The complete renunciation of the Catholic Faith by a baptized person who had professed it. An apostate incurs excommunication, ipso facto, from the Church, and is refused Christian burial unless he repents. [according to the NAB dictionary]
Protestants are Christians. They do their own burials. What’s wrong with that? Better that than an atheist burial, right? My grandmother didn’t even go to church, so she ended up being buried by a Moravian minister just because my mom liked him.
I would argue that there are worse things than murder, like torture and child abuse, especially by mothers. But that’s just me. The thing with your dad is that he turned his back on God by refusing to submit to Him. Mortal sin. He has not repented of it, chose an “church” that is more convenient, that tells him what he wants to hear. You have to pray for his conversion. I understand, my dad’s in the same boat (only not in the Episcopalian group). I don’t like the truth of it either, but denying the truth will only guarantee that he doesn’t convert and that I may damn myself for putting my likes over God’s law. We have to pray for their conversion, that they confess and repent before death.
What good does it do to pray for somebody if you’re pretty sure they aren’t going to change their minds? I’ve had a terrible life here lately. Sometimes I humorously think to myself that I’m going through all these bad things because my family is a bunch of “heathens” and my suffering is for them. Didn’t Padre Pio say that, that your suffering may actually be for somebody else? Oh well, if I pray for them, it isn’t very intense. I don’t have much hope for them cause they’re stubborn. Them=my mom, my dad, my brother, my cousins, my whole family. I think I’m the only practicing Catholic left in my family. Sad.
Tracy, you and your dad will also be in my prayers.
Be assured of my prayers for her.