Moral issue of going to a VERY wiccan house and a VERY wiccan "family" friend

[Starwynd]

You should go.

You should also bring with you items that have been blessed. When she’s not looking, hide them wherever you can.

In doing so it will only encourage the presence of the blessed spirits and drive away the fallen angels that dwell in her house.

You are protected by God so you have nothing to fear.

 

[catheflower]

Wicca does not predate Christianity. Wicca was founded in the early 1900s by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant. Gardner created this religion by combining all that he liked from non-Christian Eastern and Western faiths. Preceding him was Aleister Crowley, who formed several metaphysical groups. It is thought that Crowley wrote rituals for Gardner’s religion.

Crowley was a man who ran around England declaring himself the “beast” and “anti-christ”. While the webpage for his group, Order of the golden Dawn, looks pretty, I wouldn’t trust them. The man was looking to make evil, intentionally or not.

Many Wiccans will admit that their religion is new. They’ve incorporated aspects from many faiths, esp ancient pagan religion. Esp if they are Eclectic. There are other types of Wicca that do not permit eclecticism. Those groups are more strict, some believe the names of the god and goddess are secret- revealed to the seeker at initiation.

Now, Wicca falls under the umbrella of NeoPaganism. This umbrella includes Wicca, Witch craft, voodoo, santeria, Celtic Reconstructionism, Asatru (norse), etc. There are pagan practices that may be incorporated into Neopagan practices, but we’re never really sure b/c some groups did not keep very good records. People know something about the Eleusian Mysteries, but not all of it, so they have to improvise. We don’t know much about the Celts, so people pick what they like, improvise, etc.

No one here is hating this woman. We are responding to your wife’s post. She is concerned. Jesus told us that He is the only Way to Heaven. We are warned against the occult (witch craft, divination, etc) in the Bible. Jesus also says we cannot have other gods- Wiccans have other gods. Thus, we should pray for your friend’s mother and all Wiccans. Jesus also says that others will come claiming they have the truth- Gardner, Crowley, your every day NeoPagan. Your friend’s mother is opening the door to some very weird stuff, possibly very harmful. She obviously means well, but she is playing with fire.

If your wife is really uncomfortable, then she should step back. I’m also thinking your wife could share her feelings with your friend’s mother.

Praying for both of you!

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

Do not mess with this kind of stuff.

Simply do not go, be busy, have other plans (like Adoration) and so on. Do not imperil your soul by going face to face with evil, or things you consider to be evil. Do not think that you have the strength to fight this off alone on someone else’s home court.

Witchcraft is never a good thing and the experiences you outline are scary and telegraph nothing good.

Awesome advice.
Your instincts too to pray the Rosary are

 

[Holly3278]

Wow. Believe me when I say that this is a very dangerous situation. Wicca and Witchcraft is not something you want to mess around with. It is demonic and the Bible clearly condemns it. Keep in mind that when the Bible mentions sorcery, this includes spell casting and such. Also, keep in mind that I am not condemning witches to death by posting theses verses or anything like that. I am only showing what the whole of the Bible teaches about witchcraft:

Exo 22:18 RSV "You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

Deu 18:10 RSV There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer,
Deu 18:11 RSV or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Gal 5:19 RSV Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
Gal 5:20 RSV idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit,
Gal 5:21 RSV envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Rev 21:8 RSV But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death."

Sacred Tradition also condemns witchcraft but I do not have references off the top of my head.

But basically, stay away from this house. And since you have been around it, I would highly recommend that you say the following Spiritual Warfare prayer and pray it whenever you feel that you need to:

Heavenly Father, I love You, I praise You, and I worship You. I thank You for sending your Son Jesus Who won victory over sin and death for my salvation. I thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit Who empowers me, guides me, and leads me into fullness of life. I thank You for Mary, my Heavenly Mother, who intercedes with the holy angels and saints for me.

Lord Jesus Christ, I place myself at the foot of Your cross and ask You to cover me with Your Precious Blood which pours forth from Your Most Sacred Hearth and Your Most Holy Wounds, Cleanse me, my Jesus, in the living water that flows from Your Heart. I ask You to surround me, Lord Jesus, with Your Holy Light.

Heavenly Father, let the healing waters of my baptism now flow back through the maternal and paternal generations to purify my family line of Satan and sin. I come before You, Father, and ask forgiveness for myself, my relatives, and my ancestors, for any calling upon powers that set themselves up in opposition to You or that does not offer true honor to Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Holy Name, I now reclaim any territory that was handed over to Satan and place it under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

By the power of Your Holy Spirit, reveal to me, Father, any people I need to forgive, and any areas of unconfessed sin. Reveal aspects of my life that are not pleasing You, Father, ways that have given or could give Satan a foothold in my life. Father I give to You any unforgiveness; I give to You my sins; and, I give to You all ways that Satan has a hold of my life. Thank You, Father for these revelations, thank You, for Your forgiveness and Your love.
Lord Jesus, in Your Holy Name, I bind all evil spirits of the air, water, ground, underground, and netherworld. I further bind, in Jesus’ Name, any and all emissaries of the satanic headquarters and claim the Precious Blood of Jesus on the air, atmosphere, water, ground, and their fruits around us, the underground, and the netherworld below.

Heavenly Father, allow Your Son Jesus to come now with the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy angels and the saints to protect me from all harm and to keep all evil spirits from taking revenge on me in any way.

(Repeat the following sentence three times; once in honor of the Father, once in honor of the Son, and once in honor of the Holy Spirit.)

In the Holy Name of Jesus, I seal myself, my relatives, this room (place, home, church, car, plane, etc…), and all sources of supply in the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

(To break and dissolve all satanic seals, repeat the following paragraph three times in honor of the Holy Trinity because satanic seals are placed three times to blaspheme the Holy Trinity.)
In the Holy Name of Jesus, I break and dissolve any and all curses, hexes, spells, snares, traps, lies, obstacles, deceptions, diversions, spiritual influences, evil wishes, evil desires, hereditary seals, known and unknown, and every dysfunction and disease from any source including my mistakes and sins. In Jesus’ Name, I break and dissolve any and all links and effects of links with: astrologers; bohmos; channelers; charters; clairvoyants; crystal healers; crystals; fortune tellers; mediums; the New Age Movements; occult seers; palm, tea leaf, or tarot card readers; psychics; santeros; satanic cults; spirit guides; witches; witchdoctors; and Voodoo. In Jesus’ Name, I dissolve all effects of participation in séances and divination, Ouija boards, horoscopes, occult games of all sorts, and any form of worship that does not offer true honor to Jesus Christ.

Holy Spirit, please reveal to me through word of knowledge any evil spirits that have attached themselves to me in any way.
(Pause and wait for words to come to you, such as: anger, arrogance, bitterness, brutality, confusion, cruelty, deception, envy, fear, hatred, insecurity, jealousy, pride, resentment, or terror. Pray the following for each of the evil spirits revealed)

In the Name of Jesus, I rebuke you spirit of _________________. I command you to go directly to Jesus, without manifestation and without harm to me or anyone, so that He can dispose of you according to His Holy Will. I thank You, Heavenly Father for Your love. I thank You, Holy Spirit for empowering me to be aggressive against Satan and evil spirits. I thank You, Jesus, for setting me free. I thank you, Mary for interceding for me with the holy angels and the saints.

Lord Jesus fill me with charity, compassion, faith, gentleness, hope, humility, joy, kindness, light, love, mercy, modesty, patience, peace, purity, security, serenity, tranquility, trust, truth, understanding, and wisdom. Help me to walk in Your Light and Truth, illuminated by the Holy Spirit so that together We may praise, honor, and glorify Our Father in time and in eternity. For You, Lord Jesus, are, “…the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 NAB), and You “…have come that we might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 JB)

“God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. MY strength and courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior” (Isaiah 12:2 JB). Amen. Alleluia. Amen.

 

[Semp2pts]

For sure, if you are inexperienced in dealing with these situations or with this kind of spiritual warfare, stay away… But never forget the authority that we have in Jesus - we have been given authority “to trample on snakes and scorpians” and “to overcome all the powers of the enemy” for “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world”.

My thought would be for you to pray because if there is one thing that Satan does reallly well it’s find your weaknesses and exploit them. If you aren’t 100% certain of who you are in Jesus then I would be extremely cautious - find someone perhaps whom has more experience.

As for everyones attitude of “run run away” - This wiccan has as much right to hear the gospel as anybody else. If God can’t get one of us Catholics to share it with her/him, then he will use another denomination that has the courage to take a stand. No one ever lost their faith by preaching the gospel - you only lose it when you stop.

Blessings.

 

[redrosetea]

I don’t think wicca is necessarily demonic, they don’t believe in the devil, so I have heard. It is pagan, and possibly dangerous

I would be very careful about ever getting involved with this kind of stuff…It might be a innocent pastime, but people are delving into the occult, and that is always dangerous

I don’t really quite understand why you want to be involved with people that do this sort of thing, to begin with? We are commanded by scripture to come out from among them ,and be ye separate…scripture absolutely forbids fortune telling and things like that

Having said that ,you still need to be nice to her. I would just be very busy when she tries to make plans to do things with you, or to issue invites

 

[Semp2pts]

They believe in the “power” of nature and, whilst not exactly a druid-like (tree-worship) belief, it does bear similarity - submitting to the power of nature so that nature can fulfil your wishes/prayers/spells. It is inherently evil because you are looking to something other than God for strength/power/support/etc/etc.

Quoting redrosetea - “I don’t really quite understand why you want to be involved with people that do this sort of thing, to begin with? We are commanded by scripture to come out from among them ,and be ye separate…scripture absolutely forbids fortune telling and things like that”

Only reason I would want to be involved with someone like this would be to preach the gospel.

Rather than lie and say “I’m busy” (thus comitting sin to prevent what you see as sin) be straight with them.

I can’t get over how afraid people are to preach the gospel - no wonder the churches are empty.

 

[minimom]

Ditto to the above “stay away” messages! Never put your soul in danger. I have heard the Green Scapular is powerful for conversions. Perhaps you can spiritually ‘work’ on this person at home, in church, etc. But please do not put yourself in harm’s way. God bless.

 

[Mary_Reardon]

Whatever else she is, she seems to have a hold over the men around her… including your husband. I saw your husband’s post. When we married, I didn’t put a ball and chain on my husband. He is entitled to his own opinion and friends. However, I would definitely be concerned if he insisted on being this close with someone who made me so uncomfortable. I wonder what she’s got that the rest of us don’t? One thing is for sure, it’s not the gift of prophesy. She must have a great deal of charisma!

 

[redrosetea]

Telling someone you are busy isn’t a lie. I was told by a priest it is a mental reservation…what it really means is ,I am too busy for your company…it’s just a nice way of saying I don’t have time to become involved with something I don’t find godly

It’s like if some one calls, you don’t wish to talk to, and your husband say you aren’t at home when they ask to speak to you

It really only means they are not home to you…not that they are out of the house

The priest that told me this was one of the holiest men I have ever known

 

[nunsense]

Most Wiccans do not see themselves as evil but as lovers of nature and its forces. They are misguided and their souls are in danger. God may be asking you to help save them.

I think what you need to examine here is your own faith and ask yourself why you have any fear at all. St Francis Xavier travelled throughout India and the East and came in contact with people of many different religions and faiths, some worshipping many gods and others even worshipping demons. He even preached to cannibals! He did not fear because his own faith in Our Lord was stronger than anything that anyone else believed, and he converted thousands through his love for their souls. Personally, I would continue to pay visits to these people when it was neccesary, but I would also be a witness to the love of Christ, and ready to speak about my Church and my love for Jesus and Our Lady.

When something is done that is not acceptable to our Faith, then I would simply say something like “I am sorry, I don’t believe as you do.” and then be prepared to say what it is that I do believe in. Someone close to me once conducted a renaming ceremony for their boat during which they jokingly offered a sacrifice of wine to Neptune, the “god of the sea” because they had read about this ceremony online and said it would be fun. Many friends were invited to the party, all in the “spirit of fun”. I had to be present on the day, but I explained to this person that I would quietly remove myself during the time of the “offering” because “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me”, and this person respected my decision, even though he didn’t understand it.

We win people over through prayers and love and through our own example of strong faith in what the Church teaches. By doing this, you may also win over your husband to the Faith.

Never be afraid of evil - simply refuse to allow it touch you by holding fast to Our Lord Jesus.

 

[Mea_Culpa]

Don’t go, the devil is real, and he uses new age stuff, crystals, ouija boards, etc. as a way to get into our lives. Demonic possession is real. Don’t go.

 

[Noske]

If the person and their beliefs makes you feel uncomfortable, then you don’t have to put yourself through it. However, you must be aware that Wiccans are NOT witches. Some witches happen to be Wiccans, but not all Wiccans are witches.

The witches are the ones that perform “spells”, like making a magic circle, scrying, and stuff like that. Wiccans don’t do that unless they have an interest in that stuff, but it is COMPLETELY seperate from the religion of Wicca itself.

Wicca and witchcraft is not an evil thing. It’s a different concept from what you believe in, but that doesn’t mean it is evil. Making a magic circle out of salt is there to protect the magic user from evil outside forces, so that only the good ones may be communicated with. Casting a magic circle is the same concept as praying a rosary and going to church. It’s for your own protection so that nothing bad will happen to you. Smart Wiccans or witches stop communicating with a spirit or whatever, the moment that it says something bad or makes you feel uncomfortable.

The religion is only as bad as the misguided people who follow it. Wicca and witchcraft is a positive religion/belief system, but there are those who are uneducated about it, and so make a bad name for those that are good. They meddle with darker spirits when they shouldn’t, and that’s when things go wrong and Christians in particular start pointing fingers and saying that Wiccans are evil because of it.

I suggest actually sitting down with this woman and discussing the fact that it makes you feel uncomfortable, and ask her to further explain her beliefs to you before you go judging her. Just remember to make the distinction between whether it is her or her beliefs that makes you a bit iffy about hanging around her. Wiccans can be some of the nicest people on the planet if they aren’t what are known as “fuzzy bunnies”, which is a term used to describe the “fakers.”

 

[harleydoerfler]

I feel so sorry for you. You are very insecure and uninformed aboud your friends beliefes. Please try to understand that not every one is the same, God made us different.
Wiccans as well as any pagan does not have any harm for you and they do not have a eval person such as the deval or saten.
If you were to sit down to your computer and look up the things Wiccans believe you would find that almost all your Christian holidays are actural Pagan to began with. Your fears are based on the fear of things you do not know about.
If more people in this world would try to understand others as, Wiccans are encouraged to, the world would be such a better place. The Wiccan Reed , the Christians call a creed, states " If it harms none, so be it".
I am sure if she comes to your house she does not ask you to cover your cross. remember Wars are started by those who cannot get along with others.
I spent 60 years of my life in the Catholic Church, went to Catholic schools, served the Bishop at the alter, and raised a family in the Catholic church.
Now I am wiccan and very happy and feel that God, as well as the Goddess, is happy with me and smiles with my love for others, even if they do not belive as I do.
Please try to enjoy the difference others have as they to were created by god, Your God, in fact EVERYONES GOD. there are more names for God then there blades of grass, god is God.

 

[Howl]

I have read some horrible things in my day, but this entire thread makes me embarassed to have been baptized into the Catholic Church.

First off, what gives any of you people the right or the standing to claim that this woman is a heretic and a devil worshipper? Do any of you know her? Have you ever met her?

Didn’t Jesus say, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”?

Are each of you perfect little Catholics? Are you without sin? Are you without weakness? Are you omniscient? Are you God?

What if this woman’s practice of Wicca works for her? What if, at this point in her life, it is the absolute best she can do? What if her beliefs actually enrich her life? Do you think Jesus would have told her to go to hell? Or, do you think Jesus would have taken some time to actually speak to her and learn about why she practices what she practices and what it does for her?

The heroes in most of Jesus’ stories are not the perfect ultra-Orthodox Jews. In fact, in scripture (have any of you ever actually read scripture?) the ‘perfect ultra-Orthodox Jews’ are normally framed as Jesus’ foils. Jesus came into a world that was so full of rules that it forgot about basic humanity.

They crucified Jesus for his views. And frankly, many of you are using the same childish logic that the High Priests used to have Jesus crucified.

 

[thespian12]

The most important thing to do is to mind your spiritual state of being. God gives us a natural ability to sense when something dangerous may be at hand. Moreover, devout, practicing Catholics who are constantly mindful of their soul, and have a strong prayer life should have a well-formed and sensitive conscience, one that should become easily aware when God is trying to tell you that something is sinful, to back off, or to stay away from something. You shouldn’t ignore the fact that something about your friend is causing you to be fearful. Someone mentioned earlier that we should not be afraid. Yes, that is true, but yet, the fact that some people remain fearful might be indicative that some individuals may not be spiritually prepared to handle particular situations. Not all of us have the “strength” of St. Benedict, and to elaborate, not all priests specialize in major exorcisms. (And even if we are spiritually “strong” we really shouldn’t be overconfident and go to classes on witchcraft or into the heart of a witch coven expecting to be able to convert people. . . that would be somewhat imprudent). Perhaps that fear that you have is telling you to be careful. Try to avoid meeting her in her house, as someone mentioned earlier – meet her somewhere neutral. Pray always. Pray for her and for her conversion. Pray for spiritual strength for yourself, your husband, and your family. The catechism tells us that prayer is communication with God. Therefore, evangelization without prayer is like Christianity without Jesus. There is no strength without prayer nor discernment of God’s will without it. Or meeting her on neutral ground still scares you, stay away for a while if necessary.

On the other hand, someone else made the point that SOMEONE has to reach out to these Wiccans. I agree; they aren’t going to convert by themselves. I asked a Wiccan friend to tell me a little bit more about what she believed, and she highly recommended a book to me that discussed the basics, if it could even be called that. Catheflower’s post from 11:06 AM about the history of Wicca was outlined in the book, and even though many Wiccans do know this history, they still practice it. However, in the book, I noticed what would be a potential problem for many evangelists: Wiccans are not by any means unified except in the principle, “If it harm none, do as you will” but even that has some wiggle room, as many will have subjective definitions of “harm.” There is also a set of principles that some tend to follow as a general guideline but it is mostly just a guideline. Evangelization, then, must be done more or less case by case because beliefs and practices are VERY diversified. It’s kind of like how Noske said “Some witches happen to be Wiccans, but not all Wiccans are witches.” I think that was a direct quote from the book. In regards to what you should do, the post by nunsense at 4:48 PM beginning with “Most Wiccans do not. . .” offers some really practical and helpful advice, and I have done similar things on several occasions. Love and respect is what is going to convert people, and as we should all know, “love and respect” doesn’t necessarily mean condoning the beliefs and practices of others.

In my friendship with this person, I discovered that she used to be a Catholic but had a bad experience with the Church. I built a relationship with her, one that was based in a genuine friendship. I know she embraces her Wiccan beliefs. She knows I’m a devout Catholic and probably don’t condone many of the things she believes and practices. Yet, she knows that I care about her as a PERSON. I’ve also charitably informed her of correct information about the Catholic Church on several occasions in conversation; previously, she had been grossly misinformed and that had contributed to her hostility to the Church. She’s also come to the acceptance that where she was wronged, it was not indicative of the entire Catholic Church. She knows that I, as a Catholic educator, am trying to prevent that from happening to anyone else, and she knows I’m not alone in my efforts. She’s also seen how Catholic schools operate and she was very much impressed by it – it’s not like how she remembered CCD or how she expected it to be. She’s still a Wiccan, but because of our friendship, I think that she respects me as a Catholic, and I think that our friendship has helped diffuse her hostility toward the Church. I only hope and pray that I sowed a seed and that perhaps one day she will come back to the Church, but I may not witness it. One sows, another reaps. We must all sow seeds.

I must respectfully disagree with an earlier statement made that modern Wiccans have no excuse because they know of the gospel. People may know OF something but that does not mean they KNOW Jesus. A priest once mentioned in a homily that to know something in the deeper biblical sense is not just about a “head” knowledge. It’s a knowledge and acceptance in the heart as well. This is where our job of evangelization comes in, but it is more than just sharing knowledge. The apostles didn’t just talk about Jesus and leave for the next town. They LIVED what they preached. We must follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi and “preach the gospel at all times; if necessary use words.” Evangelization is about LOVE and BEING Christ to our brothers and sisters who are not yet in communion with the Church as well as teaching them. The passage of Acts 17:22-23, 30 is not outdated. Scripture speaks TO us and ABOUT us. To this very day there are Wiccans among us who worship the gods as described in Acts. Some may not be aware of Christ at all. Some may have a vague knowledge of Christianity from what they learned at school, but is that really KNOWING Christ in the deeper biblical sense? As a Catholic, I would say no. It would be like proclaiming the gospel in another language to them. What would it be worth if a person couldn’t grasp the gravity of it?

One last point. God makes Himself known to us in creation and in many other ways, too. This is articulated in part one of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This is why the Catholic Church teaches that while other religions might have some elements of truth, it is ONLY the Catholic Church that has the fullness of truth as revealed to us thus far through reason and by God. This statement about the fullness of truth is what the Pope meant when he said “salvation subsists in the Catholic Church.” (He did not mean that you can’t go to Heaven unless you are a baptized, confirmed, and practicing Catholic!!!) In other faiths, the truth may not be AS FULL or truth may exist, but it could also be grossly perverted. After reading the book I read, depending on what a specific Wiccan personally believes, it is quite clear how grossly perverted the truth has been. They need us to bring them to Christ, whether they realize it or not.

 

[Mea_Culpa]

You’ve got to be kidding with this “If it feels good, do it” stuff about wicca (another name for witchcraft and devil worship). What is the first commandment? Worshipping false gods is the first thing that God commands us not to do. How can you say you’re Catholic and then say, well, if it’s working for her at this stage of her life, then it must be OK? Is that the attitude Moses had when he came down from the mountain and saw Aaron and the Israelites worshipping the golden calf? Oh well, I guess it’s working for them at this stage of their life, so it must be OK.

He ground the golden calf up into dust, mixed it with water, and made them drink it. He also killed a bunch of them.

“I’m OK, You’re OK (and a demon worshipper)” is not a Catholic attitude. This is the notion of diversity and tolerance taken to an absurd level - we’re going to tolerate idolatry and devil worship because we don’t want to be “judgmental”?

Satan is real - he uses astrology, mediums, palm reading, crystals, etc. to gain a hold over people. Don’t play with fire, you will get burned.

 

[thespian12]

Whoa, hostility check. (I’m assuming that post was directed at me because it was immediately following my post).

No, I’m not kidding. They do believe in that “if it feels good, do it” principle so long as it “harm none” according to them. As you can see, I posted my critique of that principle in my previous post. I am not in agreement with that principle.

I never once said that I was ok with her being a Wiccan. I said that there was a need for LOVE and RESPECT for other individuals because that is what’s going to win them over. Every person, whether they are Wiccan, another faith, or have a non-heterosexual orientation must be given the dignity and respect that they deserve as human beings. We must reach out to them with love and compassion, and it is through LOVE that we will win them over. The path of love IS God. God is love. You will find that this is completely in line with the writings of John Paul II and our current Pope. There is a certain dignity due to every human person because we are all made by God, for God, and in God’s image. Because all of us are made by God, for God, and in God’s image, it is necessary that we do our best to bring others to Christ since He wants ALL of us to come back to Him, and we must do it by treating them with dignity. NOTE: Treating people with dignity and respect does NOT mean condoning their beliefs or actions.

I say we must plant seeds because we must plant seeds of faith and nourish it to the best extent that we can so that perhaps one day they will come to realize the truth that exists in the Catholic faith. However, we cannot expect that we will necessarily witness their conversions personally. One sows, another reaps. We must remember to be patient. God never revealed the fullness of truth that we have today all at once. Salvation history consists of a gradual process of revealing and realizing the fullness of truth. When it comes to human beings in realizing faith or learning other concepts, a similar parallel may be made. In the learning process, if you bombard a person with too much information, it overwhelms them. They might not be able to take it all in, and they might reject it out of frustration. You wouldn’t try to teach someone nuclear physics before they knew what an atom was, for example. In the realm of faith, good Catholic missionaries will always gauge where people are at, meet them where they’re at, and gradually build from there, scaffolding them, and helping them to gradually come to know the truth. I am suggesting that we do the same.

We must continue being living examples of what it means to be a Catholic Christian. In extending our friendship to people of other faiths or sexual orientations we reach out to them as Christ reaches out to each of us so that we might have a chance at salvation. They are sinners, just like we are, and we need to be as Christ to them. We need to show them love, compassion, and concern for their soul through our words, our actions, our thoughts, and our prayers. This is sharing Christ with them so that they may KNOW Him. We need to continue to correct them about matters of the Catholic faith by initiating dialogue with them about faith. We need to charitably help them see inconsistencies that they might have about our faith or their own faith. By doing all of this, we are doing nothing more than what missionaries do in their work.

 

[thespian12]

One other note that I would like to make just because I have seen a lot of OT Biblical quotes being used in this thread.

It is very true that we must reject Satan, the use of occult objects, and the worship of false gods. However, when we look at specific treatment of individuals or groups, or principles, let’s not forget to look at it in the context of the New Testament as well.

There are a lot of interesting OT passages about particular practices such as eating certain kinds of meat, killing homosexuals, stoning heretics, etc. Although they may have done things like that back then, we can’t take them for strict guidelines as to what we should do today. The OT was supposed to be re-visioned in light of the NT and the teachings of Christ. Remember, He eventually overturned many of the OT rules such as prohibitions against eating certain meats or the idea that you should stone an adulterer. Many of the guidelines were set up to keep the Israelites from falling deeper into sin since they did not have the fullness of truth that was eventually revealed to them by Christ.

 

[CAROLOFTHEBELLS]

A couple of years ago I was on a completely unrelated website to this reading discussion boards, totally not religious in nature. Some folks mentioned they were Christian and some mentioned they were Pagan. The pagans suggested to each Christian that they correspond privately so that they can help them come to a better understanding. Which can be seen as inticing someone who may be curious or open or wants to be fair and understanding into a private discussion where they are more likely to be put off balance. That didn’t seem to work and the pagans then began to put down the Christians. One by one the Christians left the discussion after becoming fed up with being told how they had wronged pagans and “co-opted their Christmas”, etc. One Christian stayed. He apologized, in fact he apologized for all the Christians. Then he began to write about seeing similarities between Christianity and Paganism. He then compared the Pagan’s view of a “Yule Tree” with his view of the Cross and came to the conclusion that they were worshiping the same thing. It was really sad to see that happening. I tried to step in, but he was “gone”.

It doesn’t really matter what she is or what is behind it. What matters is that you can tell it’s not right for you. You can’t have your feet in both worlds or you will be torn apart and be broken down eventually until you slip away. You are sensing that this is not right and you need to say away completely. God has given you a good gift of descernment. Pray that your husband receives it too.