"A [preacher] who does not love art, poetry, music and nature can be dangerous. Blindness and deafness toward the beautiful are not incidental; they are necessarily reflected in his [preaching]." — BXVI
Me too...but I'm not holding my breath. For a video like this to have any effect at all, one must have a well-formed conscience capable of identifying and choosing the Good. Once someone has accept that killing children can be a good thing--even under very limited or temporary circumstances--their conscience becomes twisted and they move rapidly from wisdom to folly. B.O. is fundamentally, philosophically committed to the legality and morality of abortion. For him to be moved by this vid he will have to receive a huge dose of grace.
To be clear...I'm not saying that BO has to wait for God to move him with grace...I'm saying that God has already given BO the grace he needs, but he's not receiving it. Until he receives it, his conscience on this issue is twisted.
You wrote: "To be clear...I'm not saying that BO has to wait for God to move him with grace...I'm saying that God has already given BO the grace he needs, but he's not receiving it. Until he receives it, his conscience on this issue is twisted."
How are we able to make this distinction in the case of BO and anyone who is pro-choice? How do we know that one has already been given the grace he or she needs?
In virtue of our creation and the merits of the cross we have all been given precisely the grace we need to grow in holiness. And we will grow in holiness IF we freely cooperate with that grace.
Keep in mind: "grace" is nothing other than God saying to us, His creatures: "I love you and I want you to come live with me forever." Don't get bogged down in all those complicated taxonomies of grace that the scholastics loved.
Grace is just God's invitation to come stay with Him forever. BO has that invitation; you have it; I have it...everyone has the invitation...BUT we all need the wisdom of a correctly formed conscience to habitually choose the Good over Evil. Once you have chosen to believe that killing children counts as a Good, your conscience becomes twisted and the choosing becomes increasingly difficult until it is completely darkened. At this point, the only way back to the light is a radical conversion knowing that God's invitation still stands.
But what I suppose what I'm still wondering is how do we know that an individual has received, and turned one's back on, that invitation personally, such as you allude to with BO.
I see your point on a general level, but aren't we getting into an area of judgement of culpability here or no?
The only answer I give you in the absence of specific details is: if the behavior violates the ten commandants, the beatitudes, etc. then it can't be good.
Now you are going to ask me how do you know if you are violating one of the ten commandments or the beatitudes? Right? I thought so....
Just read them and use your best judgment...God is not "out to trip us up and punish us..." If you are truly acting in the best conscience you have formed (and NOT the conscience that is well aware of what is sinful and what it is not but pretending to be ignorant for the sake of argument), the you are OK.
Excellent! That is some heavy ****!
ReplyDeleteAwesome.
ReplyDeleteI hope that sends a message to him. Really.
ReplyDeleteOpey,
ReplyDeleteMe too...but I'm not holding my breath. For a video like this to have any effect at all, one must have a well-formed conscience capable of identifying and choosing the Good. Once someone has accept that killing children can be a good thing--even under very limited or temporary circumstances--their conscience becomes twisted and they move rapidly from wisdom to folly. B.O. is fundamentally, philosophically committed to the legality and morality of abortion. For him to be moved by this vid he will have to receive a huge dose of grace.
For him to be moved by this vid he will have to receive a huge dose of grace.
ReplyDeletetis true! but with God ALL things are possible!
Mom,
ReplyDeleteTo be clear...I'm not saying that BO has to wait for God to move him with grace...I'm saying that God has already given BO the grace he needs, but he's not receiving it. Until he receives it, his conscience on this issue is twisted.
OK, I hope it bugs him. And causes him to be uncomfortable. :0)
ReplyDeleteFather,
ReplyDeleteYou wrote: "To be clear...I'm not saying that BO has to wait for God to move him with grace...I'm saying that God has already given BO the grace he needs, but he's not receiving it. Until he receives it, his conscience on this issue is twisted."
How are we able to make this distinction in the case of BO and anyone who is pro-choice? How do we know that one has already been given the grace he or she needs?
Thank you,
Patrick
Patrick,
ReplyDeleteIn virtue of our creation and the merits of the cross we have all been given precisely the grace we need to grow in holiness. And we will grow in holiness IF we freely cooperate with that grace.
Keep in mind: "grace" is nothing other than God saying to us, His creatures: "I love you and I want you to come live with me forever." Don't get bogged down in all those complicated taxonomies of grace that the scholastics loved.
Grace is just God's invitation to come stay with Him forever. BO has that invitation; you have it; I have it...everyone has the invitation...BUT we all need the wisdom of a correctly formed conscience to habitually choose the Good over Evil. Once you have chosen to believe that killing children counts as a Good, your conscience becomes twisted and the choosing becomes increasingly difficult until it is completely darkened. At this point, the only way back to the light is a radical conversion knowing that God's invitation still stands.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you Father.
ReplyDeleteBut what I suppose what I'm still wondering is how do we know that an individual has received, and turned one's back on, that invitation personally, such as you allude to with BO.
I see your point on a general level, but aren't we getting into an area of judgement of culpability here or no?
Thank you,
Patrick
Patrick,
ReplyDeleteThe only answer I give you in the absence of specific details is: if the behavior violates the ten commandants, the beatitudes, etc. then it can't be good.
Now you are going to ask me how do you know if you are violating one of the ten commandments or the beatitudes? Right? I thought so....
Just read them and use your best judgment...God is not "out to trip us up and punish us..." If you are truly acting in the best conscience you have formed (and NOT the conscience that is well aware of what is sinful and what it is not but pretending to be ignorant for the sake of argument), the you are OK.