Posted on 12/27/2017 8:22:26 AM PST by truthfinder9
Recently a man burst into a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and shot and killed 26 parishioners (including an unborn child). The killer’s former high school classmates described him as a militant atheist.
“He was always talking about how people who believe in God we’re stupid and trying to preach his atheism,” wrote former classmate Nina Rose Nava in a Facebook post, according to the Daily Mail. “I legit just deleted him off my fb cause I couldn’t stand his post.”
Which raises this question: To what extent was the killer’s rampage inspired by his atheist beliefs? Obviously, I am not making the case that atheists as a group condone his act, or would ever consider doing anything like it. All decent, normal people, atheist and theist alike, are horrified by this atrocity. Yet the question posed is still reasonable. If the tables had been turned — if, God forbid many times over, the victims had been atheists at a skeptics’ convention and the killer had been an evangelical Christian — the public square would be filled with speculation about the role that ideology played in his crimes. And properly so. We can’t get inside the Texas killer’s head (fortunately), but ideas do have consequences.
(Excerpt) Read more at evolutionnews.org ...
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (Jn 6:53)
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
A priest cannot offer salvation whether by ritual or not.
Agnosticism is something you’d look at as different than either strong or weak here? Interesting how you put it.
Ephesians 2:8-9
-8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Atheists should not be allowed to hold public office. It also should be legal for employers to fire atheists for being unbelievers and to ask on job applications whether applicants are atheists.
Jammed into paragraph form: Christ instituted the Sacraments for our Salvation, just as He instituted the Church for our Salvation, just as He inspired members of the Church to write and collect, copy and canonize the Scriptures for our Salvation, etc. etc.
If you know that Christ instituted Baptism for your Salvation, the you are morally obliged to be Baptized because, of course, you are morally bound to do anything and everything receive God's rich spiritual gifts. This is God's will. Doing God's will is necessary for salvation.
However, if you did not know that God's will is for you to be Baptized, to receive the Eucharist, to read the Bible, etc. etc. then God can still save you. God is the Savior. Savior is His middle name. He can save anyone He wants too, whether they ever heard of Him or not.
He is the (Link) true Light that enlightens every man who came into the world. Read that link. Enlightens! Every man!
(He also says He was rejected by His own, and you can reject Him. Anyone can reject His light. Don't do that!)
So, as for us, we NEED to receive with joy and gratitude the Sacraments which Christ gave us that we might be saved. (John 6:53 KJV "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.")
Note that "verily, verily." Contemporary English: "I AM SERIOUS."
This is your duty and your salvation.
But if you didn't even know that: well, He is not bound by any rules. He rescues the 'poor in spirit' and gives them the Kingdom of Heaven. Guaranteed. He gives mercy to the merciful. Guaranteed. He calls the peacemakers God's children. He lets the pure of heart see Him. He won't mess up, won't miss one person who is willing to take His hand and walk in the Light.
As for "inserting a person between God and man": have you never heard that we are all members of the Body of Christ?
Tagline.
Sorry. Works as spelled out the Sacraments will not get you into Heaven. Including an intermediary, or an interpreter, between you and God is not good either.
Sorry, I do not want to offend you.
.
>> “The key here, is that the Sacraments are binding on us, but they are not binding on God.” <<
What is a “sacrament?”
Nowhere in the word of Yehova is anything defined as a “sacrament.”
.
And as for intermediaries or interpreters, what about those who are appointed and called by God?
Why would you feel free to exclude His apostles and shepherds?
No, you don't offend me. But you do puzzle me greatly.
A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. Jesus Himself is the living sacrament of God, in that sense. Have you not seen nor believed in His outward signs?
I was wondering if the author would mention communism, though he doesn't do so by name.
I've seen the behavior described here from militant atheists years before "militant atheist bloggers" ever existed. I don't view the double standard in itself as an invalidation of atheism, but the double standard says something about its wielders, those masters of logic and rationality.
Who gives the Church leadership the right to deify a person? Are they on the same level as God? Are they equal to God... maybe in their own minds. Very, very bad.
Whst? Deify a person? The Church doesn’t deify anybody. You are misinformed.
We’re all servants. There is but one Master.
If you don't understand how bad this is then I doubt that I will be able to convince you of anything else.
As they say, good luck with that.
The Church doesn’t “put” people in Heaven. God does. Historically, the Church set criteria for considering a person go be a saint, IN ORDER TO CURB the kind of popular enthusiasm that wants to venerate Jack Kennedy, Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, and you dear Aunt Maisie and Uncle Cliff.
To be a “canonized” saint, there are supposed to be actual miracles, which would serve as signs from Heaven attesting to Divine favor, as well as evidence of a life of heroic virtue.
I notice that non-Catholic funeral services pretty much award instant canonization to everyone upon medical proof of death.
I rather think humbly seeking confirmation from Heaven to be a more prudent course.
The Sacraments were instituted by Christ.
How Many Miracles are Required to Canonize a Saint?
Saints [Catholic, Orthodox, Open]
SAINTHOOD 101: Rules for Becoming a Saint [Catholic Caucus]
The Process of Becoming a Saint (Canonization) [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Lists Criteria for Causes of Canonization
Who do you think does those miracles that lead to canonization?
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