Tomorrow, Thursday, June 28th, we get our Obamacare ruling. Say some prayers, and think about fasting! Tomorrow is also the feast day of Saint Irenaeus - perhaps not incidentally a martyr
Well well well, all that praying and fasting didn't do nobody a bit of good now did it. In the bible, there are 4 verses that deal with prayer. Matthew 21: "If you have faith, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Mark 11: "whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it WILL BE YOURS." John 14: Anyone who has faith, you may ask for anything in my name and I WILL DO IT." Matthew 18: If two of you agree about anything they ask, it WILL BE DONE for them by my father."
Now, these are clear unambiguous statements made by Jesus who is the way, the TRUTH and the life. Now to take the example of the healthcare law which many Catholics(priests and bishops included) prayed with faith that the Supreme Court would overturn. Today, we find out the law was not overturned and now it stays. I have before in the past prayed with faith for something that I needed rather desperately but never got. The people of the church prayed with faith for that law to get tossed. It wasn't tossed. That brings in to question the reliability of the bible. Either Jesus never made such statements, or he lied. You chose.
There is no option 3. But because you apparently think you are a rather holy and highly intelligent person, then I would ask that you thoroughly explain(that means convincingly) why I am WRONG about the above statement. Provide ample evidence to back up your claim that I am wrong and you are correct. Remember, these are clear, unambiguous statements made by Jesus. Just like the last supper when He said "Take this all of you and eat it." "This IS my body which will be given up for you." Same thing with the cup, etc.... Catholics take that statement literally. The same should be true for the promises. That is of course, you don't believe Jesus actually promised anything. So convince me with a thorough and convincing response as to why either Jesus wasn't lying or didn't "not" make those promises.
It is fallacious to assume that because Catholics take one passage of Scripture literally, that they must take every passage literally. Now, I should point out I don't fault you for that. Centuries of the false doctrine of Sola Scriptura has trained whole generations to think they can pick up a bible and be a theologian. We we get instead is people who approach Scripture as a butcher approaches a hog. The link I gave is a perfectly reasonable explanation. Just because you personally don't find it convincing doesn't make it invalid. Plus, we have an example from 2 Corinthians where St. Paul pleads with the Lord three times to remove a thorn from his flesh, and is explicitly refused. Yet, he still manages to believe in the efficacy of prayer. I haven't really done a search, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are other unanswered prayers recorded in Scripture. Now one could take tin-eared hyper-literal approach to Scripture and just chalk it up to contradiction, or they could dig a little deeper.
Is it really the job of a priest to bash President Obama and constantly try to sway the public's political opinions? What ever happened to preaching love and helping the poor? Don't you have better things to do than sit on a computer all day and whine about the President?
Is it really the job of a priest to bash President Obama and constantly try to sway the public's political opinions?
Well, first we should reject the characterization that Fr. is bashing President Obama here. Then, obviously, since the mandate does touch upon conscience issues, the Fr. does have plenty of justification for commenting on it. As far as preaching love and helping the poor, that's a pretty weak false dichotomy. As far as having better things to do than sit on a computer all day, physician, heal thyself.
"As it was in the days of Noah so shall it also be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man." II Tim 4:3 "“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Rev. Martin Luther King said the following in line with St. Augustine "An unjust law is 'no law at all.' It cannot be obeyed, and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal." "An unjust law is 'no law at all.' It cannot be obeyed, and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal." It has been repeatedly said "Those who hold public office must "protect and defend those fundamental liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights," regardless of their political party. This is not a priest bashing a sitting president - it is priest who recognizes his responsibility to preach the truth in season and out. That is why we have the history of the early martyrs. St. Lawrence died for his faith because he refused to give up his right to govern the church. You have bought into a flute music and fairy dust imagine of Jesus...and those of his followers.
Well well well, all that praying and fasting didn't do nobody a bit of good now did it. In the bible, there are 4 verses that deal with prayer. Matthew 21: "If you have faith, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Mark 11: "whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it WILL BE YOURS." John 14: Anyone who has faith, you may ask for anything in my name and I WILL DO IT." Matthew 18: If two of you agree about anything they ask, it WILL BE DONE for them by my father."
ReplyDeleteNow, these are clear unambiguous statements made by Jesus who is the way, the TRUTH and the life. Now to take the example of the healthcare law which many Catholics(priests and bishops included) prayed with faith that the Supreme Court would overturn. Today, we find out the law was not overturned and now it stays.
I have before in the past prayed with faith for something that I needed rather desperately but never got. The people of the church prayed with faith for that law to get tossed. It wasn't tossed. That brings in to question the reliability of the bible. Either Jesus never made such statements, or he lied. You chose.
I'll take Option 3
ReplyDeleteThere is no option 3. But because you apparently think you are a rather holy and highly intelligent person, then I would ask that you thoroughly explain(that means convincingly) why I am WRONG about the above statement. Provide ample evidence to back up your claim that I am wrong and you are correct. Remember, these are clear, unambiguous statements made by Jesus. Just like the last supper when He said "Take this all of you and eat it." "This IS my body which will be given up for you." Same thing with the cup, etc.... Catholics take that statement literally. The same should be true for the promises. That is of course, you don't believe Jesus actually promised anything. So convince me with a thorough and convincing response as to why either Jesus wasn't lying or didn't "not" make those promises.
DeleteIt is fallacious to assume that because Catholics take one passage of Scripture literally, that they must take every passage literally. Now, I should point out I don't fault you for that. Centuries of the false doctrine of Sola Scriptura has trained whole generations to think they can pick up a bible and be a theologian. We we get instead is people who approach Scripture as a butcher approaches a hog. The link I gave is a perfectly reasonable explanation. Just because you personally don't find it convincing doesn't make it invalid. Plus, we have an example from 2 Corinthians where St. Paul pleads with the Lord three times to remove a thorn from his flesh, and is explicitly refused. Yet, he still manages to believe in the efficacy of prayer. I haven't really done a search, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are other unanswered prayers recorded in Scripture. Now one could take tin-eared hyper-literal approach to Scripture and just chalk it up to contradiction, or they could dig a little deeper.
DeleteIs it really the job of a priest to bash President Obama and constantly try to sway the public's political opinions? What ever happened to preaching love and helping the poor? Don't you have better things to do than sit on a computer all day and whine about the President?
ReplyDeleteIs it really the job of a priest to bash President Obama and constantly try to sway the public's political opinions?
DeleteWell, first we should reject the characterization that Fr. is bashing President Obama here. Then, obviously, since the mandate does touch upon conscience issues, the Fr. does have plenty of justification for commenting on it. As far as preaching love and helping the poor, that's a pretty weak false dichotomy. As far as having better things to do than sit on a computer all day, physician, heal thyself.
"As it was in the days of Noah so shall it also be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man." II Tim 4:3 "“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Rev. Martin Luther King said the following in line with St. Augustine "An unjust law is 'no law at all.' It cannot be obeyed, and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal." "An unjust law is 'no law at all.' It cannot be obeyed, and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal." It has been repeatedly said "Those who hold public office must "protect and defend those fundamental liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights," regardless of their political party. This is not a priest bashing a sitting president - it is priest who recognizes his responsibility to preach the truth in season and out. That is why we have the history of the early martyrs.
ReplyDeleteSt. Lawrence died for his faith because he refused to give up his right to govern the church. You have bought into a flute music and fairy dust imagine of Jesus...and those of his followers.