Posted on 10/15/2001 6:54:40 AM PDT by malakhi
| Statesmen may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue. - John Adams |
I'll try not to take that personally. :-)
There is such a wealth of information on Jesus Christ and Christianity out there - I read the Bible slowly and I will be the first to admit that I am not nearly as well read in that respect as my non-C brethren. But I grew up reading the lives of the Saints, information about other religions, christian history books, any history books, catholic history books, ancient christian writers, etc. Of course one can go on and on.
My point is that although the Bible is paramount, IMVHO, Catholics are also encouraged to read broadly (kind of like Havoc does, only not so slanted ;-)), and be well rounded. Rereading the above, it kind of sounds snotty and I do not mean it that way - but sometimes it seems to me that some people read the Bible to the exclusion of other wonderful ways to find God. I think knowledge is Truth and Truth is God - he gave us such a wonderful sense of curiousity, why limit it to only the Bible.
The person I was replying to said that every believer must read the Scripture. I asked him if that meant that if you cannot read the Scripture, does that mean that you cannot be a believer. As you'll see in my later posts, my point is that in societies where literacy is the exception and not the rule the Church developed other means of delivering the Gospel.
Oh boy, Dave will be talking to himself every time he opens his mouth. That's it folks, he's purposedly going senile! :)
Your Humble Servant,
WS :-)
Lapacka is a great writer, and he hits all my switches and memories from those years, and it seems like another life time ago. Regardless of how much you learn and grow in spiritual knowledge, it’s still humiliating to remember you were suckered by a man who I thought represented God on earth..
I had left just a month or so prior to the Jim Jones, Jonestown Massacre, and I remember how I felt when I realized I had been in an organization that could have ended up the same way.
That is why I have come to trust no man, and if I’m wrong, I will take full blame for it, and will never point the finger at anyone for my beliefs.
In starting to read the book, I was surprised to read a list of what they call traits of a cult, and how familiar they sound.
They claim divine revelation apart from the Bible as a source of authority.
Claim there is only one true church, and we are it, and this type of thinking promotes a we against them attitude, and that we’re the bastions of truth that must be protected at all cost.
Belief that salvation is achieved through a combination of grace and works.
The Deity of God is diminished or denied.
The doctrine of the Trinity is diminished.
God is humanized, and man is deified.
The leaders wields complete and total power and authority.
Leader allows members to venerate him.
They are kept occupied all the time with meetings and etc.
They use psychological mind control..
they do a sociological study of people and cultures.
I know of a lot of religions that have several of these cult signs, but most of the big ones are controlled by lawyers that in protecting their $ interest, thankfully end up protesting the members.
FYI, JH
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you as well. First read the Scriptures, pray and then start over. Once it is understood, it allows you to see the other things (other than the Bible) in their true and proper light. That's my 2 cents FWIW.
Orthodox is Catholic. It just isn't the "R" version.
I do know that! Just because I am a Red Sox fan doesn't mean I am completely stupid...
"There came to St. Antony in the desert one of the wise men of that time and said: 'Father, how can you endure to live here, deprived as you are of all consolation from books?' Antony answered: 'My book, philosopher, is the nature of created things, and whenever I wish I can read in it the works of God.'" - Evagrius of Pontus
But sometimes it seems to me some people don't read the bible because they spend to much time reading theology books and books about saints and etc. There is no more wonderful way to find God (the only way IMO) then from HIS WORD.
If you wanted people to get to know you, wouldn't they accomplish that best by reading a book that YOU wrote about yourself rather then a book written by another person about themselves but that you were a part of.
BEcky
It's the PG version?
And as we've seen in regards to Peter and the rock, a majority of the surviving opinion is not even necessary.
LOL! Too true. My wife was teaching my boys to recite the Nicene Creed tonight. Even my 3 year old loves trying to say, "And I believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church."
Thank you for your philosophy. .
You are rapidly descending to Havoc's level of irrelevance.
Pray for the Vicar of Christ
But you're assuming that your (the RCC) interpretation of the verse is true.
Did you or did you not type those words?
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