You claimed that saying you have to do something or else you would be sinning means you cannot freely choose to do that thing. That statement is false, it doesn’t matter whether you are talking about submission, going to Mass on Sundays, or being charitable, you are always able to freely choose to either do what is right or to not do what it is right. The fact that it is the right thing to do does not somehow take away your ability to freely choose it.
Does this mean you are more willing to admit to the fact that it is the Church’s official teaching that the husband is the head? Because that is the point I have been trying to get across. Catholics do not have the option of picking and choosing which Church teachings to follow. The Church very clearly teaches that the husband is the head. What exactly that means is open to interpretation (for example my opinion is very different from Portrait’s opinion on this matter). But the fact that the husband is the head is an official teaching of the Catholic Church. You cannot reject it without rejecting official Church teaching, and so, you cannot reject it without throwing out the idea that God is guiding the Church’s teachings and will preserve them from error, which is a pretty fundamental belief of Catholicism.
As is many other things…one is to give to the poor, support the Church according to ones means, pray, live according to the virtue of temperance etc…
(1) Pointing out theological errors is a work of mercy. If my own theology is wrong, please correct me.
While true this is rather irrelevant to the point I was making. The point being that just because an action is required to avoid sin does not mean it is impossible to freely choose that action.
Well, then, I suppose there are no demons in hell, either, since they could not have deserved punishment for failing to use their free will to submit to God’s plans.
I was yes getting at other aspects.
Yes. I’ve noticed that those who think of virtue as involuntary – i.e. as compelled – often struggle with scrupulosity. The core lie behind all this, in my mind, is this: “God won’t love me if I don’t do the right thing.”
Recent Popes have expressed the opinion that the Church’s explanatory theology with regards to women is in need of development. The husband is the head, priests may be chosen from among the men only, but not every conclusion being drawn from those two truths by the faithful is correct, as some explanations are more human sociological opinion rather than clarifications of revealed truth. The revealed truth cannot change, but the bits and pieces we have hung onto that garment can do real damage and hinder the flow of grace.
No matter what we do? Where did you get that? If that is true, there are some passages of Our Lord’s sayings describing “wailing and gnashing of teeth” that are very hard to understand. The bit about tearing an eye out becomes practically nonsensical, not to mention yhe bit about seeking the narrow way. What could that possibly mean, if perdition is so difficult to achieve?
God gives us a final choice between accepting Him or rejecting Him. How does He do that? The answer is mysterious to us. You will note many deathbed conversions, which are the type of thing I’m talking about. And many believe that, after we die, we will have one final opportunity to repent.No matter what we do? Where did you get that? If that is true, there are some passages of Our Lord’s sayings describing “wailing and gnashing of teeth” that are very hard to understand. The bit about tearing an eye out becomes practically nonsensical, not to mention yhe bit about seeking the narrow way. What could that possibly mean, if perdition is so difficult to achieve?
Yes, the Church teaches both that a chance for salutory repentance after death is possible for God AND that this chance has been guaranteed to no one. So yes, we ought to take Our Lord’s warning about those who died suddenly in the accident of the fallen tower, and do our repenting now.God gives us a final choice between accepting Him or rejecting Him. How does He do that? The answer is myste rious to us. You will note many deathbed conversions, which are the type of thing I’m talking about. And many believe that, after we die, we will have one final opportunity to repent.
If we repent, even at the last possible second, then our sins are washed clean. To say that we can repent at the last possible second is precisely to say that we will have a final decision whether to reject God, no matter what.
(Perhaps we will not know that this is our last decision, however. So it is VERY unwise to move through life planning on repenting later.)
We do not know with absolute certainty that such will be the case…God gives us a final choice between accepting Him or rejecting Him. How does He do that? The answer is mysterious to us. You will note many deathbed conversions, which are the type of thing I’m talking about. And many believe that, after we die, we will have one final opportunity to repent.
If we repent, even at the last possible second, then our sins are washed clean. To say that we can repent at the last possible second is precisely to say that we will have a final decision whether to reject God, no matter what.
(Perhaps we will not know that this is our last decision, however. So it is VERY unwise to move through life planning on repenting later.)
A “final choice” is just a last choice. If we have more than one choice in the course of our lives, then obviously we have a “final” choice. I did not claim that we will know it is our final choice.
No the Church does* not* teach that.
A choice may have been made years ago …and no new one has changed it.
No1 Please do not put words in my mouth. I recall that thread where you were explaining about the Encyclical and whether a wife has to always agree with her husband. I was agreeing on the meaning of the words referred to, nothing more.