Posted on 02/07/2011 8:45:48 AM PST by verdugo
“Elevating Mary to the level of Christ is WRONG on so many levels.”
You are correct, except we don’t elevate her to the level of Christ. The Rosary is never said at the mass, it’s entirely private devotion. People can choose to ask her to pray for them, entirely of their own accord.
John 6:53 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 - Whoso eath my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.
55 - For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 - He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 - As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 - This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Now you can read on and see that many disciples left him and, in fact, he asked the Apostles themselves if they were leaving. That's because the above text is clear, Christ taught the real presence at of his flesh and blood at Communion and not a mere rememberence.
So, you believe in the real presence because it is "the plain, clear, truthful words of the Savior ..."
That's comforting to know. I thought all Protestants refused to agree with the clear teachings of Christ on this.
The Law is still here and it serves to convict us of our sin that we will never be rid of...and so we realize we need a savior. Read Romans 6 and 7 for a discussion of law and grace.
By the way, look up the source of the article and you’ll see it is from a group long at odds with the Catholic Church but which passes itself off as perfectly Catholic.
It helps to know where these things come from.
The denomination I grew up in; we were taught basically that everyone else except us was going to hell.
It tends to give you a rather tragic view of humanity.
I’ve lived in catholic countries and worshipped many times in catholic churches, I’ve known many genuine catholic Christians, so needless to say I’ve come to a different point of view.
If you are a committed catholic Christian, you know God, Christ is alive in your life, then you are my brother and thats the end of it. I see you as a fellow Christian and thats it.
I still have a rather tragic view of humanity, but I recognize a believing Christian where I find him. There are discernible fingerprints.
Well we ask, and she answers.
“When I ask a friend to pray for me, he hears it the first time. I don’t have to call him 100 times within the hour and keep asking him again.”
I think she likes it that way!
Have you heard of christian reconstructionists? Look them up on the internet they have some very interesting ideas. I completely disagree with them but it's a free country and you can believe whatever you want.
Answers to your questions can be found in the new Testament (which is also part of God’s word).
“So, who has jurisdiction?”
It’s not our decision, but His decision.
As to your question, you are very right. The muslims and the Christians and the buddhists cannot all be right. They could all be wrong, or one of them is right.
Christians believe that we are right because Jesus of Nazareth, who died on the cross, and that he resurrected from the dead three days later. Even the Jews who disagree with us on this point, agree that his tomb was empty.
So somehow a man who was dead for three days, wrapped in his burial linens, with 50 pounds of spices, left those spices and the linens behind.
I just think we should all agree that it is great we live in a country where we can have any religion or none.
You seem to be going in two directions.
Come into the Roman Church for salvation.
Avoid the bulk of the Vatican II Roman Church or risk the snare of damnation.
What’s a poor baby Christian to do?
a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
First, is the Temple contructed? No, still knocked down. It is against the Law to have a sacrifice anywhere else. So, no. Also, no one but a Cohen can offer the sacrifice. Are you a descendant of Aaron? Thought not.
b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
Actually, it’s not “sanctioned,” but forbidden but for this circumstance. Also, this is inapplicable to non-Jews. Are you Jewish? If so, does the law of the land forbid slavery? Ah, it does, so that makes this practice against the Law, as well.
c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
Your are Levite offering sacrifice to the Temple? Oh, still no Temple. Never mind.
d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
Only applicable to Jews in Israel and then only if not otherwise against secular law. Slavery is illegal in Israel.
e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
Is your neighbor Jewish? If not, not applicable. Are you part of the Sanhedrin tasked with enforcing this? No Sanhedrin? No authority.
f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?
Is your friend Jewish? If not, shellfish does not apply to him. If so, either is wrong, and the one that puts a persons’ life in danger is the greater abomination.
g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
Wake me when there is again a Temple and you are the High Priest.
h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?
Are your male friends Jewish? Ah, again, does not otherwise apply. And, again, no Sanhedrin, no authority to enforce.
i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
Given this would be a concern only if you are approaching the alter of the Lord and are the High Priest, I would go play football.
j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
Is your uncle Jewish? And planting in Israel?
Is he trying to pass off the cotton/poly blend as something more expensive, thereby cheating the customer? If not, not a problem.
Etc.
The Bible is not remotely weird in context.
True,
“Where truth is shackled, men follow.”
Actually, I’m obviously no expert on the details of catholic doctrine (although I read catholic authors, not as catholics, but as fellow Christians), but we recently had a thread here on the same subject which I read in detail.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2659288/posts
The jist of it is that this was Feeney’s position, but the catholic church did not agree.
And he died and arose from the dead so that Catholics who believe in him, but not non-Catholics who believe in him, can go to heaven?
Either the pope is not the true pope, or VI and a whole bunch of other councils were wrong. You just can't hold the system of belief that the author does and claim other wise.
Remember, I am writing from the perspective of someone who is not Roman Catholic.
Join the Catholic Church and seek truth in all sincerity and God will enlighten you. There is no Vatican II church, just the Catholic Church.
I did not say Catholics, I said, “Christians believe.” I don’t believe that anyone who *is* Christian woul disagree with what I wrote.
You scared me away. I don’t need any more snares.
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