The Devil's Doorway

[CreepyCrawler]

well, even if you don't believe in God, Ironmonk's first post is true* when talking about freedom. humans can't be free if their wants and desires control them. for example, someone who is addicted to smoking and wants to stop feels bad every time they light up while they're trying to quit. that person's desires are controlling his behavior, even though his will wants the opposite. so once you're free of wants and desires, you'll be free.

but i know God exists so Ironmonk's post is true no matter what. people's opinions don't change the truth.

[God Conquers]

Our freedom is not a measure of how many liberties we can exercise, but of our capacity to know and seek the Truth who is Christ Jesus.

-Paraphrased Pope John Paul II

[ironmonk]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Apr 11 2004, 01:31 AM'] The devil only has one door to attack people through. That door is through our very wants and desires. If we only want God, then the devil cannot come through the door. Because of our desire of worldly possessions and status we open the door for the devil. Even in times of pain and suffering, the devil tries to come to us through our desire to end it. The devil is always on the attack of those who are on the right path.

The surest way to protect ourselves from the devil entering is to let go of our wants and accept whatever is given to us. If we do not want, then the devil has nothing to attack us with. We must always remember that God has a plan for us. We are not to worry about what we are to eat, wear, jobs, contests, houses or what people think of us. We must seek the Kingdom of God, and have faith in God. Not in the world. Faith is not “believing”… Faith is knowing. There is a difference in “belief” and “know”. If we say “I believe in this…” we show doubt, because beliefs are nothing more than opinions and I’m sure you all have heard “Everyone’s got their beliefs”. If we say “We know this…” we erase doubt. God is more real than the earth. To know God is to let go of worldly things.

The only way we can be happy is to let go of everything we want, and accept what God has given us. We have to put forth effort, pray and try to understand what God wants us to do. We cannot get mad at what happens to us. Everything is for the best. If we do not get a job we think we need, then it’s for the best. To think we must get a particular job to survive is to put our faith in worldly things and ourselves. We should put our faith in God and know that God will provide. God provides us with what we need. The greatest need is spiritual need. Physical needs are secondary. We must accept what is given to us if we want to be happy. If we want to be happy we must look at what we have and be grateful, not to focus on what we do not have.

For example there are too many people that liberally look at teachings such as birth control. They twist the meaning of a beautiful teaching of the Church into something unholy. The Church teaches that sex in marriage is for two reasons. Having babies, and to enrich the marriage bond. Some have stated that in today’s day and age that people can’t afford too many children so that it is ok that they use birth control because they are doing it for the marriage bond. By using artificial birth control we are relying on worldly things instead of God. Therefore, using birth control separates us from God. The Church teaches that artificial birth control is “intrinsically evil” (CCC 2370). When we give up our dependence on God and give into a dependence on worldly things, we let the devil in.

[b]Sirach 2:4 [/b]Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient;
[b]5 [/b]For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation.
[b]6 [/b]Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways and hope in him.

[b]St. Mathew 6: 25[/b] [color=red]Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
…[/color]
[b]34 [/b][color=red]Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. [/color]




God Bless, Love in Christ,
ironmonk [/quote]
bump

[philothea]

Beautiful.

[Cam42]

Why did this get bumped????? It is over a year old......and is it germaine to anything at this time????

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Cam42' date='Jun 3 2005, 06:51 PM'] Why did this get bumped????? It is over a year old......and is it germaine to anything at this time???? [/quote]
Yes it is germane.

God Bless,
ironmonk

[KizlarAgha]

[quote name='Cam42' date='Jun 3 2005, 04:51 PM'] Why did this get bumped????? It is over a year old......and is it germaine to anything at this time???? [/quote]
For example there are too many people that liberally look at teachings such as birth control. They twist the meaning of a beautiful teaching of the Church into something unholy. The Church teaches that sex in marriage is for two reasons. Having babies, and to enrich the marriage bond. Some have stated that in today’s day and age that people can’t afford too many children so that it is ok that they use birth control because they are doing it for the marriage bond. By using artificial birth control we are relying on worldly things instead of God. Therefore, using birth control separates us from God. The Church teaches that artificial birth control is “intrinsically evil” (CCC 2370). When we give up our dependence on God and give into a dependence on worldly things, we let the devil in.


I'm guessing he's bumping this in response to the thread about hot stuff's friends and the invitro fertilization.

[ironmonk]

[quote name='KizlarAgha' date='Jun 3 2005, 07:16 PM'] For example there are too many people that liberally look at teachings such as birth control. They twist the meaning of a beautiful teaching of the Church into something unholy. The Church teaches that sex in marriage is for two reasons. Having babies, and to enrich the marriage bond. Some have stated that in today’s day and age that people can’t afford too many children so that it is ok that they use birth control because they are doing it for the marriage bond. By using artificial birth control we are relying on worldly things instead of God. Therefore, using birth control separates us from God. The Church teaches that artificial birth control is “intrinsically evil” (CCC 2370). When we give up our dependence on God and give into a dependence on worldly things, we let the devil in.


I'm guessing he's bumping this in response to the thread about hot stuff's friends and the invitro fertilization. [/quote]
Good answer, but that is not the reason. When I was on the Catholic.com forum there was something that fit the situation and I thought maybe some here would like it that are new. This situation involved elderly getting a Catholic marriage but not a legal one so that they could still get their benefits.

Sometimes, if I think something that I wrote in the past will help someone, or someones response to something I wrote in the past would help someone, it seems appropirate to bump it. I think bumping a topic such as this is a good way of helping others without singling them out.

God Bless,
ironmonk

[KizlarAgha]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Jun 3 2005, 05:25 PM'] Good answer, but that is not the reason. When I was on the Catholic.com forum there was something that fit the situation and I thought maybe some here would like it that are new. This situation involved elderly getting a Catholic marriage but not a legal one so that they could still get their benefits.

Sometimes, if I think something that I wrote in the past will help someone, or someones response to something I wrote in the past would help someone, it seems appropirate to bump it. I think bumping a topic such as this is a good way of helping others without singling them out.

God Bless,
ironmonk [/quote]
Well I was just guessing....

But yeah, PM gets lots of new members and pages of the catechism couldn't hurt.

[Semalsia]

I think this is what is wrong with religion. All the focus on the afterlife and none on the current one. Life is already basically suffering and then everyone is expected to give up all the little things that make them happy. Just little things... and you can feel warmth for a while. Why do you ask so much? Oh nevermind, I know the answer.

[Cam42]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Jun 3 2005, 05:25 PM'] Good answer, but that is not the reason. When I was on the Catholic.com forum there was something that fit the situation and I thought maybe some here would like it that are new. This situation involved elderly getting a Catholic marriage but not a legal one so that they could still get their benefits.

Sometimes, if I think something that I wrote in the past will help someone, or someones response to something I wrote in the past would help someone, it seems appropirate to bump it. I think bumping a topic such as this is a good way of helping others without singling them out.

God Bless,
ironmonk [/quote]
So why are you bumping this again? It isn't really all that germaine...we aren't even talking about the elderly and their benefits....

I mean come on.....you said that hot stuff and his friends are NOT the reason for the bump....

[Noel's angel]

For goodness sake can everyone stop getting at eachother? Picking away at people is not something which should be expected of anyone on this board. Sorry, but it is just so annoying when people seem to have little grudges against eachother or whatever and this bored sometimes turns into a personal slanging match. Can we all just calm down and discuss the matters at hand? I can understand why IronMonk would bump the thread-I know there are people here who had never read it before-whether we agree with it or not (and Cam, I'm not getting at you or anything, you just happen to be the unlucky last post-er when I can't contain my frustration anymore) we should remember that even if we don't agree with something someone has done, or an arguement they have put forward or whatever, everyone here has feelings and we should respect that. Fine, argue your point against them, but don't resort to things like name-calling. Argue away until the cows come home about the topic, but please, for everyone's sake, can we all stop with the pettiness????

Sorry, I needed to get that off my chest. Please continue.

[Cam42]

Hey......

I was just wondering. I have had threads closed that I have brought up from the past. If it was a harmless bump so be it, but then again, this is the debate table.....what does it have to do with anything.

Isn't it best to just let things that have been posted over a year ago, stay there? If that is not the case, then if I choose to bring up a topic on parousing the past posts, then I would assume that the mods would allow for those topics to be revisited as well.....

This is the debate table after all.....is it not?

[Cathurian]

I appreciated it. I wasn't here when it was first posted.

Very true, ironmonk.