Posted on 04/26/2016 5:31:16 AM PDT by NRx
This church building probably costs 100k/month for maintenance and utilities.
If enough people leave, they will get the message very quickly.
They still have a "god," he's just an idol that has replaced the true God.
Amen.
There are no eternal truths that a motivated leftist cannot abandon.
Lutheran Church of Norway was founded in 1537. Until 1969 it was called “the State Church”, its constituted head being the king of Norway.
It is no doubt maintained by taxes in some way, either on people registered as adherents, or the people as a whole, or both. Given how few Europeans are part of churches, and how many “historical landmark”/”tourist attraction” churches they have, the state is likely to step in somehow to preserve them if a denomination can’t, I would think, and probably has in many cases since the upkeep has to be so high. Another reason to remember that the church is people, not buildings.
5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Luke 21)
1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Mark 13)
Redefine God in mans image.
Don’t be so quick point the finger the RC is chasing them down that road.
“The current Pope is taking Catholicism in the same direction at double speed.”
Nope. Not even remotely.
“Don’t be so quick point the finger the RC is chasing them down that road.”
Nope. I’m not “so quick [to] point the finger”. This is just part of the inevitable outcome. Everyone could tell this was coming. And this will never happen in the Catholic Church.
My point was its just a building.
Nothing holy or blessed about it.
The USA does the same thing as Europe but the buildings are older in the EU
When any group, religious or secular spends more on the building than it does on the product it produces, it is eventually doomed.
Wow!
Norway has Christians who follow the Word of God?
“Because the true church is the believers, not a building.”
Bears repeating!
His words, which are perpetually corrected after the fact to explain that he never really meant what he said and it was a poor translation, tell you where his heart is. Just ask yourself how many prior Popes had their words totally misrepresented due to poor translations? None? Then why does it always happen to this guy?
“But in my opinion the only thing holding the so-called “cool pope” back from full on leftist liberation theology is resistance from within the Vatican, and he’s working to get marginalize that as much as he can.”
I understand what you’re saying, but even “the so-called ‘cool pope’” has specifically denounced gay marriage. That’s certainly what homosexuals themselves know to be true: http://mynewsla.com/hollywood/2016/02/15/gays-go-ballistic-over-pope-francis-and-his-latest-remarks/
This was in a letter about how he was for civil unions but not calling it marriage. So the sin doesn't bother him but he thought "just don't call it marriage". Actually that pretty much mirrors my libertarian minded position, but then again I'm not a religious and moral leader so I can afford to back a laissez faire policy. Can a Pope? Perhaps. But does he still?
Even if he does still oppose gay marriage it isn't the only thing I was referring to when I said he was driving the church to the secular left viewpoint. As I noted previously his statements are frequently "corrected" by the Vatican after the fact to reassure us that the pope doesn't actually disagree with church doctrine as he clearly seemed to be saying. Over and over and over. Come on.
He is at best a confusing, inconsistent, and muddled communicator. Perhaps he is a muddled thinker too. Or perhaps the "corrections" are just damage control and he does indeed mean what he actually said. It's easy for me to be inconsistent and muddled in my thinking and arguments; nobody is looking to me as a moral compass, a defender of the faith, to speak with firmness conviction and clarity on church doctrine. People do look to the Pope for that and frankly, he comes up short.
“He is at best a confusing, inconsistent, and muddled communicator.”
Yes, but he will never support gay marriage. And that’s the point. There will be no change in Church teaching regarding same-sex “marriages”. End of story.
Ah, out of the proverbial frying pan into the proverbial fire.
Personally speaking, I do not see how liberal churches would appeal to anyone. Biblically orthodox Christians will not attend them. And if someone is liberal, why bother to invest time and money in a religious institution that gives you the exact same message one receives 24/7 for free from the gov’t/media complex anyway?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.