May 5, 2006

Havin' a word with Saints... or anyone
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Farlas,
I know before I start I'll never convince you, but then I've got a very stubborn head on me.

First things first, Saints do NOT perform miracles, they just pray to God for these Miracles. Its God that performs these Miracles. The word pray is too easily bandied about. To some the word "pray" infers worship. Catholics do NOT worship any other being, other than God. In regards to Saints, all we do is ask them to pray with us for an intention to the Almightly, (Multiple Prayees [there such a word??] are better than just one!). The "asking" is the same kinda "asking" I'd use if I asked you all to pray with me to God for any intention (say Darfur...)
'Course if you are told over the years that us Papists (hehehe) worship all and sundry, it can be difficult to adjust to what we actually do.

"If evolution were shown to be correct, even Theistic Evolution, then God would not be as powerful as He is, and He couldn't do everything. If God let chance create things, and I am but a creature of chance, it cheapens me. It cheapens the human race and the entire world and all within it."
I'd truely love to know how you got all that!
God can do anything he wants, if he chooses to create things via evolution, who am I to judge if its a good idea or not??!!
Evolution cheapens nothing, if anything its a lesson to us in regards to the mind of God, how truely beyond human imagination, God is.

Chance? Can it really be chance if the being who creates the rules of the universe also roles the dice? Einstein said "God does not play dice" I say he does, but that he knows what number will come up and roles accordingly. If all things in the universe are based on physical rules, a + b = c, and as we know God created these rules, then God knows the results of Evolution over the ages, and again rolls accordingly. Its a bit like dominos... you line em up and knock the first one down. God lined the universe up in waiting and knocked the first tile down with a big bang.
What do we call chance? Events, when we do not know all the rules and cannot see everything, everywhere and always.
God knows the rules (made em), can see all, everywhere and always. God does not play "Chance" (is perhaps a better description).
Besides, what is so important about the animal that is the human?! All it is, is a vehicle for the soul. The soul is all!! and the soul is not governed by Evolution. It is the soul that is created in the image of God.
The soul, not the flesh is who we truely are. So chance or no chance you cannot be "lessened" or "cheapened" because the soul is who you are and the soul is outside evolution.

Anywho, this just goes to show evolution is NOT a matter of chance.
The fun bit is the soul. Here we enter the world of free will, where chance/choice can occur. But then this is separate to evolution and so has no impact on the discussion.

The whole bit on the death row guy, yeah I understand what you say and from a certain point of view agree with it (I probably would have a weak spot for vengence - never said I was perfect, just nearly ;) ).
However... Death is the responsibility of God, taking on that responsibility is taking on something which is beyond us. We do not have the wisdom nor the righteousness to deprive anyone of their life. Our laws/governments also reflect our weaknesses and so using laws to legitimise the Death sentence is wrong too.
To do so is an act of Pride. To "be as God" was the cause of the Devil's fall.
If we say that in certain circumstances we humans have the right to take away life, it's the start of the normalisation of such abominations as abortions, euthanasia and the like. Pride will dictate we have the Right.


Hope ye all get the idea...
See you all later :) Ash Nazg....