Posted on 03/24/2020 5:23:08 PM PDT by ebb tide
ROME (ChurchMilitant.com) - Pope Francis is weighing in on one of the most troubling theological questions of all time: Does God bring about natural disasters and other trials to punish humans for their sins? His answer is "No."
Dr. Gavin Ashenden
But Mother Nature does.
In a Skype interview aired on Spanish television, Francis suggested the global pandemic is nature's response to man's ecological sins: "God always forgives. We forgive from time to time. Nature never forgives. Fires, earthquakes ... nature is kicking in so that we take care of nature."
Some analysts note that embedded within the pontiff's remarks are important teachings — and not all of them helpful. For example, despite the Pope's claim, it is not clear that God forgives as part of sinners' confession of — or at least contrite repentance for — past sins, coupled with a firm purpose to avoid these sins in the future.
Without these well-known Catholic parameters, the pope's claim, while comforting at first blush, ultimately fails. The claim would then be twin brother to Bp. Robert Barron's belief that all men have a reasonable hope of salvation.
Furthermore, Catholic theologian Dr. Gavin Ashenden — a convert from Anglicanism — told Church Militant recently that position risks "turning God into a 21st-century, non-judgmental therapist by claiming that he never chastises us."
Pointing to Romans chapter one, where divine punishment comes about as a result of apostasy from God due to idolatry and to inverted and perverted sexual behaviors, Ashendon says we are "making God into a therapeutic figure rather than a Father known in awe and received in mercy" and that "the former deepens our innate tendency to narcissism, a looking inwards, while the latter directs our gaze more properly beyond ourselves in a more authentic worship and a deepened penitence."
We also hear from Pope Francis that an entity called "Nature," controls the physical universe. This entity, which cares nothing for humanity, does have the capacity for anger and other negative emotions that it unleashes when it feels threatened by human actions. The belief in such superior powers has led humans to seek appeasement from these false powers and to worship them.
Your wickedness will chasten you, and your apostasy will reprove you.Tweet
Some of the pope's own bishops disagree with him.
Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca, Mexico says the coronavirus is God's way of stopping man from trying to be God. In his March 22 homily, Bp. Castro warned, "God is not talking, he is shouting."
As reported by Gloria.tv, the bishop pointed out:
The bishop stressed mankind's need to be humble before God, adding, "Hey, you are fragile, you are vulnerable. Neither your success, nor your money, nor your power are going to help you. Realize who you are. Do not play God."
Bishop Castro is not alone in his beliefs about the Chinese virus. Church Militant reported that Cdl. Gualtiero Bassetti, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, "has conceded that the ... pandemic may be interpreted as a chastisement we have brought upon ourselves by our evil and rebellion against God."
Bassetti quoted the first part of a verse from the prophet Jeremiah in an interview with leftwing Italian newspaper La Repubblica: "Your wickedness will chasten you, and your apostasy will reprove you" (2:19 RSV).
ROME (ChurchMilitant.com) - Pope Francis is weighing in on one of the most troubling theological questions of all time: Does God bring about natural disasters and other trials to punish humans for their sins? His answer is "No."
Dr. Gavin Ashenden
But Mother Nature does.
In a Skype interview aired on Spanish television, Francis suggested the global pandemic is nature's response to man's ecological sins: "God always forgives. We forgive from time to time. Nature never forgives. Fires, earthquakes ... nature is kicking in so that we take care of nature."
Some analysts note that embedded within the pontiff's remarks are important teachings — and not all of them helpful. For example, despite the Pope's claim, it is not clear that God forgives as part of sinners' confession of — or at least contrite repentance for — past sins, coupled with a firm purpose to avoid these sins in the future.
Without these well-known Catholic parameters, the pope's claim, while comforting at first blush, ultimately fails. The claim would then be twin brother to Bp. Robert Barron's belief that all men have a reasonable hope of salvation.
Furthermore, Catholic theologian Dr. Gavin Ashenden — a convert from Anglicanism — told Church Militant recently that position risks "turning God into a 21st-century, non-judgmental therapist by claiming that he never chastises us."
Pointing to Romans chapter one, where divine punishment comes about as a result of apostasy from God due to idolatry and to inverted and perverted sexual behaviors, Ashendon says we are "making God into a therapeutic figure rather than a Father known in awe and received in mercy" and that "the former deepens our innate tendency to narcissism, a looking inwards, while the latter directs our gaze more properly beyond ourselves in a more authentic worship and a deepened penitence."
We also hear from Pope Francis that an entity called "Nature," controls the physical universe. This entity, which cares nothing for humanity, does have the capacity for anger and other negative emotions that it unleashes when it feels threatened by human actions. The belief in such superior powers has led humans to seek appeasement from these false powers and to worship them.
Your wickedness will chasten you, and your apostasy will reprove you.Tweet
Some of the pope's own bishops disagree with him.
Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca, Mexico says the coronavirus is God's way of stopping man from trying to be God. In his March 22 homily, Bp. Castro warned, "God is not talking, he is shouting."
As reported by Gloria.tv, the bishop pointed out:
The bishop stressed mankind's need to be humble before God, adding, "Hey, you are fragile, you are vulnerable. Neither your success, nor your money, nor your power are going to help you. Realize who you are. Do not play God."
Bishop Castro is not alone in his beliefs about the Chinese virus. Church Militant reported that Cdl. Gualtiero Bassetti, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, "has conceded that the ... pandemic may be interpreted as a chastisement we have brought upon ourselves by our evil and rebellion against God."
Bassetti quoted the first part of a verse from the prophet Jeremiah in an interview with leftwing Italian newspaper La Repubblica: "Your wickedness will chasten you, and your apostasy will reprove you" (2:19 RSV).
A chastisement, perhaps, for a "pope" worshiping a false god in the Vatican Gardens and even in St. Peter's Basilica?
"Your wickedness will chasten you, and your apostasy will reprove you" (2:19 RSV).
Ping
This pope is the first pagan to occupy the position in a very long time.
The anitchrist speaks again.
This is the best the earth can do? Aids - no. Ebola - no. Black Death - no. Very bad flu strain - thats the ticket. Sniffles and Robitussin all around...kneel before your kleenex and know that mother nature has smitten you.
The Pacha Mama Amazon pope thinks nature is ticked off.
I remember when the Pope had to be Catholic.
As a former Catholic school student, altar boy, and teacher I would just like to say the pope is an idiot.
Focused on HIM?
Most of the world disagrees with him on a regular basis.
You are always a Catholic — just an inactive one. The time will arrive when you will come back.
Does God bring about natural disasters and other trials to punish humans for their sins? His answer is “No.”
When the Hell are Catholics going to get rid of this guy? He’s the Barack Obama of Catholicism.
It’s like Nero replaced Peter as Pope.
I believe the ImPopester is the Devil’s tool.
Possibly, but he’s still an idiot.
Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End.
Makes sense to me!
Guess he’s not a student of history regarding the early plagues in Greece in Roman times and later the Black Death and of current the Spanish flu.
“ You are always a Catholic — just an inactive one. The time will arrive when you will come back.”
No chance I’d trade knowing Christ and salvation, for a pagan system of religious works that can’t save.
Frankie needs to be more concerned about God’s wrath towards him for his unbelief and for worshiping false gods...
Meanwhile Jesus proved to us while He was here that God controls “nature”
Doesn’t Frankie read the Holy Bible ???
Has he never read that the LORD Jesus Christ commanded the waves and they were still and cursed a bush and it died ???
Has he never read that God created “nature”
It’s high time to get a new Pope.
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