This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
Umile · 41-45, F
I think Catholics are Christians.
I'm no Catholic, so correct me if I'm wrong.
Christianity means following the Lord and his son.
I'm no Catholic, so correct me if I'm wrong.
Christianity means following the Lord and his son.
IM5688 · 61-69, M
@Umile The RCC considers themselves to be Christian as they do consider Christ to be the Son of God, but that's where it ends for them.
As you stated, "Christianity means following the Lord and his son." To follow either, you must follow and adhere to their teachings. The RCC does not follow the teachings of God or Christ as they make up their own, non - Biblically based rites, rituals and laws.
For example,
The Bible states that you must confess your sins to God through Christ and your sins will be forgiven.
The RCC says it's okay to confess your sins to your priest, say a few Hail Mary's or Our Father's, and the priest will forgive your sins. The priest has no authority to forgive sin and even if he did, saying prayers to Mary will not do it.
The Bible tells you not to pray to or worship Saints, but the RCC has saints for almost everything and encourage their people to pray to them.
The Bible states that Christ is the head of the church. Ask any Catholic who is the head of the church and I'll bet most, if not all, will say the Pope.
Thou shall not worship or bow down to any graven image. But the RCC has graven images of saints, Mary, and even of Christ himself and encourage the bowing, kneeling and praying to them.
This is just a few of what the RCC considers following Christianity, but it doesn't and it's not.
As you stated, "Christianity means following the Lord and his son." To follow either, you must follow and adhere to their teachings. The RCC does not follow the teachings of God or Christ as they make up their own, non - Biblically based rites, rituals and laws.
For example,
The Bible states that you must confess your sins to God through Christ and your sins will be forgiven.
The RCC says it's okay to confess your sins to your priest, say a few Hail Mary's or Our Father's, and the priest will forgive your sins. The priest has no authority to forgive sin and even if he did, saying prayers to Mary will not do it.
The Bible tells you not to pray to or worship Saints, but the RCC has saints for almost everything and encourage their people to pray to them.
The Bible states that Christ is the head of the church. Ask any Catholic who is the head of the church and I'll bet most, if not all, will say the Pope.
Thou shall not worship or bow down to any graven image. But the RCC has graven images of saints, Mary, and even of Christ himself and encourage the bowing, kneeling and praying to them.
This is just a few of what the RCC considers following Christianity, but it doesn't and it's not.
Umile · 41-45, F
@IM5688 I get what you're trying to say. That they don't follow the Bible word for word. That they don't follow it strictly.
But, what Religion actually follows the teachings of the Bible word for word ? What Religion doesn't add to the Lords teachings in some type of way?
Is it fair to negate them as Christians because they add to their religion ?
It would make sense if they weren't following his words at all.
But, yes. Tomato, To Mah Toe.
Let's agree to disagree.
But, what Religion actually follows the teachings of the Bible word for word ? What Religion doesn't add to the Lords teachings in some type of way?
Is it fair to negate them as Christians because they add to their religion ?
It would make sense if they weren't following his words at all.
But, yes. Tomato, To Mah Toe.
Let's agree to disagree.
IM5688 · 61-69, M
@Umile It's not that they don't follow the Bible, (and they don't,) it's that they add their own teachings, rules, etc. that are not based on anything biblical or on anything God or Christ has told us.
Yes, agreed, many other religions do teach things differently, in their own way, but they still follow the biblical teachings of Christ. The RCC does not, and if you deliberately don't follow the teachings of Christ, how can you be or call yourself a Christian?
Yes, agreed, many other religions do teach things differently, in their own way, but they still follow the biblical teachings of Christ. The RCC does not, and if you deliberately don't follow the teachings of Christ, how can you be or call yourself a Christian?
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@IM5688
When you really think about it, why should Christianity exist at all? People claim to believe in the Bible, which is a collection of ancient ethnocentric Middle Eastern Jewish religious fairytales. The thing is that even Judaism doesn't believe in all of the Bible. Yet, non-Jews have adopted it as their own and worship the Jewish deity and the Jewish high priest Jesus as their own mainly because they think that he will give them eternal life in heaven although he never had anything to do with Gentiles.
One of the main benefits of Christianity is that it offers clever men a way to gain power and prestige by providing them a way to establish their own religious franchises. There are lots of main branches that have been in business for centuries. In today's world assorted prosperity preaches have been successful in establishing their own private megachurches as personal businesses.
Christianity as a religion is based on the claim that the Jesus character was crucified, died, and was resurrected after three days. Even the Bible says that if that is not true then the whole thing is just BS. The Sadducees didn't believe any of it.
The bottom line is that there is no real reason for the average person to be a Christian when he should simply convert to Judaism since he believes in the Jewish God and in the Jewish high priest called Jesus. Of course, most Jews don't accept Jesus so there's that hurdle. And then most Protestant preachers would lose their businesses and source of income.
It's not that they don't follow the Bible, (and they don't,) it's that they add their own teachings, rules, etc. that are not based on anything biblical or on anything God or Christ has told us.
Yes, agreed, many other religions do teach things differently, in their own way, but they still follow the biblical teachings of Christ. The RCC does not, and if you deliberately don't follow the teachings of Christ, how can you be or call yourself a Christian?
Yes, agreed, many other religions do teach things differently, in their own way, but they still follow the biblical teachings of Christ. The RCC does not, and if you deliberately don't follow the teachings of Christ, how can you be or call yourself a Christian?
When you really think about it, why should Christianity exist at all? People claim to believe in the Bible, which is a collection of ancient ethnocentric Middle Eastern Jewish religious fairytales. The thing is that even Judaism doesn't believe in all of the Bible. Yet, non-Jews have adopted it as their own and worship the Jewish deity and the Jewish high priest Jesus as their own mainly because they think that he will give them eternal life in heaven although he never had anything to do with Gentiles.
One of the main benefits of Christianity is that it offers clever men a way to gain power and prestige by providing them a way to establish their own religious franchises. There are lots of main branches that have been in business for centuries. In today's world assorted prosperity preaches have been successful in establishing their own private megachurches as personal businesses.
Christianity as a religion is based on the claim that the Jesus character was crucified, died, and was resurrected after three days. Even the Bible says that if that is not true then the whole thing is just BS. The Sadducees didn't believe any of it.
The bottom line is that there is no real reason for the average person to be a Christian when he should simply convert to Judaism since he believes in the Jewish God and in the Jewish high priest called Jesus. Of course, most Jews don't accept Jesus so there's that hurdle. And then most Protestant preachers would lose their businesses and source of income.
IM5688 · 61-69, M
@Diotrephes John 3:116-17, 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Yes, the Jews do not accept Christ as their Messiah, but rather as another prophet. It is for this reason that they adhere to the Old Testament and not the New Testament. Even though Christ fulfilled the prophecy written in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, (chapter 53,) many Jews do not accept Christ.
Yes, the Jews do not accept Christ as their Messiah, but rather as another prophet. It is for this reason that they adhere to the Old Testament and not the New Testament. Even though Christ fulfilled the prophecy written in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, (chapter 53,) many Jews do not accept Christ.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@IM5688
The thing is that since Christians usually claim to believe in the entire Bible and worship the Jewish God and the Jewish high priest Jesus, that should make them more Jewish than the self-proclaimed Jews. So, in reality per religious beliefs, the self-proclaimed Chistians are the real Jews and the self-proclaimed Jews are not, based upon the Bible.
John 3:116-17, 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Yes, the Jews do not accept Christ as their Messiah, but rather as another prophet. It is for this reason that they adhere to the Old Testament and not the New Testament. Even though Christ fulfilled the prophecy written in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, (chapter 53,) many Jews do not accept Christ.
Yes, the Jews do not accept Christ as their Messiah, but rather as another prophet. It is for this reason that they adhere to the Old Testament and not the New Testament. Even though Christ fulfilled the prophecy written in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, (chapter 53,) many Jews do not accept Christ.
The thing is that since Christians usually claim to believe in the entire Bible and worship the Jewish God and the Jewish high priest Jesus, that should make them more Jewish than the self-proclaimed Jews. So, in reality per religious beliefs, the self-proclaimed Chistians are the real Jews and the self-proclaimed Jews are not, based upon the Bible.