"Faith is foolishness if it is grounded in falsehood"

Source: Building on a Solid Foundation: Examing Seven Topics of the Catholic Faith, by Rev. Father Antoine Bakh, Daniel J. Daou, Joseph Bakhos.

What follows comes out of Chapter One: The Holy Trinity.

"Faith is foolishness if it is grounded in falsehood.

"The cornerstone of our faith is that Christ is true God and true Man.

"If Jesus is not both God and Man, then we have been deluding ourselves for 2,000 years.

"Therefore, if we cannot come to a definitive conclusion on this, then there is no point in calling ourselves Christian.

"We will not be saved merely by saying I believe in Jesus.

"What we believe about Him matters.

"As Christians, all of us desire to have a personal relationship with the living Christ rather than some [American Catholic - style] virtual Christ who does not really exist at all."

Like maybe here these authors are thinking about the Jesus who's mom had to keep nagging Him about leaving His dirty socks on the floor, our fearless SMM deacons' "Homeboy Jesus?

Whose own mother had to struggle mightily to be saved? To be Baptized in the Holy Spirit, to be Baptized in Water, to Be Converted??

The One you have to get up at 0500 on a cold winter's morning to hear about?

Like some of the old gnostic so - called "Mystery Cults," specifically Mithras?

Because, just perhaps!

They, too, grooved off the early December morning business, reserved, of course!

For just a handful of the Gnostic elite!

"Saint Paul [unlike Brackettville's SMM community's pastor] was so insistent on this point that he laid a curse upon anyone who would preach a false gospel about Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let that one be accursed! (Gal 1:8 )."

Yessiree! Here's another good book to help explain the rapidly developing SMM fiasco.... and to learn, really learn, about the real deal Catholic Church.