The Revd Ian Paisley has died aged 88 after it seems like a millenium dominating politics in the North of Ireland. While we shouldn't judge too harshly I wouldn't be a fan, he was very hard on Catholics as you can see in these videos: [video] [video]
He was a Reformation Protestant, old style Bible & Hell preacher who saw the Church of Rome as the whore of Babylon. He came from Baptist stock and the north of Ireland where Calvinism was deeply embedded in the religion of fundamentalists protestants. The reformation is very much alive in parts of the north of Ireland today.
I will say a prayer for the repose of his Soul. Without being uncharitable, the attitude of most people seems to be "may he rest, if not in peace, at least in quiet". Im not sure if they are serious or not. Still he seemed to mellow as he got older. Once he gave a wonderful talk about how Saint Patrick was a Protestant as was the early Irish Church. His way of looking a things was quite strange to me. May God look kindly on him.
I wouldn't be too hard on him. I believe he mellowed in his later years. He was a God-fearing Bible believing Christian but he was caught up in the politics of his time and so, naturally, he was shaped by them. (Padraig will be able to elaborate more, with personal stories I am sure). He was, by all accounts, a fair and good constituency MP and treated everyone, including Catholics, fairly. I think his public persona was more bluster and posturing than real. I heard the news as I was coming out of work this evening and I pictured him coming face to face with God. He now knows all things with God. I prayed for him all the way home and asked God to be merciful to him and to look at the good he did. He did concede to the peace process and to power-sharing with Catholics when he could easily have said no and perpetuated the violence. (The BBCs coverage was typically ignorant as ever, however. They said there would not be Peace in N.I. without the historic Good Friday agreement, but my understanding is that the situation is still very toxic and that any peace is largely cosmetic.) We should just pray for Ian Paisley's soul. He now knows where he went wrong. God will take care of it. We should maybe also spare a prayer for Catholics in N.I who suffered because of his words.
I remember years and years ago, he used to hire out the King's Hall in Belfast for several weeks. There was at that time an apostate priest from Spain visiting Belfast and Paisley used to get him dressed up in priest;s robes and say mass consecrating the hosts to the laughs hoots and jeers of himself and his red neck followers, They then used to stamp on the hosts and desecrate them in a fashion I will not repeat. Other people have forgotten this, I have not. Perhaps the prayer of Jesus, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do', may be his salvation. However these proceedings always struck me as pure wickedness and still do. He never apoligised for this. Never. Praying for his soul.
Most reformed protestant churches hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith. IV. Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest or any other alone; as likewise, the denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ. http://www.freepres.org/WCF.htm Such is the legacy of the Reformation that protestants drifted away from the teachings of holy Roman Catholic Church and thus protestantism became a heresy. Paisley knows the truth now.
Rest in Peace. I know he has thyroid cancer which at one stage he nearly died from. I noticed after this he chilled out a lot. It only goes to show what miracles grace can work.
It's strange, a couple of days ago while I was doing the laundry, out of the blue a voice came into my mind and it was Ian Paisley angrily shouting the word "POPERY!" I have to admit at that moment I could not think whether Paisely was alive or dead, but I thought about him meeting God face to face and it made me go cold and shudder. Now I realize this was probably a prompt to pray for him but unfortunately I did not take the bait at the time. I will have to pray double for him now. God's mercy is unfathomable, we must remember that.
If my memory serves me correctly did Paisely make an outcry in the European parliament once stating that Pope JP2 was the AntiChrist. I do think he wised up a good bit in the last few years but was very very bitter and biggoted for many years. I just hope God does not say NO as mush as Ian did. I guess a wee prayer wont go astray on him. I guess this applies very much to Ian P. "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy."
Here it is, does this not epitomize all that is wrong with evangelical protestants calling Popes the AntiChrist often in other cases for large financial gain.
It would have been clear to Paisley and to all his followers that Pope John Paul was not the anti-Christ. He was using religion to entrench himself further in the Politics of the DUP. He was using every means at his disposal to affirm his own political power. God is merciful and let us pray that He looks at the good done by Paisley. I pray that those who were wounded by him will be healed.
I did not know that Padraig - so Dr. Paisley took part in Black Masses. The satanists must have liked him. I am sure he has repented now for doing that. God is good. I always think that about Protestants - they started off with Luther just wanting to change a little and finished up in the end down the rabbit hole working against God still having the best of intentions.
I don't suppose Ian Paisley and his followers would have regarded it as Satanic. But where could an idea for such goings on have come from but the devil? ..and what better way to describe these but as Black Masses? I never heard of Fundamentalist Protestants in any other prat of the world indulging is such things. Also there was about him, in public a constant rage, rant and violence which was a cause of grave concern. It seemed to me to be praeternatural.
Wow...pray that he repented in his heart....those were not just anti catholic acts...they were acts of utter hatred.
Exactly Beth B. Terrible acts that corrupted the minds of children and adults for generations. If it's possible, RIP. Even that sticks in my throat. Only God can see. I take no pleasure in his death but infinitely less in his life.
I often wonder how Protestants of any persuasion reconcile the words of Christ, when Our Lord speaks of His Body and Blood. In St John’s Gospel (John 6:25-70) when Jesus teaches in the synagogue at Capernaum a year before His passion and death and He clearly states that His body and blood is real food and real drink and when questioned, Jesus insists this is exactly what He means saying ‘those who eat my body and drink my blood will have eternal life in them', many followers hearing this, turned and walked away. Jesus didn’t’ call them back and say ‘Oh you misunderstood me, I really meant something else’ and then a year later Jesus institutes the Blessed Sacrament at the last supper, saying 'This is my body and this is my blood', all clearly stated in the Gospels. So now put two and two together. How do Protestants reconcile these facts when they read the words of scripture? Which supposedly they hold as the sole truth and teacher of their faith? I'm sure the followers of Jesus that walked away from Him at Capernaum a year before His passion and death, would of had an ahhh ahhh moment, if they were there at the last supper! And Protestants have had the added advantage of 2000 years hindsight! Go figure. I really am baffled by this and as for Mr Paisley in those earlier videos of him, he sounds like Hitler, all he needs do is learn German, he’s got the scream and hate down pat.!
I'm Sorry. Watching Mr Paisley and hearing what He did to my Eucharistic Lord has made my blood boil. I will pray for him and all those who have been influenced by him. Lord have Mercy. Christ have Mercy. Lord have Mercy. Divine Mercy I trust in Thee
I heard a story one time about a gentleman who had been a psychiatrist in Serbia just before thewar out there.. He went into politics and inherited a senior position in the Government . He used his postion and knowledge of psychology to turn the Serbians minds and hearts to hatred, hatred of Catholics in Croatia and Bosnia Hercegovina and against Muslims. Orthodox priests and lay folk reported years after reported terrible death side scenes with this man, he spent days screaming saying that there were demons round his bed ready to drag him away to hell. He died in utter horror, he even could be heard screaming from surrounding houses. I have heard similiar cases of bad deaths. Actions have consequences.
Having never heard of him, he sounds so much more hateful than any Protestant preacher in the USA....but we have had a few anti Catholics here as well...just not quite as bad. Wow, how do they square this vile rhetoric with Christianity? Brotherly love...not so much....
