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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
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| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu Mar 1st, 2007 09:52 am |
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Preacher Draws On Work of V.S. Solovyov
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Antichrist is the reduction of Christianity to an ideology, instead of a personal encounter with the Savior, says the cardinal directing the retreat which Benedict XVI is attending.
Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, retired archbishop of Bologna, delivered that message during a meditation Tuesday, drawing on the work of Russian philosopher Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov.
The cardinal's meditation came during the weeklong Spiritual Exercises being attended by the Pope and members of the Roman Curia. The retreat ends this Saturday. The Holy Father suspended his usual meetings, including the general audience, in these days.
According to Vatican Radio's summary of his preaching, the cardinal explained that "the teaching that the great Russian philosopher left us is that Christianity cannot be reduced to a set of values. At the center of being a Christian is, in fact, the personal encounter with Jesus Christ."
Quoting the work "Three Dialogues on War, Progress and the End of History," Cardinal Biffi told his listeners that "the Antichrist presents himself as pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist."
"He will convoke an ecumenical council and will seek the consensus of all the Christian confessions, granting something to each one. The masses will follow him, with the exception of small groups of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants," he said.
The cardinal added that Solovyov says in that work: "Days will come in Christianity in which they will try to reduce the salvific event to a mere series of values."
No cross
In his "Tale of the Antichrist" Solovyov foresees that a small group of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants will resist and will say to the Antichrist: "You give us everything, except what interests us, Jesus Christ."
For Cardinal Biffi, this narrative is a warning: "Today, in fact, we run the risk of having a Christianity which puts aside Jesus with his cross and resurrection."
The 78-year-old cardinal said that if Christians "limited themselves to speaking of shared values they would be more accepted on television programs and in social groups. But in this way, they will have renounced Jesus, the overwhelming reality of the resurrection."
The cardinal said he believes that this is "the danger that Christians face in our days … the Son of God cannot be reduced to a series of good projects sanctioned by the prevailing worldly mentality."
However, "this does not mean a condemnation of values, but their careful discernment. There are absolute values, such as goodness, truth, beauty," Cardinal Biffi said. "Those who perceive and love them, also love Christ, even if they don't know it, because he is Truth, Beauty and Justice."
The preacher of the Spiritual Exercises added that "there are relative values, such as solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature. If these become absolute, uprooting or even opposing the proclamation of the event of salvation, then these values become an instigation to idolatry and obstacles on the way of salvation."
Cardinal Biffi affirmed that "if Christianity -- on opening itself to the world and dialoguing with all -- dilutes the salvific event, it closes itself to a personal relationship with Jesus and places itself on the side of the Antichrist."
The above article is reposted from Zenit.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Steven Barrett
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 14th, 2006 |
| Location: | Hadley, Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 1185 |
| First Name: | Steven | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Episcopal communicant, Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Mar 8th, 2007 02:15 pm |
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Do you suppose His Eminence paid a visit to Willow Creek recently? The "church" sans cross because its head honchos believe the Church is bigger than any one symbol"?
Watch! Somebody's going to get the impression I'm trying to imply Bill Hybels is the Anti-Christ. Overrated, yes. Anti-Christ, no. I'll leave that job to Tim LaHaye.
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"This Old House's" motto is "Measure twice, cut once." My new motto is THINK at least twice or thrice, then you only have to write once, and maybe apologize nonce.
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Dan Bryan
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| Joined: | Sat Sep 8th, 2007 |
| Location: | Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 21 |
| First Name: | Dan | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Protestant - I presently have no current Church Affiliations |
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Posted: Fri Oct 12th, 2007 12:47 am |
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CajunRick wrote: Quoting the work "Three Dialogues on War, Progress and the End of History," Cardinal Biffi told his listeners that "the Antichrist presents himself as pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist."
The cardinal added that Solovyov says in that work: "Days will come in Christianity in which they will try to reduce the salvific event to a mere series of values."
Dear Rick,
I was somewhat pessimistic at this post until I started looking further into it. Even the notary Pat Robertson has got on the band wagon, sort of.
I quit laughing soon after doing some reading into eco-ethics. Here are some links that will provide some further eye opening for those interested.
LEOPOLD AND THE COMPATIBILITY OF ECO-CENTRIC MORALITY
http://www.utm.edu/staff/jfieser/vita/research/leopold.htm
CALLICOTT AND THE METAPHYSICAL BASIS OF ECO-CENTRIC MORALITY
http://www.utm.edu/staff/jfieser/vita/research/callic.htm
When Ecology Replaces Theology
http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1018
In search of eco-salvation
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6854
ECO-FUNDAMENTALISM: The New Theology
http://www.ccsindia.org/ccsindia/lss/12Eco_fundamentaism.pdf
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Be anxious for nothing; we make our own plans, but the Lord determines our steps..............Bible
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vee12
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| Joined: | Mon Aug 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | Japan |
| Posts: | 22 |
| First Name: | vee12 | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Oct 15th, 2007 12:32 pm |
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What a timely article!
This part really stood out to me "Quoting the work "Three Dialogues on War, Progress and the End of History," Cardinal Biffi told his listeners that "the Antichrist presents himself as pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist."
This in a time when Al Gore gets the Nobel peace prize and making yourself carbon neutral is seen as a bigger virtue than going to church every Sunday.
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Dan Bryan
Member
| Joined: | Sat Sep 8th, 2007 |
| Location: | Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 21 |
| First Name: | Dan | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Protestant - I presently have no current Church Affiliations |
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Posted: Mon Nov 5th, 2007 11:49 am |
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Greenness Is Next to Godliness
Gathered in Washington were leaders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Council of Churches, and the Union for Reform Judaism.
The secular world also sees the spiritualization of ecology.
http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/renewable-energy-stocks/546
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Be anxious for nothing; we make our own plans, but the Lord determines our steps..............Bible
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