Orlando Shooting

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Love the sinner, hate the sin.  We are all sinners and what makes my sin less than another's?

The Bible is very clear that homosexual fornication is worse than fornication between a man and woman. It's not the same. A lot of Christians appear deceived on this issue.

[little2add]

7 minutes ago, Josh said:

The Bible is very clear that homosexual fornication is worse than fornication between a man and woman. It's not the same. A lot of Christians appear deceived on this issue.

Josh 

its 5:00 in the morning, give it a rest...

PS: the bible says to not throw stone too

 

[Guest]

Just now, little2add said:

 

PS: the bible says to not throw stone too

 

Does the Bible say throwing stones is one of the four sins like homosexual acts are that cry to Heaven for Vengeance and demand justice from God? 

Edited June 14, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

[Guest]

"Allah loves his followers CONDITIONALLY. This is why we get things like mercy killings in Islam. The parents want the child to go to Allah before they commit any further sins, as this will give them the best chance of getting into Islamic heaven.

 

God however loves His children UNCONDITIONALLY. This means that the greatest sinner can turn and ask forgiveness through Jesus a second before he dies and Jesus will forgive Him because He has already paid the price for that man's sin on the Cross. 

 

This is a fundamental difference between Islam and Christianity."

https://youtu.be/vqOvWq6Ish8

[little2add]

3 hours ago, Josh said:

Does the Bible say throwing stones is one of the four sins like homosexual acts are that cry to Heaven for Vengeance and demand justice from God? 

you've never sinned ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuMkKKuFB2w

 

[Guest]

"The retiring liberal Bishop of St. Petersburg blamed Catholics for the terrorist attack in Orlando. In a blogpost Monday, Bishop Robert Lynch said that Catholicism “targets” and “often breeds contempt for gays, lesbians and transgender people.” The seed of contempt, he said, turns into hatred, “which can ultimately lead to violence.” Unless this attitude changes, he states, “we can expect more Orlandos.”

[Spem in alium]

This article raises very interesting considerations for me. But, of course, placing the blame or attributing such an act of violence to a broken family environment will likely cause an outcry among those who are from broken families themselves, just as it has when people have blamed mental illness or made comments along the lines of "He had to be mentally ill to do that". One does not necessarily represent the whole. 

http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/family-ties/18233

A person who identifies as LBGTQ is first and foremost a person with incredible and profound dignity, because they have been created by God. We must love them as brothers and sisters, even if we do not agree with their lifestyle. Why? Because this is what we have been asked to do by Jesus, and because, by loving and respecting them, we are showing the same love and respect to the breath of God dwelling in them. In showing them love, we look at them in the same way that God looks at them and at each person (though, of course, God's love cannot be measured by our own standards).

I know several people who are gay, and who have expressed grief after this tragedy. No, I don't agree with the ways in which some of them are living, but why should this stop me from showing them that I am with them in their grief and that I am utterly against this act?

Edited June 14, 2016 by Spem in alium

[Nihil Obstat]

We should make acts of reparation both for the murders, which were horrible and tragic, and for the sins of homosexuality, which afflict so many souls.

[Guest]

[PhuturePriest]

1 hour ago, Josh said:

 

10 hours ago, Josh said:

Josh, I am once again going to ask you nicely to stop posting things like this, but it is the last time I will do so nicely. Stop posting things about Islam and homosexual actions. All of us are completely aware homosexual actions are sinful, and that Islam is heretical and wrong, and therefore has erroneous teachings and understandings. Such discussion has no place on a thread that was meant to air our grief about this tragedy and discuss possible ways to help. If you want to discuss the immorality of homosexual actions and issues with Islam, make your own thread and discuss those things. Your posts have been completely inappropriate and I will not tolerate them. This is not a time to discuss sin and theology, but one of prayer, grief, and help. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

[WhoamI]

Thank you, PhuturePriest, for starting this thead.  It is, at least if you ignore certain posts, an escape from all the politicizing which I have been seeing on Facebook. 

One thing which stuck out from a book I read years ago, Sexual Authenticity by Melinda Selmes. She mentions in her book that once she was asked by an audience member at a talk she gave, what to say to "convert homosexuals." The asker seemed to want some succinct argument she could pull out,  hit someone over the head with,  and instantly convert them. The reply was something to the effect that no one converts by force, or by argument. Love converts, but only authentic love, real friendship, compassion. 

You may want to take that into consideration, Josh.

 

[Nihil Obstat]

Our love does not convert anyone either. Only the freely offered gift of God's grace can do that.

[WhoamI]

1 hour ago, Nihil Obstat said:

Our love does not convert anyone either. Only the freely offered gift of God's grace can do that.

True. The way we treat others can be a vehicle to help them be open to that grace, but it is ultimately God.  Thus, the importance or prayer and penance, along with example and charity.

[Socrates]

9 hours ago, Josh said:

"The retiring liberal Bishop of St. Petersburg blamed Catholics for the terrorist attack in Orlando. In a blogpost Monday, Bishop Robert Lynch said that Catholicism “targets” and “often breeds contempt for gays, lesbians and transgender people.” The seed of contempt, he said, turns into hatred, “which can ultimately lead to violence.” Unless this attitude changes, he states, “we can expect more Orlandos.”

What a steaming load of horse manure!

That clown can't retire soon enough.

 

(This liberal blaming of Catholics/Christians for this mass murder is perhaps the most upsetting things being done in its wake - though, sadly, hardly surprising.)

[Peace]

53 minutes ago, Socrates said:

What a steaming load of horse manure!

That clown can't retire soon enough.

 

(This liberal blaming of Catholics/Christians for this mass murder is perhaps the most upsetting things being done in its wake - though, sadly, hardly surprising.)

Yeah, blaming Christians is a bit of a stretch.

But I would want to see the full quote of what he actually said.

[Aragon]

6 hours ago, Nihil Obstat said:

Our love does not convert anyone either. Only the freely offered gift of God's grace can do that.

Take it from me, someone with experience in this area. My conversion was, of course, entirely the grace of God. But God used human instruments - and every last one of those instruments treated me with respect and love. Likewise, the disparaging language and comments I heard/read some Catholics making about people like me did a lot to keep me away from the Church for so long.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, WhoamI said:

Thank you, PhuturePriest, for starting this thead.  It is, at least if you ignore certain posts, an escape from all the politicizing which I have been seeing on Facebook. 

One thing which stuck out from a book I read years ago, Sexual Authenticity by Melinda Selmes. She mentions in her book that once she was asked by an audience member at a talk she gave, what to say to "convert homosexuals." The asker seemed to want some succinct argument she could pull out,  hit someone over the head with,  and instantly convert them. The reply was something to the effect that no one converts by force, or by argument. Love converts, but only authentic love, real friendship, compassion. 

You may want to take that into consideration, Josh.

 

Yeah I admit I have anger and resentment towards a lot of the gay community. They have now made "same sex marriage" legal and this will affect everyone. God is not mocked. We as a nation will be punished. Like the previous meme I posted said "Take Cover!" Also to those who lost their lives I'm saddened and I pray for them and their families. What is even sadder is the very real/likely possibility they are in hell for eternity separated from God. Although I hope they made it to Purgatory.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Guest

[Nihil Obstat]

5 hours ago, Aragon said:

Take it from me, someone with experience in this area. My conversion was, of course, entirely the grace of God. But God used human instruments - and every last one of those instruments treated me with respect and love. Likewise, the disparaging language and comments I heard/read some Catholics making about people like me did a lot to keep me away from the Church for so long.

Likewise each of those human instruments only did a thing for you because of a previous gift of grace. Nothing which was good was a human effort.

[WhoamI]

3 hours ago, Josh said:

Yeah I admit I have anger and resentment towards a lot of the gay community. They have now made "same sex marriage" legal and this will affect everyone. God is not mocked. We as a nation will be punished. Like the previous meme I posted said "Take Cover!" Also to those who lost their lives I'm saddened and I pray for them and their families. What is even sadder is the very real/likely possibility they are in hell for eternity separated from God. Although I hope they made it to Purgatory.

I see that anger and resentment, and that makes me sad for you. I will keep you in my prayers, that you can have some interior peace about all this. Not acceptance, or condoning it, but peace.

I agree, as a nation, we are in serious trouble, for more than just gay marriage. I don't think I need to list the reasons. (By the way, I'm likely in a different country, Canada, but if anything, we are farther along the slippery slope than the US.)

What can we do, as individuals? Pray, trust in God, speak the truth strongly, but always with charity, love those around us, friends and enemies, be an example of Christian joy in a world that is so often joyless.