09 December, 2010

Grace under fire - McLeans Magazine re-evaluates Pope Benedict

Grace under fire - Newsmakers - Macleans.ca
Posted by at
Labels: ,

4 comments:

  1. the bottom line is that the evaluation is the 1 that our merciful God will make at our particular judgement....may all of us hear what the good thief on Calvary heard..."this day you will be with Me in paradise...NOTHING else matters.

    ReplyDelete

  2. A interesting point of view on this subject is in the New Yorker at:

    http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2010/04/19/100419taco_talk_hertzberg

    ReplyDelete

  3. It would appear the sexual abuse crisis within the RCC is a result of a religious system which has broken down or slid completely off the rails, possibly as far back as the early centuries. Who could argue that the doctrine of enforced celebacy has not greatly contributed to the problem? Even though the Bible clearly speaks against enforced celebacy, most within the RCC accept it as a legitimate way of life. "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." 1 Timothy ch4 vs3.
    Sound familiar? Do you recall when meats could not be eaten on Fridays?

    However, this is only one element of the picture. The whole structure with a claimed "infallible person" with it's top-down control creates a situation where it is next to impossible to change or correct serious problems. How can a totalitarian hierarchy ever be expected to change or rectify itself from the bottom up when the orders go from the top down, not the bottom up? But more serious than this is the fact that the Bible does not sanction such a system whereby sinful men act as mediators between God and men, dispensing forgiveness, absolution, grace, and claim the administration of their sacramental system is the way to heaven?
    None of this is sanctioned or taught in the Bible.

    Jesus made it clear the only way to heaven is through Him: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

    "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." John 17:3

    The head of the true church on earth is Jesus Christ. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to teach his disciples (the church) all truth. He did not make someone or any group "infallible" teachers.
    "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." John 16:13

    ReplyDelete

  4. Michael, Tim,

    By God's grace the personal failings of my life have led me to believe in my own sinfulness and need for the Saviour, Jesus Christ. God by his divine grace allowed events to occur, and at about 30 years of age, I heard the gospel preached from 1 Corinthians ch15:1-4 over the radio. I immediately cried out to the Lord to save me (Romans ch10 vs13). "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

About Fr. Tim

My Photo
A Roman Catholic Evangelical Priest of the Diocese of Pembroke, Canada. Shown in my profile photo with my canine companion, Mateo.

Followers of this blog:

Visitors to this page

Locations of visitors to this page

Blog Archive

Google Analytics