Christianity

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

I've been thinking about it a lot lately. What do you think the most important element to the relegion is?

I think It is love. without Love Chirst wouldn't have died for us. Without Love John Paul II wouldn't have led the church so well. In my struggle with Ultra-traditionalism, i see they have no love. Where as the Catholic church does and i feel it here. just wondering if you agree or disagree.

[tojo]

I'd say it's grace-centered, which of course is motivated by love, so i definately think you're looking at it in a valid way.

[Myles Domini]

Grace is love because God is love (1 jn 4:16) and the gift of the Holy Spirit is grace, the Holy spirit being the eternal procession of love. In essence, Christianity is about love doing various things manifesting itself in various ways but ultimately our creation, our purpose, our being is that God loved us into existence without needing us and because He loved us He reedemed us likewise. The rest fits into that structure.

INXC
Myles

[rkwright]

[quote name='Extra ecclesiam nulla salus' date='Dec 23 2005, 09:32 PM']I think It is love. without Love Chirst wouldn't have died for us.
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You said it all right there.

There are many things that we can get caught up in that distract us from this.

I was struggling with Catholicism a while back, and I sat down and talked with a nun about some issues (actually very similar to what you're going through). She didn't answer any of my hard theological questions, but what she said was right on target. She told me to be at peace, God wants us to be at peace, to not loose sight of his salvation... there are a lot of things that can distract us from this and it seems to me, just by seeing what I've read here, that you're being torn apart here...

just some thoughts for this christmas season

[Ash Wednesday]

It will take me a lifetime to fully comprehend Christianity.

But in a nutshell, for me it's Christ's teaching of unconditional love. Not just some happy-clappy feel-goody ritualistic love, but the true nature of love that is so deep, sometimes it hurts and means death.

That and the teachings of the Church are the only sound voice giving us timeless, [b]uncompromising[/b] wisdom in the world today. It is the teachings of the Church that give the human race the roadmap for survival. Not just on a spiritual level, but even on a practical level.

[photosynthesis]

Christianity is all about perseverence. Following Jesus. Loving the God that first loved us. Remaining in His love day by day and not giving up in the struggle for holiness.

[Tony]

one word..... Everything.

[Guest JeffCR07]

Love is it, she is the fountain from which all the virtues spring forth. All fruits are fruits of Love, all gifts are gifts of Love. All graces are the result of Love, and everything is a Grace. Love, which is Charity, is, in a word, God.

Edited December 25, 2005 by JeffCR07

[avemaria40]

Love, Life, and Sacrafice

[God's Errand Girl]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' date='Dec 23 2005, 11:54 PM']It will take me a lifetime to fully comprehend Christianity.
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I don't think I'll have the half of it figured out before I die.
And I rack my brain pretty hard...

[Akalyte]

It's quite simple really.

It means the way the truth and the life.

[qfnol31]

What is true, good, and beautiful.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Extra ecclesiam nulla salus' date='Dec 23 2005, 11:32 PM']I've been thinking about it a lot lately. What do you think the most important element to the relegion is?

I think It is love. without Love Chirst wouldn't have died for us. Without Love John Paul II wouldn't have led the church so well. In my struggle with Ultra-traditionalism, i see they have no love. Where as the Catholic church does and i feel it here. just wondering if you agree or disagree.
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God so loved the world he gave us himself.
Life smells of elderberries, but as long as keep our eyes fixed on Him, it will be all right.

...its not that the ultra-trads don't have love, its that they don't have trust that God gets it right even when we don't see all the details smack in our face. Did you ever read the Chronicles of Narnia? If you didn't read the [i]Silver Chair.[/i] THe signs are there, we just have to trust God that we will find them.

[Lilllabettt]

For me Christianity is "God with-us," Emmanuel, the Incarnation.

God did not abandon us, did not leave us to suffer and die all alone, but came to be with us in the valley of tears. God, being immutable, could not suffer the way we did, so He took on mortal flesh, and chose death for Himself because He wanted to be with us, in every way possible.

And once you grasp the fact of THE Incarnation, then everything else is revealed as Incarnational. The Sacraments, and the priesthood of course, but even the "stinking" Roman Curia! Gravity, DNA, appleblossoms ... The power of God is working everywhere!

Christian-coloured glasses make the whole world look magical ...