Posted on 03/27/2008 10:33:22 AM PDT by Gamecock
Which as you've shown us, is carefully explained by Christ...
"And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
Here Christ is saying anything exterior to Himself is a non-essential, and is ultimately ineffectual and therefore purged.
What is important is He who gives the new heart and what comes from this new heart.
Thank you for sharing your insights - especially about the sprinkling!
But truly, I did not accuse anyone I knew of idolatry. Quite the contrary.
The point I raised - which is explained by Christ in Mark 7:5-23 quoted in post 237 - is that defilement comes from within the heart of the man. If a person kneeling and kissing the wood believed in his heart that he was worshipping it, then it is an abomination to him.
As to the Eucharist, I find the exclusiveness doctrine to be quite fascinating - and revealing. I am not offended by it, but others may be. The Catholic Church should have paid closer attention to this:
I look forward to the day when all of our brothers and sisters in Christ rejoice in the Spirit with the mind of Christ (I Cor 2) and quit "sweating the details."
To God be the glory!
Aquin.: SMT SS Q[11] A[3] Body Para. 1/2
I answer that, With regard to heretics two points must be observed: one, on their own side; the other, on the side of the Church. On their own side there is the sin, whereby they deserve not only to be separated from the Church by excommunication, but also to be severed from the world by death. For it is a much graver matter to corrupt the faith which quickens the soul, than to forge money, which supports temporal life. Wherefore if forgers of money and other evil-doers are forthwith condemned to death by the secular authority, much more reason is there for heretics, as soon as they are convicted of heresy, to be not only excommunicated but even put to death.
Aquin.: SMT SS Q[11] A[3] Body Para. 2/2
On the part of the Church, however, there is mercy which looks to the conversion of the wanderer, wherefore she condemns not at once, but "after the first and second admonition," as the Apostle directs: after that, if he is yet stubborn, the Church no longer hoping for his conversion, looks to the salvation of others, by excommunicating him and separating him from the Church, and furthermore delivers him to the secular tribunal to be exterminated thereby from the world by death. For Jerome commenting on Gal. 5:9, "A little leaven," says: "Cut off the decayed flesh, expel the mangy sheep from the fold, lest the whole house, the whole paste, the whole body, the whole flock, burn, perish, rot, die. Arius was but one spark in Alexandria, but as that spark was not at once put out, the whole earth was laid waste by its flame."
The exclusion has no effect whatsoever on the body of Christ of Whom we are all members.
To God be the glory!
But Scripture seems to warn us of what we perceive through the senses. (And this may very well be because what we perceive through the senses always ends up pointing back to us.)
Instead Scripture encourages us to rely on our quickened hearts and our renewed minds which keep the focus on God alone. That's why God regenerates our consciences so that we may know the truth, not just feel the truth.
The method God has chosen to reveal Himself to us is amazing. Since Scripture is written in black and white and enters our mind first in words and concepts, everything that follows works together for God's purpose, according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And thus the primacy of God's word is revealed and strengthened and affirmed by our minds, in the daylight, through the freedom Christ won for us on the cross. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" -- Titus 3:5
"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." -- 1 John 5:20
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." -- John 6:63 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." -- Romans 12:2
The churches although with differing theological doctrines serve the same LORD and Savior. It is up to the Holy Spirit to guide us individually into the path which makes us of the most use to GOD’s Divine will. If GOD called her to the RCC and she went she was right and obeying His calling. If led by The Holy Spirit after her obvious prayer to go elsewhere she was just as right as well to do so. If more churches worried about doing their work instead of converting fellow Chirstians to their sect there would be far less time for bickering in ALL the churches :>}
The problem, of course, is that this is what Catholics tell us about their "veneration" of Mary and their belief that she is a "co-redeemer" and a "dispensatrix of all graces." Catholics still insist this kind of "veneration" is permissible and encouraged in Scripture when it is clearly, resoundingly prohibited.
Historically, kissing the cross goes back to the 4th. century, and in England it was called "creeping to the cross", one many practices of piety which was outlawed in 1540-something by the crown.
Where in the Bible are we instructed to kiss the cross?
On the contrary, Scripture tells us to "kiss the Son."
"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." -- Psalm 2:12
I will wrassle some more with closed communion. We do think it's kind of like sex before marriage, sort of, in a way, more or less because it's not just, as it were, vertical - believer and Jesus, but horizontal - believer and the rest of us. But let me think about it some.
Looky here: I know an ex-Lutheran - who is now who knows what, who told me with some kind of pride that his dad swung an altar candle-stick into the belly of a priest who told him (NOT during a service, before it) that the Catholic Church practices closed communion. There certainly is an appearance here of, "You are superstitious scoundrels for saying what you say about the Eucharist AND you deserve a beating for not letting me share in this worthless thing." I think that needs examining.
Dear Friend,I suggest to read the following to understand Aquinas
http://www.aquinasonline.com/Topics/tolernce.html
P.P.S. My mom and I had an up-and-dpown relationship, but we could almost always make each other laugh and loved to do so. Her mom was on the music-hall stage of England, which was ALL corny jokes, like vaudeville, I guess.
I remember with real pleasure the first time I made both my parents laugh, I must have been about 6, with some joke I told. Words and laughter mean a lot to me.
Oh, so do I, my dearest sister in Christ! So do I, praise God!
Thank you ever so much for writing!
Relevant?
I don't think so.
And High Church Pepsicolians still call it "creeping to the cross", or they did as late as 1994, which was when I quit paying too much attention.
My CAD number when I was a deppidy was 1549 - which was the year of the first prayer book of Edward VIth. I lent my text to someone and never got it back. Darn!
I'll never forget ol', uh, ol', ... ol' whatshername.
Pour me another, wouldja?
Curioser and curioser ...
What did you expect me to understand?
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