Posted on 09/06/2013 7:15:37 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
A relic hunter dubbed 'Indiana Bones' has lifted the lid on a macabre collection of 400-year-old jewel-encrusted skeletons unearthed in churches across Europe.
Art historian Paul Koudounaris hunted down and photographed dozens of gruesome skeletons in some of the world's most secretive religious establishments.
Incredibly, some of the skeletons, said to be the remains of early Christian martyrs, were even found hidden away in lock-ups and containers.
They are now the subject of a new book, which sheds light on the forgotten ornamented relics for the first time.
Thousands of skeletons were dug up from Roman catacombs in the 16th century and installed in towns around Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the orders of the Vatican.
They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses to replace the relics destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
Mistaken for the remains of early Christian martyrs, the morbid relics, known as the Catacomb Saints, became shrines reminding of the spiritual treasures of the afterlife.
They were also symbols of the Catholic Church's newly found strength in previously Protestant areas.
Each one was painstakingly decorated in thousands of pounds worth of gold, silver and gems by devoted followers before being displayed in church niches.
Some took up to five years to decorate.
They were renamed as saints, although none of them qualified for the title under the strict rules of the Catholic church which require saints to have been canonised.
But by the 19th century they had become morbid reminders of an embarrassing past and many were stripped of their honours and discarded.
Mr Koudounaris' new book, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, is the first time the skeletons have appeared in print.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Terycarl,
You have a way of twisting words unlike anyone I have seen before. I never used the word Catholic in regards to a good bible with commentary and notes...those are your words twisting mine. The Living Bible, Life Application version is superb as is the Matthew Henry Complete Commentary.
I have not mentioned churches at all except in the context of going to one to worship with fellow believers. You again have twisted my words to fit your belief system. I do not follow a church....I am the church along with other believers. Until you get rid of the Catholic mindset that has been drummed into you all your life, you won’t understand what I mean. Only the Holy Spirit can enlighten you.
All those people mentioned (Luther, etc.) came from you, not me. I never made mention of any man except Jesus and one godly pastor named Charles Stanley. He is the pastor at the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA and God has used his teaching ministry to teach me much about Himself. You are very, very wrong in your thinking and in your twisting of my words to suit your purpose.
If you will step back, put aside all your prejudices and whatever you have learned in the past, and want to have an honest discussion with me and the other believers on the forum, then we are here for you and will welcome that.
But if all you want to do is falsely accuse me of things I have not done or said, then there is no point in continuing. I am not here to accuse you as a person...in fact, I wish you to know Jesus as I do...personally and intimately. I disagree with the doctrine and teachings of Catholicism but I have no hatred or complaint against you personally.
jodyel
Matthew - Jew
Mark - Jew
John - Jew
Paul - Jew
Peter - Jew
Jude - Jew
James - Jew
In a word. Yes.
No worries, Red. Thanks for the kind reply.
Have never been interested in attending worship services, but perhaps that is my issue of avoidance and getting emotionally entangled with others....plus it is hard enough for me to cope with taking care of my own self and churches always want you to do, do, do for others. I handle doing for others in my own way and not in church ways. We should find another word to call it since church is actually the body of believers.
What could be a good alternative? Building, structure, hang out? :)
Have you ever tried home churches? That might be interesting.
Best,
jodyel
and it doesn't end with for thine is the kingdom and the power....etc. you just added that part.....beautiful but not Biblical.
the doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church are taught by almost ALL main stream Protestant churches in the world..you suggest that I get a good Bible....all bibles are Catholic other than the KJV and others which have deleted some passages....otherwise they are all the same. You suggest that I listen to the ramblings of a local Baptist pastor from Atlanta.....we have a local Baptist pastor here and I don't have to go to Atlanta to hear misguided protestant thinking.
Luther and the other revolutionists did indeed come from the Cathilic church and the key word s are CAME FROM.....they decided that they knew better what Christianity was all about than did the peop0le who had precticed it for 1,600 years....
the Baptists sprang up in 1609 in Amsterdam....I have no idea what guidance from God that Mr Smythe recieved but thanks....I'll stick with Catholicism and its'2,013 year history and her promise directly from Christ that He would be with her until the end of time....and that He would protect her from ever making an error in matters of faith and morals.....close enough for me....you go with Rev.Stanley, I'll stick with Jesus
Unfortunately, terycarl, all you want to do is stick with your institutionalized religion and that is where I will leave you.
Good-bye and I wish you luck,
jodyel
you forgot Jesus...He, too was a Jew....however, His entire reason for coming to Earth was to establish a new and everlasting covenent.....Christians were indeed born out of Judaism but that is the difference....once people became followers of Christ they were no longer bound by the old laws....you said Yes, that the Apostles would have brought forth the new testamant teachings and indeed they did....as Catholics
lets see now, you espouse the preachings of s Baptist minister from Atlanta, but you don't think enough of him to attend Sunday services.......O.K. I guess, golf courses are nice on Sunday but don't put down someone who attends Mass EVERY sunday, listens to the bible, listens to the sermons, recieves the Body and Blood of our Lord and doesn't try to formulate his own idea of what religion is.
Where did I add that?
Where does it say that in the Bible?
LOL!!!
you didn't, the protestant reformers did....you are a great demander of chapter and verse....O.K......chapter and verse "for thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever and ever amen " at the end of the Lord's prayer.....don't look real hard, it's not there.
it comes right after the part that explains that as the church grew, it expanded into all nations...it immediately follows the section that explains how christians came to the new world.....everything that christianity did following the lifetime of Christ is certainly not in the bible
I’m aware that people have quoted it but I never did.
I know it’s not there. I know Scripture well enough.
Those writers of the NT, save perhaps Luke, were ALL Jews.
They did not cease being Jews when they accepted the Messiah.
I know my beliefs are different from accepted established church and more importantly social morals but I believe it's more in step with a loving forgiving nature of the Gospel of Jesus.(IMHO)
I may occasional attend the church of my youth but to be honest it's more social than prayerful spiritual reflection.
My sister goes to a big baptist church(I've attended it, too) and it meets her family's spiritual needs but, as you said, the church has her involved in church work, which I have no doubt is worthy but she has young children at home and she and her husband barely have time for their kids after a full day at work..
Family comes first then the social needs of the church is my manner of thinking.
But that's my opinion and I keep my mouth shut around her, even though I can see the drain this extra work puts on it...
I agree with you, Red.
Although I do not think I would keep quiet if I saw what a drain it was on her. Perhaps there is some gentle way you can say that perhaps she needs to cut back. Else she’ll have to cut back when she drops from exhaustion.
My parents just joined First Baptist in Dallas and want me to come one Sunday but I’ve no desire. Just don’t need it...more important to take care of myself and I have never been a gadabout or a doer and have no need for social interaction whatsoever. I am happy to listen to Dr. Stanley from time to time and hang out online. Different strokes for different folks. I am the very odd person out in my family. lol
Oh well.
I don’t think, RedMonqey, I know. And that’s what I want everyone else to have too, but they won’t listen.
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