The points you make are valid... however, there is also the instruction to give no offense to the Jew, Gentile or church of God. However, "family coming first" isn't really a biblical concept.
Family does not come first, at least not in the context of being before God. However, family being important is definitely a biblical concept.
Quote:
My pastor has a relationship with his family, but doesn't celebrate pagan holidays, and he was christened as a Catholic (actually he went all the way up to confirmation and marriage in the RCC) but has not had himself excommunicated... I will have to ask him and see if there is some insight I can share, however, he's on vacation (his one vacation/year) and I won't get to ask him until Sunday. Anyways...
Tim, the Bible is NOT popular, and there are tons of things that are difficult for us to understand and to follow, and this striving to meet the requirements of Scripture is not always easy or popular. I would much rather take the time to consider these things, rather than brush the Scriptures off.
Thinking about these larger issues is not something that I take lightly and do quickly, but may take months or years to decide how to handle family matters, and each application of the conclusions I come to may cause an altering of my views and further consideration.
-Bro. Alex
That's good. It's good to take plenty of time to think things over before you make a decision on how to handle it.
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"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
I grew up in "church", but through the years have seen other relatives come to truth and feel led to promote it at every opportunity.
It shuts you out rather than showing them God's love.
A relative of my husband got saved and proceeded to send the church bulletin and tracts to all the unsaved relatives--every week.
Thirty years later, they still ignore and avoid her.
Love them.
The change in your life is the "testimony".
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"Le sens commun n'est pas si commun."
(Common sense is not so common.)
Voltaire
Common sense is genius dressed in working clothes.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.
William James
[QUOTE=commonsense;753409]I grew up in "church", but through the years have seen other relatives come to truth and feel led to promote it at every opportunity.
It shuts you out rather than showing them God's love.
A relative of my husband got saved and proceeded to send the church bulletin and tracts to all the unsaved relatives--every week.
Thirty years later, they still ignore and avoid her.
Love them.
The change in your life is the "testimony".[/QUOTE]
AMEN!!!!
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples IF you have love
one to another! John 13:35
I was at my grandparent's house yesterday, with my sister and my uncle, aunt and one cousin. We had a good dinner together, and all my dad's family is Catholic. Since myself and my sister are not, we always seem to get a religious question thrown our way, and it always seems to motivate more and more religious questions. Sometimes it's fun, interesting and sometimes annoying.
Anyways, at one point in the conversation, my uncle asserts that my sister and I were both "baptized" Catholic (we were christened as infants), and that as much as we might want to undo things, that, we can never "undo" our "heritage." I reminded him that Catholicism is not a "heritage" or "nationality", and that if my sister and I are "Catholics" then we are really funny ones, who believe in One God, Acts 2:38 salvation, holiness, and we deny the papacy, Mary-worship doctrines, ect, ect... Then they went on to say, "Well your names are still on the roles..." And I responded back with, "Then perhaps I ought to get excommunicated..."
The place went quiet...
My grandmother says, "Oh, umm... no, no... you don't want to do that."
My aunt says, "It's like double-insurance, just leave it alone..."
My grandfather mentions that if I just keep my name on the roles, even if I stay the way I am the Catholic Church will still be willing to do my funeral and bury me in a Catholic cemetery...
Although these answers were very "convincing"... NOT... I do wonder if this statement of excommunicating, might show my family that the Catholic Church is, indeed, nothing, and that I have nothing to fear by having my name taken off the roles, and even being, purposely removed from the Catholic Church. I have been apostolic since 2004, and even before that, I have gone to Protestant churches since I was 10, so I'm fairly well-removed from the Catholic Church, and I have no desire to return, and plus, if I did want to after being excommunicated, I'm sure they'd take me back, eh?
What do you all think?
-Bro. Alex
Come apart and be separate. The RCC is the whore of Babylon. Get out get out get out my friend!
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We're making contacts with churches for our move to minister in Serbia. Check out our website www.jttn.org.
Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Come apart and be separate. The RCC is the whore of Babylon. Get out get out get out my friend!
He's already out--and has been out.
What does getting excommunicated by the Catholic church do other than alienate his family? Does it mean something to God that the Catholic church no longer recognizes him as a member?
I would think the important point would be that Alex no longer recognizes himself as a member of the RCC.
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"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
My pastor's advice seemed to be that going through the excommunication process would be a waste of time... He thinks I should focus on studying, witnessing and work in the apostolic church.
What does getting excommunicated by the Catholic church do other than alienate his family? Does it mean something to God that the Catholic church no longer recognizes him as a member?
I would think the important point would be that Alex no longer recognizes himself as a member of the RCC.
Well, personally I just couldn't stand having my name listed on that role sheet knowing that to Rome I am still under their wings. I would want them to know that I stand against their system.
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We're making contacts with churches for our move to minister in Serbia. Check out our website www.jttn.org.
Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Well, personally I just couldn't stand having my name listed on that role sheet knowing that to Rome I am still under their wings. I would want them to know that I stand against their system.
Yeah, and he's being counted in their statistics! Eeeew!
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Well, personally I just couldn't stand having my name listed on that role sheet knowing that to Rome I am still under their wings. I would want them to know that I stand against their system.
Would you recommend I get excommunicated, but not flaunt it in front of my family to salt the wound?
Sept5SavedTeen I would go with what the Eldership of the congregation where you attend has advised you.
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People who are always looking for fault,can find it easily all they have to do,is look into their mirror.
There they can find plenty of fault.
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