Posts Tagged ‘religion’

The fruits of repentance Faith and works

Posted: December 5, 2010 by datechguy in catholic
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Today’s Gospel brought up an important point about how Christianity works

In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea(and) saying, “Repent, 3 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: “A voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'”

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees 7 coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matt 3:12

Note What John the Baptist specifically says in verses 7-8. Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. Good fruit, that sounds a lot like good works to me.

Just as important is verse 9, And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

If you look at the philosophy of Once saved always saved it seems to bear a great resemblance to this. After under that philosophy there IS no consequence for sinful actions.

And the consequences? Verse 10 makes it pretty plain. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

This connects an action and a specific reaction. What I find so interesting is that this is pretty much what Christ himself says over (Luke 13:1-9) and over (Matthew 25:31-46) and over (Matthew 13:36-43) again.

One has to be careful when declaring their own salvation loudly. It is very easy to deceive one’s self, it is impossible to deceive God. Much better to always strive toward it.

After reading this piece I think Stacy McCain is a Catholic….

Posted: November 25, 2010 by datechguy in catholic, opinion/news
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…he just doesn’t know it yet:

I am not Catholic – my ancestors were Ulster Scots, and I remain proudly Protestant – but over the years many Catholic readers have been attracted to this blog by my advocacy of a pro-family, pro-life philosophy which owes much to the doctrine expounded in Humanae Vitae. If you have never read it, you certainly should and please note that Humanae Vitae is addressed not merely to Catholics, nor even exclusively to Christians, but “to all men of good will.”

He writes about Pope Paul Vi (the pope of my youth) and Benedict XVI, read this post, it is a very Catholic one

Recall that Paul VI wrote this in 1968, eight years after the first oral contraceptive was made commercially available in the U.S., at the height of the ridiculous hysteria over “The Population Bomb,” and five years before Roe v. Wade.

As Benedict XVI says, Humanae Vitae was “prophetically right,” because Paul VI clearly warned that the embrace of artificial contraception would “open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards.”

Since most protestant denominations gave in on Birth Control more than half a century ago reading this from Stacy brings a grin to my face. It’s like reading an essay from my friend Jim Marley poet and student of Theology (and one of the guest for my Christmas show). Stacy sounds more Catholic than most Catholics, but then again he is starting by linking to the Anchoress which is the best way to find the way to the charity of truth.

The Anchoress tends to hit basic truths well, to wit:

Did Pope Benedict know he was sparking a debate with his responses in Light of the World?

I suspect he did. Benedict is not stupid, and he’s not unsavvy about media; he knows the press is reactionary and slavish to the sensational – that they would grab his answers to Peter Seewald and run with them, and that after their first noise, some of them would actually settle down and seek to understand, while others never would.

Meanwhile, the faithful would be jarred from their torpor, and others–who had been dismissive of all-positions-Catholic–would again be engaged.

Active engagement is always better than passive dismissal.

And the discussion continues:

Paul VI, he said, “was convinced that society robs itself of its greatest hopes when it kills human beings through abortion”.

Benedict XVI said: “How many children are killed who might one day have been geniuses, who could have given humanity something new, who could have given us a new Mozart or some new technical discovery?

“We need to stop and think about the great human capacity that is being destroyed here – even quite apart from the fact that unborn children are human persons whose dignity and right to life we have to respect.”

Humanae Vitae’s main argument, that sexuality separated from fecundity in principle through the contraceptive pill would lead to sexuality becoming arbitrary, remains correct, Pope Benedict said.

I’ve made that argument over and over and was answered with: “How many would have been crack heads?” To which I say this. Who makes more difference 1 great teacher or 30 crack heads? 50 crack heads? 100 crack heads?

The potential of life is limitless, all it takes is faith and effort.

Oh and another of my Christmas Show guests notes something else the rest of the media has missed:

One aspect about this story that is getting no coverage is that we are getting a book like this in the first place. A sitting Pope sitting down with a journalist and not limiting any questions asked. Sure he is comfortable in his long relationship with Peter Seewald, but Seewald is willing to ask the questions other people would be interested in having asked. The Pope being the brilliant theologian that he is does not give pat answers. The Pope is not concerned with public relations and acting as a spin doctors on his answers to reduce any possible misinterpretations. The Pope thinks deeply on subjects and then gives us his answer where he would trust us with the truth. The Pope could have easily answered the questions on condoms by outlining the Church’s teaching on contraception, but instead spoke honestly in addressing possible situations. Some might call this a PR disaster and certainly it is annoying when the press distorts what the Pope says, but they would find something to distort regardless.

Remember the first thanksgiving proclamation was to give thanks to God.

I think it’s trivalizing a big issue but on the other hand…

Posted: November 20, 2010 by datechguy in oddities
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I suspect this couple would have most likely aborted their child without this poll so I’d much rather they have the vote.

It may seem like an odd type of grace, but if by grace they get the chance to avoid a mortal sin then who am I to question the way God decides to deliver that grace? I think it is much better to say thank God for the chance both to save an innocent live and to help save the souls of this couple.

Vote here.

The value of a reminder

Posted: November 7, 2010 by datechguy in catholic, personal
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For reasons I won’t go into I’ve been feeling low for quite a while.

Oh I’ve managed to have fun and enjoy people’s company but for quite a few weeks I’ve been kinda down and some issues that have come up lately haven’t helped.

I put up a post and wrote a review but was still angry.and I was determined to stay put Sunday or no Sunday. I could get away with it too, the wife was gone for the day, one son was at work and the other was so deep into his gaming he would never notice. I had missed confession anyways so I wasn’t able to receive so what was the difference; or so I rationalized to myself.

I had tweet deck up in the background and happened to look at my screen when suddenly a tweet came up from Father Z. I don’t remember what the tweet was but I could see his icon and the priest’s robes and it reminded me of my duty. I kept thinking to myself trying to stay angry but the image of Fr. Z in his robes holding the host wouldn’t go away. Finally 5 minutes before the start of mass, I pulled myself out of bed, dressed quickly and dashed to church sitting in the side room alone just in time to make the start of mass.

Ironically it was a commemorative mass for the Venerini Sisters. It was the mass that marked the end of their US centennial. As I sat in the el section of the church during communion (I abstained having missed confession) and watched the line of people going up to receive it occurred to me that if that tweet had been from any of the sisters in attendance I would have still been in bed. Other than my 7th grade teacher who I recognized I couldn’t tell the nuns from the little old ladies that prayed in the church as not a single one of them remained in the habit.

The sisters have done a lot of good work and do so in many countries but I couldn’t get the irony out of my head. It reminded me of a story from my youth at St. Anthony’s. My mom was coming to pick me up when one of the sisters was crossing the street. She was fairly young, not in a habit and wearing a very short skirt when a guy in a convertible came by noticed the sister and pulled over and said something to her. I couldn’t hear what he said but she got VERY angry.

As my mom pulled up, Sister still angry commented to my mother how shocked she was at what that guy had said. This was a mistake. My mother isn’t one to volunteer an opinion but if you ask her she will tell you exactly what she thinks without holding back. She had seen what happened and didn’t miss a beat.

What are you angry about? How can you expect to get the respect of a nun if you are unwilling to dress like one?

I think my mother shocked sister more than the guy in the convertible did.

When a nun in a habit enters a room everyone notices it speaks a universal message of service to Christ.

When an old lady, no matter how devout enters the room, it does not.

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