Can people choose to be spriritual and live a loving life?

[thomasf]

Serap, I don’t buy it either. And here’s why I have difficulty buying it.

You said the person in your OP lives their life in kindness and compassion.

And when Jesus asked how to possess eternal life, here is what He said.

Luke 10:25 And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life? 26But he said to him: What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And he said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

In Matt 22:36-40 He tells us love makes up the 2 greatest commandments. In Matt 18 to be humble. In Matt 7:5 to concern ourselves with our own specks.

In Matt 7:12 He spoke of the Golden Rule. And in Matt 25:31-46 He gave examples of those showing compassion for the less fortunate receiving eternal life.

Take your dear spiritual mother. She prays. God understands. And God knows her heart.

God bless her along with you, your husband and your “ballerina” and “Charlie Brown”.
Peace.

These are the verses of the bible that my sister often brings up too. It seems as though she misses the other 99% of the bible while paying attention to only these verses. It’s as if Jesus simply said those two or three things and left earth. Or she talks about Jesus hanging out with sinners and eating with them. He also always told them to repent. He told us the path was narrow, and that He was the way. He told us to be baptized of water and the spirit. He told us to believe in Him. He told us that unless we eat his flesh we have no life in Him. He gave His apostles the power to forgive sins. And He certainly didn’t tell them to “go forth and let people know they just need to be ‘good’”. He told His apostles to go forth and spread His word, make converts of all people. And He gave us a church with the keys of the kingdom so that we may grow in Him.

Being ‘good’ and doing ‘good’ things are certainly part of the faith. But it’s not the beginning and end.

 

[jmcrae]

These are the verses of the bible that my sister often brings up too. It seems as though she misses the other 99% of the bible while paying attention to only these verses. It’s as if Jesus simply said those two or three things and left earth. Or she talks about Jesus hanging out with sinners and eating with them.

When we read more carefully in the Gospels about these sinners with whom Jesus was eating, we find that all of them had repented of their sins before Jesus stepped over the threshold of their doors - we never see Him eating and drinking with people who were still ensnared in their sins.

 

[CMatt25]

When we read more carefully in the Gospels about these sinners with whom Jesus was eating, we find that all of them had repented of their sins before Jesus stepped over the threshold of their doors - we never see Him eating and drinking with people who were still ensnared in their sins.

Sinners can love others and do those things in Matt 25:31-46.

 

[CMatt25]

These are the verses of the bible that my sister often brings up too. It seems as though she misses the other 99% of the bible while paying attention to only these verses. It’s as if Jesus simply said those two or three things and left earth.

I don’t know if she misses 99%. I’m going to guess not. The Bible also says women shouldn’t speak in churches for instance. But at the heart of it your sister and I must share a similar faith. God bless you both on your faith journeys and peace.

 

[Serap]

I keep hearing that, but I haven’t actually seen it in real life.

I have listened as many people told me, “I am a good person. I am spiritual, but not religious.” And then, without fail, they steal a small amount of money from someone who “won’t miss it,” or they shoplift a small item from a convenience store, or they offer to read my tarot cards, or they tell a young woman that she should give in to her boyfriend and have sex with him, or they offer to share a toke with a teenager, because “you only live once.”



I have yet to meet a spiritual person without religion, who did not sin, or who did not entice others to sin - all the while calling themselves “good.”

HOGWASH!!! You need to get out more then.

 

[Serap]

Serap, I don’t buy it either. And here’s why I have difficulty buying it.

You said the person in your OP lives their life in kindness and compassion.

And when Jesus asked how to possess eternal life, here is what He said.

Luke 10:25 And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life? 26But he said to him: What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And he said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

In Matt 22:36-40 He tells us love makes up the 2 greatest commandments. In Matt 18 to be humble. In Matt 7:5 to concern ourselves with our own specks.

In Matt 7:12 He spoke of the Golden Rule. And in Matt 25:31-46 He gave examples of those showing compassion for the less fortunate receiving eternal life.

Take your dear spiritual mother. She prays. God understands. And God knows her heart.

God bless her along with you, your husband and your “ballerina” and “Charlie Brown”.
Peace.

That was incredibly sweet. Thank you!

 

[PRmerger]

They do not follow any organized religion, but follow the steps of every good Christian in terms of prayer and following God’s will.

What they are doing is creating a god in their own image, not conforming their beliefs to that which God has revealed.

 

[jmcrae]

HOGWASH!!! You need to get out more then.

I’ve been out and around the block more than once, thanks!

I’ve met a lot of “spiritual” drug addicts, and “spiritual” people living together without the benefits of marriage (and with kids!), and “spiritual” lesbian couples, but I’ve never met any “spiritual” people who both didn’t go to Church, and didn’t commit blatant public sin.

Once you take Church-going out of the picture, something else usually takes its place - usually, some kind of sin.

 

[Serap]

I’ve been out and around the block more than once, thanks!

I’ve met a lot of “spiritual” drug addicts, and “spiritual” people living together without the benefits of marriage (and with kids!), and “spiritual” lesbian couples, but I’ve never met any “spiritual” people who both didn’t go to Church, and didn’t commit blatant public sin.

Once you take Church-going out of the picture, something else usually takes its place - usually, some kind of sin.

you choose to answer for someone else’s very ignorant remark about how they are money stealers, etc.

You don’t need to speak on behalf of someone else’s ignorance.

 

[Ashurie]

I’ve been out and around the block more than once, thanks!

I’ve met a lot of “spiritual” drug addicts, and “spiritual” people living together without the benefits of marriage (and with kids!), and “spiritual” lesbian couples, but I’ve never met any “spiritual” people who both didn’t go to Church, and didn’t commit blatant public sin.

Once you take Church-going out of the picture, something else usually takes its place - usually, some kind of sin.

I am spiritual, I have never taken drugs, I don’t smoke, I rarely drink = ALL poisons for the body. I am actually still a virgin, never been sexual with any boyfriend, I am also straight (sexually-orientated), and I want to wait for the one to marry, to live with, and have kids (after marriage). So, there we go, have met one spiritual person who does not sin - and I do go to Sunday Mass as well.

 

[jmcrae]

I am spiritual, I have never taken drugs, I don’t smoke, I rarely drink = ALL poisons for the body. I am actually still a virgin, never been sexual with any boyfriend, I am also straight (sexually-orientated), and I want to wait for the one to marry, to live with, and have kids (after marriage). So, there we go, have met one spiritual person who does not sin - and I do go to Sunday Mass as well.

My point is made - you go to Church, and you don’t sin. The correlation stands.

 

[SteveVH]

I am spiritual, I have never taken drugs, I don’t smoke, I rarely drink = ALL poisons for the body. I am actually still a virgin, never been sexual with any boyfriend, I am also straight (sexually-orientated), and I want to wait for the one to marry, to live with, and have kids (after marriage). So, there we go, have met one spiritual person who does not sin - and I do go to Sunday Mass as well.

You don’t sin? There are only two other people I have ever heard of who are in your class; Jesus and the Blessed Virgin. I would say you have no need for Mass or the sacraments as those are for us sinners who are in need of salvation.

 

[TedDC]

My point is made - you go to Church, and you don’t sin. The correlation stands.

Maybe not quite a 100% correlation…

 

[Ashurie]

You don’t sin? There are only two other people I have ever heard of who are in your class; Jesus and the Blessed Virgin. I would say you have no need for Mass or the sacraments as those are for us sinners who are in need of salvation.

LOL No not like that~ I don’t do moral sin, would probably be the better term, maybe. I live my life justly to how Jesus taught us to live. That would be a better way to say it too~

Thats what I get for replying before rushing out to the tram, that I almost missed.

 

[PRmerger]

I live my life justly to how Jesus taught us to live.

If you lived your life according to how Jesus taught you to live you would listen to His Apostles, and their successors, as He proclaimed in Luke 10:16.

That is, you would be a Catholic who obeys the Magisterium.

 

[Ashurie]

If you lived your life according to how Jesus taught you to live you would listen to His Apostles, and their successors, as He proclaimed in Luke 10:16.

That is, you would be a Catholic who obeys the Magisterium.

On a personal level, I am still doing a bit of soul searching, as I haven’t yet been accepted into the Catholic faith, and still learning more and more about it (as I didn’t have a religious up bringing, yet I was baptised in the Anglican faith), and until then I wish to live my in a good way, and once in the church I will continue my life in the good way. So I guess, it wont be a huge overhaul in my life once I am confirmed.

 

[PRmerger]

On a personal level, I am still doing a bit of soul searching, as I haven’t yet been accepted into the Catholic faith, and still learning more and more about it (as I didn’t have a religious up bringing, yet I was baptised in the Anglican faith), and until then I wish to live my in a good way, and once in the church I will continue my life in the good way. So I guess, it wont be a huge overhaul in my life once I am confirmed.

Well, I would have to disagree. As one Catholic Apologist said, “It should change even the way we comb our hair.”

Nuclear fission would appear as child’s play if you could see the change in your soul once you are confirmed.

 

[Ashurie]

Well, I would have to disagree. As one Catholic Apologist said, “It should change even the way we comb our hair.”

Nuclear fission would appear as child’s play if you could see the change in your soul once you are confirmed.

I understand where you are coming from, but I know where I am coming from, and I know I am not very good at explaining things too. So I hope you understand, that to me it wont be a huge overhaul in my life, as I have already accepted Jesus and God into my life, which took time, and confirmation will just help be open up more to them. I am still learning about it all, and willing to take small steps, as I do not like to rush into things and then regret it. It is quite a personal thing.

 

[thomasf]

What they are doing is creating a god in their own image, not conforming their beliefs to that which God has revealed.

Yup.

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

Abe Lincoln

 

[TedDC]

What they are doing is creating a god in their own image, not conforming their beliefs to that which God has revealed.

That’s assuming the truth of the Catholic Church’s claim that its teachings are God’s revelations.