Rachel Maddow, Catholicism, and the Question of Conversion
A friend of mine sent me a text a couple of days ago. It was a screenshot of news saying that far-left MSNBC political host Rachel Maddow returned to the Catholic Church.
Why Iran’s Crimes Get Ignored While America Gets Blamed Click to Read More
I am very familiar with Rachel because, like I have said, my whole life I have delved into politics. I probably listen to more of the left because I am a conservative. I am on the right, so I listen more to the left to see what the arguments are. Rachel Maddow has been a leader on the far left. She is very articulate and very bright. Even though I disagree with almost everything she says politically, she is very bright and very articulate. That is why she gets paid so much. She seems to me to be one of the most far-left hosts on MSNBC.
So I said to my friend, “Do you know if she repented or not?” The reason I asked that is because she is far left, and the Church has clearly condemned socialism and communism as incompatible with Catholicism. That is without a doubt. It is also condemned homosexual acts as very sinful, as a grave mortal sin.
I read why she converted, and she said Pope Francis and Pope Leo led her back into the Catholic Church that she had left. She was baptized Catholic and then left. I guess she became non-religious.
Pope Francis said without a doubt, when asked point blank, that homosexuality is a sin. He also said the Church cannot bless same-sex unions because God cannot bless sin. He also said there is no such thing as a gay marriage. You cannot change the definition of marriage. God created marriage between one man and one woman. Human beings cannot change that definition.
So that is what I was wondering. Did she repent of her far-left, socialist views? Did she repent of her homosexual lifestyle?
A very wise and smart Catholic man replied to me that sanctification and conversion are a process. I understand that. But the only argument I would have is that Milo Yiannopoulos admitted his homosexual lifestyle was sinful and that he was struggling with it. Just like an alcoholic may admit, “I know my alcoholism is a sin,” but still struggle with it, at least he admitted it.
Holy Land Pilgrims Stranded Amid Iran Israel War, Click to Read More From TerreneGlobe
So, does she assent to the teachings of the Church? That is what we are called to do. Yes, conversion and sanctification are a process that can only be done through the grace of God. But we have to assent.
A lot of people, and this is what I do not know because I have not heard her speak about it and I do not know her personally, may make an intellectual decision. Catholicism intellectually makes sense, and a lot of people will intellectually choose to be Catholic almost like they are choosing a worldview or philosophy.
If that is the case, you will fail every time because the Church is clear. We can do nothing apart from the grace of God. Jesus said, “You can do nothing apart from me.”
So the Church teaches that our initial conversion, our initial salvation, is by the grace of God alone. The Council of Trent said you would not even think about repenting. You would not even think about having faith. Even our faith comes from the grace of God.
But Paul talks throughout the Bible about how it is a race. It is a process. It is a fight to the end. You have to keep fighting. It is not a one-time thing. Like my friend said, it is a process.
Paul talks about being saved and hoping to be saved. By the grace of God, we are saved. But Ephesians 2:8–10 says we are saved by grace through faith in order to do the good works that God created for us.
Jesus said, in speaking about the sheep and the goats on the last day, that when He was sick, some did not come visit Him in the hospital. When He was in jail, they did not come visit Him in prison. When He was hungry, they did not feed Him. He said that to the goats. Then He says to the sheep, “When I was sick, you came and saw me. When I was hungry, you fed me.”
But according to the Church and according to Scripture, even those works are by the grace of God. We would not even have the desire or capability to do them apart from Christ, and neither would our faith. It is all by the grace of God. But you have to assent to the Church. You have to receive His grace in order to live out the Christian walk, fight the fight, walk the walk, and partake in this process of sanctification and conversion.
There was another person my niece sent me, Perez Hilton. I am not really familiar with him. I just read a little bit about what he said. Perez Hilton apparently is some kind of gossip columnist or blogger. He is also openly gay. He also was baptized Catholic, and then he said he became an atheist. But he said he had a 21-day hospital stay where he had an experience with Jesus Christ, and there is no doubt in his mind that Jesus is real. He said, “I no longer have to hope. I know.”
Many of us have had that conversion experience where we know. St. Paul tells Timothy that sometimes we need to rekindle the spirit by the laying on of hands.
So apparently Perez Hilton had that experience. I would encourage Rachel Maddow, if this was just an intellectual choice, to ask a priest or a spiritual Catholic in tune with the Holy Spirit to lay hands on her and pray for that stirring. When we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are given the Holy Spirit as a gift. We cannot earn it. It is a gift. But sometimes, by rejecting the Holy Spirit, by quenching the Holy Spirit, by mocking the Holy Spirit, it becomes dormant.
I always use this example Peter Kreeft’s analogy gives. It is like chocolate syrup in whole milk. If it sits there for a while, it goes to the bottom. But when you mix it up, it flavors the whole glass of milk. Sometimes the laying on of hands stirs up that Holy Spirit. It happens in confirmation, but a lot of people who go through confirmation are just doing it because their parents tell them to do it. Without faith, works are dead. James tells us that clearly in Scripture.
I would encourage that for every Christian, every Catholic, every Protestant, every Christian.
But if Rachel Maddow and Perez Hilton are serious about their faith in Christ, if they assent to the Church and His teachings, and they ask for the grace of God to live out what the Church teaches and what Christ told the Church to teach, then they will know the most important commandment.
When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, He said to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
And again, how do you receive God’s love? How do you love God? By His grace. You have to receive His love by His grace and give it.
Peter Thiel, Antichrist Lectures, and the Demon Protesters Shaking Up Silicon Valley Click to Read More From TerreneGlobe
A prime example was when Jesus was meeting with the Pharisees and the sinner. Most theologians said she was probably a prostitute. Some say it might have been Mary Magdalene, but she was definitely a sinner and probably a prostitute. She came in and started washing Jesus’ feet. The Pharisees thought in their minds, “If this man really is a prophet of God, He would know what kind of sinner this woman was and would not let her touch Him.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and He said, “Simon, let me ask you, if one man owed the bank 500 bucks and he was forgiven, and another man owed the bank 5 million bucks and he was forgiven, who do you think would be more thankful to the bank?”
He answered, “The guy who was forgiven 5 million bucks.”
Jesus said, “Yeah, you answered correctly.”
Then He said, “I came in here. You did not offer to clean my feet. She came in and cleaned my feet with her tears. To whom much is forgiven, loves much.”
I am not going to go over all my sins, but I can tell you this: I love Jesus very much. I adore Him. I love Jesus more than I thought I could love. He is the only one I love more than my wife and my children. He is the one I love more than any other person, because whoever is forgiven much loves much.
So I pray that these two Catholics who returned, I guess they are called reverts, returned to the Catholic faith, understand how much God loves them. And when He calls them to celibacy and calls them to leave sinful beliefs behind, that they go through the process joyfully and really get on fire for Jesus, because those who are forgiven much love much.
Another Catholic doctrine is that abortion is among the gravest of mortal sins. Pope Francis said abortion is the gravest of mortal sins, and when you hire an abortionist, it is like hiring a hitman. So they need to repent of that as well.
God bless and stay Catholic.