Replies

Our hearts so quickly try to relate to God on a works-basis! It’s our pride, really. I’m convinced that that’s the problem with free-will Arminianism. People naturally process it like this: God requires one work from me, to believe. Once I believe, I’ve done my work and deserve heaven. Of course, in more hard-line Arminian circles, it goes a step further. Unless I’m holy enough, I’ll still go to hell, and maybe I’ve even committed the unpardonable sin and will be damned even if I’m sinlessly perfect from here on out. Legalism. Legalism. Legalism. Such a religion is barely recognizable as Christianity.

I couldn't agree more with this; especially the legalism part. I've also come to realize that assurance of salvation may not be quite the same thing as knowledge of salvation, and because of that there will be some of us who were assured (and I think I can say that I feel assured of God's Love for me, and that his Love will bring me home, when he calls me home) but wrongly so, because that requires a knowledge that only God has.

It's cognitive dissonance to say that salvation is of God, and then on the other hand command or suggest or imply, that I must say so many Hail Marys for my sins (and how did prayer become penance?), that I remember under penalty of grave sin that Holy Days of Obligation, are just that, an obligation. Not Love of God, but obligation. Just about everything Rome touches it tyrannizes; it's something deep in their marrow or it's driven by industry and money. I'm not really sure which, and if I had to guess, I'd say it's a little bit of both. It makes God the ultimate petty task master.

Right after I left Rome, I was going to give away my missal and catechism, both of which date back many years. What kept me from doing it, and I'm glad it did, because there's a good share in each that is profoundly worthy, is that I had this dream that I was dropping them off in the vestibule, and the doors shut in on me and I couldn't get out.

You might be interested to know that my missal refers a few times to 'Thine Elect.' The missal dates back to '62 and the catechism to '52. I acquired them when I returned after a couple of decades of thinking, something's off here, this may not be for me. And, what was always off, was the inveterate legalism that turns love into an obligation. And rendered the church itself incapable of loving, so that a pope could declare that one must be subject to the Roman Pontiff. Now all these years later, some ministry of nuance, tries to massage that message into something that can only be accepted by those bound and gagged by Rome's magisterium. Anyone outside that circle sees the spin for what it is. If Unam Sanctum (I hope I have the right Bull) can be re-cast, there's nothing in their arsenal that can't be recast. They give Pilates words, 'what is truth?', saliency again and again and again.

It is all of God, it is none of me. My being moves in His, that makes me calm and serene and joyful