[the_conscience]

then you MUST be able to show PRECISELY where a word or a phrase was used in a dual sense, which is what "equivocal" implies

You equivocated on the source of goodness.

If every good work is grace, does that mean that when Hindu feeds the poor he is acting out of grace or that it is not a good work?

Grace. In this instance a common grace God gives to restrain man from utter depravity.

If there were a dishonest man at your church who claimed to be saved but was notoriously dishonest in his dealings would you buy a used car from him rather than from an atheist with a reputation for square dealing?

If he was a notorious sinner who was plagued with continual sin in a specific area then it is the Churches responsibility to counsel the sinner to repent of that particular sin. Whatever secular dealings I might have with him is really irrelevant to his faith and would depend upon many variables including my own knowledge of his secular vocation.

For the rest, every good gift comes from God. The only thing any human can contribute without God's involvement is sin. That is Catholic teaching.

Understood. But we've come to the chicken or the egg question in our discussion.

[Mad Dawg]

Thanks. Maybe we're zeroing in on the types or instances of "grace". I too would say that the Hindu's feeding of the poor was God graciously acting in and through him.

Help me with the chicken and egg thing.