Posted on 06/08/2003 6:35:26 AM PDT by TaxRelief
Actually, there is some mental and emotional preparation that must be done if we are going to be ready to deal with the difficulties that we will face when free speech is limited to PC speech, when all religion is considered unlawful and when families and people who believe in families are labeled "traditionalist nut-cases".
The Catholic Church does not recognize Mejurorje (in fact, there have been some episcopal condemnations of these apparitions) or Vassula, and allows the charismatic movement so long as it does not challenge Church doctrine or authority.
"By their fruits you will know them." The only ones gaining anything from all this Rapture nonsense are those who are writing books about it and making television appearances.
I happen to think that Jesus' words about "harming the little ones" also apply to those "in the know" who lead the gullible astray.
There are no more insufferable people in the world than the "anointed" who know what's best for you and how you ought to live your life.
So what if the charismatic movement doesn't challenge church authority if it is in error.
I know you didn't mean to put it this way, but the message I have been getting is so long as it is a little deception and doesn't challenge church authority, it won't hurt anybody and even is good for the church.
And there are plenty of priests writing books about other nonsense and getting money for it. Three days of darkness. Fire in the spirit. The antichrist. Some of it may be true. The point is, priests are trafficking in peoples' credulity, too, and making a lot of money with their books.
And I agree with you that it is very wrong to lead people astray. But some of them don't know they are leading people astray so they are invincibly (Sp?) ignorant and off the hook. According to catholic teaching.
I think it is a good thing when bishops try to straighten out catholics who tend to go astray and I don't mean to criticize them for doing well. It just seems like too little too late.
We know not the hour or the day, but that every day must glorify God, we must repent our sins (not just once, but repeatedly) and constantly strive to live in accordance with the Commandments of God.
The Church believes, as outlined in the Catechism:
675. "Before Christ's SECOND COMING the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.[Cf. Lk 18:8 ; Mt 24:12 .] The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth[Cf. Lk 21:12 ; Jn 15:19-20 .] will unveil the 'mystery of iniquity' in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.[Cf. 2 Th 2:4-12 ; 1 Th 5:2-3 ; 2Jn 7 ; 1Jn 2:1 8, 22 .]"After the Second Coming, everyone will have eternal life or eternal death
God bless.
Catholic teaching does align with the Bible, and I'll elaborate further when I get back from Mass.
God bless.
...of when "Heaven and earth shall pass away". But three sentences earlier, we are told, "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors..."
One second closer than before...
I found the Left Behind series tedious, poorly written and perhaps a bit of a distraction to doing God's work. I fear that some Christians are more worried about countdowns and predicting when the rapture will happen than doing our work on earth.
That being said, I know we are called to be aware, and alert, but that is not our primary calling.
I like it, that's what I am but never knew the name!
Is it your usual MO to use strawman arguments and then disagree with your strawman? Hahahaha
Left behind is aweful Theology and worse literature, all it has done is make the LeHaye's wealthy in the here and now
That being said I do not believe in book bannings (for adults).
Instead of giving it the appearance of "forbidden fruit" and having some read it that never might have been interested before. The Bishop should have suggested a series of sermons or Bible studies on the book of Revelation and Daniel .That would have been an affirmative defense to the books.
Many years ago a pastor of a church that I was attending told the members not to buy a certain book. I nearly broke my neck to get out to get it on Monday. Of course the reason he did not want people to read it was not high minded (he was mentioned unfavorably in it)
My daughter and daughter in laws have read it..it is now a cultural marker like visiting Disney.
The bottom line is that good teaching from the pulpit will end specualtion.
Nobody saw the outright collapse of society's morality forty years ago, nor the near-total collapse of the Church along with it.
We are going to see things over the next forty years that the most wild-eyed of apocalpyticists would have thought too farfetched.
The End Times may not be around the corner, but I don't blame people for thinking that way.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.