YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH… OR CAN YOU ? CHURCH LAW (CANON LAW)

REALITY #1 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE LIVING, ACTING, PHYSICAL PRESENCE, OF JESUS CHRIST ON EARTH – HIS BODY

REALITY #2 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AS THE BODY OF CHRIST HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE LAWS THAT GUIDE YOUR MORAL LIFE AND YOUR CITIZENSHIP AS A MEMBER OF THAT CHURCH/BODY OF CHRIST

PROOF PLAN WAYS OF LEARNING: 1. MATHEMATICAL EQUATION 2. VOCABULARY 3. CONCRETE MODEL CONSTRUCTS 4. CONCRETE EXAMPLES 5. PHYSICAL MODELS

EQUATION TERMS: 1. GOD = 1 2. JESUS = 1 3. HOLY SPIRIT = 1 4. CHURCH = 1 GOD X JESUS X HOLY SPIRIT = CHURCH

VOCABULARY TERMS LAW LAWS PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL LAWS PROTECT THE COMMUNITY OBEDIENCE TO LAW LEADS TO FREEDOM DISOBEDIENCE LEADS TO LOSS OF FREEDOM TO RETAIN STATUS AS A FREE CITIZEN OF ALABAMA YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO FOLLOW THE LAWS SIN MAKING RIGHT DECISIONS LEADS TO COMMUNION WITH GOD MAKING WRONG DECISIONS LEADS TO SEPARATION FROM GOD SIN IS SIMPLY ACTION OR INACTION MOTIVATED BY THE WRONG DECISION SIN HAS A SUPERNATURAL EFFECT ON THE SOUL THAT BOTH WEAKENS IT AND PHYSICALLY CHANGES IT CANON LAW THE LIST OF RULES THE CHURCH USES HERE ON EARTH TO LEAD HER PEOPLE TO HEAVEN

FREEDOM FREEDOM IS SIMPLY HAVING THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHOICES. RIGHT CHOICES LEAD TO GREATER FREEDOM WHICH MEANS GREATER ABILITY TO MAKE FUTURE CHOICES WRONG CHOICES (BETTER KNOW AS SIN) LEADS TO SLAVERY SIN WEAKENS THE SOUL IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT BECOMES SUBSERVIENT TO THE WRONG ACTION. THAT IS WHY WE CALL IT SLAVERY!

WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH CHURCH LAW?

TRUTH #1 GOD MADE US IN HIS LIKENESS AND IMAGE

TRUTH #2 GOD LOVES US AND DESIRES OUR COMPANIONSHIP

TRUTH #3 GOD IS AUTHOR OF RIGHT AND WRONG. HE IS THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE OF THIS KNOWLEDGE!

TRUTH #4 JESUS IS GOD THERFORE JESUS IS ALSO THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE OF RIGHT AND WRONG. JESUS IS THE LIVING IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD

TRUTH #5 GOD TRANSLATED ALL THE RIGHT AND WRONGS FROM GOD LANGUAGE INTO HUMAN LANGUAGE USING TWO VERSIONS

ORIGINAL VERSION GOD COMMUNICATES RIGHT AND WRONG USING NATURAL LAW, PROPHETS, DECALOUGE AND COOL DISPLAYS OF POWER AND MIGHT. GOD COMMUNICATES RIGHT AND WRONG USING JESUS, APOSTLES, DEPOSIT OF FAITH, ORAL TRADITION, SACRED SCRIPTURE, HOLY SPIRIT AND US THIS VERSION IS COMMONLY CALLED THE CHURCH OR BODY OF CHRIST

TRUTH #6 THE CHURCH/BODY OF CHRIST IS THE LIVING ACTING PHYSICAL JESUS ON EARTH

MAKING THE POINT IT SEEMS REASONABLE THEN, THAT IF WE WERE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE ON MAKING THE RIGHT OR WRONG DECISION FOR A PARTICULAR SITUATION THEN WE WOULD LOOK TO THE CHURCH FOR GUIDANCE JUST AS WE LOOK TO JESUS – ESPECIALLY ON THINGS WHICH ARE NOT IN SCRIPTURE!

MAKING THE POINT ERGO: IT SEEMS EQUALLY REASONABLE THAT SINCE THE CHURCH (THE BODY WITH JESUS AS THE HEAD) IS THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE OF RIGHT AND WRONG THEN THEY SHOULD WANT TO HELP US AND PROVIDE US WITH GUIDANCE: RULES AND LAWS TO HELP US MAKE RIGHT AND WRONG DECISIONS IN ALL OF OUR LIFE SITUATIONS.

MAKING THE POINT IT FOLLOWS, QED, THAT IF THE CHURCH IS THE ACTING JESUS ON EARTH AND JESUS IS THE AUTHOR OF THE RULES FOR LIVING ON EARTH AND FOR PREPARING TO LIVE IN COMMUNITY WITH GOD IN HEAVEN THEN THEY HAVE BOTH THE AUTHORITY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSTRUCT, ADMINISTER AND ENFORCE LAWS THAT HELP US ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT 1. ARE YOU SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF THE CHURCH? 2. DO THE CHURCH LEADERS HAVE AUTHORITY OVER YOU? 3. HOW DO ABIDING TO THE LAWS LEAD TO FREEDOM? 4. IF YOU ARE FREE TO CHOOSE WHY DOES MAKING THE CHOICE TO SIN TAKE AWAY FREEDOM AND LEAD TO SLAVERY?

QUESTIONS TABLE TALK