Church still attracting converts: CHN at record levels

The Wanderer ^ | 10/10/02 | Paul Likoudis

[Rum Tum Tugger]

Thanks. I needed that.

[Desdemona]

No problem.

Believe me. It hurts.

Do you say the Rosary? The Sorrowful mysteries have been very helpful as well as the Passion stories.

[saradippity]

Take heart,you have great power!!!There is nothing more formidable to catechists,lecturers,and chancery officials visiting parishes with their "dog and pony show" than a convert clutching a Catechism raising his/her hand to speak.

God places us here at this time because He wants us here for His purposes. I think all the converts are,with the "communion of saints",who have gone before us,the army who will save the Church.

That is not to say that we orthodox,cradle Catholics have not a great part to play but you can be much more effective waking up the "sleeping" Catholics in the pews.

You see the "sleepers" have been brainwashed to believe most if not all cradle Catholics are either afraid of change or too stupid to recognize the need for change,so we are often marginalized and ignored in classes and lectures. But you "converts",God is really putting you in a wonderful position to proclaim His Word and teachings. Go,Rum Tum,get 'em!!!And,I will pray for you and your family.

I I read you saw "Late Night Catechism" and enjoyed it. It does reflect the Catholic culture,and we have always been able to laugh at out human failings and accept that others have them also.But in times past we recognized there was a big difference in out shortcomings that only served to affect us as well as sins for which we were truly sorry and confessed from "sins" which affect God and others and disrupt God's ordering of the universe.Those latter sins if not confessed and reconciled create sadness and suffering, here and hereafter. Those lines have become very blurred in America.

[saradippity]

Wow,you have said some great things,true and well.Thankyou,where have you been during most of this scandal?Anyway,glad you are here now!!

[xzins]

Ohhh....puhleeese!

[xzins]

Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break through and steal....

Then what?

But rather lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal.

For where your treasure is....there will your heart be also.

[Desdemona]

No, I want to know what you think is oppulent or appears oppulent. Seriously.

[xzins]

Well, your standards might or might not mean something. I, however, am talking about ME.

I'm a fair-minded guy, imho, and I'm not convinced that those arguments are any better than those on the other side. And they are not proof. (Locked and shut case.) As far as being an apprentice...I said I was a pastor. I've been at this a number of years. I wouldn't call me an apprentice. Now, answer me this: would you rather have a written Constitution of the United States of America? Or would you rather have a Congress that had not written document but could govern merely by majority rule? Or a president who could govern by consensus of counselors?

[xzins]

The Los Angeles Cathedral is a place to start. But I've traveled a lot in Germany, Austria, and Poland. The era they built those buildings in was impoverished in terms of the average man.

Those buildings are indication that someone had entirely too much money.

Have you ever seen the gold/jewelry room at the Koln (Cologne) Cathedral?

Some about gold robes that gives me the willies, too.

[Codie]

No, I want to know what you think is oppulent or appears oppulent. Seriously.

The Pope and his domicle.

[AlguyA]

"...would you rather have a written Constitution of the United States of America? Or would you rather have a Congress that had not written document but could govern merely by majority rule? Or a president who could govern by consensus of counselors?..."

Depends, now doesn't it? If I were still a fetus, I would rather be governed by a majority in Congress. My chances of making it out alive would be better. Only the Constitution demands abortion; anytime, anywhere, for whatever reason.

[AlguyA]

'Some about gold robes that gives me the willies,"

Would you also get the willies were you to see a woman pour expensive oils on Jesus' feet?

[Desdemona]

The Los Angeles Cathedral is a place to start.

It's hideous, not oppulent. Every Catholic here will tell you that. And Mahoney needs to go.

Perhaps if you thought of it in another way - when many of the big Cathedrals were built, they kept people (artists, craftsmen, etc.) employed. Many of them were built with love of God in mind. And when we go to church, to the Cathedral, we are rich. We are wealthy. The church is us. This is ours, but belongs to God.

The beloved Cathedral Basilica in my archdiocese houses the largest collection of Byzantine Mosaics in the world. It's stunning. It took 61 years and countless man hours for two men to finish the work. The last few, the son of the pair did so while dying of lung cancer. Can you imagine climbing up the scaffolding every day, body wracked with pain and weak from chemotherapy without doing the work for the love of God?

When it comes to GOd, there is no skimping. Only the best for Him. Only the incorruptible (the purpose behind the gold Tabernacles and lining of Challaces and Patens) for the Body of Christ.

Someone else could tell you more about the gold vestments than I can. They are reserved only for special occasions, though. Normally they are green (ordinary time) or they wear the cream which is sort of a stanardized uniform. And yes, they are expensive.

[Desdemona]

The Pope and his domicle.

It's not that oppulent.

[Siobhan]

Catholics ARE faithful to the Word of God. We don't take anything manmade and elevate it above Scripture. But we believe that because Jesus Christ left His church on earth, the Catholic Church, that where there is disagreement on what something means, the Church is the authority by which the disagreement is resolved.

Such clear and beautiful writing. All I can add is my Amen.

[RnMomof7]

"Those who take their faith and Scripture and God seriously," he said, "see the Catholic Church as being the answer to the chaos of the Protestant condition: Sola scriptura is a dead end, is unhistorical and unworkable. They understand this and so they have a crisis of faith and they enter the Catholic Church. And this is occurring across the Protestant spectrum. A lot of people contacting the Coming Home Network are ‘higher church’ Episcopalians or Lutherans, but we do get calls also from ‘low-end’ Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and Assembly of God ministers.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few [are] chosen.

Jhn 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

[Desdemona]

And why do you post these sound-bites that all sides claim to defend their stance?

Depending on the perspective all sides can use them.

Put back in context, they prove the author's point.

[pegleg]

Those buildings are indication that someone had entirely too much money.

There was a time when the largest and most magnificent buildings in the world were in fact Cathedrals. These were places built for the worship and glory of God. Nowadays the largest and most magnificent buildings are for banks, insurance companies, hotels, etc. These places are built for the worship and glory of the almighty dollar. Go figure.

[Over50Million]

LibertyGirl77wrote: Maybe when someone gives me a Biblically-sound reason to attempt to communicate with Mary or win her favor, I'll give the Catholic Church a second look.

Dear Liberty, I wish to first thank you and commend you for your gentle and reasonable approach to disputation on this subject. Your very Christian approach is quite refreshing.

And I wish to thank all the other Catholic posters who provided such an immense exposition on the Catholic position on Mary, but whether it's Mary, or praying to saints or the celibate priesthood, etc., etc., I ultimately find that Catholics and others will probably have no common agreement until there is a unified understanding of Mt 16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."

Please take a look at what more learned Catholics than I have to say about the Peter/Rock issue:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Peter_the_Rock.asp

I believe in the Pope mostly because I am a cradle Catholic. But recently I have had online debates with Protestants on the issue and have been amazed that some very good people have false beliefs about the Catholic Church becase of shoddy scholarship that is believed by too many Protestants.

Since Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life", I ask that you please take a look at this issue and please try to determine where the real truth lies on this cardinal (hinge) matter.

[Desdemona]

Good points.