John Paul II has died

[Fiosh]

My dearest brother/sister, WSB:

Yes, you are surely correct in that many use the name of Jesus, but twist the truth. How do you think Pope John Paul II is guilty of that ?????

He declared Jesus as Lord. He taught submission to Christ. He lived a life that reflected the fruits of a believer. I'm not sure why you think he was a "wolf".

We were blest to have him as a world leader who was not afraid to take a stand for Christ, even when it was not popular, even with Catholics. All who met him speak of the love and compassion he showed to the poor and down-trodden.

I don't understand why you try to vilify him????

What did he ever do to make you think him an enemy of Christ????

He was a servant of the Lord.

But then again, Scripture does say............

Jhn 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

and

Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

I refer you back again to I Cor 12:3 & I John 4:2

The peace of Christ be with you always,

Fiosh

PS to Rustyangel: AMEN!

[nebula]

"All men have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God."

Salvation is found in no one but Jesus.

We all believe this.

Yes, we are allowed to judge fruits of one another.

But no, it is not our job to separate wheat from weeds. The risk of throwing out the wheat in the process is too great.

In the Gospel, there is an interesting account:

Luke 13:1-5

1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Did Jesus make judgments against these people?

2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Pope John Paul II has passed on from this life. His fate is in the Lord's hand.

Our concern needs to be towards those who are living.

We all have spiritual leaders; and we would mourn the passing of their lives.

The Catholics are feeling htis mourning right now.

Please, let them mourn in peace.

And let us pray for the selection of the next Pope - that he will be a follower of Jesus and faithful shepherd under the Lord.

[Fiosh]

WSB,

I thought it might be helpful for you to have some information about what we Catholics believe on which to base your objections.

Since I didn't think this was the place for it, I posted them on "A Catholic Explains".

I invite you to check it out.

In His Love,

Fiosh

[Work in Progress]

Well, all I can say is I hope the man knew the Lord for real. Every death is a tragedy, the death of an unredeemed person is even worse, for it is eternal seperation from God.

Jesus' words to Nicodemus come to mind again:

"You must be born again..."

Amen, WSB. And amen to your words too, Neb.

Fiosh - I tend to believe you are right. He did seem to serve Christ and trust in Him for his salvation. And yes, I really admired that he took a stand for Christ, even when it brought trouble to him. There are just so many things about Catholic doctrine that concern me, that it gives me a bit of doubt. I hope you are right though.

[Guest steve73]

John Paul was a very good man... his actions seemed very 'just' and he helped alot of people. I have been reading alot about John since he passed because it is seemingly all over the news and such.

I read somewhere -- "that even our good deeds are like dirty rags" to the lord, but that makes just as much sense considering the world we live in and the actions/paths one must take to help the greater good.

All in All and as a new comer to these parts, John seems like a very admirable man and i am certain he will rest well.

Edited April 4, 2005 by steve73

[JimR-OCDS]

I'm confused.

[Keith]

I am not Catholic, but I was very grieved to hear about Pope John Paul II's passing. For anyone who doubts or wonders, Karol Wojtyla (his real name), was most definitely a born-again believer!

Anyone who takes the time to research the man for 10 minutes would realize that he was actually a very amazing man! The first non-Italian Pope (Polish) in 455 years, John Paul II threw off many of the formalities of his office and traveling widely, being known as the "athletic" pope.

Shortly, I will be posting very interesting news about the papacy in "Latest News".

[Shane]

He has never made me judge over the souls of others. HOWEVER we are commanded to judge doctrine and to judge fruit. In doing so, we can glean much about the spiritual condition of an organization or individual.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Amen to that.

Rom 16:17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

1Ti 1:3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,

1Ti 1:4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

Tit 1:9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

[JimR-OCDS]

I'm confused.

[nebula]

WSB -

Do you know for a fact that Pope John Paul never gave his life to Christ?