Giles Fraser in the Church Times writes that Salvation is found in the pit of death.
Pierre Whalon writes an essay for Anglicans Online Haiti and the Devil and ponders the question “Are national sins punished by natural catastrophes?”
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph: You’ve made a fortune – now let it go. There are sound religious and social reasons for giving your millions away, he says.
Nicholas Papadopulos writes in the Times on The lure of last words. Lent is traditionally the time to contemplate the final words uttered by Christ on the Cross.
Jonathan Sacks has a Credo article in the Times: If faith schools are so bad, why do parents love them? It may not be the faith in faith schools that makes them different, so much as the communities that build, support and sustain them.
William Doino Jr writes in the Times about Remembering Romero. Today [24 March] marks the 30th anniversary of the murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador.
And finally a warning for those still planning their Palm Sunday services.
Oscar Romero and others like him offered the most light and love to those who are disenfranchised and a profound understanding of liberation theology that crossed all income levels. Starting in 1978 the men in Rome began a systematic campaign to make sure people like Oscar Romero never became bishops of the Church. He was a truly great human being and had the Church decided to travel down his road we would probably have women as priests and bishops, a reformed papacy where the Bishop of Rome served only as a unifying symbol and not a king, inter-communion with other… Read more »
Thank you, Pierre Whalen, you made wonderful points. Robertsonian thinking is, indeed, a rationale for sanctimoniously doing nothing. “Those (Haitians, Californians, South Pacific Islanders, fill in the blank) deserved this! I don’t have to give anything to the undeserving!” Suppose a natural disaster struck Virginia Beach, VA. I bet Pat Robertson would be shocked and appalled if religious ministers said “Oh, look at the sins and depravities of the people of Virginia! They suffered this fate because their ancestors imported, raised, and sold people into slavery. God’s hand is still against them!” Well, Pat, what would be a horrible reaction… Read more »
Under the story on Bp Romero (OBM), there is this comment: “What makes a person a saint is their relationship with God; a relationship with the poor and oppressed is very much secondary. Of course better still a relationship with God in the poor, like Mother Theresa, but that isn’t a given. ‘he died because he was a disciple of Christ.’ …only indirectly if at all. This was a secular not a religious martyrdom. Not an obvious saint.” On the same (Times) page, just to the right, these headlines: “Child abuse and the Church -Was therapy in part to blame?… Read more »
Bp Whalon’s reflection is outstanding (I note that my own priest made the same connection to the Lent III Gospel reading!). One might further note: the African religious influence is no more extensive in Haiti’s Vaudou, than in the neighboring Dominican Republic’s Santeria or Brazil’s Condomble. Why is God’s wrath singled-out on Haiti, then? O_o *** Love this (from Wesley’s hymn, quoted by Whalon): “Jesus descends in dread array To judge the scarlet whore: And every isle is fled away, And Britain is no more!” No, not Blightey! Say it ain’t so! *LOL* JCF, a native of California, whose destruction… Read more »
“Christ jumps into the pit of death to claim even the grave for his victory. With this last act, the victory over death, Christ is the Lord of all. There are no corners of human experience that cannot be redeemed by his love..” – Giles Fraser – Having just returned from the Procession of Palm Sunday, with the Passion Gospel and the prayers and incense of the Mass here in New Zealand, I am more convinced than ever that Christ’s ‘descent into Hell’ – and his rescue of of the inhabitants from the spectre of a living death – is… Read more »
I understand the more ‘generous’ approach of what Giles Fraser outlines and to which Ron Smith above responds. Nevertheless, I am not looking to Christ or anyone else for ‘salvation’, and nor do I think is there a mechanical connection (if that’s the right phrase) for a descent into hell just as there is no transmission from this one individual to anyone else via the spilling of blood. Rather, it is about inspirations of character and teachings that come from all kinds of sources and places, including this one, and I would not want to limit myself to one. As… Read more »
At the risk of too much pickiness and too much California, the version I learned ended “saved Hotaling’s whiskey.” And Hotaling was a wholesaler rather than a distiller. But if you know more or less where the earthquake and fire were and go down to what’s now called Jackson Square where Hotaling had his warehouse, you’ll certainly agree it was a miracle.
Pluralist, thank you for your first paragraph.
Regarding Judas Iscariot, I hope I have this straight: Christian theology teaches that Jesus of Nazareth was resurrected and thereby saved humanity. In order to be resurrected, Jesus had to die. Jesus’ death is crucial to his resurrection and to humanity’s salvation. Jesus’ death was foretold from the beginning as part of God’s love and God’s plan for us. Judas’ actions ensured Jesus’ death, and was also presumably known by God beforehand. Therefore … Judas is evil.
Help!!!!
I’ve always puzzled over the “older” words in the Creeds about Jesus descending into hell, and the newer version Jesus dying for our sins. How could the Son of God ever get into hell? Sure yes, I believed he died and rose again in three days, but going to hell? (Unless being crucified was hell itself…it would be for most mortals!)
” nor do I think is there a mechanical connection (if that’s the right phrase) for a descent into hell just as there is no transmission from this one individual to anyone else via the spilling of blood. Rather, it is about inspirations of character and teachings that come from all kinds of sources and places, including this one, and I would not want to limit myself to one.” ‘Pluralist’ on Sunday – Adrian, with all due respect to your understanding of classical soteriology (or not), I am confused by this statement of yours on the web. With one swipe… Read more »
“How could the Son of God ever get into hell?”
The same way God could get into Humankind.
Is there any place God or the Son of God cannot go?
At the risk of too much pickiness and too much California, the version I learned ended “saved Hotaling’s whiskey.” And Hotaling was a wholesaler rather than a distiller. But if you know more or less where the earthquake and fire were and go down to what’s now called Jackson Square where Hotaling had his warehouse, you’ll certainly agree it was a miracle.