I took the opportunity to closely question each as to his or her specific beliefs and did my best to represent each individually according to his or her beliefs and not my own.
I represented each without fee as my contribution to their efforts. I am convinced that it serves little purpose for me to shovel Catholicism onto others or for others to shovel other religious views onto me. I am not changing. Most others are not changing either. I was educated by Jesuits so long ago that the Jebbies were still Catholic and still called God's Marines. I was properly catechized. I was not much affected by Vatican II.
I think that you may well find me a solid ally on matters of political conservatism which is, after all, the purpose of this website and a purpose and cause which has attracted implicitly the allegiance of all FReepers. Second to our obligations to God? Certainly. Nonetheless, we need not share every detail of creed in order to be allied on moral questions or simply political questions pending before our nation.
Please accept that, in refusing to be involved in fights here over religious doctrine with those who are not Catholic, I am not disparaging or dismissing you. I am respecting you on your terms. It is only when people here claim to be Catholic, as you do not, but are in error as to the Church and its doctrines and practices, that I tend to intervene but that is in-house between and among Catholics. I do not think it my place to be telling people outside the Catholic Church what they should believe or how they should practice.
If you and I were next door neighbors and saw each other face to face rather than on the internet, we might well become close and cordial friends, despite doctrinal differences.
May God bless you and yours!
Well said.
If a “dean of discipline” is what you say you want to be, it is a little odd to be shying away from lessons...
Personally, I don’t go for that. I assert that the “love of Christ first” approach is the superior one in any area of Christendom. EVERYTHING else, follows from it. That includes attempting to keep artefacts from interfering with it. “Vatican II” means little to me too — but it is neither demon nor angel; it is an artefact. It’s certainly reasonable to expect, that if I really DO believe evangelical doctrine, to ACT like I believe it, and not complain that the Roman Catholic Church won’t officially support this belief. That is to cede my very premise.
Why are we bothering to be “pro-life”? Well it is because God created life, loves it, and beseeches us to embrace His attitude. We’re not here to be ornery and brag about it. That is to volunteer for role casting as the devil.