'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | 12/4/2006 | John-Henry Westen

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for your encouragements!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Great post.

He was free to leave an evil institution and preach God's Word.

In fact, Luther was compelled by the Holy Spirit to leave and preach God's word.

[kosta50]

I think God has a different viewpoint. He says if one even thinks about another woman (man) lustfully, s/he sins

No, it's actually "look upon a woman with a view to desire her has committed adultery already" is what the original Greek text says.

It's not the desire itself but the object of that desire that is adulterous (coveting someone else's spouse). Not looking once, but twice, three times, or more...going back for more of the wrong desire is sin, even if that desire is manifested by looks, or expressed only in thought/fantasy.

The Greek word used is epiqumew which is the same word used in the rest of the NT, such as "with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." [1 Pet 1:12]

Surely the angels here are not committing the sin although the word used is exactly the same word used by +Matthew.

[kosta50]

But I would make one other comment on fleeting thoughts. They can vary with our spiritual condition

By all means. Dwelling on covetous thoughts is as good as doing them. Those who are spiritually mature will reject such fleeting images and immediately repent; those who are not will dwell, and continue to look and desire.

[kosta50]

Hmm, some of the words are the same, but not all, and the construction is different--in fact, Sha'ul's is actually closer to the Hebrew in word order

Well, like the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), there is evidence that Jewish canon was not uniform. The same is true of the New Testament.

There are significant differences between the Hebrew version (MT) and the Greek version (LXX), as well as DSS.

+Paul was a Pharisee and he probably didn't even see LXX until he started to preach to the Greek-speaking Jews and later on to the Greeks themselves. But, then +Paul is an enigmatic figure and a subject of much debate and even hate and discontent on this thread, so will leave it at that.

Fact remains that the LXX is the backbone of the NT. If it's good enough for the Apostles, it's good enough for the Apostolic Church.

[Alamo-Girl]

It is therefore presumptious to rely on mercy when there is something for us to do, -- unlike the Good Thief, we are not, generally speaking, nailed to anything.

Expecting mercy and being obedient are not mutually exclusive when a person loves God with all his heart, mind, soul, strength and understanding (Matt 22).

However, if he is self-serving then the two could be mutually exclusive – but in that case, he would have bigger problems.

[Alamo-Girl]

.. maybe its just the organization I am offended at..

Perhaps that is why you refer to all religious organizations as "clubs?"

[Alamo-Girl]

Amen!

[hosepipe]

[ Perhaps that is why you refer to all religious organizations as "clubs?" ]

Are they not clubs?.. There is only one Bride of Christ.. one church..

[Alamo-Girl]

Works done for obligation or for reward is very clearly described as not salvific in Romans and Galatians -- we don't have any dispute with St. Paul on that score.

And here we have an irreconcilable difference because I aver that if anyone - anyone - ever was good enough ("works") to get into heaven then Christ died for nothing.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. - Gal 2:21

[Alamo-Girl]

There would be no reason in the world absent the Logos -- the Son, the Word of the Beginning, the Alpha and the Omega, the sacrificial Lamb of God, who paid the penalty for human sin thus giving each one of us a new start in the Life of the Spirit of God, mediator and comforter, so to be restored to our Father in the Holy Name of His Son: As the proverb of the Prodigal Son details, in the Body of Christ born of Christian Love ("born again" and ever renewed in faith, hope, and charity).

Beautifully said, my dearest sister in Christ!

[Alamo-Girl]

Are they not clubs?.. There is only one Bride of Christ.. one church..

And only one body of Christ.

I prefer to call the various confessions and churches "assemblies." Of course, every time we get together and talk about Christ on the forum, that too is an assembly.

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. - Matt 18:18-20

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you oh so very much for sharing your insights!

[hosepipe]

[ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. - Matt 18:18-20 ]

Exactly..

[HarleyD]

"Lust is sinful no matter who for by whom. They're two separate issues."

The Vatican's position on homosexuality is that until the act is commited then it is not sinful. This contradicts the scriptures which, as you seemingly agree, is sinful before being acted upon.

[HarleyD]

What D-fender said (6784). A heterosexual who is aroused by a member of an opposite sex and not his spouse is not sinning; he is merely being a healthy human being.

Sorry but that's nonsense and directly contradicts scripture and what our Lord Jesus stated. Sin is a condition of the heart-not the acting out. Can you provide me with a SCRIPTURAL verse that would show otherwise?

Likewise, a homosexual aroused by some situations is simply being what he is.

Jam 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

By the time lust has been conceived it is already too late. Lust gives birth to sin. The Church's position is total appeasement to the gay community.

[.30Carbine]

they also made their own translations from the Hebrew text

Indeed, the Word lived in them!

(PS - I'm praising the Glorious Giver for your good abilities, for this display of them, of Him.)

[.30Carbine]

Amen!

[Buggman]

Well, like the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), there is evidence that Jewish canon was not uniform.

Actually, according to Josephus it was pretty well settled at 22 books (combining certain books, such as the Twelve Minor Prophets, together as single volumes) by the first century (Against Apion, 1.8), which would leave out the Apocrypha. This is substantiated not only from the Apostolic Scriptures (the NT), which never cite the Apocrypha as Scripture, but also from the witness of Philo, Ben Sira, the authors of the Maccabees, Hillel, and Shemmai, which also never cite the Apocrypha as Scripture!

The DSS can't be used to establish normative canon, since in addition to a number of apocryphal works which no current body of the Ekklesia accepts as canon (e.g., the Book of Enoch), they also contain personal letters, practices and standards of the Qumram group, and non-canonical commentaries on the Scriptures. It'd be like finding a Bible with a copy of Irenaeus' Against Heresies, Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, and the "Gospel" of Peter and assuming that just because they were found with the acknowledged Scriptures that those who collected them believed the latter three to be canon as well!

The same problem occurs when trying to cite collections of the LXX from the fourth or fifth century as establishing the normative canon of the Tanakh from the first.

If it's good enough for the Apostles, it's good enough for the Apostolic Church.

But then, that's the point: It wasn't always good enough for the Apostles. If they saw fit to go back and render a fresh translation from the original Hebrew text in many cases rather than simply citing the LXX consistently, then we should follow their example and do the same.

[Buggman]

Thanks for the encouragement, both of you! Oh, and I forgot to ping you to my latest post--scroll up one.