Date: Thu, 18 Feb 99 10:12:22 EST
From: "Brian J. Callahan" <Brian=J.=Callahan%MT%DFCI-AT-EYE.DFCI.HARVARD.EDU>
Subject: re:the bible


Wally writes:
>So, what was the point of my counter quotes?  That even when in a tough 
>spot, enduring with a Christ-like attitude is the way to go.  Perhaps 
>you are being given an opportunity.  Paul says that if you can gain your 
>freedom, great, go for it.  

As far as I can remember, you're supposed to "offer up" your suffering to 
God; it's then credited to your Grace account in Heaven, from which you can 
make a withdrawal if you find yourself in purgatory (in Hell?  
fuggedaboutit). This is straight from the minions of the Church (you don't 
really need to specify Catholic Church, as all the other "churches" are just 
heretics who will go to Hell), Sister Mary Holywater and her pals who plagued 
me as a youth.  To any complaint, however just, they would reply, "offer it 
up."  In this, they followed in a long line of authorities who've used 
superstition to placate and cow their subjects.   That is one of the dangers 
of religion, the other being the inherently difficult task of reconciling 
people with opposed beliefs which they refuse to submit to the test of 
reason.