The God of the Living

"And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 'I am the God of Abraham and  the God of Issac and the God of Jacob?' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living"-Matthew 22:31-32, paralleled in Mark 12:27, paralleled and expanded on in Luke 20:37-38
And my favourite verse as a proof-text  for this topic.
"And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down, with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints"-Revelation 5:8.
Clearly, if you believe in following scripture, you can deduce several things.   1) Those in heaven are conscious of the saints on earth.  2)If God is the God of the living, those that are with him, must too be alive.  3) Contrary to what some Neo-gnostic sects think, the Old Testament God is the same God as the New Testament God, the text even says as much.  I think that all of these are important,but let's stick with the first two, since we Catholics are constantly accused of idolatry from Protestants.  (Not all) for praying to Saints in Heaven.  They'll say things like, "why do you pray to dead folks".  Well, umm, I don't.  Those in Heaven are not dead.  They are more alive than we are now.  Revelation 5:8 seems to at least indicate some degree of consciousness in Heaven.  Another problem is that some folks think that the word pray is synonymous with worship or adoration.  I think maybe some of these folks should read some Shakespeare.  "I pray thee", means something along the lines of "I ask you", the word pray, simply means "to ask a favour". You may disagree with our religious practices, but please make your objection about what we actually believe and not what you think we believe.

For an old heretical friend

My dear, you know I love you.  I know we have been romantically linked in the past, and I want what is best for you.  I heard you have a boyfriend now, and y'all have been together for a while.  Well, God bless y'all, because I know your girl needs a dad.   I hope you're doing well.  One problem, do I have,my dear, and it is this.  It is your denial of the apostolic faith of your Iberian fore-bearers.  That faith that was brought to Spain by St. James.  That faith which miraculously made it from Palestine to Spain in a very short (relatively speaking) time.  That faith that James would have had to risk his life to bring to you. Tell me,my dear, how you see the faith of the apostles in John Smyth?How do you not see how you are denying Christ by denying his Church?   Don't you know, the Church is the bride of Christ?  How exactly did you become convinced that Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron qualify as competent theologians?  My  dear, my fear for you is that you will go to hell.  You've already accepted the gospel, you told me that Catholicism was your "true faith".  John 15:4,my dear.  Please read these words carefully.  You claim (but offer no evidence) that Catholicism is "unbiblical".  I seem to recall you being a fan of a certain college (American) football team.  Is that biblical?  "And the Lord said to them, 'Go Dawgs'".  That's certainly not in my Bible.  But here are some things that are in my Bible.  One Faith, One Baptism (not three,my dear) and One Lord. That is Ephesians 4:4-6.  Do you know what else is in the Bible?  The Eucharistic discourse in John 6.  I fail to see how that can be a symbol.  My friend, I fear you will go to Hell.  You have changed your beliefs for your convenience and have failed to believe what is true.  Revelation 21:27 deals with the logical conclusion of purgatory.  For the last seven years (at least) I have been trying to correct your errors (and much of what you say about Catholicism is flat out false).  My friend, I love you, and I want you, much like Our Lord according to Saint Peter, I want you to be saved.  (2 Peter 3:9).  Right now you, you are in the sin of presumption.  You claim "Faith Alone" is how we are saved, but so do millions of other people, some of which approve of things like homosexual acts and abortion, things you would find abhorrent.  Are people who willingly promote those causes, in defiance of what is written in scripture going to be saved, simply because they have faith? (For the record, the only place the Bible mentions Faith Alone, is in the Epistle of James, read the second chapter).  Whether you like this fact or not, there is a reasonable chance that those that believe Faith Alone will go to Hell.  (Matthew 7:21-23, not to mention that St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:13 "the most of these is Love" (Agape in Greek, Charitable love).  This is why I write this my friend.  I love you, and with that love, I would die to save you (John 15:13).  I would go to hell just so you could go to heaven.  Luckily, for both of us, that's not how God works.  Please think logically, and come to a conclusion based on HISTORICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL reading of scripture, and don't do what so many Protestants do, and put your own meaning in it.  I love you my dear friend.  But not more than Jesus does.

Why the Pope meeting with a socialist should not concern you

 The Pope met with Democratic Presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, a self-professed socialist.  Of course, Catholics are outraged and confused by this, yet I fail to understand why.  The Pope has met with politicians many time before, so this seems to be nothing new to me.  I think people are under the impression that the Pope is going to support his campaign.  Well, given Sanders views on abortion and socialism (two things the Church is clearly against, (CCC 2270-72, CCC 2322, CCC 2425). I doubt the Pope is going to endorse him (as a general rule, Popes generally don't endorse politicians, but they have been known to condemn some of their ideas, Mit Brennender Sorge, by Pius XI, for instance).  No, I don't think this is it it all.  Whether we like this fact or not (I certainly don't) there is a reasonable chance that Sanders may become our nation's president.  I think it's good for two countries to start off on the right foot.  By the way, I fail to see why everyone is upset.  Yes, Sanders incorrectly referred to Pope Francis as a Socialist, but Pope Francis knows he's not (he's even said as much).  I think, Sanders and Pope Francis meeting together is a great thing, so Sanders doesn't seem to believe in God.  The Pope I think, would be in a good position to witness Christ to him.  I think the outrage in this situation is really uncalled for.  My advice to you, is stop getting your news from MSM and Radical Catholic Reactionaries, but from news sources that are loyal to the Vatican.

Why we need rural missions

  Okay, so I am Catholic.  I am also Catholic in a very rural area.  The closest Catholic church is about ten miles away from my house.  That doesn't seem that far.  But say you live where I was born, in Davenport, Iowa.  How far away is the closest Catholic church?  Since Davenport has a lot of Catholics, probably pretty close.  In rural South Carolina, I see Baptist churches all over.  Baptist, Methodist, and AME, especially in rural areas.  Do you know why?  Because they evangalised those areas.  They were the only Christians that established churches in those areas and provided spiritual needs.  I feel that, we as Catholics, make excuses, that there is no need for us to build churches and set up parishes in rural areas.  Well, why not?  Of course there's a need.  You want everyone to be Catholic, no?  Well, some of those people have never so much as met a Catholic.  In an area with few Catholics, the benefits could immense.  I know it takes money, but I, for one, like being able to walk to church.  I don't want to leave the rural area I live in at this time though.  If we, as Catholics, are not willing to go to the margins (the rural poor, by the way, are quite common), can we really call ourselves Christians?  Petition your Diocese, and give them compelling reasons why there should be a Catholic community in your area.  This is Father Wilson, he is currently the Pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken.  Listen how close the closest Catholic Church to him was when he was growing up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqyq7JbbRVU&list=PL9CQlldupc5_steLbpdA1mGXQQSXDD5DZ&index=38
We can't evangelise somewhere if we're not there.

Why I won't be voting for Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or Donald Trump

  Torture is prohibited by the Catholic Church (CCC 2297).  So Trump is out.  Socialism is prohibited, Socialism is prohibited by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, so Sanders is out.  Abortion is *Obviously* prohibited by the Church, so they're all out.  (CCC 2270-2272).  I choose Christ. CCC 2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country:

Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due.45

[Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners. . . . They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws. . . . So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.46

The Apostle exhorts us to offer prayers and thanksgiving for kings and all who exercise authority, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way."47.

Notice it does not give an obligation to vote in a federal election?  By the way, voting in local elections is still voting, but I think like Fr Dwight Longenecker (Patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead) calls it the "Amish option".  Jimmy Akin (JimmyAkin.com) said during the election in 2012 that it would be better to sit out of an election in certain circumstances.  Mark Shea (who gets a lot of undeserved hate), at www.ncregister.com/blog/mark-shea/ has given reasons (very good ones) not to vote in presidential elections.  He has done it more than once, so you have to search.  I personally think the two-party system is a problem.  But hey, what do I know?  My grandfather was just a politician, it's not like me and Grandpa didn't talk about this.