In my previous post, I spoke of my problem with people using scripture to "prove" their point, while never actually making a coherent point. Lest I be accused of being unable to make a cogent point of my own, I will give an example here.
An idea which seems to be popular, but viewed in various ways is the notion of a "rapture". It makes great fodder for fictional franchises. It has been used as a scare tactic to proselytize. I don't consider it to be a biblical doctrine, however.
The scriptures used as proof texts for the "rapture" don't seem to say what is supposed by those who are proponents of the rapture idea when placed in context. For example, in I Thessalonians chapter 4; the Apostle Paul instructs his audience to live self-controlled, worthy lives. Verses 13-18, of which verses 16-17 are used to "prove" rapture theology, speak of life after death and are written as an encouragement not to lose hope because some will die before Christ returns. It seems clear by reading it literally that the raising of the dead and the raising of ALL who are left are both part of the same event, that is the return of Jesus, when He will judge everyone (the living and the dead).
There is another passage in the Bible, though; one which recounts the words of Jesus himself that makes me think that I would rather be one of the ones "left behind" than one of those taken. From Matthew 13:
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let
both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the
harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be
burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear." *
It seems pretty clear here, by Jesus' own word, that the ones "left behind" are the righteous. The ones who are taken away have a sad fate.
While the notion of Christians being spared difficulty is attractive, it is simply not based upon the scriptures. Instead, we find that persecution and martyrdom are often the lot of those who dare to take up the cross and follow Jesus. We also know that in these sufferings we may count ourselves blessed. As Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5:
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. *
I hope that by using scripture to demonstrate this single point, that I may spur others on to take a more critical look at their own arguments.
* New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Quote Scripture, and be Applauded
I recently watched a video by a well-meaning individual. She was applauded as if she told her viewers something significant. I don't understand the response. The woman simply read a bunch of contextually unrelated scriptures and said she had proved her point. I couldn't figure out what the point was supposed to be.
I guess, for me, there has to be some intellectual basis for a claim that you are explaining something. I don't pull scriptures out of their original context and intent because that seems presumptuous on my part. Even if I ascribed to the idea that each person can interpret scripture to their own desire, it would not make the YouTube ramblings of many coherent.
The woman on this video claimed to be explaining the difference between God's peace, joy, light, etc. and Satan's counterfeit version. She quoted scriptures, said that shows it, and moved on to the next "point" without ever explaining the first one. I read the scriptures and put them in context, but even out of context, the "point" never revealed itself.
I knew another woman who proclaimed herself a pastor, prophet, and healer. She frequently posts scriptures which she uses improperly. We used to be friends. I used to make little comments to put the scriptures she quoted in context. She became very angry with me for pointing out what is obvious to anyone who thinks about it for more than three seconds. She was frequently told how "insightful" she was, even though all she did was take scriptures from their original context and apply them to something unrelated.
The only thing I can figure is that, if you are a protestant, all that is required for people to applaud your "knowledge" is that you quote some scriptures. It doesn't matter if they have anything to do with what you are saying. You don't have to form a cogent intellectual argument. Just quote the Bible and you will be applauded for your "insight".
The only insight I gained is the sure knowledge that I was correct in leaving Protestantism behind. Unfortunately, many people leave Christianity behind entirely because they can't see why they should blindly follow such ideas. I personally could not check my brain at the door to simply go along with everything I saw and heard behind the doors of the protestant church.
In Jesus Christ, in the Gospel, truth and faith were one. I found that the Catholic faith, as it is taught in the Church's magisterium, touches on intellect, the spiritual person, and the physical person.
It is good to study scripture. It is good to be able to appropriately quote scripture. It is an insult to use scripture improperly to garner attention for yourself. It is an insult to God to applaud those who improperly use His word. He gave us brains so that we could use them intelligently!
I guess, for me, there has to be some intellectual basis for a claim that you are explaining something. I don't pull scriptures out of their original context and intent because that seems presumptuous on my part. Even if I ascribed to the idea that each person can interpret scripture to their own desire, it would not make the YouTube ramblings of many coherent.
The woman on this video claimed to be explaining the difference between God's peace, joy, light, etc. and Satan's counterfeit version. She quoted scriptures, said that shows it, and moved on to the next "point" without ever explaining the first one. I read the scriptures and put them in context, but even out of context, the "point" never revealed itself.
I knew another woman who proclaimed herself a pastor, prophet, and healer. She frequently posts scriptures which she uses improperly. We used to be friends. I used to make little comments to put the scriptures she quoted in context. She became very angry with me for pointing out what is obvious to anyone who thinks about it for more than three seconds. She was frequently told how "insightful" she was, even though all she did was take scriptures from their original context and apply them to something unrelated.
The only thing I can figure is that, if you are a protestant, all that is required for people to applaud your "knowledge" is that you quote some scriptures. It doesn't matter if they have anything to do with what you are saying. You don't have to form a cogent intellectual argument. Just quote the Bible and you will be applauded for your "insight".
The only insight I gained is the sure knowledge that I was correct in leaving Protestantism behind. Unfortunately, many people leave Christianity behind entirely because they can't see why they should blindly follow such ideas. I personally could not check my brain at the door to simply go along with everything I saw and heard behind the doors of the protestant church.
In Jesus Christ, in the Gospel, truth and faith were one. I found that the Catholic faith, as it is taught in the Church's magisterium, touches on intellect, the spiritual person, and the physical person.
It is good to study scripture. It is good to be able to appropriately quote scripture. It is an insult to use scripture improperly to garner attention for yourself. It is an insult to God to applaud those who improperly use His word. He gave us brains so that we could use them intelligently!
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Easter after being in Israel
Last Autumn, my husband and I went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel). We had always wanted to go, and really looked forward to the trip, but we were unprepared for the ways in which we would be irrevocably changed by the experience. (We were also unprepared for the sheer volume of walking, but that is another story)
We arrived in Tel Aviv after a very long flight. The airport was massive, but we managed to get through customs and collect our baggage with no hitches. Then, we met a man from the travel agency which was handling our trip, who introduced us to our tour guide for the duration. We were incredibly blessed to have as our tour guide, Makhoul, who was formerly an archaeologist for Israel's department of antiquities.
We arrived at our hotel, and the atmosphere was warm; we felt at home with the staff right away. During our stay, we had some thought-provoking conversations with the staff and learned much about the living situation for Israelis. People in the US cannot imagine the impact of racial/religious tension in Israel. It is simply an everyday struggle for many, one they would like to see come to a end. The more radical elements of each group complicate matters for those who desire peace. Peace is never taken for granted in this land, it is greatly desired and sought after.
Peace became the theme of our trip. Peace among men. Peace with God.
We went to Jerusalem and entered the palace (now underground and still being excavated) where Pilate tried Jesus and condemned Him to death; we stood in the very place they put His cross upon His back, the place Jesus began His walk to Golgatha. We saw many sights in Jerusalem, visited churches and chapels which had been erected hundreds (often more than 1,000) of years ago to commemorate the life of Jesus. We saw the pool where He healed the lame man, we walked the Via Dolorosa. We climbed to the place Jesus' cross was erected and saw the bedrock riven by the earthquake when He died. You cannot imagine the impact it has unless you have been there. Another day, we walked the Palm Sunday Road. We saw the place Jesus stood and wept over Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane where silent witnesses (the olive trees) still stand living, many 3,000 years old. We touched the rock where Jesus prayed in agony as He took on the world's sin. We stood in the cistern (next to a basement torture chamber) in Caiphus' house, where they lowered Jesus to spend a night in total darkness. We entered the Upper Room where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and tried to prepare his disciples for what was about to happen. Everywhere, we could smell the scent of olive trees, rosemary, and date palms. The fragrance of Bouganvilea mingled with those fragrances along with aloes and mustard and mints in many places.
The memory of these places, the sounds, the smells, came back so powerfully as I listened to the Gospel readings on Holy Week. I understand in a whole new way what Jesus went through during His Passion. Having seen and knowing as never before, I still cannot comprehend why God did what He did nearly 2,000 years ago. I know that I am more in awe of the sacrifice, amazed at the economy of His every word and action, deeply touched by the simplicity in which He conveyed deep things to the people He spoke with. Most of all, am grateful for the peace I experience in my soul. I am at peace with God as never before, and most of the time I am peace with all those around me. This is what it was all for. For each of us to experience peace with God, peace with ourselves. We are meant to understand our unique worth in the eyes of our maker and in the eyes of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are meant to grow and prosper in that peace. If there is any way in which I can repay a small portion of the love that has been given to me, I want to do that.
Many I know think that Catholics believe that we can somehow earn Heaven by the things we do. We do not. We know that Jesus did what only God could do for us. We also know that God considers every act of charity we offer other people to be an act of kindness toward Him. As we walk through this life, we seek to cooperate with the grace that can perfect us and make us exactly what God wants us to be.
Easter will never be the same. Peace has never been so perfect in me.
We arrived in Tel Aviv after a very long flight. The airport was massive, but we managed to get through customs and collect our baggage with no hitches. Then, we met a man from the travel agency which was handling our trip, who introduced us to our tour guide for the duration. We were incredibly blessed to have as our tour guide, Makhoul, who was formerly an archaeologist for Israel's department of antiquities.
We arrived at our hotel, and the atmosphere was warm; we felt at home with the staff right away. During our stay, we had some thought-provoking conversations with the staff and learned much about the living situation for Israelis. People in the US cannot imagine the impact of racial/religious tension in Israel. It is simply an everyday struggle for many, one they would like to see come to a end. The more radical elements of each group complicate matters for those who desire peace. Peace is never taken for granted in this land, it is greatly desired and sought after.
Peace became the theme of our trip. Peace among men. Peace with God.
We went to Jerusalem and entered the palace (now underground and still being excavated) where Pilate tried Jesus and condemned Him to death; we stood in the very place they put His cross upon His back, the place Jesus began His walk to Golgatha. We saw many sights in Jerusalem, visited churches and chapels which had been erected hundreds (often more than 1,000) of years ago to commemorate the life of Jesus. We saw the pool where He healed the lame man, we walked the Via Dolorosa. We climbed to the place Jesus' cross was erected and saw the bedrock riven by the earthquake when He died. You cannot imagine the impact it has unless you have been there. Another day, we walked the Palm Sunday Road. We saw the place Jesus stood and wept over Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane where silent witnesses (the olive trees) still stand living, many 3,000 years old. We touched the rock where Jesus prayed in agony as He took on the world's sin. We stood in the cistern (next to a basement torture chamber) in Caiphus' house, where they lowered Jesus to spend a night in total darkness. We entered the Upper Room where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and tried to prepare his disciples for what was about to happen. Everywhere, we could smell the scent of olive trees, rosemary, and date palms. The fragrance of Bouganvilea mingled with those fragrances along with aloes and mustard and mints in many places.
The memory of these places, the sounds, the smells, came back so powerfully as I listened to the Gospel readings on Holy Week. I understand in a whole new way what Jesus went through during His Passion. Having seen and knowing as never before, I still cannot comprehend why God did what He did nearly 2,000 years ago. I know that I am more in awe of the sacrifice, amazed at the economy of His every word and action, deeply touched by the simplicity in which He conveyed deep things to the people He spoke with. Most of all, am grateful for the peace I experience in my soul. I am at peace with God as never before, and most of the time I am peace with all those around me. This is what it was all for. For each of us to experience peace with God, peace with ourselves. We are meant to understand our unique worth in the eyes of our maker and in the eyes of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are meant to grow and prosper in that peace. If there is any way in which I can repay a small portion of the love that has been given to me, I want to do that.
Many I know think that Catholics believe that we can somehow earn Heaven by the things we do. We do not. We know that Jesus did what only God could do for us. We also know that God considers every act of charity we offer other people to be an act of kindness toward Him. As we walk through this life, we seek to cooperate with the grace that can perfect us and make us exactly what God wants us to be.
Easter will never be the same. Peace has never been so perfect in me.
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