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Locked on 04/24/2022 5:40:39 AM PDT by Religion Moderator, reason:
Childishness |
Posted on 03/06/2022 11:16:06 AM PST by CharlesOConnell
A man commits a serious crime, then he gets released. He has "paid his debt to society". But wait a minute, he's only ready for the half-way house. He's unlikely to get a prestigious job in his new prison suit coat, or any job at all; he has civil impediments, he can't vote or hold certain offices. His crime was serious enough that he won't be presumed to have been completely rehabilitated until he performs a notable service to society, or at least spends many years on the straight and narrow, so that his crime can be truly overlooked or forgotten.
In Catholic faith, your "debt to society" is paid by Jesus Christ on Calvary. It's called "eternal punishment", without Christ it keeps you from going to heaven. Supposing that you do take advantage of His sacrifice, you're truly sorry, have a firm purpose of amendment, if you relapse, you go again for forgiveness (to the Sacrament of Confession).
But your sin leaves a strong trace at another layer of impurity called "temporal punishment due to sin", like the civil impediments facing the half-way house prisoner. Because "nothing impure can enter heaven", there is a place or a state, a condition of purification to render you fit for heaven after Christ has finally saved you from hell. The Catholic Church calls it purgatory.
(Where is it in the bible? Where is the word Trinity in the bible? Where does it say that you only need a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Many valid principles aren't stated explicitly in the bible, but it does say to "hold fast to the traditions you have learned, whether by word or by letter", because much of the Gospel wasn't written down, as Jesus only wrote in the sand, the majority of the Gospel was taught from word to ear to people who couldn't afford expensive books, the exceptions were what tended to get written down. But the implication that there is a purgatory, is contained in the bible--see the comments.)
The ex-con can receive a pardon or commutation of his probation from a Governor, if he performs some heroic deed, saving numerous lives, or, like Chuck Colson, performs a long-lasting, valuable community service helping numerous people who can't help themselves.
In the Catholic Church there are 2 ways for the residual, temporal effects due to sin to be expiated: suffering in this life, or after life, undergoing purifying suffering along with other people who will finally be saved, but have to suffer for long without the vision of God--that is what causes them their pain.
Their suffering isn't meritorious enough to grant their release, the saints in heaven and those on earth suffering and practicing virtue can pray for the suffering souls in purgatory. In no way is their release by slow transfer of suffering or practice of virtue, "buying heaven". It's a long, excruciating process.
How the misunderstanding arose that Catholics think they can buy their way into heaven, is involved with history more than 500 years old. For a millennium of Christendom between roughly 410 and 1410, there was a Medieval civilization with harmony between faith and government.
Many small farmers would cluster around the manor house of a military lord who would protect them, in exchange for a certain fixed obligation of labor and agricultural produce. In most cases, those "serfs" had much more leisure than factory workers of the industrial revolution; there were a large number of holy days without work, and except for planting and harvesting, there were long stretches of idle time.
Another large sector of the economy surrounded monasteries, where the monks developed most of the farming practices that stabilized the serfs and their manorial lords. The monks who worked those monastic lands were sworn to poverty, so that monasteries built up large accumulations of economic value over decades and centuries of labor.
At the beginning, when lands were being cleared and put into production there weren't prominent town fairs ruled by merchants and bankers. Money wasn't used for sustenance, not even much barter occurred, life was mostly agrarian.
Charity was woven into the economy of monasteries. It was estimated that you only need travel 12 miles in medieval England between monasteries, where you could get a meal and minimal lodging for free, based on need. And the charity was also spiritual, including the ancient Catholic principle of prayer for the dead, which is biblical. (See "prayer for the dead" in the original King James Bible in the comment.)
There were foundations and benefices for praying for the dead, that allowed a person of means to support monasteries' charitable works, and in proportional response the monks would pray for the souls of the donors.
It happened at the close of the middle ages, that militarily strong nobles cast their eyes on the labor value accumulated by the poverty-sworn monks of the monasteries, which those nobles perceived as monetary wealth, especially where gold and jewels had been donated by the devout to adorn churches.
(Protestant writer William Cobbett wrote in his 1824 "A History of the Protestant Reformation in England and Ireland", an anecdote, that an incredibly valuable, hand illustrated bible was stripped of it's bejeweled, gold cover, the much more valuable hand-illumined manuscript, thrown in the mud and trampled by horses hooves by raiders suppressing the monasteries in Henry VIII's England.)
A new religion growing up around this seizure of monastic lands and valuables, that sought to discredit the Catholic Church, spread the black legend that the "sale of indulgences" was abusive. But this was very exceptional. Today the stipend of a Mass said for the dead is $10.
Said by the guy that routinely rakes Francis over the coals.
Four Times Beast is fast approaching.
(Hey! Good name for a punk rock band!)
If they are voting, you can fool 81,000,000 of them!
Great points, I spent my whole life in northern Catholic town. Been to bible college and think I have a pretty good grasp on what the Catholic church believes and what the Bible says, yet I have never met a Catholic person who says they believe in all the garbage the Catholic church puts out. It’s like 99% don’t believe or don’t know what the church stands for. Not meant to be a condemnation, just odd to me. The Catholic still doesn’t know if they going to heaven, whether they believe in purgatory or works or whatever, it’s a shame. I have heard countless messages on Catholicism and done personal study as well, and am loaded for bear to witness to a Catholic, yet I have never met and witnessed to a Catholic who says any of the things that supposedly Catholics believe. It’s usually a fairly simple presentation of the Gospel you would give to any lost person.
Then it's no WONDER that 'Mary' has to continually re-appear to set them on the straight course once again.
Christ said I am the resurrection. Which one? Both? The first death separates soul and spirit. Is the separation of the Father and son the second death?
Ellen G. White has written over a million words and published over 50 books. She is the most published female writer of non-fiction in history. The Library of Congress stated that the book The Desire of Ages is the best book that was ever written on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The book Steps to Christ by Ellen White is the second most translated book in the world only after the Holy Bible.
Not bad for a cult leader with only a 3rd grade education.
What law is being referred to in post 2520 (every example)?
I didn’t think it was that tough of a question for you.
—> Not bad for a cult leader with only a 3rd grade education.
Satan is still the prince of this world. His reach and influence are both strong.
Thank you for verifying this.
Did Ellen G White see satan on Saturn or Jupiter when she saw Enoch??
😃
Here’s her exact quote. Any mention of Jupiter or Saturn? LOL!
The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were noble, majestic, and lovely. They bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place. I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on the earth. The reply was, “We have lived in strict obedience to the commandments of God, and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth.” Then I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the city. The fruit of both looked beautiful, but of one they could not eat. They had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one. Then my attending angel said to me, “None in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat, they would fall.” Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. On his right arm he bore a glorious palm, and on each leaf was written “Victory.” Around his head was a dazzling white wreath, and leaves on the wreath, and in the middle of each leaf was written “Purity,” and around the wreath were stones of various colors, that shone brighter than the stars, and cast a reflection upon the letters and magnified them. On the back part of his head was a bow that confined the wreath, and upon the bow was written “Holiness.” Above the wreath was a lovely crown that shone brighter than the sun. I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said, “It is not; the city is my home, and I have come to visit this place.” He moved about the place as if perfectly at home. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, “You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God.”
I suppose you didn’t even give it a second thought to post what she actually wrote? That’s careless (or dishonest).
Revelation 21:27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 22:14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
——>Satan is still the prince of this world. His reach and influence are both strong.
A lessen that Ravi’s victims knew all too well.
The book Steps to Christ by Ellen White is the second most translated book in the world only after the Holy Bible.
Your obsession with the sin of Ravi Zacharias indicates that you somehow believe contrasting yourself to him has some redemptive weight. That doesn’t work in God’s accounting. You cannot comprehend that since you have not the Spirit within you ... yet, but we are praying on it still.
People in the room heard her words and recoded it as witnesses.
Contemporaneous testimony by her SDA supporters.
Sorry.
Unless you produce a tape recording… pffft.
She also plagiarized other authors - frequently.
—> The book Steps to Christ by Ellen White is the second most translated book in the world only after the Holy Bible.
Apparently, SDA Falseworld makes false claims too!
https://translatehub.org/most-translated-books/
Not in the top 10.
Pinocchio is.
Perhaps Pinocchio was the original SDA book you are referring to??
Would make sense.
No, strictly for education/teaching purposes only. OSAS false doctrine is a lie and Ravi is the Poster Boy gift that keeps giving.
Oops!... LOL
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