Religion

There is a reason it is called Organized Religion.

It is because of the name description, you know, like, Organized Crime.....

 

The RCC's "Confessional" did not come about until the time of the Inquisition.

The CIA, FBI, KGB etc. have nothing on the intelligence gathering of the RCC.

Hell, they had parents turning in their own children, sib turn in sib, people turning in those they didn't like just for spite.

No better way to get people back then to "report" someone than to threaten them with Ex-Com and told they were going to Hell
no matter what they did to "repent".

 

In my opinion, not all religions are equal. We cannot compare a religion where membership is voluntary to a religion where it is an obligation, on pain of death, not to submit to it.

On the other hand, I don't see any problem with a religion like Catholicism having its rules, because as I have indicated, membership is free and voluntary, i.e. if you don't want to submit to that law you are simply not Catholic. It would be the same as saying I want to drive a car but I don't want there to be laws that impose a speed limit or that I can drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs without any problem. My logical answer is, I can't drive a car. Imagine a restaurant has a rule that men must wear a tie and women must wear an evening dress, I can't expect to dine in that restaurant in ripped jeans and a top. I will look for another restaurant that allows such clothing.

Nor do I understand the problem that the Catholic religion has its laws, since we live under many laws that regulate our actions, such as not stealing, not murdering, paying taxes... and many other unwritten laws that we also respect, such as giving a chair to an elderly person, helping a disabled person in the street if they need it or waiting our turn in a supermarket. In my opinion, it is claimed that the Catholic religion has no laws or that if they exist, they must be adapted to my personal wishes, which would mean that we would not have one religion, but millions of Catholic religions, each one adapted to the wishes of each person. And that does not exist anywhere. We cannot say that killing a person with a knife is not the same as killing a person with a gun. It makes no difference whether a murderer kills another person with a knife, a gun or a bomb. In all those circumstances, it is murder and it is murder because a law says so. In Dreams there are thousands of members, but there is no such thing as a Dreams to each member's personal taste. There is only one Dreams with its rules, if you don't agree with those rules, you can't be in Dreams, look elsewhere.

 

I do not agree with these words and I will explain why from my personal perspective.

Organisation is necessary and is part of the human being's existence, of his mind and of his life. We need an order, a hierarchy because it gives us a sense of security and of knowing that everything is in its place. Religion is born of a Higher Being, but when it reaches the human being, it needs order for its own mentality. In all our countries there is a government with its hierarchy. Let us imagine a country where 10,000 people live but without a government, they would have 10,000 presidents of government dictating 10,000 laws contradictory to each other. Imagine a religion with no hierarchy, you would have thousands of popes. Imagine a police force without any order or hierarchy, each policeman would act as he wishes. Imagine a family without the hierarchy of parents, children would never respect. It would be chaos and anarchy. Religion is part of this human need, which has existed for thousands of years in different forms (dictatorship or democracy, for example) that everything has a clearly established order and hierarchy.

 

That is a little amusing. I am not being sarcastic or anything against what you wrote.
But, your viewpoint on the RCC in your country is looked at totally different than here in the States.

Here, for the most part (80-90%) are "Cafeteria Catholics".

That is, most Catholics pick the doctrine they want to follow, and discard the doctrine they consider archaic.

Birth Control is the #1 "not followed" rule.
Taking the sacraments after a divorce is way up there also.

 

The true "organization" of the Christian faith, per the Bible, is as follows.

Head of the church (all churches are to be independent) is the "Bishop" (most commonly referred to as the "Pastor" today.
He is to preach to the congregation and to maintain control that the Biblical doctrines are obeyed and followed.

He has the responsibility to teach not only the congregation in how to apply Biblical directions in everyone's life, but
also to teach those who believe they have been called into either the missionary field, or those called to become
pastors one day too.

He is to have "Deacons" which take care of the physical needs of the membership as well as helping the Pastor with day-to day
operations.

Clerical staff is appointed by the Pastor (or, if he allows, be appointed by the Deacons.

Deacons and "other Disciples" are to help the Pastor in whatever he needs done. Some being chosen by the Pastor to
help with the mental and spiritual needs of the congregation if the Pastor has too many to address by himself.

As far as the hierarchy goes, it is very simple per Biblical teachings through the Epistles.
It is in sequence as follows;

Jesus Christ as part of the Holy Trinity . Christ alone is the head of the Christian Church. He is the "groom" the church is this "bride".

Bishop (pastor)

Congregation (Believers in Christ)

That's it. the Hierarchy is in 3 steps per the Bible. Any other hierarchy position is something man put in.

The Biblical Churches never had a "central office" or a "main church" or synod that the Bishops (Pastors) had to report to or
be forced into a "membership". (Think like The Southern Baptist Conference"- that whole concept is anti-Biblical in teachings)

The RCC is a bit different as no Church or Parish has to report to the Vatican in that way as the Vatican owns all of the churches
in its system. The RCC is structured like a business as far as the Dogma and Doctrine is declared.

Pope = CEO ( he is elected by a "board") w
Cardinals (which is the conclave of Cardinals i.e. = board members).
Bishops = Regional Managers (head of a group of parishes by geographical location)
Priests = Department Managers (see to all operations of the Parish)

Priests answer to the Bishops, Bishops to the Cardinals, Cardinals to the Pope.
Just like a corporation.
( I know there are in-betweens, Arch-Bishop, Monsignor, Brother, etc)

The non Biblical part of that is the Pope controls what the Doctrine of the church.
The Pope and the Cardinals declare themselves as sole authority for the understanding of the Bible, and no one else.

They in turn tell everyone else what the Bible means in Scripture teachings and those declarations are not allowed
to be questioned or taught differently by the Bishops, Priests, and Laity.

That is not Biblical per the Epistles written by Apostle Paul (Ephesians being the main focus)

 

Your knowledge is always extensive and detailed. Even as an atheist, it is always a pleasure to read you because you increase my knowledge and learn from a great teacher. The difference of beliefs, science and religion, should never be a reason for the desire to know and learn about other ways of living.

Thank you, from the heart.

Intense kisses and endless hugs.

 

So you have all the answers, you know the truth about everything? Who do you think you are to call people who question the 'offcial word' on any subject an idiot? How dare you.

Mod Dane interjection.
Let's keep this civil. These posts are getting borderline in flaming.
@buffyfan is entitled to his opinion. If he wants to consider those who believe in God idiots, he
is in his right to do so as long as he doesn't specifically state you or another member is an idiot directly.

 

My 2 cents.

Biblically speaking, God gives talents, knowledge, and abilities to everyone.

Relying only on God to heal everyone when something physically goes wrong is NOT Biblical.

And those who decline modern medicine and medical treatments are not Biblical in their beliefs.
I would not call them idiots, misguided is a better term.
But yeah, a bunch of conspiracy theorists, while some a based in hidden truths, are idiots. I can say
that because I know a few. LaLa Land dwellers imho.

OH, btw, Apostle Luke was a physician.

 

Ok so I'm an idiot then. Oswald did kill Kennedy, Saddam did have weapons of mass destruction, McVeigh did the Oklahoma bombing alone, Bin Laden was responsible for taking out 3 buildings with 2 planes!!!

Funniest thing is the greatest con job of all is Religion. You call me an idiot for daring to ask questions about incidents which have never been explained yet you follow a deity that nobody on this planet has seen, you can absolutely not prove there is this all seeing God, you base everything on a much modified book written centuries ago. Now believing a story from a book, no physical or scientific proof, that is what I call idiotic.

 

I never called you an idiot.
Unless you align yourself with those who claim EVERYTHING is a conspiracy by the government.

Medicare? A conspiracy to control how to kill off as many senior citizens as they can.-
Medicaid? A conspiracy to close down all of the insurance companies-
Electric cars? A conspiracy to embolden China to control all travel as the battery parts only come from there-

Those are actual sayings by a couple of people I know. They are conspiracist. But I refer to them as idiots.
If you believe what they do, well.........

 

I would just answer that in 2 thoughts.

1) The Catholic Church is, in and of itself, not a scam. It is the leadership that has abused their laic given authority that has defiled
the base belief and purpose of the church. All good Christian churches, have at their core, a basis that their entire existence is to
spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That through Him is the way to eternal life.

2) It was not the Catholic Church that saved your sister. It was her FAITH in Christ that saved her.