Posted on 03/31/2011 1:19:29 PM PDT by Mary Kochan
Years ago, after attending a natural family planning class my husband and I had taught, one of the students called me to tell me why she wasn’t coming to the next class. After a brief span of conversation that let me know she felt very intimate with God, she proceeded to inform me that the Lord had told her she could use artificial contraception.
Inwardly, my jaw dropped. She had certainly learned the correct church teaching in our class. There was not much I could say, as she had already heard the truth, and had chosen to disregard it.
Months later, another lady who had finished our classes told my friend Mary that the Holy Spirit had told her that even natural family planning was wrong, and that you are required to have as many children as possible. She was also convinced that the Lord wanted her to spread this message to everyone...
(Excerpt) Read more at catholiclane.com ...
It’s a hard concept for many to grasp.
Yes, I think because our fallen tendency is to err on the side of one or the other extreme. And then worse, to get fanatical about it and insist we are correct, even in the face of Church teaching.
Yes, that’s it exactly. Either no moral demands at all, or or an intense focus on a myriad of requirements that are far beyond what the Church calls for. “How long is your hair? How long are your skirts? Do you wear two slips in case something catches one?”
Oh, no! I had not heard that one. LOL.
You know I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness — you would not BELIEVE how many rules we had.
The two slips was on the “Mothers of Many Young Siblings” email list. And unlike FR, it would have been intensely rude to tell the poster she was just bats, and perhaps a few Guinness would help ...
We have some JW’s in the neighborhood. They stop by every week or so, give me a tract, and say hi to the kids and the pets. I guess I’m an easy check-off on their quoto because I’m home during the day. Mormon missionaries aren’t as common, but they always visit with my sons about Boy Scouting.
Well, I thought that only us Protestants had to deal with “the Lord told me so” line!
No, no, the Catholics invented it... Oops, maybe the Jews. LOL.
You know the thing is that if we love Him, God does talk to us, but he isn’t telling us to control other people. After all, even He doesn’t do that.
No, no, the Catholics invented it... Oops, maybe the Jews. LOL.
You know the thing is that if we love Him, God does talk to us, but he isn’t telling us to control other people. After all, even He doesn’t do that.
Well don’t let the JWs know that you talked to an exJW online or they might stop coming so they don’t catch apostate cooties.
I hope you can keep the lines of communication open with them and always show them charity. That way when they sit in the Kingdom hall and hear about how all the worldly evildoers are going to be destroyed, your smiling face will come to mind and they might start to question.
I make a point of being friendly to everyone who comes to the door on a religious mission. Even if I just say, “I’m sorry, I can’t talk,” they can see from the houseful of children trying kill one another that it’s not about them, personally.
I find the diligence of JWs and Mormons impressive, and I wish more Catholics were open, if not so regimented, in sharing their faith with others.
bttt
Teh friendliness is good, but I think you misunderstand about the diligence part. They are driven to go door-to-door. The JWs even have to report to their local congregation how much time they spend doing it each month. And they don’t do any of the works of mercy that Catholics do. They don’t give to charity. They limit family size so they can spend more time going door-to-door. They don’t operate hospitals or schools or food banks, etc.
Oh, that’s very sad. I’ll have to offer them parsley and oregano the next time they come (parsley is overrunning my front flowerbeds), to make up for their not having babies.
That is so funny. I’ve never heard of herbs making up for babies.
I like to grow many herbs too. I wish I could grow cilantro and tomatoes at the same time for salsa, but it always gets too hot here too fast and the cilantro and parsley always bolt way before the tomatoes are ready.
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