Posted on 03/04/2002 5:34:20 PM PST by marshmallow
You could have kept your posting fingers to yourself, and read about Mother Teresa on this thread from people who have something to contribute, but you chose to hijack it with one of the stalest and most fruitless arguments around. It it clear that your knowledge of Catholics is gleaned from propaganda.
You know nothing about "most Catholics" but present yourself as knowledgeable. Why don't you find some PROTESTANT who's been the sort of leader Mother Teresa has? Why don't you present that protestant, whoever it may be, for discussion? Because you can't.
You apparently have nothing to contribute here except sectarian preaching and gratuitous remarks about Catholics going to hell.
I've met lots of ADULT protestants who could present a viewpoint that was interesting, informative, and spiritually challenging. You, no doubt, aspire to be one of their number. Years and years and years from now, you may be.
What type of work do you do?
Well, to make a long story short, my faith was shattered. I didn't want to not have God, but I couldn't get over the doubts I had about Him, that feeling that either He had abandoned me, or He wasn't there to begin with. At one point I was even considering suicide, wondering what was the point of existence if there was no ultimate source of it all.
At the very moment that I was at the lowest point of my life, God sent the most wonderful friend that anyone could ask for in this life on earth. A few months ago we were engaged. And every day since we met has been a joyful lesson in how magnificent and beautiful our God is, that nothing about us is beyond His ken. My faith in Him is stronger than ever... so much so that I've told everyone around me that if I had to go through all that again - and it was more than I'd wish on my worst enemy, seriously - I would do it. Would look forward to it even, because now I know God was looking out after me the whole time.
Thank you for sharing your story :-)
It's rapidly becoming my favorite....so much wisdom there.
It truly is the living word and as relevant today as it was yesterday or 2000+ years ago.
Do you agree?
The question is: is it necessary only that we sit around on the front porch, waiting for our inevitable raising to eternal life? Or are we to take Jesus seriously when he tells us that things are expected of us? There are too many such NT references to list here, but you know that Jesus said to do more than simply sit and wait.
It's true that no man can do what God wants -- not perfectly, anyway. But the alternative is to do nothing, and that's directly contrary to Jesus' own words. And it certainly goes contrary to the examples throughout the Bible, and later history wherein God calls people to do His will.
I think of it this way: what we do for God is rather like what our kids do when they make us breakfast. It's far from perfect, but it's offered in love, and accepted for what it is. (I recall one particularly good one -- molasses cookie surrounded by two slices of bologna.)
You don't know anything about me! Yet, you feel the need to try and cheapen both my faith and myself with your truly ignorant comments.
You could have just as easily framed your response as a question for disscussion such as "Do you think Bill Gates funding of hospitals compares with Mother Teresa's works?"...but you didn't. So I'm led to the conclusion that your not here for either disscussion or to lend moral support to any other human being...but, just to try to start arguments. You do realize your not very good at it...don't you?
I will resume my job search shortly, but this exchange, this contemplation on the darkness of trials, has been a tremendous encouragement for me. I realize that this process is fruitful for me, however painful, and that I will be stronger and more faithful.
By contrast, consider the words of Jesus Himself in (for example) Matt. 5-7.
I'm not trying to say that we are saved by works alone. But it's also true -- you said as much yourself -- that we can't just sit around and wait for salvation. If we could, then God would never call us to actually do things.
Faith without works is fruitless. (See, e.g., the story of Jesus and the barren fig tree).
Likewise, works without faith are no good (e.g., Luke 14:24).
If we are to sum it up in His words:
"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." (Matt. 7:21-27)
Which is to say, both faith and works are needed. Where grace comes in is that God recognizes and forgives the deficiencies in our works, so long as they're done in His name.
Taking it back to Mother Teresa -- there is a woman who did her works in faith.
You are nothing but a child. Posting with you is a waste of time. Grow up.
And one more thing: Christ thought I was worthy for Him to give His life that I may live with Him in Eternity. Feel free to question Him about that.
Another similar statement by some well-known speaker (seems like it might have been Martin Luther King): Life comprises 10% experiences and 90% how we react to those experiences.
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