The May 2010 Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Newsletter can now be found at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/Newsletters/Newsletter108(May2010)(RGB).pdf Bill C-384 was soundly defeated by a vote of 228 to 59. Check how the Members of Parliament voted at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/HowTheyVoted.pdf On June 5, 2010, we are co-hosting the US/Canda Push-Back Seminar at the Radisson Gateway Hotel at the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. The overwhelming defeat of Bill C-384 proved that we can Push-Back the euthanasia lobby in the US and Canada and convince people that euthanasia and assisted suicide are a dangerous public policy. Register for the Seminar at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/2010SeminarFlyer(RGB)(LetterFormat).pdf The Schindler family are being attacked by a Florida television station and Michael Schiavo. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is standing in solidarity with the Schindler family. My blog comments: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/att
Reflections from the pastoral ministry of an Evangelical Catholic Priest.
Lady Janus
ReplyDeletewould u not hate to encourage somebody to end their life and the next day a cure was found..u and i will not agree but murder is taking the life of another and suicide is the murder of yourself...both of which offend the God who made us...and the book of Genesis says he made us and we were very good and the book of Wisdom tell is God would not made anything He hated
Mary, where the hell did you ever get the idea that I would encourage anyone to do any such thing??? It would never be up to me to make any such decisions on behalf of anyone except myself. It would never be up to anybody else except the person directly involved.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, people! Would y'all please take a step back from the edge and think about what you're saying? You're all assuming that we're all gonna be herded into Rapture Chambers at a certain age, or something, like in Logan's Run.
Lady Janus i am really sorry if i offended you...i am glad u would not make that decision for anyone. I also believe at the time of our death we will not be "herded" anywhere...i do believe that, since we all have free will, the way we have chosen to live our lives will determine where we will spend eternity .
ReplyDeleteMary, you haven't offended me, you've completely flabbergasted me. I ask in all seriousness: where did you get the idea that I would make such a decision for anyone except myself?
ReplyDeleteit was a wrong impression..u are as pro as i am con that i jumped to the wrong conclusion that u would recommend it for everyone . was a good lesson for me...if someone had said i was judgemental i would have said NEVER...but , in fact, i was and i know i have absolutely no right to be.
ReplyDeleteMary G,
ReplyDelete"I also believe at the time of our death we will not be "herded" anywhere...i do believe that, since we all have free will, the way we have chosen to live our lives will determine where we will spend eternity."
You have touched upon one of the central issues of the Reformation. That is a question that tormented Martin Luther nearly to madness before God revealed the truth to him in Scripture.
May I suggest you check the history and meaning by Googling or doing a little search on Pelagianism. Augustine, who is considered probably at least one of the greatest early fathers of Roman Catholicism was very much opposed to it.
Back around then there was a bishop named Pelagius who believed that man could, apart from the grace of God, determine his own destiny. Augustine was strongly opposed to this and spoke very strongly against Pelagius. Augustine believed that everyone was a sinful fallen being and needed the grace of God to be able to believe or do anything. He believed that because of the fallen nature, man did not have the ability to do anything himself. If you examine the epistles that Paul wrote, that is what you will find.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians ch2 vs 8,9.
Pelagius's views were condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D., but neither the eastern or western churches fully accepted Augustine's views.
The 20th century liberal view in the RCC is very similar to Pelagianism. According to modern RC thought, man can achieve salvation by cooperation with the divine will through his own efforts. The question being is christianity a matter of man's free will or a matter of God's grace at work. The epistle to the Romans does have a lot of say on this subject as well as other places in the Bible.
Small Town Guy
ReplyDeletewhat i was saying is that i believe ONLY by God are we saved but He gave us a free will and we can choose to live as His grace dictates or we can choose to refuse it.I wish the whole world knew Merton's wonderful prayer in which he says he is never sure that is following the will of God but that his only desire is to follow it and that desire does please our God who will never leave us to make our journey alone. Isiah tells us we have a God who holds our hand and keeps us and for me , there is a wonderful excitement and assurance in that...and a love and caring that goes beyond anything i can grasp.
Mary G,
ReplyDeleteYou reminded us "Isiah tells us we have a God who holds our hand and keeps us and for me , there is a wonderful excitement and assurance in that...and a love and caring that goes beyond anything i can grasp."
Mary, that is a wonderful thought. Those are wonderful promises that the Lord has given his people. "And will hold thine hand, and will keep thee" Isaiah ch42 vs6(b)
We heard a wonderful sermon this afternoon on grace. We also sang a beautiful hymn called
"I Sought the Lord, and Afterward I Knew"
The first verse of the hymn says:
I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
He moved my soult to seek Him, seeking me;
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
No, I was found, was found of Thee.
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
No, I was found, was found of Thee.
_________
From the Old Testament:
"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."
Jeremiah ch31 vs3
Other verses with the same thought are Matthew ch14 vs28-33; 1 John ch4 vs10-19; Matthew ch14 vs 32.
You mentioned "He gave us a free will and we can choose to live as His grace dictates"
Mary, I'm not sure if you have full meaning of grace there. Although the word is commonly used, I find many people have difficulty with it. One online dictionary gives this definition:
"Grace is God's unmerited favor. It is kindness from God we don't deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration (rebirth) or sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine favor."
So you may see from this is not something God dictates. Grace is a divine favour God bestows on an individual even though the individual does not deserve it. That is where the idea of "unmerited favour" comes from.
You may find the idea or examples of God's grace in many places through the Bible. A plain practical example is the Apostle Paul himself. He was heavily persecuting christians and even consenting to their death I believe; but God in His providence, called Saul (Paul) by divine grace (or unmerited favour). (Ref Acts ch9) God calls people to believe in His Son, Jesus, and gives them eternal life by grace. (Ephesians ch2 vs8,9)
Small town Guy
ReplyDeleteyou are right ..i cannot comprehend the full meaning of God's grace...it is way beyond my understanding. You did note in your definition that is was a gift and we are free to accept or decline a gift so i believe that gratitude for that gift helps us to live our lives only for the Honor and Glory of our God