Dear RefBap,<br><br>If you liked the "especially in the morning" twist, I think you will appreciate the following pair of Questions. I excised them from the former post as not directly pertinent, but they are worth reading to see the dismal effects of synergistic soteriology:<br><br>[color:purple]<br>Q. 463. What do you mean by virtue and vice? <br>A. Virtue is the habit of doing good, and vice is the habit of doing evil. An act, good or bad, does not form a habit; and hence, a virtue or a vice is the result of repeated acts of the same kind.<br><br>Q. 464. Does habit excuse us from the sins committed through it? <br>A. Habit does not excuse us from the sins committed through it, but rather makes us more guilty by showing how often we must have committed the sin to acquire the habit. If, however, we are seriously trying to overcome a bad habit, and through [color:green]forgetfulness</font color=green> yield to it, the habit may sometimes [color:red]excuse us from the sin</font color=red>.<br></font color=purple><br><br>Look at how good and evil are seen purely in terms of behavior and performance, never a matter of the heart. How does that compare with both "All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean'" and "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they worship me in vain; their teachings are only rules taught by men."<br><br>So the thief on the cross may not have had the virtue of Faith, since he apparently didn't make a habit of asking?<br><br>Or if I have merely murdered my father, but not my mother, I am not in the grip of a Vice, since I haven't made it a habit yet?<br><br>I wish I had time to comment more on these, but they say plenty for those with ears to hear.<br><br>(If Pilgrim is reading this, take note: you may be able to cash in on your [color:green] "senior moments"</font color=green> one of these days! If you live long enough to forget everything, all those nasty vices may be overlooked!)

In Christ,
Paul S