| Fr Thomas Williams, LC, speaks about the challenge of trusting in God in difficult times. |
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January 22, 2010. When suffering hits where it hurts, we naturally want answers. But, says Fr Thomas Williams, sometimes we ask the wrong questions.
In a one-hour video (click here to view), Fr Thomas Williams talks about his new book Can God Be Trusted? More specifically, he expands on the difficulty of trusting God in tough times.
Fr Thomas discusses the natural human reaction to betrayal, and comments on how some respond to suffering by downsizing their hope in God and becoming “realistic”
Addressing this problem, he says that this loss of trust sometimes results from a case of misplaced expectations, as we hold God accountable for promises he never made. At the same time, he says, we may also fail to grasp the greatness of God has promised.
Part of the key to trust, then, is to understand God’s place in our lives a little better—and to ask the right questions.
For anyone who has ever struggled with trust, this is a must-view video that is realistic, insightful, and encouraging.
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Hmmm, now it's our fault because we think it is God's fault?
Yeah, let's take a look at Fr. Thomas....
UPDATE: Remember this quote in the video: Interviewer: "So you think all these men are lying?"
Fr. Thomas: "Yes, I do"
So he called them liars. This is a bit beyond issues of betrayal, high expectations, and trusting in God. This requires restitution of the good name of others. And it has not been done.
15 comments:
"Addressing this problem, he says that this loss of trust sometimes results from a case of misplaced expectations, as we hold God accountable for promises he never made. At the same time, he says, we may also fail to grasp the greatness of God has promised.
Part of the key to trust, then, is to understand God’s place in our lives a little better—and to ask the right questions."
What does this even mean?! Just a bunch of Legion malarkey thrown together.
I have no problem trusting God, but I sure as heck don't trust a word of of Fr. Thomas Williams' mouth. The idea makes me laugh out loud! Why should we trust a word he has to say about trust?! Just in case anybody has forgotten (not likely) why we shouldn't trust him, you can reminisce with this touching video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM1cF9wpWfQ
Fr. Thomas Williams writing on trust of any kind is a complete joke.
Now insert "Maciel" instead of "God", and this is probably what Fr. Thomas is REALLY trying to get across to his confused lc/rc following:
"Fr Thomas discusses the natural human reaction to betrayal, and comments on how some respond to suffering by downsizing their hope in Maciel and becoming “realistic”
Addressing this problem, he says that this loss of trust sometimes results from a case of misplaced expectations, as we hold Maciel accountable for promises he never made. At the same time, he says, we may also fail to grasp the greatness Maciel has promised.
Part of the key to trust, then, is to understand Maciel's place in our lives a little better—and to ask the right questions."
Maciel never promised us a rose-garden, you know. We need to focus on the right questions (not sure what those are, but I am quite sure they would not include "When did Maciel start his life of perversion? How could he have transmitted a charism if he was living a life of abuse and deceit during the time he was supposedly a conduit for this charism? Doesn't our church teach that religious orders need to stay true to the spirit of the founder? What does this mean if the founder was sodomizing children, womanizing, plagiarizing, embezzling, abusing drugs, and committing sins of calumny against his victims left and right?")
I would imagine the right questions would have to do with fruits and what Rode has said about the legion, and the importance that these people have been "chosen for all eternity", and don't you know the church approved everything years ago, already? And how can we keep furthering the movement, must keep recruiting and fundraising, what is the best way to do this in light of recent "disturbing revelations" about "behavior inappropriate for a catholic priest"? Where are those talking points when you need them, anyway?!
The "right" question that kept being asked was aren't you grateful for all you have been given? I had a pretty good experience and received many gifts and yes I am grateful but gratitude does not equal blind submission and not questioning the reality of this scandal.
I cannot comprehend how he can in good conscience publish this book and not provide restitution and correction to his statement confirming his belief that the victims of Maciel's sex abuse were liars.
When does it end for these victims? The have been re-victimized so many times by those under Maciel and the publishing of this book is just another pain for them.
This video is pathetic and a complete waste of time. The good news is that it puts on full display what poorly formed priests the LCs really are. There was a time when I was completely duped by them; then, I discovered the True Faith. After 18 years of reading books written before Vatican II and meeting Fr. Gruner, the Fatima priest, I was able to disentagle myself from LC/RC.
I can only hope that the Vatican does the right thing and completely disbands this sick order. Our Lady of Fatima, please pray for us!
Ah yes, gratitude! How could I have forgotten that "right question"?! The need to feel and express gratitude to the child molesting fraud.
It would be like the people in BTK's church expressing gratitude to him for the great good he did them while president/elder of their Church. In front of the family members of those he Bound, Tortured, and Killed during same time frame.
Touching, really. To see an order of priests continuing to talk about much they owe to the molester and his creation, right in public, in front of so many who were molested by Maciel and/or abused psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually by the lc/rc he created.
If I signed on the dotted line and fell hook, line, and sinker for such a fraudulent, abusive system, my gratitude upon finding out it was all a scam would be 1)to God, for allowing me to actually come out of it fairly unscathed, and 2)to the brave people who tried to warn myself and everybody else about it for decades. Any good I received during that time frame, I would fully recognize happened DESPITE this abusive system, not because of it.
I'm sure that anybody that was affected by anything BTK did as church elder/president was thanking their lucky stars they weren't more victimized by him, not expressing gratitude for all the great good he did while in a position of power in the Church. Relief would be the natural reaction---and gratitude to GOD for protecting them against this man's evil (obviously, not everyone was so lucky), NOT gratitude toward the evil man and whatever deceitful machinations he devised while in a power position.
The idea that Thomas Williams was and is a SD is the scariest thing I have ever heard. This situation is so pathetic and these men are making fools of themselves every day.
"Addressing this problem, he says that this loss of trust sometimes results from a case of misplaced expectations, as we hold God accountable for promises he never made."
Promises like: the LC is "an easy and fast road to holiness"?
God also never promised that the LC was a valid Catholic order, never promised that Maciel transmitted a valid Catholic Charism. So he's "misleading but legally accurate"
I recall about a year ago, I think on the American Papist blog, someone accused Fr TW of some sort of calumny, I believe. He came to the blog and commented in his own defence. I would love it if Fr TW were to chime in here to share his thoughts on this YouTube clip, with what he knows now about the founder.
Pathological dissociation, Tommy boy. ER
LOL, I'd love to see Fr. Thomas drop by and share his thoughts on his calumny of the victims, too.
He'd probably suggest we aren't asking the right questions.
And mention that Rode has told them to carry on with the charism.
And perhaps even point out that there's no way to know which accusations were true and which were false (his certainty of some of them being false being based on the fact some of the accusers couldn't remember the exact dates some 20 and 30 years later---I can't remember what date last Tuesday was, much less a date from decades ago). As there is no way to know, he certainly can't be expected to apologize, don't you know!
Besides, he didn't see it with his own eyes. Thus it didn't happen. And even if he had seen it with his own eyes, he would have been required to excuse it. Because that's what Nuestro Padre taught. And we all know just how Fr. TW and the rest of the LC's absolutely adored the Father Founder.
He also had a public chance to make things right on his interview with EWTN shortly after the scandal broke.
The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the news of Fr Maciel was how we all slandered and were taught to slander the victims. We were told that they were enemies of the church and were not telling the truth and Fr M was being so charitable by not going to trial and saying anything bad about them that could hurt their reputations. I heard that so many times because I kept asking questions....and I believed it all even picturing Fr M writing his next Envoy of his suffering from slander and punishment by the Pope and he was innocent. I felt so bad for Fr M that he could not say Mass and that he was so charitable to not say one bad thing about the supposed victims.
The LC has to set the record straight since they publically slandered the victims. I see Fr Thomas Williams as not only speaking for himself but speaking on behalf of the LC.
Tommy boy! I love it! Let's add Scotty boy to the growing list of pretty boy front-guys for the legion. What must their mother's think now? I'm guessing it goes something like this, "You know, Blanche, Tommy and Scotty don't sound any different from their high school days!" How pathetic! GET OVER YOURSELVES BOYS! FACE THE TRUTH! YOU ARE NOT TRUE TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND SOME DAY YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR MISLEADING GOOD CATHOLICS JUST SO YOU COULD KEEP YOUR LC POSITION!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just read what the Holy Father said to Irish bishops today. Let's hope the same is said to these pathetic nincompoops.
Fr Wm's said: "This loss of trust sometimes results from a case of misplaced expectations, as we hold God accountable for promises he never made. At the same time, he says, we may also fail to grasp the greatness of God has promised."
The problem isn't God, but the Legion who claimed to speak for God. We know we're not to trust men, but the men of the Legion said, "in following the methodology you can never go wrong," and "The pope loves us, so everything we do is kosher."
If anyone has trouble loving God (esp. ex LC/RC's) the problem is the Legion's claim to be God's Perfect Agents in a fallen world.
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