And Now for Something from the Catechism....

MAN'S CAPACITY FOR GOD

I. The Desire for God

27 The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:

The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator.1

28 In many ways, throughout history down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest for God in their religious beliefs and behaviour: in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals, meditations, and so forth. These forms of religious expression, despite the ambiguities they often bring with them, are so universal that one may well call man a religious being:

From one ancestor (God) made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him - though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For "in him we live and move and have our being."2

29 But this "intimate and vital bond of man to God" (GS 19 # 1) can be forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man.3 Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world; the scandal of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call.4

30 "Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice."5 Although man can forget God or reject him, He never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness. But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will, "an upright heart", as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God.

You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without measure. and man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this man, though clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof that you withstand the proud. Despite everything, man, though but a small a part of your creation, wants to praise you. You yourself encourage him to delight in your praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.6

1 Vatican Council II, GS 19 # 1.2 ⇒ Acts 17:26-28.3 GS 19 # 1.4 Cf. GS 19-21; ⇒ Mt 13:22; ⇒ Gen 3:8-10;⇒ Jon 1:3.5 ⇒ Ps 105:36 St. Augustine, Conf. I, I, I: PL 32, 659-661.

A Failure to Communicate

Several centuries ago, the Pope decreed that all the Jews had to leave Italy. There was, of course, a huge outcry from the Jewish community, so the Pope offered a deal. He would have a religious debate with a leader of the Jewish community. If the Jewish leader won the debate, the Jews would be permitted to stay in Italy. If the Pope won, the Jews would have to leave.
The Jewish community met and picked an aged Rabbi, Moishe, to represent them in the debate. Rabbi Moishe, however, could not speak Latin and the Pope could not speak Yiddish. So it was decided that this would be a "silent" debate.

On the day of the great debate, the Pope and Rabbi Moishe sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers.

Rabbi Moishe looked back and raised one finger.

Next, the Pope waved his finger around his head.

Rabbi Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat.

The Pope then brought out a communion wafer and chalice of wine.

Rabbi Moishe pulled out an apple.

With that, the Pope stood up and said, "I concede the debate. This man has bested me. The Jews can stay."

Later, the Cardinals gathered around the Pope, asking him what had happened.
The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground to show that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us of our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"

Meanwhile, the Jewish community crowded around Rabbi Moishe, asking what happened.
"Well," said Moishe, "first he said to me, 'You Jews have three days to get out of here.'
So I said to him, 'Up yours'. Then he tells me the whole city would be cleared of Jews.
So I said to him, 'Listen here Mr. Pope, the Jews ... we stay right here!"
"And then?" asked a woman. "Who knows?" said Rabbi Moishe. "We broke for lunch."

One more thing.....

Last one guys, I promise! Logan, when the standard was set, Adam was fully capable of meeting it. And he did for a time. But when presented with a choice he chose to rebel. Let there be no mistake, Adam was there when the fruit was offered to Eve. "She also gave some to her husband , who was there with her, and he ate it." (Gen 3:6) He could have stopped it, but made a choice not to just as much as Eve did. The reason that Lucifer fell was because he wanted God's position. He actually thought he could get it by fighting! The reason why Adam and Eve fell is because they wanted God's position (eat it and you will be like God). The reason mankind fails is because they want God's position (your not in charge of me, I dont have to do what you tell me to). They are doing what mom and dad (Adam and Eve) taught them to do.

A side note here, my husband and I have an ongoing debate about this. Kevin is in the camp with Pelegius in that man is capable of not sinning but he chooses not to (Its much more nuanced than that, but thats it in a nutshell without having to write another blog). I on the other hand am standing firm with Augustine in that there is no way I can not sin. Our talk times can be quite interesting to say the last. Rabbit trail!!!.....

Christ came to earth. The Creator became the created. People like to say Jesus was God, without pointing to the fact that he was also fully man. (how is that.....?????..... believe me........another blog) Jesus was fully man that was fully tempted with the full array of man's sins. He came to show us that it could have been done, and he did it in a much harsher climate than Adam and Eve ever had ! My personal belief for the thousand year reign is so that we can see what the Garden of Eden should have been like. (another side note)

All this to say.... what would our world be without standards to meet? What would our world be if people didnt chose to meet them? If every one were allowed to walk around meeting their standards with no consequence...... I dont even want to think about it! Its already going on to the people in Sudan and Somalia and some other nations. No respect for people, no respect for women, no respect for children...... We might not like standards sometimes, but they have to be there. They are boundries to keep our sinful nature from running wild, destroying us and those around us, until the close of time.

horrible things.........

I agree that many terrible and horrible things were done by christians to their fellow man. Many terrible and horrible things were also done by the muslims, the romans, the indians, the asians, the caucasians, the assyrians, the iranians.......... to their fellow man. This part of history is not just confined to the christians, nor is it just confined to 'in the name of God'.

When an american is taken hostage by a foreign country...... well, a bunch of americans........ the US tries to first get them back by diplomatic talks and appeasements and all that stuff. When it fails, we go in kick ass and take names, and bring them home. Thats how it would be in a perfect world anyway ..:P (The Iranian hostage crisies was a failure, I know) The pharaoh of Egypt was holding Gods chosen people as slaves and many times Moses went to the pharaoh and asked him to "let my people go". When diplomatic terms failed, God went in a took them by force. They were very important to His salvation plan, and it was time to show a foreshadow of the Messiah to come. (which is what Moses and the Exodus is... a foreshadow of the Christ and his rescue plan of salvation)

I think a big part of western christianity's problem is that we have of view of God or Christ that is meek and mild, and well, rather wimpy. But my God, the one who I belong to ..The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is His name. (Ex. 15:3) He is strong and powerful and mighty to save, He is so much bigger than I am or this world is. I dont understand Him all the time and truthfully dont want to. (if I had a God that my puny mind could understand, then what kind of a god would that be) I want to have to continually study His awesomeness and His holiness, because if it came to a point that i didnt have to...well, there would be an end to the awesoness and wonder and might. And I am so glad that He loves me enough to give me choices, to love me when I dont follow them, to love me when I rebel against Him, to correct me when I am wrong, to let me be so angry that I could spit nails at Him and then comfort me when my tantrum is over. He can do that because He is so big and mighty and not always understandable at times.... but He is love.

to the shores of tripoli.......

Okay, at last I get to post this! By the way, good morning guys! I love Saturdays.........
The Tripoli Treaty.

The Tripoli treaty came into being because after the Revolutonary War had ended and Britan had pulled out their ships and went home, pirates from the Barbary Coast begin to attack American ships and plunder them, take hostages and then demand a ransom for the captives. Kinda like Somalia now.... So, the Americans decided they needed to enter into a treaty with the pirates to make them stop. TADA! The Tripoli treaty. The person who was in charge of taking it to all the nations that needed to sign it was a guy by the name of Joel Barlow, a known anti christian who had helped Thomas Paine publish a book called the "The Age of Reason" that argues against christian doctrine. This is important so stay with me....

The nations that needed to sign it were mostly muslim nations, so the original document was written in arabic, there is also an italian copy. So, off it goes, carried by Joel, to Morocco, Algeria, Tropli and Tunis. It was signed in Tripoli, certified at Algeries and approved in Lisbon. So after 7 to 8 months of travel it was brought to the states, translated by Joel to english and sent to congress. Neither congress nor Adams felt like they could cancel the terms by then, and on the very first day it hit the congressional floor (which was the very first day anyone saw it since it left) it was ratafied. (The pirates had to be stopped after all). Admendment 11 and all.......

In 1931 the United States hired Hunter Miller to analyze all of the treaties that America had ever entered into, and figure out what they meant to America today (1931). When he reached the Tripoli treaty his words were this......."Barlow's translation is at the very best a poor attempt at a paraphrase or summery of the sense of the arabic. Oh, and admendment 11 is not in the arabic or italian verson."

Hmmmmm........

Another View

First Things First....

...In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1.1)