Posted on 08/27/2010 11:45:13 AM PDT by Hank Kerchief
The ultimate intention of Catholicism is the restoration of the Holy Roman Empire. That has always been the ambition, at least covertly, but now it is being promoted overtly and openly.
The purpose of this article is only to make that intention clear. It is not a criticism of Catholics or Catholicism (unless you happen to think a Catholic dictatorship is not a good thing).
The most important point is to understand that when a Catholic talks about liberty or freedom, it is not individual liberty that is meant, not the freedom to live one's life as a responsible individual with the freedom to believe as one chooses, not the freedom to pursue happiness, not the freedom to produce and keep what one has produced as their property. What Catholicism means by freedom, is freedom to be a Catholic, in obedience to the dictates of Rome.
The Intentions Made Plain
The following is from the book Revolution and Counter-Revolution:
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"B. Catholic Culture and Civilization
"Therefore, the ideal of the Counter-Revolution is to restore and promote Catholic culture and civilization. This theme would not be sufficiently enunciated if it did not contain a definition of what we understand by Catholic culture and Catholic civilization. We realize that the terms civilization and culture are used in many different senses. Obviously, it is not our intention here to take a position on a question of terminology. We limit ourselves to using these words as relatively precise labels to indicate certain realities. We are more concerned with providing a sound idea of these realities than with debating terminology.
"A soul in the state of grace possesses all virtues to a greater or lesser degree. Illuminated by faith, it has the elements to form the only true vision of the universe.
"The fundamental element of Catholic culture is the vision of the universe elaborated according to the doctrine of the Church. This culture includes not only the learning, that is, the possession of the information needed for such an elaboration, but also the analysis and coordination of this information according to Catholic doctrine. This culture is not restricted to the theological, philosophical, or scientific field, but encompasses the breadth of human knowledge; it is reflected in the arts and implies the affirmation of values that permeate all aspects of life.
"Catholic civilization is the structuring of all human relations, of all human institutions, and of the State itself according to the doctrine of the Church.
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Got that? "Catholic civilization is the structuring of all human relations, of all human institutions, and of the State itself according to the doctrine of the Church." The other name for this is called "totalitarianism," the complete rule of every aspect of life.
This book and WEB sites like that where it is found are spreading like wildfire. These people do not believe the hope of America is the restoration of the liberties the founders sought to guarantee, these people believe the only hope for America is Fatima. Really!
In Their Own Words
The following is from the site, "RealCatholicTV." It is a plain call for a "benevolent dictatorship, a Catholic monarch;" their own words. They even suggest that when the "Lord's Payer," is recited, it is just such a Catholic dictatorship that is being prayed for.
[View video in original here or on Youtube. Will not show in FR.]
Two Comments
First, in this country, freedom of speech means that anyone may express any view no matter how much anyone else disagrees with that view, or is offended by it. I totally defend that meaning of freedom of speech.
This is what Catholics believe, and quite frankly, I do not see how any consistent Catholic could disagree with it, though I suspect some may. I have no objection to their promoting those views, because it is what they believe. Quite frankly I am delighted they are expressing them openly. For one thing, it makes it much easier to understand Catholic dialog, and what they mean by the words they use.
Secondly, I think if their views were actually implemented, it would mean the end true freedom, of course, but I do not believe there is any such danger.
It was a facetious remark paraphrasing the depth of your argument.
I read Come Be My Light when it came out as well as all or parts of several other writings about and by Mother Teresa. She reminds me most of St. John OTC, who is considered one of the best poets in the Spanish Language. His poems Spiritual Canticle and Dark Night of the Soul are classics. If you read him and are familiar with his writing, as Mother Teresa was, Mother Teresa’s letters become clear.
Another classic I recommend is St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s “Story of a Soul.” Her story is also similar to Mother Teresa. (She is Mother Teresa’s namesake.)
Another Teresa and also another Doctor of the Church is Saint Teresa of Ávila, whose “The Interior Castle” is an excellent primer to understanding Thérèse of Lisieux’s life and Mother Teresa as well.
These writers, and monasticism as a whole was done away with by Reformers, and with it a great tradition of writing is lost to Protestantism.
Without some background in it is, as I said earlier, difficult to have much of a clue about what they are referring to.
Non sequitur.
The Scriptures tell us of Christians helping one another in an organized way when need arose.
Jesus had said what was life giving food and drink, etc. and it was not whole wheat bread and with good wine.
At Matt. 6:23-34 Jesus says that while we need these physical things for life, the soul means more than eating and drinking and that we should seek the kingdom first. vs. 33.
And at Luke 10:38-42 Jesus praised Mary, Martha's sister, for listening to him over Martha's bustling about to prepare a meal for their honored guest.
So from Jesus’ comments on the importance of the spiritual necessities over the physical, I think we can understand what he said about the treatment of the least of his brothers at Matthew 25:34-40 more fully.
I think that, like faith and works, they’re not really separable. And, I agree with St. Francis that we can preach without using words. Some of the greatest influences on my faith came from those who did so.
thanks for your reply.
I’m glad to see your references to the Carmelite “Doctors of the Church”.
I am a lay Carmelite and have been for 38 years. We are expected to know well the writings you mention.
In his prologue to “Ascent to Mt. Carmel”, St. John of the Cross writes:
“In discussing this dark night therefore, I shall not rely on experience or science, for these can fail and deceive us. Although I shall not neglect whatever of possible use I can make of them, my help in all that, with God’s favor, I shall say, will be Sacred Scripture, at least in the most important matters, or those which are difficult to understand. Taking Scripture as our guide we do not err, since the Holy Ghost speaks to us through it.”
Very good! What a gift to the Church the Carmelites are.
thank you very much.
thank you. God bless and good night...
lol. Try harder.
Thank God.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh." -- Mark 10:6-8"But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh." -- Ephesians 5:28-31 "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
So we learn here that "from the beginning" God made men and women to unite in marriage as Christ is united to His church.
The monastic life, the effort to do good works to please God and to devote oneself to praying for the souls of others is not a life that is celebrated in Scripture. God does not instruct us to lock ourselves away from men, but to "preach and show the glad tidings of the kingdom of God" to all men everywhere.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." -- Mark 16:15
"Go ye into the world."
Not retreat from the world.
Its the perfect excuse to do nothing at all.
lol. I didn't write it. Paul did. Your complaint is with the apostle, not me.
But the fact that you so easily dismiss Paul and his "do nothing" philosophy should tell you that maybe you need to rethink your understanding of God, men, church and Scripture.
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus."
Not Mary. Not saints. Not popes. Not rituals. Not trinkets. Not alchemy.
Christ alone.
You truncated it in an attempt to ridicule what was not being said.
Are you seriously arguing that Presbyterians believe God did not become man as the second person of the Trinity (as the WCF affirms?)
If those things are done by men without faith, then they do the work themselves; a work which will not save them because "whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
It's bad enough when Calvinists twist other posters' words, but when they twist Christ's words to change the meaning, that is disgusting.
Christ did NOT say that anytime a Christian feeds the hungry or clothes the naked He is doing it. He said, "Any time you have done it unto one of the least of these you have done it unto Me."
And Christ did not say, "If those things are done by men without faith, then they do the work themselves." Not only are verses taken out of context by the Calvinists, they are truncated to the point of meaninglessness.
Dr. E.: Are you seriously arguing that Presbyterians believe God did not become man as the second person of the Trinity (as the WCF affirms?)
Kosta: I quoted straight out of WCF expressing belief in one God (not just the Father). It talks generically of God and that applies to all three hypostatic realities who are co-equal and co-eternal. Logos is God, Jesus is Logos, ergo Jesus is God; Jesus has a Body, ergo God has a body.
It looks as though you have a reading comprehension problem. Surely you would not be attempting to twist Kosta’s words.
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Well I can understand why Luther made these comments at that time Dr. E. Things were pretty bad then, not only in the leadership but even in the membership...allot of paganism was permitted in the church. As well, all manner of cultish and magical arts were common in the general public and quite accepted by the people.
But the catholic church is hardly that today. Though they continue to carry on with some of those rituals, and changed their meanings to something else. Still to say the same of the catholic church today is a stretch I think.
Yes, it still remains a political power etc. And the Papal worship and Mary worship are out of place... but there are Christians within the catholic church, along side those who seek and desire the power that Priests etc. hold.
Just my opinion Dr. but it seems to me there needs to be a balance, many of the membership really have no clue about the scriptures, as with any organization, simply accept what they are told. What is important to them is their association with the church first. Still, the Lord moves those who will and in His time among the memberhsip...and those in time and as they grow in their understanding do sometimes leave the church.
Adam and Eve were created with a free will, the ability to sin or not sin, that was lost in the garden.
Unregenerate man can only choose what is sin in Gods eyes.. His will is bound by the sin of Adam, he will always choose what he prefers, and he will never choose to see himself as a sinner, repent and make Jesus Lord. He loves his life as it is and his sin
When the grace of God regenerates a man he is "born again" returning his will to the state of the Adam and Eve, allowing him to choose to sin or not sin ... he is able to be obedient to God, something the unregenerate man is not.
Scripture tells us to judge the eternity of others, or its call to preach the gospel is wrong, they both can not be true..
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