Why I could personally never chose to be Catholic

[bbyrd009]

You said: "And...you may be right that no Catholic tradition nullifies or usurps the Word of God

can't think of one that doesn't

 

[BreadOfLife]

Could you perhaps explain a little what you mean about something being "ordained" here on earth and in heaven? I'm unsure what you mean when you talk of that. My first thought is that 'surely that can't be true all over', for indeed, there are many, many things the Church has done throughout the ages that has been just sinful. The crusades were not, perhaps, wise or just, the inquisitions either. The sexual sins that we are seeing at the moment (that is not only seen within the Catholic Church). My point is, the Church is filled with sinful people. Even saved people fall into sin at times, and sadly sometimes when they do that, mistakes can be made that hurt others horribly, or have a tumble on effect that then hurts many. How can we say that whatever happens, or is 'ordained' in the Church is then done in heaven? No sin can be found in heaven.
Anyway...you see my need for clarification here...!

And...you may be right that no Catholic tradition nullifies or usurps the Word of God...I do not know them well enough to say. But...the level of reverence shown to those who are not God, and the prayers offered to those who are not God, make me uneasy in light of God's command of no other Gods and no idols, etc. And while it may not directly contradict God's word, I find it distressing that the RCC might demand it's parishioners to follow it's rules and traditions, to the point of ex-communication should they refuse. Isn't this, in effect, teaching these people that these traditions carry the same weight; especially if people are not inclined to study.

To answer your first question, "ordained" simply means that whatever the Church binds or looses on earth will also be bound or loosed in Heaven.

This doesn't mean that when a priest is guilty of some sin that this is ordained in Heaven. It means that whatever the Church declares bound or loosed on earth is also declared bound or loosed in Heaven. I didn't make this claim - Jesus did (Matt. 16:18-19, Matt. 18:15-18, Luke 10:16, John 16:12-15, John 20:21-23). The Church never declared that the sex abuse scandal was a "holy" thing or that ANY sin is endorsed by the Church.

As for the honor that we give our clergy - this command comes straight out of Scripture:

1 Thess. 5:12
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are OVER YOU in the Lord and who admonish you,

1 Tim. 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of DOUBLE HONOR, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Finally - as to "praying" to people who are not God - YOU just prayed to ME (in RED above) when you ASKED me a question.
That's all "Pray" means - to ASK:

Definition of the word “PRAY”:
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary:

Full Definition of pray
transitive verb
1: entreat, implore —often used as a function word in introducing a question, request, or plea<pray be careful>
2: to get or bring by praying

intransitive verb
1: to make a request in a humble manner
2: to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving

As you can see - "worship" is a secondary definition of "Pray".
We don't offer prayers of worship to Mary and the other saints in Heaven. We simply ASK them to pray FOR us just as we would ask (pray) ANY other member of the Body of Christ here on earth to pray for us.

 

[BreadOfLife]

Well coming from you BOL not unexpected , belittling people cant be as much fun as burning them at the stake which has being banned for centuries, but what has age go to do with anything in Gods kingdom, did He not use an Ass to talk to a prophet or.

Act_2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act_2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

but what do you care of the Spiritual things, are you not here defending you religion, and exposing her lies....

oh and did I forget

1Co_1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

1Co_1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Luk_10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

All that learning and still you know nothing, what was it Paul said

Php_3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

but you won catholism, not much of a prize is it...

Do have a blessed day, yours is coming...

Yup - I'd say about 16 - TOPS . . .

 

[mjrhealth]

Yup - I'd say about 16 - TOPS . . .

A compliment from BOL id never have thought. You know why tea drinkers leave there tea bags in the cup. ?? Its because the longer they leave it in teh stronger the cup of tea is. And so it is with religion, teh longer you stay in it teh more like it you become...

This bit

1Co_6:16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

And that is why BOL all you will ever be is a catholic, and why SDas are and COE are etc etc , The SDA churh cannot produce mormans, neither can teh morman church produce catholics, neither can teh catholic church produce christians . why because

1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. and
1Co 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

So if you want to be Christ Like you must be joined to Christ....

Have a blessed day

 

[BreadOfLife]

And that is why BOL all you will ever be is a catholic, and why SDas are and COE are etc etc , The SDA churh cannot produce mormans, neither can teh morman church produce catholics, neither can teh catholic church produce christians .

And neither can YOU produce good fruit . . .

 

[Webers_Home]

-
Roman Catholics sometimes compare their church to Noah's ark.
Ten Ways Noah’s Ark Prefigured the Church

But if the RCC were truly a model of the Ark; then not one single Catholic
would ever be in the slightest danger of hell and eternal suffering because
nobody aboard the Ark perished in the Flood.

And not only that, but were their church a true model of the Ark, then nobody
would be able to apostatize. The reason being that after all were aboard,
God sealed the hatch.

● Gen 7:16 . .Those that entered were male and female, and of all species
they came, as God had commanded Noah. Then Yhvh shut him in.

The Hebrew word for "shut" actually means to shut up; like as when a corral
gate is closed to pen livestock; plus the Ark's door was calked with bitumen
to prevent leakage. In other words, the Ark's door could be opened only
from the outside.

(Some posit that Noah could have climbed out the Ark's window; but it
wasn't even large enough for Noah to see much of anything. The only way
he knew the water had receded was to dispatch winged scouts to check out
the neighborhood for him.)

According to the record; the one door of the Ark was located in its hull. So
then, safety aboard the Ark hinged upon the integrity of that one door.

Ring a bell?

● John 10:7-10 . . I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep. Yes, I am the
gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.

NOTE: One of the meanings of the Greek word for "saved" is to protect. In
other words: Christ's sheepfold is the place of safety from a big bad wolf
called the wrath of God.

The gate controlling access and egress to Christ's sheepfold isn't a
mechanical structure; no, it's Christ himself. Well; I should think the Lord's
sheep would have no more luck getting past him then Noah would've had
getting past the Ark's door.

And anyway; if even one sheep were allowed to escape; it would reflect very
poorly on Christ's competence as a shepherd. Well; in my estimation,
shepherds that let their sheep escape are careless: they're not good
shepherds at all; they're just average shepherds; viz: no better than most.

I think most Christians would agree (at least in theory anyway) that Christ is
a competent shepherd, and that he, as the sheepfold's gate, is secure
enough. But apparently some are actually of the opinion that outside the
sheepfold, the sheep's safety cannot be guaranteed.

● John 10:3-4 . .He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After
he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him
because they recognize his voice.

It's at this point that the sheep are most vulnerable because now they're out
in the open where they can wander off and get lost or be grabbed by a
predator while their master's back is turned. Well; that's never going to
happen because according to John 6:37-39, it is God's will that His son lose
nothing of what He has given him. And according to John 8:29, Jesus never
fails to comply with his Father's wishes.

● Ps 23:4 . . Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Bottom line: Noah's ark is a figure of the good shepherd rather than the RCC
because it can guarantee no one, not even its own Popes, 100% fail-safe
protection from lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:11-15.

/

 

[BreadOfLife]

Roman Catholics sometimes compare their church to Noah's ark. But If the RCC were truly a model of the Ark; then not one single Catholic would ever be in the slightest danger of hell and eternal suffering because nobody aboard the Ark perished in the Flood.

And not only that, but were their church a true model of the Ark, then nobody would be able to apostatize. The reason being that after all were aboard, God sealed the hatch.

● Gen 7:16 . .Those that entered were male and female, and of all species they came, as God had commanded Noah. Then Yhvh shut him in.

The Hebrew word for "shut" actually means to shut up; like as when a corral gate is closed to pen livestock; plus the Ark's door was calked with bitumen to prevent leakage. In other words, the Ark's door could be opened only from the outside.

(Some posit that Noah could have climbed out the Ark's window; but it wasn't even large enough for Noah to see much of anything. The only way he knew the water had receded was to dispatch winged scouts to check out the neighborhood for him.)

According to the record; the one door of the Ark was located in its hull. So then, safety aboard the Ark hinged upon the integrity of that one door.

Ring a bell?

● John 10:7-10 . . I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.

NOTE: One of the meanings of the Greek word for "saved" is to protect. In other words: Christ's sheepfold is the place of safety from a big bad wolf called the wrath of God.

The gate controlling access and egress to Christ's sheepfold isn't a mechanical structure; no, it's Christ himself. Well; I should think the Lord's sheep would have no more luck getting past him then Noah would've had getting past the Ark's door.

And anyway; if even one sheep were allowed to escape; it would reflect very poorly on Christ's competence as a shepherd. Well; in my estimation, shepherds that let their sheep escape are careless: they're not good shepherds at all; they're just average shepherds; viz: no better than most.

I think most Christians would agree (at least in theory anyway) that Christ is a competent shepherd, and that he, as the sheepfold's gate, is secure enough. But apparently some are actually of the opinion that outside the sheepfold, the sheep's safety cannot be guaranteed.

● John 10:3-4 . .He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice.

It's at this point that the sheep are most vulnerable because now they're out in the open where they can wander off and get lost or be grabbed by a predator while their master's back is turned. Well; that's never going to happen because according to John 6:37-39, it is God's will that His son lose nothing of what He has given him. And according to John 8:29, Jesus never fails to comply with his Father's wishes.

● Ps 23:4 . . Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Bottom line: Noah's ark is a figure of the good shepherd rather than the RCC because it can guarantee no one, not even its own Popes, 100% fail-safe protection from lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:11-15.

Thanks for yet another verbose - and extremely pointless anti-Catholic rant.

That the Church is like "Noah's Ark" isn't even a teaching of Catholicism - so your entire point is as silly as the time it takes you to formulate these woefully-ignorant little tirades . . .

 

[Webers_Home]

-
● Matt 16:13-18 . .When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he
asked his disciples: Who do people say that the Son of Man is?

. . .They replied: Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

. . . He said to them: But who do you say that I am?

. . . Simon Peter said in reply: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living
God.

. . . Jesus said to him in reply: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so
I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church

The Greek word which the author of Matthew chose for the rock upon which
Christ would build his church is petra, which refers to rock formations; e.g.
bedrock, and/or immovable monsters like the monoliths decorating Yosemite
Valley.

What we're looking at in petra rock is a suitable anchorage upon which it's
safe to erect a permanent structure. You wouldn't want to erect something
like that on just any kind of rock; no, it has to be immovable; viz: able to
hold your structure in place during adverse geological and meteorological
conditions like earth movements and severe storms.

The great skyscrapers in New York City's lower Manhattan are anchored in a
huge underground mass of dense material called schist. It's some pretty
tough stuff and not easily cut by tunneling machines for aqueducts and
subway trains. Manhattan's schist can be likened to the rock about which
Christ spoke in the Sermon on the Mount.

"Everyone who hears these words of mine, and acts upon them, may be
compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that
house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon rock." (Matt
7:24-26)

The Greek word for "rock" in that passage is petra, which is the very same
word for the rock that the author of Matthew's gospel labeled "this" rock in
Matt 16:18.

Petra rock can also be an entire mountain of stone like Gibraltar, or Mt.
Palomar in California. Palomar was chosen to site the Hale telescope because
underneath it's coating of earth, Palomar is just one huge hunk of solid
granite.

Another good example of petra rock is the ancient rock-hewn city of Petra in
the country of Jordan. Major portions of the city are carved right into stone
cliffs and mountainsides

Christ is clearly identified as petra rock in Rom 9:33, 1Cor 10:1-4, and 1Pet
2:8.

Peter is nowhere in the New Testament even once identified as petra rock.

Q: The Latin words "Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam
Meam" (You are Peter (the rock) and on this rock I shall build my church)
are carved in marble above the main altar in Ste. Peters. Why can't we just
let it go at that?

A: We can't go with the marble carving because:

1• Peter is not the seed promised to Eve as per Gen 3:15.

2• Peter is not the blessing unto all nations as per Gen 12:3.

3• Peter is not the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

4• Peter wasn't the one crucified as a propitiation for the sins of the whole
world as per the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.

5• Peter wasn't the one raised from the dead for our adjudication of
innocence as per Rom 4:25

There are very convincing arguments supporting both sides of this issue: the
one side insists that Peter is the bedrock of Christ's church, and the other is
that Christ is the bedrock of his church. I would highly recommend erring on
the high side with Christ rather than erring on the low side with Peter and
thereby relegating Christ to a position of less importance than the men who
represented him.

● 1Cor 3:11 . . No one can lay any foundation other than the one already
laid, which is Jesus Christ.

/

 

[BreadOfLife]

-
● Matt 16:13-18 . .When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he
asked his disciples: Who do people say that the Son of Man is?

. . .They replied: Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

. . . He said to them: But who do you say that I am?

. . . Simon Peter said in reply: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living
God.

. . . Jesus said to him in reply: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so
I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church

The Greek word which the author of Matthew chose for the rock upon which
Christ would build his church is petra, which refers to rock formations; e.g.
bedrock, and/or immovable monsters like the monoliths decorating Yosemite
Valley.

What we're looking at in petra rock is a suitable anchorage upon which it's
safe to erect a permanent structure. You wouldn't want to erect something
like that on just any kind of rock; no, it has to be immovable; viz: able to
hold your structure in place during adverse geological and meteorological
conditions like earth movements and severe storms.

The great skyscrapers in New York City's lower Manhattan are anchored in a
huge underground mass of dense material called schist. It's some pretty
tough stuff and not easily cut by tunneling machines for aqueducts and
subway trains. Manhattan's schist can be likened to the rock about which
Christ spoke in the Sermon on the Mount.

"Everyone who hears these words of mine, and acts upon them, may be
compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that
house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon rock." (Matt
7:24-26)

The Greek word for "rock" in that passage is petra, which is the very same
word for the rock that the author of Matthew's gospel labeled "this" rock in
Matt 16:18.

Petra rock can also be an entire mountain of stone like Gibraltar, or Mt.
Palomar in California. Palomar was chosen to site the Hale telescope because
underneath it's coating of earth, Palomar is just one huge hunk of solid
granite.

Another good example of petra rock is the ancient rock-hewn city of Petra in
the country of Jordan. Major portions of the city are carved right into stone
cliffs and mountainsides

Christ is clearly identified as petra rock in Rom 9:33, 1Cor 10:1-4, and 1Pet
2:8.

Peter is nowhere in the New Testament even once identified as petra rock.

Q: The Latin words "Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam
Meam" (You are Peter (the rock) and on this rock I shall build my church)
are carved in marble above the main altar in Ste. Peters. Why can't we just
let it go at that?

A: We can't go with the marble carving because:

1• Peter is not the seed promised to Eve as per Gen 3:15.

2• Peter is not the blessing unto all nations as per Gen 12:3.

3• Peter is not the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

4• Peter wasn't the one crucified as a propitiation for the sins of the whole
world as per the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.

5• Peter wasn't the one raised from the dead for our adjudication of
innocence as per Rom 4:25

There are very convincing arguments supporting both sides of this issue: the
one side insists that Peter is the bedrock of Christ's church, and the other is
that Christ is the bedrock of his church. I would highly recommend erring on
the high side with Christ rather than erring on the low side with Peter and
thereby relegating Christ to a position of less importance than the men who
represented him.

● 1Cor 3:11 . . No one can lay any foundation other than the one already
laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Rev. 21:14 tells us tat the 12 foundations of the new Jerusalem have the names of the Apostles on them.
Why would it befuddle you that Jesus told Peter that he was the Rock (Kepha) upon which He was going to build His Church??

As for the rest of your rant - Jesus didn't speak Greek to his Apostles. they spoke ARAMAIC. Jesus referred to Simon as "KEPHA" - not "Petros". As I have shown you in the past - this is why Paul refers to Peter as "Cephas" in his letters, which is a transliteration of the Aramaic "Kepha".

It's really NOT that difficult to understand, son . . .

 

[Webers_Home]

-
True biblical Christianity is a lethal religion. It quite literally, in some
mysterious way that I don't quite understand; satisfies the law of sin and
death for Christ's believing followers by reckoning them as joint principals in
his crucifixion.

● Rom 6:23 . .The wages of sin is death

● Rom 6:3 . . Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

● Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him

● Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ

● Col 3:3 . . For you died when Christ died

One of my chronic fears as a Roman Catholic was that something fatal would
happen to me in between confessions. Well; you can just imagine my relief
at discovering that people crucified with Christ are no longer in danger of
condemnation for breaking the Ten Commandments.

● Rom 6:11 . . Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

● Rom 7:4 . . Do you not know, brothers that you died to the law through
the body of Christ

● Gal 2:19 . . For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live
unto God.

In quite a few Catholic minds, it is truly believed that a sinner's salvation
rests upon the grace of God; but in too many of those very same minds it's
also truly believed that it is by the grace of God that they now have a chance
to earn their salvation, where before, they had no chance to earn it. In a
nutshell; that mentality insists that Christ's crucifixion opened the doors of
heaven, but Catholics have to climb their way up to those doors by proving
themselves worthy. They will not succeed.

/

 

[brakelite]

Thanks for yet another verbose - and extremely pointless anti-Catholic rant.

That the Church is like "Noah's Ark" isn't even a teaching of Catholicism - so your entire point is as silly as the time it takes you to formulate these woefully-ignorant little tirades . . .

Verbose...pointless...rant...silly...woefully ignorant. If you are not aware of how insulting and demeaning this kind of language is; even if you are aware, it reveals your inner character as being catholic, but not Christian. Sadly, this is an habitual practice of yours when disagreeing with anyone whose views differ from your own. Your meaness is unbecoming and reflective of an unconverted heart. It is a fruit unworthy of one being conformed into the image of the Son of God. It is a fruit more appropriately attributable to the enemy of the church and of Christ...you represent him well.

 

[brakelite]

As to Peter being the foundation stone of the church. When Peter declared Jesus as the only Son of God, Jesus responded favourably by telling him that the Father had revealed this to him. It was upon that revelation, that Jesus said the church would be built. The revelation that Jesus is the Son of God. this is the very same foundation that the apostle John stressed not only in his gospel but also in his letters. John repeated many times that our relationship is with the Father and the Son...that the truth that Jesus is indeed the Son of God is the basis for our faith and practice. Read 1 John and you will discover this for yourself. Nowhere did anyone, until centuries later by a pope who sought to justify his assumed authority, ever refer to Peter as being anything other than another disciple; certainly was there nothing in scripture hinting that Peter was anything special.

 

[mjrhealth]

And neither can YOU produce good fruit . . .

If leading people to Christ is not good fruit, id hate to think what leading them into prison is, as you do,

Let My people go, but pharaoh would not, even today.

Exo_8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

But religion would rather they serve other Gods.

 

[Webers_Home]

-
If anyone should have been on intimate terms with God and with His son
Jesus Christ in the last century, surely it had to be Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
(a.k.a. Mother Teresa) but curiously, that wasn't the case. It turns out
Teresa was a remarkable actor. Her public image bore no resemblance
whatsoever to the secret life of her inner being. Below are some complaints
she expressed in private letters to spiritual counselors.

"I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness &
emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."

"The place of God in my soul is blank-- There is no God in me"

"I feel He does not want me, He is not there, God does not want me"

"When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting
emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my
very soul. How painful is this unknown pain-- I have no faith."

Teresa also complained of feeling abandoned by Christ-- referring to him as
"the absent one"

Teresa was never really convinced there's a God out there.

"The damned of Hell suffer eternal punishment because they experiment
with the loss of God. In my own soul, I feel the terrible pain of this loss. I
feel that God does not want me, that God is not God; and that He does not
really exist."

At one point Teresa actually prayed thus:

"If there be God; please forgive me."

A prayer that begins with "If there be God" is the prayer of an agnostic;
which Webster's defines as one who is not committed to believing in either
the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god. According to Jas 1:5-8,
agnostic prayers are pings.

To her credit, Teresa wanted a God to be out there, but her utter failure to
feel even the slightest glimmer of the Lord's presence prevented her from
being sure about it.

Teresa was in a very bad spiritual condition; here's why.

● Heb 11:6 . .Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone
who comes to Him must believe that He exists.

Webster's defines "impossible" as incapable of being, or of occurring.

Webster's defines "must" as an indispensable item; viz: essential.

Ironically, a demon's level of faith is actually superior to Teresa's. At least
they believe in the existence of God.

● Jas 2:19-20 . . You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the
demons believe

It's incredible that Teresa operated as a missionary all those years with an
iffy belief in the existence of God that didn't even measure up to the quality
of a demon's belief.

Teresa's darkness, her interior suffering, her lack of sensible consolation, her
spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, and, at the
same time, a painful longing for Him was virtually perpetual, lasting five
decades, from 1947 clear up to the very hour of her death in 1997.

At the urging of Henry D'Souza, the Archbishop of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata),
the poor woman finally agreed to an exorcism in the final weeks of her life--
performed by Father Rosario Stroscio --if perchance demons were clouding
her mind. Father Stroscio said Mother Teresa appeared dazed and behaving
strangely at the time of the exorcism.

Demons clouding Teresa of Calcutta's mind!? That is certainly not a very
appealing testimonial to Catholicism's value as a source of light and
consolation of God's sensible presence for John Q and Jane Doe pew
warmer. If someone as remarkable as Mother Teresa failed to get chummy
with God and with His son Jesus Christ, what are the odds that commoners
will succeed where she could not?

/

 

[BreadOfLife]

Verbose...pointless...rant...silly...woefully ignorant. If you are not aware of how insulting and demeaning this kind of language is; even if you are aware, it reveals your inner character as being catholic, but not Christian. Sadly, this is an habitual practice of yours when disagreeing with anyone whose views differ from your own. Your meaness is unbecoming and reflective of an unconverted heart. It is a fruit unworthy of one being conformed into the image of the Son of God. It is a fruit more appropriately attributable to the enemy of the church and of Christ...you represent him well.

And apparently, you don't actually read my posts.

I have stated ad nauseam that I don't accuse ANYBODY of being dishonest who simply "disagree" with the Catholic position.
It is only when a person resorts to being dishonest and misrepresents Catholic teaching that I expose them for what they are doing.

I will now challenge YOU to show me a post where I accused somebody of ignorance or lying when they were simply "disagreeing" with me.
Happy hunting . . .

 

[BreadOfLife]

-
If anyone should have been on intimate terms with God and with His son
Jesus Christ in the last century, surely it had to be Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
(a.k.a. Mother Teresa) but curiously, that wasn't the case. It turns out
Teresa was a remarkable actor. Her public image bore no resemblance
whatsoever to the secret life of her inner being. Below are some complaints
she expressed in private letters to spiritual counselors.

"I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness &
emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."

"The place of God in my soul is blank-- There is no God in me"

"I feel He does not want me, He is not there, God does not want me"

"When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting
emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my
very soul. How painful is this unknown pain-- I have no faith."

Teresa also complained of feeling abandoned by Christ-- referring to him as
"the absent one"

Teresa was never really convinced there's a God out there.

"The damned of Hell suffer eternal punishment because they experiment
with the loss of God. In my own soul, I feel the terrible pain of this loss. I
feel that God does not want me, that God is not God; and that He does not
really exist."

At one point Teresa actually prayed thus:

"If there be God; please forgive me."

A prayer that begins with "If there be God" is the prayer of an agnostic;
which Webster's defines as one who is not committed to believing in either
the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god. According to Jas 1:5-8,
agnostic prayers are pings.

To her credit, Teresa wanted a God to be out there, but her utter failure to
feel even the slightest glimmer of the Lord's presence prevented her from
being sure about it.

Teresa was in a very bad spiritual condition; here's why.

● Heb 11:6 . .Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone
who comes to Him must believe that He exists.

Webster's defines "impossible" as incapable of being, or of occurring.

Webster's defines "must" as an indispensable item; viz: essential.

Ironically, a demon's level of faith is actually superior to Teresa's. At least
they believe in the existence of God.

● Jas 2:19-20 . . You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the
demons believe

It's incredible that Teresa operated as a missionary all those years with an
iffy belief in the existence of God that didn't even measure up to the quality
of a demon's belief.

Teresa's darkness, her interior suffering, her lack of sensible consolation, her
spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, and, at the
same time, a painful longing for Him was virtually perpetual, lasting five
decades, from 1947 clear up to the very hour of her death in 1997.

At the urging of Henry D'Souza, the Archbishop of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata),
the poor woman finally agreed to an exorcism in the final weeks of her life--
performed by Father Rosario Stroscio --if perchance demons were clouding
her mind. Father Stroscio said Mother Teresa appeared dazed and behaving
strangely at the time of the exorcism.

Demons clouding Teresa of Calcutta's mind!? That is certainly not a very
appealing testimonial to Catholicism's value as a source of light and
consolation of God's sensible presence for John Q and Jane Doe pew
warmer. If someone as remarkable as Mother Teresa failed to get chummy
with God and with His son Jesus Christ, what are the odds that commoners
will succeed where she could not?

/

 

[BreadOfLife]

-
If anyone should have been on intimate terms with God and with His son
Jesus Christ in the last century, surely it had to be Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
(a.k.a. Mother Teresa) but curiously, that wasn't the case. It turns out
Teresa was a remarkable actor. Her public image bore no resemblance
whatsoever to the secret life of her inner being. Below are some complaints
she expressed in private letters to spiritual counselors.
"I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness &
emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."
"The place of God in my soul is blank-- There is no God in me"
"I feel He does not want me, He is not there, God does not want me"
"When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting
emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my
very soul. How painful is this unknown pain-- I have no faith."

Teresa also complained of feeling abandoned by Christ-- referring to him as
"the absent one"

Teresa was never really convinced there's a God out there.

"The damned of Hell suffer eternal punishment because they experiment
with the loss of God. In my own soul, I feel the terrible pain of this loss. I
feel that God does not want me, that God is not God; and that He does not
really exist."
At one point Teresa actually prayed thus:
"If there be God; please forgive me."
A prayer that begins with "If there be God" is the prayer of an agnostic;
which Webster's defines as one who is not committed to believing in either
the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god. According to Jas 1:5-8,
agnostic prayers are pings.
To her credit, Teresa wanted a God to be out there, but her utter failure to
feel even the slightest glimmer of the Lord's presence prevented her from
being sure about it.
Teresa was in a very bad spiritual condition; here's why.
● Heb 11:6 . .Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone
who comes to Him must believe that He exists.
Webster's defines "impossible" as incapable of being, or of occurring.
Webster's defines "must" as an indispensable item; viz: essential.
Ironically, a demon's level of faith is actually superior to Teresa's. At least
they believe in the existence of God.
● Jas 2:19-20 . . You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the
demons believe
It's incredible that Teresa operated as a missionary all those years with an
iffy belief in the existence of God that didn't even measure up to the quality
of a demon's belief.
Teresa's darkness, her interior suffering, her lack of sensible consolation, her
spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, and, at the
same time, a painful longing for Him was virtually perpetual, lasting five
decades, from 1947 clear up to the very hour of her death in 1997.
At the urging of Henry D'Souza, the Archbishop of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata),
the poor woman finally agreed to an exorcism in the final weeks of her life--
performed by Father Rosario Stroscio --if perchance demons were clouding
her mind. Father Stroscio said Mother Teresa appeared dazed and behaving
strangely at the time of the exorcism.
Demons clouding Teresa of Calcutta's mind!? That is certainly not a very
appealing testimonial to Catholicism's value as a source of light and
consolation of God's sensible presence for John Q and Jane Doe pew
warmer. If someone as remarkable as Mother Teresa failed to get chummy
with God and with His son Jesus Christ, what are the odds that commoners
will succeed where she could not?

Brakelite - are you paying attention?
This is a textbook example of a filthy anti-Catholic lie disguised as as an apologetic post.

Prayers of exorcism are standard operating procedure for those facing serious illness and death.
When Mother Teresa was prayed over - it was NOTHING out of the ordinary.

The word "exorcism" does NOT always imply that a person is possessed by demons. As e read in 1 Pet. 5:8, Satan is "a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour."

Those who are near death are prayed over to diminish his power in their lives and to prevent him from doing harm.
It has absolutely NOTHING to do with driving out demons.

If you had bothered to do your homework - you would have known this.
But you would rather perpetuate a lie against the Catholic Church than to admit that you left it because of ignorance.

With this kind of ignorance of the Catholic faith - it's no wonder why you were seduced away from it . . .

 

[Webers_Home]

-
I sincerely hope that no one familiar with Teresa's perpetual disconnect
comes to the conclusion that her experience with Christianity is the norm
because God has a supernatural way of assuring His own that He does in
fact exist and that they are neither alone nor abandoned.

● Rom 8:16 . .The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's
children.

The Greek word for "bears witness" means to corroborate; defined by
Webster's as: to support with evidence.

The evidence provided by the Spirit isn't for proving to the world that certain
individuals are God's kin; no, it's provided for the sake of the kin
themselves.

Rom 8:16 never happened for Teresa; and that's very strange because the
Spirit is supposed to be active in all of God's kin, not just special ones.

However; it's possible to silence the Spirit's activity.

● 1Ths 5:19 . . Do not quench the Spirit.

How does one quench the Spirit? Well . . the better question is: How did the
most dedicated Catholic nun the twentieth century every produced manage
to quench Him? And if the most pious role model in the modern Catholic
world could quench God's Spirit for virtually five decades, then where does
that leave John Q and Jane Doe pew warmer?

There's more.

Teresa complained: "The place of God in my soul is blank" and "There is no
God in me". But the Bible says:

● 1Cor 6:19 . .Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God?

Even if Teresa couldn't sense the Holy Spirit's presence within her, she
should have at the very least been confident He was there simply because
the Bible says so.

● 2Cor 13:5 . . Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your
own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates?

Teresa also complained about Jesus being away all the time, even calling
him "the absent one". But the Bible says:

● John 14:18 . . I will not abandon you as orphans

● Heb 13:5 . . I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Had Teresa made time for conscientious Bible study instead of busy, busy,
busy all the time with that missionary stuff, no doubt she would have
enjoyed far more peace with God than she did. You know who Teresa
reminds me of? Lazarus' sister Martha. (Luke 10:48-32)

/

 

[bbyrd009]

at best

 

[BreadOfLife]

-I sincerely hope that no one familiar with Teresa's perpetual disconnect comes to the conclusion that her experience with Christianity is the norm because God has a supernatural way of assuring His own that He does in fact exist and that they are neither alone nor abandoned.

● Rom 8:16 . .The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children.
The Greek word for "bears witness" means to corroborate; defined by
Webster's as: to support with evidence.
The evidence provided by the Spirit isn't for proving to the world that certain individuals are God's kin; no, it's provided for the sake of the kin themselves.
Rom 8:16 never happened for Teresa; and that's very strange because the Spirit is supposed to be active in all of God's kin, not just special ones.
However; it's possible to silence the Spirit's activity.
● 1Ths 5:19 . . Do not quench the Spirit.

How does one quench the Spirit? Well . . the better question is: How did the most dedicated Catholic nun the twentieth century every produced manage to quench Him? And if the most pious role model in the modern Catholic world could quench God's Spirit for virtually five decades, then where does that leave John Q and Jane Doe pew warmer?
There's more.

Teresa complained: "The place of God in my soul is blank" and "There is no God in me". But the Bible says:

● 1Cor 6:19 . .Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
Even if Teresa couldn't sense the Holy Spirit's presence within her, she should have at the very least been confident He was there simply because
the Bible says so.
● 2Cor 13:5 . . Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Teresa also complained about Jesus being away all the time, even calling him "the absent one". But the Bible says:
● John 14:18 . . I will not abandon you as orphans
● Heb 13:5 . . I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Had Teresa made time for conscientious Bible study instead of busy, busy, busy all the time with that missionary stuff, no doubt she would have
enjoyed far more peace with God than she did. You know who Teresa reminds me of? Lazarus' sister Martha. (Luke 10:48-32)

Soooo, Jesus was a "lost soul" because He proclaimed "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me" (Matt. 27:46)??
We He "quenching" the Spirit?
Was He "disconnected"??

YOUR problem is that you actually think that YOU are in the business of judging souls and hearts - then Scripture tells us that this is the job of God - and God ALONE (1 Kings 8:39, 1 Cor. 4:4).

St. Mother Teresa experiences what St. John of the Cross referred to as the "Dark night of the soul."
BECAUSE of her undying love for the sick and dying, she was forced to see suffering and misery - the like of which YOU will never see - on a DAILY basis. For decades, she cradled infants as well as adults and people of ALL ages as they died in her armed
This cause her to suffer from depression.

YOU don't have the slightest idea what she went through because you live a relatively cushy, insulated existence compared to hers.
Your sanctimonious attitude towards this great servant of God wreaks with the usual anti-Catholic hatred you proliferate daily on this and undoubtedly other forums.

I'm confident that her reward is GREAT in Heaven.
I don't have that same confidence about hypocritical, self-righteous online posters like yourself . . .