I'll swing back to thoughts
on rationalism and rationality in a few days. This week, retired nurse-friend Senhora
N. Fermeira and I have been kicking around the current US debate on
immigration.
Just over a week ago, under
the subject line of "IMMIGRATION--WHAT
WOULD JESUS DO???"
she forwarded me a cartoon:
("Vetting" is one
of those newer words that bothers me… not too many years ago, it referred to
driving a very fast and expensive car around town, or hanging out with veterans…)
The process of – I just don't
like that V-word. The criteria for reaching
Heaven include 1) baptism; 2) doing God's will; 3) keeping His Commandments; 4) self-denial and acceptance of life's demands, with Jesus as
template; 5) receiving the Sacraments in faith, including confession/reconciliation, and Communion / the Eucharist; 6) taking care of the needs of others; 7) striving for peace and for holiness; 8) loving God fully, and your neighbor at least as much as you
love yourself; 9) being open to children in your
marriage; 10) striving also for divine
perfection; 11) receiving God's rule/kingdom with
a child's outlook… And those are a good start.
The protestant approach of
"sola fide" (by faith alone) and "solo gratia" (by grace
alone), through "sola scriptura" (the Bible alone), by praying the
"sinner's prayer", and accepting Jesus in your heart as your personal
savior… doesn't cut it, not if you know better. See John 9:41 and 15:22 – oh, and Matthew 7:21, too, while you're at it; that last one gets me,
and is a reminder to all of us that it's not
a sure thing. Let's do our best, okay?
I've also wandered far afield
from where I was aiming to go – which is why this little limping lamb
appreciates having a shepherd!
I'll pick this up in my
next posting; sorry about that.
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