Posted on 07/07/2008 10:39:05 PM PDT by Gamecock
It’s really rather simple when you realize the key word is “Treasury”. The bottomless Treasury of Merit was/is instrumental in enhancing the Treasury of the RCC.
Brilliant concept isn’t it? Without the invention of the Treasury of Merit Indulgences could not have been sold to build St. Peters.
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INDEED. Have been convinced of such for a long time.
And the clique hereon have energetically convinced me to be fiercely assertive about such truths in behalf of the lurkers and others not particularly well read or given to critical thinking about such.
You make a great point.
I think Luther gave them an opportunity when he posted his 95 Theses. Instead they dug in their heels and decreed the Church to be infallible. Now every time they issue some sort of proclamation they pretend it's tied to something someone said back when.
Until Trent they always had the opportunity to reform. In many ways Vatican II was an opening towards trying to be a part of the Christian community as a whole. I think the fear of not being dominant has doomed that effort and the Trent type mentality is back in charge.
The irony is all they are doing is segregating themselves and further diminishing their influence.
ROTFLOL!
Well put.
Thx.
LOL! Sounds about right. :)
I thought it was proper to combat YOPIOS with MOPIOS, don’t you?
The introduction to those OT quotes is this:
Rom 3:9-10 : 9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written: ......
Paul is saying that NO ONE is better than another because ALL have sinned, Jew and Gentile alike. This is the nature ALL are born with, no exceptions other than Christ (which exception Paul mentions). Mary is included since she was a Jew. It is sophistry for anyone to assert that this doesn't "count" unless we have all literally wanted to murder someone. The point is plain, we ALL do evil in our hearts. One sin against God is equivalent to all sins against God.
And as lost people, there is NO ONE who seeks God. Paul explains this when he speaks of the transition of going from being slaves to sin to slaves of righteousness. Only then do we seek after God and do what is pleasing to Him. All true believers seek God. All non-believers do not seek God.
Sadly, for the RC, that sentence needs to be filtered through the magisterium in order to be properly understood...
Yes, it is sad because it amounts to a faith in men instead of God. Who do they have to believe to get into Heaven?
The real problem here is that this self-appointed group of men admit they do not follow the word of God alone, but that they follow and require others to follow their own "infallible" pronouncements which by definition, are not necessarily the words of God.
Yes, and of course whose fault is this? Why, it's God's fault of course because He set it up that way. Don't blame us for God abdicating His office, it was God who wanted to pass the buck. Unbelievable. :)
This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.421
Yes, and the "deposit of divine Revelation" extends, ........., FOREVER, of course. Otherwise, what would a Pope have to do to make himself feel important. :)
"...some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm...
No one can say that God didn't know this was coming and that He warned us to recognize it. Thanks for bringing all of this easily into the light! :)
Excellent post, WM. Thanks for the historical synopsis. I totally agree it makes no logical sense to argue what they argue today, but they are forced by the obstinacy of their fore-bearers in faith. "Defend this ridiculous thing or find a new line of work." :) And of course politics and power play supreme roles, just as you said.
They are in an impossible position. The Scriptures are wide spread. Literacy is widespread and growing. Communication via the Internet makes interaction with people from all over possible. All these things act to present the truth. Thus, when we hear the tired old falsehoods "we formed, edited the canon", "these things were always believed", "the first Pope was Peter", etc. those that want to know the truth of it can actually find out these claims aren't true and never have been.
It would seem that if the above is true that the only refuge that is left in discussing these falsehoods would be to accuse those that are pointing out how they are not consistent with Scripture and not historically accurate of being hateful bigots. Time and again I think we have all seen this play out.
How they play out?
They are an obsessive, knee-jerk
MANTRA
more common than “OOOOHMMMMMMMMMM!”
Time and again these doctrines/dogmas are shown for what they are, false. Yet they cling to them. Why?
I believe you will find these mistaken beliefs fall into two categories. One, beliefs that became a part of this church to make it easier for large numbers of people who had previously believed something else to feel at home. The worship of Mary was very appealing to all the goddess cults that existed in the Greco-Roman empire. The praying to saints was appealing to the polytheists. The second, are the beliefs that empower those in the chain of the hierarchy. Transubstantiation, alter Christus, deposit of faith just to name a few.
When we show how these beliefs are not found in Scripture they are left with two choices; denigrate the messenger (what better way than to call them a bigot), or admit these beliefs are wrong and leave the RCC. Having family members who have done the latter and attending a church where 25% or more of our members converted, I've seen it is hard to do.
MOPIOS incarnate (Magesterium’s own personal interpretation of scripture).
impressive insights, imho.
Thx.
“Now it’s stuck trying to explain away all it’s convoluted doctrines that were created as political tools to maintain it’s supreme authority in that period from about 400 AD to 1600 AD. They are really stuck because the Scriptures are wide spread and well read. It is especially tough because they can’t admit that these doctrines are wrong. Thus we end up with explanations about the “secret understanding” that only the few have. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.”
Excellent analysis. I agree with you wholeheartedly.
This quote you provided with my emphasis is the key to understanding the Romanist mind.
The Roman Church, with it's belief in Natural Religion, believes that if a good syllogism of Christianity is presented, or I should say the Roman religion, then any man using appropriate cognitive faculties will necessarily profess the Roman religion.
No need for the Holy Ghost just a primer in logic will lead to a servile devotion to the hierarchy.
INDEED.
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