Posted on 10/03/2011 9:24:36 AM PDT by jesus4life
Amen
Grace and peace to all of you. I am very new to this site. The holy spirit brought me hear tonight to look over many answers here. To learn and to share.
I have questions here if anyone would be kind to take the time out to answer:
1. If we want evil to stop, why do speak of where it is, how to see it, where to see it, and when it may happen?
2. Do we really believe GOD sees all things and will handle all things?
3. If we revere Mary as the mother of GOD, why do we not copy her obedience??
4. If we believe in CHRIST as the son of GOD, who killed no one, loved everyone, and died for all. Why do we worry about dying?? Why do we want to kill others?? Why do we hate others? Why do we want to own land, take over other countries? Why do we want to judge others faith, walk, and lives before they die, knowing that GOD has power to save and can save anyone?
5. Do we believe heaven exists?? If so, where is it for all of you??
The holy spirit brought me to some passages for all of us to think about:
The love of Christ that we should live and show the world LUKE 6:27-36
27 'But I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. 29 To anyone who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek as well; to anyone who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from someone who takes it. 31 Treat others as you would like people to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit can you expect? For even sinners do that much. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to get money back, what credit can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. 35 Instead, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 'Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.
Mary's love, obedience, and acceptance that we should all follow in situations that GOD can handle that we cant
Luke 1:29-39
29 She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, 30 but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. 31 Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; 33 he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.' 34 Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?' 35 The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. 36 And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, 37 for nothing is impossible to God.' 38 Mary said, 'You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angel left her. 39 Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah.
OUR LIVES HERE MARK 8:29-38
27 Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say I am?' 28 And they told him, 'John the Baptist, others Elijah, others again, one of the prophets.' 29 'But you,' he asked them, 'who do you say I am?' Peter spoke up and said to him, 'You are the Christ.' 30 And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of man was destined to suffer grievously, and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; 32 and he said all this quite openly. Then, taking him aside, Peter tried to rebuke him. 33 But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God thinks, but as human beings do.' 34 He called the people and his disciples to him and said, 'If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 What gain, then, is it for anyone to win the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 And indeed what can anyone offer in exchange for his life? 38 For if anyone in this sinful and adulterous generation is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.'
OUR REAL HOME Revelations 21:1-8 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride dressed for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, 'Look, here God lives among human beings. He will make his home among them; they will be his people, and he will be their God, God-with-them. 4 He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness or pain. The world of the past has gone.' 5 Then the One sitting on the throne spoke. 'Look, I am making the whole of creation new. Write this, "What I am saying is trustworthy and will come true." 6 Then he said to me, 'It has already happened. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; 7 anyone who proves victorious will inherit these things; and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the legacy for cowards, for those who break their word, or worship obscenities, for murderers and the sexually immoral, and for sorcerers, worshippers of false gods or any other sort of liars, is the second death in the burning lake of sulphur.'
Another question?
Amen Praise God!
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:13-17)
"...and having done all, to stand" I wonder what is meant by that? Maybe..."...and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (2 Timothy 1:12)
Good grief, you think this is not? It's a different category than today's political issues.
Also, Gamliel's prophecy is part of Scripture. It was fulfilled as it applied to the Apostles in his day and continues to be relevant to the end of days:
Likewise we must not boast against the branches or be high-minded thinking we cannot be cut off and others grafted in our place:
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee.
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural [branches], be graffed into their own olive tree?
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers' sakes.
For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance. - Romans 11:18-29
(...”Good grief, you think this is not? It's a different category than today's political issues.”....)
No I don't think homosexuality and pedophilia is equally nonnegotiable to the Pope. History attests to that, let alone the current dragging his feet on ridding the church of these Priests and Bishops or whatever office they hold.
So no...it's not.
But as everything in the catholic faith, lets put it in another category or level, or splice and dice it and cover it with all means of cloaks and excuses until time has passed and “other” ‘safe’ political issues are on the hot seat.
The leadership throughout has failed and continues to fail....on THIS issue. Adding more bureaucratic levels of adherence's is not taking out the trash..once again.
Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.
G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
Thank God for His leading!!!
Research the work of Pope Benedict before and after his election as pope. Research is work and rulings regarding those selected for the priesthood.
Consider who the homosexual lobby’s primary target and which Church remains the bulwark against them. [ This attack goes quite far back is concerted, organized and directed to destroy from within.) Consider which Church, almost alone, has remained firm against women priests and homosexual marriages (protection of marriage listed above.)
Consider who the media’s primary target is in tearing down the traditional family and acceptance of homosexuality as ‘normal.’
And then consider, those who join them in their effort. And pray about whether you wish to be among them.
I’ve done more than simply “consider”....I’ve looked for what has actually been done to the offenders.... Are they still within the church?... Are children still in their company?.... Are they in jail where they belong?... Are those in authority who knew of these actions and sheltered them being held accountable?
You have attempted to name your church as the “target” of the homosexual community....which is playing indirectly the ‘victim” card again...when in fact many innocent children were the victims.
As for Pope Benedict before and after his popehood....how about what did he know about and refused to intervein with the Priests the church continued to protect....before and after his popehood.
No I would not “join” a catholic group fighting these issues until they clean out the trash within their own congregations.... Besides the catholic church leadership generally joins with others who have already begun to fight against these issues...after the fact.
Good post Mitch! And good advice about the armour too. ..glad you posted that scripture!
The intended and primary victim of attacks by homosexual activists and the media is the Catholic Church.
The overwhelming majority of child abuse is homosexual. Pedophilia and the gay agenda go together hand in glove. Go to any well known homosexual activist site, look for whom they consider the enemy.
There are conclusions that can logical be deduced from this. That the Church is too lenient is not one of them.
Child, and other, sexual abuse occurs in all churches, and even more frequently in secular schools. Baptist administrators caught criticism recently for tracking problems. Mainstream protestant churches are ordaining gay clergy and recognizing gay marriage.
Anglicans elected an openly gay bishop in a homosexual relationship, which began while he was married.
Some Presbyterian churces allow openly gay pastors; some have gone further, perform gay marriage ceremonies.
More than 100 Methodist ministers in New England have pledged to marry gay couples.
The largest Lutheran denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, now accepts noncelibate clergy members and lay leaders who are in “lifelong” and “monogamous” same-sex relationships.
One Church among all of this has remained firm on its teaching on homosexuality, gay clergy, and same-sex marriage. And it IS the primary target for the media and homosexual activists. For good reason: the others are giving in.
Yet some concentrate their objections on this issue against the Catholic Church. To me it is transparently irrational.
And only serves those other groups wishing to attack, diminish and ostracize the Church to promote the homosexual agenda.
.how about what did he know about and refused to intervein with the Priests the church continued to protect....before and after his popehood.
I really have lost patience with whack-a-mole helter-skelter discussions. They serve no purpose in finding truth and no purpose in allowing or encouraging the new blooms of age-old hatreds.
I wish you well in your other discussions.
Well then address the statements with the facts you claim rather than claim the catholic church is the “victim” in this issue. The children are the victims. The Priests and those who protected them need to be outed....It’s really not complicated. Crimes were committed...the guilty need to be called to account.
Instead you go on a rant about the protestant churches which is just another diversion tactic commonly used to deflect the issue of the church draggin their feet on the homosexual pedophile issue within the catholic church.
And once again...claiming all the “stuff” the church has instituted to prevent this from further happenings does not address those currently remaining within the church and not being outed.
Call me cynical. Nothing will satisfy, nothing will be sufficient, nothing will be credible, nothing will prevent another whack-a-mole head popping up. The children are victims, but the Church is the object of attack, always and again.
Just wow.....
You know what? Calling the Church on it's reprehensible foot dragging and lack of action in regard to the priest molesting children issue is NOT attacking the church. It is holding them accountable and demanding justice. That is not an attack.
That is Scripturally mandated action.
God does not overlook sin in the midst of His people. If the church leadership does not deal with sin it its midst, the judgment of God will certainly fall on it.
If the world caught a pedophile or child rapist on the streets, there'd be no end to the calls for tarring and feathering the guy after skinning him alive. Neither the world nor may religious folks have much tolerance for that kind of perversion. And just who are the ones claiming that the perpetrator is being attacked? Does anyone claim that calls for justice to the perpetrator of a crime, are attacks on him? Or is holding the perp accountable the expected, even Biblical, course of action?
Where is the Catholic church on this issue? Not acting until negative publicity about the Church through the news media FORCED them to? Until lawsuits brought by the victims by the secular courts because the Church wouldn't address the issue forced them to?
There is no basis for whining about attacking the church.
The criticism of their lack of action, which essentially makes them culpable, is well deserved. When they failed to deal with the priests and protect them and not the children, they became complicit in the crime and deserve every bit of criticism that comes their way. They KNOW better and nobody can convince me otherwise. It's in the very Scripture they claim they wrote.
No, from the obvious evidence on these threads, the purpose and point of these posts is to attack the Church. I don’t think the high tone of righteousness obscures or hides this from very many, certainly not me.
If not this issue, then another one, any one will do.
This is the third wack a mole in our short discussion. It seems it's the "go to' mole when a poster gets lost on a topic or has no rebuttal.
A productive discusssion/debate on serious issues relies on respect for truth and maintaining some semblance of a rational linear order in topics and subordinate points. Without this you get a jumble of assertions and a lack of coherence all aimed towards a goal secondary to truth.
Productive discussion/debate also requires mutual respect of both sides as regards their behaviour, methods, willingness to prepare properly or already possess sufficient knowledge of the subject matter. Without this, insults, attacks, or sometimes playing to the audience, etc. results
I've come to believe these requirements are lacking here, meaning productive discussion is not a possible outcome or even the desired purpose. I'm not interested in discussion/debate for other purposes, particular concerning religion; I don't believe it serves anything good, only bad.
Correcting the most obvious and egregious slanders and errors… I think that's worth my time here (and I greatly appreciate those who spend time doing so); but, given the size and quantity of the participants, I'm beginning to wonder about that as well.
Meant to correct from the last sentence, previous post;
“given the quality of discussion and quantity of participants,”
Perhaps you thought that everyone was as interested in legitimate dialog and the truth as you are. Don't forget that there are many who really don't want to accomplish anything more than hiding in the tall weeds and throw stink bombs at the Church, all from behind the protection of a moderators skirts. (Why else would they do it anonymously on the internet and not actually show up at your parish to "save" you from "the Whore of Revelation"?)
When attention, with the accompanying facts, logic and reason, is brought to bear on one of these stink bombs it is immediately abandoned and disowned by the thrower and a new and more hurtful stink bomb is thrown. This is often performed by a sympathetic thrower to give cover and a graceful exit to the original thrower.
I no longer believe that it is necessary to correct the errors or clean up after one of these stink bombs because, after many of these encounters, it is clear that there are too many anti-Catholics that are not the least bit interested in the truth. Remember, it is perfectly within Forum rules to lie repeatedly about Catholics and the Church, it is just not acceptable to truthfully characterize it as a lie. (This is a rule whose sole beneficiaries are liars).
The bigger picture is none of these Catholic-bashers or their prevarications, pass the so-what test. There is nothing they can do or say to actually harm the Church other than a Satan-like provoking of Catholics to sin.
And when they succeed, they give every evidence of Satan-like rejoicing.
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