No matter how one adds on adornments or jewels these are departed peoples 'corpses'....remains of the dead, skeletons.
Posted on 04/17/2015 12:12:16 PM PDT by RnMomof7
I’ve mentioned that Roman Catholicism is so onerous because it puts its hooks in you at various times in your life – from baptism as a child, to “first confession” and “first holy communion”, then Confirmation as an early teen, then marriage, baptism of your own children, etc. It’s a programmatic cycle.
There is another point at which Rome is prominent, and that is at death. As the “Baby Boom” generation continues to age and die, people will continue to be focused on this phase of life, either as people focused on the end of their own lives, or that of their aging parents.
Paul Moses, a journalism professor at Brooklyn College/CUNY”, has written a piece for the Wall Street Journal this morning entitled “A Liberal Catholic and Staying Put”, which puts this in view.
Beginning the article with some comments from the atheistic “Freedom From Religion Foundation”, which urged discontented, liberal-minded Catholics to “Summon your fortitude, and just go”, he rejects this notion with the following comments:
To me, these invitations reflect a shallow view of the Catholic Church that reduces its complex journey to the points where it intersects with the liberal social agenda. Pope Francis’ pastoral approach has shown a more merciful, less judgmental face of the church—one that always existed but needed to be more prominent in the public arena.
After my father died last year, I realized that my instinctive resistance to these “just go” arguments—from the atheists, the secularists, the orthodox, the heterodox or anyone else—runs deep. It began when I observed how impressively the church was there for me in a moment of need (emphasis added).
Early on the morning after he died, I went to my father's parish, St. Peter's in lower Manhattan, to find out what to do to bury him. I found one of the priests in the sacristy after the early Mass. The Rev. Alex Joseph took my hands in his, spoke a beautiful prayer, told me of his own father's death years earlier and added, "Our fathers are always with us." I was much moved.
We decided to have my father's funeral in the Staten Island parish where he had worshiped for 25 years … Bernard L. Moses, who died at 88, had loved Father Madigan’s homilies, and to hear [Father Madigan] speak at the funeral Mass was to understand why. My father had advanced up the ranks of the New York City Housing Authority to director of management. Citing his concern for tenants, Father Madigan used the traditional Catholic term “corporal work of mercy” to describe what my father did. It explained for me, in those difficult moments, why my father, who was well-schooled in Catholic social teachings, had passed up the opportunity for a more pleasant career in academia, or a more lucrative one managing private housing, to work in housing projects instead.
Few of us, I think, live daily on the edge of eternity in the conscious way that the Puritans did, and we lose out as a result. For the extraordinary vivacity, even hilarity (yes, hilarity; you will find it in the sources), with which the Puritans lived stemmed directly, I believe, from the unflinching, matter-of-fact realism with which they prepared themselves for death, so as always to be found, as it were, packed up and ready to go (emphasis added). Reckoning with death brought appreciation of each day’s continued life, and the knowledge that God would eventually decide, without consulting them, when their work on earth was done brought energy for the work itself while they were still being given time to get on with it (pg 14).
No accounting for taste, said the viper.
Think you might be a better idea by reading the Catholic catechism.
No matter how one adds on adornments or jewels these are departed peoples 'corpses'....remains of the dead, skeletons.
several Protestant countries became communist...East Germany and Czechoslovakia come to mind.
And of course China was atheistic.
So a half dozen guys crucify themselves and the rest of us Pinoys are evil pagans.
but don’t worry. We have lots of rich American missionaries coming here to teach us their rigid version of Christianity. What they are doing is teaching the upper middle class to follow Christ and get rich.
Amazing. Different generations had different ideas about death. Get used to it.
Jesus would never, and never did direct us to dress and adorn corpses and parade them about or try to make them into something more than they are...dead bodies.... He said to “Bury” them.
Not to adorn walls and make statues of them...nor preserve them for generations to continue with these sacreligious death cult practices
I know. Most of you only read one book. I read many to understand the history of the world and its various attitudes toward death.
How about this instead.....
What I believe, whose authority I have faith in, and the Word of God we've been given is supported fully by that Word and His Spirit He has given us as His possession.
All the Worldly understanding of History cannot compare....for it remains worldly however helpful.
Well, that’s what I mean. One book provides all the answers for you. I have a different opinion.
Christ paid the full price for our salvation Dick. It's not something we "attain". It's not something we "do". It's something that was done for us. We don't do something to please Him to "attain" salvation. We things to please Him "because" of His free gift of salvation.
>>But the sacraments keep me focused on the path. If it helps me, why belittle it?<<
Because those "sacraments" are constructed by the Catholic Church with the idea of "attaining" salvation. The Catholic Church says that the people "merit" grace by performing rituals. That is totally contrary to scripture. Grace is NOT something we "merit", it's a free gift from God with no sense of "deserving" on our part. Paul said:
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
The "sacraments" are works by man as the Catholic Church has portrayed them in order to "merit" grace. The word "merit" means something is owed. If it's owed to man then it is no more grace.
>>If it a way for me to find my way to the Lord why does it bother anybody?<<
For the very reason I just explained. If people think they do something to "merit" grace or salvation it is no longer grace. Men do not "merit" grace or salvation. It is a free gift of God. There are no intermediaries or "vicars" of Christ on earth.
Put Christ first and foremost with no ideas of "merit" or "rituals" that somehow help you "attain" salvation. Put your faith in Christ and not some actions on your part. On your knees in private go before the throne of God in Jesus name and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Do you consider pre-Christianity the "Dark Ages"?
As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet. (2 Kings 13:21)Where does the Bible say that the remains of the dead are to be despised?
Do you throw the remains of your deceased family members in the garbage, or do you bury them with a headstone?
Do you honor their memory by visiting their graves? If so, why? Are you worshipping them?
And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them (Acts 19:11-12).The early Christians, despite the objections of nineteenth century Fundamentalists, venerated relics of the saints.
Smyrnaean account of Polycarp's martyrdom (A.D. 156)Protestants don't realize that they do exactly what they accuse Catholics of, namely, following the human traditions of Luther and his disciples, rather than the Sacred Traditions preserved by Christ's Church, "the pillar and foundation of truth.""We took up his bones, which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable place, where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able, in gladness and joy and to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom."
Jerome
"We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are"
"If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector." --Jesus
Vatican archaeologists in 2002 began excavating the 8-foot(2.4-meter)-long tomb of St. Paul, which dates from at least A.D. 390 and was buried under the basilica's main altar. The decision to unearth it was made after pilgrims who came to Rome during the Roman Catholic Church's 2000 Jubilee year expressed disappointment at finding that the saint's tomb — buried under layers of plaster and further hidden by an iron grate — could not be visited or touched.The top of the coffin has small openings — subsequently covered with mortar — because in ancient times Christians would insert offerings or try to touch the remains.
The basilica stands at the site of two 4th-century churches — including one destroyed by a fire in 1823 that had left the tomb visible, first above ground and later in a crypt. After the fire, the crypt was filled with earth and covered by a new altar. A slab of cracked marble with the words "Paul apostle martyr" in Latin was also found embedded in the floor above the tomb.
The Bible says the Scripture is sufficient in all matters for the believers ‘spiritual life’, there is no need to go anywhere else to learn how to be spiritual.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Tim.3:16-17).
The doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures and its priority in all matters of faith is one of the core teachings of the Christian faith.
So if you have another opinion, as you say that you do...then I guess your spiritual walk is on another road than mine.
Want to narrow that with your own words?
.....No....but there certainly were the Mid-evil Ages. IE: (Dark Ages)
Where does the Bible say that the remains of the dead are to be despised?
......We are to bury the body of the departed. I said nothing about despising them...they are not there. It's a corpse.
Do you bury them with a headstone?
.....I bury their body, but they are not there.
Do you honor their memory by visiting their graves?
.....No, they are not there.
If so, why? Are you worshipping them?
....Not relevant. When I miss a family member I talk to the Lord and share with Him.
The early Christians, despite the objections of nineteenth century Fundamentalists, venerated relics...
....Well that is why they messed up....they didn't listen to the warnings from the get go. God always warns us when we go the wrong direction.... Had they paid attention rather than have another agenda they would not have veered away from what Jesus said.
Protestants don't realize that they do exactly what they accuse Catholics of.
....I speak only for myself in answering your questions...so I don't .... But the Protestants I know don't do what catholics do in relationship to relics, and certainly not to dead corpses. Ever!
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