What Price is Peace?

[Michael16]

Seeing commonalities. I like it and I’ll try it. Usually, when I’m in anthropologist mode; I just observe the group and their rituals in action in order to discern the basics of what happening so I can understand it.

 

[OddBird]

I’m a wretched sinner who is in dire need of intercession and needs all the prayers she can get

Seriously though, I teared up when you suggested Rosary and Holy Hour. These are two devotions which mean a lot to me.

I will pray for you too.

 

[St.Bede]

Just to give you an idea, I come from a family with 5 different religions. My dad is a Buddhist, my mom is a Taoist, my brother is Catholic, I’m an Anglican turned Catholic, and my sister is an Evangelical Christian (wanting to become Catholic but lazy to attend catechism); in fact, she has a more intimate relationship with Mother Mary than brother and I do. She prays the 20 decades of rosary (in Latin) everyday in one sitting; to be followed by different novena.

When we were young, my dad would drive us, siblings, to our respective churches every Sunday, then he’d proceed to his temple. And in the evening during dinnertime, my dad would ask us what we’ve learned from our pastors that day. We have sharing together, and my dad would always remind us to put what we’ve learned into practice in our everyday life. Never, not even once, did we argue about religion. We respect each other’s beliefs. My dad even told us that the best way to preach the Gospel is through your action.

I’m really blest to have that kind of family. GOD truly is love.

Peace to all of you.

PS. No offense but every time you mentioned the words “knee jerk” my imagination runs wild and I couldn’t help but laugh so hard. It’s just so funny. Thank you for making my day.

 

[GiftofMercy]

I guess the basic problem I have is that I’ve been spending way too much time on the Sola Caritas thread, arguing with the Protestant posters that I’m trained to go into “ combat mode “ in apologetics with Protestants.

If you want my opinion, here is your problem ’ combat mode’. It seems to be what many think they must do. It doesn’t achieve positive outcomes. Do you ever see the Pope going into ‘combat mode’ or that great saint Pope John Paul 11.

Debate in combat mode is destructive, discussion is not.
IMHO You got into a ridiculous assertion that an Apostle could not be black or darker skin coloured.
If you want my opinion Go apologise to your mother (and your sister ) and have a good discussion regarding your mother’s , his grandmother’s concerns on your youngest son and his fears. Listen to her and let her know you are hearing her.
Your mother is hospitable enough to allow you, her grown son, and your children to live in her home. I imagine she is also wondering what it is going to take to keep the peace. It must be very stressful for her that you ‘knee jerk’ react as you said, rather then discuss each others beliefs.
Respect.

 

[GiftofMercy]

arguing with the Protestant posters that I’m trained to go into “ combat mode “ in apologetics with Protestants.

Whomever trained you to go into combat mode with non Catholic denominations needs an early and swift retirement . I hope you did not pay too much for that training

Discussion, not debate. And the most important skill is listening. And letting the other person know they have been heard.

 

[Wannano]

Michael16:

arguing with the Protestant posters that I’m trained to go into “ combat mode “ in apologetics with Protestants.

Whomever trained you to go into combat mode with non Catholic denominations needs an early and swift retirement . I hope you did not pay too much for that training

Discussion, not debate. And the most important skill is listening. And letting the other person know they have been heard.

Exactly right. Living a Christian life in self justified “combat mode” is going to ruin all family and friendship relationships. It will ruin every aspect of life. But one cannot overcome this alone, it takes a real submission to Christ to surrender self.

 

[po18guy]

1. Read James 3 regarding the tongue.
2. Hold your tongue - bite it if needed. It will heal. The damage to your soul may not.
3. Pray pray pray for your family. Even more.
4. The way to help the Holy Spirit convert others is to exhibit the joy of the faith. That alone is very powerful.

 

[Beryllos]

1. The way to help the Holy Spirit convert others is to exhibit the joy of the faith. That alone is very powerful.

So true!

 

[TheLittleLady]

She brought up her belief that one of the Apostles is black. I knee jerked: Show me in Scripture

Well, the Apostles were men of color, they were not white Europeans.

And why would the shade of skin matter?

You need to step back, meditate on 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Remember that you are commanded to honor your mother.

Christ told us to love other people so much that they WANT to know the reason for it. Do that. Love. Do not defend, do not argue. Love. Do good works.

Apologize to your family. Start over.

 

[Taxx]

It is interesting to read the solutions. The issue with Luther was when he went to Rome he saw how currupt the clergy was.
This is still correct. The clergy is still currupt the sexuality has been an obvious situation . that was now and then.
As my family has embraced other denominations there is discussions on who is … What is.

 

[BlueMaxx]

My two cents…

Take a close listen to this and see what you take away from. it…

As for the race issue…it is a non-sequitur…

 

[Michael16]

The training I was talking about wasn’t an actual class. It was just the OJT in the brutal battlefields in some of the threads here.

I get your point, I think: Listen and discuss. Don’t debate.

 

[Michael16]

You’re right about the combat mode living. That’s not a life worth living. One of the things I’m going to have to do is get out of my head, drop the Petrine office; and get back to my Marian spirituality. Meaning go to the heart, train myself in the interior conversion of the heart where I can discern where God is leading me and reflexively follow His Will as Our Lady did.

That and what Our Lady said at Fatima: Return to Jesus, reform our lives and make reparations for sins.

 

[Michael16]

Okay, Littlelady. I’ll do that. Love a life of love and good works to the point where people ask me where I got it from.

As for the Apostles being men of color; it doesn’t matter to me their skin color.

 

[GiftofMercy]

The training I was talking about wasn’t an actual class. It was just the OJT in the brutal battlefields in some of the threads here.

I get your point, I think: Listen and discuss. Don’t debate.

OJT?

‘brutal battlefields’ is not how CAF operates in a read on forum rules. If a person feels this way, they should disengage the thread and flag moderators.
Brutal battlefields is not how we should talk to non Catholics either about our faith.
What were some of the first words the Risen Christ spoke?

Peace be with you

One of the things I’m going to have to do is get out of my head, drop the Petrine office; and get back to my Marian spirituality. Meaning go to the heart, train myself in the interior conversion of the heart where I can discern where God is leading me and reflexively follow His Will as Our Lady did.

Michael are you making things more complicated then they need be. Love and prayer and live out your example of your faith. Allow God to train you, surrender to His will and His ways. Love, Peace, Prayer, Charity

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I don’t think it would be bad if one of the Apostles was black. I just want to see the evidence for it.

Race and skin color were not the big deal in those days that they are today. It is entirely possible that the apostles were of different “races” as we would understand that concept today. It would have been unnecessary for the Gospels to specify the race of any of the apostles. And keep in mind that labeling someone as “black” who has partial sub-Saharan African blood is an American thing, due to our history and culture. Our Lord Himself could have been of partial black African ancestry. It doesn’t matter either way.

 

[GiftofMercy]

Race and skin color were not the big deal in those days that they are today. It is entirely possible that the apostles were of different “races” as we would understand that concept today.

I would like to discuss genetic race vs blood ( ie tribe country ethnic group) race. Have you heard of the genetic tests one university class decided to do, They thought based on skin colour and ethnic group they would all be grouped that way in the results. They were not. Genetic testing showed membership was not due to colour or ethnic groupings.

 

[Michael16]

Thanks, Gift. I admit: I do often make things very complicated for myself. Even when I’m trying to simplify them. Lol

As for the brutal battlefields:

It’s not that they violate any rules on language or name calling or anything like that. It’s basically that they come at us with a push us against the wall, take no prisoners, concede no points, reference and quote anything they can, including our Catechism; trying to prove and read their doctrines into anything they get their hands on. Anytime one of us pins them down on something, he either evades into something else or dismisses it out of hand; even saying we’re playing semantics. One of them even quoted Saint James 2:25 backwards as an attempt to prove Sola Fide.

If a Catholic missteps, misquotes or even shows a crack in his faith; they surround him like sharks smelling blood in the water or like a knight going too far forward of friendly lines and gets surrounded by peasant infantry and then they just pound on him mercilessly.

 

[Dan_Defender]

‘If, after being admonished once or twice, a person does not amend, do not argue with him but commit the whole matter to God that His will and honor may be furthered in all His servants, for God knows well how to turn evil to good.’ - The Imitation of Christ

I have Protestant relatives and I used to argue with them but now I only pray. We don’t discuss each other’s beliefs. It took effort to reach a state of peace but I’m glad we did.

 

[Michael16]

I like what you said, Dan. I’ll try to keep it in mind with my family. Thanks.