Wow! Never got a fire and brimstone sermon from a Catholic before. It’s kind of scary. I always felt Catholics were the sensible Christians. Guess being from the Bible Belt there is some cross over. I’m not going to address everything you said because you’re right I’m wrong and I bet you can show me where in the bible/archeology /history/ etc why that is.
If you thought that was “a fire and brimstone sermon” then I would suggest to you that there was a disconnect in what I said because only 7% of what I wanted to convey can be done so through text alone. The other 93% of communication (tone, body language) wasn’t done at all. I guarantee you that if I told you that in person you wouldn’t say I gave you anything close to fire and brimstone.
However, I take exception to your saying I’ve been influenced by the Bible Belt like that’s a bad thing. Once more, 58% of people go to Church every week here. Only 35% do so in New York. So… you tell me which is better.
Bodhi said:
1. I’m not angry at Christians just hold us to a higher standard.
I never said you were angry, I just said you have nothing positive to say about Christians. Which is true, I can’t find a single positive thing you’ve said about Christians in any of your posts.
Bodhi:
- I show compassion to an athiest while you proclaim to love to hate them. By me doing that are you still concerned if im really a Christian?
Wow. I love to hate them? Try doing a “control F” search, and you’ll find that I never used the word “hate” until now. What I said was that you’ll never hear me say anything positive about atheists. I’ll never listen to what they have to say about the Church. Why? Because they don’t know God. If someone doesn’t know God and complains about His Church why should I listen to them?
If you don’t know God. If you don’t know His Will. If you don’t love His Church. If you aren’t a Servant of the Lord… then why would a Christian listen to you about what’s wrong with the Church? How can they possibly know that? They don’t even pray! I’ll listen to the advice of a Christian any day of the week about what’s wrong with the Church over an atheist.
How does someone who doesn’t go to Church understand what’s wrong with the Church? If you don’t experience the ministry, how are you qualified to criticize it?
If a restaurant gives me a survey in the mail to rate my dining experience I’ve had with them, and yet I’ve never eaten there, I’m going to throw it out. If you’ve never eaten at a restaurant how can you criticize it?
If you’ve never been to Church, how can someone criticize it?
Bodhi:
- If people are leaving Churches and are not walking in the door. As sheepherds of love we have to see that as a reflection on us first rather than blame the secular world. That only absolves us of taking any responsibility and prevents us from returning the sheep Lovingly to the flock.
Secularism is leading people to Hell. It’s just the newest heresy in a long line of heresies. The Catholic Church, in her infinite wisdom, doesn’t just preach Christianity; it also has to deal with every other ideology out there which is false. Christianity is the truth, but the Church can’t just proclaim the truth, it must show the falseness of other ideologies.
Did St. Paul preach only for Christianity? No. He also preached against the Jews, and the Judaizers.
Bodhi:
- You seem to have that Us vs. Them mindset I was talking about. I had it too for many years. It fills you with hate then justifies it with God. That’s a dangerous mix.
Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, an the Holy Spirit. I’m not filled with hate, I’m filled with love. If you have Christ-like love for someone, then necessarily you will want them to be saved. I want all people to be saved.
As a sinner, I might want to judge people. But, what’s really helped me is that I’ll look at someone who I would judge. And try to imagine that person kneeling in Church. Every person Earth will kneel before God and confess with their tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I just want that to happen sooner than later. I want more people to do so out of love than out of fear. Because, when Jesus Christ comes again, all the atheists will be kneeling and confessing out of fear. I want them to be doing so out of love of God, and not out of the fear of His wrath.
Bodhi:
- Up here in NY when someone calls you friend. They consider you everything but a friend. You seem to need an enemy. When i had that mentality i did too. Allow me to be that for you, as a Catholic Priest was once for me. “Point all your anger at me so you won’t have to aim it at someone else.” He said. Fr Zona. The greatest man I ever knew.
Down here in Alabama, when someone calls another person that they don’t know ‘friend’, it’s basically one step away from them inviting you to their house for lunch or dinner.
![Grinning face with big eyes :smiley: 😃](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f603.png)
At the very least having a friendly conversation with them, or going for coffee or something.
I don’t need an enemy. I’m defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I think it’s very dangerous for anyone to go around saying, “There’s no need to evangelize! The Gospel is already everywhere! Christians shouldn’t share the Gospel anymore!”
That is what you’re saying. THAT. Can you step back and realize what you are saying? In lieu of the message which you are giving, I have been very charitable.
What you are saying is the polar opposite of the message of Jesus Christ in the Gospels.
Find me 1 verse of Scipture which backs up your view that we shouldn’t spread the Gospel anymore. That we are “over-saturated” with the Gospel. And I will 1. correct your interpretation of that verse, and 2. find you 5 verses that say otherwise.