Morning Thoughts Podcasts

Catholic and Protestant Debates

SOLA FIDE

WHAT DID GOD MEAN?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_5Mav3JHcY

Morning Thoughts-Millennials

New Morning Thoughts Podcasts

How Martin Luther tried to Changed the Way We Receive God's Revelation

Jesus Warnings in Matthew Eleven

Catholic and Protestant views of the Covenant

A Christian Woman's View of Sexual Harassment

Morning Thoughts with Teresa Beem Podcast

Surprise Ending! Podcast

A REVIEW: IN THE WOODS WITH DUCK DYNASTY'S PHIL ROBERTSON and CRTV

I have to ask, "what planet am I on?" when the public figures I agree with most are President Trump and Phil Robertson. This post is not about the president, therefore I will go on to Phil Robertson.

I hated Duck Dynasty with a passion. (Shudder)

Years ago, I was stuck in a hotel for a few days and there was nothing on even remotely worth watching, and there was a Duck Dynasty marathon going on and so I watched. I had to turn the revolting program off after about ten minutes. During the day, I kept checking back periodically in different episodes as to give the program a fair judgement and I decided that they were a bunch of rich, spoiled actors trying to make Christians look like backwater imbeciles. 

Fast forward to now. Since we already subscribe to CRTV because I like Mark Levin, I turned on their new program addition with great trepidation In the Woods with Phil Robertson. And I liked it. Besides closing my eyes as he cut off the heads of some ducks he was preparing to eat, I thought it was an okay show. In fact, after watching several episodes, I found myself verbally shouting accolades at his courage and wisdom. So I showed the program to my husband, knowing once he saw it that we would be watching regularly.

However, still, as I watch, I vascillate between thinking that he is an actor extraordinaire pretending to be wise paying some twenty-year-old show writer to flip through the pages of saints and G. K. Chesterton for monologue ideas or that he is a modern-day John the Baptist who is shaming all our Catholic bishops by his courage. I kinda want to believe the latter. But who knows? I keep up my emotional defenses against all public figures so I won't suck into believing they are who their publicists says they are and then be disappointed. (Thanks, Ronald Reagan...)

At the moment I will give In the Woods a thumbs-up and recommend the show. Actor or not, what he is saying is refreshing. And I will recommend getting a subscription to CRTV with two cautions. 

1) Mark Levin is a great source of information and is entertaining. However, he constantly refers to the Constitution as a sacred document, the Declaration of Independence a creed and makes the Founding Fathers saints. This is disturbing to a Christian. He has created a quasi-religion out of the United States and capitalism. Watch out. Patriotism is good, but this lavish, almost worshipful, reconstruction of our history tempts us to put our faith in the USA rather than God.

2) Louder with Crowder. Steven Crowder is the reason I took out the subscription to CRTV in the first place. He is smart. He could be right up there with Ben Shapiro or Matt Walsh on my list of brilliant young men, but Steven takes his vulgarity too far. Every time I think, "Okay, that was just that one show, maybe he has toned down the coarse talk and obscenities" I find that after a few minutes, God needs to cleanse my eyes and ears of the filth Crowder throws at his audience. So, I don't even watch his show anymore. And that is too bad because he seems like, underneath his scatological psychosis lies a profound thinker. He reminds me of Robin Williams. Yikes....

I kinda imagine Phil Robertson grabbing Steven Crowder wrestling him to the ground and washing his mouth out with some bitter, black coffee. (smile). Steven needs to spend some time out in the woods with Phil!

Having given those warning, I still would recommend CRTV. Well worth the ten dollars a month, especially now with Phil Robertson's In the Woods. 

I guess I am now on a planet so confused by wickedness that it has made Phil and I soulmates. Well, in this new world, Phil and I could work together, he could hunt down a fox as a fur collar for my coat. He could whittle me a duck call that plays Madame Butterfly. I am sure his wife, Miss... (can't remember her name) and I could have a lovely time in the kitchen cooking up something vegetarian.

But when we spoke of God and our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, you wouldn't know where this backwoods Protestant duck hunter and this city-dwelling, pumpkin-spice-coffee drinking, high-heel-wearing, Catholic woman would differ. We all become one in Christ! Hallelujah!  

REFORMATION DAY

Halloween, October 31, 1517-2017
500th Anniversary of the Reformation

When we were in Wittenberg and Worms a few years ago doing research for our novel trilogy, we saw that many areas were already preparing for the onslaught of Protestants making a pilgrimage to the Reformation hotspots today. The Protestant world was readying for that celebratory moment when they could shout that for half a millennium they were "free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty they are free at last" from the horrors of the wicked and corrupt Catholic Church. I don't write that with any malice or bitterness or even sarcasm. That is how many Protestants feel. I know. I have marched in the Reformation Day parades this day when I was a Protestant. 

Whether it be from theology and doctrine or from politics disagreements or from the leaders they feel do not have God's authority—Protestants do not like the Catholic Church and are glad there are churches they can attend that more fit their own beliefs.

But for most of Christianity today, for Protestants still remain a minority within Christianity, this is a great day of mourning. We see the Reformation as more of a great divorce that ripped the Body of Christ into little divisions of distrust and left the disaster of relativism in its wake. It is a day that we should be throwing ashes upon ourselves and sitting in sackcloth. Our family is broken. God's kingdom remains divided against itself against the pleading command of God to stay unified: 

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.. Rom. 12: 4-5 

 …With all wisdom and understanding, he mde known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1: 8-10

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Eph. 3: 6

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Eph. 4: 1-6

Why is unity SO important?

Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Eph. 4: 11-14 

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Eph. 4: 31-32

After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— Eph. 5: 29

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Colossians 3: 13-15

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. I Cor. 1: 10

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. I Cor. 10:17 

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. …As it is, there are many parts, but one body. I Cor. 12:12, 20

so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. I Cor. 12: 25-27

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17: 20-23

Let us not, this Reformation day, celebrate the divisions in the Body of Christ. Let us instead grieve and pray for ways of healing those divisions. And it is possible if we act in faith. For God said to unify, an we must do it even if we don't want to.

First step is to put down our swords of defensiveness. Our enemy is not those who take the name of Christ. The Bible clearly identifies the enemy of Christ as those dark powers and principalities of the unseen… the devil and his fallen angels. For Christians who may disagree with us theologically or are simply bad people, we should not see as our enemies, but see them through the eyes of Christ. They are who He died to save. It's okay to love people who are wrong. It's okay to love people who are evil. God is big enough to handle the bad Christians. Pray for them. Do not hate them.

Secondly, listen with your hearts to other Christians who disagree with you. You may find that most often, you actually agree, but just have different ways you express something. Listening is an art that we have lost today. Listen without judgment.

Thirdly, do not fear. For pride and fear are the biggest hurdles we must overcome in order to follow Christ's command to unify. And I am not saying we are going to become one big happy denomination. That is not what I am saying at all. What I am saying is the first step towards unity is to love each other and believe that no matter what it may appear, God is in control and He will bring us all into truth. He said that bringing us into all truth was the job of the Holy Spirit. We can trust the Holy Spirit. What we need to do is act in faith that God will protect His people.

Five hundred years of disobedience, divisions and heart-rendering disunity. We can change this. Begin on our knees in asking God for forgiveness for His Body being torn apart. Let's begin the healing today. 

Nearer My God to Thee by Teresa Beem

St. Peter tells us to be ready always to give an "apologia" (a defense as in a courtroom or debate) to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you." (I Peter 3: 15) I think the chief of Apostles was careful not to say, "Go around giving your testimony to everyone." I am wondering if it wasn't because a person's reason for believing—their connection with God—is holy. And though new Christians can be so excited to give their testimony, there needs to be great care in preventing casualness (or vanity) in speaking of holy things. Taking the precious name of the Lord on our lips is to be done only with the greatest of care, in humble adoration. (See second commandment.)

When the Holy Spirit prompts someone to ask for your testimony, it is then they are able to receive it. Lately, I have had repeated invitations to speak of such holy things. So, I will pray that His name will be glorified as I respond to these requests.

This is in no way to demean other people's experience with God. God, in His love, specifically tailors His relationship with each of us. Your experience will not look like mine nor should it nor should our experiences be compared. There is no such thing as equality of faith. There is just the infinite. And that is unmeasurable.

My heart yearns to go into my beautiful Catholic Church and sit as a little soul amongst its exquisite wonder. The sanctuary of God speaks from every corner and from the heights that God is mysteriously other and God is good. While the mass with the Body of Christ is the highest form of worship, I especially love to wander in when it is empty, sit on the bench near the front and allow my ears to absorb the sublime silence. And yet, I can feel the echo of the grandness of the House of Prayer and feel the joy of our intimate meeting. I experience the nearer, My God, to thee. 

Then I kneel. I do not kneel out of habit or form. I kneel because I know that in that humble position, I am more able to climb the mountain of prayer. For me, prayer is not easy. It is a struggle with God, a struggle not to get but to give up—to die daily. For it is in prayer that we fight the battle of self and our desire to be God.

First and foremost, I ask for forgiveness and for His mercy. For I know how evil is man and how dark, blind and stupid is man's soul. I know I am but dust and no matter how I feel, I know that He can see past my oblivion to my own sin. His holiness would destroy me if I came before Him with my petitions without His cleansing forgiveness. Then I begin my prayers.

Often I am sorely tempted to give up on prayer too soon. Not that blessings do not fall at each step, but I have come to  understand that I must exhaust self in this the long trek of prayer.  And through His grace, I reach the summit of "not my will but Thine." At the top of the mountain the struggles of faith and the worries of life shatter and a refreshing time of peace and joy awaits.

And as I pray, in my blessed church I cast my eyes up upon the Cross and feel like St. Paul, "I am determined to know nothing but Christ and Him Crucified."

The Cross. The Cross. The Cross from whence pours down His love. This terrible scene of awe. This miraculous wonder of God and His agony lets me see into His heart. For His flesh was torn so that we may receive His sacred heart.

As I lift up those God has given to me to pray for—my precious daughters, Ellie and Becky, the newest additions to my children I offer them to Christ as I have done for my children since they were still unseen within me, that His blessings and protection and love will pour upon them. I offer up my beautiful mother and my cousin Sandra, my darling Carrie and her two amazing daughters, Maeby and June. Brenden and Uncle JT and the Dexters and Lori Jamison and her daughters and especially Zack and Jacob as they fight for our security. Each person, one by one—all my relatives and friends and even my enemies— I lift up and see the glorious grace pouring down in the sacred blood and water from His wounded side. I know each soul is being healed from the devastation of sin and I pray temptation will remain far from us. 

I repeat over and over, "Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us."

From the Cross, I see His miraculous love. It is through this hard view of Divine sacrifice that the most pure and holy love is understood. For His love was unbridled, passionate, courageous and active. His love was not given by degrees but poured out without measure to us.

Then when I am done with my numerous petitions, I begin adoration. My mind fills itself with Him and I become lost, not knowing where I end and He begins. It is through adoration we enter heaven and because I go often to the worship of mass-- I know as the Bride--when I enter in a more intimate way to the King, he will hold out his scepter to me and my adoration will be accepted. For I know He loves me.

Then, as a new enlivened soul, I step out of this sanctuary, I am prepared for the battle— the battle of bringing the sacrifice of the Cross to each human I encounter. The battle of being Christ to all I see and seeing Christ in all I encounter.

And I know my enemy is going to try and break me. He wants me, rather than offer myself up for others as Christ did, to become petty and small-hearted and judgmental. The dark principalities desires me to see with an eye to criticize others and will tempt me to fall back into selfishness, to protect my own ego and demand no one offend or hurt me. The devil will do anything to keep me from being humble and self-sacrificing.

Yet I am fortified with Christ's grace and when I fall, I know all that is needed is for me to repent and He brings me back to the graces that were given to me in His House. His glory and grace are there inside me changing me into His image. And I become more and more that Cross which I behold.

And I know that God and His gospel of the Kingdom is good.

JOHN BRADSHAW and SDA ABORTION

MARK FINLEY and ABORTION in the Seventh-day Adventist

WHAT IS LOVE?

God IS love.

God does not possess love like it is something other—something outside Himself. God did not create love, as if it is material. Nor is it ours to grasp. 

Love is freely given to every living creature on earth that they may fulfill their purpose in glorifying God. Humans are the only creatures that can choose to love or choose not to love.

When we want to understand love, when we want to be loving, we go to God. There is no other source of love than God Himself. All love we see in the world finds its source in the Creator. Each act of kindness, each patient word, each sacrifice for another has an unseen and often unrecognized mover. God is glorified in each selfless act, no matter who gets earthly credit. He is pleased when humans show they are made in His image by even the tiniest acts of self-giving. Each glimmer of goodness reflects back to He-who-is-good.

We often mistake love for comfortable, emotional sentimentality—a feeling that warms and soothes us. Yet love is so much bigger than that. While love is feeling—in the present moment—the distant shores of a peaceful land, love does not allow us to sleep and dream too long. Love abruptly awakens us and gives us supernatural power to stand and fight today’s battles of pride, selfishness and lethargy.

Do not fear love. Often we substitute pleasure for love because love can be more painful to receive than to give. Love tells us who we are, and the natural man does not want to know who he is. For the infinite meaning of who we are to God is unbearable without His grace sustaining us. As that knowledge of love is unfolded to us, as we enter the holiness of love, we often long to cling to our wretched view of ourselves. And we retreat back into fear. For, Love stretches us to our full height as it embraces us.

Love is a daily, hourly, and by the minute letting go of fear. The fear that we will not get our way.  The fear of loss of control. For love freely gives control to God knowing that “though He slay me, yet will I serve Him.” It is the mystery of faith that as we pour ourself out as a sacrifice for others, that Christ’s grace will continually flow through us so we do not dry up.

Love is liberating. Our choice to give ourselves over to loving God and others opens up more and more freedoms. While choosing to refuse to love will eventually restrict us. Because--sin does not knock when it enters. Sin does not ask our permission, nor announce what he is doing. Sin takes advantage and creeps in, enslaving us to our indifference and hate. 

Love understands that sin is man’s greatest enemy and always picks up the sword to fight with and for the sinner—not against him. Sin cannot endure love and when sin is convinced love will win, it flees.

Love never blocks another's way to heaven.

The Christian journey is a series of learning to prostrate ourselves before Love. For love is demanding. It does not allow us to think ourselves better than others. It molds us into a perfection of patience and kindness. It teaches us to look upon the terrible struggles of sin in others and never judge the outcome, for love never gives up hope that God will win in every soul.

The more we love, the less we sin. It is the definition of how love works. For as we behold the very source of all life and love, we are changed into His image.

The Catholic Church has helped me see through the eyes of Christ, which are the eyes of love. I could never have seen unless He healed me of my great blindness. I never even knew I was blind, until He gave me sight. 

WHY SOME CATHOLICS CALL SUNDAY "SABBATH"

Let me begin by saying, the Sabbath issue is basically a non-issue for everyone but Seventh-day 

Adventists. To take the time to explain the theology of the Lord's Day and the Sabbath day is about as important to Christians as debating who wrote the book of Hebrews--was it St. Paul or Apollos or Barnabas? People simply don't care, so this is why the Catholic Church doesn't address this mistake of many Catholics calling Sunday "the Sabbath." When you are in battle against Satan, and families are being torn apart, the last thing you are worried about is whether your socks match. And that is the importance to Catholics about this subject.

But I will give a very brief and incomplete history of how this Sunday "sabbath" issue grew up in America and why Seventh-day Adventists can find a whole slew of writings they quote in their literature that back up Catholics calling Sunday, "the Sabbath."

First, through the centuries, scholars--all theologians--have seen the similarities in holy days. There are similarities in the high holy days that occur once a year in Lev. 23 to the sabbath that occur weekly. In fact, the Passover was called a "sabbath" just as the 7th day was called a Sabbath, though they were not commemorating the same event. The Passover was a holy day just as the seventh-day was a holy day, but they were very different in that one pointed to the Promised Land and the other pointed to Creation. We have holidays in America and are free to call Christmas a holy day and somehow that is not confused with Easter. It's similar to the way Catholic theology treats the Lord's Day and Sabbath.

Okay... so, understanding this, I jump to 19th century United States.

America had been very anti-catholic. Many early colonies did now allow Catholics to live there. The KKK's targets were both blacks and Catholics. The Catholic Church was attempting to survive by proving to Protestants we were not the great evil thing it was being portrayed as. Public and private debates erupted.

There seemed to be one point upon which the Protestants could not answer the Catholics. Catholics asked them why Protestants went to church on Sunday when there was nothing explicit in scripture that commands Christians to worship on Sunday. It was their "gotcha" moment in all exchanges. The point was that Protestants unknowingly accepted the authority of the Catholic Church by going to church on Sunday. To this day, the same argument is used by Catholics to Protestants who deny that the Catholic Church has authority. Why do you go to church on Sunday? 

...... crickets......

Because the Catholic Church sees similarities in the Lord's Day and the holy seventh-day of the commandments, Catholics are free to use those similarities.

However, the Catholic Church never changed the Sabbath to Sunday. Sunday is the Lord's Day. It is the first day and the eighth day---it is not the seventh day. If one goes to Rome, one will hear anyone speaking Italian or Latin refer to the first day of the week as "The Lord's Day" and the seventh day of the week as "The Sabbath." There is not a transference. Sunday gets its holiness from being the great day of the Son of God gave His life to save the world. Sunday doesn't need to borrow its holiness from Sabbath. Indeed Sabbath derives its holiness because it foreshadowed the holiest day of all time.... the day heaven and earth met in a cosmic battle for our souls. And there was never a doubt as to who would win. Jesus won. And each Sunday we are celebrating that.

The sabbath was just like John the Baptist when he said something similar to, "I must grow lesser that Jesus may grow greater."

American Catholics have used the Sabbath/Sunday as a survival issue so that the could end the attacks on Catholics. They just have never taken the time to explain the theological nuances of the Lord's Day. And that has caused untold misunderstandings with Adventists.

PRO-LIFE ANDREW YEAH!!

A WAY OF FINDING TRUTH

After we left the Seventh-day Adventist church in 2001, I began an online support group for former Adventists. I considered it my ministry. I saw this ministry as a hospital for the war wounded. That is not a criticism of Adventists at all. Anytime a person makes such a large change in belief it it can be traumatic for themselves as well as their families.

Most Adventists became former Adventists because they had been raised to believe that they had the truth. Adventists alone not just had the truth but lived the truth by going to church on the seventh day of the week. They had a prophetess, Ellen White, who supposedly explained the Bible and they have a Bible, the Clear Word, that clarifies scripture by translating it in accordance with Ellen White's writings.

The SDA church emphasized the Sabbath-truth to evangelize other Christians into our denomination. They preached that a true Christian must have the courage to join the remnant church even against the wishes of their family. Fiery Revelation Seminar speakers would plead for souls to have the faith to quit jobs that make one work on the Sabbath day, suffer financial depravation and humiliation and even, in the soon-coming last-days, be martyred for their faith in the Adventist message.

SDA church school teachers read mission stories during Bible class about distant villages learning the Three Angels' Message. A few children would desire to become SDA, but their parents would be so against it that they would threaten their children's lives if they believed the missionaries. Upon being lifted out of the baptismal waters, these brave parent-defying children, were shot and killed by their fathers. And one day, we SDA children would also be called upon to die for the Sabbath truth. And many of us sincerely prepared our hearts to live and die for Jesus by never, ever giving up the truth.

Adventist children were primed to be willing to follow truth no matter what, and later many would give all to follow truth if they found it outside Adventism. So the majority of former Adventists who joined our group, did so because they no longer believed the SDA church had truth and in fact, taught false doctrines.

On the other hand, there are always people who leave a denomination because they were hurt by someone in the church and it had nothing to do with truth. Our Former Adventist group had many people purging years of hurt, anger or bitterness and our Facebook page allowed them to criticize Adventism. I prayed each day for these souls that they would heal and learn that there is joy reaching out for them from heaven. I believed truth would set them free from pain.

But thank God, many former Adventists were not bitter at all and had happily moved forward to finding truth in other Protestant, Messianic, Orthodox or Catholic churches. I appreciated these formers joining with us as witnesses to others that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Soon we had hundreds of people join, then a thousand and several hundred more.

However, the nature of Facebook is that anyone can come on to a group and many of those who came were Seventh-day Adventists, hurt, angry and bitter that there was even a Facebook page they felt was against their church. Unfortunately, they were right. When former Adventists got together to talk things out, it was anti-Adventist by its very nature. Disagreements and debates broke out about how one read the scriptures. It was a battle of truth interpretations.

As the administrator of the group, I felt it necessary to ask the Adventists to leave because our corporate scrutiny of truth confused and offended them. This was their beloved church, they would naturally see us as being hateful by pointing out how the SDA doctrine was not correct. Then, many former Adventists pled with me to allow the debates to continue because it was helping them heal. Many of them did not have the time to sit down and figure out just what was wrong with Adventism and these debates clarified it.

So I allowed it. And mostly I was the main person debating the Adventists. I hated it and it grieved me because I knew something was wrong with Christians battling each other—competing over who had the truth. We could hurt each other, dismiss each other, judge each other, abuse and desert each other if truth was at stake. Above all, individual Christians had to protect "truth" because we evidently thought God was unable to do it, or at least we thought God had given each of us a special duty to protect truth. We all wanted to be the bold and faithful Martin Luther standing against the world to defend God's truth.

It took a huge toll on my health. If you think that is an exaggeration, please contact my husband and children. I sincerely didn't know what to do because I was seeing great fruit from our ministry, but also I was daily witnessing and being a part of an online battle that left a few even more wounded. Something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Then after becoming Catholic, I was speaking to a priest about our online former Adventist ministry. Without knowing much, he was concerned and
said I needed to quit any ministry that did not bring Christians together in unity and love.

WHAT? My heart sped up in panic as I pondered his words. Did the priest not realize that the entire "ministry" of Adventism is to break apart the bonds of Christian unity by drawing Christians from their churches into the SDA church? The entire raison d'etre for Adventism was to give the Third Angels' Message—the Adventist gospel to the world— that everyone should recognize Catholicism and every other Protestant denomination on the planet was apostate. They believe that anyone going to church on Sunday would one day wear the demonic sign of 666 and be lost. By its very definition, Adventism was unloving and divisive. I argued with the priest in my head, "Didn't former Adventists deserve a safe space?"

After seven years, I closed out my former Adventist Facebook, being obedient to the priest and knowing that if the priest was wrong, then the Lord would raise up another person to continue the ministry.

As I reflect back, I know the priest was right. It has taken me lots of soul searching and prayer, but I have come to a conclusion that is easily going to be misunderstood. Therefore, I beg your patience as I struggle to explain why I believe the priest was correct.

SOLA VERITAS

Many Christians have placed the cart before the horse. Many Protestants have focused exclusively on truth. Every aspect of Christianity—why we join a particular church, how we judge other Christians, how we behave—is measured only by truth. It is the reason we separate from other Christians and other churches. We divide over what we believe is correct doctrine. As if correct theology is the standard by which Christ judges us. Because of this standard, many Protestants believe that Catholics and Mormons and Adventists do not have truth, therefore, they cannot consider them Christians. Many Catholics do the same.

Hmmm, what if…. what if we began to change our way of thinking. What if we began assessing other Christian denominations not only by their truth, but also by their love? How many Christians would stand up against that measurement? While I absolutely, please sincerely understand me when I write, I do not in anyway shape or form believe we should bend to something that is not true, I do think truth is essential. However, maybe we are looking at this wrongly.

I would like to adjust a famous statement by St. Anslem of Canterbury who wrote: “For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand.”

What if we replaced the idea of truth for understanding and faith community for belief.  The statement would then read, "I do not seek truth that I may join a church, but I join a church in order to have truth." Boy that is a scary thought for Protestants. It makes my body shiver all the way down in fright. That is so contrary and almost downright blasphemous to even think. Are Christians just supposed to be zombies—blindly following any church? If so then no one would ever leave Adventism! I know that makes no sense.

However…. let us take a moment to think about it. I am not asking in any way to give up truth. I am saying that perhaps, we cannot reach truth by simply, individually seeking it. What if Christ purposefully created humans dependent upon each other to see things correctly.  And what if God purposefully placed truth in a position that it took Christians together in community to discover it. Like each of us was looking at a small pinpoint through a fence describing and elephant standing right next to the fence. If we each describe the part we can see, we can put the pieces together to see the whole picture. The fullness of faith in found in God's community.

And this is through the supernatural gift of God's vision for each of us. For no matter how brilliant an individual is, understanding is given to us by faith and through God's grace.

The nature of truth is that it is found within unity in Christ and cannot be found outside of this unity.

The Problem of Sola Veritas

I noticed through the years that when Christians begin discussing "truth" we tend to put on our mental armor and pull out our weapons. Instead of reveling in the holy pursuit of truth, we draw back in defensive self protection because any "truth" that contradicts ours causes us to panic feeling a direct hit upon our souls. It is an existential threat, because we are our beliefs. They are our identity and disagreement feels like an arrogant aggression. Truth seems to attack. The problem is that all of us are wrong about some belief.

Because of this perhaps truth should never to be our front line of evangelization. And that is what it has become.

Let's go to scripture to test my theory. The saint and apostle who wrote most of the New Testament and who Protestants claim is the greatest expositor of faith, also wrote the following:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  …And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Perhaps this should be our map to evangelization rather than sola veritas or riding into a conversation making truth the most important of all things to give to an unbeliever. Maybe we should first give them Christ's love. Perhaps only after we are known by our patience, kindness rather than our knowledge, perhaps it is only after they know that we are not proud, but that we respect them, that we are not angry or keeping records of wrong that they will listen to our truth. Perhaps after they know we are perseveringly there for them, to protect them—trust them, then their hearts and minds will be open to hearing our truth. And isn't that the point? We want them to know truth, right? Let us bring it to them as Christ did, we must be with them, healing their sickness, casting out the demons that torment their life. Love should always soften the beaches first, for if we do not have love. NO matter how right we are….

WE HAVE NOTHING. 

Truth is not the purest form of the Cross, love is.

Please don't misunderstand. I am not saying we must say truth nicely. Love is not how sweet the wording. I am saying, first be loving. They need to see how you respect them and understand them to the point that you are willing to sacrifice what you need or want for them. In fact, you need to show them that you love them like Christ first.

And love is not a means to an end. What devastation a Christian will reek in the name of Christ if we are good to people for the purpose of evangelizing them.  That will cause people to hate Christ because Christians use love to insinuate into their lives to manipulate them. 

St. Paul said love is greater than truth. So truth is not the point. Love is. If all we ever do is show them Christ's love and we never get to teaching them truth, that is enough. Because of we bring them to Christ, He is truth. And we can trust Him.

That is what I learned from the priest.

We were arguing truth on Former Adventist Facebook. We had put the cart before the horse. And I realized as I spoke with both sides, the Adventists there were wrong, and we were wrong. Healing will not come through a battle of truths, healing will come through love. And once healing is underway, truth will come in a surprisingly easy way. For only when our hearts are opened, can our minds be reached. 

ROOTS OF MODERN FEMINISM

This is just WOW!! You go girls!

SELF EVIDENT TRUTHS, THE NATURAL LAW AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

I am doing some research and at this point I don't know who or where to continue researching for answers. (Scholars who might have the answers are too busy to answer my emails--evidently.) 

Anyone who knows anything about this or knows of a book or class to recommend, let me know. 

My questions: 

1) The American Founding Fathers stated that some things are "self-evident." Would that mean that self-evident principles are self-evident to all cultures and peoples for all time? 

2) How do "self-evident" propositions compare to the Natural Law? Would the Founding Fathers believe they are the same? Are they basically the same? Or are they very different and why?

3) Would the Ten Commandments fall under laws that are "self-evident" or the Natural Law? Why or why not? 

LONGING TO SEE WHAT YOU SEE

Since my life-altering car accident in 1997, I have had the time-luxury of immersing myself in history and Christian philosophy. I have encountered such fascinating figures as Homer, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero; Cicero being my favorite so far.

These great men of old seemed to have had an ancient, unified cry-of-the-heart for truth. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Cicero's writings to his son, Socrates and Platos writings were profound attempts to solve the same cosmic questions of: "What is goodness?" "What is virtue and heroism?" 

Only lately have I been able to discern, from my considerable historical distance, that these men did not ask these questions as we do today. They were not being wistfully romantic or sentimental. This was a raw, existential quest to make sense of what many saw as a meaningless, hopeless life.

While they had the oracles, these philosophers' search for truth was not settled in any satisfying way by the Greco-Roman gods. Their gods were like humans: fallible, capricious, narcissistic, blaming others for their mistakes. Zeus gave men little truth or hope. All seemed chaotic and unfathomable to the ancients. Therefore these thinkers—their time, their energy and their very lives were poured out in search of the meaning of life and death. What does it mean to be human? 

We get a glimpse of this heart-rendering nihilism that had befallen the world in the question of Pilate to Jesus, "What is truth?" (John 18:38)

This encounter with the ancients has made me realize that Christ did not come into the world simply to solve the problems of the afterlife. He came as the answer to the unending fount of questions for those living during the millennia before Him. The Messiah was the answer for the world's questions. His authentic heroism stood in stark contrast to Achilles and Odysseus. His life gave meaning to existence. With His incarnation, death and resurrection, Jesus answered the heart-cry of the ancients of what is good and virtuous.

For two thousand years, we have lived within the grand framework of The Answer. Christendom built an entire civilization upon the values and teachings of Jesus. Western civilization has flourished in the rich Christian soil for so long it taints our view of history. We study the ancient struggle for truth with an entertaining romanticism. For we have the light of Christ so brilliantly surrounding us that we take it for granted and often close our eyes to truth when it makes us uncomfortable. We no longer understand the desperate struggle for meaning pre-Christ and can be presumptuous about living in the era of the answer.

Our culture celebrates our political freedom on July 4, Veteran's day, Memorial Day with mindless festivities and gluttony, forgetting that our freedoms were paid for with the incalculable sacrifices of our young men. So, too, do we bask in these days of eternal answers, made so clear by Christ, that we are no longer aware that questions--real, heartfelt questions of why--ever existed. In fact, our post-Christ, comfortable peace has entertained us into a stupor where asking such philosophical questions is considered a bore. 

Or much worse. Those who rejected The Answer fall back into the same nihilistic question of Pilate. 

Thinking themselves kindred spirits to the noble Socrates, many modern intellectuals dismiss two-thousand years of light, assuming that the philosophers of old would reject the Cross. They waste away formulating new, irrational answers to their unending existential inquiries. Yet, there is nothing similar in those who die of starvation searching for bread during a famine and those who die of starvation ignoring a banquet around them. 

Christians live and move and breathe within the living bread and the banquet of God. It is unconscionable for us who have tasted that God is good and have been nourished by Christendom to not cherish our preeminent position in time. 

Jesus has a warning for us today, "Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." (Matt. 13:17)

Christians have the incredible honor of living after many of the great mysteries have been revealed, having been born into or chosen to walk into the Kingdom of God. The Answer should permeate everything we think and do with eternal awe and gratitude.

Is Your Religion Making You More Like Christ?

(This is written for Christian audiences who have already given their hearts to Christ and are saved (in Protestant lingo) and baptized (for Catholics.)

Some Christian denominations stress what you do (commandment-keeping or acts of charity) and other churches stress what you think and believe. Some denominations teach that prayer and Bible study are the most important things you can do strengthen your relationship with Christ. Other churches stress that if you want a closer relationship to Christ, then obey Him in: helping the poor, visiting the sick and imprisoned, giving offerings, fasting, confession and repentance, evangelization and missions.

All of these are good things. But when you do them, are they making you good? Are the things you do and think actually making you more like Christ? Really ponder this. Is your religion making you love like Christ?

If God is love, then your religion should be taking away your pride, arrogance, anger, selfishness, greed, laziness.Your faith should be bringing you into closer contact with His holiness and that affects you.

Is your religion transforming you into His love?

St. Paul writes to the people in Corinth in chapter 13 first about the importance of "agape" (charity). He lists all the supernatural fruits of the spirit: tongues, prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, and faith. However, he writes that without love all of these are NOTHING. He emphasizes this admonition with—if you give away all your possessions and give your body to be burned, without out love…you gain nothing! Ouch!

Love is even greater than faith! And if faith can save you, what amazing things can love do? What is this vital thing called love? St. Paul defines "agape" (charity/love) in the next few verses:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. …And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Ask yourself again: Is your religion giving you the graces to be patient, kind, humble, to not anger easily nor hold onto wrongs and grudges? Does your religion help you to delight in truth and protect, trust, hope and persevere?

Is your religion opening your ears and eyes and bringing you out of the stupor of sin? Is it giving you the strength and courage to humbly serve others? Is your religion lifting you out of the crippling disfunction of me-ism and calming that desire to be better than others?

I am not bashing religion at all. Because the word "religion" comes from the same root word as "ligament," religion is supposed to help us shed the shackles of enslavement to sin and make us holy enough to stand in the brilliance of Pure Love. Our belief system, our church attendance, our Bible study and prayer times are supposed to re-align and reconnect us with God. Commandments are for the purpose of helping us to be like Christ.

If what you do is not transforming you into the image of Christ and opening up your heart to both giving and receiving love, something is wrong. It may be your specific denomination, but probably it is something inside you. Perhaps you are not understanding the purpose of religion.

When I was young, my mother told me that manners were not to make one feel they are above others who do not have manners, but manners were developed carefully over time to show respect for others. If we become arrogant or resentful because we are more mannerly than those around us, we have reversed the entire reason manners were developed. Manners are unselfish acts of kindness towards others.

This is the same thing with religious rules and traditions. Commandments are to help us learn love. Prayers and fasting, Bible study, works of mercy and charity are to strip us of our pride and self-centeredness and help us to be patient and kind. Rules and works are to give us God's noble character so that we may stand before a holy God for all eternity.

Religion is to make us love like God loves.

If your faith does not do this for you, do not give up keeping Christ's New Covenant commandments, do not stop prayer and Bible study, do not stop acts of mercy and charity. Rather, rethink your motivation and attitude. Go to God and ask for His grace to change your heart. Pray that He will shower you with gratitude and praise for Him, pray that your eyes will be opened to see how much He loves you and that you may see others through His loving eyes.

Pray for radical transformation of your heart that the barriers of sin in your life will fall so that you can experience the overwhelming joy of His love and you then can overflow His love to others.

For that is what religion is all about.

A Place of Peace

 
Yesterday in mass, an Asian woman sat behind me. She had a tattoo sleeve. Next to her sat her very white husband with their small children. Nearby sat a gay friend and a black family. As my gaze wandered around, I saw the world in our church; every skin color, gender, age, sexual orientation, race, political affiliation. The
differences were striking--young people wearing traditional church clothing, even a few women with chapel veils. There were also young people with clothing that looked as if they were at the beach, people with sundry piercings, people with large families, single people, the aged in wheelchairs and the babies making baby noises that echoed against the tall ceiling. There were the stooped over and handicapped, those with down syndrome and there were tall, strong and beautiful worshipers who looked like they should be on a magazine cover. 

What drew us here this morning to this unity, was that we all know we are sinners in need of the mercy of Christ. 

All those who came had given up something to be here whether it was a child's sports game, watching political talking heads on television, a game of golf or simply sleeping in and relaxing. Jesus was their priority. And they came.

The homily was difficult to hear because it was about the violence in Charlottesville so close to our own parish. The priest spoke about the sin of racism and hate that will tear our nation apart.

When the priest finished speaking, everyone in unison stood and prayed, next we knelt and prayed, afterward we sang: together, united.

Then a sacred hush fell across the church. There was no shuffling of clothing or feet, not a whisper or whimper from a child could be heard. Against this total silence, the parishioners' voices were lifted to the Cross of Christ:

Agnus Dei by Samuel Barber

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world. Have

mercy on us. 

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us.  

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world. Grant us peace. 

Those words reverberated tenderly across the church.

Grant us peace. 

I thought how wonderful it would be if the media could flash this exquisite scene of peace across the world. This peace between races, ethnic groups, gender, age, differing political groups. If only every eye and every ear could see what I was experiencing this morning.

Each soul then quietly went down the aisle to receive the Eucharist. I realized then that it will only be through the Body and Blood of Christ, His eternal sacrifice on the Cross that we will all receive His mercy and be reconciled--through Him, Christ.

And here, this morning, I got a taste of eternity. A blessed moment of real peace. And only through Him.

Launching our website!

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MISSION AMBRO

Steven Crowder Invites Catholics to Try and Convert Him.

Yesterday, I bought a subscription to crtv.com  to watch the discussion between Steven Crowder and Michael Voris about the Catholic Church. Here's the link at: #convertCrowderday (#191 Catholicism vs. Protestantism). At this point, you will have to subscribe $10 per month to watch it. 

My thoughts on the discussion:

Firstly, it took me eight years of open-hearted, open-minded prayers and research to convert to Catholicism, so to think a quick two-hour dialogue that wanders all over the map will be able to explain Catholicism is ridiculous. I am not assuming Crowder or Voris expected that would happen, but I have encountered many Protestants who think that if Catholics are not totally convincing with a few theological soundbites, then game over--Catholicism is wrong. That is unrealistic. 

So, while both Voris and Crowder realize no one will be converting, for theological addicts like myself, this exchange does make for interesting television.  

The First 300 Years

Almost immediately the two started debating the early church. Before I make a couple observations, I want to remind Michael Voris that I wrote him years ago about putting together a series on Church Militant TV dealing with the Catholicity of the first three hundred years of Christianity, pre-Constantine and pre-Bible. Simon Rafe answered that Michael will get right on it!

Crowder's concept of the pristine early church is not unique. Often Protestants believe they are linking themselves directly back to the early church with their doctrines and practices. They are returning to a time before the Church corrupted the faith with things like the real presence of the Eucharist, the honor of Mary, praying to the saints, etc.

Catholics need to prove that in the three centuries before the Bible was put together, the church was united in its belief on the Eucharist, the primacy of the bishops, and doctrines and practices the world today considers Catholic. The early church is nothing like Protestants romanticize it to be. If Protestants really want to return to the pure, early church, we need to show them just what it looked like. We need the evidence out there. Maybe Church Militant will get that series out! 

Now to my two points how to clearly show the differences in Catholicism and Protestantism.

The Truth that Binds  

Protestants unite behind what they believe is truth. Its organizational structure is more akin to a political party in that ideas bind them together. A Protestant church forms around some person's interpretation of the Bible and those who agree with that person's interpretation. So, theology, correct theology, is of utmost importance to Protestants because it is through correct information that they are linked with God and each other.

Through theological positions, one is judged saved or unsaved, a believer or non-believer. If a Christian gets theology wrong, Protestants (who think they have accurate information about God) are obligated to divide with those who cling to falsehood. Because rightness cannot mix with wrongness.... Doctrine  is the glue holding a Protestant denomination together and doctrine is the reason denominations break apart.

While Catholics absolutely believe truth/doctinre is vital, it is not the reason the Catholic Church is united. If the Bible or the Church were to be proven absolutely fallible and in error, Catholicism would still maintain its course. Protestantism would utterly fall because, through scripture Protestants know truth and true truth connects them to God. 

Catholicism isn't wholly dependent upon truth nor scripture. Catholicism unites under family ties. We believe Christ began His family kingdom. 

Christ entrusted His doctrines and scripture to His family. The family structure was formed first, then His truths were given to them. You do not arrive at God through correct doctrine, but through a correct relationship to God's family. 

The different between these worldviews may not seem great, but it is vital in understanding both Catholicism and Protestantism.

Catholics become family through baptism (most often baby baptism where no theology is yet understood). We call Mary our mother, nuns our sisters, monks our brothers and of course priests, our fathers. Through the blood of Christ in the eucharist, Catholics take the kinship of believers very literally. 

For Catholics, it is not an information connection with God but a family one. That is why Catholics can be radical left and radical right on "truths" and still maintain united in their church. Because if Christ is the way, the truth and the life then truth is not found outside Christ. It is our relationship with Him that brings us into truth, not our relationship with truth that brings us to Christ. 

This fundamental worldview difference is clear when Steven Crowder cites Catholic theological divisions and sees these differences as similar to Protestant denominations. Crowder can't understand why Catholics don't simply kick out bad priests and bishops. Within a Protestant worldview--if leaders no longer agree with the church on doctrine, then these rogue theologians need to be fired or be kicked out--anathematized. 

A Protestant church is able to fire an adulterous or thieving pastor. But in the Catholic system, you can't fire an uncle or brother, the blood connection doesn't allow for simply walking away. Our spiritual familial connection obliges us to take responsibility for even the most horrific pedophile priest. The Catholic Church must not discard even the worst among us. (Even if it is imperative that we don't allow rogue priests and bishops to continue leading people astray. If the problem is not legal, we simply put them in a monastery and tell them to be quiet. We don't fire them.)

Catholic divisions are like a fighting family whereas Protestants divisions are like a divorced family or more precisely, a business. 

There may be Catholics standing in a corner speaking with utmost vitriol about an uncle or aunt they may vehemently disagree on doctrines, but when the family is called together for dinner, we all sit at the same table. Protestant divisions are more permanent because their theological differences often cause someone to leave the family and start a new one with a new table. Catholic divisions are just as pronounced, but a Catholic--a real Catholic--goes to mass. The Catholic model is spiritual genetics, our basis for uniting isn't truth, but Christ's Body and Blood. (And I can assure you that many Catholics deeply wish the church could just fire a bad pope or cowardly bishops!)

The Invisible Bride

Protestants and Catholics agree that God's church is His Bride. Yet, Protestants believe that the connection of Bride and Groom is in the heart of the believer and is not specifically organizational. Though Luther did not agree with this, America is mainly a nation of Calvinist theological roots. And John Calvin taught that the church is invisible. 

Catholics highly disagree. Imagine a man with an invisible bride and anyone who claims to be the man's bride through some experiential connection with him is welcome in his bed. I know I wouldn't want to marry a man under those conditions. I, Teresa, am a visible bride to my husband. And Catholics believe that Christ wants His Bride-Church to be clearly seen.

A visible, organizational bride-church is absolutely necessary to fulfill Christ's commission to His followers. If the church were this unorganized spattering of believers all over the world, how could Matthew 18 be followed? 

If your brother sins, go and point out their fault between the two of you.... If they refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector (parts of vs. 15-19).

How can we take people we are concerned about to an invisible church? That would be very confusing. Anyone in any church could claim this ultimate authority. 

Throughout the New Testament the church is a visible group that is persecuted. How would a persecutor find an invisible group? No, these people met together and formed connected groups with leaders. 

Protestants take all the Biblical verses about the Church and see them within an invisible worldview. At most they will see the church as little organized local groups with no interconnectedness and no centralized leaders. However that is anything but historical or Biblical. 

We, as Catholics, need to establish the scriptural and ecclesiastical evidence that proves from the very beginning, the church was visible, organized and united. And that same church was already known as "catholic" by AD 107. 

Michael Voris did a terrific job in his discussion with Steven Crowder. I hope they will do it again, as promised. Voris and Crowder, like many discourses between Catholics and Protestants, need to  define worldviews before dialogue can be successful. I am not suggesting we will convert Protestants, that is up to the Holy Spirit. But we will at least get past misunderstandings and get at the real differences.

To start, we need Protestants to understand that Catholics are a visible family-church united by the blood of Christ. Though we believe scripture to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God, the basis for our Christianity goes to the very kingdom Christ established centuries before the Bible was put together. Our foundation and source is Christ Himself telling His apostles that they are chosen to lead a visible Bride that Christ will never leave nor abandon them.