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Good to hear / read Some get cocky and think they have a ticket to heaven, then lead a life of crap and annoyance. But our time now is extremely important (too).
The biggest trick of the exploiters of the poor is to promise them rewards in heaven. Excerpts of the lyrics of the Jimmy Cliff song Harder They Come (link):
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Cliff
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Well they tell me of a pie up in the sky
Waiting for me when I die
But between the day you're born and when you die
They never seem to hear even your cry
So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now of what's mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they'll fall, one and all
Ooh the harder they come
The harder they'll fall, one and all
Or The Preacher and the Slave, written by the legendary Joe Hill in 1911 (link):
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Hill, Wobblies' Song Writer
You will eat, bye and bye
In that glorious land above the sky
Work and Pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die
And the starvation army they play
And they sing and they clap and they pray
Till they get all your coin on the drum
Then they tell you when you are on the bum
I think if someone committed suicide, they have suffered enough and they won't be "punished" in any afterlife, if there even is an afterlife, why can't people just accept the fact that consciousness does not survive the death of the brain?
The biggest trick of the exploiters of the poor is to promise them rewards in heaven. Excerpts of the lyrics of the Jimmy Cliff song Harder They Come (link):
Or The Preacher and the Slave, written by the legendary Joe Hill in 1911 (link):
That is why I say people, not souls.
It is easy to make a case (evidence -based) that this is the control -tactic and I'm sure that many think that is actually true. Including me.
Parents say priest told mourners that son may be kept out of heaven over suicide: report
A priest laid it right between the eyes at a funeral, to the mourners as well as to the parents; the 18 year old youth, a Straight A student, who committed suicide was not going to go to heaven. I am uncertain whether the priest had any control over the matter, but apparently, it does not matter how the person lived their life or what drove them to the point of desperation.
Most of the leaders in my particular religion, thankfully, believe that the right question to ask is not whether the person is going to heaven or down below, but what kind of life they lived, and who they've helped, in the living world. But to me, this is no way to comfort mourners. It is a public shaming, and why?
Moderator cut: Edited to add corrected link. https://www.foxnews.com/us/parents-w...uneral-removed
..." Can God forgive and heal this?
Yes, God CAN forgive even the taking of one's own life. In fact, God awaits us with
his mercy, with ever open arms. Sacred Scripture says clearly: God proves his love
for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God's
abiding mercy is what sets us to ask for it. Although God doesn't dangle his mercy
like a carrot, waiting for us to ask for it in order to receive it, we do have to believe
in our hearts, express with our words, and show in our actions – that it is always
there. God wants nothing but our salvation but he will never force himself on us, he
will not save us without us. That's how much he loves us. Because of the all embracing sacrifice of Christ on the cross God can have mercy on any sin.
Yes, because of his mercy, God can forgive suicide and heal what has been broken." ...
and "And so, we take great comfort and consolation in all this. Nothing-not even suicide-can separate us from the unconditional love of God."
I can't even begin to see how that can be construed as the priest saying 'he'll be kept out of heaven over suicide'...
From reading other news articles, I think the real rub lies here: it looks like parents were trying to keep it a secret that he committed suicide.
..." Can God forgive and heal this?
Yes, God CAN forgive even the taking of one's own life. In fact, God awaits us with
his mercy, with ever open arms. Sacred Scripture says clearly: God proves his love
for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God's
abiding mercy is what sets us to ask for it. Although God doesn't dangle his mercy
like a carrot, waiting for us to ask for it in order to receive it, we do have to believe
in our hearts, express with our words, and show in our actions – that it is always
there. God wants nothing but our salvation but he will never force himself on us, he
will not save us without us. That's how much he loves us. Because of the all embracing sacrifice of Christ on the cross God can have mercy on any sin.
Yes, because of his mercy, God can forgive suicide and heal what has been broken." ...
and "And so, we take great comfort and consolation in all this. Nothing-not even suicide-can separate us from the unconditional love of God."
I can't even begin to see how that can be construed as the priest saying 'he'll be kept out of heaven over suicide'...
From reading other news articles, I think the real rub lies here: it looks like parents were trying to keep it a secret that he committed suicide.
This is just further evidence that news reports cannot be relied upon to be unbiased. Regrettably, we can only respond to whatever is reported.
This is just further evidence that news reports cannot be relied upon to be unbiased. Regrettably, we can only respond to whatever is reported.
Yes - reading more, it sounds like the teen was a straight-A student, and on the football team, but suffered from some mental issues. While the Catholic church does hold that suicide is a grave matter, it acknowledges that we can never know extenuating circumstances (like mental issues/bullying/drug addiction, etc) and in any youth (under 26 where mind/conscious is still being formed) and as such stresses on hope of salvation for the individual - which was the focus of Fr. Lacuestra's homily, as it should be, for the congregation.
While my heart goes out for them, it looks more like this family was in shock of the suicide (expected), and wanted to keep it all to themselves hush hush ; which is weird and antithetical to the community of support and sharing within a Catholic parish where the priest acts as much as a counselor as a spiritual leader - seems they had some disconnect here from the beginning in holding the cause of death from from the priest which he likely would have likely encountered in normal course of business in dealing with funeral home director/mortician, etc. Maybe they themselves 'believed' the long old/misunderstood hard-line stance of 'suicide is unforgivable' themselves, which any priests homily will seek to dispel focusing rather on hope and continued prayer, for one another.
Further digging found this family filed a lawsuit against the priest/church/diocese: I wonder if they were even parishioners, or ever even attended? Some serious disconnect here.
Nonetheless, my heart breaks for them, and their loss, and anybody who's been thru this/youth suicide.
From reading other news articles, I think the real rub lies here: it looks like parents were trying to keep it a secret that he committed suicide.
That kind of thing should be confidential if the parents wish it so. Some parents might was to come out on that to show society the issue. Bottom line, survivors' choice, not the priest's.
That kind of thing should be confidential if the parents wish it so. Some parents might was to come out on that to show society the issue. Bottom line, survivors' choice, not the priest's.
That was my point- they could have easily have had that discussion with the priest - looks like they didn't.
They withheld from him that cause of death was suicide; how can priest keep something confidential that was never told to him - and never asked to keep confidential?
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Some get cocky and think they have a ticket to heaven, then lead a life of crap and annoyance. But our time now is extremely important (too).
Priest at Funeral: 18 Year Old may be kept out of heaven over suicide
