What do you find to be strange or unusual about Catholic Beliefs (hell, prophets)
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No, the bible states that man is sinful. Not to mention the part about the ONLY way to God is though his son. Let's be honest here. The saints were created to help Pagans feel more at ease about becoming Christians
It's not honest at all, but a popular and fairly recent misconception arising with the emergence of neo-paganism. There wasn't some sort of committee sitting around trying to figure out ways to dupe older religions into becoming Christian. The church wasn't even yet centrally organized in Rome at the point when the idea of sainthood became part of Chrisianity.
The first of the revered dead were the martyrs that died in the persecutions of the early centuries. After Christianity was adopted by world leaders for political purposes in third and fourth centuries, persecutions ended and with that, opportunities for martyrdom. Some people began to rebel against the establishment of the church as an organization that mirrored the ruling organizations, and so the hermits and monks began to withdraw into deserts and remote places and some of them became the early saints to replace the martyrs about whom people told stories and looked up to. Other saints were missionaries or bishops or people who had suffered in some way for the faith, and of course sometimes miracles were attributed to these saints, which was good for business in the village with which the saint was associated.
The point is that sainthood was not some sort of deliberate effort at replacement of previous theologies, but a natural progression of the development of a religion in the places to which it spread. Many religions end up with similar practices to one another, not because they steal ideas but because everyone in the various religions are human and we all tend to come up with similar ideas. And of course, cultures mix and pick up cultural practices from one another naturally.
Buddhists and Christians both were big on monasticism, for example, because people felt the need to withdraw from the established world of their respective religions. It doesn't mean one copied the other, it just means that it's something humans do in certain times and situations as a spiritual need.
Buddhists and Christians both were big on monasticism, for example, because people felt the need to withdraw from the established world of their respective religions. It doesn't mean one copied the other, it just means that it's something humans do in certain times and situations as a spiritual need.
I'm not sufficiently grounded in the history of early Buddhist intentional religious communites
to comment on the reasons for their establishment, so I won't interject on that, however
I feel the need to correct your assertion concerning Christians.
Eastern and Western monasticism in the Christian tradition did not begin "to withdraw
from the established world of its respective religion". It was sponsored by those bodies of
religious leadership intentionally.
I'm not sufficiently grounded in the history of early Buddhist intentional religious communites
to comment on the reasons for their establishment, so I won't interject on that, however
I feel the need to correct your assertion concerning Christians.
Eastern and Western monasticism in the Christian tradition did not begin "to withdraw
from the established world of its respective religion". It was sponsored by those bodies of
religious leadership intentionally.
Not from what I read. Of course, sources may vary, but I'm reading that individuals in the third century in Syria and Egypt were setting themselves aside either in solitary or in communities as a backlash to the church becoming more worldly. Later groups would be formed under a particular bishop, and eventually, under the umbrella of the Roman church.
It's not honest at all, but a popular and fairly recent misconception arising with the emergence of neo-paganism. There wasn't some sort of committee sitting around trying to figure out ways to dupe older religions into becoming Christian. The church wasn't even yet centrally organized in Rome at the point when the idea of sainthood became part of Christianity.
I'm not saying that there was a committee, but come on every holiday was pagan at one time. Praying to Jesus's mother. Can't get anymore pagan then praying to a female deity. Wells which people drew their water from which was said to have healing powers we blessed by Catholic priest. I could go on but you get the point.
I'm not saying that there was a committee, but come on every holiday was pagan at one time. Praying to Jesus's mother. Can't get anymore pagan then praying to a female deity. Wells which people drew their water from which was said to have healing powers we blessed by Catholic priest. I could go on but you get the point.
I am not arguing with you. That is just common knowledge. Sidebar: Did you know that in the early days of Christianity the Holy Spirit was referred to as a she?
I'm saying the mixing occurs because of human tendencies to believe similar things.
I am not arguing with you. That is just common knowledge. Sidebar: Did you know that in the early days of Christianity the Holy Spirit was referred to as a she?
.
I think I might of heard of that one not sure but that's cool to know.
That Catholics believe that the pope is somehow holier than other people. He's just another sinful human. Read the Bible.
Catholic theology is that we are all to strive for holiness. Of course the pope commits sin. Even he would admit that, and he frequently attends confession.
But that's not Catholicism to begin with. It has always been a Bible+Tradition religion. Your argument is from the POV of fundamentalist Christians, who do believe the bible is the Infallible be-all and end-all of guidance for Christians. Not even many Protestant churches buy into that idea.
Yes, but it's even more irritating when the poster continues to lie about what the tradition involves.
To pray simply means to ask. When Catholics pray to the saints, we're asking them to advocate for us to God. It is no different than you asking a friend to pray for you. We just believe the saints carry more weight than your friends.
Why would it carry more weight? Does God care about academic credentials and resumes? Does who you know carry much weight in God's eyes?
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