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01/21/08
Dear Rev, I read your comment about Rev Moon. I also hear that he is
announcing himself as a messiah in 2013. He is obviously out of his mind, and
the group keeps making false claims and deceive people into attending their
events (i was one of them, and totally offended!) However, I see many falling
into their hands. Why aren't christians and the church concerned about this?
concerned in nj
Dear Concerned,
I think many Christians are concerned about the cult like aspect of Rev Moon's
religion. However, since we live in a society which permits the freedom of
religion, it would be very difficult to stop Rev. Moon from the practice of his.
Those most concerned are those who have family members who are part of his
church and they continually try to debrief their loved ones. I am not sure that
the rest of us can legally do much more than pray for them. Prayer is a powerful
tool for those who believe.
The Rev.
12/16/2007
Subject: Guidance
Location: Florida
Question: Dear Priest: A year ago I broke with the person I thought was
the man of my life. I recently found out that he has a girl friend. I was
dismissed from my job and did average in an exam that can determine where I will
go to graduate school. I am a believer and I do a lot of effort for my career
development, relationships and everything related to my persona and family. I
just needed to tell someone that all this worriers me, that I do not know if
things will get better. I am trying to think that the most wonderful things are
around the corner. Regards, M.
Dear M,
The three most stressful issues of life are moving, financial problems (loss of
job), problems related to a loved one. You have experienced two of them. The
stress can be overwhelming. However, I speak from experience, that these trials
do pass and that we create the world we desire. So don't stop believing that
wonderful things are around the corner. Each of us is born with a mission in
life, so everything we need for that mission will be provided by God, trust in
Him, not what you see around you. It is exactly these kinds of experiences in
which we convert our beliefs into faith, walking through the darkness yet
trusting in God. It is simple, it's just not easy. Prayer strengthens our faith,
find a partner to pray with trust.
Fr. Charles
Dear Rev. The Rev. Sun Myung Moon has declared Christianity and America to be his enemies, yet over the years he has been endorsed by such spokesmen for the Christian Rght (and America) as President George W. Bush, (and the entire Bush family), Senator Orrin Hatch, and Jerry Falwell. Rev. Moon even managed to engineer a U.S. Senate sponsored ceremony in which Rev. Moon was declared the "messiah" and a Senate sponsored "peace" ceremony in which Rev. Moon officially buried the Christian cross. Are these ceremonies occult attacks on Christianity ? Is there an explanation why these endorsements and events do not cause alarm among Christians ? Thank you Perplexed GV
Dear Perplexed,
If we know how Rev. Sun Myung Moon thinks then we can get a clearer idea of his
intentions. His theology revolves around the notion that he is the "Lord of the
Second Advent" and that in this capacity he is the "physical salvation" that
Jesus did not complete because he was never married and had an untimely death.
This understanding of the life and death of Jesus, and Rev. Moon's role in this
historical event is beyond generally accepted facts of Christianity as accepted
by the major denominations of Christianity. Is his religion a cult? Probably.
The reason there is no alarm among Christians is that he has a very conservative
political outlook which bodes well with the current administration, he has a
long reaching arm with his ownership of the Washington times, and he is a heavy
political contributor. When in doubt, follow the money.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: I am a Presbyterian and my son married a Catholic. I
recently attended a Catholic Mass at which the priest announced that only
Catholics could receive communion. When my daughter-in-law visits and we attend
our Presbyterian Church, she is welcomed by our pastor to receive communion. Why
the discrepancy? I’m confused. JS, Grass Valley.
Dear Confused: Some background. The Catholic Church holds that communion, also
called the Eucharist, is in fact the real presence of Jesus Christ, who gave
himself to us in the form of bread and wine on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper.
It has been the policy under Pope John Paul II that only catholics may receive
communion since some Protestant Churches hold that communion is only symbolic.
He wanted to make this distinction. However, canon law (912) states that
Christians of all denominations may receive communion from a priest if 1) they
are baptized and 2) believe in the real presence. Interesting, at the funeral of
Pope John Paul II the then Cardinal Ratzinger and now Pope Benedict XVI gave
communion to Brother Roger of Taize, a Protestant.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: There are many religions which claim that if you do not belong to them
you’re going to hell. How do you view this dilemma? Jan, Nevada City
Dear Jan: If you believed the claims of these religions, no one would make it to
heaven. Since they all exclude each other from going to heaven, and no one
belongs to all of them, none of us will make it to heaven. St. Augustine said it
well some 1700 years ago: “Not everyone in the Church is in God’s hands, and not
everyone in God’s hands is in the Church”. What human being can measure the
length, or depth, or width of God’s love for each of us. Who can say what
measures God will take to point us in the right direction. What religion is the
right religion? It’s the one which brings you closest to God.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: Is an annulment the same thing as a divorce? Marie, NY
Dear Marie: Not exactly. A divorce is a legal separation of two previously
married people by the State which permanently dissolves the marriage contract.
Since some Christian Churches do not allow divorce, the married parties who want
to permanently separate must apply for an annulment with their Church. To have a
marriage annulled means that there was never a marriage in the first place
because the parties to the marriage contract were in some way impeded in their
capacity to make a contract. For example, a couple might show that one or both
of them were forced into the marriage contract when a parent discovered she was
pregnant. Force or duress would invalidate the marriage contract. That’s the
difference between an annulment and a divorce.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: My pastor says all gays are going to hell. What do you think?
John, Sacramento.
Dear John: I think your Pastor thinks he’s God. Only God has the answer as to
who’s going where after this life. Human judgment is always imperfect, only God,
who can look into each person’s heart and see what is there, only He can make
perfect judgments. And does God really judge? I know we use that terminology,
and we think of our judicial system when we use it, but what really happens when
we die? Does God wave a big stick and order some people through one gate and
others through another. Or perhaps do we have a life review in all its details
of everything we have ever said, done or thought and we view that in
relationship to God’s love, which at that moment we can experience fully, and
then look at how we did or didn’t measure up to that love and what we
intuitively knew was right. And then maybe God’s mercy is greater than his
justice.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: Iraq is a country that is divided by Sunni and Shiite Moslems each
fighting the other for power and control of the country. Are we turning into
that here in the United States, and are we going down the same path as them?
Barbara, Nevada City.
Dear Barbara: That is a good question, I am not sure I have the answer. We are
experiencing a culture war in the United States. The fundamentalist christians
define it as believers vs. non believers. I don’t see it that way. Many in the
“nonbelievers” category are actually believers in a higher being, but who do not
wish to impose their religious beliefs onto other people. Fundamentalist
christians have a one sided view on most issues, based on their understanding of
the bible. They would like to impose that on the rest of us. This country was
founded on pluralism and freedom. It allows each of us to follow our beliefs and
conscience as we understand them to be true, and it allows public debate on
these issues so that everyone can gain a greater understanding of these issues.
This process is unfolding as we speak. God expects us to use the capacity of
reason to arrive at reasonable positions. Our democracy allows this difficult
process to unfold. As a patriot once said, “ I disagree with what you said, but
I will defend with my life your right to say it”.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: Why are Catholics seen as being excluded as Christians by Protestants
in our Society. For example, I often hear someone saying, “Catholics and
Christians believe” something. Catholics are Christians, why do they make this
distinction? Dennis, Penn Valley
Dear Dennis: I have also heard this distinction and I believe it dates back to
the Protestant Reformation, the 16th century religious movement marked by either
rejection or modification of much of Roman Catholic doctrine and practice and
establishing the Protestant Churches. I think the original meaning was to make a
distinction between the Catholic and Protestant Churches. Since there are many
Protestant Churches and only one Roman Catholic Church from which they split,
they simply referred to the many Churches as Christians distinguishing them from
the Catholics. It don’t think it is meant to imply that Catholics are not
Christians.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: How do you reconcile a Christian leader in our Country calling for the
assassination of the President of Venezuela? Jeff, Marysville
Dear Jeff: I don’t try to reconcile this as I do not think it is a reconcilable
situation. Maybe we all ought to step back and take a second look at what we are
doing in this country. In the past 15 years fundamentalist christian churches
have grown at a phenomenal rate, and with this growth comes money and power.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The founder of
Christianity lived in poverty, remember when he said in the Gospels: “birds have
their nests and foxes have their dens, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his
head” (Matt 8:20). I think he meant that literally. I think we would all do well
to return to the way Christ lived, perhaps not in that kind of poverty, but
humility, kindness, forgiveness, compassion and justice.
The Rev.
Dear Rev: I attended a conference and someone began talking about religion and
spirituality. I always thought they were the same, or went together, what’s the
difference? Larry, Nevada City
Dear Larry: That is a distinction that we hear frequently today, and it’s an
important one. Religion refers to a defined set of doctrines, dogmas and
beliefs. Spirituality refers to how those beliefs are lived. They need not be
separated, but one hears frequently that someone is spiritual not religious. It
usually means they do not attend a particular church or adhere to particular
doctrines, but rather have an orientation towards life which encompasses a
belief in God. I have often wondered whether the rise in this approach to life
corresponds with the rise of christian fundamentalism in this country. Many of
my readers have indicated that the judgementalism of these religions really does
bother them, and turns them off from even the thought of attending a church.
The Rev.
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