Posted on 01/12/2015 11:59:16 AM PST by NYer
The Diocese owns those churches...In my area churches are being closed left and right.. and it is the "bishop" that closes and the Diocese that places the for sale sine and collects the money IF it sells..if not they just let it become an eye sore like a slum.. the "people who built it (as you say) have no say in that churches future or the schools building when the bishop shutters them and none of THEIR money is returned to them ...like it or not ..those buildings are part of Romes net worth
PLEASE do not cry to us about the cost of "preservation..
The church across the street was bought by a lovely group of Spanish nuns. Their order purchased it to bring more young women into their fold. It's sad to see empty churches of any denomination. In fact, the synagogue down the street closed last year and I cried!
Anyway, this is probably my favorite happy ending to a closed church: http://www.churchbrew.com
What does that have to do with baptism? Every example of baptism in the NT was a conscious act of a believer who was baptized into Jesus to remove their sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:14, Rom. 6, etc.) However, those who have little regard for the word, or prefer to have it added to and then fed to them by church leaders, are unconcerned.
BKMRK
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They're turning water into beer there!
Am entire country in one photo.
Because it wasn’t a matter of controversy. Famously, Jesus is not recorded to have said anything against sodomy. Does that mean, as gay activists claim, he approved of it? Of course not. It means that it was a non-issue.
The first time in history it is mentioned that Christian parents DELAYED baptizing a child is in the fourth century. And they were heretics.
The beer is heavenly and the food is devine. We only get there about two or three times a year and it’s a real treat.
Most of the 2,400 lay workers who comprise the majority of the Vatican workforce reside outside the Vatican and are citizens of Italy, while a few are citizens of other nations. Vatican City has a reasonably well developed transport network considering its size (consisting mostly of a piazza and walkways). The City is served by an independent, modern telephone system, the Vatican Pharmacy, and post office. The Vatican Gardens, the Vatican Observatory and other areas are available to the public.
The Vatican also controls its own Internet TLD, which is registered as (.va). Broadband service is widely provided within Vatican City. Vatican City has also been given a radio ITU prefix, HV, and this is sometimes used by amateur radio operators.
Contrast that with Joel Osteen's residence.
Osteen's net worth? As of 2012, his net worth is reportedly $56,508,500. Houston CultureMap reported in 2010 that the Osteens moved into a home in the River Oaks area of Houston, Texas, that was valued at $10.5 million. The same article reported that the Osteens had kept a former residence valued at $2.9 million while listing a vacant lot near their former home for $1.1. million.
Rick Warren? $25 million dollars. Pope Francis' annual salary? Zero
Your post, of course, was never intended to address the positive aspects of the Catholic Church but to formulate an attack on 2000 year's of accumulated gifts over which the church serves as guardian.
The NYT, not known as a friend of the Church, estimates the value of the entire Vatican at $10-14 billion, which is half the endowment of Harvard University. The Vatican staff is smaller than the staff of the University of Notre Dame.
There are approximately 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide.
Rome, beside its priceless art collection o has vast gold deposits and billions of dollars in assets. It also earns a significant amount of income from the tourism sector as the Vatican is considered an independent city-state. .... The Popes crowns, and gold altar artifacts and his "vestments " have much greater momentary value than Olseen house..by a long run .... The Pope is worth every penny he is paid BTW
**Assumptions are pretty poor things to make doctrine about.**
True, but they seem to be pretty good things to make money with. Would you like to try and estimate what the whole ‘assumption of Mary’ doctrine has done in RCC income?
**The first time in history it is mentioned that Christian parents DELAYED baptizing a child is in the fourth century. And they were heretics.**
‘history’......hmm....and who wrote that history?
Of course, if you were there, then that settles it.
Well, with the ‘money preachers’, you’re basically preaching to the choir on this forum.
**Likewise, many of the great cathedrals of Europe were built with donations and labor from the poor, who wanted to build such monuments to Gods goodness and sovereignty.**
That’s nice. I’m sure none of the ‘donations and labor from the poor’ was provided because of various RCC teachings about ‘giving’ (such as, maybe trying to get that loved one out of purgatory).
Jesus told the woman that he saved from stoning to ‘sin no more’. Sodomy had previously been declared as a sin. Sin is sin. Useless analogy.
NYer, where does Luke say anything about baptizing babies?
What IS said in the New Testament is ‘repent and be baptized’, NEVER ‘be baptized and repent’. A baby has no ability to repent nor ask to be baptized.
And why do you think baptisms took place in rivers? Why not just bring out a bucket of water if ‘sprinkling’ is sufficient?
You act as if we defend Osteen and Warren. Suggest you do a search for the keyword YBPDLN.
That dog won’t hunt in this discussion.
Check the letters of St. Paul.
So what?
It's a far cry from Jesus who had nowhere to lay His head.
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