Growing up in the evangelical community, I was inundated with end-times and prophecy related media.  Even before the infamous “Left Behind” series, there was plenty of activity around the deciphering and prediction of future and end-time events.  Even before I joined the Catholic Church I realized there was kind of madness behind the end-times culture, so I decided to leave IT behind.  While I firmly believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, I have no interest in trying to guess when it will be.  More importantly, obsessing over trying to understand prophecy often leads us to miss the point of the prophecy all together… hope.

End-Time Insanity

“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” - Matthew 24:36

Jesus told us even He didn’t know when the day and hour of the end would be, but for some reason, there are people who think they can figure it out anyway.   While there is genuine harm in their behavior, I can’t help but laugh a little at the absurdity of end-times enthusiasts.  They dissect and study obscure passages of scripture like a monkey trying to squeeze juice from the left over rinds of an orange.  The search in vain for some hidden message or meaning that will provide definitive proof that (insert contemporary world leader here) is the Antichrist.  

Once they find their “evidence”, their actions become even more asinine.  I have noticed that once people are convinced that God’s wrath is at hand, many of them start constructing home-made bomb shelters, stock-piling water and food, buying ammunition, and planning “apocalypse” proof financials (like sticking gold under the mattress).  I can’t think of any amount of preparation one can undertake to survive the END OF THE WORLD… nor would I want to.  I wonder if God is insulted by people thinking they can hold His wrath at bay with an electric generator and bottled water.   

Putting aside the additional inconsistency this behavior holds with the popular Protestant teaching of the “rapture”, the belief God removes all believers from the world just before things get REALLY bad, it shows a kind of craziness behind the whole thing.  I hear many evangelicals defend the popularity of end-times propaganda (like the “Left Behind” series) because they believe it brings people to God.  First of all, I don’t think that is the kind of fear God is looking for us to come to Him with.  Second, that kind of conversion is not a true conversion of repentance, and often fades away as soon as the individual starts feeling… well… stupid (like after Y2K).

Hope and Sanity

“…waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire.  But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” - 2 Peter 3:12 -13

The prophecies given to us in Scripture are given for the sake of hope and perspective.  When the end really does come, we will be comforted knowing what we endure is only temporary, and something much better is waiting on the other side.  It is also given to us to help us maintain perspective and not become too attached to this temporary world. 

Even those who accept the inevitability of death often try to achieve some sort of perceived immortality through power and legacy.  “To be remembered” is often the only hope of man for eternal life, but we know Christ offers so much more.  We lay up our treasures in heaven knowing the work we do for Jesus will be work that bares fruit in this life as well as all eternity. 

It also helps us keep a sane grasp on the concept of “building the Kingdom”.  The Kingdom of God is not a series of buildings or organizations, but a community of souls.  We can get so materialistic, even in our religion.  By keeping the end of the world in our minds, we become less interested in real estate we claimed “in God’s name” and more interested in the souls we have claimed.

There are many reasons to look forward to a new heaven and new earth.  The idea should fill us with hope and wonder, not fear and dread.  The truth behind the obsession over end-times prophecy is that people are afraid of the end, so they obsess over it to give them a feeling of control when they are helpless to stop it.  If we would be honest with ourselves, we would not be so obsessed with the details and deciphering of end times prophecy if we were at peace with it.

My Two Cents

I would also like to throw an idea out there for all you eschatologists (people who study end-times).  Did you ever consider the possibility the day and hour of the end is optional?  The end will happen, that is certain, but what if the time is not set in stone?  

There have been several periods in time when people thought the end was eminent.  Most obvious in recent history was World War II when people thought Hitler was the Antichrist.  Well… maybe he was.  What if we keep coming close to the end only to pull back from destruction?

Scriptures tell us the Church is the salt of the world, salt is a preservative.  Perhaps our behavior as a Church body determines the endurance of the world.  In every end-time “close call”, the Church has played a major role in healing the world.  While the end will come someday, maybe we should just get back to work and see if we can’t do some more good in the meantime.  

Technorati Tags: end times, eschatology, left behind, prophecy, rapture

In light of the upcoming holidays, (Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day), I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the nature of death and how it applies to Christian mysticism.  The dead and departed has been one of the areas in my thinking which has undergone the most change since entering the Catholic Church.   It has not changed much from a doctrinal or theological perspective, but rather from the perspective of awareness.  Where I once divided my world view into the world of the living and the afterlife, I now realize the present life and the afterlife are intertwined within the Body of Christ.

The Communion of Saints

One of my favorite teachings in the Catholic Church is that we have spiritual solidarity, not only with other believers, but with the souls of our brothers and sisters who have passed on.*  The Body of Christ is not simply the community of those presently with us, but a community of all those who have come before us as well.  

This is practiced not only in thought, but in praying the to Saints for intercession.  Just as we ask our brothers and sisters to pray for us, we also ask those who have finished the race to pray for us as well.  While many may feel the practice of praying to Saints is silly or even heretical, I find this practice creates a great feeling of strength and encouragement.  It is so empowering to know and experience the cheering-on and lifting-up from those who have already lived and died for Christ and know what we are going through.

Our Extended Family

As many families have experienced, my wife and I went through a miscarriage.  My perspective at the time was still very much on what was living and physical, so while disappointing, I didn’t really know how to digest the early loss of our child.  My wife, of course, felt the loss much more than I, but I was unable to relate.

My time and reading in the Catholic Church eventually allowed me to realize that our child was a member of the family from the moment of conception, and still is.  While not able to get to know her (our child) in this world, she is a new life and a new soul that is now a permanent part of the Body of Christ.  I was finally able to have an emotional connection to a soul I was previously unaware of.

Honoring the Dead

While many Christians see Halloween as a pagan holiday, All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day are embraced by the Catholic Church as a time for acknowledging, honoring, and connecting to our brothers, sisters, and family across the veil.  We take time to reflect on the absence left in our lives by those we have lost.  We meditate on their very real presence in the Body of Christ.  And we remind ourselves of our true hope in the inevitable return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the the new earth.

“Death is swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
- 1 Cor. 15:55

Death is an event to be embraced by those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  It is our victory, and it just makes sense to take time out during the year to celebrate it, remind ourselves of it, and even to reflect and make sure we are prepared for it. 

If you have never taken this holiday seriously, or have been on of those families who turn the lights off and take cover from the “scary devil children” asking for candy and treats waiting for it all to pass over, I suggest a different idea.  Take this time of year to celebrate it’s original intent: to connect with the whole Body of Christ.

Reference: 

* http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p5.htm#958

Technorati Tags: All Hallow's Eve, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, catholic mysticism, Christian Mysticism, communion of saints, Halloween

Theocentric posed a review of a new book called “Top Secret: The Truth behind Today’s Pop Mysticisms” by Robert M. Price.  It is a critical look at fad or “pop mystics”.  I am glad someone finally put a good book together for this since these con-artists give mysticism a bad name. 

The book “The Secret” which, unless you live under a rock, is one the most popular of the pop-mysticism books out there.  It is part of a movement called “New Thought”, which basically is “The Matrix” combined with old-school health and wealth cultism.  

CLICK HERE FOR THE REVIEW

Buy the book!

Technorati Tags: fad mysticism, pop mysticism, pop mystics, robert price, the secret, top secret

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL SIZE STRIP

It’s been a big since my last strip, and people have been asking me to do more.  I was having trouble working through some decisions on how to proceed.  I was debating between continuing with St. Philip Neri as a saintly specter interacting with modern culture, or alive in his own time.  As you can see I went with the former.  I realize it is a stretch to have TV in heaven, but I couldn’t think of any other way symbolize the Saints “looking down” on us.  Anyway, now that I have worked some kinks out, others should follow more frequently.  Enjoy!

You can see all the comic strips by clicking here

Technorati Tags: St. Philip Neri Comic Strip

“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” - Wilhelm Stekel

Social change almost always comes from the young.  Born into a world not of their own making, it is natural and healthy for the young generation to question the traditions and ways of the older generation.  This tendency of the young to question the world is a built-in method of protection and renewal in society.  If not for this mechanism, society would deteriorate like an unattended garden.  However, this mechanism is also to blame for many of the wars and social schisms throughout history.  I write this article to the young, and young at heart, who wish to see change in the world around them.  Reform may take years to grow, but revolution can draw blood in a day.

So You Say You Want A Revolution?

Revolutions throughout history have had a range of consequences, from the American Revolution being looked upon as good, to Hitler’s Nazi revolution being looked upon as horrible, to the French Revolution which is still debated as to it’s virtue.  One thing which is the same is blood, death, and war.  It comes down to a basic mindset among revolutionaries of “us vs. them”.  Revolutionary thinking forms a basic disconnect between those wanting change, and those in charge of the status quo.  We are all human, and what revolutionists often fail to see is they would probably be just like those they are revolting against if tables were turned.

Man-made systems are, to be obvious, made of men.  Though some may feel the injustices imposed on them are from man-made systems, but when they go to war against the system, they are going to war with men.  The point of all this is to say the worst of revolutions are those which fail to see the faults in the systems are the faults inside ourselves.  It doesn’t matter how perfect a system is, the faults of man will eventually corrupt it.  We cannot change our world by the tearing down and building up of systems.  All that does it restart a cycle, which while it have difference faces, has the same problems.

Viva La Reform!

The other problem with revolution is, once a new system is in place, the idealism behind it quickly disappears.  After all, once the new system is in place, all the problems fought against are now starting to sprout up again.  Revolution fails to see the true requirements behind a just society.  It is not “change” we need, it is virtue.  Only by disciplining ourselves, by looking at our own character, can society improve.

“..how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and the you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” - Luke 6:42

Reform is, in essence, taking the attitude of “I will be the change I want to see in the world.”  Instead of setting our sights on the highest offices and most powerful people, we look at ourselves, our neighborhood, and our own community.  It is sad that just about everyone knows all the twists and turns of the presidential election, but most people don’t know who their own mayor is.  This is a pity, because the most of the high-and-mighty come form the once lowly communities.  If we focused on the people we can see, the neighbors we can know, the town meetings we can actually attend, then we would grow better elected officials from the ground up.

Reform is a rare thing, and there are few true examples in history of it.  One obvious example I can think of is the Black Panthers were revolutionist, but Martin Luther King Jr. was a reformer.  Revolutions overthrow governments, but reformers heal their communities.  What right do I have to criticize an elected official for ignoring the “common man” when I, the common man, won’t attend a local town meeting to keep another Wal-Mart from being built?  The truth is the real heroes in this world are those you may, at best, only hear about on a local news “feel good” spot.  The people keep this world held together are those who can run a business, organize a charity, inspire community efforts all regardless of what government they have.

Beyond government, the “revolution” mindset ruins our churches, schools, and even our volunteer organizations.  We don’t as many churches as Starbucks because we are spiritual, but because we can’t get along with each other.  Whenever we can’t make people around us do what we want, we revolt.  We need the patience and discipline to make a stand which, by the way, means NOT MOVING.  Making a stand means you live and act in the way you wish others to act, and then remain present and visible in the community.  Over time, the immovable presence of a true reformer inspires others to reform and becomes a movement.

Part of the resistance Jesus encountered from the Jews of the time was that they wanted a revolutionary messiah.  Even Jesus’s disciples were, at first, waiting for Him to lead a revolt against the Roman Empire.  When Jesus made it clear that He had no interest in revolution, many people left Him.  Jesus instead started a reform of religion, one that took many generations to grow.

The rarity of reform is because it is very hard to accomplish and tests the virtue of those seeking it.  Those wanting reform not only have to have the humility to examine their own character, but the fortitude to endure persecution without running away.  Reformers often never live to see the fruit of their labors, either because of assignation or just old age.  In fact, true reform takes generation to ingrain itself into a society.  However, reform is always worth the struggle because it changes people’s hearts, not just the system.

Technorati Tags: reform, revolution, social change

“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thes. 5:16-18

When Paul wrote the words “Pray without ceasing”, he opened up a Pandora’s box of misunderstanding for the overzealous and obsessive-compulsive types that endures to this very day. Indeed this passage seems to fall into two opposite pendulum swings of interpretation. On the one-hand, there are a few who actually attempt some sort of incessant repetition throughout their day, and then the greater majority who just chalk it up to hyperbole and just give up all together. The truth is that prayer without cessation is truly blessed discipline that enriches our lives, and is surprisingly not so difficult to carry out.

Christian mysticism has long revolved around the concept of “contemplative prayer”. Contemplative prayer, though it has a wide range of methods and definitions, I would personally define it as the act of listening to God. In memorized prayer, liturgical prayer, and most other forms of prayer, we are often speaking to God (or worse, AT God). Contemplative prayer is intentionally making an effort to prepare and calm one’s self to listen and receive. I also like to think of contemplative prayer as our way of fulfilling the oft-forgot command to “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10/11)

Along with contemplative prayer is yet another concept of prayer, to “walk with God”. This concept was introduced with the person of Enoch (Gen. 5:21-24) who was so close to God he was simply taken up to be with God. The idea of walking with God has fascinated me ever since my youth as such a powerful picture of how far our relationship with God can go. When Paul said to “Pray without ceasing” I believe that this is closer to what he had in mind.

To walk with God, at it’s most basic, is turning prayer, both the traditional and contemplative forms, into an unending awareness of God’s presence and continuing conversation with Him. If we truly master unceasing prayer, we live with a constant assurance of God’s presence in our daily lives. Our connection with God becomes like a friend, or more accurately a father, who is always present and available… as if we were walking with God through life’s journey.

The methods of practicing this unceasing prayer are nothing beyond the most basic advise already given in Scripture. We should do our daily work as if for God, and pay attention to what our work shows us about our own character and maturity. We should view our interactions with others as opportunities to grow our love and humility.  We should see every moment of our lives as a constant relationship with the Creator who formed the world around us.

So how is praying unceasingly different from just living as Christians? No more different than fuel is different from a car. By living with an intentional effort to be aware of God’s constant presence in our lives, and taking frequent opportunities during the day to listen to what God is trying to teach us, we turn the secular to sacred and bring wonder to the mundane. This is not meant as a replacement to traditional, liturgical, or contemplative prayer, but simply as a complement.  To live a life where we are always in a state of prayer of some kind it to walk with God.  I would consider this the essence of practical mysticism.

Technorati Tags: Christian Mysticism, contemplative prayer, pray without ceasing, prayer without ceasing, walk with God

Scientists have finally discovered the four winds talked about in Scripture. I mentioned this briefly in my Twitter feed last week, but didn’t have time to write a post about it.  Throughout many passages in Scripture, which I will list at the end of this article, it refers to the “four winds” of the earth.  Since scientists have, so far, acknowledged only 2 major sources of wind (called “air cells”) on the globe, many theologians have interpreted the “four winds” as the four cardinal directions.  However, I have long thought and recording in my own journals that I believed the “four winds” to represent four major sources of wind.  Part of the reason I believed this is because of the passage in Revelations 7:1 that says:

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so no wind could blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.”

Anywho, an article on Scientific American (which you can read here) talks about how climatologists have acknowledged four primary air cells on the globe.  I don’t know how many people will care or not, but I always love it when ancient texts show that they really did know what was going on after all.

Again, here is the link to the article/podcast on Scientific American:
http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=F1FC37CB-DA7A-372B-39AC22E13013F1A4&sc=rss

Here are the Scripture passages where the four winds are mentioned:
Jeremiah 49:36, Ezekiel 37:9, Daniel 7:2, 8:8, 11:4, Zechariah 2:6, Matthew 24:31, Mark 13:27, Revelation 7:1

And here is an interesting list of other scientific discoveries foreshadowed in Scripture (take it with a grain of salt):
http://www.creationists.org/foreknowledge.html

Technorati Tags: science, science and scripture, science and the bible, science in scripture, scientific discovery, the four winds

I have had several discussions as of late concerning the relationship between religion and philosophy (like here). Chiefly, the topic of debate is whether or not philosophy and religion can be separate. Here is a post on the Catholic Answers Forum that caught my attention:

It seems to me that studying the connection between philosophy and theology is a philosophy itself.

Here’s one.

A logical contradiction implies nonexistence. For example, an apple that is not an apple is nothing at all (or, A + (-A) = 0).

Therefore,

If true philosophy seeks to be logical,
And that which is logical seeks existence,
And, as St. Thomas argues, existence is God himself,
Then, true philosophy indirectly seeks God.

So, a philosopher indirectly seeks God, his natural end, as much as he rejects logical contradiction and accepts God as the principle of his logic. (i.e. faith and reason are inseparable).

As Pope John Paul the Great said, “faith without reason is superstition.” However, reason without faith is rationalism. Superstition and rationalism allow us to create our own truth and accept error.

After reading this I realized that what really shapes the argument, that philosophy and religion are inseparable, is considering what the two would be without one another. It is hard to think of any serious philosopher going out of his way to avoid all theories of God, he would be left with only a handful of shallow remnants to ponder. Likewise, any serious religious pursuant, who avoids all philosophy, would have no context for his faith or spirituality whatsoever.

Technorati Tags: philosophy, philosophy and religion, philosophy vs religion, religion

As a mystic, I try to practice caution around areas of private revelation. I usually avoid talking about things I learn solely through personal experience. However, I have been so blessed by my more recent discoveries concerning Grace, that I felt compelled to write about it. My Dad says, “For those who truly believe in God, the evidence of His presence is everywhere. For those who don’t believe, they live in a world with no God.” The subtlety of God’s providence is such that we can easily turn a blind eye. To those to take the time to pay (pray) attention, God’s Grace is so abundant in our everyday lives it is humiliating to think what we would do without Him.

Work has been going well for me, very well. Recently I had teamed up with a friend of mine to start a new business. It was a great chance for me to try out my various “mystic” philosophies in business without restraint. Things have been going so well, that I felt my ego begin to inflate. (I have a pretty big head to begin with, if I don’t keep an eye on it, I won’t be able to wear any of my hats) Anywho… told God that somewhere in the back of my [enormous] head I know He is making this possible, but I wanted Him to help me become aware of where my efforts end, and His Grace begins.

What I learned was amazing, humbling, and encouraging.  I discovered that while I was busy trying to manage my life the best I can, God was managing me.  It was a spectacular feeling of the “Father” in God the Father.  I saw, and continue to see, so many instances where I let something important fall through the cracks, and then God picked it up for me.

Sometimes God’s involvement in our lives can be very obvious.  Most of us can think of a time we were paying less-than-perfect attention while driving, just to have something happen to narrowly save us from a horrible accident.  What really surprised me was how constantly present and frequently providential God’s Grace is.  In many ways, it has changed my thinking.

I used to believe in a more “hands-off” God.  Not from any kind of cynicism, it just seemed to me Creation was so well made, and the systems so perfectly in place, God didn’t really need to do much interfering.  While that remains true, what I learned instead is God chooses to be “hands on” in our lives, not as a necessity, but as a matter of mercy. Without the continued Grace of God, our lives would be very different (and probably much shorter).

I have heard several eschatologists (people who study prophecy in Scripture) talk about how one of the disasters to befall man at the end of time will be that God simply removes His Spirit from the world for a period of time.  I think that will be the worst disaster of all.  The morbid part of my sense of humor gets a chuckle picturing all cars throughout the world crashing at once.

What really surprised me was I learned this same Grace God provides me in day to day life is something He gives to everyone.  You may be thinking, “How arrogant of you to assume otherwise,” but I have to admit it is a surprise to see how much God offers this Grace to even those who are still rejecting Him entirely.   I didn’t think I was the only one, but I also didn’t expect that.

What really hit me through all this was the question, “God, if you are giving me this much Grace now, why didn’t you give this Grace to me back when life was so hard?” and the answer was simple.  God WAS giving me this Grace all the time, I was just REALLY screwing up.  There is so much I have learned about myself, and so much God has changed in me.  I realize all the pain I have experienced has not only been necessary to keep me growing, but was only a fraction of what it could have been. God’s Grace made sure I only experienced the pain I needed to keep moving forward.

All God was needing from me was the faith to step out and live my life.  I have made many mistakes, and while I know God wants me to learn from them, He also protects me from the full brunt of my shortcomings.  God truly is the FATHER, pushing us to grow, letting us step out on our own, but always ready to catch us and get us back up.  It is such a euphoric spiritual romance.

After this, I was really hit hard by what this means about the human condition.  I know a lot of people who live what they would call “miserable” lives.  To see God’s Grace acting in their lives made me realize that just about all our misery is self-inflicted.  With all God’s Grace, we actually have to try to make life suck, and yet, we still do.  I wrote an article a while back about how we create our own personal hells, but now with the context of the Common Grace God provides to all mankind, I am more convinced than ever about our responsibility for our own spiritual condition.

Repentance isn’t a negative or judgmental concept, it is a beautiful miracle where man can leave his squaller behind and run back to a loving FATHER.  When Christ came to save us, it wasn’t about Heaven and Hell, it was about saving us from our own misery. And that is probably the best definition of sin I can think of, to cling to misery when we could embrace God’s Grace.

Technorati Tags: Christian Mysticism, common grace, God's Grace, grace

The Catholic Church has become the center of attention aggression in the global discussion of, not just abortion, but birth control.  To stand against birth control isn’t just unpopular in the secular world but also amongst modern day Christians and even many Catholics themselves. Considering the arguably more urgent concerns such as abortion, genetic engineering, and embryonic stem cells, birth control seems trivial by comparison.  The stance against birth control seems futile, not because it is a petty concern, but because we have already lost so much.  As the other boundaries of the sacred womb fall, what we are really loosing is our own humanity.

Our unchecked consumerism has led mankind to a place where we have to choose between our standard of living, and our families.  In America, it is almost impossible for new families to live on one person’s income alone.  The now old-fashioned idea of the stay-at-home mom is becoming nothing more than a fantasy or relic.  We don’t raise our children ourselves anymore, the government does. Even in independent organizations like day-care, strict government regulation determines what we can or cannot teach children.

I think our point-of-no-return as a society was when children changed from being blessings, the center of joy in the family, to burdens and inconveniences. If you are well-off or middle class, children simply interrupt our careers and materialistic lifestyles.  If you are poor, children are a source of desperation and panic (part of why most abortions are amongst the poor).  We send our kids to day-care, school, sports, camp, and maybe, if we are lucky, see them a couple hours a day.

The most popular argument people have against the Catholic Church’s teaching on birth control is that it is “unrealistic”.  And you know what.. they are right.  Not using birth control in today’s world is unrealistic,  but the not because it is naturally so, it is because we have made it so. Large families are a burden to our modern society.  A woman can’t pursue a career if she is constantly pregnant or nursing.  Plus, the financial strain of the medical industry’s cost of giving birth is nearly impossible for anyone without great insurance coverage to afford.

We have traded the natural blessings given to us by God for artificial ones.  The joy of the family has been replaced by the stress of the commercialism. Birth control is our way of forcing our way of life to change in the way we think is best.  We have told God that we prefer money and luxury to family.  The problem is that it doesn’t stop there.  We are now fighting against abortion, genetic engineering, and the harvesting of the unborn for stems cells.

Children are humanity’s constant chance for renewal.  It has always been the role of the younger generation to take the reigns, and try in improve upon the generation before.  However, instead of seeing our responsibility to the younger generation, the world is promoting a new mindset where the younger generation exclusively serves the older generation.

Right now, in our culture, this generational selfishness has already manifested itself in drastic ways.  When a child comes along who interrupts a would-be parent’s plans for life, we kill it.  When a child doesn’t learn the way we think they should, we medicate them. Now certain organizations are trying to make it legal to grow fetuses like crops to harvest for stems cells for our own use.  This is only what is going on now too, I haven’t even gone into what some foresee in the future.

I say all this because birth control, not just contraception but all attempts to dominate the womb, is not an issue of theology, or even just morality, we are talking about losing our own dignity and freedom.  To assume control over the womb is to assume control over, and potentially wipe-out, all God-given chances for renewal. Our children are here to fix our mistakes, improve on our successes, and challenge our ways.  When the next generation has lost all power to change us, when we enslave our own children from birth for our own selfish wants, what hope is left for humanity.

This article has a much darker tone than I usually post, but I can’t think of anything funny about this.  What I can say to end this on a lighter note, is that there are still many who have the faith to follow God at His word.  I am proud of every family I meet that has chosen to live as God commanded. I experience great joy when I meet a family who still feels that every child is a blessing.  Not only that, but the blessing of God are made obvious through their families.  In today’s world, I believe those who leave the womb in God’s control are living saints.

Technorati Tags: abortion, against birth control, birth control, Catholic Church, contraception