Zone1 Peace between Catholics and Protestants!

[JoeB131]

Prosaic? I doubt I even reach that level. I easily accept we have no way of knowing exactly what happened on earth, and when it happened. I have no problem accepting miracles; I have no problem accepting natural phenomenon because I don't know what happened and have no way of knowing this. I can add a few more possibilities of my own--I have a talent for that. I embrace all possibilities because none of this matters to the story. Each Biblical account is presenting a lesson in a way the original audience understands and can pass it along to their children and future generations. The lesson interests--even fascinates--me.

But you miss the point. If something is "God's Will", like let's say, a plague that happened because David did a Census that God or Satan (the Bible can't agree on who) told him to do, then you have to wonder what the morale lesson is if it's just a natural plague. The Bible saw a linkage between this Census and the Plague (after which there were 70,000 less people).

When one actually knows God, 'impressive' doesn't begin to paint the picture. Any sneers are easily shrugged aside.

Yet only 1/4th of Humanity believes in your "God". The other three quarters believe in something else. What if you get to Jannah and find out the Muslims were right? What if I get to the afterlife and find out the Shintos were right, and Amaterasu wants to have a word with me about "Yellow Fever"?

At one point, Yahweh or Jehovah had very few followers, while Zeus had millions of adherents. Does that mean Zeus was the real deal?

One must know the Hebrew language and intimately understand Biblical culture of that time to understand what people were attempting to convey about God. Most non-believers give up and settle for "crazy uncle". Shrug.

Or one can make the interpretation that Bronze Age people just saw "God" as anything they couldn't otherwise explain.

The only thing that keeps religion alive today is that we are all afraid of death and want there to be something after it.

Did you fool the bishop?

I could make a really vulgar comment here about the Catholic Clergy, but I think I'll refrain.

 

[Meriweather]

But you miss the point. If something is "God's Will", like let's say, a plague that happened because David did a Census that God or Satan (the Bible can't agree on who) told him to do, then you have to wonder what the morale lesson is if it's just a natural plague. The Bible saw a linkage between this Census and the Plague (after which there were 70,000 less people).

No, I didn't miss the point. In Biblical times when God was openly disobeyed, people saw repercussions. We note the same occurring today. There are consequences for misbehavior. Calling attention to a population could bring negative attention. That was a practical consideration for not letting one's opponents know exactly who they were dealing with.

We can wonder about the possibility that Israel's enemies thought introducing a virus or plague to them to reduce their numbers. Did people have that basic knowledge of plagues and viruses? Or, it could be the plague appearing at the time of the census was mere happenstance. I don't know and I don't particularly care as the lesson has to do with obedience and trusting in God's ways and his word.

 

[Meriweather]

Yet only 1/4th of Humanity believes in your "God". The other three quarters believe in something else. What if you get to Jannah and find out the Muslims were right? What if I get to the afterlife and find out the Shintos were right, and Amaterasu wants to have a word with me about "Yellow Fever"?

At one point, Yahweh or Jehovah had very few followers, while Zeus had millions of adherents. Does that mean Zeus was the real deal?

You may find that disturbing, but I do not. God meets us where we are and draws us to Him from there. Scripture tells us that God's Law is embedded in every human heart. Can some religions/faiths be of better help than others? Probably. While there may be more than one way to skin a cat, there is probably one way that is most effective.

 

[Meriweather]

The only thing that keeps religion alive today is that we are all afraid of death and want there to be something after it.

I am sorry you are afraid of death. I am not. Nor have I met anyone who is. Most are more concerned with the manner of death, not death itself.

 

[JoeB131]

No, I didn't miss the point. In Biblical times when God was openly disobeyed, people saw repercussions. We note the same occurring today. There are consequences for misbehavior. Calling attention to a population could bring negative attention. That was a practical consideration for not letting one's opponents know exactly who they were dealing with.

That is just, bizarre.

I'm always amused when the tornado misses the brothel and hits the church.

We can wonder about the possibility that Israel's enemies thought introducing a virus or plague to them to reduce their numbers. Did people have that basic knowledge of plagues and viruses? Or, it could be the plague appearing at the time of the census was mere happenstance. I don't know and I don't particularly care as the lesson has to do with obedience and trusting in God's ways and his word.

Except David was following God's instructions (according to the second book of Samuel), or perhaps he was following Satan's (according to Chronicles).

In any event, the people who died of the plague didn't take the Census, David did. Seems a lot of people ended up dying for David's misdeeds.

You may find that disturbing, but I do not. God meets us where we are and draws us to Him from there. Scripture tells us that God's Law is embedded in every human heart. Can some religions/faiths be of better help than others? Probably. While there may be more than one way to skin a cat, there is probably one way that is most effective.

Um, okay. Too bad yours isn't it.

The Catholic Church is so profoundly corrupt it can't be fixed.

I am sorry you are afraid of death. I am not. Nor have I met anyone who is. Most are more concerned with the manner of death, not death itself.

Anyone who tells me they aren't afraid of death is a damned liar.

 

[Meriweather]

The Catholic Church is so profoundly corrupt it can't be fixed.

Remember the mirror: Often what we see in others is what we see in ourselves. Do you see yourself as corrupt? No person is perfect, and the Church is made up of people. This means the Church is not perfect. However, there is also goodness in people, which means the Church is also good. It's regrettable you cannot see the good.

Anyone who tells me they aren't afraid of death is a damned liar.

Grin. Another example of what you see in yourself you expect to be true for others. You must really fear death. Think about it. What causes this fear within you? What are you expecting that is so fearful? Are you afraid of the dark? Afraid to go to sleep? Perhaps that fear of death is actually fear of the unknown?

 

[ding]

Sounds like someone who actually could think, and Sister Mary Butch wasn't going to have any of that.

This woman spent 50 years curbing her lesbian tendencies by praising Jesus, and darn it, some snot-nosed kid asking an obvious question wasn't going to mess that up for her!

Sister Mary Butch?

It’s funny how you people preach tolerance and then show your intolerance by using slurs like that. Methinks the lady dost protest too much.

 

[Zebra]

The Catholic Church is so profoundly corrupt it can't be fixed.

remember the thread title!

 

[ding]

Anyone who tells me they aren't afraid of death is a damned liar.

The flesh is of no avail. You came from dust and to dust you shall return.

 

[ding]

Except David was following God's instructions (according to the second book of Samuel), or perhaps he was following Satan's (according to Chronicles).

In any event, the people who died of the plague didn't take the Census, David did. Seems a lot of people ended up dying for David's misdeeds.

Life is unfair. Expect to make sacrifices.

 

[ding]

The Catholic Church is so profoundly corrupt it can't be fixed.

Would you like to abolish the Catholic Church?

 

[ding]

remember the thread title!

Typically it’s the minority religions attacking the dominant religion of the land.

 

[ding]

Anyone who tells me they aren't afraid of death is a damned liar.

I’m too busy with living life to worry about death. Do you stay up late at night worrying about dying?

 

[JoeB131]

Remember the mirror: Often what we see in others is what we see in ourselves. Do you see yourself as corrupt? No person is perfect, and the Church is made up of people. This means the Church is not perfect. However, there is also goodness in people, which means the Church is also good. It's regrettable you cannot see the good.

I freely admit to my flaws.


I don't tell anyone how to live.
I don't tell them that horrible things are going to happen to them if they don't live the way I want them to.
And when someone they loved dies, I sure as hell don't say anything as totally f**ked up as "God had a reason for that."

Grin. Another example of what you see in yourself you expect to be true for others. You must really fear death. Think about it. What causes this fear within you? What are you expecting that is so fearful? Are you afraid of the dark? Afraid to go to sleep? Perhaps that fear of death is actually fear of the unknown?

I never met a dying person, many of whom were religious, who wasn't absolutely terrified at the end.

If you guys were so sure your life after death was so wonderful, you'd all be playing in traffic. But other than the Branch Davidians and People's Temple, most of you God-botherers are too in love with life to want to leave it.

 

[Meriweather]

I never met a dying person, many of whom were religious, who wasn't absolutely terrified at the end.

If you guys were so sure your life after death was so wonderful, you'd all be playing in traffic. But other than the Branch Davidians and People's Temple, most of you God-botherers are too in love with life to want to leave it.

Hmm. I have worked with the elderly and the dying. Not one of them was fearful or afraid of their impending death. Many of them were joyful about the lives they had lived, but were also ready for the next step.

 

[Meriweather]

I don't tell anyone how to live.

Have you ever told anyone they should do the same?

 

[JoeB131]

Hmm. I have worked with the elderly and the dying. Not one of them was fearful or afraid of their impending death. Many of them were joyful about the lives they had lived, but were also ready for the next step.

Okay, if you say so.

Have you ever told anyone they should do the same?

Religious crazies all the time when they obsess about abortion or gay sex.

 

[ding]

Religious crazies all the time when they obsess about abortion or gay sex.

But when you discuss those topics it’s ok?

 

[The Irish Ram]

who is a heretic?

Anyone who believes something about Christ that is not true.

Non-Catholics believe you can be saved outside His Church (Catholic), but that is heresy and was condemned as such by not just one Council in history. Extra ecclessium nulla salus

That is Latin for

Outside the Church there is no salvation

^ Lie.
What church did the thief on the cross attend?

 

[Zebra]

Peace be with you all!