How many Catholics use birth control, or have had abortions, or supported DNC candidates? The most Catholic part of the country - the Northeast, includes some of the most progressive states and cities. The Conservative red states generally have the lowest percentage of Catholics. Coincidence?
Many years ago I attended a private Methodist university in the South with about 40% Catholic students. They were the biggest drinkers and by far the most promiscuous. I don’t write that to condemn either the students, or the RCC. Whether one is a member of the RCC, or Running For Christ Cathedral, the fruit reflects the root.
All sins, including sexual ones, are symptoms of the sin nature. You don’t attack the symptoms, you (spiritually) attack the root. If you want different fruit, the spirit must be given LIFE. That is the ONLY way to change a person. You don’t do that with persuasion, politics, force, or even religion. You do it with God’s Word. (Matthew 7:13-20, John 1, 3, 15:1-5, 17)
Paul lays out the process of Salvation in such simple terms, even a child can understand. Note the question at the end of the passage. (Romans 10:8-14) This is the starting point in correcting the sin problem. Far too many priests and preachers are not proclaiming God’s Word, and instead are too busy with worldly matters, religious activities, and playing church. That is why the problems multiply. And when religion becomes big enough, it produces religious leaders and a bloated bureaucracy that is easily and often lead astray by the enemy.
Once a Believer, the answer to the sin problem is simple. You have a new heart, a new nature, a new life given by God. You simply have to act on God’s Word and live this new reality. Its faith in the integrity of God’s Word and God’s Grace, cooperating for your benefit. The chains of condemnation and sin consciousness are broken because the sin nature is reckoned dead. This requires renewing your mind, drinking the pure spiritual milk of God’s Living Word so that you can mature and have the mind of Christ, enjoying the liberty provided by the Truth that sets you free. There is no more doubt, or religious bondage, only certainty and joy of being in God’s family. (John 3:14-17, 8:28-32, Romans 6:6-12, 7:1-25, 8:1-17, Ephesians 1:1-14, 2:1-6, Philippians 3:1-3, Colossians 2:6-15, 1 Peter 2:1-5)
And even if one sins (note the ‘S’ at the end), God has an “app” for that (1 John 1:1-10). Oddly, as a Believer matures in faith and knowledge of the Word, those sinful desires simply fade away. God gives you new desires and you produce good fruit.
Oh that God’s people would continually devour God’s revelation TO the Church given through Paul, especially Romans and Ephesians. Meditate on this glorious Truth until it is firmly planted in your heart. THIS is the answer to the sins that trouble the author of this article. Religion is powerless and frustrates the Grace of God. Only a change of spiritual fathers will end the power of sin over a person, and heal this land.
It saddens me that people think that there is Salvation in a denomination. Apart from Jesus, the Word made flesh, the HEAD of THE Church, the Body of Christ, there is no Salvation. I don’t care what flavor church you attend as long as Jesus is your Savior and God is your Heavenly Father. If God’s Word is constantly in front of your eyes, on your lips, and in your heart, and the Holy Spirit is leading you through your reborn spirit, you are a Son of God, a joint-heir with Jesus, and my Brother and Sister in Christ. (Romans 8:11-17, Colossians 1:11-17)
If ever some pastor, deacon, or bishop placed a tiara on his head and proclaimed himself the Pontius Pontiff of Protestants, and proclaimed homosexuality desirable, abortion mandatory, and demanded that his followers bow to statues of Lady GaGa, and facing Hollywood, pray to dead Academy Award winners 7 times a day, it would be nothing more than an amusing sideshow to me. There is only one HEAD of THE Church - the called out ones, or Believers, and He is IN ME and greater than he who is in the world. Jesus, unlike men and their religious concoctions, NEVER changes. HE IS TRUTH. His Word is Eternal and Pure. Jesus, The Word, and the Holy Spirit always agree, and will endure forever.
There are some that bemoan the diversity among those not subjugated by Rome. I instead see freedom, especially from religious bondage and the often heinous crimes of religious tyrants over the centuries. I can question and challenge the shepherds God has appointed without fear, because any true child of God is motivated by a desire for Truth and Love - not pride, deception, or fear. If an individual shepherd, church, or denomination strays from the Truth, and will not except Godly correction, I am free to leave (and should leave) and join with other Believers in another church, or even start a brand new fellowship as the Holy Spirit directs. The True Church is wherever there are Believers - neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, they are one in Christ, worshiping their Heavenly Father in Spirit and Truth. (John 4:21-26, 17:14-26, Galatians 3:28-29)
You want to stop sexual sin and cultural decline, preach God’s Word, not religion. (2 Timothy 4:1-4, Hebrews 4:12)
John 6:63 (AMP)
63 It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.
Galatians 3:1-3 (AMP)
1 O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?
2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?]
3 Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?
Well done!!
All faiths have lukewarm members. And that includes any protestant faith as well as those that call themselves Catholic. Worldwide you have over a billion Catholics. It’s the doctrines of the Catholic Church that attracted me to the faith, not the sins of others in the faith and whether or not they were living according to the doctrines of the church. Only the Catholic Church has absolute moral truths that have not changed in 2,000 years and will not change. This can not be said for any protestant faith, some of which have been around for 10 or 15 years. The oldest 500 years of so. Catholicism is not sissies. It’s takes a committed, tough person to live their life according to the Word of God. And for those that call themselves Catholic that can’t live the faith according to the doctrines of that faith, I say find yourself another faith. There are thousands of protestant churches that will suit your me first God second attitude.