Posted on 06/27/2003 11:31:19 AM PDT by Antoninus
Friends,
In light of recent national and international events, it should be clear to most of you that the Christian underpinnings of western civilization are being knocked out from under our feet. Recent acts of judicial fiat in both Canada and in our own country have made it abundantly clear that the "post-Christian" world envisioned by anti-Christian radicals for centuries now may be close at hand.
Rather than continuing to scratch and claw our own eyes out over our differences (which will not, by the way, be resolved on this forum) I suggest that we call a temporary truce. Nearly all of us have the same cultural values including an abhorrence for abortion, a desire to raise our children free from intrusive and pervasive immorality, a revulsion at the "gay" deathstyle, and a desire to express our religious convictions publicly without threat of punishment.
If we continue on our current trajectory, is there any doubt that Christians will be reduced to the status of second class citizens? There are already whiffs of persecution emanating from Canada and some European countries. Are you truly prepared to face this threat if it arrives here? Of course, there is something to be said for being imprisoned and stripped of your family and possessions for expressing your Christian beliefs. But how many of us in our soft communities are ready to face the same trials that routinely confronted our early saints?
I maintain that there is much we can do to turn the tide. First and foremost, taking a cue from the citizens of Nineveh, we should put on sack-cloth and ashes (at least figuratively, if not literally) and seek personal repentence. Second, we must get active. If you're already active, prepare to become moreso.
The activity I'm proposing is not simply political, though that is a part of it. It needs to be evangelical--I accuse myself and my Church in general of going mainly soft on this issue. Indeed, many of the most celebrated evangelical Catholics are converts (!) And for you Evangelical Protestants, I challenge you to turn your fervor away from trying to convert pious and believing Catholics and train your theological cannons on the great and growing mass of secularized, sexualized youth. In short, I believe that a new, powerful burst of evangelization is the only thing that can save Western civilization from the otherwise unavoidable implosion of anarchy.
At any rate, if you think I'm being ridiculous or overstating the problem, just imagine we were back in 1990 and I told you that within 15 years, the Supreme Court would declare sodomy to be a constitutional right and that Canada would consider two homosexual men the moral equivalent of marriage.
If we unite, we can win. If we stay divided, we cede the victory to the forces of darkness. Your choice.
John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, who followeth not us: and we forbade him. But Jesus said: Do not forbid him. For there is no man that doth a miracle in my name and can soon speak ill of me. For he that is not against you is for you. (Mark 9:38)
Grushenka was a mean, wicked peasant woman who had no virtues in life. After death the devils caught her and took her below. Her guardian angel saw her suffering and loneliness, felt compassion for her, and attempted to help her, and so went to God. Able to come up with only one kind act of Grushenka's in life on earth - that once Grushenka had given a beggar an onion, the angel begged God for mercy toward Grushenka. God, in His great mercy and love for us, decreed that the angel could use an onion to pull Grushenka from the lake of fire.
When the angel held the onion down Grushenka grabbed onto it. The angel began pulling. The other people in the lake of fire saw Grushenka being pulled out and grabbed hold of her feet. A chain was formed of people being pulled from the lake of fire and upward. Grushenka was still a selfish person, though, and kicked her feet to make the others fall off, screaming, "No, it's MY onion, not yours!"
And then the onion broke and all of the people, including Grushenka, fell back into the lake of fire.
In Grushenka's struggle to free herself from the lake of fire, she forgets that the very possibility of herself is given by the Other. In Grushenka's selfishness, she is lost to the knowledge of others, to the divine, and ultimately to love.
Dostoevsky also said, "We are all guilty of all and for all men before all, and I more than the others."
It has served its purpose quite well, its unwitting victims' protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.
It was a deft move to separate social conservatism based in religious conviction from the rest of FR.
Personally, I think the first step in fulfilling this Truce to to petition Jim Rob to eliminate this Religion Forum ghetto once and for all.
Except that is what happens. Focus on the Family has worked with Mormons and some of the churches that deny the trinity
Brian politics make strange bedfellows, when numbers and clout count bring the two together (which it will ) we can not work with them
That is right where the Republicans want us..like the crazy aunt , hidden in the attic. (other than the primaries and election day)
We clutter up the Big Tent...cause we make them look at the dung
I think this is the kernal right here. The important thing is people who worship God are trying to be on His side. The secular humanists, homosexual promoters, abortionists, the moral relativists - are fighting against Him. Personally, even though many of you here probably hold many beliefs that are not precisely the same as mine in all details, I consider you brothers and sisters because you acknowledge the existence and importance of the Supreme Person, God - and therefore I offer my respect to you.
If we consider our similarities more, we will have more strength to fight the terrible evil that is trying to devour the whole world.
You are right. We are members of the professing church . We all together are the visible church, as such we share alot of common interests. But we can not sacrifice the discussion of those differences in the name of a false truce.
I think when it serves the interest of the professing church we need to stand as one.
If there was a decision that interfered with the Catholic schools right to teach the doctrine of the church I would protest with you all because we all benefit from the religious religious freedom. Some things cross denominational differences .
But I do not think that we should try to brush our differences under the rug . They are big and men have died over them.
So the question is are we grown ups? Can we have serious doctrinal discussion and still work for common interests?
I am somewhat hopeless about affecting a culture change back to the 50's. I feel like the dutch boy with hiis finger in the dike..all we can do is hold back the flood a bit. But we need to do it without doctrinal compromise..
If we can't it is because we are working in the flesh.
The late Francis Schaeffer was a major influence in my life before I became Orthodox. He pointed out something that has stuck with me for decades, now. It is not possible to simultaneously demonstrate the love of God and the holiness of God apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, that is exactly what is needed. We must not brush away differences. But, we must show the world our love for God and each other. This forum fails miserable on the second point.
But, despair is a sin. Remember Elijah. There are more than the 7000 in his day who haven't bowed the knee to Baal.
Anyway, whether we are discouraged or not, God *is* in control.
Paul (aka Newberger)
I agree 100% - as you can see from my previous posts. The war is getting so intense - I spend some time last night in serious prayer and meditation on this evil. I consider you and others here with this vision to be like knights, brothers in arms. I am hoping that this SCOTUS decision will wake up any of those who remain sleeping. Scott Lively has similar vision - have you gone to his website or communicated with him?
www.abidingtruth.com
He has a booklet about fighting the "Gay Agenda" in which he calls for all people of faith to band together to fight the evil.
(Anyone know how to make links when using html?)
At the same time, think of so many lost souls - propagandized to believe that abortion and faggotry are morally equivalent with childbirth and marriage, or even superior. Wouldn't we be all better off if such people were moral and believed in God, even if they went to a different church or synagogue than the one you or I attend?
Even if you feel you cannot work with them, doesn't it make sense to direct the fight against the atheists, the sodomy promoters, and the abortionists? Rather than those with whom we may have serious theological differences, but at least practice virtue and believe in God, even if our understandings are different.
It isn't because of the Mormons' influence that SCOTUS decreed that sodomy is a protected act.
It's going to take some serious cognitive dissonance to overcome a quote we just typed and be callous or scornful in our own words to someone else.
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