thereselittleflower said:
No we aren't Jim . . . This is a twisting of what has happened in this thread.
I guess it is OK for non-Catholic to take pot shots at our faith, make unsubstantiated claims against our own and inflated claims in contrast about theirs and we should just be silent and let you all do it?
Look at the OP again Jim . . we have been defending against those negative statemetns in attack of our faith ever since in this thread. We have been challengng the unfounded claims made by the OP . . that is NOT bashing . .
But bringing up unrelated issues to attack the Catholic Church is bashing Jim . . .
Peace to all
No, Terese. You are among the last people on this board I would ever have suspected of being a "Nine Commandment Christian" (a sarcastic phrase usually directed at Protestant fundamentalists meaning they dropped the one about bearing false witness, if you weren't aware).
But Basil started a thread to witness to why he had
found a church home in Orthodoxy. In the course of that, he of course had to explain
their claim to be the original church, from which everyone else has schismed. With you having done that song and dance about Catholicism enough, I'm sure you recognized the tune and steps, even when set to an Eastern tempo.
Then you, Shelby, Jason, and a few others showed up and began bemoaning that woe, it's just another attack on Catholicism.
Well, let me explain this to you in the simplest of terms.
By your own church's teachings, grace is not reserved to practicing Catholics. By your own church's teachings, the Orthodox are guilty of at most schism, and are in full communion with the Catholic Church as far as it itself is concerned (cf. Paul VI).
The person doing all the attacking in this thread has been
you -- with assists credited to Jason and Shelby. And I would venture to guess that in the eyes of
every non-Catholic involved here, and I'd bet at least one Catholic, you have won the battle but lost the war.
Jesus Christ himself gave us the touchstone to know who His true disciples were, and where truth can be found. It's in the 13th chapter of John.
And you have been showing Christian charity, grace, and mercy to such an extent that Fred Phelps is taking notes in envy of your skill.
It is not for me to say this, but I sincerely think you need to repent, get off your high horse, and start acting like a Christian woman instead of the Arbiter of Catholic Doctrine to whom Pope Benedict looks when he needs to be set straight about something.
Forgive me, but a little straight talk of the Dutch Uncle variety seemed called for.
Basil, when opportunity presents, would you kindly explain oikonomia and its relationship to doctrinal rigidity in a bit more depth?