The greatest threat to the church is luke warmness

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prodigalson12

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It’s not about scandal, it’s not about structure, theology, the world, or anything around us, it’s within us. The greatest threat we face are the vast number of “drone” church goers, and I’m lumping together Protestant and Catholic alike. We look at our world politics, the radicals, the fundamentals, they are causing a lot of damage, yet they are passionate about their faith, be it misguided, yet here we are, mamby pamby, “the bulk of us” that simply sit in the pews, an hour at best, just to appease the God of conscience and the rest of the week, go about our lives, just as the world does, with little, to nothing at all carried through.

This is the sad reality, and the state of our so called brethren, and there are vast numbers, that if they do not change, are going to be totally shocked once they face judgment. All of that time they spent calling themselves of being of the faith, being cast into hell itself, or severely extended lengths in purgatory, totally wasted existence of being, and priests and pastors right along with them in the process for patting them on the back in the process all along.

Do we simply sit back in the here and now, watch it all happen, remaining silent while so many people suffer they can and should darn well be helping out? Does prayer for someone having problems with their bloated overhead going to always remain continual while we have so many in need for the absolute basics that get totally ignored? Do we wait for things to get really, really bad, where the playing field is leveled, and the well to do’s are brought down to those that are struggling? If you are given much, much is expected, know this, and as it’s written, many will say Lord Lord, but they will be sent away, because they do not mean it in their hearts.

I’m starting this thread as a wake up call people, at the end of your day, how many people have you helped? Was the day about self, or others, were you the servant or the served? You have to constantly ask yourself here, and Jesus reminded us many times, that the one that is greatest will serve all, that they will put others needs ahead of their own!!! Are you living your life for others, or for yourself, then think, are you really happy if the only thing you think about is how you are going to get ahead, how you are going to benefit, how you are going to get this or that, it’s not about you, it’s about those less fortunate then you that count, and if you cannot get that, you don’t belong in the body of Christ, period, end of story, bluntly and to the point here, this is the reality of it all.
 
Pop culture media will continue it’s assault on marriage by continuing to attempt to seduce men away from loving their wives by parading scantilly-clad hotties to the masses. Loveless wonderlust steals men’s attention away from true love of the heart. And pop culture media is only getting racier and trashier. Women are competing to be trashier than the next in the name of fashion. These kids shows involve 14 year olds displaying cleavage for crying out loud! How trashy! They’re promoting more sex than true, romantic love.

When are more people going to find more depth in life by minimizing or turning off the unelected pop culture’s messages and stop financing more destruction of True Love?
 
Hey guys, what’s up?

Don’t you think you’re being a little rough on the new guy here?
 
Rough? Where? The big deal is that too many people, including Catholics, have been taught to be lukewarm. Whenever we complain about sin, the world tells us, “Hey. What’s the Big Deal? Two consenting adults? How is it your business? Women dress how they wanna dress, ya know?”

No. Teach your kids to dress modestly and not like street walkers. Teach your sons that young women are not sex objects. And tell the media to stop with the oversexualizing of everything. Stop. Because lines have been crossed and it’s all heading to all porn all the time. It’s time to say: enough is enough. Don’t let the media off the hook. They need to be told to act as good citizens. Yes, the parents have responsibilities but a little cooperation from the mass media is required too.

God bless,
Ed
 
prodigalson12 said:
[A]t the end of your day, how many people have you helped? Was the day about self, or others, were you the servant or the served? You have to constantly ask yourself here.]
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ManOnFire said:
When are more people going to find more depth in life by minimizing or turning off the unelected pop culture’s messages and stop financing more destruction of True Love?
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edwest2 said:
Teach your kids to dress modestly and not like street walkers. Teach your sons that young women are not sex objects. And tell the media to stop with the oversexualizing of everything.
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I would tend to agree with the above three statements. Distilling them, it seems the complaints are (1) selfishness; (2) addiction to popular media which inclines towards moral relativism; and (3) hypersexualization.

But here’s the hard part – what’s the solution? Is teaching our children and writing letters to media outlets enough? Is even setting a good example by being a good and selfless person enough?

I don’t know how many of you have read the book “Bowling Alone” (I don’t remember the author), but we might need to take things one step further. Why are the Catholic schools in the cities closing, why are the old “neighborhoods” disappearing, why do we spend more time on the internet and in front of the TV and less time at fraternal organizations or other social activities?

I don’t think the problem is simply the deterioration of morality, I think the problem goes as deep as city planning, infrastructure development, and energy policies. If we live in suburban sprawl, miles away from our churches, our places of work, and our friends, how can we remain a cohesive society?

Just a brainstorm, I dunno.
 
Luke_Warmness said:
I would tend to agree with the above three statements. Distilling them, it seems the complaints are (1) selfishness; (2) addiction to popular media which inclines towards moral relativism; and (3) hypersexualization.

But here’s the hard part – what’s the solution? Is teaching our children and writing letters to media outlets enough? Is even setting a good example by being a good and selfless person enough?

I don’t know how many of you have read the book “Bowling Alone” (I don’t remember the author), but we might need to take things one step further. Why are the Catholic schools in the cities closing, why are the old “neighborhoods” disappearing, why do we spend more time on the internet and in front of the TV and less time at fraternal organizations or other social activities?

I don’t think the problem is simply the deterioration of morality, I think the problem goes as deep as city planning, infrastructure development, and energy policies. If we live in suburban sprawl, miles away from our churches, our places of work, and our friends, how can we remain a cohesive society?

Just a brainstorm, I dunno.
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Doing nothing is guaranteed to bring zero results.

Go ahead and join the Knights of Columbus. Or some other Catholic Group. Friends at least call each other. One of my closest friends is far away but I visit him at least twice a year and we talk to each other on the phone.

Cities have decayed but it’s not our fault. I watched the city of Detroit gradually decay over decades. I know the City Council was watching tax revenues go down, down, down year after year and what got done? Nothing. Detroit became the only place poor people could afford to live in. Most of the suburbs surrounding Detroit stayed together and remained functional, even smaller ones. When you have a declining population and 70% of the people are on some form of public assistance, you are going to tear down buildings and lay off city workers.

Get away from the stupid TV. What’s stopping you? Part of the problem with the TV and the internet is that we have allowed ourselves to become addicted to a form of pleasure. We need to go to work with our faith and cut out hours in front of the TV or our computer screen. It’s that simple.

And The Decay in Sexual Morality is at the HEART of it. I see way too many guys living alone, divorced, working two jobs, or working one and going to the liquor store at midnight to buy a 40 and their only ‘friend’ is their computer. Actor Bill Murray appeared on TV in the 1990s and said, “I don’t know why I divorced my wife.” He wanted to let the world know he made a mistake.

People stopped taking marriage seriously. The day dating automatically included casual sex is the day people dumped true, committed love. A guy can be committed to his job for 30 years, why not his wife? Dating should include getting to K N O W the person you’re with, not waiting until after the ceremony to find out that you are now with biggest jerk/loser on the planet. People need to form relationships with the opposite sex that do not include sex. It turns my stomach to turn on the TV and see two professional, attractive people talking about their sexual encounter from the night before and the woman dismisses it as “just sex.” I am sick of it.

No one has to do anything big or dramatic – every little bit helps. I grew up with some great role models. Just being kind and polite for starters – look at internet forums, some filled with rude, vicious, profanity spewing jerks. Their ‘example’ is certainly not helping us become more civilized.

And do TV and movie producers care if someone complains? Yes they do. They may not send an e-mail or letter back acknowledging your comments but they do notice. Not that long ago, a singer did a product ad and the advertiser got so many complaints that the ad was dropped. Guys in suits tell their bosses “Nobody complained.” So they can honestly feel like they are doing nothing wrong. We live in a society that spits on “those values on which we used to rely” (from the opening theme to Family Guy). Some of these people love the mud they’re rolling in. They love to get and be dirty. Chris Rock will spend an hour going on and on and on about graphic sexual activity, and people think it’s funny when so-called comedians say *uck every five seconds?

Do something, and if it helps even one person, it counts.

God bless,
Ed
 
Go ahead and join the Knights of Columbus. lol I was at adoration a while back, I said Hi to one of them, they were leaving, he just looked at me with that face, no response, just cold like the rest of the parish I see too often “not that there arent’ exceptions”, like he can’t be bothered and moved on. I was thinking of joining them, not anymore…

I decided to participate in a spegetti dinner at the local parish tonight, I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes, debating if I should or not, partially because it costs money for it that is in very short supply for me these days. I figured I at least would have left overs to justify it, well, I did not, and sat alone, eating my meal, reading my bible, and that was the fun filled evening of Catholic fellowship I experienced for the eve…sad, really, really sad guys, here I am on fire for the Lord, yet know zero people here, and had an entire table by myself and nobody even bothered to say hello. I won’t do any of their meal gatherings again, I get better company among strangers at any restaurant.

This is the typical, me thing, where people gather, only about themselves, not seeing that others of their parish that are there alone would welcome some kind of invite, or at least simply saying, Hi, but nothing at all, and I paid for the darn meal, at least if I’m being ignored in a protestant “fellowship” I don’t have to pay to be there…man, what a sad state of affairs we have these days…something seriously is just wrong here.
 
The thing I don’t like is when I go to mass and hardly anybody sings, and we have a very large parish with 3 masses.

I like it up front, where there are more people that participate, but if I’m forced to go near the middle or the back because of reserved seats or whatnot…everyone around me is just so indifferent. Singing feels awkward, nobody recites the creed, they just kind of stand there or they talk to each other. I go to confession as often as I can (usually weekly) to try and further develop my conscience…and the vast majority of everyone there I won’t see in the confession line all year yet everyone goes up for communion. I’m not judging anybody but it’s just an observation that would make one raise an eyebrow.

Don’t you know that when you’re in church you’re in the presence of the Holy Spirit at the tabernacle and Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and recognize the reverence that’s due?
 
OpenSource said:
The thing I don’t like is when I go to mass and hardly anybody sings, and we have a very large parish with 3 masses.

I like it up front, where there are more people that participate, but if I’m forced to go near the middle or the back because of reserved seats or whatnot…everyone around me is just so indifferent. Singing feels awkward, nobody recites the creed, they just kind of stand there or they talk to each other. I go to confession as often as I can (usually weekly) to try and further develop my conscience…and the vast majority of everyone there I won’t see in the confession line all year yet everyone goes up for communion. I’m not judging anybody but it’s just an observation that would make one raise an eyebrow.

Don’t you know that when you’re in church you’re in the presence of the Holy Spirit at the tabernacle and Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and recognize the reverence that’s due?
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Sounds like all together, way too many churches these days, well, actually almost all of them in the states, communion is now reduced to an activity that you do in order to fit in, our Lords presence is ,in doubt of even being in it for the majority of participants receiving it, they get the same out of it as they would a stale chip when it comes down to it, the same with their attendance at mass, and it makes you think, why do they even bother to show up at all? , “yet these are the people we are supposed to fit in with!!!???”
 
@prodigalson12

I know this idea is kind of in opposition to your active church life ideas but when I couldn’t get everything I wanted out of my church (I absolutely love my church and have been blessed with wonderful friends and opportunities ever since I started my catholic journey) I went online and started conversing with people who loved the same things I love about our wonderful religion eg. the brown scapular, and the rosary. In chat rooms and forums like these I have been able to make “friends” that I wouldn’t be able to find where I live.

You say that you are really trying to put yourself out there and meet people in your church and I know its hard at first but all you can do is put yourself out there and try and seem happy and approachable. Sometimes all you have is your smile!
 
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