Laurak

This is a great question. So may I give you my opinion. I do not have much confidence in it, as I may be wrong.

First of all, Jesus obeyed the rules. He was an observant Jew. Paul was the one who considered righteousness without the law, and this needs to be considered in a special way.

However, I learned in school, well over 50 years ago, that it is not stealing for a starving person to take food without permission. Often there are difficulties in deciding if a specific action is sinful. Only general principles can be given. No one can judge the sinfulness of another. In extreme conditions one can bend the rules, as Jesus showed when he told us that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the sabbath for man.

Michael

It is always good to hear from you.

I really do not know the answer to this question, that is what makes it interesting and stimulating.

Would consideration of the two love commandments help. Love God and love neighbor?

"One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied….You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:28 -31)"

Deuteronomy: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

I understand St. Paul's teaching to mean that it is "the Law" that condemns us. Was the man in question a Jew? A catholic perhaps? Did he break a law that was written in his heart? Did he act in oposition to his moral conscience? Did the means justify the end?

I would agree with Michael, much to deep for RCIA.

certainly love IS the rule. All other virtues flow from love and acting properly means that we act in a way that is well ordered and keeps all virtues in a proper hierarchy. That being said obedience is a very high virtue. Obedience to God first and then to those he has placed in authority over us. This obedience is in itself , or at least should be an act of love.
Jesus followed the rules. In fact scripture says he was 'Obediant unto death'

To answer the specific question asked I would say there is not nearly enough information given. For instance does the man know 'without a doubt' that the medicine would save his wifes life? Or does he merely suppose it is possible? Did he pray about it and discern his actions? Will other people who the medicine was intended for die if he takes it?
The point is it may be a greater sin for him not to act then for him to act, but this question has severely insufficient information as many such 'discussion' questions do. They are meant to see what types of assumptions people make and open discussion, but I have never liked them myself for numerous reasons.

odd. i was taught in school that it is a sin for a even starving man to take food.

Many men and women are seeking to fill thier need for validation by having sex while unmarried? by your principle they would not committing a sin.

A thief may be tring to overcome depressing by seeking the thrill of stealing does this also justify his actions?

sin is not just intentionaly doing evil. It would be the very unusual sin indeed that did not seek to do some good, the problem comes when the good is not properly ordered. This goes to the intention as much as to the act itself.

Noel:

Interesting signature quote. Based on our discussion over in "Democrats and Cathoolics" [sic] I'm curious whether it is in the spirit of your previous one, "IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS, IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS, IN OMNIBUS CARITAS", or whether the prior has been abandoned as "not useful" in light of the new.

Please accept my apologies for constantly taking so long to reply. It's not that I don't read your posts and don't enjoy the discussion...quite the contrary. Finding time to give thoughtful reply (I usually copy the discussion into Word and work from there) is becoming increasingly difficult.

In Christ and with much fraternal love,
Michael

This is a loaded question even Christ would not even use this.

The priest who gave us this exercise used the example of a man with a wife dying of cancer and a medicine was recently discovered that could save her life. However, their insurance wouldn't pay for it.

The man broke in the pharmacy and stole the life saving medicine for his wife. The commandment says "Thou Shalt Not Steal". The priest's point was to ask us if we thought it was ok to break the rules in this instance?

First of all if you're this desperate you missed the point of Eternal Life.
Second the priest is pinning to Earthly existence. God is the Administrator of Life and Death. When it's time to go, God sets the Rules of Death. Man chose "death" rather than life at the very beginning of time of which every man born thereafter has to deal with. We today did not choose this, we iherited this curse.

You have to read Gods Word to understand Gods Divine Laws and God is simple
and used the 10 commandments to harness mans sinfulness which man rebells time and again from.

The priest is using twisted examples. First he used hypothesis in saying there is medicince which cures cancer. Second cancer is a sickness of which no one can be cured of except God were to remove it.
Third the priest should be more cautious in what he uses as examples.
He needs to be more current rather than out there causing you to become flagelated with hypothesis. Pray for our priests that they become more
in tune with the true reality of life today.

Peace

Bhokuto,

Where did you get the following stated in your last post? ...

"Jesus then says My children keep yourselves from many regulations which do not work for you but against you. You need only two." (My quotation marks, not yours. I'm quoting from your post.)

It surely doesn't square with Mathew 22: 34-40, wherein Jesus said - and the Jewish scholar agreed - that the greatest Commandment of God is to love God first and foremost and the second, like it, is "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". Then Jesus says "The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Does that not lay a foundation under the 10 commandments, rather than eliminating some?

Doesn't Jesus say elsewhere that he did not come to dilute but to fulfill the law? (My words, not his).

How does your statement, above, square? Please, directly address this particular concern of mine. Thanks.

Peace,

Jakes

Bhokuto has strange ideas, which he is unwilling to change.

We are used to them. I try not to reply to his posts, as we are in such fundamental disagreement.

I would like this forum to be positive and help us to build up the Church and our mutual faith.

God bless,

NoelFitz.
___________________________________
“When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons” Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI.
____________________________________

For the rest,

The Testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy.

When you walk in the Light it is God Who Speaks.

Peace

Noel,

Here's your goofy reply as usual:

""Jakes

Bhokuto has strange ideas, which he is unwilling to change.

We are used to them. I try not to reply to his posts, as we are in such fundamental disagreement.

I would like this forum to be positive and help us to build up the Church and our mutual faith.

God bless,

NoelFitz.""

You who were willing to follow a Christadelphian, a Baptist, and all Spells
Protestant. You who deny St. Pauls teachings and really the Eternal Spirit from being of God, you need to spend time converting from your own ideas. Your ideas are not mostly of God, but as you claim "I'm finding out myself because I don't know either"

I say findout. Ask the Lord Himself, Talk to your Angel, Call on the Blessed Virgin. You limit yourself because of your ignorance.

A soul who desires to know God will be taught and will know God because God searches for such as these souls to be Taught By Him. Old Testament
and New Testament. For the Comforter, the Paraclete, which is the Holy Spirit Teaches and guides, Who is Also God. Three Persons not one. The Blessed Mother is Queen of the Celestial Court for those who can believe. God is a mystery, the mysteries of God have been given to the One Holy Apostolic Church built on martyrs blood the Catholic Church. If you think that because you have been given the mystery of the Eucharist that that's all there is to God, you are gravely mistaken. You still are too Earthly. Convert your wholeself.

Learn the language of Heaven where God speaks and Angels obey(listen and do as commanded out of love). Everything in Heaven is ground and rooted in Love. Where there is love there is no Labor. In Heaven, God does not labor because He rested on the Seventh day. Genesis 1. Angels do not labor they obey in love. Something our carnal minds cannot comprehend.
Carnal means, beast, animal, not spirit. Spiritual means Spirit.

Peace

They will know their God and I will walk in them. { Old Testament }

Peace

Bhokuto,

After your saying that God reduced his commandments to 2, I posed some specific issues to you and requested a direct response to them, substantially as follows:

***
Then Jesus says "The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Does that not lay a foundation under the 10 commandments, rather than eliminating some? Doesn't Jesus say elsewhere that he did not come to dilute but to fulfill the law? (My words, not his). How does your statement (about reducing his commandments to two) square?

Please, directly address this particular concern of mine. Thanks.
***

I ask again, Bhokuto, that you respectfully keep to the subject and respond to questions asked of you.

Peace,

Jakes,

Study the Book of Wisdom, in short bursts, but effecitve. Desire within your whole being to See Wisdom not just as words written but Active in your heart and Mind(Intelligence) Reasoning.

Here's a verse:

Wisdom Book 8:8

8 And if a man desire much knowledge: she knoweth things past, and judgeth of things to come: she knoweth the subtilties of speeches, and the solutions of arguments: she knoweth signs and wonders before they be done, and the events of times and ages.

Peace

The Prophet in the old testament namely Ezekiel, who was rejected and told he was a madman, even wrote I will not speak in Your Name what you have given me because I am ridiculed by those whom You sent me to. But he goes on to say in short: Your words burn within me I cannot hold it back, because You burn me to repeat Your words to those who think they know the way.

You in your own wisdom think "I say reduced," because of my choice of words thus you presume, Presumption is a sin along with despair, Satan works in darkness and behind the scenes not in the Light. He who comes to the Light speaks in the Light and nothing is hid. Wisdom knows.

A person who is seeking God leaves behind this pitiful miserable world because it is in darkness and he runs towards the Light which is God. He only cares about souls coming to that Light to be saved for all Eternity. That is the Gospel to come to God. Pray for souls to be released from their egoes which get in the way of the Life of God. Pray that the seven fold gifts of the spirit which cancel the seven capital sins comes to full bloom.

From Love comes everything, all the virtues, faith hope charity, temperance humility prudence. It is not prudent to speak here because
quites simply the majority here that remains here are still in the same state since a year ago. No change. In fact there are less people.

God is sinless, we are sinners. We are being purified, those who accepted Christ in full view and we stumble we fall but those who persevere will find joy for all Eternity in God.

Finally all for the Glory Of GOD.

God is free, he created all of us free.

Again your idea of church is still not quite right. So long have a wonderful forum life, because Life is in Christ not here.

Peace