Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
Former priest Richard Bennett has something important to say about this subject, talked about in this article:
ReplyDeleteThe article tells about a RC priest who stopped near a dying police officer and said some kind of prayer. Presumably it was some kind of last rites prayer. Although Richard Bennett is speaking about the Sacrament of Penance, it is closely related to the subject of last rites, which are special powers the RCC claims that RC priests have.
"This message of “a participation in the saving
work of Jesus” is a damnable lie to be spoken into the ears of those who are sick and dying.
Christ’s redemptive work is His and His alone. The doctrine of “a participation in the saving
work of Jesus” is utterly perverse in that it holds out a false hope to trust in one’s own suffering as adding something to that of the Lord. Such a concept is an utter lie as it denies the repeated statements of God’s truth in Scripture. The work of redemption is “by Himself,”38 “without the deeds of the law,”39 “not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should
boast,”40 “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us....”41 To teach Satan’s lie to those that are dying, that you can cooperate in saving
yourself, is truly an abomination."
http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles.php?link=?name=Articles
I prefer to trust in Jesus who has promised "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee". And "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1 Please don't bother me with the last rites or extreme unction stuff. I don't agree and don't want any part of it.