Posted on 01/14/2011 5:57:52 PM PST by topcat54
Evangelical book catalogs promote books such as Planet Earth: The Final Chapter, The Great Escape, and the Left Behind series. Bumper stickers warn us that the vehicle’s occupants may disappear at any moment. It is clear that there is a preoccupation with the idea of a secret rapture. Perhaps this has become more pronounced recently due to the expectation of a new millennium and the fears regarding potential Y2K problems. Perhaps psychologically people are especially receptive to the idea of an imminent, secret rapture at the present time. Additionally, many Christians are not aware that any other position relative to the second coming of Jesus Christ exists. Even in Reformed circles there are numerous people reading these books. Many of these people are unaware that this viewpoint conflicts with Scripture and Reformed Theology.
(Excerpt) Read more at reformed.org ...
Nonsense.
Finally we agree, John McTernan and this "Bless those who bless you/curse those who curse you" fallacy is full of nonsense
Hey, newbie watch yourself!
Just what Satan would want us to believe, too.
Your shriveled heart has no appreciation for hyperbole. St. Catherine of Siena was one of the most audacious papal critics in history. Like St. Paul, she succeeded in convincing the pope to make far-reaching and necessary reforms.
LOL!!!
What about all that submission to the pope nonsense.
zzzzzzzzzzzztttttttttt... that’s gone too, I guess.
LOL. You guys always complain that Catholics are thin-skinned. Is this a forum for issues or mindless trolling?
Sure. Those popes are just models of propriety and paragons of virtue, aren’t they?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_VI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Nicholas_III
Who Was The Most Evil, Degenerate and Corrupt Pope Ever???
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070801190702AA9sqKh
The thin skinned is in post 281. Hint, newbie, you can’t spray Truth away.
Who are you to say that the Catholic Church has roots in the demonic? That is what they said about Jesus Christ.
It doesn’t work that way, newbie! You said something ‘personal’ about me.
THIS
from folks of
The Vatican Alice In Wonderland School of Theology and Reality Mangling
who base such dogma, beliefs, rituals, compulsions, as
1. Christ exiting Mary's womb leaving her hymen intact;
2. Mary is crowned Queen of heaven and earth, dispenser of all graces . . .
3. [Ferraro p32 #4]: She became Queen of Purgatory, where she exercises her power as mediatrix in behalf of these suffering souls.
4. [Ferraro p32 #6]:6 - She became the ruler of hell, that trembles at her slightest gaze and is defeated by her power.
5.
"Just as a rock extracted from earth will precipitate into the abyss, so will man, left without Mary's help, quickly slide toward hell." --Richard of St Victor
6.
p37
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come; Thy kingdom come through Mary! --Partial Indulgence
7.
p41
"Mary is the tree of life to those who grasp her, and he is happy who hold her fast." --Prov. 3:18
8. [Ferraro p43 #1]:
p43
1 - "Hail Mary, beloved daughter of the Father, Mother of the Divine Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, complement of the most august Trinity!"
9. [Ferraro p45 #6]:
p45
6 - To her was granted grace greater than that conferred upon all others, 'that she might vanquish sin in every respect.' [Qx: I guess Christ's vanquishing sin was unnecessary--or ineffectual without Mary's assistance?]
10. [Ferraro p46 #7]:p46
7 - "Mary is the dawn of God because, just as the dawn marks the end of darkness and the beginning of day, so Mary indicates the end of vices and the beginning of virtue." [Qx: I guess Christ's conquering on The Cross and HIS conquering trip to hell were unncessary?]
11. [Ferraro p46 #9]:
9 - God loved Mary so much that He gave her the keys to His heart. 'No one can go to God without Mary drawing him.' [Qx: I guess Holy Spirit has been relegated to a 'Walter Mitty' role as spouse of Mary? That's SOME POWER to cancel & take over HOLY SPIRIT'S role to draw men to God!]
12. [Ferraro p47 #4]:
p47
4 - "Mary, trusting in the word of the angel, destroyed the sin Eve committed by trusting in the serpent.' [Qx: Evidently, she beat Christ to the job of vanquishing sin!]
13. [Ferraro p47 #5]:
5 - "She desired the safety of everyone, went in search of it, and obtained it; it was also through her that this salvation was wrought." [QX: What an unnecessary waste of precious Blood and suffering on THE CROSS!!!/sar]
14. [Ferraro p47 #10]:
p47
10 - "As Noah's Ark saved all the animals that entered it, so Mary saves all the souls that entrust themselves to her care."
15. [Ferraro p50 #8]:
p50
8 - "If she were not so holy as she is, how could God appoint her to be the ladder of Paradise, the advocate of the world, meatrix between HIm and us?"
16. [Ferraro p50 #4]:
p50
4 - "By becoming Mother of God, Mary belongs to the order of hypostatic union; hence she participates IN the infinite sanctity of God."
From:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2503880/posts?page=1576#1576
17. The farcical fantasy that the Vatican Alice In Wonderland School Of Theology and Reality Mangling formed after 300AD was formed hundreds of years earlier "founded on Peter" instead of the Biblical declaration that Christ would build HIS CHURCH on the TYPE OF FAITH Peter had.
18. The farcical fantasy that the approximately 20% somewhat authentic Roman Catholics out of 1.2 billion self-labeled Roman Catholics comprise the largest group of 'true Christians' in the world.
19. The farcical fantasy that !!!!TRADITIONS!!!! of man and of demons are great things to found a Christian organization on.
20. The farcical fantasy that The Pope & a group of bureaucratic political theological elite magicsterical power-mongers are somehow magically infallible in matters of dogma, faith and practice.
ETC. ETC. ETC. YADA YADA YADA.
All such piled on top of utter empty fantasies based on thin air or at best matrix mangled slivers of tooth picks worth of nuanced single verses of Scripture.
There are those who believe in this manner and there are those who do not. You apparently do not. Me, I'd say I'm not entirely opposed to some things likely qualified as "dispensationalist" but not all. I do support the modern state of Israel, not only for reasons of faith but for conservative geopolitical reasons.
Others don't, but I'm certainly not going to fly completely off the handle about it. People are entitled to their views; you are, and so is this author who's seemingly put a bee in your bonnet by looking for indications of prophecy being fulfilled in current events.
I don't believe the so-called rapture will occur prior to the Tribulation, but that it will occurs sometime during the course of it, which is a conclusion drawn from an earnest, personal study of the Bible. After the fact, I've found my views to largely coincide with most early Church "fathers."
Finally, I've got to say that this is rather disturbing:
Why are there more Jews with American passports than with Israeli? Where is our blessing!! And why was the US winning wars and growing mightily in wealth and land prior to 1948, but since then we have been falling apart and can't even win a war anywhere?
This in my opinion teeters on anti-Semitic. It strikes me that you might need to reconsider the implication of making such statements.
Which of my simple words did you not understand?
ok, my apologies for the above post, you explained yourself pretty well in post 12, thank you.
Interesting link to Irenaeus. He is a very good source for life in the EArly Church
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