Nothing wrong with your delivery you are just debating with what Jim Rome calls the âlikes to fightâ bunch. The players on a sports team who are always ready to drop the gloves in hockey terms.Evidentlty I will have to work on my delivery.
Replying to your last question first. Ina perfect world; absolutely
But we donât live in a perfect world. Faith is and MUST come from God Himself.As a Friend, it is MY responsibility to insure that I speak the Truth at all timesâŚit is also my responsibility that I preserve the dignity of those with whom I am speaking to.FinallyâŚthe truth. You are on a Catholic forum denying one of the main staples of their faith. You are given multitudes of Scriptural and patristic discourse which supports the apostolic understanding of holy Sacraments (Mysteries) and yet you insist on calling them âoutward rituals.â
This is evident. I think the OP knows what the Quakers believe.
Yes. And your posts are condescending.
Friend no doubtâŚyou were a member I assume of a programmed meeting with a paid pastor? They probably are part of Evangelical Friends International.
Friend, you may have us confused with the AmishâŚunless the specific Friend is a âLudditeâ of some sortâŚFriends do not withdraw from information on the webâŚI avial myself to as much âtechnologyâ as I am comfortable withâŚbut most of us of my particular tradition seek to live simplyâŚand if âsimplyâ means living without computerâŚsome of us doâŚbut it is a personal choice among usâŚnot an official dictate of the Meeting.Replying to your last question first. Ina perfect world; absolutely
You should live your [our] fait fully and publically; teach and answer questions when they arrive. And pray that is God time and Godâs WAY; youâll be guided by the HS to do what God would have you do His Will.
If memory serves from my time in YORK Pa., Quakers do not avail themselves of modern means of communication; which GREATLY limits their access to the TRUTH. I could envision them not knowing because they have NOT had an opportunity to know Christ and HIS Church /Faith. Thus BOD is a possibility.
However IF they have a REAL Bible; they are likely at risk. Sacraments Like Baptism from John 3:5; Penance from John 20:19-23; Eucharist from FIVE different NT Authors and Christ Himself; notably in John chapter six; Confirmation from the Pentocost account of John 20, and the last Rites from James 5:14 are clear enougn to at least raise reasonable questions. THIS IS A HIGH RISK factor.
BUT itâs Godâs judgment call. Holy He can determine and judge motive and compare it to REAL Opportunity for the truth.
Keep praying for them and be ready if and when an opportunity presents itself.
God Bless you and them!
Pat
Thank you friendâŚbut as I wrote aboveâŚIT IS MY responsibility to preserve tender consciences and seek to speak the Truth in love and not offend by doing soâŚa difficult task to be sureâŚbut thank you for your words just the same.
I tend to think of it more as, âthe likes the truthâ bunch.
Excellent. Then I would suggest that you do not denigrate the apostolic faithâwhether you think it is merely your âdeliveryââor âpreserving tender consciencesââor whatever.
I think it should be noted that word isn't derogatory and is in fact quite accurate. So accurate that the Catholic Church uses it to describe itself as compromised of 23 suri iuris or Ritual Churches 1 Western (Latin)the Largest and 22 distinct Eastern Churches. Note this is a fact. It isn't derogatory just informative.
Please don't be offended by the term Ritual. After all every religious group has them whether they are Catholic, Reformation, or any of the countless other groups out there we all cling to rituals to help define ourselves and how we all practice our respective faiths.
The danger lies in if one puts so much emphasis on ritual and nothing on the one whom the ritual is meant to appeal too or glorify ie God. That's why Jesus called the Pharasees White washed tombs. There was nothing within them but ritual.
Friends from what I learned from Publisher I believe, don't dwell as much on ritual as say the Catholic or Reformation churches, yet their meeting in a certain place at a prescribed time is in essence a ritual even if all they do is sit in silence or have a verbal discussion or hymn along.Whew! ârelatively convincedâ is better than ânot convincedââŚIâll take it!
According to the CCC of the Catholic Churchâthe Sacraments are:
Godâs mercy is boundless!
Iâll give ya a straight up âconvincedâ. But Iâm watchinâ you, mister.
The notion that all aspects of life are sacramental, the intermingling of the sacred and the secular, such as at mealtime, is a very Hasidic Jewish concept. Interesting connection.Friends donât view them as âdisposable symbolsââŚwe donât accept any âoutwardâ ritual performed for usâŚor on our behalf as necessary for our salvationâŚwe are baptizedâŚChrist Himself is our BaptizerâŚin His SpiritâŚâI baptize you with waterâŚBUT there is one among you who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.â
As a Friend I have a very sacramental view of my worldâŚlife is sacramentalâŚthe âsacredâ and the âsecularâ are not separatedâŚeach act of mercy and loveâŚeach cup of water given in His name carries with it âsacramental meaningââŚeach meal is an opportunity to share in the Light.
Your Quaker relatives are BaptizedâŚjust not with water.
Thank you. I think so too.Godâs mercy is boundless!