Update on the Juda Myers fiasco on Facebook

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!
Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ." (Galatians 1: 8-10).

Over at Human Life International's Facebook page, a Catholic named Cynthia Labutka, who is apparently a good friend or at least an acquaintance of Juda Myers, wrote the following comment:

"We belong to Mother Church, Paul. We must always be welcoming and forgiving concerning positions others might hold about us due to a lack of knowledge of our positions and expect differences, answering them in truth and charity. As a convert, I can assure you that there will be no such denominational differences among the Elect in Heaven. Did you show charity to my sister Juda?

My response:

"Forgiving yes. But we must also defend the Mystical Body of Christ if we really love the Church. Which is exactly what the Catholic League does every day.

Charity? Charity is a supernatural virtue which induces us to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. See 1822 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

As Fr. Felix Salvany, a noted Catholic priest and philosopher has explained, "Charity is primarily the love of God, secondarily the love of our neighbor for God's sake. To sacrifice the first is to abandon the latter. Therefore to offend our neighbor for the love of God is a true act of charity. Not to offend our neighbor for the love of God is a sin.

Modern Liberalism reverses this order. It imposes a false notion of charity; our neighbor first, and, if at all, God afterwards. By its reiterated and trite accusations of intolerance, it has succeeded in disconcerting even some staunch Catholics. But our rule is too plain and to concrete to admit of misconception. It is: Sovereign Catholic inflexibility is sovereign Catholic charity. This charity is practiced in relation to our neighbor when in his own interest, he is crossed, humiliated and chastised. it is practiced in relation to a third party, when he is defended from the unjust aggression of another, as when he is protected from the contagion of error by unmasking its authors and abettors and showing them in their true light as iniquitous and pervert, by holding them up to the contempt, horror and execration of all. It is practiced in relation to God when, for His glory and in His service, it becomes necessary to silence all human considerations, to trample under foot all human respect, to sacrifice all human interests, and even life itself to attain this highest of all ends. All this is Catholic inflexibility and inflexible Catholicity in the practice of that pure love which constitutes sovereign charity. The saints are the types of this unswerving and sovereign fidelity to God, the heroes of charity and religion. Because in our times there are so few true inflexibles in the love of God, so also are there few uncompromisers in the order of charity. Liberal charity is condescending, affectionate, even tender in appearance, but at bottom it is an essential contempt for the true good of men, of the supreme interests of truth and of God. It is human self love usurping the throne of the Most High and demanding that worship which belongs to God alone."

Now my question to you: Did Juda practice charity toward God by attacking His Mystical Body? Read and meditate on Acts 9:4. Jesus asked Saul (who was persecuting the Church), "Why are you persecuting Me?"

Did Juda Practice charity toward me by attacking the Church I love without provocation? Was she welcoming?

But most importantly: Why are you so concerned with the feelings of men and so little concerned over attacks against Our Lord's Mystical Body? Are you suggesting that the good folks at the Catholic League, who defend the Church against such attacks every day, are also wrong?

Welcoming? Yes. Understanding theological differences of opinion? Yes. Tolerating attacks against the Mystical Body of Christ? Never.

You should be more concerned over the fact that Juda accused the Catholic Church of killing and greed. That you are not speaks volumes about you."

And then the following exchange took place:


Cynthia Labutka: I am critical of the MANNER in which you are defending the Church. You are looking for a fight. That is not Christian."

Myself: My manner has been appropriate Cynthia. It would seem that, based upon your friendship for Juda, you care nothing for the demands of truth.

Cynthia Labutka: Many of the radical Catholic apologist types are just too hostile. It is a turn off for many and does not advance our cause - which hopefully is the same cause for Life and Christ. Keep your eyes on the prize not on the fight.

Myself: I'm not radical Cynthia. Like the good folks at the Catholic League I love my Church. You should agree that Juda's accusing the Catholic Church of killing and greed is "radical" and "hostile." What a shame that you care more for her than Christ's Mystical Body which is the Church. Goodbye."

This is what passes for "Catholicism" for some. The Church, the Mystical Body of Christ on earth, is simply "another denomination." And anyone who defends the Church, even if they do so in a calm manner, is guilty of being "radical" and "hostile."

God preserve us from such nonsense.

Juda Myers: Living in the Truth?

After previously threatening me with a lawsuit because of my accurate Blog posts detailing her hateful comments about the Catholic Church, Juda Myers wrote me a new message on Facebook stating that, "..after direction from the Lord based on the bible, I am not going to pursue legal actions."

Translation: I spoke with an attorney who told me I have no case.

The legal definition of libel:

libel

1) n. "To publish in print (including pictures), writing or broadcast through radio, television or film, an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation, by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of others. Libel is the written or broadcast form of defamation, distinguished from slander, which is oral defamation. It is a tort (civil wrong) making the person or entity (like a newspaper, magazine or political organization) open to a lawsuit for damages by the person who can prove the statement about him/her was a lie."

The statement has to be a lie. The problem for Ms. Myers is that I have copies of our exchanges.

Now Ms. Myers is attempting to demonize me on Facebook. She has accused me of being "angry" and is asserting that I need "someone to attack." The hypocrisy is so thick it's almost unbelievable. This from the woman who wrote, "I am sorry that you have been deceived to think that the CATHOLIC church killing, stealing, overpowering, ostentatious, and filled with the greed for supremacy has any resemblance of Jesus our humble Savior who DIED for His followers. He NEVER sat on a throne on earth and NEVER even suggested for anyone to sit on a throne and be kissed and bowed to...There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end leads to destruction. Their mouths honor me but their hearts are far from me (Jesus' words) Many will say in that day, 'Lord Lord didn't I do this in your name.' and He will say 'Depart from me. I never knew you!' You'd better be absolutely sure the god you serve will save you. Pope of any kind will answer to God almighty. I will go straight to the throne for my headship..." Yes, clearly I'm the one with the anger management problem who's looking for a fight.

This is most unfortunate. For, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, "The Old Testament attests that God is the source of all truth. His Word is truth. His 'faithfulness endures to all generations.' Since God is 'true,' the members of his people are called to live in the truth." (CCC, 2465). And again, "Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy." (CCC, 2468).

This obligation is very serious. In 1 John 1:6, we are told that, "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth."

I call upon Juda Myers to apologize for her hateful characterization of the Catholic Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. To accuse the Church of evil is to accuse Christ of evil. To attack the Church is to attack Christ Jesus Himself. When the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul, who had been persecuting the Church, He asked him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 9:4).

More commentary on the Catholic Church from Juda Myers...

In my previous post on Juda Myers, a pro-life activist who has appeared on EWTN and who has been affiliated with various pro-life groups, some of them Catholic, I highlighted some of Ms. Myers anti-Catholic sentiments. What follows is more commentary from Ms. Myers. This particular response came after I told Ms. Myers of my devotion to the Holy Rosary:

"My only concern is that the rosary hails Mary more than Jesus. Jesus didn't acknowledge her when she and his brothers came where He was. Matthew 12: 46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." 48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." I know that Mary was a very special woman indeed to have carried our Savior but she too needed Him to save her.

Jesus said [in] Matthew 6:7 But when you pray, use not vain repetitions There is so much spoken in the Catholic bible that goes unused and rejected. Even the part where Jesus tells us to call no man "father, teacher or rabbi" as we have only one father in heaven who teaches us. He warned against calling people that as an elevation or position. Matthew 23 Then there's the case for not getting married: 1Timothy 4:1 Now the Holy Spirit clearly says that in the later times some people will stop believing the faith. They will follow spirits that lie and teachings of demons. 2 Such teachings come from the false words of liars whose consciences are destroyed as if by a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and tell them not to eat certain foods which God created to be eaten with thanks by people who believe and know the truth.

The Catholic church starting forbidding priests to marry because the first born was to inherit the wealth of the church and also carry on the priesthood. When many refused but took the wealth, the church instigated marriage to be forbidden. Also the not eating of meat on Friday is not a biblical command.

The Catholic church has piled so many man made laws onto the body of Christ..."

I responded to Ms. Myers fundamentalist interpretation of the Scriptures by referring her to an excellent work by Paul Whitcomb entitled "The Catholic Church has the answer." A booklet which may be found online here.

I asked Ms. Myers repeatedly to refrain from writing me on Facebook. But still she contacted me with several more messages.

Pray for Juda Myers. Anti-Catholicism has been called the deepest bias in the history of the American people (Schlesinger). It is clear that even in some pro-life circles, it is alive and well.

Juda Myers: A Hatred for the Catholic Church

Rev. James J. LeBar, an authority on cults, sects and the New Age Movement, describes fundamentalism for us: "Fundamentalism is not a religion of itself. It is a philosophy of a religious way of life that has been assumed by preachers of many denominations...Fundamentalists have developed the notion that they, and they alone, have the only way to eternal salvation.." (Cults, Sects, and the New Age, pp. 51, 54).

Many if not most fundamentalists engage in anti-Catholicism on some level. For example, the fundamentalist group "Mission to Catholics International" has stated that its purpose is "to expose the deceptive teaching and practice of Roman Catholicism in the light of Scripture, to discourage conversions to Roman Catholicism, and to bring Catholics into Biblical Christianity." One of their brochures entitled "The Church of Rome in Perspective," begins with these words, "Pope Paul VI, archpriest of Satan, a deceiver, and an antichrist, has, like Judas, gone to his own place." On July 29, 1984, fundamentalist Jimmy Swaggart suggested that Mother Teresa would go to hell if she were not born again.

A couple of days ago Juda Myers, a pro-life activist whose website may be found here, and who has been promoted by New Hampshire Right To Life while contributing comments to Human Life International's Facebook page, wrote the following to me within a Facebook message:

"Time is running out. We as humans only have a short period to seek and know God here on earth. (Again Catholics talk about a false pergatory (the word is actually Purgatory) - the bible says 1. there death and the judgement 2. to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord) I do not hate you for believing differently as you seem to have issues with those that disagree with you....Jesus said you will know those who love Him by their love for others. That's a great place to start. He loved us all the way to the cross and we owe it to Him to love others. He even commanded we love our enemies. Not too much of that going on in any of the churches."

I did not solicit this comment and had no desire to engage in an exchange with Ms. Myers. She initiated the discussion thread. In a previous comment, Ms. Myers demonstrated her version of "Christian love" by writing, "I am sorry that you have been deceived to think that the CATHOLIC church killing, stealing, overpowering, ostentatious, and filled with the greed for supremacy has any resemblance of Jesus our humble Savior who DIED for His followers. He NEVER sat on a throne on earth and NEVER even suggested for anyone to sit on a throne and be kissed and bowed to...There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end leads to destruction. Their mouths honor me but their hearts are far from me (Jesus' words) Many will say in that day, 'Lord Lord didn't I do this in your name.' and He will say 'Depart from me. I never knew you!' You'd better be absolutely sure the god you serve will save you. Pope of any kind will answer to God almighty. I will go straight to the throne for my headship..." Feel the love. Ms. Myers is actually implying that Catholics are damned and that we serve a false "god." This is why she writes, "You'd better be absolutely sure the god you serve will save you." For Ms. Myers, Catholics are following "deceiving spirits."

Ms. Myers actually wrote me several comments. The last assured me that my "hatred" would destroy me. This after referring to the Church founded by Jesus Christ, His Mystical Body on earth, as an institution which "kills, steals and overpowers" and which is filled with greed and ostentation. Yes, it's obvious that love plays an important role in Ms. Myers brand of Christianity. This charitable soul assured me that even my Rosary devotion is suspect since "the rosary hails Mary more than Jesus."

I suggest that sincere Catholics have nothing to do with Juda Myers.