Question for Catholics

[PoBoy321]

[ QUOTE ]
It is either the inspired word of God, or it isn't.


[/ QUOTE ]

How does "inspired" translate into "a verbatim record of all of God's teachings"?

[PhatTBoll]

For most Catholics, the church isn't something you chose in the first place; it's a community that you are born into. Just like any community, you will have people who think that things can be better if some policy changes are made. Sometimes they are right, sometimes not.

Church doctrine has evolved over the years because some people saw things that needed to be changed and they did something about it. Many of them are now saints.

[Cyrus]

It was the year 2525 and man finally made it to another inhabited planet.

We made friends with the inhabitants of that planet, called Trooba. We also got to study their customs and stuff. Here's a summary of the report sent back to Earth by our brave explorers:

"The Troobans live on land. Water covers about 70% of Trooba. The land changes form completely randomly, due to volcanic and seismic developments, every hundred years or so. This does not prevent Troobans who live in the East (where the three Suns rise every morning from) to proclaim their land as Holy Land and the home of the one and only god, Tsi.

In that Holy Land, there are (a) one wall dating back from three thousand years, (b) the central bone of the skeleton of a wise Trooban that died fours thousand years ago, buried in some sort of a tomb, and (c) a giant cube-like stone that the Troobans have painted with the Seven Holy Colors (we can only see one.) Every year, Trubans that are faithful to the Tsi make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and then (a) alternatively hit their two heads on the Holy Wall, (b) place their two Ziklis on the bones of that dead guy (it's the equivalent of human kissing), and (c) walk around three times that giant rock thing, reading prayers to Tsi from their Holy Palmpilots.

Only two of the three sexes of Troobans are allowed in that Holy Land -- the third sex, called Poo Zi, is forbidden to approach by penalty of death.

Troobans are nothing like we've ever seen on Earth. Not that we have seen many two-headed, feathered beings of course (outside Congress) but I'm just saying. Troobans can see about ten times more from the colour spectrum than us humans and Poo Zis can see a hundred times more than the other two sexes! And, since, Trooban fashion changes every month, Poo Zis, who are all very fashion conscious are changing their "have nothing to wear" wardrobe every spring. Cloth makers rule over Trooba.

Back to the Tsi religion. Tsians have two persons who are their Holy Men. One sports a yellow bandana around his left antenna. Troobans are supposed to rise to their toes and kiss the bandana respectfully. This is the Trooban Holy Man Vatt? (the question mark is correct) and is considered to be the representative of Tsi on Trooba. Everything the man says is considered to be wise and holy. To avoid confusion, he makes signs with his hands when he wants to go pee.

The other person is always walking around with sunglasses and what look to us like gigantic headphones. This guy is called the Holy Man Fil and it is considered a bad omen to walk ahead of this guy because he immediately puts a curse on you! Still, followers of Tsi enjoy following him and getting lots of Holy Abuse and a sprinkle of Holy Spit on them and their children.

Now, about patriotism.

Troobans do not have flags as such -- so they kinda broke out in laughter when we raised and saluted our ol' Stars & Stripes. Some school buses came also, and unloaded children to watch the spectacle. Later, a Trooban confided to us that it seems hilarious to them to see grown humans saluting a specific combination of colours on a piece of cloth. That's what they said! We are seriously thinking that maybe the Communists have landed on this planet a coupla centuries ago.

I'm sending full details about the sex between the three sexes of Trooba in a separate form."

[CCass]

[ QUOTE ]
It was the year 2525 and man finally made it to another inhabited planet.

We made friends with the inhabitants of that planet, called Trooba. We also got to study their customs and stuff. Here's a summary of the report sent back to Earth by our brave explorers:

"The Troobans live on land. Water covers about 70% of Trooba. The land changes form completely randomly, due to volcanic and seismic developments, every hundred years or so. This does not prevent Troobans who live in the East (where the three Suns rise every morning from) to proclaim their land as Holy Land and the home of the one and only god, Tsi.

In that Holy Land, there are (a) one wall dating back from three thousand years, (b) the central bone of the skeleton of a wise Trooban that died fours thousand years ago, buried in some sort of a tomb, and (c) a giant cube-like stone that the Troobans have painted with the Seven Holy Colors (we can only see one.) Every year, Trubans that are faithful to the Tsi make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and then (a) alternatively hit their two heads on the Holy Wall, (b) place their two Ziklis on the bones of that dead guy (it's the equivalent of human kissing), and (c) walk around three times that giant rock thing, reading prayers to Tsi from their Holy Palmpilots.

Only two of the three sexes of Troobans are allowed in that Holy Land -- the third sex, called Poo Zi, is forbidden to approach by penalty of death.

Troobans are nothing like we've ever seen on Earth. Not that we have seen many two-headed, feathered beings of course (outside Congress) but I'm just saying. Troobans can see about ten times more from the colour spectrum than us humans and Poo Zis can see a hundred times more than the other two sexes! And, since, Trooban fashion changes every month, Poo Zis, who are all very fashion conscious are changing their "have nothing to wear" wardrobe every spring. Cloth makers rule over Trooba.

Back to the Tsi religion. Tsians have two persons who are their Holy Men. One sports a yellow bandana around his left antenna. Troobans are supposed to rise to their toes and kiss the bandana respectfully. This is the Trooban Holy Man Vatt? (the question mark is correct) and is considered to be the representative of Tsi on Trooba. Everything the man says is considered to be wise and holy. To avoid confusion, he makes signs with his hands when he wants to go pee.

The other person is always walking around with sunglasses and what look to us like gigantic headphones. This guy is called the Holy Man Fil and it is considered a bad omen to walk ahead of this guy because he immediately puts a curse on you! Still, followers of Tsi enjoy following him and getting lots of Holy Abuse and a sprinkle of Holy Spit on them and their children.

Now, about patriotism.

Troobans do not have flags as such -- so they kinda broke out in laughter when we raised and saluted our ol' Stars & Stripes. Some school buses came also, and unloaded children to watch the spectacle. Later, a Trooban confided to us that it seems hilarious to them to see grown humans saluting a specific combination of colours on a piece of cloth. That's what they said! We are seriously thinking that maybe the Communists have landed on this planet a coupla centuries ago.

I'm sending full details about the sex between the three sexes of Trooba in a separate form."

[/ QUOTE ]

A nominee for POTY!

[CCass]

[ QUOTE ]
The bible allows slavery.

I guess Christians shouldn't be allowed to disagree with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where in the Bible does God or Christ say that Slavery is good?

[Dead]

Don't put words in my mouth. I never said that the bible said it was good. It was allowed, however:

* The Bible acknowledged the slave’s status as the property of the master (Ex. 21:23; Lev. 25:46),
* The Bible restricted the master’s power over the slave. Ex. 21:20).
* The slave was a member of the master’s household (Lev. 22:11)
* The slave was required to rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10; Deut. 5:14)
* The slave was required and to participate in religious observances (Gen. 17:13; Exodus 12:44; Lev. 22:11).
* The Bible prohibited extradition of slaves and granted them asylum (Deut. 23:16-17).
* The servitude of a Hebrew debt-slave was limited to six years (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12).
* When a slave was freed, he was to receive gifts that enabled him to survive economically (Deut. 15:14)

Those are all Old Testament passages above. Here are some New Testament ones:

Matthew 18:25: "But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made."

Ephesians 6:5-9: "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."

It's pretty clear that a servant in ancient times was a slave.

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't put words in my mouth. I never said that the bible said it was good. It was allowed, however:

* The Bible acknowledged the slave’s status as the property of the master (Ex. 21:23; Lev. 25:46),
* The Bible restricted the master’s power over the slave. Ex. 21:20).
* The slave was a member of the master’s household (Lev. 22:11)
* The slave was required to rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10; Deut. 5:14)
* The slave was required and to participate in religious observances (Gen. 17:13; Exodus 12:44; Lev. 22:11).
* The Bible prohibited extradition of slaves and granted them asylum (Deut. 23:16-17).
* The servitude of a Hebrew debt-slave was limited to six years (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12).
* When a slave was freed, he was to receive gifts that enabled him to survive economically (Deut. 15:14)

Those are all Old Testament passages above. Here are some New Testament ones:

Matthew 18:25: "But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made."

Ephesians 6:5-9: "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."

It's pretty clear that a servant in ancient times was a slave.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dead,

You do realize the ancient concept of slavery was quite different then what we think of in the context of slavery in America?

[Dead]

Yes.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
I think many people belong to groups but don't agree with their principles 100%. But these disagreements are not so bad to overwhelm the benefits of membership

[/ QUOTE ]

So if your local bank supports and protects pedophiles, along with a long history of killing/persecuting anyone who tries to use another bank other than theirs, you'd still bank there, right?

The catholic religion is about the only entity in the world that seems to get let off the hook for this on a regular basis.

b

[jack spade23]

I understand your attitude regarding pedophiles and the church, but the church to my knowledge isn't currently "killing/persecuting anyone who tries to use another (religion)". there was a lot of corruption in the church back in the day, don't get me wrong, I've taken the AP euro course. But how are they now attempting to promote the killing of followers of other religions?