tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781753636089506134.post8837316739018824375..comments2023-08-22T09:35:36.716-04:00Comments on True Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter: The New Breed of AtheismMary Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04107504165449607702noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781753636089506134.post-86755644624668596682008-10-18T02:56:00.000-04:002008-10-18T02:56:00.000-04:00Just wanted to stop by and let you know how much I...Just wanted to stop by and let you know how much I enjoy your blog! Keep it up.Timothy 4:12https://www.blogger.com/profile/12353942876166360555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781753636089506134.post-51725351503140228492008-10-16T11:57:00.000-04:002008-10-16T11:57:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Samuel Skinnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01587994908818534357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781753636089506134.post-80259372574797919582008-10-16T10:40:00.000-04:002008-10-16T10:40:00.000-04:00On a related matter...Two years ago, in a writers'...On a related matter...<BR/>Two years ago, in a writers' group to which I belonged, I wished everyone a merry Christmas--and reminded them that since Jesus is the reason for the holiday in the first place, I also wished for them the knowledge of, and personal relationship with, Jesus Himself. I, of course, caught flack for it--which I kind of expected; what was unexpected was that people didn't pick on my sentiments nearly as much as they picked on my signature line, which had a quote in it from Archbishop John Noll that included the phrase, "...the Catholic religion is a religion of joy." <BR/><BR/>THAT infuriated several of the self-proclaimed atheists/agnostics so much that they actually began to RANT at me. They couldn't say enough cruel words, all of them, of course, based on the same recycled lies about the Catholic Church that have been around for millennia. Our list/group host stepped in at that point and said, "Whatever we celebrate, let's just wish each other well, and leave it at that"--which I agreed with. These attackers, however, paid no attention to his request and kept hammering, to the point where he had to threaten them with closing the loop entirely and/or moderating their comments to get things back on "civil footing." Many people would have said, "Well, that's what you get for bringing religion into it--you should have known better." (Never mind that no one "brings" religion into Christmas...it was already there!) But quite frankly, everyone in the group already KNEW I was a Christian--or if they didn't know, they had to suspect it, since I'd sold an inspirational novel!--and all I did was take it one step further, politely reminding all that "Christmas" has someone's name in its title. :-) I had had it with "happy holidays" nonsense, I felt led to inject the Good News in where it's been forgotten, and most people took it in the spirit in which it was offered.<BR/><BR/>Except for those vitriolic, hate-filled atheists--the same people who dared to call themselves "free thinkers" and lambasted me for daring to suggest that God had a place in anyone's life, much less that an evil institution like Catholicism had anything to offer them. They could not let the subject go...they could not leave off with mere insults or venom...they wanted to pound on me until I gave in. I didn't--and that literally made them see red.<BR/><BR/>You never know where the fight's going to come from, sometimes--or how vicious it's going to get. But our job isn't to second-guess, to water down, or to hold back. Our job is simply to witness, and trust God to do the rest.<BR/><BR/>Hard to do, I know, sometimes. We just have to cling to the knowledge and certainty that, in His way, God will honor these words of ours. As a wise priest told me after one of these bouts, "You are living the Beatitudes. God sees this, and He will honor it."<BR/><BR/>My take,<BR/>JannyJannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06725527285837338560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781753636089506134.post-6130950487767366232008-10-16T06:00:00.000-04:002008-10-16T06:00:00.000-04:00Thank you for this article; it was very good. I h...Thank you for this article; it was very good. I have been shocked to see some of the comments out there on You Tube - perhaps I didn't realise how low some people can go. Most of it I don't believe is 'real' but it seems that this form of commenting is just entertainment to them. I try to ignore the bad and concentrate on what is good out there. However for every good Catholic argument on You Tube there seems to be many people trying to give a 'counter-argument', probably without much substance. I don't suppose there is much we can do about those but just continue to witness in whatever circle God has given us. And pray that if people are searching enough that eventually they will come against the 'truth'.joannaB73https://www.blogger.com/profile/06375449214052411277noreply@blogger.com