Catholicism Serious answers, please Is there another Catholic? He thinks that Pope Francis...

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes We are all idol worshippers. The primary idol is the self. It is a non-existent illusion but it is real to you. The image you see in the mirror is that of the body. It is the idol of you.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251

We are all idol worshippers. The primary idol is the self. It is a non-existent illusion but it is real to you. The image you see in the mirror is that of the body. It is the idol of you.

Aren't you a god?
Psalm 82:6 (MEV) =
I have said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you,"

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes

Aren't you a god?

I don't accept the Old Testament.

As I said, the idol we worship is the self as represented by the body.

Catholic theology posits the origination of the self as God. The worship of God instead of the self has been wrongly understood as devotion to a supernatural Creator. It is the negation of the self, the ending of idol worship in the attainment of selflessness, that is the thrust of becoming Christlike.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251

I don't accept the Old Testament.

As I said, the idol we worship is the self as represented by the body.

Catholic theology posits the origination of the self as God. The worship of God instead of the self has been wrongly understood as devotion to a supernatural Creator. It is the negation of the self, the ending of idol worship in the attainment of selflessness, that is the thrust of becoming Christlike.

If you don't accept the Old Testament, then how can you believe in God?

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes

If you don't accept the Old Testament, then how can you believe in God?

I did point out that "God" is not what is presented in Judaism. The teaching of Jesus is central to a religious life in the attainment of freedom from the self. It is a fundamentally different approach.

As the story went, Jesus was rejected by the Jews whose religion was Judaism. The Bible incorporated the Old Testament because it was compiled by apostate Jews who used Jesus' teaching to form another denomination of Judaism: Christianity.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251 OK.

But the Jesus character was born as the king of the Jews and died as the king of the Jews.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes

But the Jesus character was born as the king of the Jews and died as the king of the Jews

Yes, that is the biblical story created by apostate Jews, the precursors of Christians. This is something that Jews understand but not Christians. At any rate, what inspired the growth of a world religion with a mass appeal to more than a billion people was Jesus' teaching. It is the only thing in the Bible that has no connection to the tribal cult of the Jews.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251

Yes, that is the biblical story created by apostate Jews, the precursors of Christians. This is something that Jews understand but not Christians. At any rate, what inspired the growth of a world religion with a mass appeal to more than a billion people was Jesus' teaching. It is the only thing in the Bible that has no connection to the tribal cult of the Jews.

Hardly anyone actually follows Jesus' teachings. He was all about the Jews and didn't concern himself with the Gentiles.

Paul is the guy who created Christianity and his teachings are different than what the writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John attributed to Jesus. But then only a few people follow all of what Paul preached.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes

Hardly anyone actually follows Jesus' teachings. He was all about the Jews and didn't concern himself with the Gentiles.

I am not sure what you might mean but you sound right on the money.

Paul is the guy who created Christianity and his teachings are different than what the writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John attributed to Jesus. But then only a few people follow all of what Paul preached.

I can't comment on your observation because I pay no attention to either the New Testament or the Old Testament. You are right about Paul being instrumental in creating Christianity. The Vatican has played a powerful role in shaping western culture.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251

I can't comment on your observation because I pay no attention to either the New Testament or the Old Testament. You are right about Paul being instrumental in creating Christianity. The Vatican has played a powerful role in shaping western culture.

Religions are mainly BS but they are very important in creating and in maintaining strong and vibrant societies. When you look at world history you will see that the societies that flourished and were successful all had a strong central religion. What the religion was isn't that important. What is important is that it united the people. Societies that never had such a religion were not successful and failed.

The attempts to replace religions with politicial movements have not been successful as a rule. Communism has had limited success but it is going down the drain.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes

Religions are mainly BS but they are very important in creating and in maintaining strong and vibrant societies. When you look at world history you will see that the societies that flourished and were successful all had a strong central religion. What the religion was isn't that important. What is important is that it united the people. Societies that never had such a religion were not successful and failed.

Absolutely. I agree with you 100%. This is the role of religion and its indispensability for a civilized society. Religion is not about God. It is about maintaining a modicum of civility, compassion, and decency in society. This is why I am against the attack on Christianity in the west; especially, here in the US.

The attempts to replace religions with politicial movements have not been successful as a rule. Communism has had limited success but it is going down the drain.

This is true even for America. All societies, east or west, regardless of political systems, are controlled by elites in the same way the clergy minister to the laity in every religious community. The attack on Christianity is degrading western nations. We are no longer providing a calming influence on international order.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251 Good points.

I'm not religious but without a strong religion a society can easily end up like Haiti is right now.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes

I'm not religious but without a strong religion a society can easily end up like Haiti is right now.

I think what you mean is that you are not a practitioner of religious rituals. However, you believe in a need for order in human society, the kind that regulates the flow of seasons, the alternation of night and day, the flow of tides, the birth and death of all things.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251

I think what you mean is that you are not a practitioner of religious rituals. However, you believe in a need for order in human society, the kind that regulates the flow of seasons, the alternation of night and day, the flow of tides, the birth and death of all things.

That's a great insight. I really haven't thought of it that way but it does seem logical. Thanks for sharing.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@Diotrephes

That's a great insight. I really haven't thought of it that way but it does seem logical. Thanks for sharing.

And thanks for a stimulating conversation. I doubt it is my insight. I must have regurgitated a distillation of a massive amount of spiritual musings I read from other people like you.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@sree251

And thanks for a stimulating conversation. I doubt it is my insight. I must have regurgitated a distillation of a massive amount of spiritual musings I read from other people like you.

The best thing about a forum such as this (the best I've ever been on) is that we are exposed to new ideas and different perspectives so that even if people strongly disagree, they can do further research that might increase their understanding of the issue.

missyann · 56-60

@sree251 AMEN AMEN

TrashCat · M

@Diotrephes Absolutely right

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@TrashCat

Absolutely right

It seems strange that they will believe everything else in the Bible but willfully ignore all of the passages that forbid idols.

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