I agree with what the Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault said ...
922416
I agree with what the Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault said on a retreat of hers I attended, "Assuming I still had my wits about me, if I could take one book with me into hospice, Old Age would be it."
1258065
I don't know that I agree with everything the author has to say, but he makes some excellent points. I think the hardest part is getting the clergy to acquiese to these ideas. I don't know any off hand who could actually pull this off. The ideas however are very pertinent and if the church could do this I think we would all benefit by more men in the pews.
2122772
I think that Mr. Gilbert was honorable in acknowledging his part in the tragedy that occurred in this situation.  He seems to have been honest and open about his role in this affair and has acknowledged the wrongness of it.  This is good for the soul and for the public to have a better insight and clarity of what has taken place.  May God help us all to acknowledge our wrongdoing!
2784131
My heartfelt gratitude to the Class of 57 School Sisters of St. Francis for telling their stories! Yours is but a part of the larger story of the contribution Catholic women religious have made to education, health care and social services throughout the history of the United States. Because of their selflessness, many citizens of all faith traditions have been able to move from the margins of American society to the mainstream. I am a benefactor of your largesse and will be eternally grateful!
978493
It was wonder I picked up this book, because I usually don't step foot into a bookstore.  Nonetheless, I bought this book and reading it really affirmed what I thought was wrong in the Church, or about groups that have strayed from the true Gospel.
My friend and I once was walking on campus duing Calapalooza and he was asking every fellowship "how to become a Christian."  I suppose it is true that what John MacArthur says is compeltely correct.  Most fellowships, I could hear, have really strayed from the complete urgency and importance of this message and have instead turned into a "feel-warm-and-fuzzy-all-over" type message as the author of this book describes.
I am glad that there are pastors who are keen enough to keep to the "Sola Scriptura" especially with sufficient knowledge of original languages to make sense and make true again to the world the True Gospel that needs be preached to every nation. :)
4880324
This was spoken about by my priest during his homily.  I'm passing it around among my Faith Sharing Group at church.
4101461
To begin with, I agree with Mary Eberstadt concerning secularization, so I was especially open to her arguments and read the book to try to understand more about secularization and what is causing it.  In addition, I found that many of the statements made by Eberstadt resonated with my experience of family life and the transmission of faith and with what I have seen in the larger culture.  Finally, as one who has been in and out of the classroom as a teacher over the years, I can see through the lives of many of my students confirmation for the arguments made by the author.

So I found the book helpful in refining my understand of secularization and that has been helpful to me as a person interested in the common good and in building social community.
3131876
I agree with the writer of this book.

It is a sound book, and one of the points that I think the author makes especially well is that God is a jealous God, (you will find that in Scripture) and it (to me) doesn't fit to have a mortal man trying to accurately portray His [God's] only begotten Son.

  One of the examples that the author uses is this: "Suppose my wife were to pick up my wallet and find a picture of model Cindy Crawford in the photo section, tucked in between the pictures of our children. With a hurt expression on her face, she asks me for an explanation. I reply that the beautiful model reminds me of her. Even if she recognizes that I am quite sincere, that does not completely erase her hurt feelings or the jealousy generated by the fact that someone-who was not she-was given a place in my "those-who-are-near-and-dear-to-me" photo collection. For the sake of our relationshiop, the truly loving thing to do would be to dump Cindy."  [page 80 of "Showtime for the Sheep"]  (The author cites Scripture

  Now, you have people visualizing the image that they saw in the movie, praying while reviewing in their minds clips of the beatings, floggings, etc.

 In addition to this, churches are using clips and images of the movie [The Passion] during worship time in Sunday church services.

  Now, I want to please my Lord, and I don't know how these things; the visualizing of a man other than Jesus as a "symbol" of Jesus, etc., can be pleasing to Him.

This is just one of the important "issues", if you will,  that the author raises in his book.

  He presents facts and asks questions.  He presents research, and reflects on his experiences as a former Roman Catholic in his book where the interest builds, rather than dissipates, as you read further into the book. (At least that's what I found.)

  I recommend this book highly.
2785141
I agree with Phil, especially in his conclusions concerning what the kingdom of God is and what it is not!
2465916
I would like to respond to some of those who rated this book as a one star.
First, the comment about pictures: Personally I like priests and bishops who can smile. When you have come to know God, even just a little bit, you know that God loves us. If for no other reason, this is why Bishop McCarthy smiles. He is doing God's work, and he knows that God loves him. By watching Bishop McCarthy's face during Mass, one can see the glory of God in His work through Bishop John.
Before I let this review get too long, I must comment on the "heretical" statement. If Bishop McCarthy teaches "heresy", what must you think of Pope Francis. Personally, I thank God for Pope Francis just as I thank Him for Bishop John.
Incidentally, I do not fear posting my name. I am Clarence N. (Larry) Hansen, a Permanent Deacon in the Diocese of Austin.
2376902
You may not agree with every one of Dr. Robert's conclusions, but it is very likely that you will appreciate his clear and logic - based presentation of a complex subject.  I especially enjoyed his explanation of heavenly rewards based on deeds in the body (yes, even though we are saved by grace through faith)!
2126721
I think Father Albert's book is very heartfelt and brings up an issue that many
priests face.  I also had to face this issue and I thank Father Albert for
his encourage in bringing this issue to the public. I fully suppoert him.
1238941
I own this book and used it to teach Sunday School.  My class found it very interesting and informative.  It does make one think about what we have been taught and how Church today is in need of Spirit (Holy Spirit) guidance.  I don't know how biased the interpretations are, but many of them make sense to me.  I don't think Catholics are being bashed as a whole.  Just some Roman pagan influence that is still in many different denominations is brought to light.  The seven churches are very diverse and I don't see one religion being put down.  Each church and each Christian must evaluate where we each fit in.  And we live in a fallen world, Satan is the ruler right now.  We battle the flesh (self) everyday.  I belong to a Methodist Church right now and it is far from perfect.  I have also been in a Christian, Baptist, Pentecostal, and have Catholic friends.  None of them is perfect, but we can learn from each other.  There is a Counterfeit Revival going on right now, and it is not the Catholic church.  I do know my grandmother was told that in order to get my grandfather out of Pergutory (Where is that in the Bible?) had to pay the Catholic church alot of money.  That is when she quit going to church.
God is bigger than any organization and He can reach down and touch any life.  He does ask us to humble ourselves and pray and turn from our wicked ways, then He promises to hear us and reach down and heal our land.
I don't see much humility or prayer.  He also tells us not to judge each other and I think the Left Behind series of books and movies will at least make people think about God and what the future holds.  If one person comes to Salvation it is worth it.  What are you doing to reach out?
4699675
This was just what I needed to hear.  And I will be using this book to teach Spiritual Formation to seminary students
970307
I was able to reach an agreement with the authors logical presentation of the facts which over shadow the  arguments.
746709
I I am very informed by the depth of Amos Smith's spiritual search and reckoning.  It has been and continues to be very good spiritual direction for me.  Within the healing that we seek with one another and our persuasions I find a persistent recurrence of our mutual enrichment.  That is the mutual equation and unity of the feminine and masculine within our human/ divine interrelationship with Holy Wisdom - Holy Spirit and one another.

In a nutshell, after my real life experience of meeting my other half (as gift of Holy Wisdom) and being "vested" with her feminine, I began to live my life newly begotten in soul / spirit otherness.  That being said, otherness demanded a sequence of 6 years of struggle and surrender to Holy One.  I was schooled in "L"ove by the Holy Spirit and I truly believeI discovered truth to Jesus statement to "Love one another as I have loved you".  I feel there is a paradigm experience of inclusiveness of women and men not only equals but recognized in full unity.  I find that I have become fully human with her and Holy Wisdom who dwells within her.  I believe we do not become fully human without fully accepting and engendering our opposite.

Our human / divine unity is the link, the missing piece, that mainline religion for the most part ignores.  Dualism of masculine and feminine is perpetuated by the Vatican and clericalism in the church I was raised within.  It is time that we step forward and fully acknowledge all human beings in unity with no one being held in second class status.  Jesus gave us the gift of being both human and divine and surprisingly during Catholic mass when preparing the bread and wine the priest or deacon pours a little water into the wine and recites these or similar words; "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in your divinity as you once came to share in our humanity".  For me this is an invocation to the Holy Spirit.  The Holy one who already dwells within each of our personal centers. All we have to do is to recognize and begin to celebrate that we already share in that divinity.

Our call today is not to become warriors against the system but to become contemplatives in action, to reform our Eucharistic Community to recognize what it truly means to be the Mystical Body of Christ. This is an all inclusive face of Jesus within which we may recognize fully the Person of Holy Wisdom. (see Ch 8 of Proverbs.)
4775176
my friend said this was a very good book and I agree.