Catholicism

[ServingHim]

Do you not show any respect for anyone else either?  What about your pastor of your church? Would you spoof at him as well?

My point exactly.

If I am required to call any man by a title, that is idolatry.

My minister's name is Bob. And that's what I call him - Bob.

(No, not you Triez )

dear dear steve...NOWHERE are we REQUIRED to call any priest/pastor 'father'. Frankly, sir, I do that out of respect

Would you go up to the President of the United states and say, hey Georgie Baby!?!

OR would you address him as "Mr. President"?

Are you REQUIRED to call him with the respectful 'title'?

NO...but do you CHOSE to do that...I DO!

[ServingHim]

My minister's name is Bob. And that's what I call him - Bob.

and that's fine... you are free to do that...but if anyone calls him Pastor Bob, are they sinning by calling him by a religious title?

[sachi]

STEVE HUT:

If I am required to call any man by a title, that is idolatry.

1. That is the problem with the Protestant Chruch - it has become too reductionistic in areas.

2. Moreover - if you had an audience with Pres Bush -would you just sit and call him 'Georgy, my man'?

3. We as evangelicals in particular have lost an understanding of the "calling' of a pastor or someone called in the ministry. We have lost the understanding and respect that there is a consecration to the call.

4. The language we use defines how we think.

5. There is a holiness to the office of Pastor -

[ServingHim]

The Catholic Church is an old institution. It is almost 2000 years old.

AMEN! Birthed RIGHT from the cross itself! When the blood & water poured out of our Lord's side!

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. 1 John 5:6

In face of the growing strength of the barbarian tribes in pagan Europe , I will argue, that it was a historical imperative that the Catholic Church became instutionalized and an integral part ofthe State

THIS IS WORTH READING

THIS TOO

and THIS

and THIS

We as Protestants owe a lot to the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church was the purveyor of Christian truths for 1500 years until the Protestant Reformation.

Luther when he posted the 95 Thesis had notintention of separating from the church.

He wasted to clean it up. And it needed cleaning up.

But the Reformation was birthed from the Catholic Church.

We as Portestants don't have the corner on truth here guys.

Your humility speaks volumes!

The Reformation opened up the possibility for others in Swizerland (Calvin, I think) and in England and France - a new age of evagelism had arrived. Praise God.

But it does not diminish the autheticity of the Catholic Church as a Christian witness in the world.

28 We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Blessing -Sachi

[ServingHim]

2. Moreover - if you had an audience with Pres Bush -would you just sit and call him 'Georgy, my man'?

we are on the same exact page, sachi!

[ServingHim]

4. The language we use defines how we think.

5. There is a holiness to the office of Pastor -

:il:

[ServingHim]

7 For a bishop, as God's steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled; 9 he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it. Titus 1:7-9 . . . steve, how would you address your 'bishop'? Your church DOES have a bishop, does it not?

[ServingHim]

respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. Romans 13:7

I believe that YOUR PASTOR and Pope John Paul II are BOTH worthy of respect, stevehut... :il:

[sachi]

SERVING HIM

The Protestants tried to destroy it in the reformation and failed, and look what happened

to them. The Church of Protestantism, which Luther founded, was from the very beginning

cracked and splintered. Look at Protestantism today, over 36,400 splinters, with more

cropping up every day.

The Catholic Church is still here.

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We need to qualify that statement- from the website you referred me to.

Protestantism did NOT TRY TO DESTROY the Catholic Church.

The Protestant Chruch is a continuing act of God's revelatory work on earth.

It grew as a response to the socio-polical changes and technological changes in the world, particulalry Europe in the 16th century .

An example is the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg.

This was a phenomenal invention for it FREED people up to be able to READ God's Word by themselves.

By Being able to do so, they were able to cut through TRUTH and man's embellishment, (such as Tetzel's selling of inulgences - that sort of thing)

MOREOVER , it NEEDS TO BE STATED that Protestants did not have a a collective agenda against Catholicism.

There were fragments of believers throughout Eurpore who were receiving Gods call into a new directio n of service and worship.

As authentic that call was from God, and as genuine as the Holy Spirit was in each emergent Protestant denominations in those days, (and now) - does not dimish the fact that God was and is present in the Catholic Chruch today.

However there is a paranoia among Catholics -and this website kind of plays on it

I wouldn't recommend it,SERVING HIM. It is counter-productive

Hitler tried to destroy it and failed. Where is he and his 1000 year Reich now?

The Catholic Church is still here.

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SERVING HIM:

Hitler tried to destroy the Jewish people

He tried to destroy the Protestant Church - not only the Catholic Church.

There were many Protestant believers who were martyrred during the 3rd Reich.

IN fact a large part of the National Lutheran Church did capitulate to Hitler- so men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth forged the CONFESSING CHURCH- many were martyyred.

Hitler actually succeeded in some respects to get more cooperation from the Catholic Church

When we use historical data ,we need to be sure we don't over generalize or try and swing information to suit our thesis only.

As I said - there is better stuff out there that helps us build understanding of one anothers faith.

I don't think this website you referred me to is helpful

Just FYI

Blessings - Sachi

[larryt]

respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. Romans 13:7

I believe that YOUR PASTOR and Pope John Paul II are BOTH worthy of respect, stevehut... :il:

Never would I show any respect to the VICAR(anti in the greek)CHRIST.