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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Jesus' death...	Chris	Sunday, August 8, 2004
Question: I'm pagan, yes, so don't believe in it, but have always wondered how exactly the death of Jesus is meant to have saved the whole of mankind forever. What were we supposed to be saved from, and how did he save us by dying? I don't see what that would achieve. Sorry for asking another question, but I also wondered why Christians say things such as "pray to God to reverse a curse, hex or spell on you", as I've also seen said on here, as curses, etc, are occult activities, so therefore Christians shouldn't believe that the curses and spells have any effect on them. Thanks for your time.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Chris: When God created human beings he created them in perfect bliss. Mankind remained in bliss and innocence until they failed the test. Love, if it is to be true love, must be freely given; it cannot be forced. God did not want robots or puppets but a people who freely choose to love, or not. Thus God had to give us the freedom to reject Him if He was to give us the freedom to love Him. Thus just as God tested the love of the Angels, he also tested Man's love. This is what the story of the Garden of Eden is about -- the testing of Man to see if they will choose the love of God or false love of themselves. Adam and Eve chose themselves over God and became disobedient. This is called the Fall of Man and Original Sin. When mankind fell from grace by disobedience in effect the human race was turned over to Satan because that disobedience severed the perfect relationship with God. God, of course, does not want to lose any of His children and thus He developed a Salvation Plan to give us the opportunity to be reconciled with Him. Justice, however, demands that sin be punished. The Salvation Plan of God offered a way for the penalty of sin, which is eternal death, to be taken on by a sacrificial lamb. Since the blood is the life-force, blood was the means to offer sacrifice for the sins of Man. Justice demands this. To rebel against God is a crime and a crime must be punished. But our loving Father in Heaven provided a means for His Son to take our place and take the punishment for us. The Old Testament sacrifices lead up to the ONE sacrifice of Christ who shed His blood to pay the penalty of our sins and thereby redeem Mankind and offer us the opportunity of eternal life. With the crime (sin) taken on by Christ and Christ paying the penalty of that crime, Mankind is redeemed from the bondage of the devil and of death giving him the possibility of reconciliation with God, a restoration of grace, and access to eternal life. This is why Christ died -- to pay the just penalty of the sin of Mankind. He rose again to defeat death and the devil to give us the opportunity of eternal life. You may not understand this, but I did the best I could to try to explain. As for the prohibition of curses, spells, etc. The reason God prohibits witchcraft, curses, spells, and the like is because these activities are an attempt to manipulate the world according to one's own desires instead of the desires of God. These activities seek to bypass God and take matters into one's own hands instead of offering our lives to God and giving all into God's hands. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains about this and about divination: Divination and magic 2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility. 2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone. 2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others -- even if this were for the sake of restoring their health -- are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity. I hope this helps to understand our position a little, even if you do not fully understand the details. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Jesus' death...

Chris

Sunday, August 8, 2004

Question:

I'm pagan, yes, so don't believe in it, but have always wondered how exactly the death of Jesus is meant to have saved the whole of mankind forever. What were we supposed to be saved from, and how did he save us by dying? I don't see what that would achieve.

Sorry for asking another question, but I also wondered why Christians say things such as "pray to God to reverse a curse, hex or spell on you", as I've also seen said on here, as curses, etc, are occult activities, so therefore Christians shouldn't believe that the curses and spells have any effect on them.

Thanks for your time.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Chris:

When God created human beings he created them in perfect bliss. Mankind remained in bliss and innocence until they failed the test.

Love, if it is to be true love, must be freely given; it cannot be forced. God did not want robots or puppets but a people who freely choose to love, or not. Thus God had to give us the freedom to reject Him if He was to give us the freedom to love Him.

Thus just as God tested the love of the Angels, he also tested Man's love. This is what the story of the Garden of Eden is about -- the testing of Man to see if they will choose the love of God or false love of themselves. Adam and Eve chose themselves over God and became disobedient. This is called the Fall of Man and Original Sin.

When mankind fell from grace by disobedience in effect the human race was turned over to Satan because that disobedience severed the perfect relationship with God.

God, of course, does not want to lose any of His children and thus He developed a Salvation Plan to give us the opportunity to be reconciled with Him. Justice, however, demands that sin be punished. The Salvation Plan of God offered a way for the penalty of sin, which is eternal death, to be taken on by a sacrificial lamb. Since the blood is the life-force, blood was the means to offer sacrifice for the sins of Man. Justice demands this. To rebel against God is a crime and a crime must be punished. But our loving Father in Heaven provided a means for His Son to take our place and take the punishment for us.

The Old Testament sacrifices lead up to the ONE sacrifice of Christ who shed His blood to pay the penalty of our sins and thereby redeem Mankind and offer us the opportunity of eternal life.

With the crime (sin) taken on by Christ and Christ paying the penalty of that crime, Mankind is redeemed from the bondage of the devil and of death giving him the possibility of reconciliation with God, a restoration of grace, and access to eternal life.

This is why Christ died -- to pay the just penalty of the sin of Mankind. He rose again to defeat death and the devil to give us the opportunity of eternal life.

You may not understand this, but I did the best I could to try to explain.

As for the prohibition of curses, spells, etc. The reason God prohibits witchcraft, curses, spells, and the like is because these activities are an attempt to manipulate the world according to one's own desires instead of the desires of God. These activities seek to bypass God and take matters into one's own hands instead of offering our lives to God and giving all into God's hands.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains about this and about divination:

Divination and magic

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others -- even if this were for the sake of restoring their health -- are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

I hope this helps to understand our position a little, even if you do not fully understand the details.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.