So why did God allow Christians to be lead astray for so long?

[Spiderman]

So I guess if you are Catholic...this question might not apply to you. It applies more to Protestants.

Anyway though....when I read the writtings of the early Church Fathers Clement of Rome (Pope), Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna, it is clear they were not Protestant when you look at their views of Church tradition, Church hierarchy, how to worship, their belief about the Eucharist being the Body and blood of Christ, and the centrality of the Eucharist in worship services, and they were not solascriptura.

Not just that though, but, all of the influential Christian writers that were leading and sheperding the people and that Christians were relying on to preach the faith and guide them from heresy were mislead for so many centuries, if indeed you think the Catholic faith is mislead.

I am no longer Catholic and barely even Christian after about a nine month period of being agnostic. But, when I try to place my trust in God, I have to wonder how trustworthy he is and how to reconcile the fact that if Catholicism is false, God allowed those who seek him and the entire body of Christ to be mislead for more than 1500 years.

So, how am I or you so important that we think he is going to guide us and bring us to the truth but not all those countless other generations of Christians before us? Not to mention, still by far the largest body of Christians is still Catholic.

It's just hard for me to trust God when I look at the history of Christianity. Those who are often leading people astray are the very ones who have dedicated their life to seeking God and pray incessantly and place God first in their lives.

It's a bit discouraging for someone like myself who is just barely holding onto faith and for a while had no faith at all.

Thanks for any help you may be.

 

[Desert Snake]

I don't think 'protestant' really describes me. I'm not 'protesting' anything. Perhaps others can answer your questions.

 

[nazz]

Why does God allow anything God does, if indeed God does? People have free will and that includes the freedom to be deceived. Still God uses even this to advance God's work in the world.

 

[allfoak]

It is impossible to not be led astray when people look to everyone but themselves for the truth.
We allow it to happen.

It is good that you are able to see what you do.
Christianity was taken over by Constantine for the purpose of gaining power and wealth.
It has nothing to do with the original message.

If you want to know the original message you have to look within.
The original gospel message said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you, not in Europe or the Middle East.

 

[Pegg]

So I guess if you are Catholic...this question might not apply to you. It applies more to Protestants.

you dont think Catholics have been led astray???

You do realise it was the catholic church who led the crusades and killed innocent people, and they also led the inquisitions and carried out acts of torture and murder.... you dont think that is being 'led astray' from a faith which demands 'love your enemy' ???

...not to mention the rife child abuse being carried out by at least 8,000 priests of the catholic church (that figure is according to the catholic church who says that "only" 10% of its clergy are peoadophiles)

Anyway though....when I read the writtings of the early Church Fathers Clement of Rome (Pope), Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna, it is clear they were not Protestant when you look at their views of Church tradition, Church hierarchy, how to worship, their belief about the Eucharist being the Body and blood of Christ, and the centrality of the Eucharist in worship services, and they were not solascriptura.

Not just that though, but, all of the influential Christian writers that were leading and sheperding the people and that Christians were relying on to preach the faith and guide them from heresy were mislead for so many centuries, if indeed you think the Catholic faith is mislead.

I am no longer Catholic and barely even Christian after about a nine month period of being agnostic. But, when I try to place my trust in God, I have to wonder how trustworthy he is and how to reconcile the fact that if Catholicism is false, God allowed those who seek him and the entire body of Christ to be mislead for more than 1500 years.

So, how am I or you so important that we think he is going to guide us and bring us to the truth but not all those countless other generations of Christians before us? Not to mention, still by far the largest body of Christians is still Catholic.

It's just hard for me to trust God when I look at the history of Christianity. Those who are often leading people astray are the very ones who have dedicated their life to seeking God and pray incessantly and place God first in their lives.

It's a bit discouraging for someone like myself who is just barely holding onto faith and for a while had no faith at all.

Thanks for any help you may be.

Jesus and the Apostles foretold the situation which would develop in the church...they said it would turn apostate.

2Thess 2:3 Let no one lead you astray* in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. 4 He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,* so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?

1 Tim 4:1 However, the inspired word* clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements*+ and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies,+ whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage+ and command people to abstain from foods+ that God created to be partaken of+ with thanksgiving by those who have faith+ and accurately know the truth.

2 Peter 2:1
However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you.+ These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them,+ bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.


.

 

[ChristineES]

Jesus/Yeshua never once said that life for His followers would be perfect. He also said that "not everyone who calls Him Lord...", hence this verse:
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.

 

[Spiderman]

you dont think Catholics have been led astray???

You do realise it was the catholic church who led the crusades and killed innocent people, and they also led the inquisitions and carried out acts of torture and murder.... you dont think that is being 'led astray' from a faith which demands 'love your enemy' ???

...not to mention the rife child abuse being carried out by at least 8,000 priests of the catholic church (that figure is according to the catholic church who says that "only" 10% of its clergy are peoadophiles)




Jesus and the Apostles foretold the situation which would develop in the church...they said it would turn apostate.

2Thess 2:3 Let no one lead you astray* in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. 4 He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,* so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?

1 Tim 4:1 However, the inspired word* clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements*+ and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies,+ whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage+ and command people to abstain from foods+ that God created to be partaken of+ with thanksgiving by those who have faith+ and accurately know the truth.

2 Peter 2:1
However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you.+ These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them,+ bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.


.

OH...of course I see Catholics being lead astray. But for a Catholic, they can look back at the teachings and practices of Christianity and the traditions and say...yep...those are correct.

Where a protestant believes in doing away with so much of what Christians believed and how Christians worshipped and what christian leaders taught for more than 1500 years. THat was my point.

The people that dedicated their life to prayer and the service of God were lead astray preaching what is false while the whole time believing sincerely that they were serving God by doing so and that it was God's will.

Every Christian that had a strong influential voice for so many centuries was Catholic or after the schisms Orthodox which is almost identical save for the lack of the papacy and rejection of the later Church councils.

 

[ebgebg]

What trust are you talking about? God will allow an innocent man to go to prison in order for that innocent man to find the truth through Jesus Christ? Christians die in car accidents all the time. what about the million of people who are poor? The Christian Bible isn't about good people being good and being rewarded by God. The bible is about worshipping God himself. Every book in the Bible is about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit being the purpose of Life. Even if everything is against you in life...God doesn't have to reward you. What did he tell Paul ( I think it was Paul)...He told Paul that "Grace was good enough for him." "turn my water into wine..." is a temptation of God, correct? What allegiance is a christian willing to make without reward?

 

[Spiderman]

Oh I know that those closest to him will suffer like he and his disciples did. Im not saying anything like God should make our suffering go away. Though that would be nice

What im saying is....he should guide us to the truth. Not let those who diligently seek him fall into errors (of the devil) and propogate falsehood while believing whole heartedly that God is inspiring them to do it.

If God is trustworthy, id say the least a person should expect from him, is to lead them to the truth and to do his will. Especially if they have dedicated their life to him. If we can't count on him to give a genuine seeker the truth.....I can see why so few people have the trust and faith of a child these days.

 

[JayJayDee]

Anyway though....when I read the writtings of the early Church Fathers Clement of Rome (Pope), Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna, it is clear they were not Protestant when you look at their views of Church tradition, Church hierarchy, how to worship, their belief about the Eucharist being the Body and blood of Christ, and the centrality of the Eucharist in worship services, and they were not solascriptura.

The Catholic Church claims the "Church Fathers" as their own and we can't really argue with that. There is a reason why the church fell into the depth of corruption that history attests to.

Jesus and the apostles foretold it. They also foretold the extent and the length of time that the corruption would be allowed to continue. (Matt 13:24-30)

Keeping in mind that the Creator dwells in a a realm where time as we know it, is rather meaningless, we finite beings restricted to an earth which is entirely governed by time, find it hard to comprehend why everything is taking so long. Consider, that the first prophesy recorded in the Bible was made right after the fall of man. The "seed" that was to come into the world to rescue Adam's children, didn't put in an appearance for about 4,000 years!

Now we are looking back on another 2,000 years since he put in his first appearance. We are still waiting for his return. But when we link world affairs in the last century, we see the fulfillment of the "sign" that Jesus gave to indicate that he was ruling as king and the time for his kingdom to take over the reigns of world rulership. It was to be preceded by a time of great upheaval, lawlessness and distress. I believe that we are now close to the 'end of the age' that Jesus foretold. (Matt 24:3) The separating of the "sheep and the goats" is just ahead of us.

Not just that though, but, all of the influential Christian writers that were leading and sheperding the people and that Christians were relying on to preach the faith and guide them from heresy were mislead for so many centuries, if indeed you think the Catholic faith is mislead.

Not just the Catholic Church but all who sprang from her. She is the mother...she has many daughters who struck out on their own but retained most of her false beliefs.

I am no longer Catholic and barely even Christian after about a nine month period of being agnostic. But, when I try to place my trust in God, I have to wonder how trustworthy he is and how to reconcile the fact that if Catholicism is false, God allowed those who seek him and the entire body of Christ to be mislead for more than 1500 years.

He has his reasons, but sometimes human reasoning and the length of time it has taken to work out his purpose, leaves spiritually uneducated ones weak and shaken in their faith. This can only happen if we have lost sight of the big picture.

Satan has painted a different picture and has fed this to those who followed a counterfeit religious system that has led men down a wrong path. He managed to lead the entire nation of Israel into the kind of religious system that allowed the majority of them to reject their Messiah. He is that clever. We should never underestimate his ability to deceive the masses. We all know how easily led we are with the right propaganda. He is an expert at it.

So, how am I or you so important that we think he is going to guide us and bring us to the truth but not all those countless other generations of Christians before us? Not to mention, still by far the largest body of Christians is still Catholic.

If you think you will find God in Christendom.....think again....he has never been there.

When Jesus comes to judge the world, he starts with those who claim to be his followers. Look at his words in Matt 7:21-23. Those who think they are Christians in good standing are in for a big shock! His words indicate that he has NEVER recognised these one from their beginnings. Not from day one!

It's just hard for me to trust God when I look at the history of Christianity. Those who are often leading people astray are the very ones who have dedicated their life to seeking God and pray incessantly and place God first in their lives.

The difference is that the true servants of God have always put their own interests in second place and God's interests first. They are not the fanatics or the ascetics, not the slackers or the "Christian in name only" types ....they are the balanced servants of God who simply do what Christ and his Father have instructed them to do...easy or difficult. They have relied on God to provide what they need, not necessarily what they want, and they have not complained about any of it.

It's a bit discouraging for someone like myself who is just barely holding onto faith and for a while had no faith at all.

Thanks for any help you may be.

God is not far off from the genuine truth seeker. He knows when someone is searching for the uncomfortable truth or the comfortable lie.

Which one do you think you are? God knows and that is why so many never find him. He reads hearts, not lips or simply good intentions.

Find out what true Christianity is and ask Jehovah for his guidance....if your heart is sincere, he will allow himself to be found....otherwise he will remain an enigma. (John 6:44)

"Keep asking...keep seeking...keep knocking"....that is what Jesus told us to do. The truth hides in strange places. God's people have never been mainstream. Christ's followers are the "hated" "few". (John 15:18-20; Matt 7:13, 14) Look in the unlikely places.

 

[Spiderman]

The Catholic Church claims the "Church Fathers" as their own and we can't really argue with that. There is a reason why the church fell into the depth of corruption that history attests to.

Jesus and the apostles foretold it. They also foretold the extent and the length of time that the corruption would be allowed to continue. (Matt 13:24-30)

Keeping in mind that the Creator dwells in a a realm where time as we know it, is rather meaningless, we finite beings restricted to an earth which is entirely governed by time, find it hard to comprehend why everything is taking so long. Consider, that the first prophesy recorded in the Bible was made right after the fall of man. The "seed" that was to come into the world to rescue Adam's children, didn't put in an appearance for about 4,000 years!

Now we are looking back on another 2,000 years since he put in his first appearance. We are still waiting for his return. But when we link world affairs in the last century, we see the fulfillment of the "sign" that Jesus gave to indicate that he was ruling as king and the time for his kingdom to take over the reigns of world rulership. It was to be preceded by a time of great upheaval, lawlessness and distress. I believe that we are now close to the 'end of the age' that Jesus foretold. (Matt 24:3) Rhe separating of the "sheep and the goats" is just ahead of us.



Not just the Catholic Church but all who sprang from her. She is the mother...she has many daughters who struck out on their own but retained most of her false beliefs.



He has his reasons, but sometimes human reasoning and the length of time it has taken to work out his purpose, leaves spiritually uneducated ones weak and shaken in our faith. This can only happen if we have lost sight of the big picture.

Satan has painted a different picture and has fed this to those who followed a counterfeit religious system that has led men down a wrong path. He managed to lead the entire nation of Israel into the kind of religious system that allowed the majority of them to reject their Messiah. He is that clever. We should never underestimate his ability to deceive the masses. We all know how easily led we are with the right propaganda. He is an expert at it.



If you think you will find God in Christendom.....think again....he has never been there.

When Jesus comes to judge the world, he starts with those who claim to be his followers. Look at his words in Matt 7:21-23. Those who think they are Christians in good standing are in for a big shock! His words indicate that he has NEVER recognised these one from their beginnings. Not from day one!



The difference is that the true servants of God have always put their own interests in second place and God's interests first. They are not the fanatics or the ascetics, not the slackers or the "Christian in name only" types ....they are the balanced servants of God who simply do what Christ and his Father have instructed them to do...easy or difficult. They have relied on God to provide what they need, not necessarily what they want, and they have not complained about any of it.



God is not far off from the genuine truth seeker. He knows when someone is searching for the uncomfortable truth or the comfortable lie.

Which one do you think you are? God knows and that is why so many never find him. He reads hearts, not lips or simply good intentions.

Find out what true Christianity is and ask Jehovah for his guidance....if your heart is sincere, he will allow himself to be found....otherwise he will remain an enigma. (John 6:44)

"Keep asking...keep seeking...keep knocking"....that is what Jesus told us to do. The truth hides in strange places. God's people have never been mainstream. Christ's followers are the "hated" "few". (John 15:18-20; Matt 7:13, 14) Look in the unlikely places.

I haven't read the whole thing yet but so far this is the best answer. I got to the part where you said that he lead the entire nation of Israel into a REligious system that in the end lead to them rejecting their messiah while believing whole heartedly that it was God's will that they do so.

THis is a good point. But extremely depressing as well. It means that Satan has great success at leading astray the most sincere seekers of God and truth.

 

[ebgebg]

Well,

Oh I know that those closest to him will suffer like he and his disciples did. Im not saying anything like God should make our suffering go away. Though that would be nice

What im saying is....he should guide us to the truth. Not let those who diligently seek him fall into errors (of the devil) and propogate falsehood while believing whole heartedly that God is inspiring them to do it.

If God is trustworthy, id say the least a person should expect from him, is to lead them to the truth and to do his will. Especially if they have dedicated their life to him. If we can't count on him to give a genuine seeker the truth.....I can see why so few people have the trust and faith of a child these days.

Then what would be the point of the devil tempting Jesus if a normal man did not fall into error. As the incarnation of God in Human flesh, God the son did not have heavenly powers to resist the devil, but only had the spiritual nature of God moral charactor to resist the devil. When Jesus preformed miricles on earth...it was through the power of prayer to God the father because God the Son gave up those powers as the son of Man. People talk about free will all the time...God doesn't make anyone do anything except by free will. You never read about Jesus chasing after anyone begging them to belief in him. If God truely exist...then just his word alone is good enough for grace without any demostration of power, correct? But there is not one single person (except christ) that can follow his word perfectly...that's the point of Christian salvation. Look at the first Pope...Peter? He denied him three time, and sank in the sea when he left the boat to meet Jesus. Look at david. Killed a man to be with his Girl friend...the mother of Soloman...Wow? Christainity isn't about following, it is about leading. Repentance of Sin and salvation goes hand and hand...no one can perfectly lead a perfect christian life.

 

[JayJayDee]

I haven't read the whole thing yet but so far this is the best answer. I got to the part where you said that he lead the entire nation of Israel into a REligious system that in the end lead to them rejecting their messiah while believing whole heartedly that it was God's will that they do so.

THis is a good point. But extremely depressing as well. It means that Satan has great success at leading astray the most sincere seekers of God and truth.

It is only depressing if we are the sort who don't want what God is offering, except on our own terms. His reward for our loyalty and service to him will be worth any and all efforts to bring our lives into harmony with what he requires. One of those requirement is to remove ourselves from "Babylon the great". In order to obey that command, we first have to know what this 'greater Babylon' is. (Rev 18:4, 5)

The apostle John wrote.....
“This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)

If this is our attitude, God is right beside us. If we have a love of the truth we will not justify what God says is wrong. We will walk away from all that he condemns no matter what others say about it.

That is having the courage of our convictions.....it means being "hated" by those who don't see things Jehovah's way. (John 15:19, 20)

 

[Spiderman]

So since you mention leaving Babylon the great and we must know what this is....what is it?

 

[JayJayDee]

Then what would be the point of the devil tempting Jesus if a normal man did not fall into error. As the incarnation of God in Human flesh, God the son did not have heavenly powers to resist the devil, but only had the spiritual nature of God moral charactor to resist the devil. When Jesus preformed miricles on earth...it was through the power of prayer to God the father because God the Son gave up those powers as the son of Man.

Can you tell me where I would find a scripture that indicates that Jesus was actually God incarnate? He was "with the God" as 'the Word" (Logos) and it was the Logos who became flesh, not "the God". John 1:1 mentions two gods (mighty ones) but only one is "the God".

There was no supernatural powers displayed by Jesus until his anointing with God's spirit. (He was 30 years old) He was then able to pass the miraculous gifts along to his apostles...these in turn could pass them onto others. But the gifts died with the apostles, having accomplished what they were sent to do. They did not go beyond the apostolic period.

As a spirit being before coming to earth, Jesus did indeed give up many abilities that they enjoyed, but at no time does scripture say that Jesus was Almighty God.

People talk about free will all the time...God doesn't make anyone do anything except by free will. You never read about Jesus chasing after anyone begging them to belief in him. If God truely exist...then just his word alone is good enough for grace without any demostration of power, correct?

That is true, but God doesn't prevent people from believing lies either. (2 Thess 2:9-12)
He will allow us to believe whatever our heart accepts. When the truth is presented, he sees our response to it.

But there is not one single person (except christ) that can follow his word perfectly...that's the point of Christian salvation. Look at the first Pope...Peter?

First Pope???? Seriously, where will I find a Pope in the Bible?

The title Pontifex Maximus was a title given to pagan Romans. Constantine held that title.
The Pope is called "the Pontiff" to this day. It was never a Christian title. We were told not to fuse true worship and false worship and yet this is exactly what Catholicism did. (2 Cor 6:14-18) Enforced conversion to the Catholic Church was carried out in such a way, that the pagan members of the empire could retain their false beliefs and festivals under a thin veneer of Christianity. It was an eggshell however, easily cracked.

He denied him three time, and sank in the sea when he left the boat to meet Jesus. Look at david. Killed a man to be with his Girl friend...the mother of Soloman...Wow? Christainity isn't about following, it is about leading. Repentance of Sin and salvation goes hand and hand...no one can perfectly lead a perfect christian life.

It is not about how much sin you can get away with, particularly when a religious system gives absolution to those who are not truly repentant and where there is no discipline for those who sin even among the clergy. If a sinner forgives another sinner...who is really forgiven?

Repentance is something that is lived, not only given lip service to.
Jesus never said we had to be perfect, but he didn't say we could do whatever we liked, go into a box and confess to a fellow sinner and walk out free to sin again. Any shepherd who can free sinners from their sin is not a good shepherd. We must continually remind ourselves of our natural inclinations and fight them. (Rom 7:14-25) "Grace" is not to be taken for granted.

We cannot be weighed down by sin if we truly believe that our sins are forgiven, but we can't live guilt free if we are falling into a continuing pattern of error, repeated because of falsely believing that Jesus did it all for us, and we are forgiven, no matter what we do.

 

[JayJayDee]

So since you mention leaving Babylon the great and we must know what this is....what is it?

This is a very important point.

The devil has not only given the world false Christianity, but original Babylon is the source of all false worship. It was the place where false religion got its start after the flood of Noah's day. Research Nimrod....he is a very interesting character. He is the first human to be deified. He figures in both Easter and Christmas in their origins.

The devil was at the bottom of all this. He built a virtual empire of false religion when those false beliefs of Babylon were transported all over the world when God confused the language at the Tower of Babel. (Gen 11:1-9)

Christendom's false beliefs can be traced right back to Babylon. All false worship contains the same core of falsehood....
A multiplicity or trinity of gods....an immortal soul that departs the body at death....a heaven of bliss or a hell of eternal torture....idols or symbols of religion. Even the cross is an idol to many. The cross as a religious symbol pre-dates Christianity by thousands of years and can be traced back to Babylon. It has very immoral origins.

So "Babylon the great" is a greater version of the original and encompasses the whole world in the way it worships its gods. Christendom is part of that because she worships the same god, adopting her beliefs and practices.....and it is not Jehovah.

 

[ebgebg]

@JayJayDee-
Symbols change...A swatiska was a meaning of "good" before the Nazis used it for their purpose. From this moment on, the swastika will always be assoicated with the "death camps". What about the christmas tree...it started out as a "pagean" symbol. Meanings of Symbols change. The title "Pope" has it's roots in Roman Culture...but, what does it mean today? Roman Catholic Doctrine views Peter as the first Pope, what is written and what is interpreted will always be debated.

As far as Jesus being the incarnation of God in scripture:

Isaiah 45:11: I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.

And because scripture defines scripture....Luke 2:11: For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

How can Jesus Christ be not the incarnation of God in flesh if God the Son is our Savior, yet God the Father is the only Savior?

 

[George-ananda]

To call Catholicism 'false' or 'true' are both overstatements.

 

[Faybull]

So I guess if you are Catholic...this question might not apply to you. It applies more to Protestants.

Anyway though....when I read the writtings of the early Church Fathers Clement of Rome (Pope), Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna, it is clear they were not Protestant when you look at their views of Church tradition, Church hierarchy, how to worship, their belief about the Eucharist being the Body and blood of Christ, and the centrality of the Eucharist in worship services, and they were not solascriptura.

Not just that though, but, all of the influential Christian writers that were leading and sheperding the people and that Christians were relying on to preach the faith and guide them from heresy were mislead for so many centuries, if indeed you think the Catholic faith is mislead.

I am no longer Catholic and barely even Christian after about a nine month period of being agnostic. But, when I try to place my trust in God, I have to wonder how trustworthy he is and how to reconcile the fact that if Catholicism is false, God allowed those who seek him and the entire body of Christ to be mislead for more than 1500 years.

So, how am I or you so important that we think he is going to guide us and bring us to the truth but not all those countless other generations of Christians before us? Not to mention, still by far the largest body of Christians is still Catholic.

It's just hard for me to trust God when I look at the history of Christianity. Those who are often leading people astray are the very ones who have dedicated their life to seeking God and pray incessantly and place God first in their lives.

It's a bit discouraging for someone like myself who is just barely holding onto faith and for a while had no faith at all.

Thanks for any help you may be.

Consider what the messenger of the covenant means by "this gospel".

 

[JayJayDee]

Symbols change...A swatiska was a meaning of "good" before the Nazis used it for their purpose. From this moment on, the swastika will always be assoicated with the "death camps".

Crosses of all descriptions were in use as religious symbols before Jesus ever came to the earth.

Cross - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The origins matter little to humans apparently, but what about an eternal God who saw where they originated and what they symbolized in ancient times? Crosses were associated with phallic worship and temple prostitution in the ancient world. Very grubby origins indeed. Should we be surprised that the devil made the symbol of Christ's sacrifice into something offensive to God?

What about the christmas tree...it started out as a "pagean" symbol. Meanings of Symbols change.

They might change in the minds of humans....but do they change to an unchangeable God? He doesn't forget.

The scriptures forbid mixing true worship with false worship....there's no getting away from it.

The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Cor 6:14-18...."Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God saith: I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore, Go out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing:
18 And I will receive you; and I will be a Father to you; and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (Douay-Reims)

You must "separate" from those things if you want to be counted among God's sons and daughters.Spiritually "unclean" practices will not be tolerated by God, even if they are tolerated by man.

The title "Pope" has it's roots in Roman Culture...but, what does it mean today? Roman Catholic Doctrine views Peter as the first Pope, what is written and what is interpreted will always be debated.

There is no Biblical evidence that Peter was ever in Rome and Christianity could not accept pagan offices or titles according to the words of the apostle Paul in the aforementioned scripture. You cannot fuse Christianity with pagan worship.....it doesn't Christianize the paganism...it paganizes the Christianity. Do you see the difference?

As far as Jesus being the incarnation of God in scripture:

Isaiah 45:11: I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.

And because scripture defines scripture....Luke 2:11: For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

How can Jesus Christ be not the incarnation of God in flesh if God the Son is our Savior, yet God the Father is the only Savior?

Do you understand that humans are also called "saviors" in the Bible? (Judg 3:9; 2 Kings 13:5) It simply means one who saves another from harm or death....a rescuer. The one who sends the savior is also a savior.

Titus 1:4..."To Titus my beloved son, according to the common faith, grace and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Saviour."
In the OT, Jehovah is spoken of as a savior and in the NT Jesus is too but as a separate entity from his Father.

1 Tim 1:1..."Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and of Christ Jesus our hope"

Both God and Christ are saviors, as the scriptures make plain. This title is not proof that Jesus is God.