Nifonging the Catholic Church

me ^ | April 18, 2010 | vanity

[Judith Anne]

I seriously wonder about some FReepers, sometimes. Any other person accused of a crime would be defended by every FReeper as being innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. I've seen whole threads written by men who have been accused of child abuse by ex-wives out to deny them their visitation rights or to wrest more money out of them. These men are rightly indignant, and furious about the unjust accusations that cannot be proven but are never withdrawn.

Yet where are those FReepers when a PRIEST is accused? Where is the presumption of innocence? Suddenly, every accusation becomes a verdict, and not only the accused but his entire organization and all its adherents are held responsible.

I can only wonder what some of these so-called conservatives (who so faithfully defend the Constitution) would do, if THEY were the ones accused! It is a nightmare for any man -- all of you know how even the accusation stains the man forever, even if it is proven false!

Not only that, many here assert that the problems of 30, 40 and even 50 years ago must be tried in the media TODAY!

Remember the Duke rape case? There are more similarities than differences here. The priests are accused, nifonged, and instead of being defended, they are vilified!

What other man of you could stand under the weight of such an accusation trumpeted by the press, and come out whole? None! And such accusations made, LONG after the statute of limitations has passed, sometimes even after the accused is dead and buried for YEARS -- are YOU one of those who automatically, reflexively, spitefully, and gleefully act as judge, jury, and executioner?

Women! What if it were YOUR HUSBAND, YOUR BROTHER, YOUR FATHER, YOUR UNCLE, YOUR SON who was accused? Wouldn't you want the best defense possible? Wouldn't YOU believe in their innocence? Wouldn't YOU help protect your loved ones as much as possible? And yet, YOU JUDGE THE CHURCH FOR DOING WHAT YOU WOULD DO?

Shame! Vast shame! On all who have sinned against the innocent!

[Quix]

Well put.

[Quix]

INDEED.

WELL AND ACCURATELY SAID.

SOMETIMES, THOUGH, it seems like horrible things are easier for SOME to forgive than the daily niggly things between them and their spouses or parents or co-workers and bosses.s

Sooner or later—until The Lord has succeeded in getting us to cooperate with crucifying ALL THAT FLESH that would rear it’s head as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner

OF

THEIR

sins . . .

while letting ourselves so faithfully off the hook . . .

Sooner or later, The Lord will put HIS FINGER on an area requiring our forgiveness. And when we balk, He will likely take a step back in intimacy and WAIT.

Then He tends to start pulling feathers out of our nest until we see in the mirror more accurately.

And it doesn’t really matter how horrible the particulars are.

[Quix]

Thanks for your kind replies.

Your Biblical understanding in these matters has blessed me tons today.

as usual

[Quix]

BIBLICALLY EXCELLENT INDEED:

- - -

Part of the act of forgiving is being aware that the sinner is truly repentant and that “Go and sin no more” is his intent.

I don’t even try to discern whether the other guy wants to be forgiven much less whether his apology was serious.
I forgive because it is God’s will - and because I don’t want to block my own prayers - and because I’m such a sinner, I cannot afford the luxury of harboring resentments.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. - Matthew 7:1-2
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: - Luke 6:37

Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. – Matt 5:7

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. - Matt 6:12

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matt 6:13-14

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. – Mark 11:24-26

Indeed, the hardest part for me is following forgiveness with forgetting - but I try diligently so that nothing resurfaces and I have to lay it all back down again. LOLOL!
To God be the glory, not man, never man!

[metmom]

You brought up an interesting point. It’s that we can find all kinds of excuses for our behavior and why others should easily and freely forgive us but aren’t willing to do that for others.

Would that not be part of *Love thy neighbor as thyself*?

[Quix]

INDEED.

THANKS FOR YOUR KIND REPLY.

I have had the privilege of seeing my step-father earnestly and doggedly live by those Scriptures for many decades.

[Quix]

INDEED.

SO TRUE AND WELL PUT.

[Quix]

Thank YOU
for your wonderful testimony of God’s truth and your kind reply.

[Quix]

maybe.

The one with the woman with the haunting eyes and the white hood etc.

[Quix]

OF COURSE.

We will be judged by the standard we judge others by.

[bonfire]

Well said, quix.

You are on a roll today. Speaking right to my heart!

[Quix]

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

BLESSED BE THE WORD OF THE LORD.

BLESSED BE THE WAYS OF THE LORD.

THANKS TOSN for your humbling and kind reply.

Heading back for more kiln wash on kiln shelves.

Cheers all.

[MarkBsnr]

Though I’ve never found a way to bore a hole...

People are a different matter, though.

[MarkBsnr]

I’ve observed that WHEN the Christian FORGIVES the offender and the offense, THEN and often seemingly only then DOES GOD SEEM TO HAVE A FREER HAND IN DISCIPLINING THE OFFENDER. It is almost as though our unforgiveness binds them up in some sort of space that God won’t touch near as fully as He will when we have forgiven and let it go.

This is fascinating. Do you have more of this?

[bonfire]

Yes yes and yes!

[MarkBsnr]

How on earth could you have possibly drawn that conclusion? Peter is telling everyone to listen to Paul. This is a fact you seem to be ignoring.

Negative. We Catholics do not ignore Paul. Pauline Scripture is read more than 300 times per year at daily and Sunday Mass. Much of the Catechism and our most deeply held beliefs are predominately Pauline in origin. We do not ignore Paul. We simply interpret Paul correctly, in the light of the Gospels. We do not assume Paul is the pinnacle and everything else, including the Gospels, take a back seat.

[metmom]

Ooops.....

[MarkBsnr]

If you don’t forgive, it will eat you alive

Applause. This is truth. You have just made more sense than those posts over the last 200 entries that addressed this subtopic. Forgiveness by a wronged individual of the perpetrator is not about the perpetrator; it is about the wronged individual's psychological and spiritual state. It is not absolution of the one doing wrong, not at all. It is about the wronged and the healing of that individual's wounds.

[metmom]

We simply interpret Paul correctly, in the light of the Gospels. We do not assume Paul is the pinnacle and everything else, including the Gospels, take a back seat.

Neither does most anyone else I've ever met, nor any church that I've ever been in. Virtually all the Protestants take the words of Jesus Himself very seriously.

[MarkBsnr]

You are on a roll today.

So it would seem.