This is what God said...Is he a liar, Cam?

Come on Mul - isn't it better to direct the attention at converting non-believers?

FWIW, I (and the majority of my Catholic friends - I am actually very involved in the Church) would not believe that a priest is needed to absolve sins, we don't worship images or pray to dead persons.

It may appear we do the things in bold, but I can assure we don't.

I have been known to chant though. And I do think the Pope is a holy guy, and respect his leadership role. I don't feel that I elevate him in any way which interrupts my relationship to God.

Most of all, you need to understand that the Catholic Church has, for the last coupla thousand years, been assisting its people to interpret the Bible. IMHO, it would be just as dangerous to interpret the Bible personally, in a vacuum, as it would be to solely rely on what the Catholic Church teaches without reading the Bible. This thread alone shows the difference in interpretation of the same book (amongst non-Catholics as well as Catholics) - how can you be sure that your own interpretations are correct?

I'm done for the day - this clearly winds me up in a way that the political crap doesn't. I'm not gonna work this afternoon, so lucky me. It's lunch and coffee time...

No. But maybe he is a story-teller.

Cam...Upon reviewing this thread you have set your cross-hairs on two things...Me and the Bible...You have not offered one apology or defense for the Faith, Christ or the power of God through the God-breathed Holy book that we are both to adhere to strictly...Instead you have agreed with, and given fuel to, those who reject Christ and are looking for justification for their highway to hell.

Review my posts again and you will find that I have expressed high regard for the achievements of Catholicism...I reject the appearance or actual practice of anything un-Biblical...I hate the sin, and not the sinner.

Think about it for awhile.

Instead you have agreed with, and given fuel to, those who reject Christ and are looking for justification for their highway to hell.

This is your opinion, in much the same way as you should treat it as my opinion that I believe your goal in this thread was to attack Catholics. Remember, I'm setting cross-hairs on you for Catholic-bashing.

Call me liberal (:D) but I am far more worried about people who don't adhere to the key teachings of the Bible (love God and your neighbour springing to mind, and note I am not in any way trying to imply you don't adhere to these) than I am about whether people do it 100% "correct".

In particular since "correct" is so difficult to define, again, IMHO.

So He is a fibber?...Just make sure that what you decide was a fib and what you decide was the truth is wisely contemplated.

1 Corinthians 1:18-

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written,
"I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

Your politics parallel your theology....wrong.

That smoking hole through the heart (it being true) of the Bible must have been an accident...Repent.

Indeed. This is the distinction between the Church and the non-Catholic denominations. Martin Luther rejected the Church's instruction on Bible interpretation, and so does Mul. I wonder how Mul interprets Christ's "commissioning" of Peter as essentially the first Pope. Certainly different from the way I do. BTW, worldwide, there are two Catholics for every non-Catholic Christian.

Here is a link to the very interesting thread comparing Christian values to the two strains of political thought in my country. 169 posts suggest it was interesting. And it was. It has the potential to keep a thinking person busy. If we don't hear from Mul for a while, there may be hope:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155372&highlight=conser vative+christian

And here is the opening post in that thread:

"Hey, it's probably a very bad thing that I have found the unregulated "OT" board. As long as you guys are comfortable flipping $h!t upon one another and raising divisive questions, here's one.

Is "Conservative Christian" a bit of an oxymoron? Some countries we have recently discussed are noted for their quality of life, and their socialist approach. Sweden of course comes to mind first. There, every one has health care, everyone has work, everyone has a place to live.

By contrast, our United States economy can best be characterized as "survival of the fittest." In a capitalist economy, everyone is essentially in competition with everyone else. It is a "zero sum game" where there are going to be winners and losers. And for reasons I cannot understand, people who call themselves "Christians" (theoretically, followers of Christ) seem to support our economic system based on greed, over those "socialist" systems that (in my humble view) are far more compassionate and consistent with Christ's teachings.

I'd like someone to explain this to me."

I have only skimmed this thread quickly, but a few thoughts and questions:
-Does anyone here actually literally interpret all chapters in the Bible? Won't accept any of it, not even the earliest chapters of the OT, as allegory? If so, WOW.

-Thom has skillfully and with artfully minimal amount of input, had his way with all of you. Look back through the thread - with each passing page, the Word has gotten more and more lost. That has a two-pronged effect: it takes the credibility of the "believers" down at the knees, and it makes it easier for the inexplicably venomous Christianity haters here to continue hating and reviling it.

-Seriously w/no sarcasm: Thom: artful, skillful manipulation. Nicely done.

Bush hates artful, skillful, manipulators.

Damn. And I was gunning for Karl Rove's job. I bet he gets all the chicks.

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

So what is your point, Mul, old man?

"For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

http://cagle.msnbc.com/working/051004/bish.jpg

JC was a Socialist. Its indeed hard to reconcile what has become euphemistically termed a "faith based" view of the world with teachings the teaching of its Lord Jesus Christ. There's not much "Christ" apparent in some Christians.

Thats the great thing about radical atheism. Its that step beyond atheism that requires a reasonable person to respect the view of another who chooses to believe in the Great Pumpkin.

The Radical Atheist knows anyone who believes in a Great Pumpkin and that the Pumkin will return to take him up to the big Vegie Patch in the sky is- in fact- intellectually bankrupt and undeserving of any level of tolerance. Nutbags, in other words.

Radical Atheism. Go on, try it. Its very liberating. :D

You better hope so.

In the absolute absence of any evidence to contrary, I have, ah, faith.

By implication, the it seems the essence of your faith lies in the fear of eternal damnation. Or perhpas you would have me belive it lies in your love for your God and your fellow man?

LOL.

Stuart

You better hope so.

So had you, matey boy. Only 144,000 are going, and you if you are not a virgin.....you dont get the words to the secret song.

Hope that last BJ was worth casting your soul into the fiery pit of Hades for all eternity.

LOL Stuart

Revelations 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.

EDIT- oh the irony. Mulholland standing at the pearly gates, arguing with St Peter. "i did not have sex with that woman...."


LOLOLOLOL