Expert: Griff Ruby - 8/23/2007

Question
Dear Griff,

                I am confused by the new teaching about Limbo. What is this?

1) Does the new teaching mean that Limbo never existed or that it has been "closed" now?
2) In the "old" theology Limbo contained not only the souls of innocent infants aborted or dead without having been baptized but also the souls of people who led an exemplary life before the arrival of the Redeemer, or ( I believe) of good people who never had a chance of converting to Catholicism. I know some such people. So is this right that people whom are non catholic go to limbo?

Romans 3:23..."For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"
("ALL" includes you and me.)


Romans 6:23..."For the wages (payment) of sin is death."
("Death", separation from God for Eternity.)


II Corinthians 5:21... "For HE (God) has made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
(The perfection Righteousness we need to go to heaven is GIVEN to us by God because of what Jesus did.)


Ephesians 2:8, 9... "For by grace (God's mercy) are we saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, "NOT OF WORKS" lest any man should boast."
(You cannot earn your salvation by either doing something or NOT doing something.)


I John 5:13... "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that ye have ETERNAL life..." This is a time line that I have made or think is true:


1st.    Jesus died on the cross about 2000 years ago.


2nd.    Today, If you believe the fact that Jesus died on the cross for all of your sins,  then the moment you believe God promises to give you Eternal life.


3rd.    If you are given Eternal life Today, then you would have it tomorrow, next week, next year and at the time of your death.


4th.    If there were anything, again I stress 'ANYTHING' you could do to lose it.....it wouldn't be Eternal life. I have realized that that the value of a life is not dependent upon duration—it’s not how long it is—it’s dependent upon donation. It’s what you give. And those loved ones who have died; they have given a lot to us. They’ve reminded us of heaven. They’ve reminded us of love. They’ve made us anticipate the life to come. They’ve made a reunion in heaven something that we look forward to. Accept your grief. Weep. Be comforted in your weeping and know that some day all is going to be different. You will be reunited if you’re a believer in Jesus. And I am reunited I am a believer in Jesus Christ.Discourse in which he taught that God was once a man and that men could become gods. That seems pretty clear. So why do modern Mormons, and even some evangelicals, deny that this is a teaching of the LDS church? Griff doesnt Mormons sound like satan? What is true They say Roman Catholic Church parallels that of first century Judaism.Many people, even Christians, consult their horoscope every day. But is astrology merely a “harmless” practice?  Or is it?Astrologers claim that “the Bible is full of the philosophy of astrology.”If spiritistic power is the real force behind legitimate astrological disclosures, then the acceptance of astrology is opening the door for millions to be influenced by the spirit world.Channeling (permitting a spirit to possess a person for some knowledge or power) is a component in the spread of the New Age movement. And what is the one world religion that the antichrist is going to force to set up? Is it New age or Mormonism? Or combind them together?If the Bible is clear on anything, it is that no one knows the specific time of Christ’s return—in fact, Jesus Himself said, “It is not for you to know….” But, for some reason, a lot of Christians aren’t listening to Jesus! What effect has that had on the Gospel message and the reputation of Jesus in this world? What or who is the antichrist is it a spirit that possesses a person or is it a real demon in the flesh of man? I was told by the Queen of Heaven Mother of God Mary, that the Last Pope is the one that will have a sign of Redemption on his forehead and A powerful wind will rise in the North, carrying heavy fog and the densest dust, and it will fill their throats and eyes so that they will cease their butchery and be stricken with a great fear. The great monarch and the great Pope will precede Antichrist. The great Monarch will come to restore peace and the Pope will share in the victory with his faithful and he will win the battle of evil this pope is Petra the Roman! He will fight beside Jesus and conquer the antichrist! This great prophecy is not so far away there has been a lot of popes leading to the present one today!Christian communities and churches that are not part of the Roman Catholic order are either defective or not true and claim they are truth, with salvation being impossible outside of Catholicism - that's the latest controversial proclamation by Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope was reinforcing interpretations of the the Second Vatican Council, a set of meetings which modernised the Catholic church. Legitimate churches must have a lineage which goes back to Christ's apostles, the Vatican believes.The World Alliance of Reformed Churches, which represents 75 million Protestants across the globe, is unhappy with the statement. "It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity," it said. Did you know that all non catholic churches are not Jesus true church Griff? The Roman Catholic Church was split off from the "true church - EASTERN ORTHODOXY" by all means is this true? The use of this expression, which indicates the full identity of the Church of Christ with the Catholic Church, does not change the doctrine on the Church. Rather, it comes from and brings out more clearly the fact that there are "numerous elements of sanctification and of truth" which are found outside her structure, but which "as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ, impel towards Catholic Unity" So which is the true church Griff Roman Catholicism or Orthodoxy? Help! Also my other question is I dont know if you do dream interpretations but I had a dream were I was in a cathedral and I was with the pope and he was praying over me then I saw that I was a nun I couldnt tell what time of nun but I was being claimed from the Pope that I am a true christian in faith and that I am am called a Saint! Is this a dream about my vocation that I am suppose to become a sister? My mother was there and my grandparents too and saying how happy they were for me.  

Answer
It is obvious to me that you have been spending far too much time reading anything from varying ideas and ideologies to current events and prophetic speculation and so forth instead of taking the time to learn the basics of the Faith, what we believe and why, is what is needed first in order that you can then put all this other stuff into perspective.  Until then you are "blown about on every wind of doctrine," going all directions at once, and accomplishing nothing.
True love of Christ manifests itself with seeking real knowledge of Him from Him (in His Church).  You should start with a good detailed catechism.  Any of the following are easy to find and if read through carefully and prayerfully at least several times, will provide you with all you need to evaluate all these "winds of doctrines" ranging from recent burblings about limbo to Protestant propaganda about eternal life to Mormonism to astrology to East Orthodoxy and even to questions about which Church saves and why.
I recommend any of the following:

My Catholic Faith by Most Reverend Morrow
This is the Faith by Fr. Ripley
Catechism of the Council of Trent

The next thing to do is to take one of these catechisms and read it straight through slowly and carefully, from beginning to end.  Avoid in particular the temptation to jump to the chapters you think would be interesting, since the earlier chapters provide the basis for the later ones which build on them.  And even in what you might think of as basic there is bound to be much you did not expect or realize.  Much of the difficulties you have would be taken care of once you are grounded in all the basics of the Faith.  And then you will be in a position to see all this other stuff and see it for what it is, namely mostly nonsense.

If you would become a nun, one of the prime duties of a nun is to teach and spread the Faith, and this in turn depends upon knowing it in the first place, knowing why you believe in it, and loving what you have found therein to believe.  For that I recommend that at least two of the above catechisms be carefully and prayerfully read straight through at least several times each, and then, if you have found that you believe and agree with all that is within them, it might do to look into spending time as a "novitiate" in a convent, a sort of "temporary nun," and if things work out well for you there you can change "temporary" to "permanent" or if not then your term as a novitiate ends and you are free to get on with your life as something else.