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Is Christianity the religion of idolatry?
- Thread starter Estro Felino
- Start date
Saint Luke, mostly...
I believe in a man that becomes divine, so he stops waging wars.
In Christianity there is no negative, pessimistic and tragic vision of man and humanity. Which is present in other similar religions.
A man doomed to sin.
Mary has showed us that changing is possible. Evolving into better creatures.
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I found this...
The Hail Mary is composed of three parts. The first two parts are from the New Testament written by Saint Luke.
“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke 1:28), are the greetings of the Angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation.
“Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42), are the greetings of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, who was soon to become the mother of St. John the Baptist. These words were spoken at the Visitation. Taken together, these two passages are the two times Mary is greeted in Chapter 1 of Luke.
The words “Mary” and “Jesus” along with “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” were added by the Church.
The History of the Hail Mary Prayer - Catholic Gallery
History of the Hail Mary Prayer. It consists of 3 parts, 2 from the gospel of Luke and the last part was added by the Church. Hence Hail Mary is Biblical.
www.catholicgallery.org
@Rival is correct. Mostly... 
IndigoChild5559
Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
I fully understand that Catholics are not worshiping Mary as God -- you all make it very clear that the only God is your Trinitarian God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, not Mary or the saints.
However, the issue of worshiping the man Jesus is quite another matter. Worshiping ANY man is idolatry.
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man...nor a son of man.
1 Samuel 15:29 for he is not a man
Hosea 11:9 I am God and not a man
Job 9:32 For he is not a man
McBell
Unbound
Idolatry is defined as the worship of idols.
Idol is defined as an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.
Now since the definition of idol does not say that the idol is being worshipped but merely as an object used to represent the worshipped deity, would that not mean that, at least for some, the Rosary, Cross, and Bible fit the definition of Idol?
This is very well said, and I agree with what you write here. In my experience, this is how some Protestants are toward Catholics. For instance, I’ve heard ‘I worship what is unseen’ in reference to Catholic use of images. Also, I’ve heard someone insist that there is absolutely no difference between worship and veneration. Why? So that the person could call Catholics ‘Mary worshippers’ and feel good about themself.
If more individuals were to view Truth (with an uppercase t) as multifarious, they would be pluralists with respect to other religions, philosophies, and theological positions. They would feel good about themselves not for being ‘right’ and thereby ‘better’ than others but for being secure in their own positions and able to recognize the validity and value of other positions.
Yes, I understand.
If Jesus were a man, it would be idolatry, or kinda.
Jesus is God, though. So it makes sense.
Idol worship to me means we only pay lip service to our beliefs believing that the tongue is a sufficient media of belief when it is not and is a major cause of hypocrisy and deceit in the world. Of what benefit is it to the believer or society to worship anything without pure and goodly deeds and a virtuous character? We see how many so called religious nations are at war causing misery and unhappiness so what good is their religion if it doesn’t result in love for all humanity? Profession of any belief in any religion is useless and pointless unless it creates harmony and peace, good relationships and friendships in action and deeds in the world not just empty thoughts. Otherwise belief is all idol belief if it is only belief in words and a personality and not the practice of goodly deeds.
One more thing. Many worship Jesus as an idol almost cult like but then condemn other religionists and their beliefs. If one believes in Jesus and does not practice love for all people then that is a fake and useless belief because Jesus taught love. I have so many Christians shun me and speak ill of me because I am a Baha’i. Why doesn’t it ever occur to these people that Im a human being? Many religionists get on their high horses and treat members of different religions with ridicule and contempt. This is not what God teaches. It’s what many ministers and clergy preach.
Religions need to get over their centuries old prejudices against other religions and begin to show love and tolerance. All religions need to start being loving and discontinue prejudices against other religions. Then we might have some sort of peace. But until religionists only worship the words and outward form of their religion and do not practice love and harmony then people will see religion as useless and throw it in the garbage as all it seems to do is create conflict and hatred. So people are leaving religion in droves because it’s abandoned the teaching of loving all humanity unconditionally and seeking to say only we are right and true and only we can be saved and all other religions are false.
The reality is we are one human race - all children of one God. Now is the time for us to toss out our prejudices and become as one human family. This can be achieved through education that no religion, race or nation is superior to any other.
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The only war fought between Christians is the Russian-Ukrainian war and is out of nationalistic grounds.
Since they profess the exact same religion, that is, Russian Orthodox Church.
IndigoChild5559
Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
In Catholic teaching, Jesus is fully God and FULLY MAN. IOW you do not deny that he was a man. Thus, idolatry to those of us for whom God is not a man. I'm not trying to be insulting here -- I understand that in your belief system he truly is God. But to a Roman, Caesar was god. It didn't automatically make it so.Yes, I understand.
If Jesus were a man, it would be idolatry, or kinda.
Jesus is God, though. So it makes sense.
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It's perfectly understandable.
Even if I would not equate a conqueror with a conquered. A perpetrator with a victim.
Julius Caesar was on the side of the perpetrators, of course. Did you know that Pontius Pilate robbed the treasury of the Temple to build an aqueduct, whereas he could have used Rome's public money instead?
The problem is that in our vision (which is true, in our eyes) is that the cruelty of that time was unbearable. People crucified just like that, and it often dealt with innocent people. The lack of empathy towards a fellow human being: that is why God accepted to come dwell among us, and to remind us how monstrous and inhumane that torturous death penalty was.
Meaning: Jesus showed men what inhumane and wicked things they are capable of, by going to the Cross. And yes, he was fully man, so he suffered as a man. And people became aware that whatever we do to others, we do it to God.
Imposing one's own religion on others is the gravest sin ever.
Because not even God violate people's free will.
So ... according to the Gospels, nobody has the right to disrespect another person because they profess another religion.
The violation of people's free will is absolutely a sin.
It means the Church has committed so many sins throughout its history and now it's trying to redeem itself.
Jesus said that there is only one true God that is greater than him. Why do you think many "Christians" don't really believe what Jesus said, and yet they call Jesus their God?
This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
John 17:3
the Father is greater than I.
John 14:28
Jesus said to her, "Don't touch me, for I haven't yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, 'I am ascend-ing to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
John 20:17
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Tim. 2:5
If Jesus was not a man, then what are the gospels talking about when they describe his trial, death and ascension?Yes, I understand.
If Jesus were a man, it would be idolatry, or kinda.
Jesus is God, though. So it makes sense.
Little Dragon
Well-Known Member
So who do Catholics misrepresent and lie about? So that they may feel better about themselves?
The antitheist doesn't wasn't Christianity or Islam or whatever to be a lie, because that suggests that they actually think various religions they rail against, are in fact true and so they aspire to mislead others into thinking all religion is a pack of subjective lies. Which is obviously, illogical in the extreme. For you to suggest that.
I am not an anti theist, nor do I know much about any theology, but I have never met an atheist or an anti theist, who believes one literal word of the Bible or any Holy Book you could name. Not everyone was raised and indoctrinated in XY or Z faith. I wasn't either. I am agnostic and I have looked at the religions of this world, a cursory glance at the big names, Judaism, Islam, Christianity etc... and none of them tickle me willy. Maybe Buddhism. That sounds more my cup of hot beverage.
Little Dragon
Well-Known Member
Right?
They were ****ing all over the 'Greeks' (Orthodox) for a long time.
Little Dragon
Well-Known Member
The great east west schism, and fall of Byzantium. Fascinating stuff.