I thought and thought and thought and thought and thought again and again and
again, should I be tempted by Albert and react to this particular post after I
had said my original intention was to respond to just two of his posts but this
Albert is quite fascinating.
So fascinating in fact that I worry about him. I feel he has tension in his
bones, his muscles, his whole being is shaken to the core because of the things
that are happening around him for which he has no answer to the
questions............... the question is WHY.
Why do people fall ill, why do they divorce, why are children treated so
badly, why the elders are being forsaken by their children for a better life
abroad, why his friend got the divorce, why the church didnt do something about
it, why this and why that.
It never happened when he was a young man, it is all the fault of todays
generation, its the 21st century to blame.
Its time Albert to ask yourself and this forum ONE QUESTION per session and
seek your colleagues (us, yes all of us) for our opinion on your queries. This
would be preferable than having to read what can only be called a catalogue of
disasters befallen on (wo)mankind because of the way we live today, faithless
and without God in our hearts, namely "Walking with Jesus..................".
Perhaps in your immediate area, this may well be true, some of it is spread
all over the world, but its been going on since the dawn of time. If you are a
fervant believer, and I dont doubt your good intentions or your godliness
towards others, I assume you are, then you must look at the Old Testament as
well as the New, including Revelations at the end which show you all manner of
living that has been going on for many thousands of years BEFORE the birth of
Jesus Christ, and since.....and what is ultimately in store for us at the end
of the world.
Please dont look for ALL your answers through (your) religion, and dont
continue to blame Catholic (or any other) Priests for what you consider
"selfishness.........". Please think before you say something so damning about
anyone. ITs really not nice to condemn people all the time, without proof!
There may be a few bad apples in the barrel, but not ALL Priests (they are
the messengers of the faith you condemn, including your own faith) are as bad
as you paint them to be. I may not have followed the same path as you
..........of Christian Righteousness (since I was 16, in 1966) but once you are
taught & you learn the lessons, you can hardly forget them, even if you feel
its not the way for you any longer & are not practicing that religion. But if
you are of the Catholic faith you would do better to support your Priests
openly but if you feel some distrust in one or two of them, and have PROOF of
their misdemenours, you ought to approach the proper authorities, maybe even
name & shame them, but to be quite honest, its not nice to be so critical of
everything around, you.
Priests aside for a moment, as you are concentrating on your neighbours and
friends, how many of them have been pure in heart all their lives? All? Some?
None?
Mmmmmmmmmmm let us guess.............. not one? Why is that? Is it because
they are human beings & have fallen by the wayside occasionally? Yes of
course, this happens all the time. I dont profess to be any better than the
next person, but I do try not to purposely go out of my way to harrang &
harrass my neighbours, nor talk about them if they have personal problems, this
is nothing to do with being a Good Christian, I have not been a Christian
(practicising or otherwise, for my own reasons), but because I feel embarrasing
others by exposing their frailties to everyone is not a nice thing to do. I am
sure you will agree, as you do not name anyone, but use instances where this
person or that person is bad because they did this or did that, they ought to
walk with Jesus ............and you guarantee ALL will be well.
Maybe you mean to say, they would be better off if they were BETTER
Christians, well I have to agree with you, Christians or not, WE can ALL do
BETTER, but does it necessarily have to be with Jesus? In your opinion the
answer is yes, but in mine is A DEFINITE NO, but this is MY OPINION.
We all have consciences and know what BAD deeds are, but sometimes a little
naughtiness here and there is not sufficient to condemn the whole century we
live in. Next you will be quoting from the "good book" & waving it aloft as
they do in the "bible belt" of the mid-West of USA..........hell, fire and
brimstone to follow tenfold if you tell a lie or drink whisky...... or feni for
that matter.
Have a good hard think & try to focus on your GOOD deeds in your life Albert,
you mean well but I usually find those who MEAN WELL actually cause much
consternation amongst their crowd, which often leads to accusations, suspicions
& the like. These too are human frailties, but all too often a quick SORRY or
APOLOGY from the dessenter sufficies, not to be pilloried day in and day out
for something that was a moment of weakness.
It is indeed divine to forgive.............. no matter what your faith is, it
takes a very courageous and giving person to forgive someone who turned against
you & then feels grief afterwards, seeks forgiveness for their sake. Would you
forgive someone who did something bad to you or your family? It depends on the
"sin" committed I guess................
Selfish? Sure, we also have that trait in our blood, everyone has coverted
something or other in their lives, many successfully obtaining what they
wanted, but there is always that bad taste in the mouth because you know you
did wrong. That's guilt. If you did NOT WRONG in obtaining what you wanted,
is it still "a sin" to covert something & obtain it, even if nobody was hurt in
the process?
How far can we take the Ten Commandments or Seven Deadly Sins...............
either in 7AD or 2007AD.............
And that is what fundamentally what some religions do to the human soul, make
them feel guilty. Some people walk around feeling guilty about this and that,
all their lives. It is ingrained in them from a very young age!
Two of the major religions of this world rely on you feeling & showing your
guilt, guilt is there so that they may control you, they got you for the rest
of your life, once indoctrinated a young mind obeys the master who taught you.
In much the same way a hungry person would appreciate your more, if you fed
them but if you read your holy book while they eat, it is indoctrination, they
will have the attention of that person.
If you dont feel guilt, then you could be lost to them.
I remember as a child, the awful feeling I did something WRONG.......... and
to confess was the way to God. Oh my, oh my, those pictures of Jesus and the
picture of his pure heart, not a stain on it. What perfection! But of course
at the age of seven or eight, or even nine, ten or eleven how CAN you have
stains on your heart? Black marks on your SOUL? And if you did not confess,
they got bigger, and bigger until your heart was BLACK............. Ugh I
shudder to think what would have happened to me if I did not confess every
Saturday, queuing up with all the other boys............... you could not have
your Sunday Communion unless you confessed.
Some of us made up stories to tell so that we would be blessed and absolved,
say a few Our Fathers, or Hail Marys............... and all was ok. A form of
mental anguish for us, but what a relief afterwards............ it was all done
to ensure obedience, blind faith...........
And why drag Selma into this again? What has she done or said that is any
different from what half this forum has already reiterated to you?
Good luck Albert.
John Monteiro
Berkshire, England
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Dear Brothers and sisters and Selma
Attending mass everyday and saying rosary and that too half heartedly
.............
I want you brothers and sisters to find Jesus in the stable. I do not
celebrate because an Indian bishop has been made a cardinal....................
My own cousin who was happily married got a divorce..... Today he drinks like
a fish .... His mother did not like the girl.............. What steps did the
church take ? nothing............
Today many youngesters are seen in the bars. etc etc
albert
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