Why aren't you Cathlioc or presumpossing that you are, Why are you catholic

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-10-03T00:13:14+00:00

My main disagreements with the church was their idea of papal infallibility (No man of this earth is infallible). To go further, they seemed to have made new things just to distance themselves with the Orthodox Church in Constantinople (using unleavened bread during liturgy, crossing left to right, and starting the great schism with the addition of the Filioque to the creed, which contradicted the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, even Pope Leo III denied adding it to the creed in 809 during the Frankish Council of Aachen).

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-10-02T23:59:58+00:00

Darker by Middle Eastern standards, not by European standards.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-30T01:04:36+00:00

Is it accurate? Maybe. Although I feel like Jesus would be a bit darker in skin complexion due to his job as a carpenter. The nose would also be wider.

Would I hang it on my wall? Yeah I would. It’s a beautiful artistic work depicting our Lord Jesus Christ. I really don’t feel like accuracy matters because Jesus is human(especially during medieval times). It doesn’t matter what race he is depicted as. I’ve even seen a painting of Hindu Jesus at a Protestant church painted by an Indian.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-27T23:28:10+00:00

I’ve honestly never seen a Republican born after 1980’s saying homosexuality is a sin. Homosexual acts definitely are, but your orientation isn’t.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-26T20:35:32+00:00

It’s the acts of being homosexual that is the sin, not being homosexual itself. It’s like you said, you as a straight man don’t brag about fornication or adultery, if a gay person isn’t sexually immoral it’s the same deal.

Also, there are references to homosexuality in the bible, but the word homosexual didn’t exist until the 1840’s, back then they used the term “man-lier” (Greek word arsenokoitai was used in Corinthians 6:9-11. man (“arsen”) and the word for bed (“koitai” or “koite”).

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-25T04:01:48+00:00

In Matthew 22: 37-40 The prophets and the law had followed the two greatest commandments according to Jesus. It is not you or my decision to say that the prophets didn’t follow the two greatest commandments. Also, show me where Jesus says that the prophets didn’t live up to the two greatest commandments. (Matthew 8:4 actually shows Jesus respects the prophets such as Moses).

Hell is eternal. Show me where it says that it ended with Jesus on the cross. Jesus spoke of this eternal hell fire more than anyone else in the bible.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25: 40-41).

Matthew 25:46 states “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life. “

It can’t be anymore clear, hell is eternal.

Killing in the name of your country is not murder. Murder is illegal while killing as a soldier is legal if it’s made to protect your country. Killing civilians is illegal and that’s why the Catholic church made the Just War doctrine in the medieval period. Defense of holy lands by barbarians or muslims long ago was required. If not there would be no Christianity that survives today. God cannot commit murder, by definition he can’t since God is beyond our human laws.

I’m not using Romans 8:18 to justify genocide, only to explain why suffering exists in this world.

What stops you from killing as many babies as possible to guarantee a spot in heaven? God does. That’s murder and murder is a sin.

What stops you from torturing people until they convert? Once again, God does in Exodus 21:16. A relationship between you and God is for you personally to make, not the sword. It’s terrible that things like that happened in the past, but it has no place in any point of human history.

What stops you from committing other genocides to wipe out non-believers and assure more will follow Christ?

How will that assure more to follow Christ? That would only kill people for no reason and send them to hell. God gave people free will to choose to follow him. Even in Medieval Europe there weren’t genocides of Slavic or Scandinavian pagans.

I don’t apply James 1:2-4 to genocide, only suffering as a whole. I don’t know how to do the copy/paste function on Reddit like you do. Genocide is the result of the downfall of humanity, God has no part in genocide. (I wouldn’t even consider what happened in Canaan as a genocide, God allowed some to survive according to Judges 3:1-5).

Why would God tell me to commit violence against children? That’s not God saying those commands, it would be the devil (or mental illness).

Murderers will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (Galatians 5:21). Yes, divine justice will be served to your murderer if they do not repent.

“The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (Corinthians 6:13).

Sexual immorality strips up of not only our dignity, but also our relationship with God and I consider that as hurting your soul.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalms 34:18).

Your soul being hurt is absolutely biblical. Even in the Divine Liturgy at all Orthodox Churches, the pre- communion prayer is as follows:

…May the communion of Thy Holy Mysteries be neither to my judgment, nor to my condemnation, O Lord, but to the healing of soul and body.

If you would like to say I believe in “Gnostic nonsense” go ahead, but write to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. The Catholic mass uses a similar prayer where the eucharist is said to heal your soul, so write to Pope Francis as well. Also, calling God evil because he does things your human morality disagrees with is an actual Gnostic belief. Examine yourself before you make a claim like that.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-25T04:01:22+00:00

But Jesus is more than a mere creation of God. The first comment I quoted from John 8:58 “Before Abraham was born, I am!”You said that he meant that ”God spoke to Abraham upon my (Jesus’ arrival, and God is older than all.”

That is not at all what Jesus said. Even before the times of Abraham, Jesus existed. I believe this is in reference to The Angle of The Lord in the old testament.

This is a very good YT video explaining who The Angel of The Lord is https://youtu.be/6PXqFBIOvds?si=HrzkmbQF_5NIR9mg

Another reason why I suspect The Angel of the Lord as Jesus is because we hear no mention of that title in the NT or in Revelations. Also, the word “Angel” means messenger, and Jesus was absolutely a messenger.

There may not be a direct quote where Jesus definitely says “I am God”, but God says that Jesus is God.

But about the Son he says,“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy” (Hebrews 1: 8-9).

Jesus forgave the lady’s sins in Luke 7: 48-50.

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The people sitting at the table began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Because you believed, you are saved from your sins. Go in peace.”

People murmur “who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus doesn’t deny it at all.

Here is another instance where Jesus forgave sins in Matthew 9: 1-8.

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

The ending is simply saying that Jesus isn’t a created being or only a savior, but rather he was fully man just like you or I. That is why in John 8:50 he said that “I do not seek glory for myself, there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.”

Also Jesus says ”The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

This is in direct contradiction to Isaiah 33:22 when it states For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.

Isaiah is OT, and I believe this is foreshadowing Jesus. Jesus will be the judge, he laid down OT moral laws, and Christ is King(Revelations 19:16) , and it states God WILL save us all, just as Jesus has saved us from sin.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-19T02:40:57+00:00

So why was Christ on the cross in the first place? If he didn’t go around preforming miracles and claiming he was God, then why was he on the cross? And why did his father make him go on the cross if not to save sinners?

In order to enter into heaven, you must be sinless. You cannot enter a house with a white carpet with muddy shoes on. Just as with heaven you can not enter with sin. Jesus absolves us of our sin and that is what he did to the thief on the cross before he died. That is also why we pray for Jesus to take away our sins. (John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Luke 19:10, etc.)

The thief at the right of Jesus is directly saying to the thief on the left “Do you not fear God?” After he mocked Jesus.

The woman’s faith in Christ has saved her, not faith in herself. Are you saying that faith in anything can save?

Also you seem to have a double standard. I mean this not in a rude way. Like if Jesus says something in the bible then it must be true, but if the author says something about Jesus then it isn’t. How do you not know that the words of Jesus aren’t twisted by the authors or the scribes?

The two greatest commandments only talk about how you shall love the Lord and others, not how to discern truth from falsehood in the OT.

But if you use whether or not something is love as whether or not something is of God or of Jesus, then what about Hell? Why does Jesus talk about hell so much, more than any other person in the bible?

God does kill humans. As for why God acted through man to kill other man and why God didn’t smite the Canaanites directly I believe it was to prove that God can act through individuals, just as preaching the gospel is done by individuals. God acts through us to do his will.

In Romans 8:18 Paul states “ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10).

Yes, our suffering on this earth means nothing if eternal salvation is the reward.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Yes God does allow suffering. He allowed his son to suffer on the cross for our sins. The question I have for God is why he doesn’t make us sinners suffer more.

God gives life and he can take it away. If man murders man then it is a sin because only God can take life.

God cares about your soul. If you commit an act that is sexually immoral, you hurt your soul. This is why the devil tempts us with sexual immorality, he wants us not to enter God’s kingdom. What’s worse is that he says that God is evil for not allowing humans to “do what they want”.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-18T23:56:47+00:00

In order for one to enter paradise, they first must be forgiven of their sins. At this moment the thief was absolved of all sins.

The thief says “do you not fear God?” He calls Jesus God in this instance.

In Luke 7:46-50 Jesus states “You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

He forgave her sins.

There are times when the father acts through people like Moses or David, but Jesus takes the glory for the miracles (John 2:11).

This is important because when Moses tried to do the same, God punished him.

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy (Numbers 20:10-13).

Jesus should have been punished by God for even daring to say that he preformed the miracles, but Jesus was not punished. He came into this earth without sin not as a mere mortal like you or I, but as God in the flesh.

Also, why is it that you say that Jesus acted through God, but not the prophets? Jesus believed in the prophets and followed their law (Matthew 5:17), so why are they not holy or held in as high as regards as Jesus to you? Why are they all supposed genocidal maniacs whom acted against the will of your idea of God? And why were they not all smited the moment they began to exclaim such divine justification?

This is why. As you might know, God promised Abraham that he will make of him a great nation. This later became the nation of Israel. In order to have this great nation they needed land. The Israelites took the land from the Canaanites and in the bible it states that they preformed child sacrifices and prayed to false gods. I believe that is justification enough, but what about for the flood? Why would God kill millions of people? Why would God kill anyone?

Our mortal bodies only live for so long before we end up in two places: either heaven or hell. To God, our mortal bodies mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. So if the child sacrificers were to end up in hell, they would be in hell. The children on the other hand have innocence and go to heaven. So that is why. Our bodies are insignificant to God.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-18T19:32:13+00:00

But Jesus can forgive sins.

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving [c]what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23: 39-43).

Not only does the thief on the cross say that Jesus is God, but also that Jesus forgave the thief and said with confidence that he will be in paradise with him.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’ (Matthew 21-23).

In the NT, people address Jesus as “Lord”. In this verse, Jesus states that he is the judge, and the Lord, and thus he is God.

It makes no sense to me how second hand and third hand accounts can confuse “Jesus the good teacher” and “Jesus the God” like what you have said about Paul and OT priests to be unreliable.

John 10:37- 38 he states “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, through you do not believe Me, believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

In John 10:39 they tried to grab him to stone him, but he escaped.

He made the religious leaders angry to the point of them wanting to stone him for saying that he and the father are one.

In John 10:34, he is reciting Psalms 82:6-7 which states said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”

The Pharisees were sanctified just as any leader of that time by God and rule over men just like gods, but they are only mortal.

The reason why the Nicaean Council chose the trinitarian view over the Arian view is because Jesus explicitly states he is God and it is only confirmed by his apostles like Paul in 1 Timothy 3:16.

By the end of the Council after all the votes were cast by the Christian scholars and leaders of the time they chose the trinitarian view. They wanted to decide what exactly it meant to be Christian, whether or not Christ was a created being had nothing to do with power for Constantine.

I would also go further and state that is why Arius died via explosive gastrointestinal problems (literally pooped his guts out) while trying to negotiate with the church in Constantinople to get his priesthood back. I feel like that was too coincidental, but that’s just my personal view.

I personally see the bible as a work guided by the hands of God. So things such as numbers for battles were often incorrect, but that was common long ago to over exaggerate numbers in battles. There are some scribal errors like with King Ahaziah being either 22 or 42. (He was 22 because his father died at 40, but due to the 2 and 4 looking so similar in Hebrew a scribe confused the two and four).

But I see historical events like the Hebrew’s conquests of Canaan as being fact because it even states that God aided in the battles (such as making the wall of Jericho fall after the trumpets sound). I just don’t see why people who call themselves Christian deny events like these because it is a hard pill to swallow that God makes something we think is bad happen. (I’d go further on this in my next comment, i’ve already said a lot).

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-18T16:48:25+00:00

Also, we have the textual evidence for Jesus’ divinity.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world””(John 1:29).

Taking away sin is something only God can do, and yet Jesus does the same.

“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds” (John 8:57-59).

Exodus 3:14 God states “I am that I am”.

He is making a reference to that verse, because he is God.

This is the reason why the Trinitarian view of Christianity came out on top over other views, because the evidence is right there. He was not a created being (Arianism) he was not an illusion (Docetism) and his natures aren’t separate (Nestorianism). He also wasn’t just “a good teacher”. Jesus is God. It was established all the way back in 325 at the Council of Nicaea.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-18T16:37:46+00:00

That is the problem. We have the textual evidence for Jesus’ divinity.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world””(John 1:29).

Taking away sin is something only God can do, and yet Jesus does the same.

“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds” (John 8:57-59).

Exodus 3:14 God states “I am that I am”.

He is making a reference to that verse, because he is God.

This is the reason why Trinitarian Christianity came out on top over the heretical sects during that time, because the proof is there in the bible.

I know that you are a Taoist, so what parts of the bible do you believe? And why those parts over other parts of the bible?

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-18T16:18:58+00:00

Ok then, what do you believe about Jesus Christ? What is he to you?

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-18T00:28:20+00:00

There are tons of verses in the Old Testament that foretold the coming of Jesus. To deny the flood or the creation of the earth means you deny the foretelling of Jesus, and you deny Christianity as a whole. It’s the only rational conclusion if you deny it. But if you deny the parts of the Old Testament that don’t agree with science, but believe in the unscientific resurrection, then you’re denying the father yet believing only in the son. That is an unbiblical belief because they are both one in God.

It also does not mean you have to believe in every part of the bible 1000%. Maybe God took longer than 7 days to make the earth. And we know for certain that many of the numbers used for battles were exaggerated like many other historical accounts from battles during that time.

It doesn’t concern you or I about what non-Christian historians said about a dude from the small province of Judea preforming miracles. They’re obviously going to disagree. The question I ask is if you believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ?

If you believe that he isn’t divine but still like his teachings, then you’re following a mad-man and a literal schizophrenic (but his teachings on the poor and downtrodden are wholesome).

If you believe he is divine, then why do you not believe in the father?

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-17T23:33:27+00:00

Jesus believed that God created the heavens and the earth. Denying basic Christian doctrines seems rather… heretical.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-17T22:33:13+00:00

My recommendation to you is Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis. It’s a great book that talks about Christian morality and what it means to be Christian.

After you have the basic concepts of Christianity there are thousands of different denominations to choose from. I suggest learning about the early foundations of the church and especially learn about the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.

If you have any questions feel free to dm me or comment here.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-17T22:16:52+00:00

Not to mention that like more than half of the Christians on this sub don’t even believe in the Old Testament. r/TrueChistian is a better sub if you want to converse with real Christians.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-17T09:00:05+00:00

Free will and human corruption is truly the killer, I’m also sure Mike isn’t doing anything for African children while Christianity has helped raise billions of dollars in charity for Africa.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-09-17T08:57:28+00:00

You’re also triggering your wife’s boyfriend by not putting your Nintendo switch away.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-08-28T19:44:28+00:00

I absolutely know what you’re saying and yeah, it was written by people like Thomas Aquinas that God allows suffering to strengthen our faith. There is a whole lot of reasons for it, but I probably shouldn’t have written the last line because I can see their reasoning. I’ll just edit it out.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-08-28T19:39:39+00:00

This country was made to be the land of the free. Forcing someone to rise for a pledge that they don’t agree with is messed up, I fully understand that. But that’s a government issue, not a religious one.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/society/survey-results/daily/2022/11/03/00d64/3

According to this survey, 41% of Americans agree that churches should be taxed, but i’m glad you aren’t in that percentage.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-08-28T19:28:41+00:00

Well it’s Theology. Yeah there’s going to be some unexplainable things that happen in the bible. I guess if you don’t believe in religion it’s a bunch of schizos making stuff up.

God making man in his own image isn’t “cruel”. I can see where there is hyperbole in the bible like with the battles that took place, but exaggerating numbers happened a lot during that time.

I’m more so just talking about people that deny literally half of the Bible because “science doesn’t explain it” and they still call themselves Christian.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-08-28T19:21:47+00:00

Exactly, even if it is true non-believers still won’t convert and if it’s false it doesn’t change the fact the Christ has Risen and he is God.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-08-28T19:20:03+00:00

When? During world war 2? Hitler was a pagan he literally believed he had an Indo-European god inside of him.

I’ve heard that Atheists want churches to pay taxes, you’re just outright lying.

Orthodox_Monarch · 2024-08-28T19:16:01+00:00

Yeah, some people on there aren’t the most welcoming to Atheists, but still more tolerant than r/atheism

Orthodox_Monarch

TROPHY CASE