Catholics vs Christians - Page 4

I know you are correct that if someone does not know, then they are not judged by it.

Idol worship was not something Mother Theresa did.

Idol worship is in fact, a completely different thing than what today's mankind understands it to be.
For instance, stamps could be an idol. Or guns, or beer or wine. Anything that is more important than God, is idol worship.

If you take time out to 'collect' something, and it involves a full day to do so. Or anything you do above and beyond contemplating God, or giving thanks and praise to Him, is idol worship.

People believe it is about statutes, and icons. In fact, they are harmless because they might sit in someone's house. They might have an honorable spot in someone's house, but the people are not dweeling on them, praying TO them as though they are their gods. They are there for reflection and remembrance for the 'RETURN PATH' I call it, that involves people to remember to stop, ponder, and reflect on all that God gave us.

So which is more harmful Okcity?
A statute that gives brief reflection back to Heavenly things, which is a return path to God, or a complete collection of guns?

Not that I am against guns. What I am saying is that anything that consumes you more than God, is an idol.
Computers for some, is an idol.
Porn is an idol, well, I could make my list go on, but basically it comes down to how we tend not realise just what worship is outside of God.

Pagans worshipped statutes, true, but they truly offered up items, prayers, alms, and such TO the stututes and they did NOT believe in the single God. But many. They erred and made God jealous. They believed that 'Venus' gave them Love. When in fact, God gave us His love, and that Zeus was father to gods, when in fact God our Father.

Today we might not necessarily 'have god and goddess' statutes...but look around the world today.
Many left the churches, and they have 'hobbies' that they put far above God. They would rather be an avid movie goer, and make the screen their god, because it is more pleasurable to them to seek this entertainment than to attend a congregation or a mass to worship the true, and the only God. Who requires at least 52 hours out of the year, as a return for proof we do thank Him and care.
In return He gives us water, air, animals, flowers, sunshine, stars, oceans, food. The list is massive.

Let me ask, did I make the point I was trying to?

Yes - you made a good point.

Now - to dig deeper - Why do we believe in one God?

You don't have to answer that - I don't know the answer - Just curious.

But for the record - I don't believe God gets jelouse. I think God is bigger than that, I don't know why the scriptures say that?

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Now - to dig deeper - Why do we believe in one God?

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You have to belief in God 1st. If you believe in God, you must believe His enormous love for us. If you believe in His love, then you will acknowledge that He loved us enough to give us the Bible as a reference to both the History of His laws, and His desires and His laws.

But moreover than that, you would then read the bible, and realise HOW jealous He was. He stated it over and over.

But the ten Commandments were the most profound in how He felt.
He not only told Moses the Ten. But He struck the words into rock. (Twice mind you)

1 I am the Lord your God, you shall have no gods before me.

His jealousy is because His love for us, and He being the one Who created us, it is understandable.

But He still gives us free will.

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Pagans worshipped statutes, true, but they truly offered up items, prayers, alms, and such TO the stututes and they did NOT believe in the single God. But many. They erred and made God jealous. They believed that 'Venus' gave them Love. When in fact, God gave us His love, and that Zeus was father to gods, when in fact God our Father.

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Doesn't sound like any Pagans I know? But as you said 'Pagans honor creation and who (what) is the Creator. Often this is confused into idol worship,
Blessed Be! (by being a blessing to others)

Pagans are a general term from WAY BACK..and not necessarily those used now to wiccans. Etc.
Idols are a form of worship in many ways besides statues these days. Anything or one who replaces God, and is worshiped in clever ways above God.
I think I am not clear. Sorry.

I have heard some conservative christians call nature worship idol worship. This is what the pegans did, they worshiped nature. However - the indians had the "the spirit" and there were others who had a single entity that they worshiped.

My arguement is: "We don't know what God is?" We can decide for ourselves what we think, but we're not smart enough to tell another that they are mistaken. Christianity today teaches the trinity, Islam calls this an abomination and so do some Jews. But if we can believe in the trinity, why can't we believe in seperating the one God into tenths, or even hundredths.

Anyways - In nature I have found God. To me, nature is a mirror image of God. To understand God more fully, one must study nature. I kind of appreciate any religion that has nature as its basis.

Concerning the old (pegan) religions. We really don't know what they believed. Just like the Gnostic religion. It's all guess work putting the small scraps that are left together. I'm sure that what is practiced today is nothing like yesterday. Some of these Pegan religions were vary violent. The Vikings (they believed in one God), they had some very horrible traditions.

"We don't know what God is?"

God is an enigma. There is no absolute. But He did make man in His image.
Read Wisdom, it might help you understand God.
He is one with 3 natures. Natures as in JOBS blended with beings.
Not an easy concept to render to ourselves. But neither is omnipotent, nor alpha and omega.

Nature is OF God, so it would be natural to find him in it.

Indians were completely wonderful. How astute they were.

Concerning the old (pegan) religions. We really don't know what they believed.
http://www.roman-empire.net/religion/religion.html

http://www.bulfinch.org/

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I have heard some conservative christians call nature worship idol worship. This is what the pegans did, they worshiped nature.
Concerning the old (pegan) religions. We really don't know what they believed. Just like the Gnostic religion.

Pagans are a general term from WAY BACK..and not necessarily those used now to wiccans. Etc.
Nice link but I had to cut& paste to access the link

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I think the Wiccan have the Triple Goddess as the GodHead,
as it relates to the Celtic traditions, giving more femine procreative expresses the nature of creation.

Anything that chnages the nature of the One God, or is put above God is worship of Idols.
To change the nature of God to make Him feminine is seriously changing the nature of God.
In the original and longest standing scrolls, and thus turned into a text, called the bible, shows positively He is male. But His nature is NOT against woman. He has made man of His image and her of man's. So she too is part of God's image. But His nature is male.

"Pagans worshipped statutes, true, but they truly offered up items, prayers, alms, and such TO the stututes and they did NOT believe in the single God."
They give it to their gods through the intermediary of the statues. They don't give it to the statue, but to whichever god the statue represents.
The statue is just a symbol for the god, much like the cross is for the christian God.

But the gods are false gods. Therefore they worship false gods, idols.

Well they believe those gods as are real as your God.
If God is false, would you be worshipping idols?

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Well they believe those gods as are real as your God.
If God is false, would you be worshipping idols?

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Let me make this less complicated. The question was in regards to Catholics worshipping idols. Idols are false gods. Catholics do not have false gods. Therefore they do NOT worship idols.

They have one God with three persons. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (Spirit)

Icons are placed around the home, as reminders, just as any christian organization has crosses. Or bibles. Reminders are good.

I don't see how pagan statues are different. They're just reminders of their own gods.
But this is pretty off topic so we might want to let it die.

Teen, I think that Dreamers playing the reverse role.

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The question was in regards to Catholics worshipping idols. Idols are false gods. Catholics do not have false gods. Therefore they do NOT worship idols.
They have one God with three persons. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (Spirit)

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You have to belief in God 1st. If you believe in God, you must believe His enormous love for us. If you believe in His love, then you will acknowledge that He loved us enough to give us the Bible as a reference to both the History of His laws, and His desires and His laws.

But moreover than that, you would then read the bible, and realise HOW jealous He was. He stated it over and over.

But the ten Commandments were the most profound in how He felt.
He not only told Moses the Ten. But He struck the words into rock. (Twice mind you)

1 I am the Lord your God, you shall have no gods before me.

His jealousy is because His love for us, and He being the one Who created us, it is understandable.

But He still gives us free will.

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