Posted on 03/02/2014 3:02:05 AM PST by franky8
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I pray that you come back to the church. Paper envelopes? Not a reason to quit in my estimation.
Remember, God loves you.
Indeed.
For Catholics, attending Sunday Mass is an obligation, so we must attend Mass at some Catholic church.
MY CHURCH, CATHOLIC IS IN A BIG PENNSYLVANIA MENNONITE TOWNSHIP WITH 38% CATHOLIC POPULATION. OF THAT 38%, 25% ATTEND.
There are lots of stories like yours. And while your’s may be “legitimate”, the vast majority are not. Most of those who have abandoned the Church have done so out of ignorance, laziness or just plain sinfulness. But admitting things like that even to one’s self is often difficult. It’s easier to blame others like the priests or the bishops. But Mcgavin999’s suggestion (which you buy into) is sheer Protestant/atheistic nonsense. Satan loves it, but you fool no one but yourself.
Nevertheless, everything you have said about your experience with the Church rings true, regardless of the details behind your departure. For in truth, it was the bishops who abandoned you. It was the Modernist bishops of the Catholic Church who decided that humanism (in the form of humanitarianism) was the path they would follow after Vatican II. They ceased talking about sin, heaven, hell and the Sacraments. They changed the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass into a meet-and greet, Protestant sing-a-long each Sunday (or Saturday if that works better for you), and they set the Church up as their camp of socialism, illegal immigration, global warming and many other leftist causes, all in the name of God.
Yes, and it sure is all about money for most of them. When they sing their song about the re-distribution of everyone’s wealth, it’s hard to tell the bishops and priests from Obama or any other progressive politician. Read some of Cardinal Dolan’s old speeches sometime. You’d think he was running for public office as he touts the “great charitable work” the Church has done. Holiness and the true worshipping of God Almighty in the Modern Novus Ordo Catholic Church (not in the Traditional Catholic Church) is a thing of the past.
Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church and charged the pope and bishops with one mission––to do everything within their power to lead all souls (which would include yours) to salvation. But they have abandoned that responsibility, and without question, they will pay a very heavy price. But you have foolishly decided to pay that price as well. In spite of the Protestant advice that was given to you by McGavin999, remember that you do not get a free pass just because you were led astray by the Modernist bishops. As Christ said, “when the blind lead the blind, they both fall in the pit”.
Unfortunately, it appears that you may have abandoned Jesus Christ long enough for Satan to convince you that harming yourself makes sense. I certainly hope not, but if you have, you join a long line of Catholics who have left the Church and think that same way. And unless they repent before they die, they risk the almost unfathomable punishment of eternal damnation in hell’s fire, where the “worm never dies”. It is not a wise choice you are making. But like the rest of us, that choice is entirely yours.
This is not an advice column, but a public forum where the comments are fairly anonymous and the thoughts are for everyone. Still, some good advice would be to go to confession, get back to Church, ignore the Modernist bishops and priests, and live your life as you would if you thought you might be facing Jesus Christ tomorrow––because you might.
FROM MY CURRENT TOME
Today’s Society faces many challenging issues such as abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research and gay marriage, and people are either interested in the subject or could care less. This booklet is directed at those who care less. Care less people usually are in that frame of mind due to a lack of knowledge. We hope to increase the readers’ knowledge to have them interested.
Society today is living in trying times with good and evil being presented daily. As scripture tells us:
“john 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies”
Therefore it is our attempt to bring some truth to you on issues affecting Christians today. Too many people are not aware that issues such as abortion, embryo stem cell research, euthanasia, and gay marriage consummation causes sin even though you just “let it be” and do not participate.
Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”.
John 7:17
If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.
Deception
Many of the errors that we promote have been gained by deception. Reading secular opinions and then taking them and basing them as fact has caused great schisms in the church,
Regarding our tendency toward deception, we can distinguish three different stances toward the problem.
I. On the one hand, we are sometimes the victim of deception. And the Scriptures frequently warn, “Do not be deceived….” Jesus warned. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many (Mat 24:11)
St. Paul also lamented false apostles and Judaizers who misled many. He warned of savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30) He also spoke of some who will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Tim 4:1).
St. John warned of the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (1 John 4:3).
Thus, to some degree we are victims of deceivers. The Scriptures warn us to be on our guard, do not be deceived! That is, “You are not to allow these deceivers to lead you astray, to make you wonder about in error and in sin. We are to resist them and see them for the deceivers they are.
It is hoped that by reviewing this booklet one can discern fact from deception.
Many Christians like me will no longer go to a church full of liberals or Christians that stick their heads in the dirt. I can no longer be part of it.
U.S. News and the Internet site Beliefnet funded a poll to learn more about why, how, where and when people pray. Here is a summary of the findings:
• 75% percent were Christian.
• 64% say they pray more than once a day.
• 56% say they most often pray for family members, with 3.3% saying that they pray for strangers.
• A little over 38% say that the most important purpose of prayer is intimacy with God.
• 41% say that their prayers are answered often.
• 1.5% say that their prayers are never answered.
• Over 73% say when their prayers are not answered, the most important reason is because they did not fit God’s plan.
• 5% say that they pray most often in a house of worship.
• 79% say that they pray most often at home.
• 67% say that in the past six months, their prayers have related to continually giving thanks to God. (Pastor’s Weekly Briefing, 12/24/04)
I CAN ADD PRAYING FOR THE SICK, PRAYING FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY, PRAYING FOR THE CLERGY. MY CARETAKER AND MY WIFE WHO DIVORCED ME 30 YEARS AGO,
I understand, but to repeat what I said:
I realize that there are some who do so...
I don't, for a second, deny that there are some people who study the Scriptures at home, pray at home, fellowship with likeminded believers and so on and so forth. Didn't in post #4, never did so before then, still don't.
However, in the majority of cases, you end up having people who are "spiritual but not religious" and who end up thinking that "touched by an Angel" is a Christian program, who believe the spiritual people brought on TV by Oprah or other folks are really good people who have new and improved ideas that we should look at, and who get their theology from the "Inspiration" section of the grocery store checkout line and think that the prosperity gospel preached by televangelists is authentic Christianity.
In short, they become tools.
I am not saying that you or any other FReeper fits into that category. I am saying that this is where more and more Americans are sinking.
I am not going to church to fight anymore. That is not a place I can go to have conflict. I have enough of it going to work or just living.
No offense, but that's what they hope for: to wear us all down.
In the late 1950s Rome sent instructions to U S Bishops about what to do if the U S became Communist, There was beliefs that Commies had infiltrated the seminaries.
In attending Mass in Mt Carmel Pa in 1972 the priest spent his whole homily preaching that we should support the Harrisburg 7 and Berrigan who were facing prison
Sometimes you have to retreat to win. I will know when it is time to enter the fight again.
So many of the church leaders have gone to the enemy or have just gone neither hot nor cold as Jesus warned against.
Revelation 3:14-22 ESV / 300 helpful votes
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
That is our modern church.
My honest suggestion is to find one you can live with...fellowship is very important.
I looked. They do not exist around here.
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