Look, you get two for one! Bowing to an idol.
Posted on 01/26/2018 1:04:07 PM PST by GoldenState_Rose
We are in a time of the first ever mass conversions of Muslims,” Father Mitch Pacwa SJ told me in a phone interview. “God is doing a mighty work among them.”
Pacwa said that mass conversions are happening even in very fundamentalist countries. There is rapidly growing number of conversions especially on the edges of the Muslim world in the western and southern parts of Africa, he said. “Africa is now growing predominantly Christian despite crackdowns,” Pacwa said.
Some of the noteworthy countries he mentioned include Iran, reported to have 3 million Christians, and Indonesia with reports of 2 million a year converting.
“In Mongolia, the president opened the country to Christians and there’s even an archbishop,” Pacwa said. “They built a Catholic school there too. If I was younger, I would have gone.” He said that the desire for a Western education was the impetus to open up the country to the Catholic Church.
There are even conversions happening in many strict Muslim countries, according to Pacwa. He did not want to go on record with particulars for fear of increased retribution. Mass conversions are also being reported among refugees that are filling up the Christian churches left empty by Europeans. Many wonder if those are authentic conversions or just a response to improving their chances for amnesty, but time will tell.
Signs of this conversion are showing up in the U.S. too, Pacwa said. “I was about to celebrate Mass at a Maronite church in San Diego and I said hi to a man who introduced himself as Achmad. I asked if he was a Christian. He said: ‘Yes, I was recently baptized.’ He said he from Morocco. Christians do not have the name Ahmad—that’s a form of Mohammad.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
Look, you get two for one! Bowing to an idol.
My reason for leaving Romanism was coming to know Christ. After that, I realized Rome had one job and abdicated it for religion.
Catholic churches; every one.
--FR Catholics(We don't worship Mary)
HMMMmmm...
Just what IS the temperature difference between the pan and the fire?
Oh?
Then why did Rome produce an INSUFFICIENT book to begin with?
No I don't and that was not the point of your comment anyway.
So what it appears is that you converted to Catholicism because of *all the extra-biblical rationalizations, and presumption in applying those inferences as if they were Scripture itself* that the Roman organization has added; that you don't agree with Biblical sufficiency.
I got it!!!
Don’t misrepresent either me or Scripture.
I never said that merely bowing was forbidden, and neither did God.
The 2nd commandment says to not make a graven image and bow before that.
All those pictures of people bowing before statues of Mary is EXACTLY what is happening that god forbade, it’s the perfect example of people breaking that commandment.
Then why did Rome produce an INSUFFICIENT book to begin with?
And then after. by their own admission, they didn't produce a written record that was sufficient to begin with, they then come along and tell us to *trust them* and swallow all the *sacred tradition* they claim to have passed down faithfully.
Like we should expect them to do a better job the second, third, fourth, whatever time around?
They've given no one any reason to trust them.
Peter in the New Testament forbid it.
25When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.” Acts 10:25 NASB
Roman Catholicism today allows it and encourages it:
Something's gotten lost along the way.
God did not issue His commandment as an art critic. Nor is He denying the various forms of reverence and respect properly given to angels and saints, or even to kings and civic leaders and military officers, fallen soldiers and human fathers and mothers, to whom "honor is due."
The point is not "no statuary." It's not even "no bowing." It's no idolatry.
This is a commandment more likely, these days, to be violated by our inordinate attachment to money, celebrity, and sexual satisfaction, than by wholesome and traditional forms of respect given to people whom God Himself so greatly honored.
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The point is no image of any thing upon the Earth.
There are no exceptions listed.
And that's not sinful as long as you don't give yourself over to idolatry because of those images.
Let each of us consider his own thoughts and conduct. I myself have to admit that FR itself is sometimes a near occasion of sin.
Yes...and context helps us understand how they were used.
We have no record of Stephen appealing to anyone for forgiveness...other than asking Christ to forgive the ones who were stoning him.
What is condemned is settning up a rival to God's authority, not rightful respect to fathers, masters and teachers.
You mean like what has been ascribed to Mary by Roman Catholicism??
But see what you did there....? I doubt it though.
You're conflating fathers, as our biological fathers, with masters and teachers....so let's take that usage off the table as it is not what Christ was talking about.
For context let's review the passage in question.
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4“They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5“But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6“They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8“But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10“Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Kinda sounds a lot like how Roman Catholicism has set up their priests, cardinals, archbishops, pope, what with all of the pomp and circumstance and garments and other accoutrements we see on display in Roman Catholic churches.
Context, mrs.d...will help you understand how the term is used and how it is not to be used.
Roman Catholicism is using it incorrectly.
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Utter nonsense.
What images are you talking about?
.
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The word “they” is really “he” referring to Moses.
That is what Matthew actually wrote.
Beyond that, the remainder of the text is in opposition to “they.”
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The point is THIS is what the 2nd commandment SAYS.
Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You can argue against it all you want.
You can make excuses for not listening to it.
You can try to redefine words and terms until the cows come home.
You can not like it to the depths of your soul, but GOD said it and you cannot change it.
And bowing before a carved (or any other way made) statue, aka graven image, is breaking said 2nd commandment.
There is no escaping that plain, simple, clearly observed FACT.
All deflection to justify Roman Catholics bowing before a "statue" of "Mary", praying to the image it represents, relying upon the image for salvation, assigning false titles and abilities to "Mary" (Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adiutrix, and Mediatrix), believing apparitions claiming to be "Mary" and believing if you wear a piece of cloth you will escape the hell fire, etc, etc.
It is idolatry that is sanctioned and encouraged by Roman Catholicism.
amazing how they overlook that verse.
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