Let the season begin
I'm really happy to not be sick any more. Luckily I got pretty good by the time my birthday came around. Which was great. Mostly people from my cluster and some other UW friends of mine came up, smoked cigars, and got more than buzzed off of various exotic alcohols. It was mostly a really great night, though, especially since it's the first time I'
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There's nothing wrong in wanting to live a conservative lifestyle, and interpreting the Bible as such, but to insist that the Bible can and SHOULD be taken literally is less than rational.
Sure, the Bible is one of the best accounts of Jesus and how a Christian should live. However, Biblical accounts are written accounts of oral traditions that were already generations old. Then, only accounts that fit with early Christian belief were included. Then the accounts were translated from various languages into Latin. Then hundreds of years later into English. All the time different Christians have included or deleted sections of the Bible. Different translators translated things differently.
In the end, the Bible is the best account we have of Jesus' life and how a Christian should live, but the details have been distorted by time and man. All that we can really be sure of in the Bible are the key sentiments, Jesus' sacrifice, the importance of faith, God's love and mercy, etc etc. The Bible was written to be interpreted, and has been interpreted every time it has been translated.
So if you want to take it literally, go ahead, but you're only taking literally the 10th translation/interpretation of an oral story told by the early Christians.
Protestants criticize Catholics greatly for two things:
-Not taking the Bible literally and not using it enough.
-Idolatry (we have statues of Mary or Jesus, or we include physical objects in our worship).
However, as I see it, by worshiping a book that is only the inspired product of inspired men, which has then been translated and interpreted by countless others before coming into your hands, is a far greater idolatry than bowing to a statue of Christ or Mary. Instead of following the sentiments of Christ and living with love, instead of looking into their own hearts, they focus on the details of this book written by man over the ages. It's idolatry of a man-made object, even though it's one of the best sources we have.
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That whole 3rd paragraph? I try to explain that to people and they get mad.
Sure, saints may be idols, but most of them were gods before sainthood. A whooole bunch of them were local gods/religious figures that were incorporated into Christianity to make the transition easier. So I figure they're at least doubly strong, all the better to pray to. And I agree about the worshiping of the book. Hell, even worshiping Christ is idolatry because he isn't god. He was the SON of, but not THE. So you're still worshiping someone/thing who isn't god.
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Look up the Trinity. God consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. St. Patrick explains that God is a trinity just like a clover leaf, three and one at the same time.
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By the way, saying you're the son of God, implies you're of the same flesh and blood.
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He also said we're ALL the children of god, so that would mean we're all god's flesh and blood.
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From Wikipedia: Thus John introduces a seemingly impossible contradiction, that Jesus both "was with God" and "was God" at the same time, and that was true from the beginning of creation. John also portrays Jesus Christ as the creator of the Universe, such that "without him nothing was made that has been made,"
The seeming contradiction in the Trinity is why so many Christian theologians come up with explanations for it, like St. Patrick. There's a single Godhead, of the same substance, but that exists are three entities. "the one God exists in three Persons and one substance, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
Mormons slightly disagree with this, and Unitarians refuse the Trinity altogether. This is why Mormons and Unitarians as Christians is questionable to so many.
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According to this site the belief has changed over time.
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/interp/jesus_God.html
This one shows both sides.
Lol, I had to double-check...I'm doing research about Nigeria and I almost sent you the link for that. Probably not as interesting to you :)
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You don't have to agree with it, but you'll guarantee a strong Christian won't listen to a single theological argument of yours. It seems like a petty way to try and undermine Christianity.
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I'm not trying to undermine it, I was just raised to believe that Jesus was a man. I don't think he was god and I am pretty sure there are verses somewhere or speeches he made where he says that. I don't know where, so oh well.
One thing I don't understand and have argued for hours about (to change the topic some) is why people say, "She's not Christian, she's Catholic." ...no, Catholicism is a Christian denomination. It was the only one for centuries. But non-Catholics will refuse to believe that, no matter what I say.
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Talk to your Protestant relatives some more, if what you're saying about them is true, then they're not believers in a Christian church (unless they're Unitarian). No Protestant church claims Jesus wasn't God. Which is fine and all, but they're not really good representatives of Christianity then.
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I'd agree with that. The vast majority of Bible-Belt Christians aren't.
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The only Church that doesn't is the Unitarian church. Hence the name.
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