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Truth_Seeker123
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in the catholic faith is everything symbolic (has to mean something else)?
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TheQuestioner
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Cause God does nothing for absolutely no reason. And with God, nothing is random.
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Truth_Seeker123
Guest
But why is everything symbolic in the catholic faith?
Isn’t there a lot of confusion when everything is made up of symbols and there is no way of knowing what anything means? God is not the author of confusion. Babylon means confusion. This is a good way for people to guess and give their own interpretation of scripture, which is very dangerous. You start to hear/read things like “I think this means”, “it could mean”, “or maybe this”
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
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wardrandolph
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Examples please.Thank you.
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kristie_m
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Think we definitely need some examples here. Much of what I see during the Mass seems pretty clear to me, but maybe that’s because I’ve been doing this for such a long time!
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st_someone
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Quite the contrary. With symbols there is no variation. It’s objective in all situations provided you know the meaning of the symbol. If every case were met on it’s particular terms there would be VAST confusion and disagreement.
It’s a very potent question and one that will open LARGE doors if pursued.
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Rence
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Can you give an example of what you mean? I mean, what examples can you give that make you think Christians are confused by Christian symbols? I’m not confused by Christian symbols
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Truth_Seeker123
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I’m not about to go and copy and paste, search, and read for those things. It’s time consuming. Just read on this forum and you will see what I am talking about. Very few people can give an explanation for a scripture without saying “I think, maybe”, and so on. A lot people think that the Bible is full of unexplainable symbols that only God’s knows the answer.
That’s insane. God would not establish a “true church” where no one knows anything about His Word.
That’s insane. God would not establish a “true church” where no one knows anything about His Word.
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Truth_Seeker123
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Im not saying there are no symbols in the bible, but i have noticed that when a question is asked, most of the time the the answer has started off like this…
Maybe that is symbolic for…
Why is this? Why does no one know the answer?
Maybe that is symbolic for…
Why is this? Why does no one know the answer?
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Marie5890
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“1” “2” “3”
Those are symbols, “a” “b” “c” are symbols too.
Humans need symbols to relate, to communicate, to teach, to understand.
Those are symbols, “a” “b” “c” are symbols too.
Humans need symbols to relate, to communicate, to teach, to understand.
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wardrandolph
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Sacred Scripture as you know,was written over a very long time,by differant cultures and differant litterrary styles(poetry,history,allegory and apocolytic styles).Some scriptures are easier to know what message the Lord is trying to convey to us using these various writters who have differant cultures,differant writing "styles"etc.I’m not trying to offend you but do you think you understand the meaning behind all scripture?
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wardrandolph
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Is there a particular story,passage or book you would like to discuss?
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Truth_Seeker123
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No I don’t think I do and when I asked about a scripture I don’t guess or give my own opinion. I simply research it. How about you?
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Truth_Seeker123
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It will be on the book of Revelation or Daniel. I just don’t know what verse I want to start with right now. So please be patient with me.
Also, thanks for asking. That’s a first.
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wardrandolph
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You’re welcome.
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prodigalson12
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Those are typically tough books for protestants, it’s because they want them to mean something they clearly are not. Reference what’s said and cross reference it with the Catholic church, you will find much of the symbolism applies towards the church, they are not all about doom and gloom, about the end of times, or any of that, yet misinterpreted, they can become something entirely different, and the meaning and context gets lost.
Look at it this way, take a random snippet from the OT, ignore what is written that’s led up to it, formulate your interpretation, then go back and read the whole story, and you will then have to redo your original interpretation all over again.
Understand though, the bible is not all inclusive to the faith, it came “from” it, not the other way around, the is the fundamental difference between Catholic and Protestant perspective.
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Newbie2
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I’m afraid that I don’t quite understand your OP i.e. I don’t see what you’re asking about. Can you give one or two examples of things that you see as Symbolic in Catholocism. When you say “everything is symbolic” in the Catholic faith, that’s a very broad statement.
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ricko
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So far it appears that the only confusion lies with you. You make a very vague complaint which is impossible to answer and can not give any specific examples. We can only guess what you are talking about.
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Yerusalyim
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Because everything has meaning. Without specifics, however, it’s impossible to give a lucid answer to an vague question. Are you talking about symbolism in the mass such as the washing of hands and elevation of the host…are you talking about the parables of the gospel? What?
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planten
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There are always symbolic things in high level superior writings. They are the beauty of the descriptive. But the understanding people do not get confused by that symbolic language. They understand things.
I would mention the paradise or hell, as something symbolic. Nobody has seen the heavens and the hell. It is described in symbolic language only.
Also Jesus talking about the sheep and the shepherd. I am sure that is also symbolic only.
“You will know them by their fruits.” What fruits? Will any fruit grow on the heads of persons?? It is definitely a symbolic description.
“Son of man coming in the clouds…” Does any one expect that a son will actually come in the clouds??
Jesus being a King or a prince of Peace. His kingdom was symbolic (being spiritual only, not of this world…
I hope the matter is understood and the OP has asked a good question. Only we have to set some limits as to what matters should be taken literally and what others to be considered symbolic.
It is the same in the Quran as it is in the bible. Jesus used to talk to his friends in parables. That was the beautiful way of teaching. Any other way would have been rude and crude.
I would mention the paradise or hell, as something symbolic. Nobody has seen the heavens and the hell. It is described in symbolic language only.
Also Jesus talking about the sheep and the shepherd. I am sure that is also symbolic only.
“You will know them by their fruits.” What fruits? Will any fruit grow on the heads of persons?? It is definitely a symbolic description.
“Son of man coming in the clouds…” Does any one expect that a son will actually come in the clouds??
Jesus being a King or a prince of Peace. His kingdom was symbolic (being spiritual only, not of this world…
I hope the matter is understood and the OP has asked a good question. Only we have to set some limits as to what matters should be taken literally and what others to be considered symbolic.
It is the same in the Quran as it is in the bible. Jesus used to talk to his friends in parables. That was the beautiful way of teaching. Any other way would have been rude and crude.
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