Posted on 03/13/2013 8:11:02 AM PDT by opbuzz
And traditions are how we keep a bond with those who came before us.
So, how is the leadership of your church chosen? Every non-Catholic Christian denomination uses some sort of committee to determine who their Pastor will be.
Denominations, such as Baptists, vote also, on who their leadership will be.
So..., Roman Catholics vote on who its leader will be, and use smoke to communicate that a leader has been chosen.
What does picking leadership have to do with blasphemy?
Again, I don’t see how you are connecting the two.
I’d argue that you are missing the point. But you know full well the point is that smoke, tweets, or anything else is just unnecessary as this whole process is unbiblical.
So you’re right. I am complaining over silly (selecting a pope) things.
You say "No different that asking Dad for a raise in allowance and ALSO asking MOM to talk to him FOR you."
I say: Romans 8:26. If I have the Holy Spirit, one of the Trinity of the Living God, interceding for me then of what benefit is praying to a human, even one that has gone on to heaven? The inner curtain of the temple was torn asunder because we no longer need another human to intercede for us.
Now that is just my opinion based on my limited understanding and I have no claim to divine revelation. I would be delighted to have you to offer some evidence in the form of scripture rather that just simply implying I'm thick for not agreeing with you (no matter how accurate that implication may be).
Thank you,
Pan
(Mark 10
20
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21
And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
24
And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
25
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
The worst of the churches can be right on some issues and the best of the churches can be wrong, and the same apply to any individual, that is why we have Christs word.
BTW - God picked out David but I’m sure you would have picked someone not sinful.
God didn't build His Church on David, hence a faulty syllogism
The only sinless person born was Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Where do you get that from Scripture?
Now that must really frost you. Cal, you are screwed up. Go to confession and straighten out.
A lot of judgement, supposition and emotion there. Three Hail Marys for you.
No, but aren't you Protestants all about Fellowship? Isn't that one of your criteria when Church shopping?
As far as Papal March Madness - i.e. who'll come out of the Sweet Sistine - if you can't make little jokes about the things you love, it ain't love, it's an obsession.
I understand your opinion. I’m a believer in hypocrisy myself. It’s the next best thing to authenticity.
The Louisville Cardinals for sure.
Yes.
Have you read the books of Numbers and Exodus?
;)
OH, make no mistake, you don't have to convince me of that. I already knew that. I was just shocked to hear the same kind of tired arguments I read countless times here on FR (and elsewhere) repeated by someone I *had* intellectual respect for.
IOW, I've seen better arguments against Catholicism than has just been regurgitated by Cal. Every single one of these "arguments" can be and are refuted by a reasonable person, to another reasonable person.
It's only the obstinate among the "evangelical Christian" who refuse to accept that fact.
Allow me to close this discussion thusly:
The Roman Catholic Church has its beliefs, published in its various books.
Other Christians have their beliefs, published in its various books (Book of Concord, etc.)
Cal Thomas has expressed a point of view during a period of time Roman Catholics are electing a new leader.
So what? People of different religions disagree. What is new? One is free to believe or not believe as they choose. Once again, so what?
How was the Bible assembled? Who decided which Hebrew scripture to include? Who wrote what became the New Testament?
Luther? Wesley? Mahareshi?
Please explain yourself.
I myself am very against the traditions of man and always go back the he scrpiture. Christ said he never changed, yet the Church it self has changed many times, adding to what is needed, required, etc. This just isn't against the Catholic Church, it goes for the Orthodox faiths and Anglican faiths as well.
If the theif on the cross and the thousands mentioned in the book of Acts can be saved by declaring Christ is the Lord, then it can still happen today.
From Cardinal Dolan
We cardinals here in Rome – – along with all our brothers in the Sacrament of Holy Orders – – take our task of teachers of the faith very seriously.
These days in the Eternal City offer us a welcome occasion to do that. I sure have enjoyed my meetings with people here, especially the journalists, who give me the chance to teach.
It’s clear to me that there are quite a few misconceptions out there about the church. Let me mention a few to you.
One would be that the Pope has a divine status in the Church. True, while Catholics love the Holy Father, and consider loyalty to him a virtue, we hardly consider him divine! He is the Successor of St. Peter, whom we believe Jesus appointed earthly pastor of His Church (Mt. 16). And anyone familiar with St. Peter, as shown in the New Testament, knows that he was far from divine! In fact, our first Pope was a big sinner. He denied even knowing Jesus at the very time the Lord needed his friend Peter the most.
An inquirer even used the word “worshiper” when referring to us Catholics in relation to the Pope. That’s malarkey! We can only worship the one true God, not any mere mortal, no matter how revered his office may be, or we violate the first commandment.
A second common misperception is that a new Pope can “change doctrine.” That, of course, is impossible. Catholicism is a revealed religion, meaning we believe that God has told us about Himself and about the meaning of life, primarily by sending us His Son as the “Word made flesh.”
To preserve this truth, to “pass on” the faith to our children, is at the very essence of the Church, and the “job description” of the Pope. He cannot change the deposit of faith.
Some have the impression that we are electing a man who has a “platform,” who can decide new “policies” for the Church. We are not.
Yes, a new Pope can develop fresh, new strategies to better, and more effectively, teach the doctrines of the faith. In fact, this is a big part of what we call the New Evangelization: to express the timeless truths of the faith – – especially the message and mystery of the Person who called himself the Truth, Jesus – – in a timely, radiant, more compelling way.
Remember the way Good Pope John explained it on the eve of the opening of the Second Vatican Council? The faith of the Church is a gift that cannot be altered, he remarked. But, the way this gift is “wrapped” can! That is always a challenge for a Pope.
In other words, the how of our teaching can change; the what of it cannot.
Because, as Billy Graham used to say, the aim of life is to change our lives to conform to God’s will, not to change God’s will to match ours. We let God re-create us in His image; we do not attempt to create God in our image!
Finally, some tease me that we are here to elect a “new boss.” Yes, while I look forward to pledging my obedience to our new Holy Father, I also recognize that his ancient title is “servant of the servants of God.” Following Jesus, he will be elected to serve, not to be served.
And, he will hardly be a “boss” who tells us what to do, but a shepherd who invites us to walk with him on a journey to eternal life in company with Jesus and His Church. As Blessed John Paul II observed, “The Church proposes, not imposes.”
There you have a view of the misunderstandings.
Keep us in prayer, please. Let’s hope we get home soon – – I’m running out of socks
You didn’t answer my question. Do you think the Lord would allow Himself, the Holy of Holies, to be born of someone sinful, someone who had lied, fornicated, stolen or killed? God hates sin. Its preposterous to even consider.
Here, it I post the following from the Catholic Answers website...
Full Question:
I don’t see why Mary had to be sinless to pass on a sinless human nature to Christ.
Answer
Mary’s sinlessness derives from the fact that she is the human vessel through which God himself became man. It was from her flesh that Christ received his human nature.
Because Christ is God, it’s fitting that he took his humanity from a sinless human nature, although it wasn’t strictly necessary that his mother be sinless for him to receive from her a sinless human nature. God could have done it another way.
Nor was it absolutely necessary that Christ be born of a virgin. He could have come into the world via the normal route. The fact that Mary was a virgin and conceived Christ isn’t so much a statement about Mary as it is about the dignity of the child she carried in her womb.
Likewise (and ultimately) the Immaculate Conception isn’t so much a statement about the dignity of Mary as it is a statement about the dignity of her son. It points out who he is—God incarnate.
The whole process is un-Biblical?
I think about the 5 points of Calvinism a lot, but it doesn't matter as the Bible clearly teaches those who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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