The Apostate
This cartoon series was sent to me recently by a blogger who has requested anonymity (no, it's not me, I am too proud to not tell you when I put something together) This blogger told me this cartoon was inspired by the reaction to the Dr. Beckwith conversion he had witnessed in the blogosphere as well as my Cathochic Tract post sometime ago. He had no idea of the negative view that some- not all non-Catholics have towards a Catholic's conversion. (I suspect the amount of times Dr. Beckwith was called an apostate in his com box may have fueled the title.)
Anonymous Blogger presents:
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 5:39 PM
14 Comments:
I read on the EWTN website that Dr. Beckwith is scheduled to be on Marcus Grodi's Journey Home program on Sept 24. That should probably elicit some interesting responses.
Wow! I can't wait to see it. Thanks for the heads up. The phone screeners will be busy that night.
That comic strip is a hoot! I especially giggled at the "no reference needed."
Which got me to thinking. I reckon someone could point out the technical specs difference between Catholic Bible reading eyeglasses and Prot reading specs, and Catholic model of hearing aid, and the Prot model of hearing aid?
At least we can laugh while being called ho's.
nancy:
That will be a good show to watch.
thanks.
tj:
Apostate Tom will burn in Hell forever because he became a Catholic, and the blood of Christ does not cover that sin? Sounds like Satan's friends talking.
God does not just "cover" sin--he takes the sin and "transforms" the sin. Protestant ideas of just covering sin so God does not see it? How bizzare, how they limit God.
I don't know if it's funny or sad, but this cartoon reflects the attitude I witnessed among some people I have known in prison ministry when I attended Bible School in Dallas.
I guess it's funny where it isn't true and sad where it is.
Greg
WHY DO CATHOLICS NEED A PRIEST TO FORGIVE SINS? -- --ONLY-- SCRIPTURE REFERENCES CITED FOR AN ANSWER, PLEASE!!!
Dear anonymous.
First you (politely) site the reference for the "sinners prayer", the exact phrase please where those exact words are used that say if anyone prays the sinners prayer they are instantly and irrevocably saved. Then please site any verse from the bible that states that it alone is the soul authority for our faith and practice. Third, there's no need to YELL. We Catholic Christians can hear you well enough. Do those three things adequately and I'll give you the verses from the bible that support why all Christians (not just Catholics) need a priest to forgive us our sins.
Mind you, you must do all three of the above things without putting your own sola spin on your scriptura.
annon:
You will have to look these up yourself--too many to write out:
James 5:13-15
Mt 9:2-8
Mt 18:18
Jn 20:23
Jn 20:22
2 Cor 5:17-20
Jam 5:16
1 Jn 5:16
If you have a good Bible concordance these scriptures are not too hard to find.
Dear Anon:
Catholics believe that God does not limit his Word to Sacred Scripture alone, but we believe in the Sacred Tradition of the Church as part of the Word of God, as St. Paul also believed when he encouraged Timothy to take heed to the traditions that had been passed on to him etc. Catholics believe that Christ conferred the sacrament of confession on the priesthood when he instructed his disciples, the first twelve priests of the Church, with the very first command after he rose from the dead and appeared to them. Confession of sins to a priest was literally the first thing Christ told his disciples to do, "Forgive sins."
I find it extremely interesting that Jesus told his disciples he would build His Church on men, and never once mentioned the Bible as the pillar and foundation of truth.Jesus passed on his authority as a king passes on the authority of the kingdom to his prime minister. Only God can forgive sins but he conferred on his disciples, which were the first priests of the NT the ability to forgive sins. Technically, they are acting in Christ's stead, and have no power other than what has been given to them. The Bible actually says the Church is the Pillar and foundation of TRUTH and not the Bible. But I digress....To get to your answer,
"Jesus breathed on His disciples and said receive ye the Holy Spirit. whosoever sins you forgive, they are forgiven...etc. JOHN 21
The Church from the earliest times until now continues this practice of sacramental auricular confession. James later instructs the believers to confess their sins one to another so they may be healed. I spent 30 years in protestant churches and not once did we obey scripture and confess our sins to one another that we would be healed.
Can you show me why you feel you can be forgiven without confessing your sins to God as well as making restitution for them? Confession to a priest had been historically practiced by all Christians until the reformation.
HERE ARE SOME MORE SCRIPTURES WHICH MAY HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS INPORTANT ISSUE. MAY GOD GRANT YOU A DOCILE HEART TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND HIS WORD.
John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.
John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.
John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.
Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?
Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.
Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.
Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.
John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").
2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.
2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.
James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.
1 Tim. 2:5 - Christ is the only mediator, but He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.
Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 - even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others.
PS: You can do away with the caps, though I appreciate your sensitivity to my presbyopia (elder or "priest" vision)
Thank you all for responding to our Sola Scripturist Anonymous charitably.
Bravo.
Yes Theo,it was excellent. I was a little afraid it would ruffle feathers when I received it from the anonymous blogger but it is not casting aspersions on one particular group or individual. Also, I was flattered that my original Cathochick tract could inspire someone else to this degree of time-consuming apologetic. It is pointing to the irony of Chickism, and those who judge someone's salvation based on their own peculiar interpretation of Scripture.
LOL:
Actually T.J., my "Brovo" was directed to the way you and everyone else addressed the person asking about confession. As for the anon blogger, I'd be lying if I didn't say that when comparing this version to the original Chick Tract from which it is derived, I prefer this one--but then, well, you know.
--Theo
Sort of thought so!
Off to St. thomas for Mass
God bless
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