Focus On The Family- When Love Dies & Lust Begins

When two people marry they do so because they love one another, but, very few people realise the cost it will be to themselves. Both sides expect the other to 'make them happy' without realising that happiness and contentment springs from within. No one person can bring you happiness that is something you give to yourself.

If you have low self esteem and feel unworthy to be loved, this abnormal view of yourself will affect not only you, but, your partner as you lay the onus on your spouse to provide what is lacking within yourself. This is the heaviest burden one can lay on another and is the quickest way to the divorce courts.

We have gone from a time when divorce was considered to be a scandal and a social disgrace, to the extreme opposite as divorce is considered a viable option. When the 'love is over' so ends the marriage. No marriage has ever been perfect and all marriages go through their ups and downs as spouses begin to take each other for granted and the marriage starts to feel stale. Is this an excuse to look for excitement outside of the marital bed?

When we look at past generations we wonder why the divorce ratio wasn't as high as it is today, and what made things then so different? Back in earlier times there wasn't the gratuitous sex and lust which the generation of today are inundated with. In days gone by the most popular TV shows were 'I Love Lucy' or 'The Honeymooners', then came 'The Walton's or 'Happy Days'. Television back then promoted the Sanctity of marriage while still being able to gain good ratings, mainly because it was the audience who dictated what was acceptable to them. What has happened between then and now?

As we have progressed in the technological field, so society has digressed when it comes to morality. Pornography can now be downloaded with a flick of a switch and no-one see's your dirty secret. This industry alone has flourished as more and more people both men and women become addicted to this type of sex industry. In many cases most adultery begins with this addiction to this insidious sexualization of society, where people are portrayed as meaningless machines to be used, abused and then discarded. Though many may try and hide their deeds in the dark the Lord sees all as the Word reveals in Numbers, "But if you do not do this, you will sin against the LORD, and you can be sure that you will not escape the consequences of your sin."

Then we have the internet chat rooms which is one of the main instigators of divorce in this day and age. As many marriages go through troubled times, the answer to their pain does not lay in escapist internet encounters, in the belief that because it is on the internet then it is not 'really a sin', yes it is! A spouse can betray their partner with emotional dalliances outside of their marriage, betrayal is betrayal no matter the format it takes, and it still remains a sin! Anyone who instigates or partakes in an internet affair is breaking their Covenant before God which is in the Sacrament of marriage. What many also do not understand is when a spouse betrays their partner, they also betray the children of their union. As infidelity affects all members of the family therefore the one who decides to stray from their marital Promise betrays their whole family. As it says in Matthew, "He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate."

The difference between the generations is what we have allowed to occur as the morals we once held dear become passé and promises become conveniently forgotten. What truly lies at the heart of infidelity though is selfishness, as a person seeks their own self gratification and pays no heed to the pain this will cause their entire family unit. The focus has become SELF centered rather than self GIVING and it is this that lay at the heart of the unfaithful spouse as they troll for ways to 'spice' up their own lives. They forget their loving families and instead become self absorbed to a high degree, as their children become hostages to their ill gotten lusts.

Through the onslaught of TV and the internet where television serials become more and more graphic leaving nothing to the imagination and where the internet can cause great harm. Still the responsibility over what people watch or do not watch is for each of us to decide. Therefore we are responsible and will be held accountable if we choose to immerse ourselves in activities that we know to be sinful.

In these days of blaming society for everything we leave out personal accountability. No one is holding a gun to the head of those who, despite their religious upbringing, continue to pursue acts which they know to be outside the Law of God. It is way too convenient to simply lay the blame for personal choices on the media or the internet as if the person were not at fault. Therefore like Pilate, they wipe their hands of their own sin. Was Pilate innocent? When a spouse decides to watch pornography, or engage themselves in internet affairs, are they also innocent? God says different as we read in Hebrews, "Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers."

Though there may be more temptation in the world now than what our grandparents had to endure, does that exonerate an entire generation from choosing to sin? We are responsible for the choices we make and as the Bible says when something causes you to sin then pluck it out. If you cannot resist the temptation to sin on the internet then stop using it. If television serials causes you to sin then turn the TV off.

Every couple knows when their marriage is beginning to fail, before the love you feel for each other dies, choose to spend time focusing and re-energizing your marriage with full knowledge of the Covenant you made between yourselves and God. And as you remember this Promise before God also keep in mind the happiness of your children, it comes before your own.

Be careful of the choices you make lest your children pay the price for YOUR mistakes!

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Catholic Church

Catholic Blogs

spiritual warfare

Religion

Focus On The Family-Who's Looking After The Kids

We live in a world that is exploding with information where everything is on the go and almost everyone is in a hurry, too much of a hurry to stop and think in which direction they are going or where they will end up. This 'go go go' attitude to life may work out for adults who can cope with high stress lifestyles but how does it affect the children of today?

In this hectic pace the only time where information stops its cacophony of sound is when we retire to bed, only then do we gain some measure of peace or are our minds still buzzing as we attempt to try and gain some much needed rest for our tired bodies and our minds? If adults find it hard to switch off then how do our children cope? If they are watching the same programmes as their parents or accessing the internet where information comes almost at the speed of light, how are they able to automatically switch off at bed time or are their brains buzzing too? So much so that sleep is elusive and they wake up in the morning still tired and stressed out even before the day truly begins. Is this the most beneficial lifestyle for today's children?

As the debate grows with the ADHD controversy where children as young as five years of age are being given mind altering drugs such as Ritalin which is a stimulant much like methamphetamine or they are being put on a program of anti-depressant drugs in order for them to deal with life. Once again is this the best we can do for our children to drug them into conformity? Do we truly want robotic children who sit in their class rooms like bombed out zombies as their individuality is negated in favour of some 'peace and quiet'. This 'illness' ADHD only seems to have been invented during these past decades, why haven't their been cases of ADHD all throughout the centuries? Maybe because it is a manufactured illness to benefit pharmaceutical companies to the detriment of a child's health and welfare.

For those who are in the 40 to 50 age bracket do you remember any child being diagnosed as ADHD when you attended school? Or were boys simply being boys and girls were girls as diversity thrived in the class rooms and where there was always the possibility that one or two children would be naturally pugnacious or irreverent towards those in authority? What has happened in these past few generations that the children who may have these very characteristics are now seen as 'ill' and in need of medication so that they will be able to fit in with all the other children. Who decided what was general normality? Or is there no such thing?

This is not to say that every parent is wrong or that teachers who are often overworked and underpaid are also at fault, what needs to be investigated is who made the decision to categorize what is normal and what is not? We also need to take a long hard look at the foods we digest and what is being put into them so certain foods will have a longer shelf life. How are these additives affecting the children who eat or drink them? It is a time consuming ordeal but parents may need to list the foods that their children are eating and perhaps re-adjust their lifestyle choices in favour of organically grown fresh fruit and vegetables and less on the fast food, highly sugar dosed cereals and the candy industry which is filled with high doses of additives.

Many children who have been diagnosed with ADHD are those who may have special gifts and talents in certain fields and who find themselves bored with subject matters that do not interest them or fail to ignite their imagination. There are different way's of teaching these gifted children one is the Montessori method which focuses on what a child is naturally drawn to and then builds their self esteem to help them become accomplished in their chosen field, whether that be mathematics, science or art etc. What the Montessori method does not do is dope up a child so that it will conform with the rest of the class and make life easier for everyone. As in all area's a child's welfare must always take priority over comfort.

When we allow our children to watch programs that may harm them or where there are no limits set as to what they watch and how long they are in front of their TV's or computers, should we be surprised if they do not have the ability to instantly switch off and instead remain hyper? The time has also come for parents to keep watch over the amount of time their children are spending in front of the TV or their computer screens. If children are spending more that two hours a day in front of both media mediums then they are being overloaded and it is time to switch off both the TV and the computer.

In today's society we are the most sedentary mainly due to the conveniences we now take for granted such as automatic washing machines, clothes dryers, microwaves etc. Many families have two cars so that children may now be driven to where they have to go rather than walk or catch buses, also unfortunately the world has become more dangerous for children as is seen every night on our TV news programs. This does not mean that all forms of exercise are out, it simply means formatting your life to include family orientated activities such as family friendly gyms, or taking your family to the park for an hour or two weather permitting. A lot of children's angst is due to the fact that their energy levels have not been used during the day and so high energy levels will soon turn to irritability, this does not mean that a child has suddenly contracted ADHD, and therefore needs to be medicated.

What children need most of all is routine and a mix of love and discipline. A child's feeling of security is reliant upon these parental fundamentals, even though all children will try and push the boundaries it is up to the parent to lay the rules and then make sure their children abide by them in a spirit of love and respect. When there are no rules for the child is it any wonder that they will grow to be unruly? As Proverbs warn us, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him takes care to chastise him."

Rather than rely totally on Doctors and the pharmaceutical companies who make their living from the drugs they sell, perhaps it is time for parents to embrace their child's diversity and individualism without trying to make them conform into a set image of robotic behavior based on who's theory? Only the parent can make the decision, of what is the best treatment for their child. Therefore investigate all avenues before deciding what approach to take when treating your child, it's future depends on you.

A child who has been diagnosed with ADHD is not the parents fault nor is it the teachers fault, but it is their responsibility to look after the children.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Catholic Church

Religion

Catholic Blogs

spiritual warfare

The Language of Deceit

"I don't see any reason to be tasteful about Auschwitz. It's baloney, it's a legend....I say quite tastelessly, in fact, that more women died on the back seat of Edward Kennedy's car at Chappaquiddick than ever died in a gas chamber in Auschwitz."

We live in a world where some think that words don't matter. One can practically say what they like, and how they like, with complete freedom, for it is 'only words'. The above quotation is from the revisionist and disgraced "historian" David Irving who was given a 3 year sentence for what exactly? After all he was only speaking a few words denying the holocaust ever happened. Why jail a man over some 'mere words'? If words truly do not matter, then David Irving should not have gone to prison, in that he was only preaching against the Holocaust so he could sell his books. So he chose profits over principles it wouldn't be the first time an author has done that.

Do words matter? It mattered to the authorities of Austria who arrested David Irving, and brought him to trial, where he was found guilty of breaking their laws. David Irving with every book published was continuing his lie and driving the holocaust denial movement forward. He had no regard at all for the truth, nor the harm he was doing to those who suffered and survived from those evil concentration camps. David Irving is now paying the price for his deceit.

When Dan Brown was asked if he considered himself a Christian, his response was such, "Yes. Interestingly, if you ask three people what it means to be Christian, you will get three different answers. Some feel being baptized is sufficient. Others feel you must accept the Bible as absolute historical fact. Still others require a belief that all those who do not accept Christ as their personal savior are doomed to hell. Faith is a continuum, and we each fall on that line where we may. By attempting to rigidly classify ethereal concepts like faith, we end up debating semantics to the point where we entirely miss the obvious–that is, that we are all trying to decipher life’s big mysteries, and we’re each following our own paths of enlightenment." Once again Dan Brown opines, "Two thousand years ago, we lived in a world of Gods and Goddesses. Today, we live in a world solely of Gods. Women in most cultures have been stripped of their spiritual power. The novel touches on questions of how and why this shift occurred…and on what lessons we might learn from it regarding our future." Can Dan Brown call himself a 'Christian' while denying everything that is Christian? In his book he insults and blasphemes Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene by claiming that they had sexual relations which produced a child. The question remains can God copulate with one of his creatures? By this blasphemous assertion Dan Brown has denied the Divinity of Christ thereby making himself a heretic. He misunderstands what faith is. It is not dependant upon what one finds reasonable but on what the Catholic Church Teaches which has been handed down to the Apostles and is the foundation of our beliefs today.

We see here two men who made their living by selling lies. One now sits in prison while the other is a multi-millionaire still thriving on his lies. We denounce anyone who could deny the horrors of the Nazi holocaust, yet many 'catholics' have supported the man who has blasphemed against God. Which camp do YOU fall into? It comes to something when a man can attack our faith by a lie and 'catholics' not only accept it, they applaud it. By supporting this outrageous lie written by Dan Brown they have helped in alienating perhaps an entire generation who will believe Dan Browns idea's of God rather than the Catholic Churches Teachings. Shame on them! As the Words teaches us in Luke, "He said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." Will anyone take note of this piece of Scripture? Who knows, as it is not written by Dan Brown!

We have seen many of these 'catholics' become outraged by the anti-Christian exploits of the ACLU, yet when it came to standing by their Faith, they sold out over a movie ticket. We have indeed raised a generation of Esau's. It is a contradiction to become outraged by this organization with its Anti-Christian stance yet in the next breath they supported Dan Brown and his denial of Jesus' Divinity. Many of these same 'catholics' refuse to read the Bible yet they devour the 'gnostic gospels' with relish. The ACLU has over a number of years demanded the removal of mainly Christian symbols from all public places, in case a minority found it 'offensive', and many councils all over America complied rather than confront this form of tyranny.

Catholics also support this religious tyranny by feeling too embarrassed or ashamed to say 'Merry Christmas'. They instead chose the more lukewarm 'Happy Holidays', rather than be seen as.... dare I say the word.....Christian? They also buy into this lukewarmness by feeling too embarrassed to call God by His Holy Name and instead refer to God as 'universal spirit' in order to be perceived as 'tolerant' and 'enlightened'. The Truths of the Catholic Church are not for these lukewarm pew sitters! As St Vincent of Lerins wrote, "If one yields ground on any single point of Catholic doctrine, one will later have to yield later in another, and again in another, and so on until such surrenders come to be something normal and acceptable. And when one gets used to rejecting dogma bit by bit, the final result will be the repudiation of it altogether." Also that great man of the Church Saint Augustine said, "If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." Do we ignore the words of our great Saints in favour of the latest novella?

Whether we want to believe it or not there is a move to de-sensitize people into accepting the Anti-Christian propaganda being espoused by various organizations, politicians, actors, various media outlets and the internet by belittling the beliefs of the Catholic Church. This can only succeed if Catholics become apathetic to their own faith and fate. Unfortunately many 'catholics' have reached this impasse. They no longer believe the Truths of the Catholic Church, and instead embrace every 'spirituality' so long as it sounds 'nice'. As Elie Wiesel once said, "Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil.....I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." This is a man who lived through the ultimate in terror and persecution of the Nazi holocaust. Do we dare bury our heads in the sand as Christianity comes under attack? It was not hate that killed six million Jewish lives, though hate was the main ingredient. In the end it was apathy and indifference that helped the Nazi murder machine.

Many Christians all over the world face persecution daily in places such as Iran, China, North Korea, The Sudan and sadly many other countries. Yet they uphold the Tenets of their beliefs, while the Western world sell their faith for a bag of popcorn, as they propagate any 'religion' so long as it's not too Catholic!

Our own worst enemy is within our midst. It is those who espouse a different Doctrine, it is those who wish to be seen as 'enlightened' therefore they deny the Truths of the Catholic Church for any 'truth'. It is those who long to appear 'inclusive' so they promote any 'spirituality' as valid in order not to be seen as 'intolerant'. It is fellow 'catholics' who have betrayed the faithful as they go to Mass every week when their hearts are far from God for they have rejected the Truths of the Catholic Church and embraced the lies of the world. These same 'catholics' accept same sex unions, they long for the ordination of women, they willfully reject the Churches Teachings in favour of what they find 'reasonable'. They are heretics within the fold.

As Pastor Martin Neimoller once wrote;

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left

to speak out for me.

When your time comes, will your faith stand the test or will you go silently? As silently as you lived your lack of faith? As Scripture warns us in Luke, "But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Catholic Church

Catholic Blogs

spiritual warfare
roman catholic

Spirit Warfare-When Words Seduce A People

"This man is completely carried away; everything he says and writes has the mark of his egocentrism; this man is capable of trampling on corpses and eliminating anything that is an obstacle. I cannot understand how there are so many people in Germany who do not understand him, and cannot draw conclusions from what he says or writes. Has any of them even read his horrifying ‘Mein Kampf’?"

The above quotation is from Pope Pius XII who seemed to be the only man in Europe to understand Adolf Hitler's intentions from the beginning! This begs the question how was a whole nation deceived?

They were deceived because in the end people will believe what they want to believe and truth has very little to do with it. Adolf Hitler was not born with the title 'Der Fuhrer' neither was he born a monster, he became both of these in his short life. He was able to convince a Nation that genocide was the answer to all their perceived 'problems', how could he do this? Because the nation was ready to be seduced and they were.

As we know six million Jewish people, men, women and children lost their lives in the Holocaust. Alongside that we have the Polish resistance fighters, Catholic Priests and Religious, Russian prisoners of war, Gypsies and tragically the list goes on. This does not explain how a people who had embraced a cultural ethos for hundreds of years had now become a nation of murderers. This is a country that produced Ludwig van Beethoven, the philosopher and Nobel Prize Winner Hermann Hesse, the artist Hans Holbein and many more acclaimed artists and philosophers.

In order for Adolf Hitler to fulfill his dream of a Jewish free Germany he had to program the German people to see the Jewish people as he did, a people who he saw as rodents to be exterminated. What Hitler did not do was to attempt this from the outset, he knew that the German peoples had to be de-sensitized towards murder, that it would become acceptable, but this had to be done little by little and drip by poison drip. Using stealth and seduction Hitler did precisely that, he convinced the German peoples that murder was the answer to all their problems.

To succeed in this mission he also had to convince the German peoples that they were superior to any other race and all other nations. In other words he elevated the German people and isolated those who were not German by setting them apart as 'different' the 'not one of us' which made every German feel proud of his heritage at the cost of another's dignity. In order to maintain the fallacy of the perfect human specimen Hitler began a programe of forced sterilization of those who were deemed 'mentally deficient' after this success, he began the move towards forced euthanasia of those deemed by the Nazi's as unfit to live, approximately 60,000 Germans died using this legal method of murder. These orders were made law and carried out from 1935 to 1939 before Hitler began the Mass extermination of the Jews.

Another ground breaking move made by Hitler was to legalize abortion as he stated with these 'enlightening' words, "In view of the large families of the native population, it could only suit us if girls and women there had as many abortions as possible. Active trade in contraceptives ought to be actually encouraged in the Eastern territories, as we could not possibly have the slightest interest in increasing the non-Germanic population." Should we be too surprised that almost 70 years later most Western countries also embrace that 'theory' and have put it into affect? Also that 'catholics' are also embracing this 'enlightened' way of thinking and like the Nazi's genocide has also been sanitized into more acceptable terms as Pro-Choice, and the baby is called a 'cell'. We are in this day and age living the Nazi ideal, some simply don't know it yet, they are too busy supporting this genocide of the innocents.

In order to further de-sensitize people Hitler came out in favour of 'religion' by promoting a 'positive Christianity' with words that were deliberately ambiguous so as to seduce the faithful away from Christ and to focus on the Fatherland and the Germanic race. Unfortunately there were many who bought this cheap talk for cheap grace at the cost of many lives. Once again Adolf Hitler would show his 'true colours' once the war had begun and his rabid hatred of Christianity came forth, as Joseph Goebbels said, "The Führer is deeply religious, though completely anti-Christian...He views Christianity as a symptom of decay. Rightly so. It is a branch of the Jewish race." Hitler himself also added his own words when confronting the Christian 'threat' to his power, "Christianity is the prototype of Bolshevism: the mobilisation by the Jew of the masses of slaves with the object of undermining society." As the Germans threw out the Crucifix and embraced the Swastika should we not feel alarmed when within our own countries there are organizations which are attempting to ban the Crucifix from all Government buildings and institutions? Some have also taken the step to have the Ten Commandments removed from Government buildings, who is frightened by the Commandments of God? Only those who are breaking them!

The rise to power of Adolf Hitler happened because people wanted an excuse for their own failures, they wanted to feel proud again of their own origins and to feel superior to those deemed unworthy. They grew immune and apathetic towards outright savagery as one inhumane law after another was put into affect. Not all Germans accepted this dictatorial lifestyle and there were pockets of German resistance who paid with their lives in order to try and defeat this maniac, but they were in the minority. Just as there are many good strong and faithfilled Catholics who peacefully picket abortion killing rooms and protest this murder of unborn babies who have no voice.

Adolf Hitler used all the mediums possible to him so he could project his own madness to the German people thereby completely disabling any conscience they may have had about mass murder. His program of de-sensitization was complete through the notorious paper 'Der Sturmer' run by that rabid Jewish hater, Julius Streicher, this paper alone sold over 25,000 copies a week with headlines such as this 'The Jews are our misfortune' another headline was this one, "Whoever buys from a Jew is a traitor to his people." Drip by drip brought about the apathy and acceptance that Hitler had orchestrated from the beginning. As in today where many 'catholics' accept a different Doctrine over and above the Commandments of God and the Teachings of the Catholic Church. When many 'catholics' support an avid anti-christian message such as the Da Vinci Code book and movie, and with relish read the forbidden 'gnostic gospels' yet fail to read The Gospels by citing that they do not wish to be 'Sola Scriptura', that is an excuse too far. These 'catholics' do not read the Bible because they fear it, and believe that ignorance will pay off in the end. Deliberate ignorance is a deliberate choice and they fool no-one except themselves.

The final solution to the Jewish problem had begun with the unspoken acceptance of the German Nation, and the silence of many Western countries who also did not want to make their own countries a safe haven for the Jewish people. One of only a few to speak out was Pope Pius XII when he said, "Whoever exalts race, or the people, or the State, a particular form of State, or the repositories of power, or any other fundamental value of the worldly community... whoever raises these notions above their standard value and divinizes them to an idolatrous level, distorts and perverts an order of the world planned and created by God." Just as in Nazi Germany it becomes dangerous when a country accepts evil as a good, and murders it's most vulnerable citizens, rather than live by their Faith which opposes murder.

We may look at this particular time in history as an aberration, something that none of us would ever do, yet can we say this with true conviction? Is abortion now legal in nearly every civilized country? Is euthanasia not being performed in some Western countries? Are there not experiments done on stem cells in the name of research every single day? Are we not creating life in a test tube every single day in nearly every country of the world where 70 year old Grandma's are giving birth to newborns? Have we not become what we say we hate? When we listen to the screams of those who support Pro-Choice, as their faces become twisted and distorted and their screaming rises to an hysteric pitch, it is easy to visualize the comparisons to that man of evil, Adolf Hitler, after all he also supported abortion and euthanasia, what is the difference between then and now?

The most scary aspect is, that Adolf Hitler was not born evil, yet he became it. The entire German people were not born evil, yet they supported it. The worlds population at that time was not born evil yet they ignored it. When evil knocks at your door will you recognise it's dark message? Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI warns us with these wise words, "The more one understands the holiness of God, the more one understands the opposite of what is holy, namely, the deceptive masks of the devil"

How did Hitler murder over 6 million people, because he could. The question is did we learn from history or are we repeating it?

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Catholic Church

Catholic Blogs

spiritual warfare

Religion

Spirit Warfare-When YOU Have Become The Enemy

This is part one in a series on the power of words in both cause and affect.

*****************************

Imagine that there is no Heaven nor is there a hell and no religion too and that this is the only existance we have, does that not epitomize hell on earth? Yet this is the message of one of the most famous modern day songs, 'Imagine' by John Lennon. Here again we see the words, that we own no possessions and that we will have a brotherhood of man sharing all our goods with one another. When you look beneath the 'nice' wording you see quite clearly the Communistic Manifesto being subtly hidden beneath a nice tune.

Let us also look at the lyrics of 'The Internationale':

No saviour from on high delivers

No faith have we in prince or peer

Our own right hand the chains must shiver

Chains of hatred, greed and fear

E'er the thieves will out with their booty

And give to all a happier lot.

Each at the forge must do their duty

And we'll strike while the iron is hot.

Did the Russian people find their lot happier under the regime of Lenin and then Stalin? Or did they exchange one terror for a more horrifying state of existance which was just that, existance with no joy and no hope?

There can be no spiritual prosperity, when man can no longer think for himself but rather relies on a human system to do his thinking for him. What freedom is there if the individual can no longer make decisions for themselves and instead rely on governments any government to provide their needs for them? To hold this thought is to make man little more than 'collective thinkers' which blindly follows the crowd rather than use their own common sense or utilise their own unique gifts given from God above. When a people begin to rely on the government to do their thinking for them then the whole world is in trouble.

We have seen from history that Communism does not work for a man's mind or will cannot be subjugated by the chains of a theory which has proved itself evil for when one removes God from the picture man then is left to himself. Neither is capitalism working as only a few are able to climb the corporate ladder while others who though they may work fulltime cannot afford the basic necessities of life. Gaining money for money's sake will soon find the society that supports this theory morally bankrupt, and spiritually empty. As Alexander Solzhenitsyn once wrote, "Do not pursue what is illusory-property and position: all that is gained at the expense of your nerves decade after decade and can be confiscated in one fell night. Live with a steady superiority over life-don't be afraid of misfortune, and do not yearn after happiness; it is after all, all the same: the bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing." What then can bring us the much longed for peace which every man yearns for?

There will never be peace on earth until God deigns it so, therefore it is a useless endeavor to look for any one person to obtain this peace most especially a peace which comes at any price. We see in the annals of history where Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Pact with Adolf Hitler, did it bring peace? There will never be true peace on earth simply because the fact is we are all sinners and it is only Jesus who can give us the peace which Scripture speaks of, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

As people of God we must become more aware of the power of words and look beneath the subtle nuances to the real meaning which is often hidden in the message. Such as these words from the famous author H. G. Wells, "Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo." Does this mean that in order not to be 'jealous' we should all lead immoral lives or applaud those who do? Or that Christians must remain silent in the face of evil? Neither should we think ourselves better than anyone else, therefore the best source to gain knowledge and understanding of human nature is through the Word of God, the Catholic Church and our great Saints. As we read in Jeremiah, "...For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart..."This is the fundamental question we must ask within our own hearts, do we seek God or goods? Do we seek to give of ourselves or gain for ourselves?

We see in recent events where relying on the nations government can lead to personal tragedy with untold consequences. When the people in the relevant regions were warned that they would be hit by hurricane Katrina many relied on the government to come to their aid IF they needed it. As we now know the people not only needed aid they soon became desperate for it, as the finger pointing began, yet why had so many continued their daily schedules as if nothing were amiss? Parents sent their children to school, many went to their places of employment, those who had elderly parents in nursing homes left them there. None of this was done because people did not care they simply put their loved one's and their lives in the wrong hands.

This way of thinking can lead to disastrous results as was seen in the tragic aftermath of hurricane Katrina, yet who elected a government to do our thinking for us? Or is it a case that many have begun to embrace the 'collective thinking' syndrome, where no-one is responsible for their own actions nor are they willing to take personal action in order to save their own families and friends. The real question to ask after this tragic experience is will people still rely on governments to save them? Or will they take their families safety as their own responsibility?

God did not create us on an assembly line, why then should we try and think as 'one' which is what the Communists tried to impose on their own people with disastrous results. It was also tried with Fascism once again with tragic results which brought untold misery to millions. Yet when we fail to think as individuals and embrace what everyone else is thinking and doing, how are we different from the communists and fascists?

The new fascism today is called toleration, everything under the sun must be tolerated. New laws are imposed where babies who are born with minor disabilities are aborted from their mother's wombs because they are not deemed 'perfect' enough. Where in some countries drugs are legal as laws go into affect to abort the babies of drug addicted people so they will not be a 'burden on society' yet the drug laws stay! Where pedophiles have begun their own political party so as to justify and place into law their own perverted way of life! It is the case that there are moves in many countries to recognise pedophilia as an illness much like alcoholics anonymous. Here though a person will not be condemned for the lust they feel for little children, pedophilia is not a lust it is an EVIL, yet we are seeing within many judiciary systems a 'sympathy' for the pedophile, and an outright contempt when protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children.

If we think that this cannot happen, we need only look to those who support and applaud same sex marriages which is a mockery of the Sacrament of marriage and is an inherent disorder. As Pope Benedict XVI instructs the faithful in these words, "Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is more or less strong tendency ordered to an intrinsic moral evil, and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder." Yet how many Catholics are willing to voice where The Church stands on this issue of active homosexuality? Or once again do our morals follow the collective thinking syndrome rather than the Church? Do Catholics also defy Scripture as they embrace 'toleration' for as we read in 1 Corinthians, "Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God."

Collective thinking is dangerous for at the heart of it lies the disintegration of man's dignity and right to Truth as revealed by God through the Teachings of the Catholic Church. Those who support and propagate 'toleration' when it comes to deviant behaviour have become prostitutes to the Catholic Faith as they spread the lie which began with the father of lies and not the God of Truth!

When many can no longer tell what is evil and what is good, then where have you placed your faith?

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Catholic Church

Catholic Blogs

roman catholic

spiritual warfare

Spirit Warfare-The Superwoman Theory

From almost every medium, including the TV, radio, magazines etc, women are being encouraged even at times to being bullied back into the work force. As governments try and make the work place 'children friendly', do we really want our children to be raised in our place of work? Or in child care facilities by strangers?

The feminist agenda would have all women believe that to stay at home means you have negated your calling in life by living as a doormat to your husband and family. These same feminists would have all women believe that 'they can have it all' but let us take a closer look at these feminists. Many who are either editors, reporters or authors employ mainly women to do THEIR housework, it would be beneath them to do their own cleaning and cooking, they also either send their children off to wealthy boarding schools or employ nannies to take care of their little one's. These same feminists then make it almost a crime to be stay at home Moms. Almost as if they believe that stay at home moms sit and watch soap opera's all day and do no work, if so what a contemptuous attitude to have towards hard working moms who are busy raising their children and helping their husbands.

So as they sit and scribble in their editorials that women can become 'superwoman' who is looking after THEIR children? It is very easy for these feminists who may earn in the region of six figured sums to insist that ALL women must work outside the home so as to be considered productive to society. Who made these rules? Sadly many mom's buy into this theory by supporting these magazines, buying the feminists books and watching the TV shows which denigrate stay at home moms. As Mother Teresa once said, "Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world." Have working moms become too busy for their families?

The big lie is that for many women who do go out to work, they are not earning six figured sums nor do they have secretaries or cleaners to help them live a comfortable lifestyle. The truth is, that many working moms are employed in factories or shopping centres, where the money is deplorable and the job itself is mundane and boring and that is without counting the stress factor.

Then unlike the famous feminists these hard working moms then go home to face more work, a house to clean, meals to cook, laundry to be done and the list goes on, many are lucky to be in bed by midnight. When you add the stress factor of dealing with irritable children, a tired husband the situation can become intolerable for all. If this is the reality then why do the feminists not report on that particular fact, or don't they care about the women they are supposedly liberating? As the late Pope John Paul II said, "To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others." Yet according to the feminist 'bible' the opposite is the case, it is 'Me, Myself and I first' and the family a poor second, who as Catholics do we listen to?

At times some moms do have to work and are able to incorporate a happy work environment and a happy and content home life, but these women are in the minority. Many working moms are tired, they are on their feet for up to 16-18 hours a day both at work and at home, is it any wonder that many working moms feel unappreciated? Which invariably leads to discontentment, but rather than leave their place of work before the rot sets in, oftentimes it is too late and it is the marriage that suffers when working moms through sheer frustration give up on their marriages.

When we look at marriage we know it to be one of the Sacraments of the Church, but where does the Catholic Church say that a being a working mom is a Sacrament? This is why women need to be especially vigilant in regards to their marriage and protect their Holy Vows over and above what the 'worldly' feminists are trying to propagate through their 'superwoman theory'. Once again Pope John Paul II said, "Motherhood is sometimes presented as something backward or as a limitation of a woman's freedom, thus distorting its true nature and dignity. Children are presented not as what they are-a great gift of God-but rather as something to be defended against."

It is the woman who is the nurturer in the family and it is the woman who is also the helpmate to her husband, what she cannot be is all things to all people it is physically and emotionally impossible and also exhaustive, is it any wonder that the divorce rate has sky rocketed over the generations?

In order for women to truly feel empowered they need to embrace who they are and not be force fed by those who dictate who they should be. In reality it is the mother who is the heart of the home, and the father is the head of the home and the children of the marital union are blessings from a loving God. This is how God ordained the family unit, unfortunately for the feminists God didn't consult them when defining the Holy Sacrament of Marriage through the Catholic Church.

In the end do moms heed the voice of the feminist movement over and above that of God? Or do they follow that most Holy example the marriage of Joseph and Mary?

Choose well for the wellbeing of your family is at stake.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Catholic Church

Catholic Blogs

spiritual warfare

Religion