Posted by femlite on January 17, 2004, at 11:53:28
In reply to Re: How to justify pagan roots? » femlite, posted by Miss Honeychurch on January 16, 2004, at 13:44:23
Getting burned doesn’t come from asking sincere questions. Questions are good, but dabbling here and there, can be counter productive if it goes on a long time. Great care is required of the soul.
Some times we can experiment and walk away, other times, we loose a piece of ourselves, with out even knowing. Before long we can not find ourselves. It isn’t a question of God or anyone faulting us, dear. God loves us and leads us all by His mercy. Each path is unique. But there are rules of the spirit realm like the natural laws of the universe.
Its each person’s choice to believe in or follow those rules, there is no coercion, but there is a price.
We can only skim the surface of the spiritual life for so long. If we don’t make the decision to deepen our growth in one direction, plum the depths, so to speak, as the scriptures say, we end up unstable minded, tossed about with each "new" wave (idea) that comes along.
There is no more corruption in the Church than anywhere else. As long as there are humans in it, like all institutions.
The "power needs" of the Church? hmmm….sounds like a expression thought up by someone who is antagonistic to the Christian Church or especially cynical of it.
The gospels, like all other parts of the scriptures are written by God, by His Spirit. If we trust Him, we have to trust providence. Everything is, as we need it to be.
Be careful whom you share your heart with. If we continually expose ourselves to skeptics, what ever we build is torn down the next moment.
Having grace in our souls in this dark world is a precious gift not to be wasted or spilt. We need to guard our hearts.
If we grow up in a Church and haven’t really been given the discernment we need to carry out our struggle for the faith, it is good to retrace our steps and find our own answers.
But we need to guard the good we have been given, increasing it and not scattering it.
There is enough darkness, it takes no energy to go along with (cynical assumptions), the flow.
Ill get off my soap box now :)
Is there something that has happened to cause you to question? Is there something to cause you to become cynical?
There will always be Pharisees in the church. The wheat and tares grow together, till the end of time.Forgive my boldness. I get very maternal and meddlesome when someone seems hurting.
> All good points, femlite. Especially the part about Jewish fishermen having agendas.
>
> You are right, I am very cynical. For some reason, all of my questioning has happened in the past year. I am a practicing Catholic. I don't think I'm playing with fire however. Just asking questions and getting learned opinions from people like you. Is it not reasonable to question, every once in awhile, teachings which you have grown up with? I don't think God would fault me for that, would He?
>
> I suppose I find biblical historians less "valid" than secular ones because of some of the corruption of the early church. I wonder if any of these Gospels have been "changed" at all to suit the power needs of the early church.
>
> Anyway, thanks for taking the time to address my questions.
poster:femlite
thread:297550
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20040113/msgs/302006.html