Charity, comes from the Latin word, caritas. When ones speaks of caritas, it is opposed to eros, meaning physical love.
Dignity is rooted in man’s creation in the image and likeness of God. Dignity and charity go together, and when taken with the 4-10th Commandments, direct how we should treat each other.
It would not be charitable to allow a child to run in the street, for the simple reason it puts the child in mortal danger. We recognize the dignity of the child, as it is in the image and likeness of God, and seek to protect it.
Something yet to be discussed is what is the source of your beliefs and opinions. We all had to be taught about God, the Bible, and theology. As individuals, we accepted responsibility for ourselves to continue to learn.
When it comes to learning about God, for me, it has been experiential, academic, and self-taught (continued).
I have read and studied that which the Catholic Church proposes for belief. I have questioned these things, read some of the many works associated with teachings, and found them to meet an acceptable criteria for belief. Included, of course, is a lot of prayer, asking for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
As I am not a child, I don’t accept the “Because I told you so” line of reasoning. Coincidentally, that is not how the Church teaches. Belief in God, and in Catholicism are both reasonable, in that one can use reason to come to truths taught.
The truths taught about God came directly from Jesus himself, to the Apostles, and from the Apostles, written in the New Testament. The immediate successors to the Apostles also taught in both writing and orally, with many of their works surviving 2000 years.
Were it not for the organization and standardization of the New Testament, officially, by 393 AD, no one from thence could know what was true about Jesus and His teachings. Were it not for the Church choosing to include the epistles of Paul and Peter, or any of the other books, our knowledge of Christianity would be severely lacking. Additionally, had books of questionable value been added, then our views would also be skewed.
The Bible is the primary document in teaching of Christianity. While heresies and apostasy existed before the Reformation, they slipped away into history, as they lacked the Truth of God.
With the Reformation, people decided they would become cafeteria Christians, taking what they wanted and protesting what the didn’t from the Catholic Church. It became, and remains apparent, the first meaningful example of relativism. Each claimed objective truth contrary to the other, and all claimed, no matter what, the Catholic Church was wrong. Truth is binary, either something is true or it isn’t. If there is no authority, or objective truth, then any thing is game, and like modern atheists, the individual decides for themselves what is right and wrong.
So how does this relate to this thread? The good Bishop, seeking to protect his flock, at great personal risk from murderous Muslims (Boko Haram), while praying believed he received direction from God that people praying the Rosary would lead to the end of Boko Haram. This is very similar to what Pope Pius V did, in leading the Rosary during the Battle of Lepanto, in which the Ottoman fleet was beaten back.
Catholics hold the Rosary as a powerful prayer for two very simple reasons. The first is that method of prayer reflects upon the life of Christ, His Passion, and His ministry. Secondly, the prayers of the Rosary are based in Scripture. See the Angelic Salutation (Luke 1:28, and Luke 1:42), and the Lord’s Prayer.
It is the Catholic belief, as found in Luke 2:3-5, that Mary intercedes for people and then commands those for whom she intercedes to “Do whatever He tells you.” Mary is and always will be subservient to God, and as human, requiring salvation.
As one can see, the truth proposed for belief are both found in the Bible, (organized and codified by the Catholic Church) and also can be reasoned to. Should a person challenge or question a belief, one can read the Scripture, as well as the myriad of writings of the Patristics, etc., that elucidate any number of difficult passages. Additionally, there are any number of Biblical commentaries.
Any person with a well-formed conscience should feel guilt, when guilty. It is the proper response to offending God.
No person, at least in modern time, is or can be, forced to be Catholic. It would be immoral to attempt to do so. As preachers of the Gospel in both word and deed, the Church is not the work of the devil or demons. The Church can not proclaim the Jesus Christ, His love, mercy, and salvation while being a servant of the evil one (Matthew 12: 25-27).
As I understand your version of truth, it only stands in opposition. In that case, you can keep it.
May you always seek God’s wisdom, feeling and sharing His love.
So, we begin…
Many folks (even many evangelicals) believe the Scriptures are organized like a spiritual “encyclopedia”. You seem to hold a view similar to this. For example, you noted that, “Dignity and charity go together, and when taken with the 4-10th Commandments, direct how we should treat each other.”
This is an example of an encyclopedic hermeneutic. You were interested in good behavior, so you found an appearance of a directive and assumed that this is teaching us, “…how we should treat each other.”
This is, however, not how the Scriptures are organized. If you step back and take an “overview” of the Scriptures, you find they are organized much like an historical nove. That is, the real message, the true “Word of God” is an unfolding message delivered over thousands of years. Granted, Moses was the first “writer” (circa 1450BC) and John the likely last writer (circa 92AD), so we have the text created over 1500 years. But, the history over which the message is spread begins (for the most part) with Adam and extends to the end of the world.
If this conclusion is true, then it becomes important to “follow the story line”, to see what exactly is being delivered at what time. I often provide the following example of a historical novel when discussing this matter (assume this actually happened):
Bob loved Sally
Sally went out with Tom
Bob found out
Bob hated Sally
Question: Does Bob love Sally or hate Sally?
Answer: It depends on where in the story you are reading.
Can you see this important feature of a “story line”? If so, then you will appreciate that it makes a difference when the Decalogue (10 commandments) appears in the story. It also, then, follows that it depends on what is happening and to whom it is directed. In the Bible’s case, the 10 commandments are directed to the Jews.
In the story line (at the delivery of the Decalogue), the Jews had been selected to become a “chosen people” (by God to Abraham- Gen. 11), and (as we discover over their 18+ century history), they are on stage for all humanity to watch. From their inception (Abraham) to their removal from favor (after the cross of Christ), the Jews are the folks receiving the revelation of God. To be favored, they are they must obey God. The Jews sadly disappoint. Irrespective of God’s demanding, cajoling, threatening or promising…they fail to obey. Peter even notes this in Acts 15.
Their failure to perform requires God to step in and rescue them from themselves. How will He do this? Ahhh, the Messiah (Is. 53). Follow this story line along and notice something important about their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. He has come to rescue them from their biggest problem…the inability to obey God and the resultant sin-guilt they bear. He has NOT come for the rest of the world (the term "Gentiles" refers to). He specifically notes this Himself (Matt. 15:24).
Thus, further notice, what does this mean for the so-called “Sermon on the Mount”. It is to the Jews…not to teach Gentiles Christian living (we are not even in the picture, yet). Jesus is pounding on the Jews to drive them to hopelessness. Tear out your eye if it offends! Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect! Give all your possessions to anyone who asks! If you call a man a fool you will burn in hell!
I am not stretching the text…these are the actual demands Jesus makes. Why? Because He is driving His “chosen people” to despair of their ability to rescue themselves. “What is impossible with man…is possible with God.” Only God will be able to rescue Jews from sin. But, what about us Gentiles?
Glad you asked…when do we show up in the script? Notice, please, that Paul makes it clear in Eph. 2 that you and I (Gentiles) do not have access to the Messiah until after the blood is shed (the crucifixion). The story line is moving along and Paul says we were, “…AT THAT TIME without God in the world.” When Jesus died, however, He broke down the separating wall, the Law of Moses, and made the two groups into one new man…believers in Jesus who were granted faith for rescue. The Law is fulfilled and no longer required (Rom. 3) Until the blood is shed, our time as Gentiles had not yet come. The door was not yet opened. And, of course, one may ask, what does that mean? Well, if one follows this “historical development” of the story, it means the so-called “Gospels” are principally written to the Jews. The “Lord’s Prayer” (Matt. 5 - 7) is Jesus telling Jews how to pray as Jews. Read the entire prayer, and see that the end of it reminds the Jews that they will not be forgiven if they do not forgive. Is this a doctrine of the Catholic Church? If it is, then they are abiding by the Mosaic Law…not the Gospel of Grace.
The so-called “Golden Rule” (Matt. 7:12) is the Law of Moses. It ends with the remark, “…for this is the Law and the Prophets.” It is all about the Law and the Jews having to keep that Law. Notice, Jesus is telling the Jews that they must be serious about obedience or they will not enter heaven…and they do not, cannot comply. “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect”.
Can we comply with this command? Of course not. And you should not…it is not directed at you, a Gentile. But, it is directed to Jews. Jesus is there to hold the mirror of the Law in front of them, teaching them that they cannot meet its perfect standard. They finally get enough of it and kill Him.
To a large extent, the Gospel of Grace begins for Gentiles with the Book of Acts…really Luke II. But, this understanding requires an historical hermeneutic, not an encyclopedic hermeneutic. And, it is why believers who reject Rome, point principally at the Epistles, not the so-called Gospels for their theology. Rome relies heavily on the "Gospels" for training it constituency.
Please notice, the word “Gospel” is NOT IN THE TITLES OF Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. The real Greek texts say, “According to Matthew”, “According to Mark”, etc. Check me on this, if you don't believe it. But, your organization has focused its attention on these books as if they are written to train believing Gentiles. They are not.
So, there you have it. Your lesson in biblical theology and hermeneutics. And, while sincerity is important, it is not the most important thing. The Muslims are deeply sincere…and dead wrong. Truth is most important and I offer you truth. Thank you for your kind thoughts, and I pray for you to seek God’s truth, and let the “feelings” derive from what is truthful.