Why You Should Judge (Carefully)

Many believe that the Bible tells us not to judge each other and are confused when confronted with others’ immoral behavior. When they try and confront people engaged in or supporting immoral behavior, they are quickly told they are judgemental and that the Bible says “not to judge others.” For support, proponents point to Matthew 7:1, “stop judging, that you may not be judged. Reading one line from scripture is a problem with judgment and other theological issues. The Bible is not meant to be read line by line without understanding context and referring to other passages. In 2 Pet 3:15-16, we are warned that Sacred Scripture can be very difficult to interpret and understand.

It is not possible, however, to follow Jesus without being “judgmental” of another’s behavior. In the New Testament, Jesus told the Jews, “Do not judge by appearances but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Jesus was not telling his disciples that they could not ever judge the behavior of others. Rather, he was cautioning them to live righteous lives themselves so that their judgment of others’ behavior would not be rash judgment, and their efforts would be effective in admonishing their neighbors. In just the next passage of Matthew, we read, “For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” Jesus also warns us against being hypocrites, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

Jesus’ teaching was not new. In the Old Testament, we learn that we can and should judge righteously. For example, Leviticus 19:15: “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. Proverbs 31:9: Open your mouth, judge justly, defend the needy and the poor.” The Christian is called to speak with charity and avoid calumny (Catechism of The Catholic Church). As the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a devout Catholic put it;

“some very good people have some very bad ideas.”

The “don’t judge me” argument is often invoked when it comes to abortion, a very bad idea. Many of my Catholic and non-Catholic Christian friends will say, “I am against abortion, but women should be allowed to have one, and it is up to God to judge them, not me.” Perhaps nothing illustrates the danger of taking a line from the Bible out of context and ignoring other passages better. No one would say, I am opposed to burglary but remain quiet while their neighbor’s house is being robbed. They would rightfully call the police. We know stealing from others is wrong, and the right-thinking person is not afraid to admonish the burglar.

For Catholics, the abortion issue is not a hard call. You can not support abortion and be Catholic, no matter what mental gymnastics you want to try and go through. If the “don’t judge” crowd means that we can not judge someone’s eternal salvation, then they are quite right. Only God knows the heart of another human being, and he knows it better than the person themself. However, if by “don’t judge,” they think they are to sit by silently while innocent children are robbed of the gift of life, then they are not following the words of Christ.

Abortion continues to be the biggest moral issue in our nation and the world. Do not be afraid to speak against it. It is your obligation.

“One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.” – Acts 18:9-10

“Abortion Is Never The Answer” – Pope Francis

Why This Archbishop Wrote A Letter To President Trump

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò wrote a letter to President Trump urging him to continue fighting the eternal struggle between people of the light and those of darkness. We believe President Trump understands the reality of this eternal struggle and explains Why he held the Bible up at St. Johns Church

Mr. President,

In recent months we have been witnessing the formation of two opposing sides that I would call Biblical: the children of light and the children of darkness. The children of light constitute the most conspicuous part of humanity, while the children of darkness represent an absolute minority. And yet the former are the object of a sort of discrimination which places them in a situation of moral inferiority with respect to their adversaries, who often hold strategic positions in government, in politics, in the economy and in the media. In an apparently inexplicable way, the good are held hostage by the wicked and by those who help them either out of self-interest or fearfulness.

These two sides, which have a Biblical nature, follow the clear separation between the offspring of the Woman and the offspring of the Serpent. On the one hand, there are those who, although they have a thousand defects and weaknesses, are motivated by the desire to do good, be honest, raise a family, engage in work, give prosperity to their homeland, help the needy, and, in obedience to the Law of God, to merit the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, there are those who serve themselves, who do not hold any moral principles, who want to demolish the family and the nation, exploit workers to make themselves unduly wealthy, foment internal divisions and wars, and accumulate power and money: for them the fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent – yield to the terrible fate that awaits them, far from God, in eternal damnation.

In society, Mr. President, these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies, just as God and Satan are eternal enemies. And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards, so to speak, by now revealing their plans. They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions. The investigations already underway will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the Covid emergency not only in the area of health care but also in politics, the economy, and the media. We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social engineering there are people who have decided the fate of humanity, arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations

We will also discover that the riots in these days were provoked by those who, seeing that the virus is inevitably fading and that the social alarm of the pandemic is waning, necessarily have had to provoke civil disturbances, because they would be followed by repression which, although legitimate, could be condemned as unjustified aggression against the population. The same thing is also happening in Europe, in perfect synchrony. It is quite clear that the use of street protests is instrumental to the purposes of those who would like to see someone elected in the upcoming presidential elections who embodies the goals of the deep state and who expresses those goals faithfully and with conviction. It will not be surprising if, in a few months, we learn once again that hidden behind these acts of vandalism and violence there are those who hope to profit from the dissolution of the social order so as to build a world without freedom: Solve et Coagula, as the Masonic adage teaches.

Although it may seem disconcerting, the opposing alignments I have described are also found in religious circles. There are faithful Shepherds who care for the flock of Christ, but there are also mercenary infidels who seek to scatter the flock and hand the sheep over to be devoured by ravenous wolves. It is not surprising that these mercenaries are allies of the children of darkness and hate the children of light: just as there is a deep state, there is also a deep church that betrays its duties and forswears its proper commitments before God. Thus the Invisible Enemy, whom good rulers fight against in public affairs, is also fought against by good shepherds in the ecclesiastical sphere. It is a spiritual battle, which I spoke about in my recent Appeal which was published on May 8.

For the first time, the United States has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life, who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world, who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship. Your participation in March for Life, and more recently your proclamation of the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, are actions that confirm which side you wish to fight on. And I dare to believe that both of us are on the same side in this battle, albeit with different weapons.

For this reason, I believe that the attack to which you were subjected after your visit to the National Shrine of Saint John Paul II is part of the orchestrated media narrative which seeks not to fight racism and bring social order, but to aggravate dispositions; not to bring justice, but to legitimize violence and crime; not to serve the truth, but to favor one political faction. And it is disconcerting that there are Bishops – such as those whom I recently denounced – who, by their words, prove that they are aligned on the opposing side. They are subservient to the deep state, to globalism, to aligned thought, to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood that has nothing Christian about it, but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those who want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches.

The American people are mature and have now understood how much the mainstream media does not want to spread the truth but seeks to silence and distort it, spreading the lie that is useful for the purposes of their masters. However, it is important that the good – who are the majority – wake up from their sluggishness and do not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes. It is necessary that the good, the children of light, come together and make their voices heard. What more effective way is there to do this, Mr. President, than by prayer, asking the Lord to protect you, the United States, and all of humanity from this enormous attack of the Enemy? Before the power of prayer, the deceptions of the children of darkness will collapse, their plots will be revealed, their betrayal will be shown, their frightening power will end in nothing, brought to light and exposed for what it is: an infernal deception.

Mr. President, my prayer is constantly turned to the beloved American nation, where I had the privilege and honor of being sent by Pope Benedict XVI as Apostolic Nuncio. In this dramatic and decisive hour for all of humanity, I am praying for you and also for all those who are at your side in the government of the United States. I trust that the American people are united with me and you in prayer to Almighty God. United against the Invisible Enemy of all humanity, I bless you and the First Lady, the beloved American nation, and all men and women of goodwill.

+ Carlo Maria Viganò
Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana
Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America

Why Trump Held Up The Bible

Why Free Stuff Ruins Your Life

All the candidates seeking the democrat party Presidential nomination are promising a plethora of entitlement programs. Free college, free healthcare, free childcare, even free to people who aren’t citizens of the United States. At least one candidate wants to give everyone an income even if they can but don’t want to work. But each dollar taxed and spent deprives Americans of the freedom to make their own choices. When a central bureaucracy directs funds, they tend to come with strings attached.

While it may seem counterintuitive, people are happier when they are engaged in work than when they have free time. The Greek philosopher Aristotle recognized this same idea. For Aristotle, happiness is a final end or goal that encompasses the totality of one’s life. It is not something that can be gained or lost in a few hours, like pleasurable sensations. Aristotle would be strongly critical of the culture of “instant gratification,” which seems to predominate in our society today.

Hungarian-American psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi discovered this same human phenomenon. He did careful research that discovered that some of our deepest intuitions about work, play and what makes us happy was completely backward. He discovered that most people were, in fact, happier at work than at rest. Moreover, he also found that people tended to think they were happier in their free time and would choose to have more free time than work, even though it made them unhappier.

This may explain why a new poll from Gallup found that young Americans (18-29) are souring on capitalism, a system that promotes free choices and independence. Less than half 45 percent, view capitalism positively. That is a 12-point decline in young adults’ positive views of capitalism in just the past two years and a marked shift since 2010 when 68 percent viewed it positively”. Socialism’s promise of things without work is nothing new. So why such a dramatic increase in its favorability?

Perhaps it is due, at least in part, to the fact that young people are leaving their faith. Interestingly, many choose to identify as “none,” meaning they still believe in God or have some sense of spirituality, whatever that means but no longer identify with a particular denomination or branch of faith. Writers, theologians, and social psychologists debate the reasons, but I think it mainly boils down to wanting to pursue me. Their foundation is no longer a transcendent pursuit; rather, it has become one of personal gratification. This is why they avoid committed relationships and have fewer, if any, children at all. They are scared of permanence. Transcendent experiences, however, are the focus of such a wide variety of world cultures from east to west; without them, we feel empty, and our life becomes void of any deep meaning other than the constant pursuit of material objects and societal accolades, neither of which will ultimately satisfy the human heart and its longing. Living for yourself is a recipe for disaster.

This may explain why a new study published in the Harvard Business Review found that young people are leaving the workforce in droves. Many of them citing mental health issues as the driving force behind their decision.

There is little doubt that each generation gives their children more than the previous generation. Today many of our youth have no desire nor a need for independence. They delay marriage, live at home longer, and are less independent, all in pursuit of me. Now comes the appeal to socialism, the promise that you can and should have what you want without working for it. Coupled with a lack of transcendence, many young people today are lost in a sea of self-absorption. A new study published in the Journal of American College Health showed that students seeking help for mental health problems had risen considerably between 2009 and 2015.

Human beings have a strong need to become all that they can be, but once this need is met, some continue to feel needs beyond the self and pursue goals that may have little to do with the self. Neglecting those goals and continuing on the “me” path is a form of insanity.

In the west, the Judeo-Christian perspective rightfully understands that envy (desire for another person’s possessions) is a sin. It also recognizes the value of work. “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:3.

Even God worked for six days before taking a day off.

Work: The Meaning of Your Life: A Christian Perspective why free stuff ruins life

“Where do we find the core of life’s meaning? Right on the job! At whatever work we do with our head or hand, from the kitchen to the executive suite, from your house to the White House. “Work is the great equalizer — everyone has to come to it in order to find meaning in living: no short cuts, no detours, no bargain rates.” Work is the “chisel with which you carve yourself.” That work not only adds value to others, it also adds value to you in the process. By looking outside yourself to see how you can serve others, you are actually building a Godly character. Second, the author argues that work is the difference between civilization and barbarism, between a solid economy and a weak one. I can think of no greater lesson our society needs to learn right this moment.

Finally, numerous psychological and sociological studies have shown what Genesis taught us long ago. A life-course perspective has posited marital relationships as one of the most important relationships that define life context and affect individuals’ well-being throughout adulthood (Umberson & Montez, 2010). Being married, especially happily married, is associated with better mental and physical health (Carr & Springer, 2010; Umberson, Williams, & Thomeer, 2013), and the strength of the marital effect on health is comparable to that of other traditional risk factors such as smoking and obesity (Sbarra, 2009). Despite this, many people today are simply avoiding the responsibility of family life again, pursuing me. This will never bring true happiness that Aristotle and many others recognized. It will only continue to fill the halls of mental health facilities. True joy is found not in avoiding the cross but rather embracing it and becoming all that you can be.

References

Carr D., & Springer K. W. (2010). Advances in families and health research in the 21st century. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 743–761. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00728.x

Sbarra D. A. (2009). Marriage protects men from clinically meaningful elevations in C-reactive protein: Results from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). Psychosomatic Medicine, 71, 828. doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181b4c4f2 [PMC free article] [PubMed]

Umberson D., Williams K., & Thomeer M. B. (2013). Family status and mental health: Recent advances and future directions. In Aneshensel C. S. & Phelan J. C. (Eds.), Handbook of the sociology of mental health (2nd edn, pp. 405–431). Dordrecht: Springer Publishing. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4276-5_20

This One Is Not About Religion

This one is not about religion, even the hardest atheist should recognize where we are headed and it is not looking good. I am not even sure if this story is real or not. Today people manufacture stories to get more attention.

Kindergartner parties alone after no one shows up to birthday bash

Even free pizza couldn’t attract any pint-size partygoers for a 6-year-old’s birthday. An Arizona mom says none of her son’s kindergarten friends showed up to his birthday party —…

New York Post

Whether this photo was staged for attention or this boy was actually forgotten, his story is just one example of the effect that less intimate and more social-media interactions are having on us.

I was talking about this phenomenon with a friend the other day, after several people he invited to an expensive event that he paid for were — No-Shows. We all have stories of people not showing (flaking). Sometimes we do it ourselves. We are pulled in many different directions or no direction at all. Often we wait to commit to see if something better comes along. Worse yet, people commit to attend an event then don’t attend or cancel at last minute.

If we do show up, we spend most of our time checking our phone and posting to social media. Gatherings are no longer about spending quality time with others anymore, rather they have become opportunities to take photos.

The direction we are headed is sad. And as a psychology student, I can tell you we are all paying the price. The stress is literally killing us. No, its not the typical stress you feel when you have a deadline to meet or a bill to pay when you’re in debt; it’s a different type of stress. It is the one that is silent and erodes your health slowly.

Studies have shown that prolonged elevated levels of cortisol can lead to lack of sex drive, weight gain, mood swings, anxiety, depression and a host of other symptoms. This all happens over a slow, protracted time. You don’t feel it right away. Talking in person helps lower cortisol levels.

Unfortunately we have less and less personal interactions and meaningful discussions. So while we skip interacting with each other on an in-person level, choosing instead to sit on our smart phone and throw insults at each other over politics, diet, religion or whatever else we want to argue about, our bodies’ stress level is quietly increasing.

There is no question that loneliness is a significant problem today, and that technology has vastly improved our lives. However, that same technology, used inappropriately, may be causing loneliness. Having thousands of social media friends and hundreds of likes on our photos, can not replace intimate one -on -one relationships. How many people do you really know? And how well do you really know them? Nowadays, social media followers, likes, and meaningless messages in our inboxes, provide a false sense of security, fulfillment, and self-esteem.

One intimate relationship is worth infinitely more than all the social media friends you could ever have.

The Greatest Sin Is Pride

Whenever we pit ourselves against Church teaching and act as our own Magisterium, we reveal that we are in the grip of deadly pride. Pride in fact is the worst of the seven deadly sins.

Almost all non-Catholic Christian churches abandoned long ago the indissolubility of marriage. By the 1950’s they caved into secular thinking regarding contraception, and now they are defending abortion.

The word Catholic means universal: — for all times — for all places — for all people

Jesus Christ the logos (truth) incarnate can not change, what is true today was true yesterday and will be true tomorrow. The Church of Christ is One, the Church is the bride of Christ and Christ can only have one bride (Eph 5:23-32)

Pride has created such disastrous divisions that Jesus himself foresaw and prayed for:

I urge you brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people (Romans 16 17:18)

66 Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian and United Church of Christ Leaders Sign Letter Supporting Abortion - LifeNews.com

A group of Iowa clergy and religious leaders signed a letter to the Des Moines Register last week advocating for abortion on demand. The letter blasts Iowa lawmakers who are trying to pass a bill prohibiting abortions from the moment an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy. “It is not the…

LifeNews.com

I am Not Gay- I am a Man

Openly homosexual fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana continue to buck leftist positions on human sexuality, marriage, and child-rearing.

“You are born to a mother and a father — or at least that’s how it should be,” Dolce said. “I call children of chemistry, synthetic children. Rented uterus, semen is chosen from a catalog.” The Catholic Church condemns these acts and considers them immoral

Gabbana concurred, adding, “The family is not a fad. In it, there is a supernatural sense of belonging.” Music legend and icon Elton John blasted the two designer icons for their comments but Dolce and Gabbana did not back down and continued to hold the Catholic position which is based like other moral teachings in natural law

Both Dolce & Gabbana have supported traditional marriage. In 2013, when they were asked if they’d be getting married, Dolce said: “What? Never! I’m a practicing Catholic.”

In a recent interview, Stefano Gabbana laid a new one on people by demanding he not be called “gay” and just simply “man.”

Continue reading more about these fashion trend giants click here

She Is Not An Object

With all of the sexual harassment accusations happening today it’s worth remembering she is NOT an object—No one is an object…