Which do you fear more

  • Thread starter Thread starter JoeShlabotnik
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
The only thing I really fear (besides spiders) is dying outside the grace of God. The rest are out of my control and I leave them to God.
 
B. Not so much for me, but for my children. There was a recent shooting scare in my area. It ended up being more of a domestic type incident, though still very tragic. I am very concerned over the safety of my children at school.
 
One is caused by the weather, the other is caused by geological events.

They still can both be legitimately grouped under natural disasters.
 
Of the items listed, C is scariest for me. I don’t live in an area prone to natural disasters and A and B are both low-probability and do not affect nearly as many people as recessions/depressions. Only the uber-rich are safe from economic depressions and I’ll probably never be that rich in my life.
 
I believe that the next unwanted event will be the predicted ISIS attack on the Catholic Church in Europe and on Vatican City in particular. (see visions of Pope Pius X and the 112th prediction of 1595 in the LIGNUM VITAE, BOOK II, PG 311)

In the longer term, 30 years or so, it will be the disaster predicted by the prophet Jeremiah: a global nuclear war. (see 25:32-33 )

so my answer would be “A” followed by “F”
 
Last edited:
F - failing to find God’s will in A through E. Not that if/when those happen we should say, “Hey, thanks for the tornado/ homicide bomber/communist economics, God!”, but one thing I remember from 9/11 was it made everyone take a serious look at where they stood with God. For me it was a transitional moment that triggered me internally and started me seeking. It took another 17 years for me to come to Christ, but if I’d completely remained asleep spiritually I can only imagine my life as a desolate hell today.
 
Only the uber-rich are safe from economic depressions and I’ll probably never be that rich in my life.
When really hard times come, they will discover that they can’t eat their gold, but you could probably grow some food.
 
Worst case scenario involves going to war with Russia and China.

Russia could overwhelm NATO at least temporarily. China could theoretically do a mainland invasion but it would have to knock out our naval defenses in the Pacific among other things…
 
Regular old fashioned violent crime of course. Foreign or domestic terrorism is a blip compared to it.

Media attention = / = threat level
 
Last edited:
I do not fear damnation. Why? Because I go to Church, I pray, I attend Mass, and I go to confession. Why need I fear damnation?
But I do not want to be the victim of some Mass shooter. I do not want my grandchildren to fight in some for off war for the sake of oil or some damned thing.
 
I too try to leave things in God’s hands, but it has been said that God gives us the sense to help ourselves. Trying to avoid A through E would be a smart thing and I believe God would want us to help ourselves in this manner.
 
F-other

People I love going to hell and/or my children being the victims of some horrible crime.

Like those other choices, trust in God calms these fears. Unlike these other options, the choices I make may have the power to cause or prevent them which makes them scarier to me.
 
B and E

I’ve been through E. Hurricane season is stressful.

I’m not really “fearful “. Concerned is more like it.

Also F, possible war with a human rights abusing nation to defend another human rights abusing nation.
 
I do not fear damnation. Why? Because I go to Church, I pray, I attend Mass, and I go to confession. Why need I fear damnation?
I fear damnation because I am a sinful man who has deeply ingrained sinful habits that I have yet to overcome. As such, I routinely find myself in a state of mortal sin, and therefore liable to damnation.
But I do not want to be the victim of some Mass shooter. I do not want my grandchildren to fight in some for off war for the sake of oil or some damned thing.
I don’t want either of those things either, but I do not fear them, not in the same way I fear Hell.
 
I do not fear damnation. Why? Because I go to Church, I pray, I attend Mass, and I go to confession. Why need I fear damnation?
On the one hand I wish I had your confidence, but on the other I’m glad I don’t. I don’t presume upon God’s mercy and unless I’m hit by the proverbial bus after leaving confession, I hope my death isn’t sudden. I definitely don’t hope it’s unprovided. I fear nature’s God more than nature.
 
I don’t entertain such fears. I live one day at a time.
Thomas á Kempis teaches that we ought to live each day as though we would not see the sun set, and that we should retire for the evening as if we would not awaken the next morning.

The priest who married us 39 years ago taught, in one Easter homily, that “Since that first Easter, no Christian should ever fear death.”

Awfully hard to argue with either.
 
Which do you fear more:
Odd that although I’ve suffered from depression, panic, and anxiety disorder most of my adult life, none of the things on the list scare me. In fact, I view them as entertaining respites, tempered with compassion for those they affect in traumatic ways. I can do nothing outside of praying for victims and donating to emergency services, so I sit back and watch with a morbid fascination when every new hurricane approaches civilization.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top