Catholicism is in the background of every decision I make

[Blackrook]

I don't go to Church that often, I don't pray that much, I don't even like the Church right now with it's liberal Pope, feminist nuns, and sexually ambiguous priests, but I have to say what the priests taught me in school has stuck with me for a lifetime. Catholicism is in the background of every decision I make.

Catholicism is the reason I hold myself to a high moral standard in my personal life, and it is the reason I hold myself to a high ethical standard as an attorney. There are many things I did not do that could have made me lots of money, which I turned down and didn't do because of Catholicism.

Catholicism not only teaches you the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and all the other important moral rules set down by Christ, it teaches that you must obey these rules because the consequences of not obeying the rules of God is an eternity spent in hell.

In contrast, many sects of Protestantism do not provide this form of moral reinforcement because Martin Luther taught, and many Protestants believe, that obedience of the rules are irrelevant to salvation, that faith alone saves.

I do know that many Protestants do live moral lives, but I have to think that those that do believe, despite the teachings of Martin Luther, that a life of unrepented sin will not be overlooked because of faith.

I believe it is possible to be moral in other religions, but I do think that people of other religions will be at a disadvantage.

 

[emilynghiem]

I don't go to Church that often, I don't pray that much, I don't even like the Church right now with it's liberal Pope, feminist nuns, and sexually ambiguous priests, but I have to say what the priests taught me in school has stuck with me for a lifetime. Catholicism is in the background of every decision I make.

Catholicism is the reason I hold myself to a high moral standard in my personal life, and it is the reason I hold myself to a high ethical standard as an attorney. There are many things I did not do that could have made me lots of money, which I turned down and didn't do because of Catholicism.

Catholicism not only teaches you the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and all the other important moral rules set down by Christ, it teaches that you must obey these rules because the consequences of not obeying the rules of God is an eternity spent in hell.

In contrast, many sects of Protestantism do not provide this form of moral reinforcement because Martin Luther taught, and many Protestants believe, that obedience of the rules are irrelevant to salvation, that faith alone saves.

I do know that many Protestants do live moral lives, but I have to think that those that do believe, despite the teachings of Martin Luther, that a life of unrepented sin will not be overlooked because of faith.

I believe it is possible to be moral in other religions, but I do think that people of other religions will be at a disadvantage.

Dear Blackrook
What makes your following of Catholicism work is the faith in Christ Jesus or Restorative Justice.

Any practice that is outside Christ Jesus / Restorative Justice becomes divisive and self-defeating if you put your OWN interests and interpretations above God's will and truth that is universal and inclusive of all others God made to follow different tribes, which ALSO need to be perfected in the spirit of Jesus or Justice.

Blackrook the determining FACTOR is NOT whether one is Protestant or Catholic,
but whether or not WE FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER by grace in Christ Jesus.
if we do not forgive others, then we cannot receive God's forgiveness of us, we block ourselves.
Then we end up skewing justice to be "retributive justice" instead of "restorative justice."
So the FORGIVENESS factor is what makes the difference if we go into selfish will or
let go and let God's will govern both ourselves and our neighbors to restore our relations in Christ. We can be of any faith background and fail to forgive and get off track. Catholicism
doesn't save you from the sin and bias that comes from unforgiveness of others. it's a choice
we make to ask God's help and grace to overcome whatever makes us reject and give up on others!

Any practice can be CORRUPTED by self interest and self will -- instead of putting God
first, ie representing universal truth and good will for all humanity collectively inclusively, and establishing God's truth through Christ fulfilling the path and purpose of all people of all faiths
that God creates for a reason.

The universal spirit is of Peace and Justice, Justice with Mercy, Equal Justice Under Law,
all NAMES for Christ Jesus joining us all in one spirit.

If I may put in a plug as well, I believe that CONSTITUTIONALISM is also necessary
to check against abuses of EITHER religious, political or other collective authority.

We need to have DUE PROCESS and Equal Protection of the laws for people of ALL faiths.

So I would say that trumps Catholicism which isn't everyone's belief system.
I would say that the spirit of CHRISTIANITY or CHARITY FOR ALL PEOPLE
is universal, the spirit of JUSTICE WITH MERCY in Catholicism is Universal for all people.

Even the Constitutional laws literally are NOT universal because they only apply to US citizens literally.
But the NATURAL LAWS in Constitutionalism are universal.

The spiritual laws of Restorative Justice taught in Catholicism and Christianity are universal, so I would agree with you on that. Basically the GREAT Commandments (love of God and love of humanity) plus the New Commandment (joining the two as one through the love of Christ Jesus) -- YES that spirit is universal, and Catholicism does teach that we are to embrace this unconditional love universally.

But no, you do not have to be a member or follower of the LITERAL Catholic church
in order to find salvation and justice in Christ Jesus who unites ALL tribes as one,
regardless what our native language, culture, tradition or beliefs come from.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yet you're still a coward when someone asks you to discuss the main tenants of your religion. Sounds like you just like to claim adherence to something you really know nothing about.

 

[emilynghiem]

Yet you're still a coward when someone asks you to discuss the main tenants of your religion. Sounds like you just like to claim adherence to something you really know nothing about.

1. Love God with all our hearts minds and souls
2. Love our Neighbors as ourselves
3. Love one another as Christ Jesus loves us

All the laws and the prophets hang on these Great Commandments
and the New Commandment that joins the Love of God and Love of Humanity as
ONE in Christ Jesus.

This is the Holy Trinity taught in Catholicism and other Christian faiths based on the Bible.

These universal laws are also found as the basis of all other systems of laws or religions,
but they are expressed in different parallel terms.

Psychology/Social Sciences might express these in secular terms of
* Mind, Body and Spirit
or
* Individual humans, Human Relationships in society, and Collective Humanity historically

Constitutionalism recognizes three authorities of government
Judicial, Legislative, Executive
Or how secular liberals approach govt as
Federal, State, and Local and don't necessary separate the powers but combine them as one big govt with no distinction or conditions on the different levels of representation.

Buddhism has the Buddha or perfect awareness/understanding of Wisdom (an older name of God), the Dharma or the Law, and the Sangha or the Community Order in society
Hinduism symbolizes the Creator, the Destroyer of Evil, and the Preserver of Peace
Confucianism: Jen Yi and Li

The common pattern in all these is one part symbolizes
the individual or local level, another the highest collective level,
and the third intermediate level represents the relationship between the two.

So we see this same pattern in all faiths and it represents the
RELATIONSHIP between individual humanity and the collective level,
whatever we use to symbolize the highest good, truth or universal absolute encompassing all.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yet you're still a coward when someone asks you to discuss the main tenants of your religion. Sounds like you just like to claim adherence to something you really know nothing about.

1. Love God with all our hearts minds and souls
2. Love our Neighbors as ourselves
3. Love one another as Christ Jesus loves us

All the laws and the prophets hang on these Great Commandments
and the New Commandment that joins the Love of God and Love of Humanity as
ONE in Christ Jesus.

I was speaking to Blackrook specifically. He's a coward.

 

[emilynghiem]

Yet you're still a coward when someone asks you to discuss the main tenants of your religion. Sounds like you just like to claim adherence to something you really know nothing about.

1. Love God with all our hearts minds and souls
2. Love our Neighbors as ourselves
3. Love one another as Christ Jesus loves us

All the laws and the prophets hang on these Great Commandments
and the New Commandment that joins the Love of God and Love of Humanity as
ONE in Christ Jesus.

I was speaking to Blackrook specifically. He's a coward.

He is limited in his perceptions and understanding, but that is true of all people.
If he thinks the issue is whether people are Protestant or not,
well, if he gets past that wall, which is a barrier in his mind censoring out half his allies
out there he hasn't begun to embrace or understand,
there is a whole fuller world waiting for him on the other side.

I would not judge him but would look to his higher self that is yet to be fully realized
before I can tell what he's really about. He's still in the pupa stage compared to where
he could be when he breaks out of his current shell limiting his world to just Catholics.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yet you're still a coward when someone asks you to discuss the main tenants of your religion. Sounds like you just like to claim adherence to something you really know nothing about.

1. Love God with all our hearts minds and souls
2. Love our Neighbors as ourselves
3. Love one another as Christ Jesus loves us

All the laws and the prophets hang on these Great Commandments
and the New Commandment that joins the Love of God and Love of Humanity as
ONE in Christ Jesus.

I was speaking to Blackrook specifically. He's a coward.

He is limited in his perceptions and understanding, but that is true of all people.
If he thinks the issue is whether people are Protestant or not,
well, if he gets past that wall, which is a barrier in his mind censoring out half his allies
out there he hasn't begun to embrace or understand,
there is a whole fuller world waiting for him on the other side.

I would not judge him but would look to his higher self that is yet to be fully realized
before I can tell what he's really about. He's still in the pupa stage compared to where
he could be when he breaks out of his current shell limiting his world to just Catholics.

That would be a lot easier to do if he wasn't such an asshole.