsmIlBMM1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/your-plan-vs-gods-plan-2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Have you ever felt like your life was in full gallop, heading in the right direction and with no obstacles in your way, only to suddenly have things screech to a halt? An image comes to mind of that picture of a person on what they think is their life journey, with nothing but the hill they climbed behind them, and the goal in front. Then a second picture shows a zoomed-out version, “God’s Plan” so it is called, with many more obstacles ahead, but the goal no less achievable. </div>
Have you ever been indignant about that sudden stillness, or the additional obstacles?<br />
<br />
We should be thankful for these times. These are times of reflection and assessment and can stop us from galloping over a cliff in some situations. I’ve got a real-life example for you.<br />
<br />
Things at work have been going great, and I truly believe it’s because I have been growing in my faith-life. I have an opportunity to go to Mass pretty much any morning that I want, and I have decided on a couple days per week in particular. This has given me an opportunity to really grow in leaps and bounds in my relationship with God, and this feeds my home and work life. As life’s many problems come up, I have become more and more confident, when I bring those woes to Christ, that He is guiding my family through it all. <br />
<br />
Word had gotten around at my work that my boss thinks highly of me and wants to keep me around, and that was good news; my work-life was in a trot, maybe even a cantor. Despite some life woes (those that most everyone experiences at some point or another), home-life has also been in full swing, tied directly to my family’s ever-growing spiritual-life. At work, I had the opportunity to chime in on a certain issue that, while it was not really in my direct line of responsibility, was an area in which I was not only well-experienced, but in which I am extremely interested. Consider it a “dream job” that I have an opportunity to create from the ground level at my current location. <br />
<br />
So, I gathered information from other places to share with my employer, tied in my own experience, drafted some proposals on behalf of the fellow that was affected by it all, and basked in the warmth of knowing I had done some great work that I really didn’t have to do. This led to the boss at least considering creating a position where I would be directly involved in this type of work. Thus ensues the work-life gallop. <br />
<br />
Then, my boss called me into his office to make sure that I have my work priorities and goals in proper place. Is this potential new position really what I want in my career, even if it means possibly getting stuck in that spot with little opportunity for future advancement. (And of course it is!) <br />
<br />
Have you ever seen a movie where a horse is racing its fastest race ever, only to be spurred by something that makes it go even faster than anyone had thought possible? Shortly after my visit with my boss, I was informed of a temporary opportunity to do my dream job for 4 months in another State. Not only that, but that particular position would be opening soon, and the detail opportunity would pretty much guarantee that I would be a top candidate for it. The only downside? It would mean having to move…again…for a third time in 16 months. <br />
<br />
Now, I’m a fairly flexible person. And I’m what I’d consider to be “mobile”. However, I’m also married and have children. In discussing the latest news with my family, we decided as a family that moving right now is a terrible idea. The very thought of it brings about tremendous anxiety to some, sorrow to others, and lots of ‘how is this going to work?’ to all of us. So, a move right now is out of the question. Add to this the fact that, while my family is fully supportive of me going on a 4-month detail, my boss thinks I need to wait on that as well. And the little “cherry” on top is that there is really no sign of my “dream job” position being created where I am. This brought my horse race to a screeching halt, or so it seems at present. <br />
<br />
But let’s step back and look at the big picture. My faith-life is in order, so I KNOW God has His Hand in this. I also know that He knows me better than I do; that I can do work for Him where I am; that I am flexible in what I do for a living; that my family is content where we are right now.<br />
Part of my “work” involves enjoying what I do. But the larger part is the opportunity I have to spend extra time with Christ (right now I can go to daily Mass all I want) and to provide for my family. My family feels “provided for”, so why toss another relocation in the mix if there’s no reason to (in that regard)? <br />
<br />
I also know that God knows something I don’t: what lies ahead. Does my current situation mean I will never get to do my dream job? I seriously doubt it. In fact, I feel like many prayers have been answered that point to that job, just not at this very moment. Is God using me to impact someone else right now? Is there some other “good” to be realized by waiting? Will an even better opportunity come up in the future? We don’t usually know with 100% certainty that the answer to those questions is “yes”, but I feel confident that it is so. And even if it’s not, I do still like my job and the flexibility it provides; I am providing what my family needs, and even what they want to an extent; and I have many years left, provided God keeps me around that long, to see many other opportunities come and go. <br />
<br />
Faith life – check.<br />
Family is happy and cared for – check.<br />
Work life is acceptable and gives me ample time at home and with Christ – check.<br />
<br />
My life is that zoomed-out picture, the cartoon figure that has overcome many obstacles, feels pretty confident and content (all things considered), with many more obstacles along the way, all part of “God’s Plan”. Don’t lament having to pull back on the reins once in awhile. Take that time to reflect and to appreciate what you’ve got. David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-69394725055932111962019-10-19T10:03:00.000-05:002019-10-19T10:03:32.352-05:00I Can't Sleep; What Should I Do!?"Help! I can't sleep and I don't know what to do!" <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iWCXb-d_0g/Xask1pUYLSI/AAAAAAAAA34/U0JUH3lM764_jJQUeg5a11ksf-y10K62ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/insomnia%2Bby%2Bbionews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iWCXb-d_0g/Xask1pUYLSI/AAAAAAAAA34/U0JUH3lM764_jJQUeg5a11ksf-y10K62ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/insomnia%2Bby%2Bbionews.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g254/bionews/shutterstock_252989284_zps6nnemsnn.jpg" target="_blank">Bionews</a>. "Insomnia"</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've said these words myself before, and I hear similar ones often from coworkers, friends, strangers having too-loud conversations with their friends in public, etc. <br />
Most of us are familiar with the typical advice: "try counting sheep; go through the alphabet in your head; count numbers until you dose off; drink herbal tea; take a warm bath; use essential oils; make your room darker"...the list goes on and on. Some of these are helpful, some are not. And most of them won't work for everyone. I'd like to recommend the thing that helps me the most when I find I am having trouble falling asleep at night: <b>I pray. </b><br />
<br />
To someone who is a-religious (agnostic/atheist, for example), that may sound as meaningful as "rub lavender essential oil on your pillow". But I would encourage you to at least give it a shot. If there really is a caring God out there, then it stands to reason that He would want a relationship with you, and He'd allow you some unrest at night to give you a chance to bring your concerns to Him. "God, if there really is a 'God of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham' who sent His Word Incarnate, in the Person of Jesus Christ, then I want to know you and I bring you my unrest. Send your Holy Spirit upon me, and please help me sleep." Look, worst-case scenario, nothing will happen and you'll have tried one of a thousand different things that people do to attempt to fall asleep. If you're unsatisfied with the result, "take some melatonin" and "count how many carpet fibers are in each square foot of your rug". <br />
<br />
For the Christian, however, I am amazed that "pray" isn't the very first thing that would come to mind. We already know that we are supposed to lay our worries at Christ's feet. And we already know that we are expected to work through our issues WITH HIM. We know that we should be seeking His guidance and offering our sufferings to Him, and praying for/about the people/situations that are keeping us up in the first place. Our bodies won't be able to rest if our spirit is eaten up with problems that we have not dealt with. <br />
<br />
When it is fear keeping me awake, I pray Jesus' Name. It's the most simple and basic prayer in the world and it goes like this: As you breathe, either say or think "<i>Jesus</i>", with every breath. <br />
<br />
When my personal sins throughout the day keep me awake, I say "the Jesus Prayer": "<i>Lord Jesus Christ, son of the ever-living God, have mercy on me, a sinner</i>". You can even say a simpler version: "<i>Jesus, have mercy on me</i>".<br />
<br />
When life troubles, people-drama, or other matters have my mind racing, I go to my Mom-that-Jesus-gave-me, Mary. I ask Mary to pray for me and to take my troubles to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that, as a Mother, she knows my troubles and knows how to communicate those to our Lord on my behalf. I know she can take my imperfect, poorly worded, confused, not-really-sure-what-to-ask-for prayer request and present it to Christ. In all honesty, the times I have not been able to sleep, when I say a Rosary, I become sleepy within minutes, and by the time I have finished, I am able to immediately fall fast asleep. I think part of the reason it puts me at peace is that the Rosary is such a great way to meditate on the Scriptures, recite the prayer that the Lord gave us, quote God's Words to Mary, and simultaneously ask the Mother of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity to pray for us. If you've never meditated on the Scriptures in this way, I encourage you to try it: <a href="http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm" target="_blank">http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm</a><br />
<br />
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is another great one! This is my go-to prayer when I sense that Jesus just wants me to pray for mercy on behalf of others. I use Rosary beads for this, and on the "Our Father" beads, I pray, "<i>Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world</i>". On the "Hail Mary" beads, I pray, "<i>For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world</i>". This prayer has also never failed to put my mind to rest so that I can go to sleep. <a href="http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/how-to-pray-the-chaplet-of-divine-mercy.cfm" target="_blank">http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/how-to-pray-the-chaplet-of-divine-mercy.cfm</a><br />
<br />
But some people aren't comfortable with those types of prayer, and that's fine. The point is simply to pray. Read the Bible, talk to God, meditate on His actions in your life, cry at the foot of His Cross; however you like to pray, just pray. Be mindful of the fact that, when we can't sleep at night, it may very well be that God wants us to talk to Him, seek Him and ask Him to help us deal with whatever is keeping us awake. Pray! <br />
<br />
<br />David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-43212308889693683662018-12-31T09:48:00.000-06:002019-01-02T03:54:03.353-06:00Predicting the End of the WorldI had a prediction for the end of the world come to me a week or two before Christmas. It was a comment by a fellow named "E", nestled as a comment in one of my other articles, automatically flagged as spam. Now that his predicted end of the world has come and gone, I thought I'd offer feedback on what went wrong with the prediction.<br />
I visited with the person who sent the message, and it turns out that this was much more than just another "<i>I have predicted the end of the world</i>" preacher. The person actually believes himself to be, not just a prophet, but THE prophet. Because of this, and my suspicion that there are some psychological issues, I have removed his identifying information, which includes his websites.<br />
<br />
"E's" comment began with a call to attention:<br />
<br />
"<strong>You are part of a search and rescue for lost Catholics.</strong><br />
<strong>Regular updates to the countdown to the Day of the Lord by the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven at :</strong><br />
<strong>[</strong>website link redacted]"<br />
<br />
My first impression was that this was one of those "<em>Catholics are all lost and must come to the Lord, instead of believing [whatever some people think Catholics believe, which we don't actually believe]</em>" type things. To my surprise, it wasn't. The site could only be one of two things: a complete joke by someone who is indifferent to religion and history; or a real concern by someone who may very well be Catholic, but has become so caught up in conspiracy theories that he cannot tell reality from fiction.<br />
<br />
The website was one of those that are a strain on the eyes in every sense. <strong><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="color: orange;"> Bright, </span><span style="color: lime;">bold,</span> </span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="color: magenta;">multicolored </span><span style="color: yellow;">font</span><span style="color: magenta;"> </span><span style="color: red;">on grey-toned </span><span class="" style="color: cyan;">background</span></span> </span>,</strong> arranged in such a way that one might actually suffer a headache just from trying to read the words. But what really caught my eyes was the Gloria.<br />
<br />
"<strong>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,</strong><br />
<strong>as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen</strong>."<br />
<br />
Okay, so the person is presumably Christian, and probably Catholic (judging by other statements). I kept skimming through the words.<br />
<br />
"<strong>This is the [</strong>page<strong>] of St. John the Baptist...</strong><strong>of Petrus Romanus (...vicar of Christ), the sign of the Son of Man... (Matthew 24:30), whose Pontificate began September 12, 2012 A.D</strong>."<br />
<br />
Okay, so which is it? Is it the site of John the Baptist (really??) or of the fictitious "Petrus Romanus"? And are these references supposed to lend credibility to the claims? As I would later learn from him, he believed himself to be both...the resurrected John the Baptist, in the personage of the "final Pope", the alleged "Petrus Romanus".<br />
<br />
"<strong>The only site with...accurate interpretation of the Day of the Lord according to the four digit numbers in the prophecy of the Book of Daniel in the Holy Bible.</strong>"<br />
<br />
Ah! So we finally get to the topic at hand. Here we have it folks! After ALL the [I have no idea how many hundreds/thousands] failed predictions regarding the end of the world and the final coming of Christ, THIS guy has finally figured it out! What a relief.<br />
You know, I was under the weird impression that no one would know the day or the hour, for some strange reason (<em>Mt 24:36, 25:13; Mk 13:32</em>).<br />
<br />
"<strong>What to expect in the final days :</strong><br />
<strong>[</strong>website link redacted<strong>]</strong><br />
"<strong>Our Lady of the Roses’ Awesome Bayside Prophecies...These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995</strong>."<br />
<br />
This next statement and website had me guessing if "E"was just joking around. The supposed apparition of "Our Lady of the Roses" in New York has been flatly rejected by the Church. Not least among the reasons is the fact that some of the "messages" given by the person who allegedly saw the "apparition" betray a lack of understanding of basic Christian faith and the English language. You can read about it here:<br />
<strong><a href="https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/bayside.htm">https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/bayside.htm</a></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
"<strong>[</strong>website link redacted - had to do with "Three Days of Darkness", which has floated around for some time now<strong>]</strong><br />
<strong>I was guided to think, for a while, using the "1335 = 2300" methodology, explained here :</strong><br />
<strong>[</strong>website link redacted<strong>]</strong><br />
<strong>We are less than 11 days away from prophetic history : the completion of the 2300 day cleansing period of Daniel 8:14. When Jesus said to me, "Give in now, John, until it comes time to fulfill all justice", He was referencing that point in time between "this age" and "the age to come". <u>That point in time is between December 29, 2018 A.D. and December 30, 2018 A.D</u>. There is no changing this...</strong>"<br />
<br />
The other links are the same basic theme. "<em>Here's my personal, fallible [except not really fallible, because I am convinced it's not] interpretation of a couple passages in the Bible that PROVE that the end of the world will be [insert any number of dates that have been tossed out by people thinking they know better than Jesus did]</em>".<br />
<br />
Well, here we are. The "<em>point in time</em>" has come and gone, and we are all still here. What went wrong, "E"? Was it your reliance on fiction (i.e. Petrus Romanus), faulty reasoning of Scriptural passages taken out of context, or just plain ignoring the fact that Jesus said that no one would know? Wouldn't it make more sense to worry about our own death (which we still can't predict) and making sure we are ready for that?<br />
<br />
I did send "E" a personal invitation to discuss this topic here. We shared a brief exchange elsewhere, during which he revealed that he believed himself to really be John the Baptist, (previously born as Elija the prophet before that, having now been born of 3 wombs in fulfillment of the "<i>establishment of the priestly, prophetic, and kingly by Christ</i>". He claims to have been sent by Christ to round up everyone who has mentioned "Petrus Romanus" on the internet, because that's a sign that we're the ones who were supposed to be written in the Book of Life in Heaven, and that the "Age to Come" mentioned by Christ began December 30, 2018 (give or take). <br />
<br />
The gist of it is this: Jesus Christ said that it is given to NO ONE to know the day or the hour (<i>Mt 24:36, 25:13; Mk 13:32</i>). No matter when the end comes, or the "age to come" begins, every person will die at some point, and face judgment (Hb 9:27). If you are one of those who gets caught up with "the end", get caught up with THAT one. Be ready, like the virgins who brought their oil, and you won't have to worry about the end of the world, because it really won't make any difference.David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-78409828268373187972018-12-08T16:53:00.000-06:002018-12-08T16:53:34.008-06:00Why Ask Mary?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4gyuwdncbzI/XAxK914O0NI/AAAAAAAAAu0/-2AFa0iMgSoawK2410WAmvnvYlRR3zw0wCLcBGAs/s1600/Murillo_immaculate_conception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1091" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4gyuwdncbzI/XAxK914O0NI/AAAAAAAAAu0/-2AFa0iMgSoawK2410WAmvnvYlRR3zw0wCLcBGAs/s400/Murillo_immaculate_conception.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
Why do Catholics, and other Christians who honor Christ's Mother, ask her to pray us? It's because we know she can help lead us to Christ like no other person can. In fact, everything about Mary magnifies God and points us to Christ.<br />
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Mary is the most pure Virgin, conceived without sin. From the very first instant, she was made entirely immaculate by God, her Savior. Gloriously full of grace, she is the mother of our God, the Queen of Angels and of men. We humbly venerate her as the chosen mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ.<br />
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The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose Mary, from among all other women that existed, or ever will exist, for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved her from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, we have hope and bold confidence in her prayers for our holiness and salvation.<br />
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We pray that her prayers will bring us to imitate her holiness and submission to Jesus and the Divine Will.<br />
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We beg the Queen of Heaven to beg our Savior to grant us our petitions for our needs and the needs of others.<br />
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We know that our holy Mother was obedient to the will of God. As we make petitions to Jesus through her, we know that God’s will is more perfect than our will. So, we ask her to pray that we may receive God’s grace with humility like she did.<br />
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We ask that Mary pray for us to increase in faith in our risen Lord; we ask that Mary pray for us to increase in hope in our risen Lord; we ask that Mary pray for us to increase in love for the risen Jesus!<br />
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Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. AMEN!David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-22951596027850993222018-11-25T21:09:00.001-06:002018-11-25T21:28:33.884-06:00Veneration vs. Worship: Are they the same thing?Someone was sent the following, explaining how veneration and worship are supposedly the same things, and that venerating the Saints is the equivalent of giving them the worship due to God alone.<br />
<br />
"<span style="color: #38761d;">The simplest definition of worship is to “ascribe worth.” Worship can be more completely defined as “showing respect, love, reverence, or adoration.” Based on the dictionary, no clear difference between veneration and worship exists. In fact, veneration and worship are often used as synonyms for each other.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">The Catholic Church has different degrees of worship: dulia, hyperdulia, and latria. Dulia is the honor given to the saints. Hyperdulia is the honor given to Mary alone, as the greatest of the saints. Latria is the honor given to God alone. In contrast, the Bible always ascribes honor, in the context of worship, to God alone [<i>1 Chronicles 29:11; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16; Revelation 4:11</i>]. Even if there were biblical support for different levels of worship, there still would be no biblical support for offering lower/lesser levels of worship to anyone other than God.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Only God is worthy of worship, adoration, praise [<i>Nehemiah 9:6; Revelation 4:11, 15:4</i>], and veneration, no matter how it is defined. Mary’s worth comes from the fact that God chose her for a glorious role and saved her from her sins through the death of Jesus Christ [<i>Luke 1:47</i>]. The saints’ worth comes from the fact that God saved them, transformed them, and then used them in mighty and amazing ways. May we all, with Mary and the saints, fall on our knees and worship the only One who is worthy.</span>"<br />
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So, are showing reverence, venerating, loving, respecting and adoring all the same thing, and all equal to the worship reserved for God alone? No, they are not. If they were, we'd all have to wonder why God commanded us to "<i>worship</i>" our parents in His own commandments to us. I would venture a guess that the person who wrote the above statement honors his/her parents. I would also guess he/she is not married and has no children, because spouses honor and respect each other (by remaining faithful and leading each other to Christ, for example), and honor and respect their children by raising them, feeding them, caring about them, and "<i>ascribing worth</i>" to them. It's true that worship used to be used synonymously with veneration and honor prior to the twentieth century, and in Europe, this is more common. For example, calling a judge "Your Honor" or a King "Your Worship". But those who use(d) worship in this manner understand the difference between showing respect [for our elders] and worshipping God. Further, most Christian doctrines and understandings of Christian uses of words isn't based on Webster's Dictionary.<br />
<br />
To say a Catholic "<i>has different degrees of worship</i>" begs the question, and begs an explanation before presuming the Christian and historical understanding of "worship". If we are going to assume that the word "worship" means that which is reserved for God alone, then the statement is untrue. The statement would be, "<i>the Catholic has different degrees of showing honor</i>", and then the list would be certainly correct, and would look as follows.<br />
<b>Dulia</b> is that honor given to our parents as commanded by God, to each other as members of the Body of Christ, to those in authority over us as commanded by God, and to those fellow humans having the dignity that all persons have. <b>Hyperdulia</b> is that honor which is an elevated form of dulia, given to Mary, the Mother of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, because God bestowed such honor upon her in choosing her to be His Mother. Since God blessed Mary among all women (<i>Lk 1:42</i>), and His Word prophesies that all generation shall call her blessed (<i>Lk 1:48</i>), we Christians ought to respect that. We do so by honoring the Mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ, in a way that is greater than other people, while still understanding that she is not to be given the worship that is due to God alone. <b>Latria</b> is the adoration and worship which is due to God alone. This is the worship which God commands we give to Him. And Catholics (and other Christians) give latria to God, and to God alone.<br />
<br />
Yes, the Scriptures from the OT and NT show us that honor and glory are to be given to God for all eternity. And this, in no way, is diminished by obeying God's command to honor our parents (<i>Ex 20:12, Dt 5:16</i>). In fact, Jesus, Himself, reemphasizes the importance of showing this honor in three of the Gospels, as does Paul when He points out that this is the first command that comes with a promise (<i>Eph 6:2</i>). It's also not diminished by loving one another as Christ has loved us, or by respecting each other as we choose not to murder or steal or covet our neighbors' goods or their spouses. It is in no way diminished by ascribing worth to a person, as we listen to them ask forgiveness, and as we choose to forgive them.<br />
<br />
I've already shown Biblical examples of showing these "<i>lower levels of worship </i>[a.k.a. honor and respect]<i> to anyone other than God</i>". But here are a couple more:<br />
<b>2 Kngs 4:37</b> has the Shunammite woman bowing down, and in some translations it says "worshipped", to honor Elisha for raising her son from the dead.<br />
<b>Jos 5:14</b> shows Joshua falling to the ground in reverence, and again some translations use "worship", as he gives reverence to the angel of God's army, and Joshua honors him with the title "lord".<br />
<b>Dan 8:17</b> shows Daniel falling prostrate in awe of the angel Gabriel.<br />
<b>Tob 12:16</b> tells of Tobiah and Tobit falling prostrate to the angel Raphael.<br />
<br />
In all these examples of honoring our parents or bowing before prophets or angels, are we seeing people give the worship which is due to God alone? No. They are examples of that "dulia" which we give because God told us to, and because we want to recognize God's work through His chosen instruments.<br />
Why does the person who wrote the above statement think these things might look like worship? I am going to guess that it's because he/she has adopted a form of Christianity that has all but abandoned (or worse) the Sacramental nature of worship. All that is left of worship, for this person, are the things can be incorporated into worship, but are not worship itself, as Jesus showed us.<br />
We venerate angels because they always behold the face of God (<i>Mt 18:10</i>) and they, with the Saints, are in union with God and can help lead us closer to Him. The Saints are an example for us to follow (<i>1 Thess 1:5-8, cf. Hb 13:7</i>), and so we honor their example and ask their help so we can be faithful Christians like they are.<br />
<br />
AMEN! Only God is worthy of our worship! (<i>Veneration isn't mentioned in those passages, by the way.</i>) God Himself has commanded us to give proper honor to others, and Scripture has plenty of examples of that.<br />
AMEN! Mary's place of honor is from God, and the work of God alone. And God honored her more than any human could possibly ever honor her. That doesn't mean we get to ignore what God did through her and ignore what His Word prophesied about all generations in her regard. We honor her because God honored her first.<br />
AMEN! Let us all join Mary and the Angels and the Saints in worshipping God and falling to our knees before Him! Let us also not forget the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us and given the example (<i>Heb 11-12:1</i>) and whose prayers avail much (<i>Jam 5:16</i>).David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-55224248164665667782018-09-05T18:07:00.001-05:002018-09-05T18:08:41.930-05:00To Give or Not to Give, and How to Do it Right: by Apprentice Blogger<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Giving gifts thoughtlessly, or without consideration, is something we probably all have done. It seems like giving someone a gift that's "nice" or cheap, is a harmless act of charity, and the recipient will probably never know whether the giver has put much thought or effort into it. Some people don't even like giving gifts to others, yet they do it because they think they have to and therefore don't put much effort into it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> But, as they say, it's the thought that counts; and if your thought is, ''Do I <i>have</i> to give someone a gift?", then how does that show that you love or care about the receiver of the gift? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It really doesn't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When the occasion calls for giving your friend a gift, do so with love, and not with the desire to get the cheapest item available, or to reluctantly just get it over with. Don't buy them a $700 watch, but also don't buy a cheap dollar store item. And don't buy them a super-expensive gift they won't use, like a sweater that won't ever be worn because they live in California. Think your gift ideas through, or you could be wasting your money.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Get the gift receiver something you know they'll appreciate. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even if you think they won't care what you get them, you should still put effort into getting a gift.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> If you don't really know what they want or would like, ask them, or someone who knows them well. If you get your friend something you know they'll actually want and use, the gift receiver will be rewarded with a gift that they will like, and you will be rewarded with the joy that comes with giving the right gift.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-size: 18px;">"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving".</span></span></i></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><b><i>- Mother Teresa</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Apprentice Blogger is the pen name of a new contributor to the site.</span></i><i style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;"> </i></span></blockquote>
David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-10189745166442528172018-08-23T11:07:00.000-05:002018-08-23T11:07:05.039-05:00Don't Jump Ship Because of Judas <em>In this time of yet another scandal, there are good and faithful Priests who encourage their flocks. This letter can be, and has been, written in the various words of other such Priests in many parishes around the world. This is just one example. I keep it anonymous because I don't personally know this Priest. (The parish name is a common one.)</em><br />
<br /><br />
" Dear Parishioners of Holy Family, Praised be Jesus Christ!<br />
I write this letter to all of you as something separate from the pastors column with the hope that I can more fully communicate my message to you. The timing seems to be perfect as we are within the beautiful Octave of Marian feasts, following the Solemnity of the Assumption and concluding with the Queenship of Mary. I write this under the protective mantle of the Holy Virgin to each of you who as disciples of the Lord Jesus are also her well-beloved children.<br />
<br /><br />
Over recent weeks our Church, Our Mother on earth, has had to endure yet another round of public purification. This process of purification, while it has been painful, has a Divine origin as well as a benefit for each of our souls. The long awaited revelations of sinful and destructive behavior on the part of those who have been in positions of power has brought not only great pain but also an incredible sigh of relief. The Lord has acted and exposed so as to heal and cleanse.<br />
The general response on the part of the other bishops has been incompetent at worse and incomplete at best. Of a more recent note two American Cardinals recently participated in interviews with major publications. While in one interview the presence of organized cliques of power-hungry-lustful-wolves-in-sheep’s-wool present in the Church’s chanceries and seminaries is ignored, in the other interview that particular Cardinal Archbishop is so bold as to say that the lustful unchaste homosexual dimension to this epidemic is a diversion from the heart of the matter.<br />
<br /><br />
While none of us are given the authority to judge a soul nor condemn one to what we think may be deserved, we are able to make a judgement on the gravity of what has taken place and to acknowledge that mortal sin has not only occurred but also been turned into a lifestyle. Grown adults who claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, who have been ordained to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ, who have been entrusted with an apostolic ministry for the salvation of souls have lived double lives and purposefully sought to damage and destroy the beauty of humanity through grave sexual abuse and misconduct.<br />
There are several factors which are present and still being denied and covered up by many within and outside of the Church.<br />
<br /><br />
<strong>First:</strong> Those who have had their disgusting behavior exposed have been participating in lustful gay subcultures. While this is not politically correct to state, the culture of being politically correct is what has prevented these horrible acts from being stated and exposed. Victims, both young and mature, have suffered because people were afraid to speak the truth. The individuals in question were not only in positions of power and authority that they abused, but they also preyed upon young men who were their subordinates. As we are finding out, many of these victims were adults at the time of abuse and sexual misconduct.<br />
<br /><br />
<strong>Second:</strong> The individuals in question, and their supporters, have been notoriously and suspiciously quiet over the past 30 years during the culture wars of Life verses Death. Church teachings and Papal clarifications during the reign of St. John Paul II and then Benedict XVI were ignored by these bishops and archbishops so that Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians could receive Holy Communion and tout their lackluster and empty Catholic faith for votes from mindless cultural Catholics who don’t heed to the sanctity of life in all stages. Priests and faithful alike have been chastised by these same bishops for preaching, teaching, and expecting fidelity to the teachings of Christ because it was unkind, uncharitable and divisive to state that someone who receives Jesus in Holy Communion should not support the murder of the unborn. These same bishops were dangerously quiet when confronted with the public assaults against the sanctity of marriage and its biblical definition as a union between ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN FOR LIFE.<br />
<br /><br />
<strong>Third:</strong> Among those who have fallen we find an absence of public teachings and statements about the importance and significance of Our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist and the role of the Holy Virgin in the life of the disciple. Over the past few weeks we have been challenged and nourished by the words of the Lord Jesus from John Chapter 6, the Bread of Life Discourse, during Holy Mass. We must remember that these words are life-giving and life-saving. Who among us that believes in the true presence cannot see the central role that the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament plays in the life of the Church, as well as in strengthening the soul of a Christian? Is it any wonder then that when those who are the shepherds don’t preach and teach the reality of the true presence fall so easily into a life of sin and darkness.<br />
<br /><br />
<strong>Fourth:</strong> In our age of public sins we must admit the disappearance of corporate and public penance. We as a Church have grown weak and lazy when it comes to penance. In a culture of weakness and laziness where there is no penance, no discipline, why should we expect any kind of fortitude and strength, discipline and restraint of individuals? We each know how difficult it is to remain strong in the face of temptation, penitential practices help to strengthen us. The fact is, in our day people want what they want and they get what they want regardless of the cost. Why do we no longer abstain from meat on Fridays when the Church asks us to? Why do we no longer fast when the Church recommends us to fast? Spiritually speaking, the Church, even and especially her ministers, are dying from a lack of strength and discipline.<br />
<br /><br />
<strong>Fifth:</strong> The denial of the Devil. Too many of our leaders deny the existence of the devil and of fIat-out-plain-old evil. It is said “When you deny the devil’s existence you have already been duped by him.” He is real, he is prowling about the world seeking the ruin of souls, and He thrives when Christians are living a dream thinking there is only good and no consequences to bad choices.<br />
Each of us must fight temptations and remain on guard against all sin, especially mortal sin. The Lord gives Himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament so that we may be strong enough to not only continue the journey of life, but to also remain faithful to Him as we make this journey.<br />
We must pray for the sanctification of priests and bishops. The seminarians of today will be the priests of tomorrow. These young men must be prayed for while also being protected from the predators. Our Lady, Queen of Clergy, needs to be restored as a title of Our Lady, that is popular and invoked often.<br />
<br /><br />
As a little boy, my uncle Pat, may he Rest In Peace, would say over and over again a quote his father had told him, “we must be faithful regardless or in spite of the Church”.<br />
<br /><br />
I remember thinking how I didn’t like that quote as I thought it was an attack against the Church that Jesus founded. Then I entered seminary. Though many things had changed from the challenging times of earlier years, we still studied and prepared for the priesthood in an environment where subcultures were present and ambition was a disease that infected many. Among my peers there were debates about liturgically appropriate socks (I couldn’t make it up if I wanted to!) as well as serious conversations about doing whatever you had to do so as to become a bishop. (Lord save us!) Among the faculty we had beautiful priests who loved Jesus with their whole hearts and we had priests who were predators. Thankfully, we had more of the former than latter. In the beautiful priests, you always would see a man who loved Jesus in the Eucharist and would cling to Our Lady. In the predators, you always found a man who complained about EVERYTHING, was grateful for nothing, and focused only on what he could gain from the one who stood before him.<br />
<br /><br />
While we may be disgusted and angered, perhaps some who have a young faith are even tempted to leave Holy Mother Church, we must remain focused on Jesus in the Eucharist and Mary as our Mother. Let us make frequent use of the Sacrament of Confession and pray daily the Holy Rosary. We must acknowledge the pain that comes about from the sins of those who have literally pierced the Sacred Heart again. In acknowledging this pain, let us strive to make acts of reparation for the sins committed against Jesus and against His little ones.<br />
All is not lost! Our faith is a holy faith and Our Lord Jesus IS God! He will not abandon us. Even should we think we are going at it all alone, He is with us! I wish to close by saying as a priest, I am eternally grateful for the people I have met and served thus far. I have had only three assignments and in each of these three parishes I have met good people, strong people, people who want to survive. All of you by your faith, remind me to stay close to the good Lord and His Mother. Our parish of Holy Family is a community, a parish, a Church that believes and that is something for which I am truly grateful. We treasure the gift of the Lord in the Eucharist and the presence of Our Lady. May this be forever the case!<br />
<br /><br />
Returning to these days of Marian celebrations, let us remember that where our Mother has gone, we her children should want to follow. She has gone to heaven to be with Jesus, so too may we if we remain faithful to Him. This valley of tears is not our permanent home, but merely a journey. A journey we must make and survive. As this journey that we call life is a trip through the valley of tears, may we remain dependent upon Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. As a Catholic Christian, I am broken hearted by the news of bishops and priests being unfaithful and embracing lives of sin. As a priest though, I breathe a sigh of relief as the Lord is cleaning out the Church.<br />
<br /><br />
Heart of Jesus, we Adore!<br />
Heart of Mary, we Implore!<br />
Heart of Joseph, Pure and Just;<br />
In these three hearts, we place our Trust!<br />
May we pray for one another as we follow Our Lady who directs us to her Son. <br />
In Jesus through Mary, [Father's name redacted]."David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-83041114498445848412018-08-22T20:13:00.001-05:002018-08-23T11:09:16.696-05:00On Immigrants Thirsty for FreedomThe post read, "If you break the law to get here, you will break the law while here. Period." Then there was a link to a story about an illegal immigrant who had committed a horrible murder.<br />
<br />
My comment:<br />
"That's not true. You should talk to my Mexican family member. She has really opened my eyes. She was brought here illegally as a teenager, snuck in. It's a nice, warm, fuzzy idea that good people who want to come here in search of a better life should just put their name on a nice little list, and eventually it'll happen, but that's not how it works. If you lived in squallor with your children in a totally different world than anything we've ever dreamed of, you'd risk your life to change their future too. My family member was married to an American man for nine years. (Former Navy, by the way) who had never even been to Mexico. And she still couldn't get legal status. She worked hard for her family, AND paid taxes, even while she was illegal. Yes, you read that right. They paid a midwife cash, and had homebirths so they didn't use the system to get free care. She says she'd vote for Trump if she could vote! Even after my brother in law died and left her with their four American kids, it took years, and a generous lawyer who took her case for free, for her to get legal status. She is an AMAZING asset to our family, and one of the wisest people I know. I am such a better person for having known her. By the way, her parents and siblings are now here too (illegally), and none of them have ever been in trouble with the law. "<br />
<br />
"I understand that there are evil people who do horrible things, but that happens everywhere. I know it's easy for us Americans to sit in our nice houses, and judge the rest of the world, but most of us don't have a hint of a clue what it's like to live in the third world. And once you get here, it's not sunshine and roses, with everything handed to you for free. It's still a huge struggle. So to make a blanket statement like "if you break the law to get here, you will break the law after. Period." I just can't even."<br />
<br />
As Catholics, this is a difficult issue. I don't have any answers, and I don't pretend to know what the solutions are to our country's immigration problems. But I do know that we can't lump everyone together. That's a cop-out. It's so much more complicated than that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-88613056199845254312018-01-16T21:24:00.000-06:002018-01-19T13:16:15.537-06:00Mary's "Imaginary" Partner, and other FallaciesI don't like attention grabber headlines just for the sake of grabbing attention, so I decided not to title this article after the first statement by this atheist. But the fact is, he is saying that if the Virgin Birth is true, then Jesus is "<i>a bastard</i>". According to his view, if Christians believe that Jesus was born outside of Marriage, then that leaves us looking like fools who worship a fatherless child. I normally don't respond to rubbish of this sort, but it was a great opportunity to point out to this person that he was engaging in illogical debate. Since he purports to be "logical", I hoped he'd find this important, and you, the reader, may also benefit from seeing a few more examples of deceptive tactics used by people in arguments.<br />
<br />
<b>Sardar</b> - "<i>During Jesus time, anyone who was born outside marriage (married couple(s)) was called a "bastard(s)". </i>[Mary]<i> slept with a man (she claimed it was an imaginary being). There is certainly no "God" (supernatural being) therefore, stop this madness!<br />
If you are a man and you have a kid, do a DNA test; make sure your son or daughter isn't another "JESUS"!</i>"<br />
<br />
There is quite a bit there in the world of logical fallacy (using deception to argue a point). I decided to focus on just the meat of his fallacious claims, without going too much into theology. I wanted to make a point about his tactics first, and see how he reacted to that correction, before casting my pearls before him (Mt 7:6). As it would turn out, that was the right decision. The guy was not looking for discussion; he just wanted to take some cheap shots at Christians. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>-Well, Jesus was born within a Marriage between Joseph and Mary. That's somewhat beside the point, but for an atheist, it matters in the physical/material sense. Christians can look at it from another point of view that is just as important: Mary [according to some theologians and historical accounts] had already taken a vow to God. That's why, when told she would bear a son, she asked, "<i>How can this be, since I do not know man?</i>" (Lk 1:34).</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>That's your first strawman fallacy.</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: blue;">-Mary didn't sleep with any man. She also never claimed that she slept with an imaginary being.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>That's strawman number two, and a complete misrepresentation of the facts as reported in historical writings (i.e. Scripture). What is recorded is that "<i>the power of the Most High will overshadowed</i> [her]" and the child would be "<i>the son of God</i>" (Lk 1:35). God is spirit, and has no material body...just pure spirit. So, it isn't possible that she "slept" with Him...because there is nothing material about Him. God did not take on human form until the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity took on flesh, which He got entirely form Mary; which leads to your third strawman fallacy.</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: blue;">-Taking a DNA test would only have revealed Mary's DNA, because Jesus took on His flesh entirely from Mary. His Father, the First Person of the Blessed Trinity, has no material DNA because He is pure spirit.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: blue;">-Whether there is a God, you are free to deny. But simple logic and a cursory glance at the world around you shows that there is indeed a God. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: blue;">If you want to argue against God, or the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, or whether Christ would have had paternal DNA, or whether Mary could have "slept with" God, you might want to take the time to educate yourself on what Christians believe about God. Otherwise, you are just going to look extremely ignorant, and end up arguing nothing but strawmen.</span></b><br />
<br />
His response gave me good evidence that he no intention of discussing anything, and no intention of correcting his misrepresentation of the facts and of the Christian faith.<br />
<br />
<b>Sardar</b> - "<i>Faith is illogical.</i>"<br />
<br />
The word "irony" comes to mind. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>- [Misrepresenting Christian beliefs in order to show how illogical they are is ALSO illogical.] I've looked at the theist view, the atheist view, the agnostic, the diest...and I believe it takes more faith to be an atheist than a Christian.</b></span><br />
<br />
After that, he made his final response.<br />
<br />
<b>Sardar</b> - "."<br />
<br />
Yep. "." was what he wrote. And then we went about our separate ways.<br />
<br />
David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-88341408639351212132017-12-15T21:39:00.000-06:002017-12-15T21:39:39.864-06:00The Church Fathers on: Relics and Icons (by Brian Showalter)<span style="color: blue;">I had been asked about possible quotes regarding the use of relics and icons in the early Church, and found Brian Showalter's blog site by chance. </span><span style="color: blue;">He has spent thousands of hours researching tens of thousands of pages of the writings of the Early Church Fathers on a variety of topics. In his research he has continued to find that the Church has always been Catholic. </span><span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Brian graciously gave me permission to post his work here for reference. His original, along with many other topics, can be found at his blog, </span><a href="http://practicalapologetics.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Practical Apologetics</a><span style="color: blue;">. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Here are many of the early Church writings regarding relics and icons:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Marytrdom
of St Ignatius of Antioch ch 6 (50-117 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For
only the harder portions of his holy remains were left, which were
conveyed to Antioch and wrapped in linen, as an inestimable treasure
left to the holy Church by the grace which was in the martyr</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Polycarp
Martyrdom of Polycarp Ch 18 (69-155 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Accordingly,
we afterwards took up his bones, as being more </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">precious</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> than
the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited
them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as
opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall
grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in
memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the
exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their
steps</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tertullian
Against Marcion Book 2 ch 22 (160-240 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
brazen serpent and the golden cherubim were not violations of the
Second Commandment. Their meaning. [</span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/86356"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>+</u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
Likewise, when forbidding the similitude to be made of all things
which are in heaven, and in earth, and in the waters, He declared
also the reasons, as being prohibitory of all material exhibition of
a latent idolatry. For He adds: "Thou shalt not bow down to
them, nor serve them." The form, however, of the brazen serpent
which the Lord afterwards commanded Moses to make, afforded no
pretext for idolatry, but was meant for the cure of those who were
plagued with the fiery serpents? I say nothing of what was figured by
this cure. Thus, too, the golden Cherubim and Seraphim were purely an
ornament in the figured fashion of the ark; adapted to ornamentation
for reasons totally remote from all condition of idolatry, on account
of which the making a likeness is prohibited; and they are evidently
not at variance with this law of prohibition, because they are not
found in that form of similitude, in reference to which the
prohibition is given.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Peter
of Alexandria Genuine Acts of Peter (260-311ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In
the meanwhile a spirited body of senators of those who are engaged in
the public transport service, seeing what had happened, for they were
near the sea, prepared a boat, and suddenly seizing upon the sacred
relics, they placed them in it, and scaling the Pharos from behind,
by a quarter which has the name of Leucado, they came to the church
of the most blessed mother of God, and Ever-</span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Virgin</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Mary,
which, as we began to say, he had constructed in the western quarter,
in a suburb, for a cemetery of the martyrs</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Eusebius
of Caesarea Church History book 7 (295-340ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">They
say that this statue is an image of [</span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/50012"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>+</u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
Jesus. It has remained to our day, so that we ourselves also saw it
when we were staying in the city. Nor is it strange that those of the
Gentiles who, of old, were benefited by our Saviour, should have done
such things, since we have learned also that the likenesses of his
apostles Paul and Peter, and of Christ himself, are preserved in
paintings, the ancients being accustomed, as it is likely, according
to a habit of the Gentiles, to pay this kind of honor
indiscriminately to those regarded by them as deliverers.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Athanasius
Life of St Anthony par 92 (296-373 ad) </b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But
each of those who received the sheepskin of the blessed Anthony and
the garment worn by him guards it as a precious treasure. For even to
look on them is as it were to behold Anthony; and he who is clothed
in them seems with joy to bear his admonitions.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Basil
Letter 49 (329-379 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If
I am able to find any relics of martyrs, I pray that I may take part
in your earnest endeavour.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Basil
Letter 155 (329-379 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If
you send the relics of the martyrs home you will do well; as you
write that the persecution there is, even now, causing martyrs to the
Lord.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Basil
Letter 197 par 2 (329-379 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">he
took up the relics with all becoming reverence, and has aided the
brethren in their preservation. These relics do you receive with a
joy equivalent to the distress with which their custodians have
parted with them and sent them to you</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Basil
Letter 360 (329-379 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I
acknowledge also the holy apostles, prophets, and martyrs; and I
invoke them to supplication to God, that through them, that is,
through their mediation, the merciful God may be propitious to me,
and that a ransom may be made and given me for my sins. Wherefore
also I honour and kiss the features of their images, inasmuch as they
have been handed down from the holy apostles, and are not forbidden,
but are in all our churches.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jerome
Letter 24 par 4 (347-420 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">She
hurried to the martyrs' shrines unnoticed. Such visits gave her
pleasure, and the more so because she was never recognized.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jerome
Letter 31 par 2 (347-420 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It
is true that a festival such as the birthday of Saint Peter should be
seasoned with more gladness than usual; still our merriment must not
forget the limit set by Scripture, and we must not stray too far from
the boundary of our wrestling-ground.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jerome
Letter 46 par 8 (347-420 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Everywhere
we venerate the tombs of the martyrs; we apply their holy ashes to
our eyes; we even touch them, if we may, with our lips.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jerome
Letter 46 par 13 (347-420 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">We
shall see the fountain in which the eunuch was immersed by Philip. We
shall make a pilgrimage to Samaria, and side by side venerate the
ashes of John the Baptist, of Elisha, and of Obadiah.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jerome
against the Vigilantius par 5 (347-420 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Are
we, therefore guilty of sacrilege when we enter the basilicas of the
Apostles? Was the Emperor Constantius I. guilty of sacrilege when he
transferred the sacred relics of Andrew, Luke, and Timothy to
Constantinople?</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jerome
Letter 109 par 1 (347-420 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">You
tell me that Vigilantius (whose very name Wakeful is a contradiction:
he ought rather to be described as Sleepy) has again opened his fetid
lips and is pouring forth a torrent of filthy venom upon the relics
of the holy martyrs; and that he calls us who cherish them ashmongers
and idolaters who pay homage to dead men's bones. Unhappy wretch! to
be wept over by all Christian men,</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">… </span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We,
it is true, refuse to worship or adore, I say not the relics of the
martyrs, but even the sun and moon, the angels and archangels, the
Cherubim and Seraphim and "every name that is named, not only in
this world but also in that which is to come." For we may not
"serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for
ever. Still we honour the relics of the martyrs, that we may adore
Him whose martyrs they are. We honour the servants that their honour
may be reflected upon their Lord</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
Chrysostom Homily 10 on Ephesians ch 4:5 (347-407 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">And
yet who is there whom this fire does not touch? Which of the statues
that stand in the Church?</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
Chrysostom Homily 55 on Acts ch 28:17-20 (347-407 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">As
I keep hearing the Epistles of the blessed Paul read, and that twice
every week, and often three or four times, whenever we are
celebrating the memorials of the holy martyrs,</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
Chrysostom Homilies 10 Ephesians [347-407 AD]</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For
like a conflagration indeed, or like a thunderbolt hurled from on
high, have they lighted upon the roof of the Church, and yet they
rouse up no one; but whilst our Father's house is burning, we are
sleeping, as it were, a deep and stupid sleep. And yet who is there
whom this fire does not touch? Which of the statues that stand in the
Church? for the Church is nothing else than a house built of the
souls of us men. Now this house is not of equal honor throughout, but
of the stones which contribute to it, some are bright and shining,
whilst others are smaller and more dull than they, and yet superior
again to others. There we may see many who are in the place of gold
also, the gold which adorns the ceiling. Others again we may see, who
give the beauty and gracefulness produced by statues. Many we may
see, standing like pillars. For he is accustomed to call men also
also on account of their beauty, adding as they do, much grace, and
having their heads overlaid with gold.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
Chrysostom Homilies 21 on the Statues par 10 [347-407 AD]</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Were
your Statues thrown down? You have it in your power again to set up
others yet more splendid.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
Chrysostom Homily on St Ignatius par 5 (347-407 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For
not the bodies only, but the very sepulchres of the saints have been
filled with spiritual grace. For if in the case of Elisha this
happened, and a corpse when it touched the sepulchre, burst the bands
of death and returned to life again, much rather now, when grace is
more abundant, when the energy of the spirit is greater, is it
possible that one touching a sepulchre, with faith, should win great
power; thence on this account God allowed us the remains of the
saints, wishing to lead by them us to the same emulation, and to
afford us a kind of haven, and a secure consolation for the evils
which are ever overtaking us.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Egeria
Discription of the Liturgical Year in Jerusalem XXXVII (348-418
ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Veneration
of the Cross. [</span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202703"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
Then a chair is placed for the bishop in Golgotha [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202704"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
behind the Cross, which is now standing; the bishop [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202705"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
duly takes his seat in the chair, and a table covered [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202706"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
with a linen cloth is placed before him; the deacons [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202707"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
stand round the table, and a silver-gilt casket is [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202708"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
brought in which is the holy wood of the Cross. The [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202709"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
casket is opened and (the wood) is taken out, and [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202710"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
both the wood of the Cross and the title are placed [</span></span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1202711"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
upon the table.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
Cassian Conference 6 ch 1 (360-435 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In
this district there lived for a long while monks of the most perfect
life and holiness, who were suddenly destroyed by an incursion of
Saracen robbers: (3) whose bodies we knew were seized upon with the
greatest veneration (4) both by the Bishops of the neighbourhood and
by the whole populace of Arabia, and deposited among the </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">relics</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> of
the martyrs, so that swarms of people from two towns met, and made
terrible war upon each other, and in their struggle actually came to
blows for the possession of the holy spoil, while they strove among
themselves with pious zeal as to which of them had the better claim
to bury them and keep their relics</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Augustine
Letter 212 (354-430 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">how
much stronger is their claim on you, who reside in the same country
in this earth in which these ladies, for the love of Christ,
renounced the distinctions of this world I also ask you to condescend
to receive with the same love with which I have offered it my
official salutation, and to remember me in your prayers. These ladies
carry with them relics of the most blessed and glorious martyr
Stephen: your Holiness knows how to give due honour to these, as we
have done.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Augustine
on the Holy Trinity Book 1 ch 6.13 (354-430 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But
that the Holy Spirit is not a creature is made quite plain by that
passage above all others, where we are commanded not to serve the
creature, but the Creator; not in the sense in which we are commanded
to "serve" one another by love, which is in Greek
douleuein, but in that in which God alone is served, which is in
Greek latreuein. From whence they are called idolaters who tender
that service to images which is due to God. For it is this service
concerning which it is said, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and Him only shalt thou serve." For this is found also more
distinctly in the Greek Scriptures, which have latreuseis. Now if we
are forbidden to serve the creature with such a service, seeing that
it is written, the creature more than the Creator), then assuredly
the Holy Spirit is not a creature, to whom such a service is paid by
all the saints; as says the apostle, "For we are the
circumcision, which serve the Spirit of God," which is in the
Greek latreuontes. For even most Latin copies also have it
thus,</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Augustine
Reply to Faustus the Manichean Book 20 par 21 (354-430 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">What
is properly divine worship, which the Greeks call latria, and for
which there is no word in Latin, both in doctrine and in practice, we
give only to God. To this worship belongs the offering of sacrifices;
as we see in the word idolatry, which means the giving of this
worship to idols. Accordingly we never offer, or require any one to
offer, sacrifice to a martyr, or to a holy soul, or to any angel. Any
one falling into this error is instructed by doctrine, either in the
way of correction or of caution.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Augustine
of Hippo City of God Book 22 ch 8 (354-430 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For
even now miracles are wrought in the name of Christ, whether by His
sacraments or by the prayers or relics of His saints; but they are
not so brilliant and conspicuous as to cause them to be published
with such glory as accompanied the former miracles.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sozomen
Ecclesial History Book 3 Ch 14 (375-477 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">He
(the monk Antony the great) was earnest in conduct, grave in
discourse, and with a good memory and accurate attainment in Sacred
Writ. He was so beloved by God, that even now many afflicted and
possessed people are healed at his tomb.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Council
of Ephesus Extracts from session 1 (431 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Theodosius,
the humble Christian, to the holy and Ecumenical Synod: I confess and
I agree to (suntiqemai) and I receive and I salute and I venerate in
the first place the spotless image of our Lord Jesus Christ, our true
God, and the holy image of her who bore him without seed, the holy
Mother of God, and her help and protection and intercessions each day
and night as a sinner to my aid I call for, since she has confidence
with Christ our God, as he was born of her. Likewise also I receive
and venerate the images of the holy and most laudable Apostles,
prophets, and martyrs and the fathers and cultivators of the desert.
Not indeed as gods (God forbid!) do I ask all these with my whole
heart to pray for me to God, that he may grant me through their
intercessions to find mercy at his hands at the day of judgment, for
in this I am but showing forth more clearly the affection and love of
my soul which I have borne them from the first. Likewise also I
venerate and honour and salute the reliques of the Saints as of those
who fought for Christ and who have received grace from him for the
healing of diseases and the curing of sicknesses and the casting out
of devils, as the Christian Church has received from the holy
Apostles and Fathers even down to us to-day.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gregory
the Great Letters Book 11 letter 13 (540-604 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If
for this instruction for which images were anciently made you wish to
have them in the church, I permit them by all means both to be made
and to be had. And explain to them that it was not the sight itself
of the story which the picture was hanging to attest that displeased
thee, but the adoration which had been improperly paid to the
pictures.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gregory
the Great Letters Book 9 letter 105 (540-604 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Furthermore
we notify to you that it has come to our ears that your Fraternity,
seeing certain adorers of images, broke and threw down these same
images in Churches. And we commend you indeed for your zeal against
anything made with hands being an object of adoration; but we signify
to you that you ought not to have broken these images. For pictorial
representation is made use of in Churches for this reason; that such
as are ignorant of letters may at least read by looking at the walls
what they cannot read in books. Your Fraternity therefore should have
both preserved the images and prohibited the people from adoration of
them, to the end that both those who are ignorant of letters might
have wherewith to gather a knowledge of the history, and that the
people might by no means sin by adoration of a pictorial
representation</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gregory
the Great Letters Book 3 letter 33 (540-604 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">We
now send you as the benediction of the blessed apostle Peter a small
cross, wherein are inserted benefits from his chains, which for a
time bound his neck: but may they loose yours from sins for
ever.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gregory
the Great Letters Book 4 letter 30 (540-604 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
Serenity of your Piety, conspicuous for religious zeal and love of
holiness, has charged me with your commands to send to you the head
of Saint Paul, or some other part of his body, for the church which
is being built in honour of the same Saint Paul in the palace. And,
being desirous of receiving commands from you, by exhibiting the most
ready obedience to which I might the more provoke your favour towards
me, I am all the more distressed that I neither can nor dare do what
you enjoin. For the bodies of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul
glitter with so great miracles and terrors in their churches that one
cannot even go to pray there without great fear. In short, when my
predecessor, of blessed memory, was desirous of changing the silver
which was over the most sacred body of the blessed apostle Peter,
though at a distance of almost fifteen feet from the same body, a
sign of no small dreadfulness appeared to him.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
of Damascus Apologia Against those who Decry Holy Images (676-749
ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">From
the Life of the Abbot Daniel, on Eulogius the Quarryman. [</span></span><a href="vfps://AddBookMarkID/1201400"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">+</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">]
Then he went away dejected, and threw himself before an image of Our
Lady, and crying out, he said: "Lord, enable me to pay what I
promised this man."</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
of Damascus Apologia Against those who Decry Holy Images (676-749
ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">St
Basil says, "Honouring the image leads to the prototype."
If you raise churches to the saints of God, raise also their
trophies.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
of Damascus Apologia Against those who Decry Holy Images (676-749
ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">A
tradition has come down to us that Angaros, King of Edessa, was drawn
vehemently to divine love by hearing of our Lord,* and that he sent
envoys to ask for His likeness. If this were refused, they were
ordered to have a likeness painted. Then He, who is all-knowing and
all-powerful, is said to have taken a strip of cloth, and pressing it
to His face, to have left His likeness upon the cloth, which it
retains to this day.</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(shroud
of turin?)</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
of Damascus Apologia Against those who Decry Holy Images (676-749
ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If
you say to this that blessed Epiphanius clearly rejected our use of
images, you must know that the work in question is spurious and
written by some one else in the name of Epiphanius, as often happens.
A father does not fight his own children. All have become
participators in the one Spirit. [78] The Church is a witness of this
in adorning images, until some men rose up against her and disturbed
the peace of Christ's fold, putting poisoned food before the people
of God.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John
of Damascus Apologia Against those who Decry Holy Images (676-749
ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Listen
to what I am going to say as a proof that images are no new
invention. It is an ancient practice well known to the best and
foremost of the fathers. Elladios, the disciple of blessed Basil and
his successor, says in his Life of Basil that the holy man was
standing by the image of Our Lady, on which was painted also the
likeness of Mercurius, the renowned martyr. He was standing by it
asking for the removal of the impious apostate Julian, and he
received this revelation from the statue. He saw the martyr vanish
for a time, and then reappear, holding a bloody spear.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Venerable
Bede Ecclesiastical History of England Book 4 ch 32 (672-735 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
brother having long laboured under this malady, when no human means
availed to save his eye, but rather, it grew daily worse, on a
sudden, through the grace of the mercy of God, it came to pass that
he was cured by the relics of the holy father, Cuthbert. For when the
brethren found his body uncorrupted, after having been many years
buried, they took some part of the hair, to give, as relics, to
friends who asked for them, or to show, in testimony of the
miracle.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Constantinople/Trullo/Quinisext
canon 82 (692 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In
some pictures of the venerable icons, a lamb is painted to which the
Precursor points his finger, which is received as a type of grace,
indicating beforehand through the Law, our true Lamb, Christ our
God.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Avenging
of the Saviour (700 ad)</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It
is the woman called Veronica who has the portrait of the Lord in her
house. And immediately he ordered her to be brought before his power.
And he said to her: Hast thou the portrait of the Lord in thy house?
But she said, No. Then Velosianus ordered her to be put to the
torture, until she should give up the portrait of the Lord. And she
was forced to say: I have it in clean linen, my lord, and I daily
adore it. Velosianus said: Show it to me. Then she showed the
portrait of the Lord.</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Veronica
was the woman who suffered for 12 years with the issue of blood)</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2nd
Council of Nicaea During the time of Stephen II [787-788 AD]</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">We,
therefore, following the royal pathway and the divinely inspired
authority of our Holy Fathers and the traditions of the Catholic
Church (for, as we all knoweth Holy Spirit indwells her), define with
all certitude and accuracy that just as the figure of the precious
and life-giving Cross, so also the venerable and holy images, as well
in painting and mosaic as of other fit materials, should be set forth
in the holy churches of God, and on the sacred vessels and on the
vestments and on hangings and in pictures both in houses and by the
wayside, to wit, the figure of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
of our spotless Lady, the Mother of God, of the honourable Angels, of
all Saints and of all pious people. For by so much more frequently as
they are seen in artistic representation, by so much more readily are
men lifted up to the memory of their prototypes, and to a longing
after them; and to these should be given due salutation and honorable
reverence not indeed that true worship of faith which pertains alone
to the divine nature; but to these, as to the figure of the precious
and life-giving Cross and to the Book of the Gospels and to the other
holy objects, incense and lights may be offered according to ancient
pious custom. For the honor which is paid to the image passes on to
that which the image represents, and he who reveres the image reveres
in it the subject represented . . .</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4th
Lateran Council (Ecumenical Council #12) ch 62 [1215-1216 AD]</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
Christian religion is frequently disparaged because certain people
put saints' relics up for sale and display them indiscriminately. In
order that it may not be disparaged in the future, we ordain by this
present decree that henceforth ancient relics shall not be displayed
outside a reliquary or be put up for sale. As for newly discovered
relics, let no one presume to venerate them publicly unless they have
previously been approved by the authority of the Roman pontiff.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
</div>
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">In the comments section following this list, someone remarked,</span> "<i>Your omission of the Council of Elvira, Origin, Eusebius, and Epiphanius demonstrate your bias.</i>" <span style="color: blue;">It was a rather amusing comment, given the overwhelming list of quotes above, but still worth a response. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: blue;">In the first place, there do not appear to be any objections on the topic from Eusebius, and I have seen no one provide any. Writings contrary to the subject which were attributed to Epiphanius are actually referenced in the above list as being considered forgeries (John of Damascus, <i>Apologia Against those who Decry Holy Images</i>, 676-749 ad). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">And what of the Council of Elvira? Direct quotes are hard to come by, but let's assume, for the sake of argument, that iconography/imagery was forbidden in some such way. This was a local council in Spain in the 4th century which partly addressed, among many other topics, idolatry and pagans making improper use of sacred images. If there was a prohibition against images, it was only a local one; yet there is no evidence that such was the case, especially with the mountain of evidence in support of imagery in the Church's history. More likely, according to some historians,</span> "<i>...the council did not pronounce as to the liceity or non-liceity of the use of images, but as an administrative measure simply forbade them, lest new and weak converts from paganism should incur thereby any danger of relapse into idolatry, or be scandalized by certain superstitious excesses in no way approved by the ecclesiastical authority</i>" (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/" target="_blank">Catholic Encyclopedia</a>, <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05395b.htm" target="_blank">Council of Elvira</a>).<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Finally, there is mention of Origin. Brian Showalter took the time to find pertinent quotes from him on the topic. </span><br />
"<i><span style="color: #274e13;">Let him then tell us whether it is a becoming thing for philosophers, and those who have been taught not to yield to superstition, to abandon their country's customs, so as to eat of those articles of food which are prohibited in their respective cities? or whether this proceeding of theirs is opposed to what is becoming? For if, on account of their philosophy, and the instructions which they have received against superstition, they should eat, in disregard of their native laws, what was interdicted by their fathers, why should the Christians (since the Gospel requires them not to busy themselves about statues and images, or even about any of the created works of God but to ascend on high, and present the soul to the Creator); when acting in a similar manner to the philosophers, be censured for so doing?</span></i>" (Origin).<br />
<br />
"<i>In this I don't see a condemnation. It just says it is not a requirement like the pagans he was talking about</i>" (Showalter). <br />
<br />
"<i><span style="color: #274e13;">If he had specified their names in particular, we should have felt ourselves bound to show him that he wished to give us as guides men who were blinded to the truth, and who must therefore lead us into error; or that if not wholly blinded, yet they are in error in many matters of belief. But whether Orpheus, Parmenides, Empedocles, or even Homer himself, and Hesiod, are the persons whom he means by "inspired poets," let any one show how those who follow their guidance walk in a better way, or lead a more excellent life, than those who, being taught in the school of Jesus Christ, have rejected all images and statues, and even all Jewish superstition, that they may look upward through the Word of God to the one God, who is the Father of the Word</span></i>" (Origin).<br />
<br />
"<i>In this quote his reference to rejecting images could be that Christians reject the images and statues of the pagans. I try my best but it is not enough for some</i>" (Showalter). <br />
<span style="color: blue;">I see in that quote a plain fact that Christians do not worship images as the pagans did. It says nothing of the beauty of images to remind us of our Creator, modeled for us by the Creator Himself when, in Sacred Scripture, he commanded and blessed the use of images/statues for His Sacred purposes (<i>Ex 25:18-19; Num 21:8-9; 1Kngs 6:23-29, 7:25-45; 1Chr 28:18-19; Ezekiel 41:17-18</i>).</span>David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-65582706856204431512017-12-01T14:38:00.000-06:002017-12-01T14:38:08.318-06:00Praying to Mary and the Saints in Heaven<div style="border-image: none;">
<em>A friend of mine once posted a video blog about society setting up role models for itself (sports figures, war heroes, etc.). He spoke about how much he appreciated, during points in his life as he struggled with faith and morality, having a particularly awesome role model; the Mother of Jesus Christ. He spoke of being able to look up to her and follow her example of saying "yes" to God, no matter what the neighbors would say [of her seemingly untimely pregnancy], or no matter the hurt she would feel [when her Son was given up on the cross]. He recounted the great instructions she left all of humanity when she said, "Do whatever He tells you". And he mentioned how great it is to have such a great role model in whom we find no moral faults such as drug or porn addiction, spouse abuse, adultery, or other moral faults to which so many of our role models fall prey. And somewhere in the comments, he mentioned how great it is to ask such a great role model to pray for his spiritual growth in Christ.</em></div>
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<em>A friend of his had some comments and questions. And I had an opportunity to discuss with her. But before you continue reading, I invite you to watch the video blog by Michael Henderson, titled "Upside Down World". (You may have to be logged into Facebook to view it...I'm not sure.)</em> </div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.p.henderson.5/videos/10210014772506067/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/michael.p.henderson.5/videos/10210014772506067/</a><br />
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<strong>MD</strong> - I'm glad to hear this topic from you! [Husband] and I discuss this often (being that he was raised Catholic and they had a statue of Mary that rotated through the homes of their church for a week at a time and I was raised Baptist. We don't go to either denomination now. Our churches have been Bible churches non-denominational). Before you even got to your part about Mary, you mentioned the saint that you "ask to pray" for you. That already sparked a question. Then when you made your point about Mary and said that it's viewed as idolatry and yet those other things are not I saw the connection you were making and wanted some info on your perspective. <br />
I am confused at how you are asking the spirit of dead people to pray for you? I also don't think that the saint is an acceptable person to pray to (they are people that the church as glorified with a title). I don't see why you would pray to either one. I've never heard of that. I pray directly to Father God and Jesus. The veil was torn and I go straight to the source. I don't need a special saint or Mary to intercede on my behalf because they don't have more clout than me. I am a child of God, with the Holy Spirit residing in me. I do not know about differences in the Protestant bible compared to the Catholic bible but probably some of the reason that non-Catholics don't understand your praying to Mary because she is not viewed as Holy, Sinless, or immortal. She was a regular woman, chosen in the same way as Moses, or Noah, etc to carry out a portion of God's plan. I think it CAN become idolatry (but so can exercise, work, money, personal attention, and so on) to put faith in Mary or to worship her. That Glory belongs to the Lord. However in my own upbringing the concern was not really about praying to Mary (or any other person, dead or alive) being idolatry, but more it being completely unBiblical in general. In my own life I can imagine certain Bible characters being an inspiration of good character or having attributes I am drawn to-- but I do not see any purpose in praying to them or "asking" them to pray for me. You can PM me if your response is lengthy :) I assume you will have some interesting things to say!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Dave</strong> - "<em>I am confused at how you are asking the spirit of dead people to pray for you?"</em></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-"How" is just by asking them to pray for us. "Why" might be a better question. And the answer is, because "the prayer of the righteous avails much" (James 5:16). Who is more righteous than people in Heaven with God? :-) Which I guess brings up another point: they aren't "dead", because "God is God of the living" (Lk 20:38). Do you suppose that when YOU die and go to be with Jesus, that you will be "dead" in Christ, or "fully alive" in Christ?</span><br />
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<strong>MD</strong> - I see your point that their spirit is alive- their body is dead (in human terms). I should have worded that differently. My point was that they were human, not Demi-Gods and that they are no more righteous than I. There are not tiers of value amongst us. There's us, and above us there's God (Trinity). The "saints" that church appoints are not better than me because they accomplished some wonderful Kingdom tasks. While the Catholic Church claims that saints have earned a higher degree of holiness, the Bible refers to all who are "in Christ"/ all christians as Saints. I'm covered by the blood of Jesus- HIS righteousness makes me holy, an heir to Heaven as a child of God. I don't need some "better" Christian to beseech God on my behalf. Not by works of righteousness (Titus 3:5), but by His GRACE. So while we can say for certain that the SPIRIT of the folks of the past are alive and well in Heaven or Hell, I still don't see any reason to pray to them or any indication that they are hearing me. My God doesn't view them as "better" than me, or choose to listen to them before me. Tim. 2:5 says Jesus is the only mediator. Heb. 7:25 says JESUS is interceding for me. Why would I need anyone else? The Bible never instructs us to pray to anyone else and never says anyone else can hear us. (But maybe a protestant Bible is different and I'm missing this?). I also believe your James reference to be out of context because as a Born Again Christian (2 Corinth. 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.") Jesus' blood and my acceptance as a Christian of his salvation make me "the righteous". I don't need to go find someone "more righteous" to pray on my behalf-- to my understanding. 🤷🏼♀️ this is truly an issue amongst believers. No one I know understands why Catholics believe this (however amazing we think those Catholics are!).<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Dave</strong> - Yes, of coarse we are all humans, including the Saints. :-) And the Church doesn't claim anything about them other than the reality: that they are in Heaven. People in Heaven aren't committing sin, nor being tempted to sin, and are seeing God face to face, as He is, instead of as through a darkened glass (in the words of the Apostle Paul). They have been purified in Christ and purged of all stain of sin...made PERFECT, as through fire (<em>1Pet 1:22, Heb 12:22-23, 1Cor 3:13-15, Rev 21:27</em>)!</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">So, if it's okay for me to ask my brother in Christ who is alive on earth, and being tempted to sin, and living in a sinful world surrounded by evil, to pray for me; why isn't it okay for me to ask someone to pray for me who is in the very presence of our Lord?! :-) If the angels in Heaven continually offer up our prayers to God for us (<em>Rev 5:8, 8:3-4; cf. Mt 18:10</em> ), then why not my brothers and sisters who have "become like angels" (Mk 12:25), some of whom are already praying for earthly vindication (<em>Rev 6:9-11</em>) and were all too happy to pray for me while they were on earth, and are now fully alive in our Savior? Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (<em>Heb 12:1; cf. Heb 11</em>), why not ask them to pray for me?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Are you telling me that when you die and go to Heaven, and I keep asking you to pray for me to the Lord, that you are going to tell me "nope, I'm no longer 'alive' so I can't 'mediate' for you to bring you closer to Christ"?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Are you telling me that when you are in the presence of our Lord in Heaven, you will be no more filled with grace than you are now?</span><br />
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Photo courtesy of Family Missions Company. To help the Hendersons, and other families, spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world, please visit: <a href="https://www.familymissionscompany.com/project/henderson-family/" target="_blank"> https://www.familymissionscompany.com/project/henderson-family/</a>David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-22907825800289239902017-08-11T06:37:00.000-05:002017-08-12T21:05:13.048-05:00Should Christians Expect to Suffer?A person once wrote to a friend of mine, "<i><u>I've never been too keen on the whole 'God values suffering' bit. He knows we are suffering, but God provided salvation through his Son because <b>God</b> wanted man to live in paradise.</u> Jesus bought all of mankind from death. If you have died, regardless of faith or not, you will receive your resurrection through Christ and <b>His</b> judgement. <u>And, if you live like we are told to through Jesus, <b>there should be no suffering...only a wrong attitude</b>.</u></i>"<br />
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This was in response to my friend asking, "<i>Why do we suffer? Didn't Jesus suffer for us so that we don't have to? Are we called to suffer? Does God value our suffering? How do I explain to someone the benefits of suffering other than just saying '<b>offer it up</b>'?"</i>"<br />
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There were a couple things in the person's response that were off base (i.e. "If you have died, regardless of faith or not..."), but I chalked it up to a possible language barrier or other misunderstandings. Given some of his past comments, that probably didn't mean what it appeared to mean (in his mind). However, the part I underlined needed to be addressed. This whole idea that, <i>if we are Christians, we will not have to suffer; or that God cannot bring good from our sufferings; or that it's wrong-minded for Christians to value suffering and 'offer it up';</i> is completely contrary to the promise of Christ and the example given in His written Word. <br />
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Jesus, Himself, explicitly promises us that we will suffer when we follow Him. "<i>Jesus said, '<span style="color: blue;">Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age — houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, <b>with persecutions</b> — and in the age to come eternal life</span></i>" (Mk 10:29-30, emphasis added). <br />
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Christ explains to us that a servant is not greater than his master. Jesus is our master and He suffered. So shall we if we are His servants. "<i><span style="color: blue;">Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also</span></i>" (Jn 15:20).<br />
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He takes this promise even further in Mt 16:24-25, when He says we must take up our cross if we want to be His followers: "<i>Then Jesus told His disciples, <span style="color: blue;">'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.</span>'</i>". Luke 9:23 quotes the same, with the added emphasis that this cross is to be taken up "<i><span style="color: blue;">daily</span></i>". <br />
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He even told His disciples that when the persecutions comes, they should allow God to work through them and they must endure the persecutions. "<i><span style="color: blue;">See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved</span></i>" (Mt 10:16-22). <br />
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And not only does Jesus promise that we will suffer as His followers, but He also says we will be <b>blessed</b> for it! For example, Mt 5:10-11 records, "<i><span style="color: blue;">Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account</span></i>".<br />
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Scripture shows us many accounts of Christ's followers suffering, and that they shall suffer, for Him in this way. For example:<br />
"<i>There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, 'It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God'</i>"(Acts 14:22).<br />
"<i>Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted</i>" (2Tim 3:12).<br />
"<i>Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you</i>" (1Pet 4:12).<br />
-How many times was Paul beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked...?<br />
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Oh, sure, you may say something like, "...<i>but 'persecution' isn't the same thing as some of the suffering we see in our lives...</i>". I'd agree. Most of the suffering I go through in my life is EASY compared to being persecuted or killed for my faith. But that doesn't negate our daily or life-long sufferings, of which persecution can be a heavy example. And not all of the suffering in Scripture was directly linked to persecution (i.e. Paul being shipwrecked, or struggling with "that which he hates' while 'neglecting to do what he should be doing' (Acts 27; Rom 7:15-20)). <br />
Paul gets to the heart of it in 2Cor 1:6, when he writes, "<i>If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering</i>".<br />
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God has never balked at people suffering for Him or for living a righteous life with persecutions. In fact, He allows it for a greater good (the stories of Job and Tobit come to mind!). Paul rejoiced in his suffering! "<i>I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church</i>"(Col 1:24). <br />
How many of you reading this have put much thought into "<i>what is lacking in Christ's afflictions</i>"? Personally, I believe what is lacking is our participation in it! Hence, Paul suffers for our sake in this regard, and rejoices for it! <br />
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Can any good come from suffering, and 'offering it up'? Again, and keeping in mind what Paul said in 2Cor 1:6, we can turn to Paul for a very clear answer: "<i>And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us</i>" (Rom 5:3-5). <br />
And in Philippians 3:8-11: "...<i>For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead</i>".<br />
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Neither Christ nor His disciples claimed anyone to have a wrong attitude for seeing it as 'suffering'. They saw suffering for what it is; suffering; and offered it to God for His greater purpose.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo borrowed from <a href="http://athousandgeneration.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-counts-as-suffering.html">http://athousandgeneration.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-counts-as-suffering.html</a> - God's Blessing to you, Anna!</span><br />
<br />David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-35983172275927471492017-06-05T08:42:00.001-05:002017-06-05T08:42:09.151-05:00Is it Time that the Church Allow Priests to Marry?<br />
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The Western rite of the Church, for centuries, has traditionally selected candidates for the Priesthood only from among those men who have chosen to remain celibate for the sake of the Kingdom. As with most things, there are exceptions to this. Yet, it is certainly the norm. It's also worth noting that the celibate Priesthood is only a discipline, not a doctrine of the Church. It could change at any moment, though it isn't likely.<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DjbvLcI6crc/WTVfaNxCH8I/AAAAAAAAApg/JsbLGrlErlk5wKdwIigcAoT7ldA5TFUSQCLcB/s1600/priestcollar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="236" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DjbvLcI6crc/WTVfaNxCH8I/AAAAAAAAApg/JsbLGrlErlk5wKdwIigcAoT7ldA5TFUSQCLcB/s320/priestcollar.jpg" width="320" /></a>Even in the Eastern Rite of the Church, where married men are allowed to be Priests, they may not marry if they were single when they became a Priest, nor can they remarry if widowed. Over the years there have been arguments from different directions regarding this Priestly celibacy. <br />
From <span style="color: blue;">“<i>priests can’t relate to family life</i>”</span> to <span style="color: blue;">“<i>single men need a sexual outlet, and that’s why sex abuse happened in the Church</i>”</span>, to <span style="color: blue;">“<i>it’s not fair/Christian to deny a man the right to Marriage</i>"</span>, the reasons for allowing Catholic Priests to marry continue to be brought up, ironically by non-Catholics for the larger part. Even more ironically, it is mostly brought up by non-Priests. One Lutheran pastor wrote an article for the Christian Post, listing out 10 reasons "<a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/why-priests-should-be-allowed-to-marry-104631/" target="_blank">Why Priests Should be Allowed to Marry</a>". Yet, all of the reasons, including the three that I mentioned above, are either short-sighted, wrong-minded, or based on bad logic. <br />
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For example, in the article I mentioned above, the author writes, "<i><span style="color: blue;">What if, for example, a priest changes his mind about celibacy based on Scripture or for personal reasons? It goes against the spirit of the Gospel to forbid him from pursuing this wholesome desire for marriage...It simply contradicts Christian freedom to bind man's conscience in this way, especially with something as beautiful as marriage...</span></i>". He goes so far as to suggest that it's a form of "<i><span style="color: blue;">spiritual abuse</span></i>". <br />
Let's put that into another real-life situation, involving something as beautiful as <b>undivided devotion to the Lord</b>: <br />
<i>What if, for example, a married man changes his mind about choosing to be married, based on Scripture or for personal reasons? Afterall, Saint Paul said it's better not to marry in order to have <b>undivided devotion to the Lord</b>! (1Cor 7:8, 32-35.) Doesn't it go against the spirit of the Gospel to forbid him from pursuing this wholesome desire for undivided devotion to the Lord? Doesn't it contradict Christian freedom to bind the man's conscience in this way, especially with something as beautiful as undivided devotion to the Lord?</i><br />
Or what about something as beautiful as <b>mirroring Christ's example of celibacy</b>? Or something as beautiful and wholesome as <b>celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom</b>?<br />
The same can be said of a man who suddenly decides he married the wrong woman, but still wants to be married, just not to the 'wrong' woman to whom he is currently married. <i>Is it wrong to deny this man the Christian freedom to leave his wife so that he can find 'the right' one? Was Jesus being spiritually abusive and going against the spirit of the Gospel by saying that a man could not divorce his wife and marry another?</i><br />
No. Men who freely marry, and men who freely take a vow of celibacy, have taken a vow before God. They made a free and well-informed choice to accept the life vocation that God has given to them, and there is nothing abusive or unfair in expecting them to live out their vocation in light of the vow they took before God. Undivided devotion to the Lord, mirroring Christ's example of celibacy, and renouncing sex for the sake of the Kingdom are desires that are just as beautiful and wholesome as marriage. <br />
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<i>Here’s a clue</i>: if it causes you to revoke a vow that you have made to God, then it might not be a "wholesome desire" you are chasing, even if you disguise it with something wholesome. <br />
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Let's look at the other reasons.<br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Priests can't relate to family life because they are not married.</span></i>" <br />
I would go so far as to say that *some* Priests don't relate *as well* to family life as some others do. But this has nothing to do with not being married. Believe it or not, Priests have families. Yes, believe it or not, every single Priest in the world was born to at least one parent; and most of them had siblings, cousins, friends, neighbors, etc. Further, every single Priest is a member of a much larger family; that is, the family of Christians. All of us are parts of the Body of Christ, His Church, and celibate Priests are no exception. They even have a very special role in this family, as spiritual fathers, just like Paul (1Cor 4:15; Phil 1:10; cff. 1Thess 2:11; 1Tim 1:2; Tit 1:4). Priests are intimately familiar with this spiritual family life, and fully capable of relating to family life. <br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Single men need a sexual outlet. This was the cause of the abuse scandal in the Church.</span></i>"<br />
I would agree that men, in general, need some outlet from time to time. But I don't see why it needs to be sexual in nature. Jesus Christ was a single man, and he didn't need a sexual outlet. Paul was a single man, and he didn't seem to need a sexual outlet, either. You could probably get by with saying that *married* men need a sexual outlet (with their spouse). But, according to Jesus, not every man is called to be married (Mt 19:11-12). <br />
And if you think that the sex abuse scandal erupted because of celibacy among Priests, I would say you are part of the problem of sexual abuse. The majority of sexual abuse victims were victimized by married men and women. They are victimized by uncles, aunts, grandparents, neighbors, teachers, police officers, married pastors, even their own parents or siblings. Of the 62,000+ victims of sexual abuse each year in the United States, about 8 of them are reported to have been victimized by a celibate Priest. Celibacy is NOT the problem. I would argue that part of the problem is this notion that we "<i>need a sexual outlet</i>". <br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">It’s not fair/Christian to deny a man the right to marriage.</span></i>"<br />
Well, if we are Christians, why are we seeing marriage as a "<i>right</i>", rather than a "<i>calling</i>" (a vocation) to the life which God has called us. Are we not here to love and serve the Lord? And did God not make some to be eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom (Mt 19:11-12)? It's not Christian to encourage a man to step away from the calling to which Christ has called him, and encourage him to do something else. It's also not Christian to presume that people who choose a life of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom feel unfairly treated. Maybe we should get THEIR thoughts about this matter, instead of interjecting our own? Afterall, it's their lifestyle we are talking about, not our own. No one is forced into the Priesthood. It must be freely chosen as a vocation, and Priestly celibacy along with it.<br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">God instituted marriage and it is therefore very good.</span></i>"<br />
Amen to that! But why should this mean that those called to a life of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom should be married? God also instituted celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, and it is therefore very good. But that doesn't mean that *everyone* should be celibate.<br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Marriage teaches ministers a lot about the Christian life.</span></i>"<br />
Sure it does. Marriage teaches non-ministers a lot about Christian life, too! Marriage, in my opinion, is as close a tangible example as we can get to representing the Holy Trinity. But that doesn't mean it's for everyone. And according to Paul, one of my favorite evangelists and Apostles, it's better not to be married, unless we simply "<i>can't control [our]selves</i>" (1Cor 7:8-9, 25-27, 32-35). <br />
Further, Marriage is not the only means by which we learn of Christian life. Suffering, perseverance in the faith, reading the Scriptures, accepting God's calling for our lives, carrying our cross, and living out our vocations all teach us about Christian life as well. So does being a Priest in God's Church, and renouncing Marriage for the sake of the Kingdom.<br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Parenting is an important aspect in the life of discipleship.</span></i>"<br />
Amen, again! Yet, I wonder if Paul would have been a better disciple if he had gotten Married and become a physical parent? Would Jesus have given us a better example if he was a "parent"? Being a parent, at least in the example of Christ and of some of his Apostles and their subsequent successors, and according to the story of Abraham, doesn't always have to mean that we physically beget all of our own children. Jesus and Paul were big fans of spiritual parenthood, and I don't see any reason why that should count less than physical. You need not be married and beget biological children in order to engage in parenting. <br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Binding man's conscience on secondary matters is harmful.</span></i>"<br />
This is really bad logic on a couple of levels. For starters, God binds our consciences when he forbids us to sin. That's not harmful. A man binds his own conscience when he takes a vow to God to serve Him according to His Will for the man's life. That's not harmful. Spouses bind their consciences to one another when they make their vows to each other. That's not harmful. <br />
But what about binding someone else's conscience for them, against their will? <i>No one does that</i>. A person who took a vow of celibacy took that on their own. No once forced them to do it. And of the millions of people who have taken such a vow, I have only heard of a tiny handful of them who later regretted it and decided to change their mind. (<i>Martin Luther was one of them, along with the nun that he married.</i>) Their conscience was not bound by any man or by the Church. It was bound by themselves and God. Was it harmful for God to have bound their consciences on this matter?<br />
And speaking of "matter", who said that taking a vow of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom was "<i>secondary</i>"? Jesus specifically talks about this in His Gospels. Paul specifically talks about it as well. Given the fact that all the world could not contain all that Christ said or did (Jn 21:25), I think that ANYTHING that made it into the written Word is of primary importance. Who is this author to say that vows to God about celibacy are a "<i>secondary matter</i>"? By what authority is this claim made? It certainly isn't called "<i>secondary</i>" in Scripture! <br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">A married priest can be just as holy and dedicated as a single priest.</span></i>"<br />
Not according to Scripture; because according to Scripture a married Priest's interests will be divided, and therefore he could not possibly be as dedicated as a single Priest, whose interests are NOT divided. But let's pretend that it's really true; that married and single Priests are just as holy and dedicated as each other. Why should that be a reason for a Priest, who has taken a vow of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, to get married? Are we free from our vows just because other people who *don't* take them are just as holy and dedicated? God called me to the vocation of being a husband and father. But since a single person that I know is just as holy and dedicated to the faith as I am, is that a reason for me to ditch my vocation and become single? <br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">God leads many ministers of the Gospel around to world to get married.</span></i>"<br />
Not the ones whom he has called to renounce marriage for the sake of the Kingdom. The ones whom He has called to celibacy are not called to get married...because they were called to celibacy. And how do you know that God led them to be married, rather than they, themselves, making that decision for themselves? And why is their testimony more weighty than that of those who say that God led them to a life of celibacy? Have you ever even asked for the testimony of someone who was called to the celibate Priesthood? We would do well to actually talk to real Priests and nuns about their calling, instead of simply interjecting our opinions about their vocation choices. <br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Doing something "for the sake of tradition" is not always a good enough reason.</span></i>"<br />
Agreed! But that's not why the Church selects candidates for the Priesthood from among the celibate; and it's not why men and women in the Church choose a life of celibacy. It does happen to be a tradition, but it's very bad logic to say that Priestly celibacy is "for the sake of tradition". (It's so bad, in fact, that there is a name for the illogic. It's called a "<a href="https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/" target="_blank">strawman</a>".) No, the reason the Church chooses celibate men for the Priesthood is because it wants Priests whose interests will not be divided. Being that this was highlighted in God's written Word, and exemplified by THE Word Himself, that's a good enough reason. And of the men and women who choose celibacy, one of the reasons they choose it is because they are called to it, and are following the example of Christ (and Paul) in renouncing marriage for the sake of the Kingdom. Doing something because our Saviour provided an example for it, and felt it important enough to mention it in His written Word, is a good enough reason. <br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Priests would personally learn a lot about the equality between husband and wife.</span></i>"<br />
Priests don't need to be married in order to learn about the relationship of husbands and wives. Paul certainly didn't need to be married, and he wrote pretty eloquently about this very topic. In fact, Paul took it further and compared marriage to Christ's relationship with His Church. Priests know a lot about Christ and His relationship to His Church; and that knowledge naturally flows through to an understanding of marriage. That's the example from Scripture, anyway. It also happens to be the reality. I have yet to meet a Priest who didn't understand or know about the relationship between husbands and wives, the equality, the differences, and any other matter regarding marriage. Could they learn more still? Maybe. But that doesn't mean they *need* to be allowed to be married, at least not according to Scripture.<br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">Many wise and discerning Christians in the Catholic church believe priests should marry.</span></i>"<br />
Not Saint Paul. Not Jesus Christ. Not the many wise and discerning Christians in the Catholic Church throughout history who thought otherwise. Not the wise and discerning Christians in the Church alive today who still think it's a good idea for a Priest to renounce marriage for the sake of the Kingdom. Not the wise and discerning Priests and Nuns who have followed God's call to accept a life of celibacy in imitation of Christ. Why does it matter if "many wise and discerning Christians believe Priests should marry"? Many "wise and discerning Christians" also thought it would be a good idea to let people use contraception in extreme cases in 1930. Shortly thereafter, we saw a rise in divorce rates and abortion became rampant. Many "wise and discerning Christians" also think it's a good idea to encourage people in their lives of sin, because "feelings" matter more than God. Many "wise and discerning Christians" think many "wise and discerning" things that ultimately end up not being so "wise and discerning". And what makes their opinions "wise"? (<i>That bit of the bad logic is named "circular reasoning", or "begging the question".</i>)<br />
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"<i><span style="color: blue;">The Gospel message of forgiveness through Christ is more important than marriage or celibacy.</span></i>"<br />
If that's true, then why bother writing an article with 10 reasons why Priests should marry? Why not just focus on the message of forgiveness? And what if, *what if* the message of forgiveness can be delivered to those in need of it by men whose interests are not divided? What if that message can be delivered, in the fullness of its truth, by men who can be 100% devoted to serving God's people in that way, rather than having much of their time taken up in providing for their spouses and their children? Is the Gospel message important enough to deliver it without divided interest?<br />
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The reasons given above, for why Priests should marry, have nothing at all to do with marriage, in my opinion. What they are is a stream of excuses for why people should be allowed to jump ship on the vows they have taken. <br />
Is it time that the Church allow Priests to marry? No. <br />
It's time that we start taking our vows to God seriously, and start living out the vocations to which He has called us, without trying to find excuses to change our minds on a whim. <br />
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For more on celibacy, and for 10 reasons why it's *good* to have celibate Priests, please take a look at Matthew Pinto's brief, article, "<a href="http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/apologetics/married-priests.html" target="_blank">Why are Priests not allowed to Marry?</a>"<br />
<br />David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-72999041057915515252017-05-30T10:11:00.001-05:002017-05-30T10:11:51.734-05:00"Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments", by Randy Alcorn - The Table of ContentsRandy Alcorn wrote a 466-page book back in 2010 that magnificently presents the Pro-Life position in response to Pro-Abortion/Pro-Choice proponents in their support of abortion. I recommend the book, which can be purchased <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Life-Answers-Pro-Choice-Arguments-Expanded/dp/1576737519" target="_blank">HERE</a>, but even just his Table of Contents is worth taking a look at. In fact, when I first saw the Table of Contents, I thought it was point-by-point article that he had written. All that was lacking in it was primary source material. I later found out what I was looking at, and I just had to share it.<br />
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So, here it is. It's divided into 6 parts, plus a summary, which makes it easy to hunt for any particular argument and find a response to it.<br />
Part 1 - Life, Humanity, and Personhood<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Part 2 - Rights and Fairness</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">Part 3 - Social Issues</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">Part 4 - Health and Safety</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Part 5 - Hard Cases</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">Part 6 - Personal Character of Pro-Lifers</span><br />
Summary - A Better Place to Live?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments<br />
By Randy Alcorn<br />
Table of Contents</b></div>
<br />
<b><u>Part One: Arguments Concerning Life, Humanity, and Personhood</u></b><br />
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<b>1. “It is uncertain when human life begins; that’s a religious question that cannot be answered by science.”</b><br />
a. If there is uncertainty about when human life begins, the benefit of the doubt should go to preserving life.<br />
b. Medical textbooks and scientific reference works consistently agree that human life begins at conception.<br />
c. Some of the world’s most prominent scientists and physicians testified to a U.S. Senate committee that human life begins at conception.<br />
d. Many other prominent scientists and physicians have likewise affirmed with certainty that human life begins at conception.<br />
e. The possibility of human cloning does nothing to discredit the fact that all humans conceived in the conventional manner began their lives at conception.<br />
<br />
<b>2. “The fetus is just a part of the pregnant woman’s body, like her tonsils or appendix. You can’t seriously believe a frozen embryo is an actual person.”</b><br />
a. A body part is defined by the common genetic code it shares with the rest of its body; the unborn’s genetic code differs from his mother’s.<br />
b. The child may die and the mother live, or the mother may die and the child live, proving they are two separate individuals.<br />
c. The unborn child takes an active role in his own development, controlling the course of the pregnancy and the time of birth.<br />
d. Being inside something is not the same as being part of something. <br />
e. Human beings should not be discriminated against because of their place of residence.<br />
f. There is substantial scientific reason to believe that frozen embryos are persons and should be granted the same rights as older, larger, and less vulnerable persons.<br />
<br />
<b>3. “The unborn is an embryo or a fetus—just a simple blob of tissue, a product of conception—not a baby. Abortion is terminating a pregnancy, not killing a child.”</b><br />
a. Like toddler or adolescent, the terms embryo and fetus do not refer to nonhumans, but to humans at particular stages of development.<br />
b. Semantics affect perceptions, but they do not change realities; a baby is a baby no matter what we call her.<br />
c. From the moment of conception, the unborn in sot simple, but very complex.<br />
d. Prior to the earliest abortions, the unborn already has every body part she will ever have.<br />
e. Every abortion stops a beating heart and terminates measurable brain waves.<br />
f. Even in the earliest surgical abortions, the unborn child is clearly human in appearance.<br />
g. Even before the unborn is obviously human in appearance, she is what she is—a human being.<br />
h. No matter how much better it sounds, “terminating a pregnancy” is still terminating a life.<br />
<br />
<b>4. “The fetus may be alive, but so are eggs and sperm. The fetus is a potential human being, not an actual one; It’s like a blueprint, not a house; an acorn, not an oak tree.”</b><br />
a. The ovum and sperm are each a product of another’s body; unlike the conceptus, neither is an independent entity.<br />
b. The physical remains after an abortion indicate the end not of a potential life, but of an actual life.<br />
c. Something nonhuman does not become human by getting older and bigger; whatever is human must be human from the beginning.<br />
d. Comparing preborns and adults to acorns and oaks is dehumanizing and misleading.<br />
e. Even if the analogy were valid, scientifically speaking an acorn is simply a little oak tree, just as an embryo is a little person.<br />
<br />
<b>5. “The unborn isn’t a person, with meaningful life. It’s only inches in size and can’t even think; it’s less advanced than an animal and anyway, who says people have a greater right to live than animals?”</b><br />
a. Personhood is properly defined by membership in the human species, not by stage of development within that species.<br />
b. Personhood is not a matter of size, skill, or degree of intelligence.<br />
c. The unborn’s status should be determined on an objective basis, not on subjective or self-serving definitions of personhood.<br />
d. It is a scientific fact that there are thought processes at work in unborn babies.<br />
e. If the unborn’s value can be compared to that of an animal, there is no reason not to also compare the value of born people to animals.<br />
f. Even if someone believes that people are no better than animals, why would they abhor the killing of young animals, while advocating the killing of young children?<br />
g. It is dangerous when people in power are free to determine whether other, less powerful lives are meaningful.<br />
h. Arguments against the personhood of the unborn are shrouded in rationalization and denial.<br />
<br />
<b>6. “A fetus isn’t a person until implantation…or until quickening or viability or when it first breathes.”</b><br />
a. Implantation is a gauge of personhood only if location, nutrition, and interfacing with others make us human.<br />
b. Quickening is a gauge of personhood only if someone’s reality or value depends upon being noticed by another.<br />
c. Viability is an arbitrary concept. Why not associate personhood with heartbeat, brain waves, or something else?<br />
d. The point of viability changes because it depends on technology, not the unborn herself. Eventually babies may be viable from the point of conception.<br />
e. In a broad sense, many born people are not viable because they are incapable of surviving without depending on others.<br />
f. A child’s “breathing,” her intake of oxygen, begins long before birth.<br />
g. Someone’s helplessness or dependency should motivate us to protect her, not to destroy her.<br />
<br />
<b>7. “Obviously life beings at birth. That’s why we celebrate birthdays, not conception days, and why we don’t have funerals following miscarriages.”</b><br />
a. Our recognition of birthdays is cultural, not scientific.<br />
b. Some people do have funerals after a miscarriage.<br />
c. Funerals are an expression of our subjective attachment to those who have died, not a measurement of their true worth.<br />
d. There is nothing about birth that makes a baby essentially different than he was before birth.<br />
<br />
<b>8. “No one can really know that human life beings before birth.”</b><br />
a. Children know that human life begins before birth.<br />
b. Pregnant women know that human life begins before birth.<br />
c. Doctors know that human life begins before birth.<br />
d. Abortionists know that human life begins before birth.<br />
e. Prochoice feminists know that human life begins before birth.<br />
f. Society knows that human life begins before birth.<br />
g. The media know that human life begins before birth.<br />
h. Prochoice advocates know that human life begins before birth.<br />
i. If we can’t know that human life begins before birth, how can we know whether it begins at birth or later?<br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="color: blue;">Part Two: Arguments Concerning Rights and Fairness</span></u></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">9. “Even if the unborn are human beings, they have fewer rights than the woman. No one should be expected to donate her body as a life-support system for someone else.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. Once we grant that the unborn are human beings, it should settle the question of their right to live.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. The right to live doesn’t increase with age and size; otherwise toddlers and adolescents have less right to live than adults.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. The comparison between a baby’s rights and a mother’s rights is unequal. What is at stake in abortion is the mother’s lifestyle, as opposed to the baby’s life.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">d. It is reasonable for society to expect an adult to live temporarily with an inconvenience if the only alternative is killing a child.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">10. “Every person has the right to choose. It would be unfair to restrict a woman’s choice by prohibiting abortion.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. Any civilized society restricts the individual’s freedom to choose whenever that choice would harm an innocent person.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. “Freedom to choose” is too vague for meaningful discussion; we must always ask, “Freedom to choose what?”</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. People who are prochoice about abortion are often not prochoice about other issues with less at stake.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">d. The one-time choice of abortion robs someone else of a lifetime of choices and prevents him from ever exercising his rights.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">e. Everyone is prochoice with it comes to the choices prior to pregnancy and after birth.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">f. Nearly all violations of human rights have been defended on the grounds of the right to choose.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">11. “Every woman should have control over her own body. Reproductive freedom is a basic right.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. Abortion assures that 650,000 females each year do not have control over their bodies.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. Not all things done with a person’s body are right, nor should they all be legally protected.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. Prolifers consistently affirm true reproductive rights.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">d. Even prochoicers must acknowledge that the “right to control one’s body” argument has no validity if the unborn is a human being.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">e. Too often “the right to control my life” becomes the right to hurt and oppress others for my own advantage.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">f. Control over the body can be exercised to prevent pregnancy in the first place.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">g. It is demeaning to a woman’s body and self-esteem to regard pregnancy as an unnatural, negative, and “out of control” condition.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">12. “Abortion is a decision between a woman and her doctor. It’s no one else’s business. Everyone has a constitutional right to privacy.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. The constitution does not contain a right to privacy.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. Privacy is never an absolute right, but is always governed by other rights.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. The encouragement or assistance of a doctor does not change the nature, consequences, or morality of abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">d. The father of the child is also responsible for the child and should have a part in this decision.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">e. The father will often face serious grief and guilt as a result of abortion. Since his life will be significantly affected, shouldn’t he have something to say about it?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">13. “It’s unfair for an unmarried woman to have to face the embarrassment of pregnancy or the pain of giving up a child for adoption.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. Pregnancy is not a sin. Society should not condemn or pressure an unmarried mother into abortion, but should help and support her.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. The poor choice of premarital sex is never compensated for by the far worse choice of killing an innocent human being.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. One person’s unfair or embarrassing circumstances do not justify violating the rights of another person.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">d. Adoption is a fine alternative that avoids the burden of child-raising, while saving a life and making a family happy; it is tragic that adoption is so infrequently chosen as an alternative to abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">e. The reason that adoption may be painful is the same reason that abortion is wrong—a human life is involved.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">14. “Abortion rights are fundamental for the advancement of women. They are essential to having equal rights with men.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. Early feminists were prolife, not prochoice.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. Some active feminists still vigorously oppose abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. Women’s rights are not inherently linked to the right to abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">d. The basic premises of the abortion-rights movement are demeaning to women.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">e. Many of the assumptions that connect women’s welfare with abortion, the pill, and free sex have proven faulty.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">f. Some of the abortion-rights strategies assume female incompetence and subject women to ignorance and exploitation.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">g. Abortion has become the most effective means of sexism ever devised, ridding the world of multitudes of unwanted females.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">15. “The circumstances of many women leave them no choice but an abortion.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. Saying they have no choice is not being prochoice, but proabortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. Those who are truly prochoice must present a woman with a number of possible choices instead of just selling the choice of abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. “Abortion or misery” is a false portrayal of the options; it keeps women from pursuing—and society from providing—possible alternatives.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">16. “I’m personally against abortion, but I’m still prochoice. It’s a legal alternative and we don’t have the right to keep it from anyone. Everyone’s free to believe what they want, but we shouldn’t try to impose it on others.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">a. To be prochoice about abortion is to be proabortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">b. The only good reason for being personally against abortion is a reason that demands we be against other people choosing to have abortions.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">c. What is legal is not always right.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">d. How can we tell people that they are perfectly free to believe abortion is the killing of children but that they are not free to act as if what they believe is really true?</span><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="color: purple;">Part Three: Arguments Concerning Social Issues</span></u></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">17. “’Every child a wanted child.’ It’s unfair to children to bring them into a world where they’re not wanted.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;">a. Every child is wanted by someone; there is no such thing as an unwanted child.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">b. There is a difference between an unwanted pregnancy and an unwanted child.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">c. “Unwanted” describes not a condition of the child, but an attitude of adults.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">d. The problem of unwantedness is a good argument for wanting children, but a poor argument for eliminating them.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">e. What is most unfair to unwanted children is to kill them.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">18. “Having more unwanted children results in more child abuse.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;">a. Most abused children were wanted by their parents.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">b. Child abuse has not decreased since abortion was legalized, but has dramatically increased.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">c. If children are viewed as expendable before birth, they will be viewed as expendable after birth.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">d. It is illogical to argue that a child is protected from abuse through abortion since abortion is child abuse.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">19. “Restricting abortion would be unfair to the poor and minorities, who need it most.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;">a. It is not unfair for some people to have less opportunity than others to kill the innocent.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">b. The rich and white, not the poor and minorities, are most committed to unrestricted abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">c. Prochoice advocates want the poor and minorities to have abortions, but oppose requirements that abortion risks and alternatives be explained to them.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">d. Planned Parenthood’s abortion advocacy was rooted in the eugenics movement and its bias against the mentally and physically handicapped and minorities.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">20. “Abortion helps solve the problem of overpopulation and raises the quality of life.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;">a. The current birthrate in America is less that what is needed to maintain our population level.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">b. The dramatic decline in our birthrate will have a disturbing economic effect on America.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">c. Overpopulation is frequently blamed for problems with other causes.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">d. If there is a population problem that threatens our standard of living, the solution is not to kill off part of the population.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">e. Sterilization and abortion as cures to overpopulation could eventually lead to mandatory sterilization and abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">f. The “quality of life” concept is breeding a sense of human expendability that has far-reaching social implications.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">21. “Even if abortion were made illegal, there would still be many abortions.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;">a. That harmful acts against the innocent will take place regardless of the law is a poor argument for having no law.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">b. The law can guide and educate people to choose better alternatives.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">c. Laws concerning abortion have significantly influenced whether women choose to have abortions.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">22. “The antiabortion beliefs of the minority shouldn’t be imposed on the majority.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;">a. Major polls clearly indicate that the majority, not the minority, believes that there should be greater restrictions on abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">b. Many people’s apparent agreement with abortion law stems from their ignorance of what the law really is.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">c. Beliefs that abortion should be restricted are embraced by a majority in each major political party.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">d. In 1973 the Supreme Court imposed a minority morality on the nation, ignoring the votes of citizens and the decisions of state legislatures.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">23. “The antiabortion position is a religious belief that threatens the vital separation of church and state.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: purple;">a. Many nonreligious people believe that abortion kills children and that it is wrong.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">b. Morality must not be rejected just because it is supported by religion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">c. America was founded on a moral base dependent upon principles of the Bible and the Christian religion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">d. Laws related to church and state were intended to assure freedom for religion, not freedom from religion.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">e. Religion’s waning influence on our society directly accounts for the moral deterioration threatening our future.</span><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="color: #0c343d;">Part Four: Arguments Concerning Health and Safety</span></u></b><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">24. “If abortion is made illegal, tens of thousands of women will again die from back-alley and clothes-hanger abortions.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">a. For decades prior to its legalization, 90 percent of abortions were done by physicians in their offices, not in back alleys.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">b. It is not true that tens of thousands of women were dying from illegal abortions before abortion was legalized.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">c. The history of abortion in Poland invalidates claims that making abortion illegal would bring harm to women.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">d. Women still die from legal abortions in America.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">e. If abortion became illegal, abortions would be done with medical equipment, not clothes hangers.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">f. We must not legalize procedures that kill the innocent just to make the killing process less hazardous.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">g. The central horror of illegal abortion remains the central horror of legal abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">25. “Abortion is a safe medical procedure—safer than full-term pregnancy and childbirth.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">a. Abortion is not safer than full-term pregnancy and childbirth.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">b. Though the chances of a woman’s safe abortion are now greater, the number of suffering women is also greater because of the huge increase in abortions.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">c. Even if abortion were safer for the mother than childbirth, it would still remain fatal for the innocent child.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">d. Abortion can produce many serious medical problems.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">e. Abortion significantly raises the rate of breast cancer.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">f. The statistics on abortion complications and risks are often understated due to the inadequate means of gathering data.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">g. The true risks of abortion are rarely explained to women by those who perform abortions.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">26. “Abortion is an easy and painless procedure.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">a. The various abortion procedures are often both difficult and painful for women.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">b. Abortion is often difficult and painful for fathers, grandparents, and siblings of the aborted child.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">c. Abortion is often difficult and painful for clinic workers.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">d. Abortion is difficult and painful for the unborn child.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">e. Even if abortion were made easy or painless for everyone, it wouldn’t change the bottom-line problem that abortion kills children.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">27. “Abortion relieves women of stress and responsibility, and thereby enhances their psychological well-being.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">a. Research demonstrates abortion’s adverse psychological effects on women</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">b. The many postabortion therapy and support groups testify to the reality of abortion’s potentially harmful psychological effects.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">c. The suicide rate is significantly higher among women who have had abortions than among those who haven’t.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">d. Postabortion syndrome is a diagnosable psychological affliction.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">e. Many professional studies document the reality of abortion’s adverse psychological consequences on a large number of women.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">f. Abortion can produce both short- and longer-term psychological damage, especially a sense of personal guilt.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">g. Most women have not been warned about and are completely unprepared for the psychological consequences of abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">28. “Abortion providers are respected medical professionals working in the woman’s best interests.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">a. Abortion clinics do not have to maintain the high standards of health, safety, and professionalism required of hospitals.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">b. Many clinics are in the abortion industry because of the vast amounts of money involved.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">c. Clinic workers commonly prey on fear, pain, and confusion to manipulate women into getting abortions.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">d. Clinic workers regularly mislead or deceive women about the nature and development of their babies.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">e. Abortionists engage in acts so offensive to the public that most media outlets refuse to describe them even in the abortionist’s own words.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">f. Abortionists, feminists, a past president of the United States, many congressmen, and the Supreme Court have defended partial-birth abortion, one of the most chilling medical atrocities in human history.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">g. Abortion clinics often exploit the feminist connection, making it appear that their motive is to stand up for women.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">h. Doctors doing abortions violate the fundamental oaths of the medical profession.</span><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="color: #783f04;">Part Five: Arguments Concerning the Hard Cases</span></u></b><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;">29. “What about a woman whose life is threatened by pregnancy or childbirth?”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">a. It is an extremely rare case when abortion is required to save the mother’s life.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">b. When two lives are threatened and only one can be saved, doctors must always save that life.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">c. Abortion for the mother’s life and abortion for the mother’s health are usually not the same issue.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">d. Abortion to save the mother’s life was legal before convenience abortion was legalized and would continue to be if abortion were made illegal again.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;">30. “What about a woman whose unborn baby is diagnosed as deformed or handicapped?”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">a. The doctor’s diagnosis is sometimes wrong.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">b. The child’s deformity is often minor.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">c. Medical tests for deformity may cause as many problems as they detect.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">d. Handicapped children are often happy, always precious, and usually delighted to be alive.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">e. Handicapped children are not social liabilities, and bright and “normal” people are not always social assets.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">f. Using dehumanizing language may change our thinking, but not the child’s nature or value.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">g. Our society is hypocritical in its attitude toward handicapped children.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">h. The adverse psychological effects of abortion are significantly more traumatic for those who abort because of deformity.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">i. The arguments for killing a handicapped unborn child are valid only if they also apply to killing born people who are handicapped.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">j. Abortions due to probably handicaps rob the world of unique human beings who would significantly contribute to society.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">k. Abortions due to imperfections have no logical stopping place; they will lead to designer babies, commercial products to be bred and marketed, leaving other people to be regarded as inferior and disposable.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;">31. “What about a woman who is pregnant due to rape or incest?”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">a. Pregnancy due to rape is extremely rare, and with proper treatment can be prevented.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">b. Rape is never the fault of the child; the guilty party, not an innocent party, should be punished.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">c. The violence of abortion parallels the violence of rape.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">d. Abortion does not bring healing to a rape victim.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">e. A child is a child regardless of the circumstances of his conception.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">f. What about already-born people who are “products of rape”?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">g. All that is true of children conceived in rape is true of those conceived in incest.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Final Thoughts on the Hard Cases:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">1. No adverse circumstance for one human being changes the nature and worth of another human being.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">2. Laws must not be built on exceptional cases.</span><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="color: #660000;">Part Six: Arguments against the Character of Prolifers</span></u></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">32. “Antiabortionists are so cruel that they insist on showing hideous pictures of dead babies.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">a. What is hideous is not the pictures themselves, but the reality they depict.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">b. Pictures challenge our denial of the horrors of abortion. If something is too horrible to look at, perhaps it is too horrible to condone.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">c. Nothing could be more relevant to the discussion of something than that which shows what it really is.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">d. It is the prochoice position, not the prolife position, that is cruel.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">33. “Prolifers don’t care about women and they don’t care about babies once they’re born. They have no right to speak against abortion unless they are willing to care for these children.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">a. Prolifers are actively involved in caring for women in crisis pregnancies and difficult child-raising situations.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">b. Prolifers are actively involved in caring for unwanted children and the other “disposable people” in society.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">c. It is abortion providers who do not provide support for women choosing anything other than abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">34. “The antiabortionists are a bunch of men telling women what to do.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">a. There is no substantial difference between men and women’s views of abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">b. Some polls suggest that more women than men oppose abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">c. The great majority of prolife workers are women.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">d. If men are disqualified from the abortion issue, they should be disqualified on both sides.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">e. Men are entitled to take a position on abortion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">f. There are many more women in prolife organizations than there are in proabortion organizations.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">g. Of women who have had abortions, far more are prolife activists than prochoice activists.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">35. “Antiabortionists talk about the sanctity of human life, yet they favor capital punishment.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">a. Not all Prolifers favor capital punishment.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">b. Capital punishment is rooted in a respect for innocent human life.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">c. There is a vast difference between punishing a convicted murderer and killing an innocent child.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">36. “Antiabortion fanatics break the law, are violent, and bomb abortion clinics.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">a. Media coverage of prolife civil disobedience often bears little resemblance to what actually happens.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">b. Prolife civil disobedience should not be condemned without understanding the reasons behind it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">c. Peaceful civil disobedience is consistent with the belief that the unborn are human beings.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">d. Prolife protests have been remarkably nonviolent, and even when there has been violence, it has often been committed by clinic employees and escorts.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">e. Abortion clinic bombing and violence are rare, and are neither done nor endorsed by prolife organizations.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">37. “The antiabortionists distort the facts and resort to emotionalism to deceive the public.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">a. The facts themselves make abortion an emotional issue.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">b. It is not the prolife position, but the prochoice position that relies on emotionalism more than truth and logic.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">c. The prolife position is based on documented facts and empirical evidence, which many prochoice advocates ignore or distort.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">d. The prochoice movement consistently caricatures and misrepresents Prolifers and their agenda.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">e. The prochoice movement, from its beginnings, has lied to and exploited women, including the “Roe" of Roe v. Wade and the “Doe” of Doe v. Bolton.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">38. “Antiabortion groups hide behind a profamily façade, while groups such as Planned Parenthood are truly profamily because they assist in family planning.”</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">a. The prochoice movement’s imposition of “family planning” on teenagers has substantially contributed to the actual cause of teen pregnancy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">b. Through its opposition to parental notification and consent, Planned Parenthood consistently undermines the value and authority of the family.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">c. Planned Parenthood makes huge financial profits from persuading people to get abortions.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">d. Planned Parenthood has been directly involved in the scandals of trafficking baby body parts.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">e. As demonstrated in the case of Becky Bell, the prochoice movement is willing to distort and exploit family tragedies to promote its agenda.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">f. Planned Parenthood, the prochoice movement, and the media ignore family tragedies that do not support the prochoice agenda.</span><br />
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<b><u>Summary Argument</u></b><br />
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<b>39. “The last three decades of abortion rights have helped make our society a better place to live.”</b><br />
a. Abortion has left terrible holes in our society.<br />
b. Abortion has made us a nation of schizophrenics concerning our children.<br />
c. Abortion is a modern holocaust which is breeding unparalleled violence and to which we are accomplices.<br />
d. Abortion is taking us in a direction from which we might never return.<br />
e. Abortion has ushered in the brave new world of human pesticides.<br />
f. Abortion has led us into complete moral subjectivism in which we are prone to justify as ethical whatever it is we want to do.<br />
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For more in-depth discussion on these points, here are a couple links to purchase the updated book by Mr. Alcorn.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Life-Answers-Pro-Choice-Arguments-Expanded/dp/1576737519" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Life-Answers-Pro-Choice-Arguments-Expanded/dp/1576737519</a><br />
<a href="https://www.christianbook.com/prolife-answers-to-prochoice-arguments/randy-alcorn/9781576737514/pd/37519" target="_blank">https://www.christianbook.com/prolife-answers-to-prochoice-arguments/randy-alcorn/9781576737514/pd/37519</a><br />
<br />
Also, here is a link to his free eBook, "Why Pro Life?" on Care-Net.org.<br />
<a href="https://www.care-net.org/why-pro-life-by-randy-alcorn" target="_blank">https://www.care-net.org/why-pro-life-by-randy-alcorn</a><br />
<br />David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-21373164946106889262017-05-07T21:08:00.002-05:002017-05-08T10:03:25.020-05:00Bible Study for Youth: Acts 8-13<i>Well, I didn't get back to posting our Bible Studies like I had planned. We've had some great ones, though, and I hope to get some more posted soon. ["Soon", meaning, "no one really knows when, but it will happen one of these days". ;-) ] Here is a continuation of Acts.</i><br />
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<b>Chapter 8</b><br />
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1) Who was the magician in Samaria, ans how did he react to Phillip's preaching?<br />
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2) Scripture says that, although the Samaritan converts had been baptized, the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon them. How did they receive the Holy Spirit, and by whom?<br />
2a) Can you think of a Sacrament we have today, which is given after Baptism, where the Holy Spirit strengthens us to go out and bring the Gospel to others?<br />
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3) What did the magician try to do when he saw this?<br />
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4) How did Peter react? (Quote him in verse 20.)<br />
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5) When Philip asks the eunuch if he understands what he is reading, what is the eunoch's reply?<br />
5a) Was the eunoch an educated person? (See verse 27.)<br />
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6) After learning of Christ from Philip, what does the eunoch request in verse 36?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UsBXvyvGo0/WQ_SidHIAqI/AAAAAAAAAog/eFI8qiefjIIT0AZ8Fmnp2ZVGOVrTvNehgCLcB/s1600/RoadToDamacus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UsBXvyvGo0/WQ_SidHIAqI/AAAAAAAAAog/eFI8qiefjIIT0AZ8Fmnp2ZVGOVrTvNehgCLcB/s200/RoadToDamacus.jpg" width="152" /></a><br />
<b>Chapter 9</b><br />
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1) What are Christians referred to as being, during Saul's initial persecution? (See verse 2.)<br />
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2) Saul was obviously persecuting the early Christians and Christ's Church; but who does Jesus say that he is persecuting in verses 4-5?<br />
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3) What does Ananias do to Saul that he might regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit?<br />
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4) Who brought Saul to the Apostles?<br />
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5) Name 2 people for whom Peter performs a miracle in Chapter 9; and what did he do for them?<br />
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<b>Chapters 10-11</b> <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uvxm9dAtIiY/WQ_SipCeUMI/AAAAAAAAAok/kUTs2Bp0l0AVBguSQ7i9QYS_uUjpVYkSwCLcB/s1600/cornelius-peter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uvxm9dAtIiY/WQ_SipCeUMI/AAAAAAAAAok/kUTs2Bp0l0AVBguSQ7i9QYS_uUjpVYkSwCLcB/s320/cornelius-peter.jpg" width="198" /></a>1) What was Cornelius' reaction to seeing the angel, and who did the angel tell him to summon?<br />
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2) What was the main message of the vision shown to Peter? (See verses 15 and 28.)<br />
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3) While Peter is speaking, the Holy Spirit comes upon all who were listening, and Peter orders them all to be baptized. Were there many people, and who were they? (Verses 24, 27.)<br />
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4) How did the circumcized believers initially react to Peter visiting Gentiles? Did they change after Peter explained everything to them?<br />
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5) In what place were the believers first called "Christians"?<br />
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6) In whose care do the disciples send relief to those in Judea?<br />
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<b>Chapters 12-13</b><br />
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1) Who did the angel of the Lord free from prison prior to a trial for execution?<br />
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2) Describe how well he was guarded and secured on the night before his trial.<br />
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3) Did Herod have a peaceful and good death? What was he doing when he died?<br />
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4) Did the first century Christians fast? How do you know? (Acts 13: 1-3.)<br />
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5) What happened to the false prophet, and who prophesied that the hand of the Lord was upon the false prophet to make that happen?<br />
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6) To whom is Paul preaching in Acts 13: 13-41?<br />
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7) How did the Gentiles react when Paul rebuked the jealous Jews on the following sabbath?David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-55334910477514142142017-04-21T22:49:00.000-05:002017-04-21T22:49:59.766-05:00Where is Purgatory in the Bible?The question of purgatory is fairly common among inquiring non-Catholics and Catholic Christians alike. It can also be one of the most misunderstood. Some of the more common questions centered around the topic go like this:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fXuzWvqH_5I/WPepgI-nUSI/AAAAAAAAAoA/HbwIDp1c6JgCVP7-Efszq9DCzPz6mZEfQCLcB/s1600/Purgatory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fXuzWvqH_5I/WPepgI-nUSI/AAAAAAAAAoA/HbwIDp1c6JgCVP7-Efszq9DCzPz6mZEfQCLcB/s320/Purgatory.jpg" width="252" /></a>1) <b>Where is Purgatory in the Bible? I don't see it anywhere in the Scriptures.</b></div>
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2) <b>Isn't it just a man-made doctrine for those who want to make a way for sinful people to get to heaven, bypassing the work of the Cross?</b></div>
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3) <b>Is it supposed to be a second chance at heaven for people could not make it the first time around?</b></div>
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4) <b>If we can add to the work of Christ, by paying for "some" of our sins in purgatory,<br />
then why can we not pay for all of them, eventually, in hell, and at some future point in eternity, escape hell?</b></div>
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In order to answer the first question, I need to answer the third. Because what Purgatory is *not*, is certainly not in the Bible. But what it *is* is there as clear as day. And if you are only looking at what Purgatory *isn't*, it'd be pretty pointless to show you where it *is*. </div>
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<b>3)</b> Purgatory is *not* a second chance. It's also not a final place of existence that's somewhere between Heaven and Hell. It is not an alternative to hell, and it is not where someone can be forgiven from any sins. Purgatory, according to the Church that teaches it, is a purging or cleansing. It's for the saved who have already had their sins forgiven, are going to Heaven, but are not yet perfectly cleansed. It's the place or process whereby we are cleansed before entering into Heaven. Think of it like taking a bath before heading to your friend's wedding. Except, in this case, the wedding feast you are heading to is your Savior's. </div>
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“<span style="color: blue;">All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven</span>” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030).<br />
“<span style="color: blue;">The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned</span> ” (CCC 1031).<br />
“<span style="color: blue;">This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: 'Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.'[2Macc 12:46]</span>” (CCC 1032).<br />
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<b>1)</b> So, now that you know what Purgatory is *not*, and what it *is*, where is it in the Bible? The word "purgatory" isn't in the Bible, at least not that I know of, or without trying to translate back to the original languages. But the principle for it is there, quite clearly.<br />
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First of all, there is the explicit mention in 2Macc 12:46 of making atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin. "<i>But wait!</i>", you might say. "<i>My Bible doesn't have the books of Maccabees, so they aren't Scripture!</i>" Well, if your Bible doesn't have it, you have an incomplete Old Testament adopted by a 16th century Augustinian monk who decided to follow the same OT Canon as the people who rejected Christ as Savior...and still do. But, the Jews who converted to Christianity, as well as the first Christians from then on, all the way up to the 16th century, and to today, adopted the OT of the Greek speaking Jews, and it has the books of Maccabees (and some others, collectively known as the Deuterocanon). But I digress. Regardless of whether you accept 2Macc as the Word of God, it is explicit proof that the Jews believed in what Purgatory *is* (<em>some place or process where the just are purged from some effect of sin prior to entering into glory</em>). So, Purgatory is *not* a new invention, even if the word for it was not established at that time. (<em>No one is going to argue that the Holy Trinity didn't exist until we established that name for the Trinity, right? Except non-Trinitarians?</em>) <br />
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But, let's pretend you don't want to look at that, and you are only interested in some of the protestant translations that omit the Deuterocanon. "<em>Where *else* is Purgatory, or it's 'principle' </em>[I see you rolling your eyes]<em>, in the Bible?</em>" <br />
I'm glad you asked! <br />
Look at <b>2Samuel 12:13-14</b>, where David is punished for his sin AFTER he has been forgiven. Then go to <b>Heb 12:22-23</b>, where Paul tells us that there is a place or process by which the *spirits* of <i>just</i> men are <b>made perfect</b>. We also see in <b>1Cor 3:13-15</b> that there is a place where a <i>saved</i> man, *after he has died*, can suffer loss as through fire; and we know that, according to <b>Rev 21:27</b>, nothing unclean shall enter into Heaven.<br />
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Straight from the Bible, then, we see the Catholic principles for Purgatory: 1) Scripture shows us, explicitly, that a man can be punished for his sin AFTER he has been forgiven (<em>2Sam 12:13-18</em>). 2) Scripture tells us, explicitly, that there is a place where a man, after he has died, and is saved, can suffer loss as through fire (<em>1Cor 3:13-15</em>). 3) There is a place, or process, where the SPIRITS of *just* men are made perfect (<em>Heb 12:22-23</em>). 4) Nothing unclean can enter Heaven (<em>Rev 21:27</em>).<br />
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<i>Where is this place that Scripture tells us about</i>, where the SPIRITS of JUST men are made perfect; where a man, though he is saved, can suffer loss as through fire? <i>Is it Heaven?</i> No…we don’t suffer loss in Heaven. <i>Is it hell?</i> No….no one gets out of hell. The Church has given the name “Purgatory” to this place, or process, where our souls are made clean…because nothing unclean shall enter Heaven (<em>Rev 21:27</em>).<br />
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And let's not forget the Sermon on the Mount. In Mt 5:25-26 Jesus talks about making peace with your enemies, lest you be thrown in jail until you've paid the last penny. <br />
Is this talking about temporal prison? I don't think so. Is it talking about Hell? Not unless you think you can pay your way out of it. No, Hell is eternal. Still, regardless of whether you agree with my interpretation of Christ's Sermon at this point, the other passages above are clear as day. <br />
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<b>2)</b> We already looked at what Purgatory is *not*, and what it *is*, and the fact that it is clearly laid out for us in Scripture. So, no, it's not a man-made doctrine. It's a Christian reality. And it isn't for making a way for sinful people to get to Heaven. People get to Heaven by God's grace. Purgatory is just a final purification for those who are already going to Heaven, yet are still imperfectly purified. Purgatory doesn't bypass the Cross. That final cleansing is possible only <i>through</i> the Cross!<br />
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<b>4)</b> This goes back to what Purgatory *isn't*. We don't "pay" for sins in Purgatory. We are cleansed, or "purged", there as through fire; we are made perfect, just like Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians and in his letter to the Hebrews. You don't earn your way out of Purgatory. You go there to take a bath so you can be perfectly cleansed for Heaven, because nothing unclean can enter there (Rev 21:27). <br />
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<em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image source unknown</span></em> <br />
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<br />David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-87355803916037816092017-04-15T08:41:00.002-05:002017-04-18T08:43:35.807-05:00Is Ben Shapiro an Extreme, Judgmental Hypocrite?I'll be perfectly honest. Until yesterday I didn't even know who Ben Shapiro was. Of course, I also don't watch television, listen to the radio very much, and I am married with 5 children. So, I don't know who a lot of people are. And in reality, I still don't know much about him, except for the tidbits that people have shown me in the past couple days. Here's what I DO know. Based on the little that was given to me, he has not said anything extreme, judgmental, or hypocritical enough for people to call him such. <br />
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I moderate a couple FB pages, and one of the administrators of one of those pages posted a 4-minute video of Mr. Shapiro defending a baby's right to life.<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/203805062990264/videos/1352253278145431/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE" target="_blank">LINK to original VIDEO source</a><br />
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No sooner that it was posted did people start rebuking his message. And it wasn't just pro-abortion folks doing so. It was pro-life Catholics. So, I decided I had better watch the video and find out what he said that had them in an uproar. After watching, I went to one of the more vocal members to find out what she found so problematic, because I just wasn't seeing it.<br />
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Dave: "I think it's rather premature and rash to say that the guy is a hypocrite if we are just basing the judgment on this video. Everything he said was in the context of live oral debate, spoken "off the cuff". This was not a rehearsed video; not a written defense of the pro-life message. It was open debate. So, did he say anything hypocritical or contrary to the faith? I found 2 points worthy of addressing:<br />
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1) While agreeing that the perpetrator of rape should be punished for the crime, instead of punishing the unborn child, he included the verbiage, "[the rapist] should be...killed...". Obviously that statement, taken apart from the context of debate, is not in conformity with the Catholic faith, and isn't, per se, "pro life". As Catholics, we believe in due process and in reserving the death penalty for the most extreme circumstances which are rather a rarity today. Seems like this guy should understand that, right? So, as a "<i>practicing Catholic who knows about the faith</i>", *I* (and those crying out "hypocrite") would follow that part of the faith noted in <a href="http://scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a8.htm#2477" target="_blank">paragraph 2477-2478 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, regarding rash judgment</a>, and not immediately assume he meant that literally, that it was stated "off the cuff", and ask him to clarify/explain his actual position. It may well be that he really believes what he said and is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. But given the situation (open and "off-the-cuff" debate), I doubt that.<br />
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2) While empathizing with raped women who are in dire straights, and simultaneously emphasizing that killing a baby does not make bad situations become good, he said something vague about a woman having a right to choose in such-n-such a circumstance. It was unclear what he meant by that, in the smaller context of that brief statement. However, in the larger context of defending an unborn person's right to life, I don't see how it could be construed that he meant it is sometimes okay to purposefully kill a baby, and instead I would think that he meant that it is okay to treat a disease, even in a rare case that the treatment could cause the baby's death. This is in conformity with the Catholic faith. <br />
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Was there anything I missed?"<br />
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Kate B.C. - " <span style="color: blue;">I have followed and shared "Share Catholic" for quite awhile and really enjoy it. However, the post that was shared by Share Catholic made me sad because it shared an extremist's point of view on abortion. What we're really missing here is the fact that Mr. Shapiro can pass judgment and that is what caused me to even reply in the first place. I was taught that it was God's place to make that judgment. In the end, pro life is pro life and if we truly believe this, we wouldn't make "off the cuff" remarks/judgment that a person should be killed for the act he/she committed upon another person.</span>"<br />
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Dave: "Kate B.C., I'm not sure what makes him an extremist in the video. Is it that he said there is never a time when we can purposefully intend to kill an unborn child? That's not "extreme", it's solid Catholic doctrine. I'm not aware of anything else he said that was strongly stated one side or the other. And he DID allow for treatment of an ill mother [with cancer] where treatments might cause the unintended death of the baby. Again, not extreme, and in-line with Catholic doctrine.<br />
Neither did I see him pass judgment on anyone. The scenario given by the lady debating him was not real. It was a pretend scenario involving a rapist. It isn't judging to acknowledge what someone has done and hold them accountable. So, where are you seeing him pass judgment?<br />
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Furthermore, who are you to judge what a true pro-lifer will or won't say? You can't call someone judgmental while simultaneously judging their degree of "pro-life" based upon your own personal standards without becoming a hypocrite yourself, can you?"<br />
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Jake C. - "<span style="color: #274e13;">Ben Shapiro supports the death penalty.</span>"<br />
<a href="http://ktth.com/2014/02/12/shapiro-confronts-aclu-death-penalty-moratorium-celebration/" target="_blank">LINK to ARTICLE</a><br />
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Dave: "Jake C., why does that matter and how does it support what Kate B.C. said? The Church supports the death penalty in the same rare circumstances as Mr. Shapiro, and that's hardly an extreme position given its rarity. <br />
And putting a dangerous criminal to death is NOT the same as killing an innocent child who has done nothing wrong, so his position is not hypocritical. And it's not judgmental to hold someone accountable for what they have done, so it's not judgmental. Did I miss something?"<br />
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Apparently, at that point, the group Administrator became uncomfortable with the debate, because all commenting was removed and the ability to make subsequent comments was turned off. I can't say I blame her in one regard, because that particular page was never intended for debate, or even discussion. It's mainly just for sharing pictures and memes with the message of Christ. The posts were eventually restored and conversation commenced again, but there was never an answer to my questions, and there was never anything provided by those who were calling Mr. Shapiro a hypocrite that actually showed him to be one. The fact is, a man defended the right to life of babies in their mothers' wombs. He was called a hypocrite for an off-the-cuff remark about killing a criminal while defending the right to life of an innocent baby under the Pro-Life banner. He was called judgmental for recognizing personal accountability for our actions. And he was called extreme for...I don't actually know why...his position as actually stated was in conformity with Christian moral theology. Ben Shapiro doesn't appear to be any of the things he was accused of. He appears to be Catholic. And in our current age of moral depravity, that's probably the worst crime he can commit. <br />
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EDIT: One of my beloved readers pointed out to me that Ben Shapiro is actual Orthodox Jew, not Christian. What a great irony! That makes the argument against him, by the Catholics who were arguing, even more ridiculous. "<i>Shame on that Orthodox Jew for sounding Christian while saying something Catholic that I disagree with!</i>"David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511169919755872956.post-86214828185707472017-02-18T09:08:00.004-06:002017-05-08T09:02:44.203-05:00Coming Home to Holy Eucharist: Rob's TestimonyThe most powerful witness to a Christian's faith is his/her personal testimony. Personal testimony is probably the most effective way to evangelize...to bring Christ to others. Rob's testimony is one of many I have heard, and he is enthusiastic about sharing it. So much so, in fact, that he requested I use his real name in this post.<br />
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Rob Gwisdala was born to a Catholic father and a Protestant mother in a time when the Church had started to focus so heavily on ecumenism that it practically forgot about catechesis. Education of the faith, and preparation for the Sacraments, after all, is primarily the role of parents. But in an age when the Church was offering these faith formation classes to young children, it forgot to emphasize to parents the primary importance of teaching the faith at home. Parents figured the Church would take care of it, and the Church assumed parents were doing what parents were supposed to be doing...and by the 1990's, droves of young Catholic adults left the Church because they knew practically nothing of the faith in which they were supposed to have been raised. Yet, Rob didn't even get that far in his youth.<br />
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"<b>I am supposed to be Catholic, after all</b>", recounts Rob, recalling the faith of his father. "<b>My parents married outside of the Catholic Church. They divorced after 5 years of marriage [and] my mother raised me Protestant. Unfortunately, My father never insisted on raising me Catholic.</b>" Instead, Rob grew up in a series of protestant traditions. "<b>I was United Church Of Christ before 1996, but I was not baptized and not involved in my faith. From 1996 - 2001, I was United Methodist, and it was during that time that I was baptized by sprinkling in June 1997. I prayed the "Sinner's Prayer" and I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior in May 1997. I was Baptist from 2001 - 2011 and was baptized a 2nd time by immersion in May 2002. I did not practice my faith from 2011 - 2014. I started researching the Catholic Church in 2014 and I started practicing my faith again. I used to be VERY Anti-Catholic. It is by the Grace of God that my eyes were opened to the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit called me to the Catholic Church.</b>"<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pgj8A1tN5k4/WRB6X6bAJ_I/AAAAAAAAApA/1zPOsj6iO0wK23FX_4m_du_-b3foyABpACLcB/s1600/ArgentinaMiracle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pgj8A1tN5k4/WRB6X6bAJ_I/AAAAAAAAApA/1zPOsj6iO0wK23FX_4m_du_-b3foyABpACLcB/s1600/ArgentinaMiracle.jpg" /></a></div>
I asked Rob if there was anything in particular that made him want to look into the Catholic faith, given his previous anti-Catholic view. "<b>I just started studying the Catholic Church on my own. The main reason is the Holy Eucharist. It is an actual means of Grace. It is not a symbol. I was so blind for many years and I finally found the truth.</b>" Rob continued, "<b>I was digging in the Bible and on the Catholic Answers website. The evangelical/fundamentalist beliefs and doctrines do not hold water. I found out that Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide are false. I also found out that the sacraments are God's means of Grace. I also did research on the CatholicBible101 website.</b>" After much study, he came to the realization that "<b>Jesus Christ is present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in Holy Communion.</b>"<br />
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Rob concluded his comments with a request for prayers from all his Christian brothers and sisters: "<b>I am currently in the RCIA program at my local parish that is in communion with the Pope. I hope to be received into the Catholic Church in Easter 2017. I am a former United Methodist and a former Baptist. Please pray for me. I am so happy to be coming home to the Catholic Church in Easter 2017.</b>"<br />
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Rob, you bet we will pray for you, and I hope you pray for me, too!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo of the Eucharistic Miracle in Argentina.</span></i><br />
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<br />David Mantheihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023682595579388008noreply@blogger.com1