Tag Archives: mercy

“Urge to Kill Rising…”

I’m thinking of adding some books to my reading list.

God Help Me! These People Are Driving Me Nuts by Gregory Popcak
Coping with Difficult People by Robert M. Bramson
Since Strangling Isn’t an Option…: Dealing With Difficult People by Sandra A. Crowe
201 Ways to Deal With Difficult People by Alan Axelrod and James Holtje
Don’t Let Jerks Get The Best Of You: Advice For Dealing With Difficult People by Paul Meier
Who’s Pushing Your Buttons?: Handling the Difficult People in Your Life by John Townsend
Thank You for Being Such a Pain : Spiritual Guidance for Dealing with Difficult People by Mark Rosen

Foaming at the Mouth

[Minor mistakes of grammar and spelling have been fixed. – Funky]

Theomorph, my resident atheist gadfly, seems to be losing his cool. His latest tirade against Christianity lacks the kind of logical consistency and civility his previous posts had. Continue reading

Correcting and Reproving vs Instructing and Teaching

I don't read my Bible nearly so often as I should. I suppose I could use the typical Catholic excuse that I get a dose of Scripture every time I go to mass, but I think that's a cop out. Catholics may not believe in sola scriptura but that's no reason that we should be scriptura ignara. But I digress.

During Tuesday's RCIA class, I opened my Bible to follow along with the lesson. Out of curiosity, I looked at the pages I had marked. Have you ever had the experience of opening the Bible to a random spot and finding something that seemed to speak directly to you in your current condition? Well that happened to. I found the following to be very comforting in my frustration dealing with people on both sides of the Red vs. Blue battle.

"He who corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
   and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
   reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
   teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
   and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied,
   and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
   if you scoff, you alone will bear it."

Proverbs 7:7-12 (RSV)

After contemplating those verses, I thought of this bit from the Gospel According to Matthew that seemed appropriate. It also has broader application to God-blogging.

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you."

Matthew 7:1-6 (RSV)

A Contrite Heart You Will Not Scorn

As my sidebar bio says, I have traditionalist and neo-traditionalist sympathies. We traditional types must always guard ourselves from succumbing to Pharisaic tendencies. It's easy for the pious and overly-devotional (POD) to look down their noses at the progressives sharing the pew with them. This Sunday's gospel reading gave me an idea for a modern retelling of a parable for Pharisaical Catholics. Wisdom! Be attentive!

This is parable is for some who trust in themselves that they are righteous and despise others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a traditionalist and the other a progressive. The traditionalist stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, ultra-feminists, pro-choicers, divorcees, or even like this progressive. I go to mass seven days a week, I give tithes of all that I get.'  But the progressive, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Scandala

No, the title's not a typo. It's Latin. "Scandal" comes from "scandalum". It's means "stumbling block", "temptation", or "trap". With all the talk of priestly impropriety and pro-choice Catholics, it's easy to miss more ordinary forms of scandal. Each one of us can be a stumbling block to someone else's faith. Non-Catholics, and non-Christians in general, see us as representatives of the Church. Our pompous self-righteousness doesn't jive well with Christ's message, and we look like hypocrites as a result.

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