An impending religious persecution in Canada? & Legal warning to church on gay stance [Ireland]

Enter Stage Right/ The Irish Times ^ | 8/4/03 | Pete Vere & Liam Reid

[concerned about politics]

1 Thessalonians 4:15-16

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ WILL RISE FIRST.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each one in their own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His COMING,

[CanadianFella]

Displays of the Baby Jesus on Public Property during Christmas Season? Verboten!

Why stop there, how about a copy of the Koran in every townhall in the nation every Ramadan.

[ultima ratio]

This is the final result of the steady weakening of the Church's stature in the modern world--more of the bitter fruit of Vatican II and this pope's naivete.

[Spirited]

"I'd hate to go to judgement knowing I blew it on the single most important issue of my generation. Especially as an ordained minister of the Church.

Easy to see from Scripture and from current events that there will have been a whole lot of that going on. Judas Goats ......lead you neither through the "strait gate" nor the "narrow way" where the biblical "few that find it" "must needs" go....

The old saying, "safety in numbers" rarely applies to spiritual concepts. Spiritual discernment has become a rare treasure and an obvious necessity. If we lack it we are wise to ask for it "If any man lack wisdom...." The churched seem to be deaf, dumb and blind these days but "The Church" is aware and walking in victorious faith.

Thank you for your posts, Polycarp. Many of us find them essential to our prayer "fodder" in particular. When you fulfill the role of the "Watchman on the wall" you may expect to be sniped at. The "shield of faith" is the prescribed remedy because Our Lord walked this way before you.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

So It Begins (in earnest).

[ninenot]

PJBuchanan has been saying for years that we will get Western Canada as another State (maybe 2 states...)

[ninenot]

Well--in the next few days I will secure another few boxes of .45 hardball. We may go down, but it will be one very interesting few days.

Remember the Warsaw Ghetto!!!

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

I am going to take issue with that. Yes, a few diocese have "gay outreach" programs, those bishops are in trouble. Those bishops are not fullfilling their God given duty to lead His flock, they will be judged accordingly.

Yes, those priests who while using their office preyed on those whom it was their duty to protect, will be judged. But they aren't the Church.

The push for Gay Marriage was hardly started in The Church. The push for full rights for Gays was hardly started in The Church. Rather elements on that movement infiltrated The Church. Some of the reforms of Vatican II enabled that infiltration; as Pope Paul VI said, "The Devil has entered the Church, there is smoke around the altar." But the Church has not and will not fall, the Church is fighting back. You accuse the Catholic Church of causing this problem, look over at the Anglican Communion, look at the Methodist Church, some of the Lutheran Churchs, look at PCUSA.

We might have awoken a little late to the problem, but we will beat it back. Rather this problem is born of a world that has turned its back on God.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Nor is Bishop Plouffe, like some fundamentalist Baptist ministers I have encountered since moving to the United States, encouraging his flock to picket homosexual funerals with "God hates Fags" placards.

ONE minister (Phelps) DOES NOT an entire denomination make.

[aimhigh]

"...and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come."

Persecution is never considered wrath. Wrath deals with condemnation, not persecution or testing. If God raptures the church to avoid persecution, they He would be violating the precepts in 1 Peter, which teach the blessings of persecution. Would God keep us from such blessings? The Church in China expected the rapture in '48 but got the Communist persecution instead.

The church needs to prepare for persecution. Otherwise it will stumble.

[aimhigh]

Would it be fair to say that this trend is a side effect of sola scriptura?

To the contrary, Catholic nations and atates choose more liberal leaders. Look at the Northeast US.

[sspxsteph]

Everybody on this ping list could well face prison or execution for their religious beliefs in another fifteen years.

Sounds like Martyrdom...

[Polycarp]

Drop the victim routine, it's unbecoming.

I'm an agnostic,

As if that weren't a forgone conclusion from your first line above.

You're a fool if you think the SCOTUS decision in Lawrence hasn't already overturned the will of over 60% of Americans opposing legitimization of fudgepacking.

[Polycarp]

Thank you for your post. I needed that today.

[Polycarp]

Remember the Warsaw Ghetto!!!

Ain't it great to be Catholic?!? No pacifism in OUR ghetto!

[Polycarp]

I am going to take issue with that.

Thanks. I knew I couldn't do it in charity, so I ignored it.

[jimt]

Unless Democrats regain power and our sovernty is handed over the the UN (Under the leadership of the comming anti-Christ, of course. He arrives as a Man of peace, love, and flower power. He will decieve many through his lieing tongue.)

While I agree worrying about the 'rats is important, keep an eye on the Republicans as well. I could make a case that some of the measures passed are "demonic", even though it's not the 'rats doing it.

[Polycarp]

ONE minister (Phelps) DOES NOT an entire denomination make.

DITTOS! Amen.

Ah, could you remind "concerned about politics" that neither do the crimes and sins of a small minority of Catholic clerics an entire denomination make.

[jimt]

You're a fool if you think the SCOTUS decision in Lawrence hasn't already overturned the will of over 60% of Americans opposing legitimization of fudgepacking.

Actually the majority of Americans did not support the sodomy laws, and 60% of them did not support gay marriage. My language was imprecise. De-criminalizing it doesn't "legitimize" it. Allowing state sanctioned "gay marriage" certainly would.

As to my being a fool, you're right. I should have known you like being a victim, and want to be persecuted. I have met many religious folks like that, although most of them were Jewish, not Christian. At the church where I attended and taught Sunday school for many years, it wasn't popular.

[jwalsh07]

Why stop there, how about a copy of the Koran in every townhall in the nation every Ramadan.

Why indeed? Why not in fact ban all religious symbols on or about the public square. That would at least be totally consistent with the Marxian view of the first amendments free exercise clause, right?