I appreciate the discussion too. Since I was raised in Christendom, it was my analysis of the church’s teachings and conduct (that were in opposition to Christ’s teachings) that started me on this journey. I knew that Jesus said that his God hated hypocrisy...and that unfortunately, was all I saw.
It isn't about ignorance of the opposite argument, but direct ignorance of the truth as it is. Take me and you for instance, we read, mostly, the same Bible and yet I believe things differently than you. I pray for guidance and help in understanding, and I assume you do as well. Yet, we both feel that God and reason have led us to a difference place.
But that is what the Bible is for....Hebrews 4:12-13.
It’s what Jesus’ ministry accomplished....Matthew 10:34-36.....Division.....a separating, even among family members.
Please read the scriptures presented here, because God’s word is all that matters in these discussions IMO. Everything else is from man.
To clarify, is this a rhetorical question, or do you believe that Jesus sinned?
Since John’s baptism was to indicate repentance over sins committed against the Law, why did a sinless Jesus seek to get baptized? (Matthew 3:13-15) What did his baptism signify? It wasn’t rhetorical.
No, the gospel was never false, but like the Pharisees, the church corrupted it into something it was never meant to be. Jesus told those religious leaders, in no uncertain terms, what they were doing according to how his Father viewed them.....Matthew 23:13-15. It was the opposite to how they viewed themselves.
Do you mean that there is nothing that is unique to the Catholic Church that you find Biblical? I mean, surely you don't think the belief that God loves us, for instance, is not Biblically sourced?
I am speaking about doctrines, not beliefs.
JW’s have “doctrines” based squarely on the Bible, but we also have “beliefs” which are held because the Bible indicates that something is true, but does not directly state it.....we never confuse the two.
On investigation, I discovered that the church treats all of their beliefs as doctrines. None of them are sourced from the Bible, but forced into certain ambiguous scripture to support these beliefs. I was appalled at how many there were in this category, and for Catholicism, there were beliefs that had no scriptural backing whatsoever. (Discarded by the Reformers) These were actually adoptions from non-Christian religions....easily traced back to their source....ancient Babylon. (this included the concept of Mary as "the mother of God" which is definitely not biblical.)
Revelations is a pretty good starting point.
You didn’t answer my question. How do you see this major event taking place? What can people expect to see as the time for judgment approaches? What are Catholics taught about this? Is there a preparing of the flocks for what is to come? When the Jewish system was to come to an end, Jesus forewarned his disciples to withdraw from Jerusalem and its surrounds to a place of safety......only the obedient ones survived becoming part of that holocaust. (Luke 21:20-22)
You are clearly not persuaded by "the Word was God and created everything and wasn't Himself created" and Jesus claiming to be the "I am" of Exodus.
You are obviously not aware of the Greek rendering of John 1:1 where there are two “gods” (literally "Mighty Ones") mentioned in that verse, but only one of them is Yahweh......the other is the Word....a divine personage who has been “with” God from the “beginning”....but who is never said to be equal to the Father. Almighty God is never described as having three heads.
If you look up Exodus 3:13-15 in the Jewish Tanakh, you will see that the meaning of the name of God (YHWH) is not “I AM” at all, and hence has no connection to John 8:58.
Exodus 5:14....Tanakh...(link below)
"God said to Moses, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be)," and He said, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.'"
https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9864
"I Will Be What I Will Be" is not "I Am Who I Am". It was not a statement of God's "existence" but a reference to "what he will be" in order to accomplish his purpose.
According to many modern Bible translators, John 8:58 can be rendered:
Moffatt: “I have existed before Abraham was born.”
Schonfield and An American Translation: “I existed before Abraham was born.”
Stage (German): “BeforeAbraham came to be, I was.”
Pfaefflin (German): “Before there was an Abraham, I was already there!”
George M. Lamsa, translating from the Syriac Pe****ta, says: “Before Abraham was born, I was.”
Dr. James Murdock, also translating from the Syriac Pe****to Version, says: “Before Abraham existed, I was.”
The Brazilian Sacred Bible published by the Catholic Bible Center of São Paulo says: “Before Abraham existed, I was existing.”
Revelation 3:14 indicates that Jesus is the “
beginning of God’s creation”.
I see in both of those scriptures (Exodus 3:14 and Revelation 3:14) that the NRSVCE has added footnotes to each one, referring to the alternative rendering...both of which disagree with Catholic teaching. So when translation is selective and biased, we have problems.
The Church doesn't make someone a saint, it recognizes them.
So the church has to evaluate whether someone is a “saint” or not, by certain criteria and "recognize" them....like a miracle they performed e.g.?
I thought it was God who chose the saints? Romans 8:16-17....and that his spirit alerts them to that fact?
What exactly is a “saint” according to Catholic teaching? I think we would have a totally different idea about that according to scripture.
No, no. Parents don't apply shunning to their children, children to their parents, or spouses to each other. Nobody is deprived of their family, and no one should be. Maybe you call that against Biblical principles.
As Jesus said in Matthew 10:37-38, our emotions can be used to break our integrity and obedience to God’s laws. Family ties are a great area for the devil to create division. Our loyalty to God must come before any family ties. Isn't that what the devil used in Eden.....and it worked?
Losing close family contact can be a strong incentive to come back to him. Remember the Prodigal son? The Father gave him what he asked for, and let him go. Only when the son 'came to his senses' after being abandoned by his so-called friends when his money ran out, did he begin to appreciate what he had lost, and wanted it back. His repentant attitude was why the Father ran out to meet him. Discipline is never easy to take....but God disciplines those he loves. (Hebrews 12:5-6, 11)
That's like asking how God can lose a wrestling match with Jacob. He made himself able to be held by Jacob, He made Himself able to face physical death. Then when He died, it didn't break Him or His power, it broke death.
Jacob wrestled an angel. Angels at times represented God and spoke and acted on his behalf. In fact the “Logos” was probably the one who appeared to God’s ancient servants in all those instances. The role of the Logos was to speak God’s “word” to man.....because he had lost his relationship with God.
No one is forbidden from marrying, priests can be released from their vow any time they like. Also, I hope you're not suggesting that fasting is the same as dietary laws forbidding certain foods.
According to the church, you cannot be a priest in the Catholic Church and marry or have children. Why does it require a choice? I am amused by the situation of Anglican "priests" who come over (or should I say come back) to the Catholic church, are allowed to keep their wives and remain as married priests. It must make the celibate ones a bit envious.....talk about a double standard....?
If the apostle Peter, (a saint and prime figure according to Catholic belief) was married, (Jesus healed his mother-in-law...Luke 4:38) who said that they must be unmarried and celibate in order to serve God in that capacity? It was a choice not to marry, not a requirement. Do you believe that the church will ever change their stance on that?
So, according to my research, the Catholic church has little to recommend itself before the one whom it claims to serve....the one who will judge all of us for what we have done, and what we have neglected to do.
