Posted on 03/27/2007 10:09:04 AM PDT by NYer
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I wonder how many families these days must face these hard decisions? A majority?
If only our society had not grown accepting of these situations, an article such as this would not have needed to have been written.
Hard decisions but Christ also showed mercy and forgiveness to sinners. These "family gatherings" may be the only Christ based witness these family members encounter.
Yes, indeed.
You picked up on the very words that prompted me to post this thread :-)!
As you note, this is a question confronted by so many today and it is truly painful. How many simply 'close their eyes' to our Lord's words in order to enjoy a few fleeting hours with their loved ones.
"Hard decisions but Christ also showed mercy and forgiveness to sinners. These "family gatherings" may be the only Christ based witness these family members encounter."
Amen to that.
Remember last weeks gospel.
Nowadays, folks want absolution and acceptance without repentance or contrition. In fact, they don't think what they're doing is a sin at all. (See the Episcopal Church.)
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Exactly! I don't know if my family is like others, but it seems that it doesn't take much to cause ill feelings. Especially once our parents passed away.
Personally I'd say the current issue is worse to which to expose "the family" (I suppose that is the immediate family, which includes children).
They are making babies against the latter's will and bringing them into the world in inideal situations. Their situation is IMO more tenuous. Encouraging bringing innocent children into bad situations is not good.
But that's JMHO!
I don't agree with this response. We haven't seen any reason not to accept these people into our homes. Obviously, we would avoid providing them with the occasion of sin and wouldn't allow them privacy (not a problem in our house!) but to have these people over for dinner, etc. Why not? Christ sat down with the tax collecters. We don't have a litmus test for purity on our door and I wonder exactly what kind of sinners would be ok?
I agree with you. How can it be a good thing to cut off beloved family members from the one sure road back to the faith...the love and forgiveness of a truly Christlike family?
Jesus himself made it a point to hang out publically with sinners. The Pharisees of His day criticized Him for it.
The Pharisees we will have always with us, unfortunately.
"Are we being judgmental in taking this position? Yes, but not of the motives of the persons involved, which Jesus forbids and on which He alone will render judgment, but rather of their actions, which are contrary to what the Lord teaches."
This is interesting. I've never seen this take on the "judgementalism". It's always been "how dare you ever judge anything!" At least these days, of a PC world. Which often include "Christians" always repeating the mantra of never "judging", which even means apparently never speaking out against their actions!
(I'm not a Catholic, so maybe it's normal for you all to see it as "motive" vs. "action", but I've never heard this delineation.)
From the Gospel of Luke:
5:27. And after these things, he went forth and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him: Follow me.
Et post haec exiit et vidit publicanum nomine Levi sedentem ad teloneum et ait illi sequere me
5:28. And leaving all things, he rose up and followed him.
Et relictis omnibus surgens secutus est eum
5:29. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: And there was a great company of publicans and of others that were at table with them.
Et fecit ei convivium magnum Levi in domo sua et erat turba multa publicanorum et aliorum qui cum illis erant discumbentes
5:30. But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Et murmurabant Pharisaei et scribae eorum dicentes ad discipulos eius quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducatis et bibitis
5:31. And Jesus answering, said to them: They that are whole need not the physician: but they that are sick.
See post #14
True. But you have taken the event out of context. Jesus called to Matthew, the Tax Collector, to follow him. This following meant imitating the pattern of his life - not just walking after him.
As he sat at table in the house, behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
This conversion of one tax collector gave many men, those from his own profession and other sinners, an example of repentance and pardon. No sooner was he converted than Matthew drew after him a whole crowd of sinners along the same road to salvation.
It was Matthew who invited Jesus to dine with him, not the other way around. The 'sinners' were drawn to the one who was already converted.
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