The Bible (3 Viewers)

[robbie1]

robbie1, do you care to respond to my central criticism of this thread?

The Bible is the Word of God for 2.1 billion people.

Christianity is the biggest religion in the world.

Many turn their back on Christianity because of what they think are "contradictions" in the Bible or other things that might disturb them.

Hence, by explaining passages in the Bible I feel I can help people realise that Christianity does indeed make sense, and if not help them turn to (or back to) God, then at least I can help them develop a little respect for Christians and their belifs.

 

[withoutaface]

Argumentum.
Ad.
Populum.

 

[Legham]

Many turn their back on Christianity because of what they think are "contradictions" in the Bible

Or because it sounds about as believeable as the Superman comics

Hence, by explaining passages in the Bible I feel I can help people realise that Christianity does indeed make sense, and if not help them turn to (or back to) God, then at least I can help them develop a little respect for Christians and their belifs.

Just by preaching (whether people get sucked in or not) you lose shitloads of respect from non-christians.. Not only respect to you, but respect to christianity as a whole.

 

[lengy]

Argumentum.
Ad.
Populum.

I was trying to prove that point with the Harry Potter example.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

The Bible is the Word of God for 2.1 billion people.

Christianity is the biggest religion in the world.

Irrelevant. Whether the Bible is believed by many or few doesn't explain how what you're doing here is worthwhile when I can do the same with any (at the very least similar) text.

Many turn their back on Christianity because of what they think are "contradictions" in the Bible or other things that might disturb them.

True. Just as you're turning your back on Zeus because of the problems with greek mythology.

Hence, by explaining passages in the Bible I feel I can help people realise that Christianity does indeed make sense, and if not help them turn to (or back to) God, then at least I can help them develop a little respect for Christians and their belifs.

Christianity makes sense is the sense that the iliad or greek mythologies make sense... I don't see why people would care that you can provide such justifications.

 

[S1M0]

Only Catholics consider the Pope to have any say in their beliefs. All other variants consider him as nothing.

Not true.

He's seen as the leader, and representative of the Christian religion. He is refereed to as The Pope. What he does has an effect on Christianity in general, saying we see him as nothing is not true.

 

[ari89]

Not true.

He's seen as the leader, and representative of the Christian religion. He is refereed to as The Pope. What he does has an effect on Christianity in general, saying we see him as nothing is not true.

The Pope is not seen as the leader and a representative of the Christian religion. He is seen as the leader and representative of Catholicism who are lost in years of man made apocrypha and church tradition. To the average protestant, Catholic tradition and Papal edicts are nothing more than the word of a man that has no parrallel to the Word of God.

May I ask, who are you refering to in 'we see him...'?

Edit: You're Coptic Orthodox...and you refer to the Catholic Pope as The Pope....then what do you refer to your pope as? The quasi-pope?

 

[Josie]

Not true.

He's seen as the leader, and representative of the Christian religion. He is refereed to as The Pope. What he does has an effect on Christianity in general, saying we see him as nothing is not true.

I can't believe how dense some people are.

The Pope is the representative of THE CATHOLIC RELIGION. For example, as I said before, Protestants do not accept any man can stand between them and God- it's a personal relationship, not an institutional one. Just because many people of religious faith *respect* the Pope, does not mean they see him as anything other than a representative of the Catholic faith.

People show ignorance like this and wonder why people don't listen to the rest of their rant about religion.

Also, he is The Pope, because the Catholics try to only have one at a time. He's not "one of many Popes".

Edit: Saying the Pope is a representative of Christianity annoys me as much as the people who say "Christian or Catholic"... Catholicism is a branch of Christianity, dumbarses. You know, having a Christ and all.

 

[robbie1]

The Catholic Church is the Church Christ formed, with St Peter as its 'rock' (Pope).

S1MO will disagree, but the Catholic Church is the one true Church. I'm not saying Jesus loves only Catholics....far from it. But it is the Church he establised through St Peter and the Apostles.

However, the closest one after us is the Orthodox Church, and we have a deep respect for our Orthodox brothers as Pope Benedict showed when he travelled to Turkey and met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

In regards to all the mockery and abuse I recieve as a Roman Catholic and follower of Christ (very often).....what I say to those people is that you are not hurting me, you are only hurting yourselves.

Jesus knew how his followers would be treated

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18)

"The world will make you suffer, but be brave, I have defeated the world." (John 16:33)

 

[lengy]

Harry: You're running away? After all that stuff you did in your books?
Gilderoy Lockhart: Books can be misleading...
Harry: You wrote them!
Gilderoy Lockhart: My dear boy, do use your common sense! My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think *I'd* done all those things!

I can quote too!

 

[ari89]

The Catholic Church is the Church Christ formed, with St Peter as its 'rock' (Pope).

S1MO will disagree, but the Catholic Church is the one true Church. I'm not saying Jesus loves only Catholics....far from it. But it is the Church he establised through St Peter and the Apostles.

However, the closest one after us is the Orthodox Church, and we have a deep respect for our Orthodox brothers as Pope Benedict showed when he travelled to Turkey and met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

In regards to all the mockery and abuse I recieve as a Roman Catholic and follower of Christ (very often).....what I say to those people is that you are not hurting me, you are only hurting yourselves.

Jesus knew how his followers would be treated

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18)

"The world will make you suffer, but be brave, I have defeated the world." (John 16:33)

No. Jesus formed The Church with St.Peter as its 'Rock'. Catholocism has no right to represent itself in that way and neither do you. Lets go through some history. The Church prior to 1054 was the church. After 1054 when the East and West got into a fight over 'and the Son' there was a schism seperating into Catholocism in the West and the Orthodoxy in the East. Where is your justification for that statement that the Catholic church is the one true church?

 

[S1M0]

No. Jesus formed The Church with St.Peter as its 'Rock'. Catholocism has no right to represent itself in that way and neither do you. Lets go through some history. The Church prior to 1054 was the church. After 1054 when the East and West got into a fight over 'and the Son' there was a schism seperating into Catholocism in the West and the Orthodoxy in the East. Where is your justification for that statement that the Catholic church is the one true church?

I see can see where this is going, and its not going good.

Catholics, Orthodox, all the same fundemental principles of belief. Spreadings divisions among Christians gets us nowhere.

And as a plus, deters from the Bible too.

 

[S1M0]

I can't believe how dense some people are.

The Pope is the representative of THE CATHOLIC RELIGION. For example, as I said before, Protestants do not accept any man can stand between them and God- it's a personal relationship, not an institutional one. Just because many people of religious faith *respect* the Pope, does not mean they see him as anything other than a representative of the Catholic faith.

People show ignorance like this and wonder why people don't listen to the rest of their rant about religion.

Also, he is The Pope, because the Catholics try to only have one at a time. He's not "one of many Popes".

Edit: Saying the Pope is a representative of Christianity annoys me as much as the people who say "Christian or Catholic"... Catholicism is a branch of Christianity, dumbarses. You know, having a Christ and all.

I was saying that people (i.e that is, the GENERAL public, not neccesarily christians) see him as THE POPE. When people think Pope, they refer to the Pople of the Catholic Church. As they represent the largest Christian church, as they have the most power of all the churches (with having the Vatican and all), it is only fair to think that in the eyes of the media, and the eyes of the general public, non-withstanding of religious belief, refer to him as The Pope, and the representative, if you will, of the Christian faith.

Of course its not true, but thats the general, semi-subconscious thought.

 

[ari89]

I see can see where this is going, and its not going good.

Catholics, Orthodox, all the same fundemental principles of belief. Spreadings divisions among Christians gets us nowhere.

And as a plus, deters from the Bible too.

You don't see where this is going. The division is there as emphasised through robbie1's comment. I'm just upfront to make the point that Catholocism (as with eastern and coptic orthodoxy) are too involved in tradition within the physical church to see that the body of Christ is made up by all believers transcending denomination. So I'm sure the tradition within those 'denominations' deters people from the bible much more than my comments.


S1M0 and robbie1 - what is your stance on Mary, non-biblical traditions and the priests power to forgive upon confession within your respected denominations. And, is that what you believe personally...and if you're feeling nice go ahead and throw in some biblical justifications for say - praying to Mary or confessing to the priest?

 

[robbie1]

S1M0 and robbie1 - what is your stance on Mary, non-biblical traditions and the priests power to forgive upon confession within your respected denominations. And, is that what you believe personally...and if you're feeling nice go ahead and throw in some biblical justifications for say - praying to Mary or confessing to the priest?

I will happily answer these questions.

First, answer me one question. Which denomination do you belong to? (if any)

 

[ari89]

I will happily answer these questions.

First, answer me one question. Which denomination do you belong to? (if any)

Lets put me together. My family is Greek Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox), I attended a Baptist school all my life, I attend a lower Anglican Church (boarderline protestant imo). I belong to no particular denomination because often you take on beliefs that aren't necessarily bible based. However, it doesn't mean I disagree with everything of every single denomination. It would be unfair for me to say that I am not thankful for being exposed to those different churches because they have shown me what Christianity is and thus shaped me.
And if you come to the question of why do I go to church if I am non-denominational - it is because we have been provided with fellow believers there to keep me on track and help me learn as I am not some perfect being with the power to understand all of the bible.

However, it must be said that I do disagree with the traditional practices that the Orthodox and Catholic church make their lay people believe to be part of Christ's doctrine.

 

[bazookajoe]

I pretty much have to disagree with mostly everything robbie and S1MO say regarding the Pope and the supposed lack of a difference between Christianity and Catholicism

 

[ari89]

I pretty much have to disagree with mostly everything robbie and S1MO say regarding the Pope and the supposed lack of a difference between Christianity and Catholicism

Catholocism is not equal to Christianity...Being a Christian is not about following the words of great Catholic theologists who one day decided to write some rules...its about following the teachings of Jesus as found in the bible.

I respect the Pope but who is to say he has more religious importance than me as a fellow Christian? We are both mere men with an internal lust for sin and are therefore no comparison to God. Nor do we have the power to merely sanctify people with out lips our forgive on God's behalf.

 

[Josie]

I was saying that people (i.e that is, the GENERAL public, not neccesarily christians) see him as THE POPE. When people think Pope, they refer to the Pople of the Catholic Church. As they represent the largest Christian church, as they have the most power of all the churches (with having the Vatican and all), it is only fair to think that in the eyes of the media, and the eyes of the general public, non-withstanding of religious belief, refer to him as The Pope, and the representative, if you will, of the Christian faith.

Of course its not true, but thats the general, semi-subconscious thought.

I would also disagree with you on this.

People in GENERAL see the Pope as the representative of CATHOLIC FAITH because people in general are not idiots (let's not bring up elections.)

He is THE Pope because, as far as most people know, he's the only one. He's not A pope, because there is only one of him.

I pretty much have to disagree with mostly everything robbie and S1MO say regarding the Pope and the supposed lack of a difference between Christianity and Catholicism

<-- bazookajoe

As long as you remember that Catholicism is a branch of Christianity, not a completely seperate entity.

Edit: I am not a Christian, most of my friends are not Christian, and none of them seem to think the Pope is mildly related to anything other than Catholicism. Please don't put your ignorance onto other people.

 

[bazookajoe]

That's what I meant, sorry if it's not clear in the post. I understand Catholicism is a seperate branch, I was stating that robbie and S1MO don't seem to understand that