Judge Bork, baptized at 76

U.S. News & World Report ^ | 7/22/03 | Paul Bedard With David LaGesse

[nickcarraway]

It may be a little late to start for most, but Robert Bork, the former Supreme Court nominee who has written books decrying the decline of Western culture, has just been baptized. Rev. C. John McCloskey, who represents the conservative and activist Opus Dei arm of the Roman Catholic Church and oversaw the baptism, said, "I can confirm that he was received in the Catholic Church." Bork, a scholar with the conservative American Enterprise Institute, was raised a Protestant and had called himself a "generic Protestant." He was known more for his conservative legal views, which some Democrats used to shoot down his court nomination during the Reagan administration.

In a brief interview, he said that years of "conversations and reading" led him to baptism at McCloskey's small Catholic Information Center chapel on K Street near the White House. "There's more to talk about than you can put in a brief story." He called himself a regular Catholic who attends Sunday mass, not an Opus Dei member.

He said talks with and recommendations from the priest, as well as attending church with his wife, Mary Ellen Bork, a former nun, helped pave the way to the ceremony.

Bork's sponsors were Kate O'Beirne, a conservative media star, and John O'Sullivan, head of UPI.

Lots of other prominent Catholics were there, such as columnist and speechwriter Peggy Noonan, herself a convert.

McCloskey has made several other high-level conversions of conservatives, bringing into the Catholic Church conservative columnist Robert Novak and Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.

The best part of getting baptized at 76, said Bork: "If you get baptized at my age, all of your sins are forgiven. And that's very helpful."

According to Archdiocese of Washington Communications Director Susan Gibbs, Msgr. William Awalt, the longtime pastor of the Borks, baptized the judge, confirmed him and gave him First Communion. Father McCloskey celebrated the Mass, along with Msgr. Peter Vaghi, pastor of St. Patrick's.

[BibChr]

See 315.

[BibChr]

What a silly reply, so embarrassing to you. Read the posting immediately before yours.

I feel genuine pity for folks like you, who feel themselves blood-bound to defend a monstrous, indefensible, manmade institution, at literally all costs. Oh, that you'd come to know the joy of life in Christ!

Dan

[BibChr]

Of course no sarcasm.

Dan

[Concerned]

CHEWBACCA WROTE: "Just because you are baptised doesn't mean your sins are forgiven...Did he ask Jesus into his heart to be his personal Lord and saviour and forgive him of his sins?"

THORONDIR RESPONDED TO CHEWBACCA: "What an inane post. An adult who goes to be baptized into the body of Christ must certainly be asking Jesus into his heart."

"Must certainly?" Getting baptized does NOT necessarily mean that someone is (or has become) a Christian. It just means they were baptized. Please see John 3:16---it says NOTHING about getting baptized as a prerequisite of becomming a Christian. Indeed, if such were the case, then the thief who died with Jesus on the cross and chose to believe that Jesus was his Saviour---at his LAST BREATH---would NOT be saved. Yet JESUS HIMSELF said the thief would be joining Him that day in paradise---(WITHOUT baptism first).

Some people get baptized because it is "the thing to do" or "it's their time in life."

THORONDIR ADDED: "Your post is nothing more than a standard prepared anti-Catholic attack based on heretical wack-job theology. Just cut it out. Nobody needs your anti-Catholic baiting."

Chewbacca's comment is neither Catholic nor Protestant---it is BIBLICAL.

[Thorondir]

Chewbacca's comment is neither Catholic nor Protestant---it is BIBLICAL.

LOL! It was Catholics who wrote the New Testament and Pope St. Damasus who pulled those exact writings out of the mass of CATHOLIC writings of the time (the 300s) and declared them to be the word of God. And the Vatican still owns those ancient documents. So don't even try to separate the holy Bible from the One True Catholic and Apostolic Curch. The Bible belongs to the Church, not to heretics.

[BSunday]

ask Jesus into his heart to be his personal Lord and saviour

Will you show me where in the Bible this is? I assume you are talking about the so called sinners prayer, which has no basis in scripture.

Also, if it was by the Catholics, who believe in sprinkling, then it wasn't really a baptism (immersion), was it?

[BibChr]

Actually, post 172 pretty well already answered your question.

And the difference is literally that between Heaven and Hell. If salvation is won partly by efforts, works, rituals on our part, then it is not (as the Bible says) by grace alone, through faith alone, so that all the glory goes to God alone.

Whether our works are a cause of salvation, however large or small, or a result of salvation, is the difference between a false, damning, heretical non-Gospel, and the saving Gospel of Christ found in the Bible (Galatians 1:8-10).

Now Judge Bork gets wet, and chucklingly praises the water for rinsing off his sin. I can't see anyone HONESTLY saying that this in any way indicates a man captivated by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ, poor in spirit and broken by conviction of his sin, overflowing with joyous gratitude to the Triune God for the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, saving him by God's sheer grace.

And, to your last question, as James and Paul both indicate, a faith which does not RESULT IN works and obedience is not saving faith. A believer will obey; if he doesn't, he has "faith," not faith.

Dan

[PFKEY]

Many people struggle over the notion of grace, faith and works. I list them in that order because that is indeed how they work.

Saved by grace through faith shown by works.

This is no great insight on my part or your part just a simple reading of scripture.

As you know it's all in there.

[BibChr]

Saved by grace through faith shown by works

If I am understanding you correctly — and communication is a tricky thing! — I would certainly agree. I can't agree that it isn't a great insight, though, in the sense of a weighty or significant one; it certainly has eluded the RCC, whose formal position is to oppose that Biblical statement vehemently. And yes indeed, I totally agree with your words: it is "just a simple reading of scripture." Which is why the RCC is bound and determined to discourance and belittle the "simple [i.e. not controlled by the Magisterium] reading of scripture."

Dan

[PaulZe]

You are hilarious in your ignorance. I haven't changed the subject one iota nor have i been proven wrong. You simply refuse to answer any of my questions. You believe the earth is flat... how ignorant is that? You refuse to address that issue scripturally. Which account of the creation is the correct one... the one that begins at Gen 1:1 or the one that starts are Gen 2:4b.?

Which account of the birth of Jesus is the correct one... the one in Matthew or the one in Luke?

There is a wonderful account of the very first ecumenical council of the Catholic Church in Acts 15. Now why would St. Paul need a letter from the apostles in order to be sent on his mission to the gentiles if all he needed was faith? And while we are at it why would "regulations" be imposed on the gentiles if all they needed was faith?

"You must perceive that a person is justified by his works and not by faith alone" ( James 2:24)

Do you believe slavery is immoral? There is nothing in the new testament condemning slavery. Yet if I dare ask Mary, the mother of Jesus, to pray for me I'm guilty of Idolatry and going to hell ( according the the gospel of Dan)

Since you think im not a Christian nor read the Bible what do you think of Russian and Greek Orthodox or Lutherans and Episcopalians? Are they not Christians either? Or is your ire only directed at Catholics?

I don't expect you to answer any of these questions. One because you can't and two because you are too blinded by your own prejudice to be open to the possibility that you in fact may be mistaken in your understanding of us Catholics. The bottom line is being we are Freepers and are probably on same side politically 95 percent of the time. It is a shame you have such a blind spot to Catholics.

[BibChr]

For anyone keeping score at home:

Post 274 -- PaulZe makes silly, un-Biblical inference
Post 276 -- he is flat refuted, period
Post 295 -- PaulZe changes subject
Post 316 -- evasion noted
Post 330 -- PaulZe brays, bloviates, and perverts God's Word to prop up sect and divert attention from his folly

Most revealing.

Dan

[PaulZe]

figures..... no answer....lolololol.....
Post 331 Dan pontificates and pseudo-intellectualizes to deflect attention from his own ignorance.

The only perverter of God's Word is you. And of course no reply whatsoever to my logically phrased and BIBLICAL questions.

Most revealing indeed. By the way the earth is round in case you didnt notice.

"You must perceive that a person is justified by his works and not by faith alone." (James 2:24) (or is this a passage you conveniently choose to ignore?)

[BibChr]

I'm a Christian. I stand on God's word alone, by His grace alone, to His glory alone.

That's the difference between us.

Dan

[PaulZe]

I am a Catholic and much more in tune with God's word than you will ever be...and I am eternally grateful to God for the gift of faith and the power of grace that allows me to say that Jesus is Lord.

Show me your faith without works, and I will show you the faith that underlies my works.

That is the difference between us.

[graycamel]

I don't remember. I got tired of Free Republic so I've been off for 2 weeks. I'm back.

[BibChr]

Yes, and a wonderful testimony to Rome you've borne: slandering the very Word of God for your master, never admitting even the smallest of the grave errors you've committed, twisting facts and logic to serve yourself and your sect. I'm entirely content to let the public witness speak.

Nothing good can or will ever come your way by your arrogant abuse of God's word, and I pray you will repent. And yet all along, as you've perverted God's Word and puffed up your chest and issued your hollow "LOL's," you've done nothing but bear it out, again and again:

If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.
(Proverbs 29:9)

Your folly in mocking the Word is one in which you'll never find real joy. Abandon it, I plead.

Dan

[PaulZe]

You are sooo sad...i pray God forgives you for your arrogance.
You refuse to recognize how wrong you are. Your silence speaks volumes. I have refuted your nonsense time and again and you reply with silence and arrogant self righteousness.

Gen Chapter 1 a simple reading of the text would lead one to the conclusion the earth is flat....Dan's reply...silence.

Acts chapter 15 refuting with the very Word of God that it is the Church that gave authority to St. Paul to preach to the Gentiles.....Dan's reply.....silence.

"You must perceive that a person is justified by his works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24) nothing could more clearly refute the faith alone doctrine that you espouse than that........Dan's reply...silence.

The letter to Philemon..about Onesemus the slave. A prime example that by "simply" reading scripture without exegesis we would have to conclude that slavery is moral and not condemned by the Word of God...Dan's reply to the whole idea of the morality of slavery in Scripture.....silence.

All of your ranting and ravings about Rome cannot cover over the fact that you are guilty of one of the most grevious of sins....a self-righteous and arrogant attitude of superiority who looks down your nose at anyone who disagrees with you, especially if that person is Catholic.

I prefer to cast my lot with the publican and say to my Lord, "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner...For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled while he who humbles himself shall be exalted." (Luke 18: 13-14)

[BibChr]

Rome's slaves always think it's incredibly arrogant for a Christian to stand on God's word.

But the comfort, as your troubled, rambling, unfocused, angry-at-God postings witness, is hollow; and the benefits are nil.

Nothing external holds you to Rome and from the grace of God in Christ. Won't you come?

Dan

[mdmathis6]

Well I hope my opinionated rantings didn't drive you off...I should be sorry if they did!