Quote:
Originally Posted by Hans12
I think i have asked this one time before, but I didn't get a clear answer. Who decides if one is going to Heaven or Hell? The pope can give indulgences to lessen the time in purgatory, but has he\they (The Vatican) anything to do with if one is going to Heaven or Hell?
This is from an article about indulgences: «The concept of indulgences date back to the 1300s, when popes began to teach that because the church had the power from Christ to forgive sins, the church also had the power to reduce the amount of time one spent in purgatory»
Thanks
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Indulgences were a form of spiritual tyranny, of financial extortion. There is no mention of exception by financial donation in the Bible at all, anywhere. Personally I even have a problem with percentages required for donations - or tithing as some call it. It isn't in the New Testament either.
Financial regulations date even further back. In the first few centuries of the church, meetings were held in private homes or in venues by temporary arrangement. There was no church real estate program. Neither was there a salaried class of priests and administrators. All of that changed with the conversion of Roman Emperor Constantine.
After the conversion of Constantine in the early forth century, the church became an officially recognized religion of the state.
Pro: Christians were no longer persecuted as a matter of state policy.
Con: Christians became subjugated to institutional restrictions.
Issues of leadership became paramount in the newly established liturgical authority. One of the first divisions caused by this scramble for financial gain and institutional power was west vs. east. The orthodox church of the east in Constantinople (Greek) vs. the church of Rome (Latin). The split continues to this day as do the trappings of institutional religion.
European Protestantism came along centuries later in a loud and violent effort to break away, but not to break away from institutional religion. Once again it was a power play pure and simple. All sorts of scripture references were used to justify the mayhem and confusion, but in the end Europe was left with the same institution but with different leaders.
As to Purgatory, the ideology is based upon the ancient Hebrew scripture of sheol (and borrowed from the Greek tradition of hades). Neither are as well defined as NT Christian scripture about heaven and hell. As a result, the new Christian institution fell into abuse of the idea. As usual spiritual concepts and teachings were perverted for the sake of political control, fear mongering, and financial gain.
Beware of men who tie your eternal salvation to money. Salvation is available only through the blood of Christ crucified. None other.
and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...
PS
It is often said that salvation is free in the name of Jesus Christ. Why is it that once a man becomes a Christian, he owes a religious tax for the rest of his life? Does that make sense to you?
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