Posted on 10/31/2008 9:49:19 AM PDT by NYer
Oh, you couldn’t be more wrong (or judgmental) if you tried. We’re simply freed from the un-Biblical concepts of sola scriptura and private interpretation, and have chosen not to see bogeymen where they don’t exist.
By legalism, I mean the evangelical tendency to add extra-Biblical proscriptions against harmless activities.
Visit my parish just one Sunday. Nearly every Sunday, we hear sermons on living in accordance with the will of Christ, including: instruction on chastity, generosity/serving the less fortunate, the incompatibility of abortion and ESCR with Christianity, how to care for our families in the manner described in the Bible, how to focus our attention on worship every moment of every day, the importance of accepting Christ as our personal Lord and savior, how to stand up for Christian values regardless of the values pushed by secular culture, repentance and turning away from evil, humility (and you’re accusing me of the opposite, even though I’ve not exalted myself in any way in this thread), the need for prayer before action (and not as a last resort), and so on.
And you know what? I heard the same sermons for nearly a decade as an evangelical. So you’re a bit off-base in your analysis.
No problem... I knew exactly what you meant!
No, I’m a Baptist, which was the name given us by the Pope because we believed in scriptural Baptism of believers by immersion. We were persecuted by the Pope and the Protestants for that belief.
>>If Catholics are Christians why do you make such a big deal about your Catholicism? As thankful as you are for being “led by the Spirit there” and all...
Take for example my identity is in Christ, my Baptism is in Christ, Ive died in Christ, etc. The Catholic church cant do any of those things for you...whats your hang up with Christianity?<<
We got a live one here!!!!
If you’re a Baptist (and I was a Baptist), then you’re a Protestant. There’s no way for you to avoid that appellation.
I hope you’re not getting your view of Christian history from “The Trail of Blood.” It would explain a lot about your posts, though.
Actually, Baptists were first called “anabaptists” because they wouldn’t baptise children. Baptists changed it to “Baptist,” to emphasise that they did indeed want to baptise people, but only after they had come to a satisfactory understanding why.
The Pope had nothing to do with either name, which were both handed to him post-facto from northern Europe.
Based on your “ping,” it looks like we’re thinking the same thing ;)
God bless ya, my FRiend. My 6-year old is dressed as a bumblebee for Halloween and I need to go home and take some pictures before she heads out.
Setting aside the ignorance of the "If?" question, Christ founded the Catholic Church. That is why it is a big deal: it's His Church.
whats your hang up with Christianity?
O good grief.
When did you stop beating your wife?
The hubby wore a leather jacket and “stick on” eyebrow piercing to work! I’ve got one black haired goth and a Wizard with a third eye.
My friend says, we go out for Halloween to show the Devil that he is not going to break our fun filled traditions, in fear of him!!
We shake our fists and go to church the next day!
Actually, no I’m not a protestant. I’ve read Trail of Blood and think it’s probably generally true, but more than that I’ve read the Bible. Jesus said he’d preserve His church. If there were no churches paralleling the Catholic domination than that makes Jesus a liar.
“Christ founded the Catholic Church.”
Christ did not establish a catholic church much less the Catholic Church.
The first time the youngest daughter walked into my sister's house for Christmas, she said, “It's just like the Soap Operas!”
Those were the days......
All well and good, but missing my point.
Historically the Catholic Church abolished Jewish holidays (since they had been "fulfilled" and were no longer necessary) but pursued the opposite tactic, inculturation, with regard to pagan holidays.
I don't want to get in a big argument but please try to think of it this way: the Catholic Church made lupercalia (valentine's day), pomonalia/samhain (halloween), and s*t*rnalia/sol invictus (chr*stmas) into into chr*stian holidays. It did not do this with Ro'sh HaShanah, the anniversary of the day Adam and Eve were created.
I'm asking a very simple question: why were pagan and Jewish holidays treated so differently by the ancient church? Why were pagan holidays chr*stianized while Jewish ones were considered obsolete and often proscribed as "judaizing?"
I am afraid this whole question ties in with an issue that Catholics don't seem to be able to understand. Anyone who can defend pagan holidays can defend Jewish ones. Anyone who can say "faith without works is dead" can acknowledge the validity of Torah observance.
Catholics/Orthodox/etc. simply do not seem to understand the simple Biblical sentimentalism of radical Protestants--that if there are valid rituals or holidays they should be Biblical Jewish ones, not extra-Biblical pagan ones; and if the Jewish rituals and holidays of the Bible are of no more use, then neither is any other kind of ritual or holiday.
In defending Catholic rituals and holidays Catholics must resort to using the same apologetics Judaism uses with regard to chr*stianity as a whole. In attacking Jewish rituals and holidays as obsolete they engage in an early (and inconsistent) form of Protestant antinomianism.
Does no one here at least understand the point I'm trying to make?
I understand your point, especially for Jewish Christians, from the point of view of cultural continuity, but it was decided at the Council of Jerusalem that gentiles would not be bound by the Torah in any way.
That being the case, mandating the observance of any of the Torah festivals would be wrong.
That said, I think it’s always a mistake to miss the opportunity for a good party. Again, Purim should be much more widely celebrated.
Hamantaschen for everybody!
There’s also warning on gas pumps not to use your cellphone while your pumping or you’ll start a fire even though it’s been proven that it’s the getting in and out of your car that crates the static buildup that makes the spark that makes the fire, not your phone. There’s good money keeping people scared, for one thing it helps make sure people buy pre-packaged high profit margin candy rather than cheaper stuff like fruit. It also helps keep distrust high, media and government both like it when neighbors don’t trust each other, keeps them from talking and finding out they don’t need the media or government.
But more than that, it's an American tradition. Trick or Treating and carving pumpkins. That's American. And that's why we do it.
And I like Jewish Holidays! Get me back to Fairlawn to Lou and Hy's for the end of Rosh Hashana and a nice knish. I'll be one happy woman.
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