Personal observations concerning prayer, and the dead

[Damascus]

who is C.S. lewis? is he just another tom, dick or harry? to make this thread informative, we should get quote from the bible or from the official stand of the vatican… not quoting some opinion from some unknown person.

i suggest to all those participating in this thread to use the bible as authority on things we want enlightened.

Junvir-

With all due respect- I have read every post you have made here.

Is there anything Catholics believe that you believe in? ANYTHING?

It seems as if you dont agree with major things. Then you say we need to reconcile all of your beliefs (wich I have no idea where you got them from) with the bible. As another poster said here, you must realize the bible is one leg in the 3 legged stool. You still want to start a thread about Icons and statues? Or Bible alone (Sola Scriptura?) Or… whatever else that is bothering you (which sure sounds like a lot) if you are truly Catholic, who taught you to think the way you do?

 

[mommyof4]

Junvir-

Is there anything Catholics believe that you believe in? ANYTHING?

It seems as if you dont agree with major things. Then you say we need to reconcile all of your beliefs (wich I have no idea where you got them from) with the bible. As another poster said here, you must realize the bible is one leg in the 3 legged stool. You still want to start a thread about Icons and statues? Or Bible alone (Sola Scriptura?) Or… whatever else that is bothering you (which sure sounds like a lot) if you are truly Catholic, who taught you to think the way you do?

I was kinda wondering the same thing…

 

[Damascus]

Dear Kesa 82- I really dont see any problems in your way of thinking and I just re-read your thread again, granted I am a tad confused about the whole “criminal” thing?
But, from what I can tell I dont see any problems with what you are doing.

If someone looks at you funny when you say you believe the dead to be alive ask them if the soul is eternal or not.

Now, we cant be sure where that soul goes when a person dies, we can be reasonably sure and hopeful that its either on its way to heaven via purgatory or in heaven - hopefully not the other place!

God bless you in your rather overwhelming task to run that place. I dont know how you do it. I got tired after reading about all the work you do!

 

[Jeanette_L]

who is C.S. lewis? is he just another tom, dick or harry?

C.S. Lewis is only one of the greatest Christian thinkers of the 20th Century! You may have heard of some of his works, like “The Chronicles of Narnia”, which includes “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”, from his children’s series, or maybe you have heard of “The Screwtape Letters”, or perhaps “Mere Christianity”, one of his most acclaimed writings on the reasonable truth of Christianity from a converted atheist, which was Lewis himself.

Really, junvir, you need to come out of the box you seem to be residing in. If there is nothing useful except the Bible when discussing Christian ideas, what are we all doing here discussing our own ideas and opinions anyway? And this includes your ideas and opinions and interpretations.

 

[junvir]

Junvir-

With all due respect- I have read every post you have made here.

Is there anything Catholics believe that you believe in? ANYTHING?

It seems as if you dont agree with major things. Then you say we need to reconcile all of your beliefs (wich I have no idea where you got them from) with the bible. As another poster said here, you must realize the bible is one leg in the 3 legged stool. You still want to start a thread about Icons and statues? Or Bible alone (Sola Scriptura?) Or… whatever else that is bothering you (which sure sounds like a lot) if you are truly Catholic, who taught you to think the way you do?

 

[junvir]

hahaha Mr Damascus, you seem becoming personal on this thread. I think, by this thread, I have proven that religious fanatics believe they are holier than others… as i previously posted.

For the benefit of all in this forum, let me tell you as concise as it could the practices of the roman catholic in the philippines. You see about 80 to 90% of the Filipinos are catholics and I suspect that 90% of these believers are just like me, blind followers of what our ancestors imposed on us. The Philippines, like some south American countries, was colonized by Spain for 300 yrs and catholicism was imposed on us, and so those who are not educat6ed just follow what was imposed to them by by their parents, etc etc,., i think the same thing in South America. That is why, people kiss the feet of icons and kneel before them… which is not biblical and wrong, if we use our God given intellect.
Visit the Philippines during the Lenten season and you will know what I am saying.
The priest of course tell us that these images are reminders of the great works of saints and the Lord… just like the pictures of our ancestors… we kept to remind us and our children of our linage. But, may I ask you Mr. Damascus, do you kneel and kiss the pictures of your ancestors???

I think, if you are not an authority of the Church, we better stop this thread, because your opinion or the opinion of others regarding kissing and kneeling before the graven images may not be binding on the stand of the catholic church. And also the longer we stay on this thread, the more you will expose of your ignorance… because this practice is never practiced by the apostles… this practice as history would tell us was adopted by the church during the time of Constantine, a pagan emperor turned Christians.

Again, discussion like this only create division among Christians, because of the “holier-than-thou” attitudes of many.
In my ignorance of these practices of my faith, i joined this thread hoping I will be enlightened, but what I received from you is argument …not enlightenment. I am not trying to hit the church, I am asking enlightenment of some practices because I want my faith an enlightened faith not blind faith. This is the only reason of my questions.

 

[junvir]

C.S. Lewis is only one of the greatest Christian thinkers of the 20th Century! You may have heard of some of his works, like “The Chronicles of Narnia”, which includes “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”, from his children’s series, or maybe you have heard of “The Screwtape Letters”, or perhaps “Mere Christianity”, one of his most acclaimed writings on the reasonable truth of Christianity from a converted atheist, which was Lewis himself.

Really, junvir, you need to come out of the box you seem to be residing in. If there is nothing useful except the Bible when discussing Christian ideas, what are we all doing here discussing our own ideas and opinions anyway? And this includes your ideas and opinions and interpretations.

 

[junvir]

Can you give me more links regarding the dead? as the catholic church teaches its followers? the reason why i question some of the traditions of the religion because in my search for truth, it seems that many of these traditions were not the practices of the apostles, but adopted by the Church after the apostles… for instance I mentioned of this in my answer to Mr Damascus that many doctrines were results of the synods like the Council of Nicea in ad 325, a council decreed by Emperor Constantine a pagan turn Christian.

If they are not practiced by the apostles, I believe they are not sacred traditions, because their adoption by the church came under suspicious circumstances. Read history and you will know how Constantine became a Christian …

Because of this apparent indifferences between the bible and sacred traditions, i opted to believe in the bible because this are the apostles works.

 

[littleone]

Can you give me more links regarding the dead? as the catholic church teaches its followers? the reason why i question some of the traditions of the religion because in my search for truth, it seems that many of these traditions were not the practices of the apostles, but adopted by the Church after the apostles… for instance I mentioned of this in my answer to Mr Damascus that many doctrines were results of the synods like the Council of Nicea in ad 325, a council decreed by Emperor Constantine a pagan turn Christian.

If they are not practiced by the apostles, I believe they are not sacred traditions, because their adoption by the church came under suspicious circumstances. Read history and you will know how Constantine became a Christian …

Because of this apparent indifferences between the bible and sacred traditions, i opted to believe in the bible because this are the apostles works.

The bible teaches us (not the catholic teaching) that NOT ALL there is that could be written is in the Bible, no, only that which is necessary for the salvation of mankind.

Brother you seem to be fighting a war that is not positive. What one person believes and another believes is not important, but that all mankind should know that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He and He alone is the way to our father in Heaven. Do you not remember how Jesus told the disciples that those who are not against us are for us, that there is NO difference between Jew and Gentile.

While we put others down we forget about Jesus Christ and is it not He who we should be glorifying NO satan who wishes God’s people to squabble over that, that creates negative relationships, obviously not of God.
Jesus own words, “Love one another as I have loved you, and ALL mankind will know you are my followers by your love for one another”.
God bless
littleone

 

[ss828]

Hi,

This post is for Damascus and Kesa.

I was baptised a catholic, and only recently was confirmed in the church (as an adult). It is a common misconception that when you question a church doctrine that you have “beef” with the Church.

As a matter of fact, my RCIA teacher, encouraged us to ask questions- he encouraged us to ask DIFFICULT questions- he almost encouraged us to doubt- and in the end he always gave us the Church’s perspective on things (that was his job). But he also told us to have all the information- then taje a stand. And he also told us something are just a matter of faith.

The way I see it…Catholics are supposed to question- it is HOW WE LEARN. Sometimes the answers are easy to accept and sometimes it is not.

For example- The Bible’s books are thought to be divinely inspired but there’s no way to prove that they were- because no one us were there- I believe that they were divinely inspired- as a matter of faith…that is what faith is after all…believing in something you can’t prove.

Why did Jesus go from 12 to 30 in the Bible? Weren’t the missing 18 years of his life important too…when I asked that question at RCIA- the answer I got was that - in those 18 years he didn’t do anything that was out of the ordinary for a person that age- that’s why it wasn’t included…I accpt that answer as a matter of faith…but my mind tells me 18 years is A LONG time…there may have been many things that Jesus did that I’d find interesting - but that may not have been interetsing to St. Mark…

So I believe- I believe in Jesus , I believe in Mary- I have faith. But I am human too- and I question…because I want to learn, because I know I don’t know and will never know everything…But what I never question is God’s love for me and for all of us- even us sinners who dare to challenge/question doctrine.

 

[PauloFreire2]

“Well I do believe the dead can see and hear us, and know
everything about us, but only the ones in heaven.”

Dunno 'bout yall…but I’ve done some ***REALLY ***humiliating stuff since some of my family members died.

 

[Jeanette_L]

“Well I do believe the dead can see and hear us, and know
everything about us, but only the ones in heaven.”

Dunno 'bout yall…but I’ve done some ***REALLY ***humiliating stuff since some of my family members died.

Yes, I’m in the same boat and I can empathize completely! But, they don’t see us and judge us in the same manner as they would have in the flesh, they aren’t flawed as they were here. Their motives toward us and prayers for us are formed by Christ himself and are completely engulfed in His perfect love for us and our eternal good.

I’m afraid that on our best day here, we cannot see each other in this way and tend to judge when we shouldn’t.