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To: Alamo-Girl; CynicalBear
"Heart-Rest: So you think that God does not have the power to transform a thing used by pagans for pagan purposes into a holy thing, used for holy purposes?

Actually, Aaron already tried that when he announced that they would feast to the LORD in front of the golden calf.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

No, Alamo-Girl, worshiping a golden calf is NOT by any stretch using gold for a holy purpose. (Or do you think it is?)

Rather, transforming that gold from it's pagan purpose (a golden calf) into a holy thing used for a holy purpose, would honestly, truthfully, be more like the following.

Using the gold for THIS holy purpose:

"They shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it, and you shall make upon it a molding of gold round about. And you shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold."    Exodus 25:10-13

Or using the gold for THIS holy purpose:

"Then you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat."    Exodus 25:17-18

Or using the gold for THIS holy purpose:

"And you shall make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold around it. And you shall make around it a frame a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the frame. And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour libations; of pure gold you shall make them. And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me always."    Exodus 25:23-30

Or using the gold for THIS holy purpose:

"And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its capitals, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it; and there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand; and on the lampstand itself four cups made like almonds, with their capitals and flowers, and a capital of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. Their capitals and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one piece of hammered work of pure gold. And you shall make the seven lamps for it; and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light upon the space in front of it. Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made, with all these utensils. And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain."    Exodus 25:31-408

(etc., etc., etc.)

Do you understand the difference?

341 posted on 09/03/2013 6:56:49 PM PDT by Heart-Rest (Good reading ==> | ncregister.com | catholic.com | ewtn.com | newadvent.org |)
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To: Heart-Rest; CynicalBear
Evidently, you missed the point entirely because my comment had nothing to do with the substance we call "gold" but rather that Aaron thought he could feast to the Lord in front of the idol, the golden calf. Which is to say, he wanted to have his cake and eat it, too.

Again, with the relevant part emphasized again:

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring [them] unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron. And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow [is] a feast to the LORD. - Exodus 32:1-5

God was not pleased at all.

To God be the glory, not man, never man.

343 posted on 09/03/2013 7:04:56 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Heart-Rest; Alamo-Girl
>> Do you understand the difference?<<

I see a total changing of the subject to somehow confuse the issue. Let’s look again at what the RCC says.

“When we give or receive Christmas gifts; or hang green wreaths in our homes and churches, how many of us know that we are probably observing pagan customs...the god, Woden, in Norse Mythology, descends upon the earth yearly between December 25th and January 6th to bless mankind...But pagan though they be, they are beautiful customs. They help inspire us with the spirit of 'good will to men', even as the sublime service of our Church reminds us of the ‘peace on earth’ which the babe of Bethlehem came to bestow” (Externals of the Catholic Church, 140).

It admits that they are pagan and that the RCC has taken them from the pagans to use in serving God. That is in direct opposition to what God said.

Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God

344 posted on 09/03/2013 7:05:24 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: Heart-Rest
"Exodus 25:31-408" should be "Exodus 25:31-40".

  

347 posted on 09/03/2013 7:10:59 PM PDT by Heart-Rest (Good reading ==> | ncregister.com | catholic.com | ewtn.com | newadvent.org |)
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