More Than Ever All Christians Should Stick Together

[ronl]

WHERE HAVE OUR COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATIVE FAMILY VALUES GONE!!!

I’ve never considered myself one to be hyped on “spiritual warfare”. But I am seriously beginning to wonder

A family that I have known for a number of years is going through some diffiiculty. Older son tried to comit suicide. Family in danger of breaking apart. Younger child, entering HS, this fall seems to be stuggling - my skeptic conservative eye worries about drugs and promiscuity in the near future for that one.

I took the initiative to suggest a Catholic HS. Mom visited the school and was impresssed. Feedback I got is great school; really like what I heard; but am concerned about (1) fund raising/bingo and (2) worship rituals (i.e weekly Mass)

Morale of story - I’ll sacrifice my children’s future for the sake of avoiding an environment of prayer, promotion/living a culture of life, promotion of the virtue of chastity.?!?.. What’s even more telling is that I have no doubt that the family is routed in a non - Catholic Christian environment. I couldn’t help but wonder if this wasn’t Satan doing his best work

Driving home today - I saw a sign Resurrection Buliding Company with a Cross instead of the letter t. Couldn’t help but wonder if the word Christian or Christ is becoming little more than and advertising icon in our society

Folks, am I just getting older - or is there something wrong with this picture? With everything going on in this country - a culture and society and rapid decline. We say we want a return to conservative values - but perhaps its beyond our reach because of a “spritual war”

Had a great lunch and discussion with a fundamentalist preacher who was really interest in contemplative prayer and was thinking of introducing the concept to his congregation. Really liked the idea of contemplating on the Good News of the Gospel. Loved the mysteries of the Rosary - until I identified them as such. Comment made “I’d get fired if I ever introduced something like that”

Bottom line - all Christians have more incommon than differences. Let’s pray together to come together as Christ would have it. I am beginning to worry that our inablity or unwillingness to cometogether will ultimately result in the demise of our society; perhaps in our life time or the lifetime of our chidlren

If you get a change Please pray for the family that I have mentioned.

Hopefully, this will be a good thread with discussion from a multitude of Christian denominations - in a positive manner with the spirit of coming together as one in these troubling times

Ron

 

[Gordon_Sims]

The big problem with this is that you can’t even get all Catholics to come together and uphold traditional Catholic beliefs and values. Many of my Catholic family & friends ridicule me for my pro-life beliefs and several are bothered and ashamed by the out-of-control size of my extremely large family (3 kids, but I’d be pleased with several more). I’ve heard from plenty of “catholics,” including some priests, who are opposed to a wide array of our traditional beliefs, from women in the priesthood, to celibacy for priests, to priests marrying, premarital sex, birth control and abortion. I have one cousin who is so steadfastly opposed to these “outdated” notions that he makes a point of starting an argument about something along those lines anytime we have a family gathering. These usually end with everyone leaving the room while he rants away to nobody in particular. (I should point out that he is a much better Catholic than the rest of us, though, because even though he doesn’t go to mass outside of Christmas, Easter and weddings/funerals, he “religiously” gives $50 a week thanks to his parish’s electronic withdrawals.)

If we can’t get Catholics to agree on something as simple as abortion (or even just attending mass on a weekly basis) I don’t know how anyone could expect all Christians to come to agreement on anything.

 

[ljubim]

I know exactly what you mean
I was listening to a Protestant radio program recently, and they were discussing the same thing. Except they sadly fell short, saying that the country must embrace universal christian values, and I wanted to call in and say that many protestants cannot agree on their values!!! and the only solution is catholicism.
I’m especially worried because in a few years I’m going to be searching for a good catholic husband, and more than anything I’d like to have lots of children. It’s going to be hard, because even in the sixties and seventies my grandparents were being demonized for ruining the earth with their large family. And not to mention how few devout young men are out there!
Actually I was reading an old version of ‘My Catholic Faith’ and they said that to send your kids to a public school instead of a catholic one requires the bishop’s permission. I wish there was a catholic high school around for my senior year, I have a friend who has grown up in catholic schools and she is much more devout and steady than I am.
Sorry if this seems like a rant… I’m just glad somebody else feels the same way I do

 

[dashso40]

Our society is moving more and more towards “anything goes” and everything is acceptable…I can’t stand it…I send my kids to Catholic school b/c I’m trying my best to shelter them from the secular world that says everything is acceptable, oh, but not God, don’t think of God, He’s not acceptable…I have a hard time affording Catholic school but it is worth it, although, even homeschooling would be better for them ,I think…but no one homeschools where I live, I wouldn’t know where to start and I think I would have a hard time with the math…B/c even in Catholic school, some people just go there b/c they can’t afford the really pricey private schools…I think Hollywood is partly to blame and this weird fascination everyone has with that wacky hollywood lifestyle…It’s very sad, so many people seem offended by Jesus Christ, which, I don’t get
Sorry, if I seem like I’m ranting, but I feel like the secularists are taking over and want a completely unGodly society…

 

[Gordon_Sims]

The bad thing is that you can’t even rely on the fact that a school is a Catholic school as a good indicator of what you’re getting anymore. When we were trying to decide which school to send our son to we narrowed our choices down to two schools pretty early on, then did our research a bit and were pretty surprised by what we found. The one school, while costing substantially more, has a much more liberal agenda with a lighter requirement for religion classes. One parent I spoke with was upset over the fact that her husband had gone to this school and refused to pull their kids out, even after finding out about the pro-abortion stances of several teachers there (along with other teachings the kids were coming home with that flew in the face of the mother’s beliefs). Looking back on how much my parents relied on our schools to help with our spiritual guidance, it’s sad that you can’t necessarily count on the same level of support from even the Catholic schools nowadays.

 

[Gordon_Sims]

Sorry, if I seem like I’m ranting, but I feel like the secularists are taking over and want a completely unGodly society…

It seems more like they want an un-Christian society more than anything. I have a friend whose son was suspended from his public high school for wearing a T-shirt with a Bible verse on it on Islamic Pride Day. The school had Muslim guests come and speak, and several presentations on Islamic culture. This wasn’t presented as religious by any means rolleyes, but instead was said to be a way to bridge cultures and bring understanding. My friend’s son’s Christian culture just wasn’t one of those they wanted to build a bridge to or understand in any way.

 

[dashso40]

It seems more like they want an un-Christian society more than anything. I have a friend whose son was suspended from his public high school for wearing a T-shirt with a Bible verse on it on Islamic Pride Day. The school had Muslim guests come and speak, and several presentations on Islamic culture. This wasn’t presented as religious by any means rolleyes, but instead was said to be a way to bridge cultures and bring understanding. My friend’s son’s Christian culture just wasn’t one of those they wanted to build a bridge to or understand in any way.

Yes, you’re right…I actually meant to say an un-Christian society…it’s very upsetting…

 

[Mrs_V]

It seems more like they want an un-Christian society more than anything. I have a friend whose son was suspended from his public high school for wearing a T-shirt with a Bible verse on it on Islamic Pride Day. The school had Muslim guests come and speak, and several presentations on Islamic culture. This wasn’t presented as religious by any means rolleyes, but instead was said to be a way to bridge cultures and bring understanding. My friend’s son’s Christian culture just wasn’t one of those they wanted to build a bridge to or understand in any way.

If that had been my child (and that child had been willing) I would have bought them a whole slew of Christian t-shirts to wear everyday of every week. To be sent home for that is TOTALLY unacceptable!

 

[ronl]

Crazy society we’re living in. Just from these few posts I think we can safely consider the concept of a spiritual war being waged on our family and our society at an increased level of intensity.

I believe as the family goes - so goes the Church - and so goes the Nation.

So sad that even some Catholics criticize and redicule pro life beliefs. I hear that some studies also indicate that 50% no longer believe that the Eucharist is the Real Presence anymore. So much for being the salt of the earth!!! Someday we all will be judged.

In the Protestant world - I spent most of my adult life as a Baptist. I was taught RPS. Repent, Place Your Faith in Jesus, and Surrender to Jesus as Lord. Now in some of the denonomiations - all that’s needed is accepting Jesus into your heart. Repentance, not necessary, Baptism an afterthought. So much for one TRUTH - again is all this a spiritual smoke screen tactic??? Combining the Protestant and Catholic worlds, perhaps its little wonder why the 10 Commandments are all but obsolete in our society, not to mention prayer in the schools. Education - well as one youngster stated to me recently. I’d like to go to public school so I would not have any homework. So much for the virtues of sacrifice and hard work. Little wonder about divorce rates, abortion, teen suicides, child molestation, abductions murders and the like. Perhaps we all need to reassess where we are starting with family

Might I boldly suggest a family nightly devotion of praying the Rosary. For my brothers and sisters in Christ who are not Catholic that includes you also. It’s high time we circle the wagons think outside the box. What have we to lose - nothing. I’ll just sit on that old saying “Mary always points us toward her Son, Jesus”. Perhaps all of us, myself included (and high on the list) need a good beacon in the midst of a spiritual smoke screen. Again, what have we to lose by trying

For those of us who are so blessed with the Catholic faith - hold fast to the Sacaraments and the Mass and teach unwaiverly to our children not by words alone; but also by example. Children are professional imitators - your choice on what they imititate

Wonder what would happen if ALL churches began praying the Good News and doing the “unthinkable”. Dedicating their efforts to Christ, by honoring His mother, and perhaps go the extra mile and dedicate their Church and ultimately the Country to the Blessed Mother.

Again we as a Christian people and as a Nation are in perilous times - perhaps we need all the reinforcement we can get!!!

Hope the language in this post isn’t too strong - but I’m speaking from what’s in my heart and what I fear for the near future - if we don’t stop looking around at what’s going on around us and mumbling - and start doing the few things we can do even if its outside our comfort zones

Ron

Perhaps this is why God has placed us here at this place, at this time

PPS - a special note for ljubim. There are a few good men out there - but again pray, The men are really getting challenged with all the “stuff” that is out there today. Keep that virtue of chastity. And stick close to the environments such as a conservative Catholic church. More and more guys are getting sick of the filth in our society. Spoken as a Dad - who worries about his two daughters finding a good man when they grow up

 

[ljubim]

PPS - a special note for ljubim. There are a few good men out there - but again pray, The men are really getting challenged with all the “stuff” that is out there today. Keep that virtue of chastity. And stick close to the environments such as a conservative Catholic church. More and more guys are getting sick of the filth in our society. Spoken as a Dad - who worries about his two daughters finding a good man when they grow up

Thanks for the encouragement

Also I think it’s funny how everybody’s apologizing at the end of their posts for their rant or for the strong words(myself included)… when nobody’s being mean or pushy at all! I wonder if that’s another thing we’ve been taught by society?