In first video message, Pope Francis stresses unity: 'We are all children of God' [CNA]

[fred_conty]

If there is no need to convert Jews, then they must be fine. I refuse to believe that the Catholic Church is superior to Judaism–a higher gradation–of a salvation-attainable religion. If anything, this video is showing that there is no hierarchy of religions, but that they lie on the same plane. Especially considering recent statements about converting Jews.

Besides, it’s easier to be a Jew in this country. Just watch television or movies, or read about the political class. It’s much easier. There’s a lot of incentive to change horses midstream. So much effort is spent trying to Judaize us, why not give it a try? Especially with this new permission?

It’s just a matter of Coke vs Pepsi, really.

Because of what I wrote in the previous post, it is always the best way to be a Catholic in the real sense of the word. It isn’t easy to follow our dear Lord and he has said so. And since he is the WAY …the TRUTH… the LIGHT, then he is telling us to follow him closely and we then have the means to make our walk with him more secure. The closer we are to him the better off a person will be.

I see it as a huge responsibility on our part to pray for them and to help them in any way we can.

 

[LaramieHirsch]

And since he is the WAY …the TRUTH… the LIGHT, then he is telling us to follow him closely and we then have the means to make our walk with him more secure. The closer we are to him the better off a person will be.

Indeed! And now (with this video) that we see that there are so many more options for being as close to God as we can get, then it is entirely possible for me to shake off the dusty old traditions and truly be universal–aka Catholic–and seek unity with God in whatever way I see fit.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

The Pope’s message appears to be that all religions are equal because God loves us all, but how can this be true when they do not have the same beliefs?

The priest and the Levite had the truth, they were God’s chosen people. Yet the parable of the Good Samaritan makes them out to be the bad guys, so it seems that we can be judged outside of our beliefs.

There is only one truth and if you are a Christian and of the Catholic faith you must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He came into the world to bring us salvation through His death on the cross and His resurrection.

Amen, but what are we commanded to do with these beliefs?

Catholics have fought battles and died defending this truth. If you are a Catholic and believe it is a matter of Coke vs Pepsi ,then why believe in anything at all?

Fighting battles is not the greatest way to defend truth. The greatest commandments are to love God and our neighbours, and even to pray for our enemies. Living the greatest commandments is the greatest way to defend truth, all the law and the prophets of God hang and depend on these commandments.

 

[JPUSC]

Indeed! And now (with this video) that we see that there are so many more options for being as close to God as we can get, then it is entirely possible for me to shake off the dusty old traditions and truly be universal–aka Catholic–and seek unity with God in whatever way I see fit.

Believe in love.

 

[JPUSC]

Indeed! And now (with this video) that we see that there are so many more options for being as close to God as we can get, then it is entirely possible for me to shake off the dusty old traditions and truly be universal–aka Catholic–and seek unity with God in whatever way I see fit.

 

[JosieN]

The priest and the Levite had the truth, they were God’s chosen people. Yet the parable of the Good Samaritan makes them out to be the bad guys, so it seems that we can be judged outside of our beliefs.

Amen, but what are we commanded to do with these beliefs?

Fighting battles is not the greatest way to defend truth. The greatest commandments are to love God and our neighbours, and even to pray for our enemies. Living the greatest commandments is the greatest way to defend truth, all the law and the prophets of God hang and depend on these commandments.

Thank you, I do agree. loving God and our neighbours, and praying for our enemies is the greatest way to defend the truth, but there are still questions about this that I do not understand. The angel’s prayer (given to the three children by the angel who preceded Our Lady’s first appearance to them) goes like this -

“O most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.”

The Pope’s message appears to me to be an indifference, if so wouldn’t God be offended by it? Instead of accepting these other religions into our Faith and making them appear to be the same as ours, shouldn’t we be praying for their conversion to the true Faith. I think I do not understand what the message of this video really means. I do respect the Catholic church and the Pope but If we do not stand together for the truth won’t it become weak and fade away?.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

Thank you, I do agree. loving God and our neighbours, and praying for our enemies is the greatest way to defend the truth,

If my Muslim neighbour could only love me as he loves himself, on the condition that I first became a Muslim, that would be his loss. I cannot see any way that I could ever become a Muslim.

In the same way, it would be my loss, if I could not love my Muslim neighbour for who he is now. Apparently there are around 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, a few will convert, but I imagine the majority will want to stay Muslim.

I think if Jesus gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan today, he might say, the Good Muslim came along and tended the wounded man.

but there are still questions about this that I do not understand. The angel’s prayer (given to the three children by the angel who preceded Our Lady’s first appearance to them) goes like this -

“O most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.”

I think it is far better to use scripture against ourselves, rather than against other people.

I do respect the Catholic church and the Pope but If we do not stand together for the truth won’t it become weak and fade away

I believe the truth in all faiths; should lead to kindness, compassion, mercy forgiveness and unity.

Jesus did not say the greatest commandment was to go out and make everyone a Catholic. But I do believe the greatest unity we can have; is by putting the greatest commandments above all else.

 

[JosieN]

I believe the truth in all faiths; should lead to kindness, compassion, mercy forgiveness and unity.

Jesus did not say the greatest commandment was to go out and make everyone a Catholic. But I do believe the greatest unity we can have; is by putting the greatest commandments above all else.

I agree with all religions leading towards kindness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness, but why unity? If the other religions do not believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, how can there be any unity with them?

 

[Eric_Hyom]

I agree with all religions leading towards kindness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness, but why unity? If the other religions do not believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, how can there be any unity with them?

I look on Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I think unity is where we strive to live in peace, despite our differences. Marriage comes to mind, you can’t get much more opposite than a man and a woman, and what if they are both of separate faiths? They can still love each other despite their differences. When children come into the world, they could even add more diversity, but we are to love our children, despite our differences.

Communities and countries are just bigger family units, we should be able to look at each other as brothers and sisters. Unity leads to peace, compassion mercy, forgiveness and love, the opposite must be the case for disunity.

 

[Zeno11]

The Bible is clear that all people are God’s creation (Colossians 1:16), and that God loves the entire world (John 3:16), but only those who are born again are children of God (John 1:12; 11:52; Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1-10).

Scripture teaches that God only dwells in those who have put their faith in Christ. All others, while God’s offspring by creation, have been separated from Him because of sin. When a person turns to God by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, they are spiritually regenerated, born anew, given new life, justified (declared righteous in Christ), forgiven of all their sin, past, present, and made children of God (John 1:12-13).

In Scripture, the lost are never referred to as God’s children. Ephesians 2:3 tells us that before we were saved we were “by nature objects of wrath”

“Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has a temple of God with idols? For we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

Many Christians of other denominations are now saying that Pope Francis is paving the way for a one-world religion where dissenters will not be tolerated and where one path to God is as good as another; the Bible teaches that the Antichrist will use a one world religion to help establish and consolidate his worldwide, anti-God kingdom. Revelation 17:1–18

Does anyone else feel deeply uneasy or am I one of those awful fundamentalists who believes in the teachings of Jesus?

 

[JosieN]

The Bible is clear that all people are God’s creation (Colossians 1:16), and that God loves the entire world (John 3:16), but only those who are born again are children of God (John 1:12; 11:52; Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1-10).

Scripture teaches that God only dwells in those who have put their faith in Christ. All others, while God’s offspring by creation, have been separated from Him because of sin. When a person turns to God by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, they are spiritually regenerated, born anew, given new life, justified (declared righteous in Christ), forgiven of all their sin, past, present, and made children of God (John 1:12-13).

In Scripture, the lost are never referred to as God’s children. Ephesians 2:3 tells us that before we were saved we were “by nature objects of wrath”

“Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has a temple of God with idols? For we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

Many Christians of other denominations are now saying that Pope Francis is paving the way for a one-world religion where dissenters will not be tolerated and where one path to God is as good as another; the Bible teaches that the Antichrist will use a one world religion to help establish and consolidate his worldwide, anti-God kingdom. Revelation 17:1–18

Does anyone else feel deeply uneasy or am I one of those awful fundamentalists who believes in the teachings of Jesus?

I feel deeply uneasy also.

 

[Zeno11]

I feel deeply uneasy also.

So where do people like you and me go from here?

I am so grateful that I was raised by my Victorian grandmother (1884-1982 God rest her soul) who made sure that her children and grandchildren were properly taught the faith handed down to us over all the centuries since Jesus’ resurrection and that we know the word of God; for what are the words of God? They are ***Spirit ********* and they are Life

But I fear for the church. Why all the touchy feely ‘love’ stuff? Is it loving to allow another person to go on their merry way to the abyss? For God ‘desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,…’ 1 Tim 2:4

Timothy also tells us to 'preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

All paths do not lead to God. There is only one Name given to us under the sun by which men can be saved. Isn’t this what we should be proclaiming to the world?

 

[JosieN]

So where do people like you and me go from here?

I am so grateful that I was raised by my Victorian grandmother (1884-1982 God rest her soul) who made sure that her children and grandchildren were properly taught the faith handed down to us over all the centuries since Jesus’ resurrection and that we know the word of God; for what are the words of God? They are ***Spirit ********* and they are Life

But I fear for the church. Why all the touchy feely ‘love’ stuff? Is it loving to allow another person to go on their merry way to the abyss? For God ‘desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,…’ 1 Tim 2:4

Timothy also tells us to 'preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

All paths do not lead to God. There is only one Name given to us under the sun by which men can be saved. Isn’t this what we should be proclaiming to the world?

I agree all paths do not lead to God. Where do we go from here? I think we need to pray for the people who will not endure sound doctrine and instead want to make a religion according to their own desires. I have been praying to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I also started a group called Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, you can join it if you like. You will find many good prayers posted in it. Here is the link forums.catholic-questions.org/group.php?groupid=1829

 

[zz912]

I look on Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I think unity is where we strive to live in peace, despite our differences. Marriage comes to mind, you can’t get much more opposite than a man and a woman, and what if they are both of separate faiths? They can still love each other despite their differences. **When children come into the world, they could even add more diversity, but we are to love our children, despite our differences. **

Communities and countries are just bigger family units, we should be able to look at each other as brothers and sisters. Unity leads to peace, compassion mercy, forgiveness and love, the opposite must be the case for disunity.

And which religion will those children be raised? It will either be one or the other faith, and one parent will have to conform to the other. Or they will be raised in some horrifying mishmash of both religions (which is actually neither religion) or no religion at all.

There is a reason the Church for the longest time forbid interfaith marriages, and for good reason. The Church understood the dangers to the faith and the faithful. Pretending differences don’t exist, or that they can be ignored or paved over is setting up for trouble.

 

[JosieN]

If you would, give me some of what the Bible says.
But meanwhile here is what the church says:

“… Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.” (CCC #846)

It doesn’t seem to me that they believe the above thru their own culability, so that means they are not excluded from salvation.

The church, nor I, say that this is the best situation for them because the road to salvation is narrow. And this road becomes much more narrow the less a person knows and believes about Jesus.

The same holds for many other christian denoms. They do have a great love of Jesus, praise be to God, and they do try to please him, praise be to God, and they do many charitable loving things both in their family and in society, praise be to God. But still having said all of that, the road is narrow, and the road gets even narrower the less a person knows the whole truth of what Jesus taught and receives less of his benefits. So blessed be those of other faiths who do believe in Jesus, and lets pray for them sincerely that they will make it down that narrow road, or find the whole truth so that that narrow road gets wider. And the same applies for our Jewish brothers as well.

**Here is what the Bible says **

“And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” Gospel of St. Mark 16:15-16

 

[JPUSC]

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” (Genesis 17:7).

“He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.” (Psalm 105: 8-10)

 

[JPUSC]

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” (Genesis 17:7).

“He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.” (Psalm 105: 8-10)

"When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People, “the first to hear the Word of God.” The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews “belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ”, “for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 839)

 

[JosieN]

The apostles taught salvation came through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Book of Acts, Chapter 13

13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

13:27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

13:28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

13:30 But God raised him from the dead:

13:31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

13:32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

13:37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

 

[JPUSC]

Jesus’ own words: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22)

 

[JosieN]

Jesus’ own words: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22)

Here is more of what he said in that chapter. He also tells her He is the Messiah.

4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

4:25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Annointed; when he comes , he will tell us everything.”

4:26 Jesus said to her, I am he, the one who is speaking with you.