Testimony of a Former Irish Priest

BereanBeacon.Org ^ | Richard Peter Bennett

[presently no screen name]

Corrective tone? Who is talking about 'tone'.

Did Jesus agree with that lady or not?

Is it a habit of every Protestant here to read into things what I have never said?

No - it's more of a habit of Catholics saying things that Jesus NEVER SAID.

YOU totally ignored what JESUS DID say and added what YOU thought - that HE was talking about Mary and her obedience. HE WASN'T. So stop with someone is saying something you didn't say - when YOU DID SAY IT! You totally changed the Scripture and went on about Mary being obedient. When HE said...

Jesus replied, "But even MORE BLESSD are ALL who HEAR the word of God and OBEY IT."

[Religion Moderator]

YOU totally ignored

Reading the mind of another Freeper is a form of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

[narses]

“No - it’s more of a habit of Catholics saying things that Jesus NEVER SAID.”

Here is the Arch-Heresiarch saying things never recorded in the Gospel:

“It is a sweet and pious belief that the infusion of Mary’s soul was effected without original sin; so that in the very infusion of her soul she was also purified from original sin and adorned with God’s gifts, receiving a pure soul infused by God; thus from the first moment she began to live she was free from all sin.”

(Martin Luther - Sermon: “On the Day of the Conception of the Mother of God,” December, 1527)

BTW, can you PROVE Our Lord never said a particular thing? Can you?

[caww]

In Christian usage, the word “church” designates the liturgical assembly, but also the local community or..” the whole universal community of believers”.

This from the Vatican website certainly does not specify the ‘Catholic’ denomination alone but the whole body of believers in every branch of Christendom who have placed their life and faith in Christ.

It is a mistake of the catholic church membership to state only the catholic denomination is “the” church. Vatican 2 specifically made this clear that “believers” are the church and the body of Christ.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you oh so very much for sharing your insights, dearest sister in Christ, and thank you for your encouragements!

The point is, the gesture must match the Truth, in present consciousness, in order to be truly effective. People who forget this necessary connection are sleep-walking through the exercise....

Well and truly said!

Immediately the Lord's Prayer or Our Father - and the 23^rd Psalm come to mind.

The words are so familiar to us by now, it is altogether too easy to speak them without actually thinking about what we are saying. In this case the gesture doesn't involve limbs or torso but vocal chords; nevertheless, the point you raise is the same. The gesture must match the Truth in our consciousness for the prayer to be effective - otherwise we are just sleep-walking or in this case, sleep-talking.

If this be the case, then God does not reduce to terms of human rationality and experience. All the religious talk in the world does not change a thing about this situation, which has obtained since the very foundation of the Creation....

So very true, but the joy I feel every time you and I share our thoughts about Christ is pure ecstasy to me.

I myself am presently "unchurched," but a faithful Christian nonetheless. I may be more in the "school" of the "bakery Christians" of your own experience, dearest sister in Christ, than I am of any other school at the present time. Unless the Lord moves me otherwise, I am very likely to remain in that condition. And "happy as a clam" to do so (as they say 'round these [New England] parts).

LOLOL! I too am "happy as a clam" being a bakery shop kid!

To God be the glory, not man, never man!

[Natural Law]

"BTW, can you PROVE Our Lord never said a particular thing? Can you?"

When he is done ask him what Jesus wrote in the dirt. I am dying to find out.

[Deo volente]

By your reasoning, He’s made of bread dough.

Hogwash. That's not the reasoning at all. Don't make false assumptions about Catholic reasoning. You're playing a dubious game with the logic here.
In John, Chapter 6, Jesus tells us that "this bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world." Later, at the Last Supper, Jesus tells them to "take and eat" of this bread, "for this is My Body."

Catholics take Jesus at His word. Most Protestants believe He was speaking only figuratively.

[bonfire]

Empty prayers.

When instructed to go to JESUS why would anyone circumvent and go around the Mulberry Bush?

Fear of Jesus? Not worthy? Go to the second/third string to put a bug in his ear in the HOPE he will give them the time of day?

My theory: there’s big bucks in “Saints”.

The RCC has $$$ riding on all the saints. It’s a win win for the coffers.

[Quix]

INDEED.

Sounded like a different universe than the one I’m used to.

[Quix]

PLENTY TRUE.

However, we know

IN WHOM WE HAVE BELIEVED AND ARE PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH WE HAVE COMMITTED UNTO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY.

Heart attitudes that are out of a bad faith place are to be pitied more than anything. It grieves me to see folks so lacking in insight into their own stuff as well as into Scripture and God’s priorities.

[boatbums]

So all the exhortations in the NT to repent and be forgiven are nothing and mean nothing?

Not at all. They mean everything to a Christian! But can you see two different environments? There's the "Sweet by and by" and the "Nasty here and now". While we are here on earth we, as children of God, have many jobs to do. God indwells us with his Spirit at our rebirth and we grow in our walk with him every day. I am definitely not the person I was 40 years ago. I'm sure you weren't even a glimmer in anyone's eyes that long ago, but I know you have seen changes for the better in your life. We all grow, but some grow faster than others based on their openness and sensitivity to the Lord.

God could just snatch us up when we come to him in faith, save us from all the garbage and pain and bring us home immediately, but he doesn't. Why? I think for a number of reasons. We, through his leading, are to be an example to others. Through the "foolishness of preaching" he uses us to reach others. We are left here to bring glory to him - one way or the other. Sin is something that, until we get to that sweet by and by, will always pester us, though hopefully less and less. God even uses that to draw us and others closer to him. It all depends on how we see it.

[Natural Law]

"Sounded like a different universe than the one I’m used to."

Could you be a little more specific?

[Quix]

ABSOLUTELY INDEED.

[presently no screen name]

I’m on the fringes! LOL!

Not hardly. Christians follow Christ and HIS Teachings - NOT man. Count yourself out.

ALL fall short - even your Pope and Mary. Gasp! But she knew she needed a Savior and she didn’t follow man’s teachings but The Word of God. Otherwise, she wasn’t have been able to fulfill her destiny.

Like Joseph fulfilled his destiny and wouldn’t bow to anyone but God and he was mightily blessed. Bowing to anyone but God is idolatry. What does your church/organization command it for their pope? Talk about outside of God’s Word and clinging on it’s fringes!!

[Natural Law]

"I’m on the fringes! LOL!"

It depends on how you define fringe. 90% of all Christians disagree with your view of Mary. That is a quantitative assessment. You still have an opportunity to make a qualitative defense of your position.

[narses]

Hey Quix, why no answer?

[Cronos]

If you had studied your history you would realise that the catholic Church is the one enemy that Islam has hated throughout.

[Alamo-Girl]

Such things as making the Sign of the Cross, using holy water, etc. are called “sacramentals”. They are of a lesser order than the Sacraments, which actually give grace and increase grace in the soul of the person receiving them, properly disposed.

Thank you so very much for sharing your insights, dear brother/sister in Christ, and thank you for that informative article! And thank you for your encouragements!

[Cronos]

What part of pomp do you read in "Next, the papal rooms of Pope Benedict are spartan, the rest of the Vatican is offices and the museum."

And where exactly are there “servants galore” as you say?

You do realise that you're repeating stuff that some pastor told some pastor who told you? Namely that you're repeating what you THINK The Church is, not what it actually is.

[boatbums]

unless you just fell off the turnip truck, you should be aware that the Church holds Sacred Tradition to be on a par with Scripture.

Could you ever entertain the possibility that dumping everything not satisfied by Scriptural warrant as "tradition" isn't just assuming all followers did just fall off the turnip truck?

I believe, that God gave us his inspired words to be the guide for our faith. It SHOULD be at the top of the heap as far as authority. Traditions, and EVERYBODY has them, should be measured by this source if they have to do with doctrines of the faith. What would prevent anyone from making up something and just expecting adherence because it was labeled "TRADITION"? We need an objective source because we are imperfect.