Question of the day: If god loves us so much why does he go through all these games and shenanigans? Why did he send his son to jump through hoops and die?

Question: If god loves us so much why does he go through all these games and shenanigans? Why did he send his son to jump through hoops and die?

Answer: The Fall of Man unwittingly transferred dominion over the whole earth from Adam to Satan, with mankind ending up hopelessly and perpetually enslaved to Satan, sin and death.

So, mere forgiveness would have changed nothing.
The only hope for mankind
was divine intervention of a very particular type,
something only God was capable of accomplishing, for us.

Once redeemed from perpetual slavery to Satan, sin and death by Jesus Christ, it would be supremely foolish and wasteful for man to be voluntarily compromised by sin, once again. That’s why God holds us to high standards, yet mercifully forgives, so long as we remain faithful (to him) and are truly repentant.

God typically accomplishes this for us by means of his grace and through our full, faithful and consistent participation in all the work, worship, sacraments and devotions of his Holy Catholic Church.

Asked and answered on Yahoo!Answers. Edited for clarity and content.

A Reflection on the Modern Error of Preaching Mercy without Repentance

There are of course many ways of describing the pastoral, liturgical and theological struggles of our day. But one very simple way of describing current problems that touches on all these areas is simply this:  that a presumptive attitude of mercy without repentance is both taught and widely held by far too many modern Catholics, and other Christians. (Editor’s note: And evidently – certain Roman Catholic Popes.)

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Blogger publicly apologizes for being himself

by Doug Lawrence

Read the story here

This reminds me of the time I had to send a serial-misbehaving, disruptive sixth-grade boy to the principal’s office.

After a heart-to-heart talk, the principal walked him back and asked me – in front of all the students – if I would let him rejoin the class.

Truth be told, I liked the young man – but for a number of very practical reasons – I just couldn’t tolerate his disruptive classroom behavior – so I was more than happy to exclaim, “We’re all Catholics here – and Catholics firmly believe in repentance and forgiveness – so sure – he can come back to class – but only if we all resolve to work together – so as to make sure this type of thing doesn’t happen again.”

As I remember, the entire class seemed to appreciate the lesson – and some of the children were actually a bit surprised.

From that day forward, “John” became my official class gofer, reader, filer, messenger, and all around utility man. I realized that he just couldn’t tolerate sitting still, so I gave him things to do and permission to stand up and even walk around the back of the classroom – so long as he remained reasonably quiet and considerate. That would not be easy!

Of course,  I reserved the right to let him know when things might be getting a bit out of control.  His parents approved of our arrangement, and we had no more unfortunate class incidents.

Many years have gone by and I occasionally run into John, at Sunday Mass. He still can’t sit still, but he has become a bright, energetic, cheerful and polite young adult. He manages to hold down a regular job and keep the faith – and in my book, all of that counts for at least ninety percent.

I always enjoy seeing him. 

May God continue to bless him – along with all those who struggle to overcome their various personal shortcomings – whatever they might be – by the power of God’s grace – and with a little help from their friends.

Greatest Sin of our Time?

Before explaining what the Greatest Sin of our time is, let me prove that it also comes from the serpent, Lucifer. In 1930 two people wrote plans to destroy America from within and turn it into a communist nation. Lest you have no problem with communism it killed 1,500,000.000 of its own people in 60 years and every nation that adopted it failed financially, where everyone became poor. These two people were Antonio Gramsy and Saul Alinski. Salinski, a friend and teacher of Obama, wrote RULES FOR RADICALS, TOWARDS A SOVIET AMERICA.

In this book he outlined how to take over schools, the news media, the government, and even the history books. He planed to little by little to infiltrate the Churches and degrade the constitution of the USA. His teachers were George Bernard Shaw, Bernard Russal and John Dewy.

Most important is that he dedicated his book to Lucifer, the first radical.

Morality was Alinski greatest enemy and to overcome this he had to get moral teaching out of the school, Churches and even government laws. His idea was to replace moral laws with Lucifer laws of tolerance, non-judgmentalism, and acceptance of all point of views. He even wanted laws against speaking out against any kind of sin. These people infiltrated the schools and churches and led the progressive movement in politics. Progressives believe that the constitution is old fashioned and needs to be re-interpreted to fit the modern world. This plan was so successful that it produced the greatest sin of our age, That our conscience is the God of good or evil.

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Video link

Submitted by Bob Stanley

Seen on the web: Dealing with habitual and persistent grave sin and/or demonic activity.

Editor’s note: This posts reflects someone’s personal observations/opinion and/or belief, regarding certain types of demonic activity. That matter remains open to discussion.  The suggested solution though, is time tested, totally Catholic, and according to my knowledge and experience, highly effective. Demons … or not!

Bible Reader wrote:

I believe that (these) demons are quite real, and that people generate them, as poltergeist-like entities able to invade and affect our reality, when people engage in persistent illicit sexual activity. The activity which generates these things is usually habitual and persistent. If the wrongdoer is Catholic, sacrilegious abuse of the Sacraments of Reconciliation (by omitting discussion of the true level of guilt) and of the Eucharist (by knowingly receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin) also generates the demonic presence.

Demonic activity tends to be imitative. It tends to imitate Christ or Mary or the saints to poke fun at them, or it imitates the sinner whose sins generated the presence, to poke fun at the sinner.

So, serious sex-related sins generate a sexual demonic presence. [Of course, a demonic presence does NOT necessarily mean fornication with a “spiritual, non-corporeal being” cf. CCC 328. S.O.L.!]

In a sense, when the demonic presence appears, as a consequence, it is like a phonograph record re-playing the sins which generated it, again and again and again.

The presences are sometimes invasive — if you don’t do something about them, they can get worse and worse and worse.

The sinner with the demonic presence can take heart in a few things. First, I think that God permits such presences because the person is able to be saved. The person is being warned, “Hey! Hell is a reality, you idiot, and that is where you are going unless you change!” It is Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” See 2 Corinthians 12:7.

Second, though they are subjectively difficult for the sinner to eliminate, they are objectively easy to eliminate.

If we are talking about a sex sin underlying the presence — and we undoubtedly are — the individual must begin by “starving” the presence to death. Stop sinning. This works because the thing “eats dirt” — see Genesis 3:14 — sin is its “nutrition.” Sin energizes it. Pray to God for the will to stop sinning. He will give it to you. If we are talking about sex sin, here — and we undoubtedly are — the sinner should stop looking. Sexual coveting almost always precedes sexual sin.

Search for and find a good confessor, who you can trust, and “let it all hang out” in a special Reconciliation session. Most priests can’t take something as bizarre as a sexual demonic presence beside your bed, grabbing you at night, imitating your sex sounds. It is just too outstandingly weird. You really do need to prep the priest for what he is in for, in your confession, and also get him to know you, so that he doesn’t “freak-out” on you or conclude that you are insane.

Go to Communion frequently, even daily, after the sincere confession, and pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. And when you pray, don’t just roll-out incessant Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s — TALK to God, and to Mary.

The sacraments and prayer will make you holy, and make your person intolerable to the demon. YOU will become HIS “demon,” and eventually HE’LL find YOU disgusting, and leave.

If you ask God to let you hear the demon’s departure, He will do so. It feels and sounds like an explosion.

I know that some of the readers here will think this material outstandingly weird. It’s what I have learned, after 30 years of reading, talking, etc., etc., etc.
__________

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Reader Paul comments on “Those in danger of death are presumed to be repentant…”

See the original article here:

“Those in danger of death are presumed to be repentant…”

Paul writes:

We are all quite damnable sinners and our life style and actions may be far less than we hope them to be. As death approaches perhaps we should be in terror of our eternity especially if we think about God and his judgment upon our wretched selves.

It is not that I disagree with this point. Indeed it is strangely comforting to remember that God is All Just and everything we do we shall be called to account for. Many wicked people would do well to tremble at this thought and perhaps the fear of eternal damnation may allow grace into their hearts before it is too late. After Death it will certainly be too late to repent and if a soul refuses grace all its life and at death spits hate upon whatever grace is offered its fate may be what it desires. As C.S.Lewis noted; “hell is a door locked from the inside”.

Nevertheless, we should not be afraid of our final judgment. Rather we should welcome it and go blithely to Our Lord. That is not because we are mentally deranged but as Christians we believe in something even greater than Judgment . . . We believe in Hope.

This virtue comes not from what we do not know but from what we do know.

It is about knowing that God is Love and essentially is revealed by Jesus as a God of infinite mercy and compassion. Hence the thief on the cross asks “Jesus remember me when you go into your kingdom“. The response of Jesus is one of sublime mercy when he promises the thief eternal salvation that very day. It is not that the thief has asked for repentance because he fears final annihilation but because he dares hope that this man crucified beside him so unjustly is a king after all.

And if the Gospels are Good News then we must recall what they are good news about? That Jesus understands us and seeks out the company of sinners rather than condemning us and blasting us into oblivion because of this or that action.

Mortal sin is constantly being re-evaluated by the Catholic Church. We simply do not understand the eternal consequences of any temporal act. There are some actions that are heinous and these are universally abhorred. Yet our understanding of these has and does change in time because we are creatures of time and place. For example, Abortion is a horrible sin but not all people that have had an abortion are of equal guilt because time and sense make the individual culpable or less so. The act is monstrous but individuals take greater or lesser part by their understanding. Again for example, suicide used to be considered always a mortal sin but today we are more gentle in our understanding that we simply do not know the reasoning or intelligence of a person that takes their own life. It would be insensitive and immoral for us to dismiss the hope of paradise because of any action of which we are ignorant of the full story.

Instead we have come to understand that God is not about Judgment but about infinite understanding, kindness, gentleness, mercy. Our hope is therefore that our loving father whom knows us intimately will forgive us more often then we fall, prostrate with our own stupidity.

All people of good will are potentially redeemable and it is the will of Our Lord that we shall be saved and not condemned.

When we see the Sacred Heart of Jesus we are told that he loves us beyond all reason or rational consideration. The Sacred Heart does not require us to offer a prayer in word, a simple longing look for example is enough to bring grace of salvation upon us. We will never earn Paradise but Jesus gives us his everything so that we can obtain it. It is Love that we face at death and it will require us to open before it every window in our soul. We can never escape Gods justice and his final judgment upon us but as Christians we must not be afraid to embrace his Love. If we can do this then we believe that Salvation is assured no matter our faults or errors at death.

To turn from Gods grace is unfortunate and could be disastrous but we must never forget “God is Love” and that should encourage us to go into the light and give us faith to welcome our Risen lord.

“Those in danger of death are presumed to be repentant…”

by Doug Lawrence

In order to make a good confession, a person typically needs to confess ALL known mortal (grave) sins to the priest, and to have (at the very least) imperfect contrition for having committed the sins, along with a firm purpose (and at least, a reasonable possibility) of actual repentance, i.e. turning away from committing those sins, in the future.

Absent all of the above, priestly sacramental absolution for sins is typically ineffective, and the person remains in a state of mortal sin.

The only exception to the “repentance rule” is when a person is near death.

From a purely practical standpoint, a person very near death is not likely to commit grave sin. Similarly, should death occur, it will no longer be possible for the person to commit sin, at all. In that case, a profound “change in ways” would be unavoidable! Hence, the church … the Catholic ministerial priesthood … and Jesus Christ … mercifully presumes that, whenever death is very near … a state of authentic repentance already exists. It’s a “gimme”.

Contrition is still required, as is a complete confession of all known, mortal sins.

This is truly great news for hypocrites, fallen away Catholics, adulterers, homosexuals, and all other types of habitual, grave sinners … assuming that they are blessed with the availability of a Catholic priest … and they still have the physical ability to make an otherwise, good confession … when their time comes to shuffle off this mortal coil.

Truth be told, until the moment a person dies and shortly finds himself standing before Jesus Christ … sins … even the gravest kind … are extraordinarily simple to have absolved. But after death … not nearly so much.

Contrary to today’s popular opinion, there is no reliable way … outside the Sacrament of Reconciliation … to obtain forgiveness of mortal sins … sins which can cause a soul to end up in hell.

So, it’s best always to “err” on the side of caution … especially since no one has yet returned to report what happens to those unfortunates who find themselves standing in judgment … sinful, unrepentant, and still “puffed up” with pride … before our loving God … who actually owes us sinners nothing but wrath.

Related article (PDF)

Submitted by Doria2

2013: Year of Divine Judgment for Roe vs. Wade (and the world).

The number 40 is the “prime” biblical number of probation and trial.

The year 2013 will mark the 40th anniversary of the bloodiest, most inhuman, most corrupt court decision that the world has ever known.

And while there’s no doubt that abortion is an abomination in the eyes of God, the question remains: What is God going to do about it?

Throughout the scriptures, we read of God declaring various “trial” periods of 40 days or 40 years, with the fate of mankind often hanging in the balance.

If we pay attention and change our evil ways, life goes on, often better than ever. If not … there is the prospect (more like a promise) of divine judgment (and subsequent chastisement).

The fact is: Due to Roe vs. Wade (and its gruesome aftermath) we’re collectively guilty of some FIFTY MILLION innocent deaths, in the United States, alone!

Some maintain these “Wrath of God” types of things were “strictly” relegated to Old Testament times, and that in this age of superabundant grace … courtesy of our Divine Savior, Jesus Christ … the only thing we need be concerned with is our own personal Judgment Day.

I say: Take a good look at what happened to Jerusalem in 70 AD ( New Testament times) exactly 40 years from the day Jesus pronounced its coming destruction. Then, take careful stock of what’s going on in today’s world … where the economy, the political system, the fate of nations, the state of human morality … and virtually everything else we used to take for granted … is hanging by a virtual thread.

So, here’s a call for widespread repentance and reparations … not just by the Catholic faithful … but by all men of goodwill, everywhere.

The Judgment clock is ticking … and unlike the widely popular but phony “2012” Mayan calendar fiasco … this 2013 Day of Divine Judgment might just come to pass.

Unless … like the ancient Assyrians … we choose to heed Jonah’s prophetic words*… wake up … and change our evil ways.

*Jonah 3:1-10  And the word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time saying: Arise, and go to Niniveh, the great city: and preach in it the preaching that I bid thee. And Jonas arose, and went to Niniveh, according to the word of the Lord: now Niniveh was a great city of three days’ journey.  And Jonas began to enter into the city one day’s journey: and he cried and said: Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed. And the men of Niniveh believed in God: and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. And the word came to the king of Niniveh: and he rose up out of his throne, and cast away his robe from him, and was clothed in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published in Niniveh, from the mouth of the king and of his princes, saying: Let neither men nor beasts, oxen, nor sheep taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water. And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth, and cry to the Lord with all their strength, and let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish? And God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way: and God had mercy with regard to the evil which he had said that he would do to them, and he did it not.

A last chance for lost souls

*** Click on picture to enlarge ***

The Lord is kind and merciful. Slow to anger.
Always willing to forgive.

Even a life-long, habitual sinner may have a “golden” opportunity, near the end of life, to make a final, good faith effort at repentance, since old age, illness, or infirmity often make it impractical to persist in a sinful lifestyle.

The end of a relationship, or the imminent death of a life partner may provide the necessary “window of opportunity” for repentance and conversion.

And near the end, it really doesn’t matter whether the person who was “living in sin” is gay or straight, since pretty much the same rules apply to all.

Absolution for sin is typically available in these types of cases, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so long as all known sins are confessed, authentic contrition is present (even if based primarily on the fear of hell) and a firm purpose of amendment exists.

When a person is very near death, the old, thorny and difficult issues of repentance virtually fade into irrelevance, while the process of genuine reconciliation with God, takes on crucial and strategic importance.

In short, when death is very near, the Church makes it as easy as possible for us sinners (and yes, even hypocrites) to be finally and fully reconciled with God.  Any Catholic priest will confirm this.

Virtually every family has someone in it who might “fall” into this category, so don’t pass up a last-minute opportunity to snatch an otherwise lost soul from Satan’s grasp. Make up your mind to become your loved ones best spiritual advocate … in these types of situations … even if it hurts!

God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness …
Don’t let your loved ones depart this existence without it!

Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?

Q: Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest? Doesn’t God forgive Christians when they ask?

A: There are a number of very good reason why Catholics confess their sins to a priest. As to whether or not God is willing to forgive Christians … just for asking: It’s not quite that simple!

1) Grave or serious sins (or as St. John would call them, “sins unto death”) are always best confessed with the help of a priest, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, since outside that great sacrament, less than perfect contrition for such sins typically results in NO forgiveness from God, leaving the sinner subject to the possibility of eternal damnation.

Similarly, anything short of authentic and full repentance (complete turning away from the sin) would, under the same circumstances, also typically leave a soul in a state of eternal jeopardy.

2) Outside the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there is no specific “mechanism” available for restoring the divine grace that was lost through sinful acts. Abundant grace is absolutely critical for ultimate success, in the Christian life.

3) The priest, through the great Sacrament of Reconciliation, is empowered by Jesus and the Catholic Church, to provide absolute and unconditional forgiveness for all our sins, and to replenish the grace that had been lost, as well.

Within the Sacrament of Reconciliation, neither perfect contrition or anything more than a firm purpose and real possibility of amendment is required, in order to obtain God’s complete forgiveness, and restore lost grace. This is a great blessing, a huge advantage, and a tremendous spiritual gift that is simply not otherwise available.

4) Confessing all our sins to a priest, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, allows us to proactively avoid divine judgment and the corresponding eternal penalties. Once properly pardoned and absolved, we can be certain that God will never raise that particular “issue” with us, again!

5) Sacramental Confession is probably the greatest “bargain” of all time … since expert counseling (in absolute confidence) plus total reconciliation with God, remains absolutely free!

Faithful Catholics who take Jesus at his Word and accept the divine authority the Catholic Church in this matter … instead of attempting to presumptively define the mysterious tenets of divine justice … not only get to enjoy supernatural peace of mind in this world, but need have few concerns about their glorious and eternal future, in the next.

We have Jesus’ word on that:

John 20:21-23  He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Finally … and this applies to Catholics and non-Catholics alike … when we ask God to forgive our sins … OUTSIDE of the Sacrament of Reconciliation … it is typically necessary for us to wait until Judgment Day to find out if God has actually accepted our plea.

Who (in their right mind) would want to expose themselves to the risk of Hell … let alone the prospect of having our particular “case” publicly adjudicated … in front of God … all the angels and saints … and everybody else, who ever lived?

Study the Biblical Basis of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

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A Guide for Confession

Remember

If you need help–especially if you have been away for some time–simply ask the priest and he will help you by “walking” you through the steps to make a good confession.

Before Confession

Be truly sorry for your sins. The essential act of Penance, on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sin committed, together with a resolution not to commit it again, out of the love one has for God and which is reborn with repentance. The resolution to avoid committing these sins in the future (amendment) is a sure sign that your sorrow is genuine and authentic. This does not mean that a promise never to fall again into sin is necessary. A resolution to try to avoid the near occasions of sin suffices for true repentance. God’s grace in cooperation with the intention to rectify your life will give you the strength to resist and overcome temptation in the future.

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The Instinct of Repentance

A large measure of the language of repentance is found in the word repentance itself. It is a Latin cognate (coming into English through the French). Rooted in the Latin word paenetentia, repentance has long held associations with crime and punishment. Our prisons are penitentiaries, though repentance of a true sort is rarely their result. To be given a penance also has had a sense of a punishment given for sins forgiven.

This differs greatly from the original language of the New Testament in which repentance is metanoia, a change in the mind (nous). The word nous, in Eastern Christian tradition, is often used interchangeably with the word heart. Repentance is an inner change of heart. Repentance is not concerned with clearing our legal record but with being changed – ultimately into the likeness of Christ.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

The language of repentance is part of a forensic legacy within a segment of Christian history that has marked our culture. To hear Christ say in Scripture, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” is often misheard – with the forensic message embedded in our language replacing the language of the heart proclaimed by Christ. Thus the Christian who seeks to follow the gospel (in English) finds that he has to make an effort to re-translate what he hears. This deeper matter of repentance (metanoia) is heard even in the prophets of the Old Testament:

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord,“Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments;return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).

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Minnesota homosexuals reject Catholic church’s attempt to help them

Gay and lesbian Roman Catholics who contact the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for spiritual guidance can find themselves directed toward programs aimed at helping them become celibate (chaste).

Evidently, this upsets some local homosexual activists.

Editor’s note: Every unmarried Catholic, whether gay or straight, is expected to remain chaste, refraining from any type of sexual activity, under pain of grave sin. The Church really has no choice in the matter, which has been settled for around 2000 years.

Furthermore, the rules governing the sacrament of reconciliation require both contrition for sin, as well as a good faith effort at authentic repentance. Absent both of these, it is impossible to make a good confession, and impossible to receive valid absolution for one’s sins.

This is why the church counsels chastity for all those who request help, since chastity is the first step towards repentance, while true contrition and at least a firm purpose of repentance is required in order for sins to be forgiven.

Again, the same rules apply to gay and straight, alike.

What could be more fair?

Why do we need the Sacrament of Penance if Christ has died for our forgiveness?

Q: Why do we need the Sacrament of Penance if Christ has died for our forgiveness?

A: St. Paul clearly explains that Jesus’ death on the cross provided forgiveness for PAST sins.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned and do need the glory of God.
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

 

Rom 3:25 Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the showing of his justice, for the remission of FORMER sins …

He’s right, because God would never forgive sins that had not yet been committed. That would be patently unjust and not in keeping with God’s system of things. God does not license anyone to freely commit sin.

At the same time, Jesus’ one time, once for all sacrifice on the cross provides an infinite reservoir of grace, that when properly dispensed (through the sacraments) and applied by the duly ordained ministers of his authentic (Catholic) church … is sufficient to absolve the faithful of their sins … subject to the usual conditions of genuine contrition and a firm purpose of amendment (repentance).

Only in this way can one be absolutely sure of God’s certain and immediate forgiveness, thereby escaping divine judgment, as well as replenishing all the grace that might have been lost due to sin.

Those who do not have access to the sacrament of reconciliation, or who reject it, will have to wait until Judgment Day to see if God has truly forgiven their sins, and by then it may be too late.

Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins, as his very first post-resurrection act. The Church continues that work to this day, and it’s remains the most provocative, in your face assault against the forces of Satan, sin and death, that the world has ever known.

More on this here:

https://douglawrence.wordpress.com/2008/1…

True compassion leads to understanding, repentance and (hopefully) forgiveness

GUEST COLUMN
Are You Compassionate?

September 2005By Abbot Joseph

Abbot Joseph, a monk for 22 years, has for the past five years been the Abbot of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Redwood Valley, California, a Byzantine-rite monastery in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

I have nothing but compassion for people who misuse the term “compassion.” This does not mean that I tolerate such misuse in the least, as you will see. One of the most beautiful divine qualities, in which we are invited to share — “Be compassionate as my Father is compassionate” (Lk. 6:36) — is all too often twisted into something that is tantamount to offering people a license to sin. “Compassion,” in modern parlance, means something like universal tolerance with a dose of sentimentality, which turns a blind eye to evil. In the Byzantine tradition, Christ is often called “The Lover of Mankind” and “The Compassionate One.” But He is never referred to as “The Tolerant One,” and with good reason.

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Submitted by Don H.

Human Life International’s Statement on the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy

Human Life International’s Statement on the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy

We must, as a matter of precept, pray for the salvation of heretical Catholics like Senator Edward Kennedy, but we do not have to praise him let alone extol him with the full honors of a public Catholic funeral and all the adulation that attends such an event. There was very little about Ted Kennedy’s life that deserves admiration from a spiritual or moral point of view. He was probably the worst example of a Catholic statesman that one can think of. When all is said and done, he has distorted the concept of what it means to be a Catholic in public life more than anyone else in leadership today.

Obviously we don’t know the state of Senator Edward Kennedy’s soul upon death. We don’t pretend to. We are told by the family that he had the opportunity to confess his sins before a priest, and his priest has said publicly he was “at peace” when he died. For that we are grateful. But it is one thing to confess one’s sins and for these matters to be kept, rightfully, private. It is another thing entirely for one who so consistently and publicly advocated for the destruction of unborn human beings to depart the stage without a public repudiation of these views, a public confession, as it were.

It is up to God to judge Senator Kennedy’s soul. We, as rational persons, must judge his actions, and his actions were not at all in line with one who values and carefully applies Church teaching on weighty matters. Ted Kennedy’s positions on a variety of issues have been a grave scandal for decades, and to honor this “catholic” champion of the culture of death with a Catholic funeral is unjust to those who have actually paid the price of fidelity. We now find out that President Obama will eulogize the Senator at his funeral, an indignity which, following on the heels of the Notre Dame fiasco, leaves faithful Catholics feeling sullied, desecrated and dehumanized by men who seem to look for opportunities to slap the Church in the face and do so with impunity simply because they have positions of power.

It is not enough for Kennedy to have been a “great guy behind the scenes” as we have seen him referred to even by his political opponents. It is also not praiseworthy to put a Catholic rhetorical veneer on his leftist politics that did nothing to advance true justice as the Church sees it or to advance the peace of Christ in this world. Every indication of Senator Kennedy’s career, every public appearance, every sound bite showed an acerbic, divisive and partisan political hack for whom party politics were much more infallible than Church doctrines. Whatever one’s political affiliation, if one is only “Catholic” to the extent that his faith rhymes with his party line, then his Catholicism is a fraud.

As the Scriptures remind us, there is a time for everything under the sun. This, now, is the time for honesty about our Faith and about those who are called to express it in the public forum. If we do not remind ourselves of the necessity of public confession for public sins such as Senator Kennedy was guilty of, then we are negligent in our embrace of the Faith and we are part of the problem. As Pope Benedict has reminded us recently, charity without truth can easily become mere sentimentality, and we must not fall into that error. A Catholic show of charity for the family must not eclipse the truth that is required of all with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Senator Kennedy needs to be sent to the afterlife with a private, family-only funeral and the prayers of the Church for the salvation of his immortal soul. He will not be missed by the unborn who he betrayed time and time again, nor by the rest of us who are laboring to undo the scandalous example of Catholicism that he gave to three generations of Americans.

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

Canon lawyer’s opinion about propriety of Kennedy’s Catholic funeral Mass

Now, any man with a 100% rating from NARAL (to highlight just the tip of the iceberg of Teddy’s decades-long campaign against natural rights) has, to put it mildly, the burden of proof in seeking a Catholic funeral (okay, technically, his executors have the burden of proof, but you see the point) in that notorious pro-aborts seem to be “manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful.”

Unless, that is, “they gave some sign of repentance before death.” And there is at least some evidence that Ted Kennedy did just that.

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Tiller’s church served as “enabler” of his ghastly work

 

Isaiah 3:11 Woe to the wicked unto evil: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Probably the most deliberately misused, misunderstood, and misapplied passage in scripture is “Judge not, lest ye  be judged.”

While much of modern society self-servingly presumes that Jesus was telling us NOT to JUDGE at all … what Jesus was actually saying is that every believer is obligated to make prudential judgments about a whole array of choices … 24/7 and 365 … but ONLY after having properly formed their consciences in the light of Christ, and with the help of the authentic teachings of his Church.

After spending a lifetime attempting to live up to that awesome responsibility we will one day, be ultimately and finally judged (to Heaven or to Hell) by Jesus Christ alone. It is ONLY in THIS judgment that we are to have no part, at all.

Except for the most radical and liberal sects of Christianity … which might falsely attempt to teach almost anything in Jesus’ name … authentic Christianity has always maintained that the killing of innocents (in this case, by abortion) is intrinsically evil, and something that God would NEVER sanction, under ANY circumstances.

Tiller’s congregation might have saved his life … and the lives of countless innocents … if someone in charge had decided to have a “face to face” with Tiller, explained the absolute need for his authentic contrition and genuine repentance … and after a reasonable trial period … if Tiller remained unable or unwilling to stop the killing … shown him the door.

Some might say that since abortion is legal, that it cannot be sinful … but they would be wrong … since NO government (or ANYONE, for that matter) has the legal right to take an innocent life. 

The scripture verse that all of us should actually keep in mind at all times is, “Go, and sin no more.” since absent authentic contrition (sorrow for sin) and genuine repentance (turning away from sin) God is (typically) not willing to forgive.

Tiller’s ministers should have explained this to him … over and over again, if necessary … in order to help save both his life and his soul.

The fact that Tiller was a long time member of that church, and was an usher there … tells us that Tiller and his entire congregation had instead made a deal with the devil … becoming complicit in the ongoing deaths of thousands of innocent babies, the abuse of as many women, and eventually in Tiller’s own death, as well.

The “judgment” that took place in that church on Pentecost Sunday may not have been of God, but there’s no doubt that God permitted it … just as he had earlier (on Pentecost, 586 B.C.) permitted the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and the first Temple … and as he also permitted the Romans to encircle, invade, and shortly, destroy apostate Israel, along with the second Temple, on Pentecost, 70 A.D. 

The congregation that silently condoned and empowered Tiller’s bloody, scandalous, and murderous work has now also been stained with Tiller’s blood. It will always be so.

In the interest of justice, it’s now time for Tiller’s congregation to take a long look at what they stand for, what they’ve done (and failed to do) and what they now ought to do now, to help make things right with God. There’s also plenty of innocent blood that still needs to be mopped up.     

The real question we need to ask is:  “How does ANY Christian group manage to tolerate within their congregation, the constant presence of a totally unrepentant, long-time, notorious slayer of innocent babies? Why didn’t anyone in authority take the necessary steps that might have put an end to the scandal, or (at least) act to somehow mitigate the killing?

The following statement is signed by The Rev. Lowell Michelson and The Rev. Kristin Neitzel of Wichita’s Reformation Lutheran Church — the church to which abortion provider George Tiller belonged, and where he was killed, last Sunday:

The Reformation Lutheran Church family is shocked and deeply saddened by the violent murder of Dr. George Tiller, a longtime member of our congregation, that occurred in our church home May 31.

Editor’s note: (You ought to be sad. Shame on the lot of you!)

Our congregation strives to be a safe place for all people. We deplore the violence that took place within the walls of our church. Further, we reject any notion that violence against another human being is an acceptable way to resolve differences over any issue. We must always strive to engage in peaceful discussion. Our faith calls us to this. Our humanity demands it.

Editor’s note:(It would have been much nicer if your congregation had helped to make Wichita safe for the infants and women upon whose misery Tiller profited so handsomely. When were you planning to tell Tiller that what he was doing was wrong, and that his actions constituted a grievous sin against God and man? What kind of faith do you call that? Blind faith?)

In the wake of this tragic event, our deepest concern is for the family of George Tiller. We ask the community to join us in prayer for them as they face the difficult days ahead. Our hearts ache with them. We also ask that the family’s privacy be respected.

Editor’s note: (Tiller’s family certainly knew what he did for a living. They all profited handsomely from it, and enjoyed a nice standard of living, as a result. They deserve their privacy … and also a big share of the guilt.) 

Members of Reformation Lutheran Church have been deeply affected by this tragedy. To address their needs, we are assembling a team of crisis intervention specialists.

Editor’s note: (You guys are obviously going to need a lot more help than that. Why not try crying out to God for forgiveness, with prayer and fasting, combined with new leadership, all around?)

In this time of uncertainty, we stand firm in the promises of Jesus Christ: forgiveness, hope, love, and new life, even from death. We pray for healing and peace to be restored. We offer our thanks for the many prayers of support from across the country. Your words of encouragement are a blessing to the people of Reformation Lutheran Church and Wichita.

Editor’s note: (Not uncertainty … apostasy! Jesus promised to separate the sheep from the goats, and to send divine judgment and wrath on the fakes and the evil doers. Quit kidding yourselves, before it’s too late. Tiller the Killer is already dead. No telling who might be next. The time for repentance is NOW!)

Psalm 50:16-22 But to the sinner God hath said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hast hated discipline: and hast cast my words behind thee. If thou didst see a thief thou didst run with him: and with adulterers thou hast been a partaker. Thy mouth hath abounded with evil, and thy tongue framed deceits. Sitting thou didst speak against thy brother, and didst lay a scandal against thy mother’s son: These things hast thou done, and I was silent. Thou thoughtest unjustly that I should be like to thee: but I will reprove thee, and set before thy face. Understand these things, you that forget God; lest he snatch you away, and there be none to deliver you.

Here’s the Official Lutheran ELCA “Position” on Abortion (from their website):

Abortion (Lutheran view)

 The ELCA Social Statement on Abortion , adopted by the 1991 Churchwide Assembly, acknowledges the issue’s complexity, noting that it “evokes strong and varied convictions about … human life and responsibility, freedom and limits.” The statement also offers useful guidance: “A developing life in the womb does not have an absolute right to be born, nor does a pregnant woman have an absolute right to terminate a pregnancy. The concern for both the life of the woman and the developing life in her womb expresses a common commitment to life.”

A last resort

“The strong Christian presumption is to preserve and protect life,” the statement says. “Abortion ought to be an option only of last resort. Therefore, as a church we seek to reduce the need to turn to abortion. …We also deplore the circumstances that lead a woman to consider abortion as the best option available to her.”

The statement adds: “The church recognizes that there can be sound reasons for ending a pregnancy through induced abortion.” These are the threat to a woman’s physical life; when pregnancy has resulted from rape, incest or sexual violence; and fetal abnormalities incompatible with life.

Basic faith convictions undergird the ELCA statement. Created in God’s image, we see all of life as a mysterious, awesome gift. As a community of forgiven sinners, Christians are free to make just and caring choices. In fact, the statement says, “we have both the freedom and the obligation to engage in serious deliberation on moral matters.” A compassionate community, praying and standing with those in struggle, is called neither to judge nor justify but to support people making difficult moral decisions.

Editors note: (With the “wishy-washy” and “luke-warm” spiritual guidance illustrated here, one can understand how these folks could easily tolerate and quickly rationalize even rampant and notorious evil in their congregation, in their community, in their government, and just about anywhere else. Barack Obama, the ABORTION President, must love these guys! I wonder how long they “deliberated” with Tiller the Killer, before just “giving in”? This is the height of moral apostasy!

The spiritual works of mercy are:

To instruct the ignorant;

To counsel the doubtful;

To admonish sinners;

To bear wrongs patiently;

To forgive offences willingly;

To comfort the afflicted;

To pray for the living and the dead.

So be it. May God have mercy on us all.)

My faith has grown very weak because of several personal issues, and I need help.

Q: My faith has grown very weak because of several personal issues, and I need help.

Any suggestions?

A: God loves you. God will provide. Don’t worry.

There are times in everyone’s life when selfish things seem to crowd God out of the picture, and when sin seems to easily overcome.

There’s nothing you can do that God won’t forgive, if you humbly apologize and make a good faith effort at repentance.

Catholics have a number of distinct advantages in that regard, but other Christians need to do it the best way they can.

And no matter how bad things might look, remember that anyone who stands in front of the Judgment seat of Christ with at least a modicum of charity remaining in their soul is not likely to see eternal damnation.

Finally, remain faithfully and charitably involved in all of the work, worship, sacraments, and devotions of the Church, and you’ll never be far from God.

May God bless you and keep you, and grant you grace and peace, forever.

“Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

Q: There’s a movie where Jesus …before he leaves he blows out a wind or something and gives all his closest disciple’s the holy spirit and then Jesus tells them something like….”Whoever you forgive will be forgiven and whoever you don’t forgive will not be forgiven.”

My question is this (and I want the real answer): Does what Jesus left these disciples have some kind of power over us? And if so, what does it do? Also… What happens if these guys don’t forgive us and what happens if they do? Jesus trusts these guys with our souls? Why?

A: The first thing Jesus did after he rose again from the dead was to give the power to forgive sins to the apostles, who were the first bishops of the Catholic Church.

That power has been handed down to the current day bishops and priests of the Catholic Church, and it is known as the sacrament of reconciliation.

It is the most provocative, “in-your-face” attack against the forces of evil that the world has ever seen, or ever will see.

The power to forgive sins comes from grace that Jesus obtained for us on the cross … power that Jesus entrusted to his authentic Church, for the purpose of our salvation.

Through the power of God, priests and bishops provide absolution (absolute forgiveness) for sins if one is contrite (sorry for them) and repentant (willing to make a good attempt to avoid committing the same sins in the future).

Absent both of these, sins typically are not forgiven.

Once sins have been forgiven, there is no need for divine judgment, and God will never bring them up again.

It doesn’t get any better than that, this side of Heaven.

https://douglawrence.wordpress.com/?s=reconciliation

http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Sin/Sin_010.htm