Abuse of Scripture

[NewCatholic]

Okay, I know someone who continually and intentionally harms other people, over and over. This person pretends to abide by the Scriptures, and can quote chapter and verse to support whatever behavior he’s engaging in, at that time. No matter how many different ways people approach this person, they dance around the issues, refuse to acknowledge what they’ve done to harm others, and use Scriptures against the people who are trying to lead them to God.

I want to know how to reconcile Matthew 6:15 with walking away from someone with evil intent without malice.

(name removed by moderator)ut on this matter is very much appreciated.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Even the Devil can quote scripture.

If this person continuously harms others and tries to justify it with scripture, then you may need to cut them out of your life. Matthe 6:15 deal is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean that you have to keep someone in your life.

As an example, I had a toxic girlfriend when I was younger. She was bad for me in every possible way; lied, cheated, etc. Even though I’ve forgiven her for everything, that doesn’t mean I would ever let her back into my life. I never want to see her again, but in forgiving her I have stopped allowing what she did to me to harm me or my relationship w/ God.

Forgiving does not mean forgetting, and you can forgive someone while still cutting them out of your life completely.

 

[NewCatholic]

I appreciate your response. Is there Catechism or something “official” that supports this? The individual in question keeps quoting Matthew…suggesting that people are supposed to continually forgive him and continue chasing him down to bring him to God. I believe he’s of evil intent, but I can absolutely forgive him and go my merry way. Others, however, seem incapable of doing this.

 

[Fauken]

Perhaps CCC 1789?

1789 Some rules apply in every case:

• One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
• the Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."56
• charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience: "Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ."57Therefore "it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble."58

CCC 1793 (if that person says they didn’t know):

1793 If - on the contrary - the ignorance is invincible, or the moral subject is not responsible for his erroneous judgment, the evil committed by the person cannot be imputed to him. It remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience.

CCC 1039:

1039 In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare.624 The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life:
"All that the wicked do is recorded, and they do not know. When “our God comes, he does not keep silence.”. . . he will turn towards those at his left hand: . . . "I placed my poor little ones on earth for you. I as their head was seated in heaven at the right hand of my Father - but on earth my members were suffering, my members on earth were in need. If you gave anything to my members, what you gave would reach their Head. Would that you had known that my little ones were in need when I placed them on earth for you and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury. But you have placed nothing in their hands; therefore you have found nothing in my presence.“625”

Should I find more?

 

[NewCatholic]

Thanks. I appreciate the (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[Kei]

This sounds odd. He knows he’s doing wrong so he’s saying you need to help him, yet pretends to abide by Scripture according to you, if this is accurate.

 

[spiderweb]

You may find a use for Mathew 18:15-18.

Our forgiveness of another person is for our own good, even if it does that person no good. God does not forgive an unrepentant person even if we forgive them. Without knowing details, perhaps this person should be more concerned with God’s forgiveness rather than your forgiveness.

 

[Elf01]

I’d use another quote from Matthew.

In chapter 18 the advice is that after addressing the problem privately, in a small group and with the Church, if the person does not repent to cut them off.

 

[NewCatholic]

It is odd and this fellow is clearly disordered - like narcissistic personality disorder. I have made the decision to leave him up to God, but others are … how to say, desperate … to win him over in the belief that they are mandated by God to try, try, and continue trying, even though this man plays cat-and-mouse with them.

It’s not even so much “defeat,” that these other folks won’t accept, but the fact that this is God’s business, not theirs. That’s my view on it, and I believe that these people go around with very hurt feelings and feelings of deepest offense, but the keep talking to this fellow. I just don’t get it. Maybe, they’re masochistic, themselves. Who knows?

Thanks for all of the (name removed by moderator)ut!