Kneel to the Pope

[Oblaidon]

Can anyone help me? I have some coworkers that are anti-Catholic. I don’t know why they choose the office to bring things up within air-shot of me.

They were critizing that Catholics Kneel to the pope. What should be my answer to this?

 

[BeeSweet]

Can anyone help me? I have some coworkers that are anti-Catholic. I don’t know why they choose the office to bring things up within air-shot of me.

They were critizing that Catholics Kneel to the pope. What should be my answer to this?

It’s a sign of reverence. Their problem stems from self absorption, they feel they are humbling themselves too much to kneel in front of another person. I wonder if any of them got down on their knee to propose marriage?

 

[1ke]

Can anyone help me? I have some coworkers that are anti-Catholic. I don’t know why they choose the office to bring things up within air-shot of me.

They were critizing that Catholics Kneel to the pope. What should be my answer to this?

My answer would be a trip to Human Resources to complain of harrassment based on my religion.

 

[FCEGM]

Can anyone help me? I have some coworkers that are anti-Catholic. I don’t know why they choose the office to bring things up within air-shot of me.

They were critizing that Catholics Kneel to the pope. What should be my answer to this?

Since he is the Vicar of Christ, we kneel in submission to Christ through him. You might point out to them Acts 5:15: “. . .they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that, when Peter came, his shadow at the least might overshadow any of them and they might be delivered from their infirmities.”

 

[Oblaidon]

My answer would be a trip to Human Resources to complain of harrassment based on my religion.

I don’t want to go that far. I would rather give them a quote from the Bible. Being an ex-Baptist, I know they would respect that.

 

[Sarabande]

I don’t want to go that far. I would rather give them a quote from the Bible. Being an ex-Baptist, I know they would respect that.

I understand you not wanting to go that far, but if your co-workers continue to say negative things about your faith in the office, knowing that it is offensive to you, it is just as much of reason to make a complaint to HR as it would be if your co-workers were speaking about women in an offensive and derogatory way. Maybe you can first bring up the fact to them that you do take their words offensively and then complain if they continue the harrassment. We have a policy at our work that discussion of religion and politics and other topics which could be offensive to workers are not appropriate subjects to discuss at work. The offending individuals could be reprimanded for it if complaints are made. Most offices have those kinds of policies. I’m sure yours does as well.

 

[hp5]

Quite Honestly I would have loved if anyone is questioning or criticizing my faith since that would be a great opportunity for me to help them understand catholic position and their own mis-guided understandings as well as to look at myself if I need to improve upon my understanding of my own faith. Our Lord had prayed “May they be one” and so we can add our effort to it without expecting for their immediate conversion for that is the task of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Hellisreal]

They are asking you this, I hope when they are not on the clock? Getting paid by their employer to do what?

Sounds very unchristian to be robbing your employer like that on all sides.
If this is being done while one is getting paid to actually work.

 

[Mannyfit75]

I would issue a complain. If they think can get away with this, they can almost get around with any Anti-Catholic jokes…

 

[retina_md]

I would suggest that one kneels to the pope as the Vicar of Christ. The gesture is as much to the office as the man.

 

[Yerusalyim]

Um…is kneeling before the pope required? I’ve seen audiences with the pope and those walking up to him generally do not kneel, it happens occassionally when the pope visits a foriegn land…but I have found absolutely NOTHING in either doctrines or disciplines of the Church that REQUIRE kneeling. Further, I actually believe the action of kneeling before the pope is as much rooted in the fact that the pope is a monarch, especially seen as one during the middle ages (Papal States). As your friend if she complains about people kneeling before Queen Elizabeth.

 

[Leopard]

The above poster is correct. It is a gesture of respect for a human ruler based on European custom and tradition. In the United states the equivalent gesture would to rise to respectful attention in the presence of the President. In Japan one would bow to the Emperor. In pre-communist China one would kowtow with one’s head touching the floor, etc.

 

[fellowChristian]

Pope

O.E. papa, from M.L.** papa** “bishop, pope” (in classical L., “tutor”), from Gk. papas “patriarch, bishop,” originally "father." Applied to bishops of Asia Minor and taken as a title by the Bishop of Alexandria c.250. In Western Church, applied especially to the Bishop of Rome since the time of Leo the Great (440-461) and claimed exclusively by them from 1073. Popemobile, his car, is from 1979. Papal, papacy, later acquisitions in Eng., preserve the original vowel. Popery (1534) was a hostile coinage of the Reformation.

Pope means father

Genesis 27
26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.”

**29May peoples serve you,
     And nations bow down to you;**

Nations bowing to a man?

**
Exodus 18:7 **

7Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.

Moses showing respect to his father-in-law?

1 Chronicles 29:20
Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the LORD your God.” And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and **bowed low and did homage **to the LORD and to the king.

Respect shown to God and a king?

**
Hebrews 12:9**
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

Have we forgotten how to respect?

Matthew 15:4
"For God said, ’ HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ’ HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’

Honor to my father? Not just to God?

1 Corinthians 4:15
For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

???

1 Timothy 5:1
Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers,

So we are to honor and respect older men as if they were our fathers?

How many people have forgotten or don’t know how to really honor or respect their fathers?

 

[misslollipops]

Can anyone help me? I have some coworkers that are anti-Catholic. I don’t know why they choose the office to bring things up within air-shot of me.

They were critizing that Catholics Kneel to the pope. What should be my answer to this?

I would look at acts10:25-26.
See what Peter said to Cornelius.

 

[hp5]

in the end each has to do the role. Each should display humility. One in paying homage and the other being humbled by it.

 

[brian231]

Can anyone help me? I have some coworkers that are anti-Catholic. I don’t know why they choose the office to bring things up within air-shot of me.

They were critizing that Catholics Kneel to the pope. What should be my answer to this?

Your co-workers have a right to criticize it. There is nothing in the Bible about kneeling before the pope. The few times the Bible does mention kneeling it’s either to pray or kneeling before the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody ever kneeled before Peter or even Paul so I see no reason to kneel before the pope unless the church has some sort of bad and unbiblical doctinal standard requiring you to do so. If you want to do it out of respect that’s one thing and to each’s own. Just don’t pretend there is anything even remotely Biblical about it. Kneeling before the pope is a man made power trip for those in power. The pope should treat everyone as equal.

 

[Todd_Easton]

The few times the Bible does mention kneeling it’s either to pray or kneeling before the Lord Jesus Christ.

There seems to be at least 2 examples in the Bible where men are described as kneeling before other men with a happy outcome. The second example is especially important because Jesus Christ mentions it himself in one of his parables.

13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and entreated him, "O man of God, I pray you, let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. (2 Kings 1:13)

25So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him [his king], `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ (Matthew 18:25)

Nobody ever kneeled before Peter or even Paul …

In Galatians 4:14, St. Paul praises the Galatian Christians for receiving him “as Christ Jesus.” How do you suppose those Christians received him? Well, the Bible says that every knee shall bow before the Lord Jesus Christ. So, perhaps the Galatian Christians knelt before St. Paul. Why criticize Catholics if they honor their leading bishop (the pope) as the captain honored the prophet Elijah, as the servant honored his king in Jesus’ parable, or as the Galatian Christians honored the apostle Paul?

 

[porthos11]

Your co-workers have a right to criticize it. There is nothing in the Bible about kneeling before the pope. The few times the Bible does mention kneeling it’s either to pray or kneeling before the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody ever kneeled before Peter or even Paul so I see no reason to kneel before the pope unless the church has some sort of bad and unbiblical doctinal standard requiring you to do so. If you want to do it out of respect that’s one thing and to each’s own. Just don’t pretend there is anything even remotely Biblical about it. Kneeling before the pope is a man made power trip for those in power. The pope should treat everyone as equal.

This sounds just SOOOOO democratic.

You should tell the Japanese to stop bowing to their Emperor. And make sure those guys on whom Queen Elizabeth confers knighthood also don’t kneel as well when she touches them with the sword.

It’s not a matter of Biblical or unbiblical. The Pope is a monarch, whether you are Catholic or not. These aren’t religious things; these are protocols. And despite that, no, one is not required to kneel before the Pope.

 

[Sarabande]

Whether or not they have the right to criticize, most workplaces do not permit that kind of discussion at work because 1) it can be offensive to others and 2) the workplace is where they do their jobs and get paid for it, not have discussion like this. They are not getting paid to gab.

We have people of different faiths in my job. I would never think of engaging another person in a conversation criticizing someone else’s faith while I’m at work. I’m there to just do what I need to do and get out of there. Otherwise, I’d feel obligated to make up that time gabbing. They do have the right to their opinion and can criticize different practices of various faiths, lifestyles, beliefs, etc with others on their own dime, but not on the dime of their employer and not while other fellow co-workers who would be offended can’t leave the office or the room. Those co-workers are also being paid to work and if they have to leave and not be able to work due to being offended, then they are being prevented from getting work done.

 

[LilyM]

Your co-workers have a right to criticize it. There is nothing in the Bible about kneeling before the pope. The few times the Bible does mention kneeling it’s either to pray or kneeling before the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody ever kneeled before Peter or even Paul so I see no reason to kneel before the pope unless the church has some sort of bad and unbiblical doctinal standard requiring you to do so. If you want to do it out of respect that’s one thing and to each’s own. Just don’t pretend there is anything even remotely Biblical about it. Kneeling before the pope is a man made power trip for those in power. The pope should treat everyone as equal.

You so totally did not read any of the previous posts - nor your Bible - before writing this, did you?

Moses knelt before his father-in-law to pray to him???

Isaac blessing Jacob wished for all nations to kneel before Jacob - in worship??? He wished for them to pray to him???

David was knelt to - in worship??? People prayed to David???