Posted on 08/27/2010 11:45:13 AM PDT by Hank Kerchief
To doubt is human, but it actually means that we don’t trust God and what He tells us about life and Himself in Scripture. Thomas learned that his doubt was foolish. Thomas believed.
That’s the path we all should be on — lessening in doubts and increasing in faith.
Where does it say that in scripture?
Provide a simple procedure to prove a negative whose results you would accept and I'll consider it. Prove to me that you are a rational human being first.
The RCC teaches that its priestcraft are made up of men who are an "alter Christus," "another Christ."
Blasphemy, no matter how Rome tries to spin it.
Which men do Catholics think have a right to create doctrine out of men's opinions?
Various popes. For 1800 years Mary was not said to have been assumed into heaven bodily. Then some pope gets it in his head to declare the "Assumption of Mary" as doctrine.
Christianity does not rely on fallible men for its doctrines. Christianity relies on God's word alone.
Where does it say that in scripture?
lol. Your question reveals a lot, Judith. Why not search the Scriptures yourself to see if that be so?
Exactly. We just interpret them differently and I guess will have to agree to disagree.
For the one millionth time, your marginal English skills and a link to an errant priest do not constitute Catholic dogma. The priests act in the place of Christ during the Mass, not unlike James Caviezel in The Passion of the Christ. No one believes he actually is Christ and no one says he is unless they are misinformed or lying.
What is "priestcraft"?
See, the definition of terms is so important...sometimes I think we are not speaking the same language. Nobody worships priests, they are men. Nobody worships humans, including the saints. Nobody thinks they are God, why do you say that?
For 1800 years, Catholics believed Mary was assumed into heaven. It wasn't formalized until Pope Pius XII. But way back in the very early church it was believed and taught.
If what you call Christianity relies on God's word alone, what if you disagree on interpretation or translation? How do you solve that?
Spot on quote. Thanks.
Reducing God to fit within a “system” results in such distortion.
“…Thus a Calvinist is a Catholic obsessed with the Catholic idea of the sovereignty of God. But when he makes it mean that God wishes particular people to be damned,we may say with all restraint that he has become a rather morbid Catholic.”
“”The Church of Constantine, now known as the Catholic Church, was, and is, a mixture of Paganism and Christianity.””
What nonsense!
The Church before Constantine held the same beliefs on Sacraments ,veneration of Saints,Mary,Mother Of God etc..
Just a few examples of early Church Fathers BEFORE Constantine
On Eucharist
“For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” Justin Martyr, First Apology, 66 (c. A.D. 110
-165).
Infant Baptism
“For He came to save all through means of Himself—all, I say, who through Him are born again to God—infants, and children, and boys, and youths, and old men.” Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 2,22:4 (A.D. 180).
Mary-Mother Of God
To all generations they [the prophets] have pictured forth the grandest subjects for contemplation and for action. Thus, too, they preached of the advent of God in the flesh to the world, His advent by the spotless and God-bearing(theotokos) Mary in the way of birth and growth, and the manner of His life andconversation with men, and His manifestation by baptism, and the new birth that was to be to all men, and the regeneration by the laver [of baptism]. St. Hippolytus -Discourse on the End of the World, 1 (AD 217)
Veneration of the Saints
“[T]hat it is neither possible for us ever to forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of such as shall be saved throughout the whole world (the blameless one for sinners), nor to worship any other. For Him indeed, as being the Son of God, we adore; but the martyrs, as disciples and followers of the Lord, we worthily love on account of their extraordinary affection towards their own King and Master, of whom may we also be made companions and fellow disciples! The centurion then, seeing the strife excited by the Jews, placed the body in the midst of the fire, and consumed it. Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps.” Martyrdom of Polycarp 17,18 (A.D. 157).
Mary Immaculate
“He was the ark formed of incorruptible wood. For by this is signified that His tabernacle was exempt from putridity and corruption.” Hippolytus, Orations Inillud, Dominus pascit me (ante A.D. 235).
“This Virgin Mother of the Only-begotten of God, is called Mary, worthy of God, immaculate of the immaculate, one of the one.” Origen, Homily 1(A.D. 244).
According to book of Numbers the festivals, etc. were described and commanded by God.
“Also, a number of things on your list (without tracking down Newman’s footnoted source, I can’t tell to what extent he was paraphrasing from his source or writing his own opinion) came into the Church directly from Judaism:...”
To take just one example from the above says The Catholic Encyclopedia:
“We need not shrink from admitting that candles, like incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in pagan worship and in the rites paid to the dead. But the Church from a very early period took them into her service, just as she adopted many other things indifferent in themselves, which seemed proper to enhance the splendour of religious ceremonial.”
Unless the Encyclopedia is calling Judaism “pagan” then, no, these practices and such did not come from Judaism.
Catholicism is not Judaism with a Latin accent.
So what were they?
Calvinists and other assorted kooks and anti-Catholics typically just make something up, rant about how its the Catholic Church's fault, and then complain when they are not believed.....
Been there, done that.
Thank you, Judith and the other Catholic defenders of the Faith for keeping the kooks busy here allowing other threads to proceed unmolested.
It’s a task set before you, but I’m glad y’all do it!
What did she say? There is choice? I’m cornfuzed now.
The real heroes are Natural Law, Mark Bsnr, and maryz.
There was, surprisingly, no reply to that post. Can you believe it?
It certainly wasn't the Sisters of Mercy or God's word which created the dogma of The Bodily Assumption Of Mary.
Yes, I know. But did God get the idea of festivals from the pagans, who had them previously? OK, snarky question, but you could say that God sanctified the idea of festivals to Himself (much as, through His Church, He sanctified other things); oddly, a couple of the Jewish festivals correspond with the dates of the wheat harvest and the barley harvest, which assuredly were celebrated first. And the pagans still had festivals before the sanctified festivals of the OT.
And if the Jews didn't have candles, they used "candlesticks" and oil lamps, and they certainly used incense in Temple worship. The Catholic Encyclopedia is just giving a cursory overview -- you can't pretend to believe that brief article is an exhaustive scholarly investigation.
Catholicism is not Judaism with a Latin accent.
No, it's not, but there's a surprising number of correspondences.
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