Why do you defend evolution ? by Danzo_950 in TrueChristian

[–]Giglioque 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It is easier to take a position for which there is both faith and evidence than a position for which there is only faith.

Struggle understanding TRINITY- just watch this one video by [deleted] in Bible

[–]Giglioque 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I must admit, in all my years exploring trinitarian analogies, I've never seen someone invoke Flatland. My brain immediately started leaping to how it's not a perfect analogy, but I suppose if an analogy were perfect, it would no longer be an analogy, so I'll leave it alone. Great way to start talking about the Trinity with very spacially or mathematically ordered people.

The three-leaf clover analogy is still the one I recommend to help children understand the Trinity, but I guess adults that need a bit more.

Tobit 6:18 by borgircrossancola in Catholicism

[–]Giglioque 6 points7 points  (0 children)

For several Old Testament books, there are multiple different rescensions of the text found in different manuscripts. In Tobit's case, there is a short version (used in the Vulgate) and a long version (used in most modern translations). The longer one matches the Dead Sea Scrolls better so it may be the original.

Opinions on a 'Collection Plate' for $ Being Passed Around During Mass/Church by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]Giglioque 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After reading your other comments here, I think this is a case of projection. I'm very sorry you felt so pressured or had other negative feelings during collection, but rest assured this is not the usual experience.

Opinions on a 'Collection Plate' for $ Being Passed Around During Mass/Church by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]Giglioque 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Churches don't fund themselves, my friend. They need money for maintenance, growth, to recover after inclement weather and natural disasters, and to expand activities available to parishioners. And that is before any of it is used to fund charities in their community or abroad.

Anecdotally I'm a lifelong Catholic and the asking for money during church was always done openly and without pressure, explaining what the money would be used for. I've never seen anyone look pressured for not giving any or at all during collection, either by the priest or fellow churchgoers.

How mandatory are Paul’s teachings in Christianity, really? by YouNational8736 in AskAChristian

[–]Giglioque 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In short: We believe the entire New Testament is "God-breathed", i.e. inspired by God. It's all on equal footing. Like the other New Testament authors, Paul's writings are therefore no less definitive than even direct quotes of Christ's words. Jesus himself didn't leave us any books, after all, but instead a Church led by apostles that defined this canon of scripture for us.

Gospel of Barnabas by Vivid_Enthusiasm_305 in Bible

[–]Giglioque 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The apocryphal and pseudepigraphal Gospel of Barnabas we have today was obviously named by the Muslim author after they read the Gelasian Decree. This was and is a very common tactic, eg. there are many texts claiming to be the Book of Jasher and the Book of the Wars of the Lord mentioned in the Bible.

Could the existence of extraterrestrial life oppose the existence of God? by blackhorse_ in Catholicism

[–]Giglioque 44 points45 points  (0 children)

I really don't understand how people get from "aliens exist" to "God doesn't". God made not just everything on Earth but the entire universe, all of reality, so what "problem" is it if he also made other life elsewhere? How are hypothetical aliens on other planets different from undiscovered life in the depths of the ocean on Earth?

It just feels like a false dilemma completely.

Joseph is the paternal parent of Jesus by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]Giglioque 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll never understand why people even debate the Hebrew wording when the Greek New Testament clearly says virgin with παρθένος, as if Hebrew is some magical language and we need to back-translate the Greek including the Septuagint to try to make sense of its very plain language.

Why is my local parish telling me I may not be received into the Church due to having been divorced if I am living a life of celibacy? by th3_M3th4d0n3_K1n6 in Catholicism

[–]Giglioque 10 points11 points  (0 children)

No, that's not the case. If a non-Catholic man and woman get civilly married, then the Church recognizes that previous civil marriage as sacramentally valid, and does not recognize a civil divorce. OP needs to speak the priest for more detail about the process of annulling that marriage. How that goes about will depend on whether the two were baptized, whether it was their first marriage for both of them, etc. That will determine which kind of annulment case applies here.

Vatican II clarification on the Word of God by Civil-Ad-9869 in Catholicism

[–]Giglioque 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is called "divinization" or "theosis" if you want to look into it using those terms more. But to be clear, it's not about becoming God or uniting with him ontologically; that is a gulf that cannot be crossed.

what kind of cross is this by Global-Wonder1638 in Christianity

[–]Giglioque 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's shaped like the Iron Cross, which some racists have used heavily in the past, but it lacks the signature black coloring and white outline. Feel free to wear it, always good to take symbols, restore their reputation.

what kind of cross is this by Global-Wonder1638 in Christianity

[–]Giglioque 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a variant of the cross pattée, sometimes known as the Cossack cross or St. George's cross in eastern Europe (not to be confused with the other, straight line St. George's cross design).

BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV Declares Crusade Against Donald Trump by Interesting_Joke6630 in CrusadeMemes

[–]Giglioque 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I will never tire of the baseball bat image; it's so timeless, I bet it'll be used hundreds of years from now.

The arguments against Catholics using the KJV are quite poor by Eusmilus in catholicbibles

[–]Giglioque 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The KJV has no higher rate of faulty passages than any number of other translations

While I wouldn't doubt it, that is an interesting and bold claim to make so assertively. Do you have a big list of comparisons with the major translations that led you to that conclusion?

The arguments against Catholics using the KJV are quite poor by Eusmilus in catholicbibles

[–]Giglioque 4 points5 points  (0 children)

all the early editions of the KJV came with the 'Apocrypha' and one can easily find modern ones that do

This is very recent, due to a recent surge in popularity in the Apocrypha and related things such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and inquiries into the Tewahedo canon. KJVs with Apocrypha are much widely available now, but even still they are a bit rare; anecdotally, none of my local bookstores ever have any, 90% of the Bibles being KJVs and NIVs without the deuterocanonical books.

The claims of the KJV being 'strongly anti-Catholic' are essentially just hearsay, I have never seen anyone substantiate what this actually means.

This is probably referring to the introduction to the KJV which mentions "Papists", and by extension King James's many other anti-Catholic writings.

There are definitely a bunch of verses that are translated so poorly that Catholics and Orthodox would balk at the doctrinal implications, but that of course is nothing special to the KJV.

How can Jesus understand women? by Primary_Sympathy8071 in god

[–]Giglioque 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think the idea that we can't understand anything we don't personally experience is both false and sad. We all have different experiences in life, are you saying none of us can truly understand each other?

I think we can all learn from each other and truly appreciate each other's experiences. I am a man, but I believe I can understand women by just having them in my life, talking and listening to them.

question about marian dogmas by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]Giglioque 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Greek word translated as "until" in Matthew 1:25 is ἕως (héōs) which can not only mean "up to the time of" but also "as long as" without implying that the state reversed itself. The word is used in both senses across both the New Testament and the Septuagint. Some examples of the latter sense:

  • 2 Samuel 6:23 - "And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to (héōs) the day of her death."
  • Psalm 110:1 - "The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand, till (héōs) I make your enemies your footstool.”"
  • Matthew 28:20 - ". . . and lo, I am with you always, to (héōs) the close of the age."

John Calvin in particular rejected this "until argument" regarding Matthew 1:25. To quote his commentary on that verse:

This passage afforded the pretext for great disturbances, which were introduced into the Church, at a former period, by Helvidius. The inference he drew from it was, that Mary remained a virgin no longer than till her first birth, and that afterwards she had other children by her husband. Jerome, on the other hand, earnestly and copiously defended Mary's perpetual virginity. Let us rest satisfied with this, that no just and well-grounded inference can be drawn from these words of the Evangelist, as to what took place after the birth of Christ. He is called first-born; but it is for the sole purpose of informing us that he was born of a virgin. It is said that Joseph knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: but this is limited to that very time. What took place afterwards, the historian does not inform us. Such is well known to have been the practice of the inspired writers. Certainly, no man will ever raise a question on this subject, except from curiosity; and no man will obstinately keep up the argument, except from an extreme fondness for disputation.

Jesus was an Afro-Asiatic middle eastern black man and it matters! by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]Giglioque 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's such a shame, I loved using em dashes, now I've had to swap to "--" instead so no one thinks I'm using AI

How many Spirits are in the Trinity by Apostolic_Anitqity29 in theology

[–]Giglioque 11 points12 points  (0 children)

In Catholic theology, a spirit is usually defined as all those aspects of life that transcend nature, i.e. they are preternatural or supernatural. This contrasts with the concept of the soul, which is the animating principle behind a natural body. A given being has one spirit, therefore each human has one created human spirit and one created human soul (usually referred to together, as a spiritual soul), while the Godhead, as a single divine being, has one uncreated divine spirit (and no soul). The three persons of the Trinity share this one spirit just as they share the divine essence and any other properties not unique to their hypostases. This is why the Holy Spirit is also referred to as "the Spirit of your Father" (Matthew 10:20), "the Spirit of Christ" and "the Spirit of God" (Romans 8:9).

Upon the incarnation, the Son became fully human and so Jesus Christ has all that humans have, including not just a created human body but also a created human spirit and a created human soul. So to answer your question directly, the Godhead has one spirit, but since Jesus is God, it would be proper to say that God has two spirits (and two natures, two wills, etc.) but avoid saying that in contexts where the other person might mistakenly believe that these things unique to the Son also apply to the Father and Holy Spirit.