dennisknapp:
Should it not be the goal of all who claim the name of Christian to align themselves with the truth?
Sure. Some chug the whole thing at once, some nibble and digest a little at a time. Inevitably, humans take a few wrong paths in seeking the right ones. This applies to emotions and attitudes, as well as intellectual processes.
Without even knowing anything about you, for example, I would challenge you to a math contest. Just because I could beat 99% of the people high school age and above in math, doesn’t mean I’m better than them. Nor if I am a great theologian does it mean anything at all, unless I have love.
Telling people to leave the Church because they aren’t Catholic enough is not love. Saying you can’t understand how they think may be entirely honest, but it definitely crosses the line when people start going around saying things that come across to us overly defensive types as, “ooh, I’d prefer these vulgar people who don’t believe in papal infallibility or who use contraception would just go away.”
Good luck paying the electric bill without the help of sinners.
The Church is a hospital and all who are sick should seek refuge in her care. But what of the medicine in this hospital?
What of it?
If people refuse treatment what are we to do?
Greet them with a smile every morning. Keep them warm and well fed. If they are thirsty give them to drink. Comfort them when they are sad. Pray for them and with them, at whatever level they are comfortable with. If they are unwilling or unable to do a whole Rosary with you, then just pray a couple Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s, and Glory Be’s with them and call it good.
People are wounded in many ways, and only God knows the rate at which they will heal, and how long they will be in the Church until they become a perfected saint.
How else would you treat us, the very, very least of Christ’s brothers? Like Christ Himself, thank you. I tell you this not as an expectation or even a request on my own behalf, but for your own salvation. This is the Good News of Christ. The greatest among us is the one who serves.
This is how he treated the marginal, and the people who weren’t “moral” enough to be seen with the “good” religious leaders. He accepted their gifts, and let them wipe his feet with her hair. Who was justified before Christ? Those who harrumphed at the tramp and tried to get rid of her?
There seems to have been a pattern of this abortive thinking even back then. Keep the children away from Him. Protect Him from having to get near a leper. Doesn’t he know what kind of woman is touching him? If they aren’t sufficiently orthodox, throw them overboard. The Bible says we need to get rid of those who don’t agree with us in three attempts. Three strikes and they are out.
Did Mother Teresa comfort only orthodox Catholics?
If people actively seek to subplant the medicine what do we do?
What, like gay rights activists who are trying to change the Church teachings? You hold steadfast to your faith, and the Church remains true to what she believes has been revealed by the Holy Spirit. I hope we can agree on that.
We are all sinners in need of repentance, and I am the greatest in need.
Join the club, bro. We’re all trying to get through this life and hopefully do some good. Together with Christ’s help, we can.
I am not saying that I or others who hold to the Church’s teaching are better than those who dissent, but that those who do dissent need to be honest with themselves as to why they dissent.
This is really a very good idea. I find a lot of people who dissent with Church teachings for various really strange reasons, often emotionally based. Some sound selfish to me, but the people seem convinced they have good reason.
(continued)
This thread has been so freeing and so exciting to me that I need to get away from it for a while.
