In this modern world I feel like advising him to: “Calm down. We don’t do that today. We don’t shout condemnations at sinners. You will hurt their feelings. You will embarrass everyone shouting out your harsh judgements at public sinners.. You must learn to be politically correct.
On the subject of Hell by an A la carte catholic
Quite honestly I have always been a little afraid of St John the Baptist.
Look. This business you warn about – the unquenchable fire. No. no. no, we don’t really believe that any more. God is way too good, kind and loving to send anyone into unquenchable fire
.
You warn the people about the Messiah who is coming and you say:
“And he will throughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into his barn but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
And:
“For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.”
In our modern world we wouldn’t dream of focusing on so much negativity. We don’t want the faithful to suddenly realise that their Parents and friends are in hell! Goodness no! Some of our liberal theologians have been heard to say, “If there is a hell we think it’s probably empty.”
St John you have to understand that modern people totally reject Satan and Hell – Of course we know there is evil in the world but – Satan? A personality? No way.
If there is anything like that it is just a force, an evil force. If our priests started talking about Satan being a person, people would leave the church and not go back.
Confessing our sins! Let me explain by an A la carte Catholic
St John, In your day everything was a sin. That was because you all took notice of the commandments. You worried about such things as keeping holy the sabbath day. Now THAT is so outdated. You see God didn’t make the world in six days and rest on the seventh. We know that now so that commandment is for dummies. God wants us to be happy and we are so stressed in the modern world that we need to shop on Sundays.
On the subject of Penance by an A la carte catholic
Here’s another thing you talk about – “Penance”.
“Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
There are very few people today that think penance is helpful in our struggles against evil. You see we are all going to heaven when we die so really St John:Is there any need for penance?
Do you realise St John that the way you lived and ate was very bad for your health! Today we are more aware of living a healthy lifestyle. Penance just wouldn’t be good for our health. Unless of course we wanted to lose weight. Or go off sugar during lent – now that’s a good reason for doing penance.
If we do not sin what need is there for doing Penance? If I think about it perhaps if someone was a really big sinner and they repented maybe they should do penance but I’m not really sure why. I have never committed a big sin – I’m a good person. If there is a heaven, I have no doubt I will go there.
On the Subject of Fornication and Divorce by an A la carte catholic
St John, you make us all feel very uncomfortable when you condemned Herod Antipas for taking his brother Phillip’s wife Herodias. Especially as it actually caused your death. In our modern age most people in love ‘move in together’ without getting married. Most of them cannot afford to get married and they are not sure that they will stay together.anyway.
It is totally acceptable nowadays. Most young people will have sex on a whim and it is just like having a meal to them.
No one ever uses the term fornication any more. Sex outside marriage is so prevalent, in our modern world – so common place and so acceptable, that it is no longer sinful. We have passed that stage. After all God realises that things have changed.
I suppose you think divorce is wrong too. The children of unhappy parents have a much better life if their parents divorce. It’s not a sin if it doesn’t hurt anyone. And if people do complain about feeling hurt then it’s considered “their baggage” and they are in the wrong and need counselling.
St John answers the A la carte catholic
It is hard for me to stay calm when I know that you are in great danger. If you were to see me about to step of a cliff would you not shout a warning?
I am warning you now God has not changed. God’s laws are eternal. When the Master taught us and warned us about Hell it was because He loved us and did not want us to go there.
I came from fasting in the desert and I preached:
“Do penance for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus came from fasting 40 days in the desert and:
“From that time Jesus began to preach and say: Do Penance for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt 4:17)
Jesus sent his apostles out to preach “two by two”.
“And going forth they preached that men should do Penance.”
In the Gospel of St.James he clearly tells you to confess your sins:
Confess your sins to one another
(James 5:16) Douay Rheims Catholic Bible
In scripture you will find that Jesus taught that, his disciples had the power to forgive or not forgive sins:
(John 20:22) Douay Rheims Catholic Bible
… he breathed on them; and he said to them; Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus spoke about Hell about twenty times and described it as a fire.
You describe yourself as a Christian do you believe the words of Jesus Christ?
Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be born also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
(matt 3:9) Douay Rheims 1899 Américan edition
On the moral issue of divorce Jesus was emphatic:
And there came to him the Pharisees tempting him, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
(Matt 19: 3-6) Douay Rheims 1899 Américan edition
Who answering, said to them: Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning, Made them male and female? And He said:
For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh.
Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh; What therefore God hath joined together , let no man put asunder
The teaching against divorce is not just my teaching it is also the teaching of Jesus Christ and His Church.
If you need more confirmation on this continue reading Matthew chapter 9, and see how the Pharisees argue with Jesus reminding Him that Moses granted a bill of divorce. Jesus tells them it was because of the hardness of their hearts.
That is a terrible condemnation by Christ.
All this talk of love. But Jesus describes it as “hardness of hearts”.
Fornication in the Old Testament by the Jewish people is totally condemned. The teaching of the New Testament follow suit:
No fornicator, no impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
(Eph 5:5). Douay Rheims 1899 Américan edition
And so to you who have the effrontery to boast of your modern position: that of A la carte catholic – there is no place for you in heaven. You cannot now say you have not been warned.
