God's presence is not just Light, and Life, but Love. And Love invites, but does not compel. Frederica Mathewes-Green More Quotes by Frederica Mathewes-Green More Quotes From Frederica Mathewes-Green No woman wants an abortion as she wants an ice cream cone or a Porsche. She wants an abortion as an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg. Frederica Mathewes-Green feminist ice animal Everyone wants to transform, but nobody wants to change. Frederica Mathewes-Green learning want people Like an animal caught in a trap, trying to gnaw off its own leg, a woman who seeks abortion is trying to escape a desperate situation by an act of violence and self-loss. Abortion is not a sign that women are free, but a sign that they are desperate. Frederica Mathewes-Green desperate-situations loss animal Jesus showed us how to be courageous and sacrificial while we die for our beliefs, not while we kill for them. Frederica Mathewes-Green courageous belief jesus Abortion is not a sign that women are free, but a sign that they are desperate. Frederica Mathewes-Green desperate abortion Jesus didn't come to save us just from the penalty of our sins; he came to save us from our sins - now, today, if we will only respond to the challenge and let him. Frederica Mathewes-Green challenges today jesus It is not a loss of inert, amorphous tissue, but of a growing being unique in history. Frederica Mathewes-Green abortion unique loss Somehow we just dont make the same boisterous fun of Holy Week that we do of Christmas. No one plans to have a holly, jolly Easter. Frederica Mathewes-Green hollies easter fun Disaster movies do us the psychological service of forcing a quick march through the worst that could happen. At the end we see that you win a few, you lose a few, some cars are up in trees, and only the most attractive of the young people have survived. Frederica Mathewes-Green car winning people Sex is still the leading cause of pregnancy. Frederica Mathewes-Green causes pregnancy sex Dusty, dark, cold, and hard, coal has no beauty of its own, but when it is consummated by fire it is beautiful and becomes what it was designed to be. Frederica Mathewes-Green fire dark beautiful Could a body broken and blood spilled two thousand years ago restore my own damaged life? Frederica Mathewes-Green two blood years God is not looking for repayment, but repentance. What heals a broken relationship is sincere love and contrition. Frederica Mathewes-Green broken god love relationship There are lots of things to like about being Eastern Orthodox - incense, liturgies, all the baklava you can eat - but you know what I like best? None of that stupid 'women's ministry' stuff. Frederica Mathewes-Green best you women stupid Easter tells us of something children can't understand, because it addresses things they don't yet have to know: the weariness of life, the pain, the profound loneliness and hovering fear of meaninglessness. Frederica Mathewes-Green loneliness fear life children People just don't realize how much peer pressure, the desire for peer acclamation, influences them. Frederica Mathewes-Green realize pressure desire people As a teenager and a student, I totally cast away the Christian faith. I just believed it was stupid, and only stupid people could believe it. I actually became an anti-Christian, and very antagonistic. Frederica Mathewes-Green stupid faith believe people The Church is the safe place to be. I can safely believe everything the Church teaches. It will not harm me, and in fact it will equip me to grow and grow and have a better and better ability to experience that direct presence. Frederica Mathewes-Green grow me experience believe I've been able to dig deeper into awareness of my own sinfulness, and take baby steps toward spiritual healing. I'm able to worship in an ancient communion full of awesome beauty, one that is now being blessed with quiet revival. Frederica Mathewes-Green blessed spiritual beauty baby My mother was an unbeliever - and still is. My father was a nominal Catholic. We would go in to church at the last minute before the gospel reading, take Communion, and walk right out again. Frederica Mathewes-Green walk reading mother father