Posted on 12/15/2010 5:09:09 PM PST by RnMomof7
In the sermon descriptively entitled, “That Hearing and Keeping the Word of God Renders a Person More Blessed Than Any Other Privilege That Ever God Bestowed on Any of the Children of Men,” Jonathan Edwards writes: The hearing and keeping the word of God brings the happiness of a spiritual union and communion with God. ‘Tis a greater blessedness to have spiritual communion with God and to have a saving intercourse with him by the instances of his Spirit and by the exercise of true devotion than it is to converse with God externally, to see the visible representation and manifestations of his presence and glory, and to hear his voice with the bodily ears as Moses did. For in this spiritual intercourse the soul is nigh unto and hath more a particular portion than in any external intercourse. ‘Tis more blessed to be spiritually related to Jesus Christ—to be his disciples, his brethren and the members—than to stand in the nearest temporal relation, than to be his brother or his mother. Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, ed. Nancy Guthrie, 57.
As far as I am concerned, I don’t believe anything that a non-Catholic anti-Catholic says, just on the face of it. Would you take Achmadinejad’s word for anything? That’s the same thing, to me.
You (plural) have no credibility with me. So many times, any statement by a Catholic is jumped on, like a duck on a june bug, by six or seven (unspecified sect) protestants and the Catholic word is not taken.
And frankly, when I was catechized into the Church, there was NO MENTION OF MARY. My sponsor taught me church doctrine and she did a fine job. She also said, “The Blessed Virgin is our spiritual mother, and we love her, we do not worship her.” So, my experience as a convert is in direct opposition to your (plural) statements, many of which (see Quix) are so hateful as to disgust even the “reformers.”
That’s why.
End of discussion.
I think it’s because members of Protestant Churches know their salvation does not come from the Church. Members of the RCC believe their salvation does come from the Church. So they are less willing to be critical of their ‘hope of salvation’. At the same time, they believe we don’t stand a chance anyway, not being RCCs, so who are WE to criticize?
Where in the Bible is abortion prohibited?
Does Mary sit on a throne, Judith Anne?
And didn’t you yourself ask annalex why there are Catholics calling for an Inquisition? You gave yourself the answer there, “to clear the church out of heresy” yet you (plural) have reproached annalex more than once about his inquisition statements.
Annalex is about a week behind, posting, due to his circumstances. So you may have to wait for a personal answer, if you demand one.
I’m not calling for an inquisition, but I wouldn’t mind.
Yes. Mary was alive at the time Jesus was alive, just like Thomas was. Both saw and believed. We believe without having physically seen, thus invoking the blessing of Jesus Himself.
John 20:24-29 24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." 28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Do you speak to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer? Why don’t you ask Him? Let me know what He says to you about His mother.
Or, read Revelation.
Thou shalt not murder......
If it looks like a duck..and quakes like a duck ..it's a duck. Some could call it a swan or a toad for that matter but it is still a duck. catholics seem to avoid truth by calling it something other than what it is..in this matter. And I've heard all the words used to discribe the behavior, and have seen many who practice this behavior...but it is worship and idolatry regardless of the false reasoning given to do so.
Do you spend a lot of time around Catholics? Do you go to mass? How "many" is "many"?
I can’t answer for other catholics. Even from the beginning, there were problems in His church, i.e. Peter’s denial, Judas’s betrayal, the apostles abandoning Jesus, etc. The Church’s members are not perfect, only Christ is. However, what the Church teaches is correct. The Holy Spirit sees to that.
I’m going to bed. I hope you have a good night and a wonderful Christmas.
God bless! :)
Then what is your purpose of the type of exchanges with non-catholics which you do have?
If the church were doing a proper job of catechizing its adherents, there wouldn’t be the level of heresy today that needs clearing out, now would there?
I keep getting told that I was poorly catechized and by Catholics....
Then why is it *baloney* when I say the Catholic church is poorly catechizing its adherents?
But I will read IMPLICITLY between your attempt at conversation, and assume that you believe she does sit on a throne.
Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around your altars:
Where are her altars today? And what is being done before these altars and her throne if not worship? I'm just not understanding how a human can have a throne in heaven if that person is not being worshipped.
See 101. And why call in your posse? Are you having some difficulty handling this discussion? Because I don’t plan to answer the same question 15 times from 15 different (sect unspecified) protestants.
Who has been short or rude to you? Do you have an example?
Did you pray about this? Did you read Revelation?
Why would you ask and why is this significant?
If I said I have gone thru catachsim classes and attended mass for years.....what difference would that make to you?
If I said I had gone to an Abby and been taught by Monks what difference would that make to you?
If I said my closest friends were catholic hwo would that impact you?
I’m relating to you my experience in what I know having been raised as a Catholics and living and working with Catholics.
If you don’t like that, that’s not my problem, but it’s not lies, and it’s not *hate* (the last resort of liberal argument). It’s stating the facts that exist in other parts of Catholicism besides the one you inhabit.
Your experience as a convert is not the experience of a cradle Catholic. It wouldn’t surprise me at all that someone talking to a potential convert downplayed the Catholic worship of Mary.
The title of Theotokos was bestowed on Mary during the great Christological controvery of the 4th and 5th Century. So it is related to the doctrine of the Trinity. My question is: why degrade the position of Mary in the scheme of things unless one’s view of the Trinity is more nearly Arian than Trinitarian? In devotional terms, the cult of Mary more or less burst on the scene in the 4th century. Popular opinion seems to assign to Mary something like the place in Creation that the Arians assigned Jesus and definitely bumped goddesses such as Diana and Astarte from their thrones as Queen of Heaven. The Creed, however, tells us the Church’s position: “Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate...” tells us all we need to know about Mary.
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