Anne Rice returns to the Church, as a Cafeteria Catholic

[Suudy]

LighthouseRon:

How can I as a humble human being with many faults of my own judge another human being? I cannot! I can wish all people will find their way into the Catholic Faith because that is what I believe. But, I will not judge a person on their past behavior nor condemn all of their accomplishments because they haven’t joined in what I believe 100%.

It is unfortunate when people confuse criticism for judgement and condemnation. When someone holds a position contrary to the Church, and that position is challenged or criticised, too often people view that as judgement. Attacking a position is not the same as attacking a person.

I agree with you 100% in that I will neither judge nor condemn a person, or their accomplishments, bacause they don’t agree with me. I will however continue to challenge and criticize their positions that are in error.

sanctareparata:

Why on earth would I want to waste time reading a book based on heresy? The heresy that Jesus didn’t even know He was God? There isn’t exactly room for creativity here when we are dealing with Our Lord - He isn’t some fictional character we can just mess with.

I agree that we shouldn’t support works that promote heretical teachings. However, as Sun Tzu Wu said, “Know thy enemy and know thyself and you will win a hundred battles.” By reading this stuff we are in a better position to defend the Church against any heretical teachings present. Granted we must be careful not to be influenced by it, but neither should we ignore it. I read The Da Vinci Code, not because i was interested in supporting his crazy ideas, but so that I was better able to refute those that attacked the Church. I did not buy the book (I borrowed it), so I wasn’t providing support.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Suudy:

I agree that we shouldn’t support works that promote heretical teachings. However, as Sun Tzu Wu said, “Know thy enemy and know thyself and you will win a hundred battles.” By reading this stuff we are in a better position to defend the Church against any heretical teachings present. Granted we must be careful not to be influenced by it, but neither should we ignore it. I read The Da Vinci Code, not because i was interested in supporting his crazy ideas, but so that I was better able to refute those that attacked the Church. I did not buy the book (I borrowed it), so I wasn’t providing support.

I understand this argument, though do not fully agree with it, but… you must be careful when you do this. If you are seen reading such works by those who know you are Catholic, they may assume that you agree with what is in them. Appearances matter.

 

[Fidelis]

didymus:

Okay, I might as well stick both feet in my mouth.
How is it heresy to say that the seven-year-old Jesus didn’t relaize His divine nature as long as one doesn’t deny His divine nature?

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

**Christ’s soul and his human knowledge **

471 Apollinarius of Laodicaea asserted that in Christ the divine Word had replaced the soul or spirit. Against this error the Church confessed that the eternal Son also assumed a rational, human soul.

472 This human soul that the Son of God assumed is endowed with a true human knowledge. As such, this knowledge could not in itself be unlimited: it was exercised in the historical conditions of his existence in space and time. This is why the Son of God could, when he became man, “increase in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man”, and would even have to inquire for himself about what one in the human condition can learn only from experience. This corresponded to the reality of his voluntary emptying of himself, taking “the form of a slave”.

473 **But at the same time, this truly human knowledge of God’s Son expressed the divine life of his person. “The human nature of God’s Son, not by itself but by its union with the Word, knew and showed forth in itself everything that pertains to God.” ** Such is first of all the case with the intimate and immediate knowledge that the Son of God made man has of his Father. The Son in his human knowledge also showed the divine penetration he had into the secret thoughts of human hearts.

474 By its union to the divine wisdom in the person of the Word incarnate, Christ enjoyed in his human knowledge the fullness of understanding of the eternal plans he had come to reveal. What he admitted to not knowing in this area, he elsewhere declared himself not sent to reveal.

For a complete consideration of this, see Fr. William Most’s classic treatment of this, “The Consciousness of Christ,” found here:

catholicculture.org/docs/most/getwork.cfm?worknum=215

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