Posted on 08/14/2006 12:07:57 AM PDT by freepatriot32
"Statues in churches are an abomination.
The Sox put one of Carlton Fisk up in the centerfield bleachers - does that knot your panties?"
I think we're talking about religion, not baseball. And it wasn't "my panties" that said "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image".
But I'll let Him take it from here.
What an interesting end to your post. My understanding is fine, and your conclusion is to be expected. I have no crosses to berar. Jesus already paid that price.
I can get a similar response from a muslim... after all, obedience to the "religious" leaders is paramount!
...my membership in the RC Islam faith, as you put it, is in fact an article of trust and belief,....
That's a mischaracterization if I've ever saw one. Islam is known for its institutional decentralization. It is the exact opposite of the Catholic Church.
Uh, no. That's pure propaganda. The Dark Ages can be blamed more on the Little Ice Age than anything the Catholic Church did. Also, more people died in Protestant purges than the Inquisition, so if the Catholic "go down" for the Inquisition, than the Protestants go down for their purges.
Huh? Was there something that was supposed to be there?
Are we talking about that period of time when the popes sold indulgences (buy your way into heaven), or the time when those who disagreed with the "church" were drawn and quartered? Or, was it the pope whose idea of nuns were that they were concubines of his...
Oh, I forget. Popes are God's expression on earth! They have the keys to heaven...
Islam's answer to Rome...Mecca!
"He who is without sin, cast the first stone."
Yeah, Rome is EXACTLY like Mecca. Every Catholic has to make a pilgrimage to Rome before he dies. Every Catholic has to make circles around St. Peter's Basilica. Yeah... that's the ticket. (sarcasm)
Not me. Regardless of our differences we are brothers in Christ. There is no perfect church. If we confess Christ with our lips and actions the way of the cross is open. I know my Saviour and it isn't wrapped up in church doctrine somewhere.
BTW, I've been a RC for thirty years I can't remember purgatory being mentioned once.
...and that has to do with???
I never claim to be sinless. I claim to be forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and justified by my faith in Him. The Jesus I worship is the same Jesus that others desire to usurp for their own selfish purposes.
Some like to wear robes and play church. Others, wish to call themselves celibate as a sign of their faith. Still others are willing to call Christians sinners, when they don't know the meaning of the Word!
Interesting how you think that a personal belief and trust translates into blind obedience to some 'religious leader'...talk about a leap of faith...based on your rhetorical skills, or lack thereof, I am left with no other option than to consider you an ignorant popinjay, spouting Holy Writ which pertains to no point you are attempting to make, and to dismiss further discussion with you forthwith, as a colossal exercise in futility...
That temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture...
...Intercession has been made for the soul of the dear one departed and God has heard the prayer, and the soul has passed into a place of light and refreshment." "Surely," Wilpert adds, "such intercession would have no place were there question not of the particular, but of the final judgment.
*prayers
Romans 7:1ff
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."[b] 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to dothis I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to Godthrough Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
translation: America is worth big bucks to me and I hope I didn't kill the goose that lays my golden eggs
Interesting choice of words... that you can't get away from, can you? Did you say your "hail mary's" today?
The futility lies in your willingness to utterly disregard Scriptures, and suspend your BLIND OBEDIENCE to your "church" long enough to read those Scriptures without the blinders installed by your popes...
The RC church wants to keep you under the law (and make sure you come to the church to receive your penance and drop your tithes).
If you are a brother in Christ, I can break bread with you. If you are just a member of the church, we surely do have nothing in common! I don't hate the RC church any more than the Mormon church. They both contain Crhristians. Some of them just don't BELIEVE all the truth available, and others try to add something to it!
Christ's ONLY Church doesn't exist in Rome! It is the entire Body of Christ, and come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and denominations... but they have one thing in common. Jesus is Lord!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.