Questions about the pope and the Catholic faith

[firestormx]

I just got a couple questions I was hoping someone could answer for me. I am not trying to bash anything and I pray this stays rooted in the word of God. I developed these questions watching all the coverage of the pope's visit to the US.

 

1. Is it just me or does it bother anyone else when the pope is called the Holy father? How is it not blaspheme to call the pope the Holy father?

2. What is with the robes and the hat's that the Catholic priests seem to wear? Also, likewise,

3. Where do they get rituals from the do, like swinging that smoking censer or what ever it was. Maybe it is me, but everything in there services seemed to be a rip off of God's commands to the Jews in the Old testament but done badly. 

 

Am I off base with this? Am i missing anything? Everything I saw about the pope's titles , the church services, all of it bothered me. It just seemed wrong, and I'm not even sure I can explain why other than the Holy father thing.

[missmuffet]

1.It bothers me when the Pope is called the holy father.It is blasphemous to call the Pope the holy father.

2.Yes,their attire is very elaborate and expensive.Something I do not think is necessary.

3.The RCC has many rituals.I do not think they are Biblical.

Another question I have.You see many very ornate, elaborate and expensive Catholic Churches.Is it necessary?I have seen people worship kneeling on a dirt floor.Does God care?

[gdemoss]

I share the same sentiments that you have Joseph.  You are not alone.  

[Esther4:14]

"Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9).

[1x1is1]

Being a former catholic, I am right in there with you firestormx.  I was an alter boy in the early 60's and even back then I was never comfortable with the traditions.  

[thereselittleflower]

I just got a couple questions I was hoping someone could answer for me. I am not trying to bash anything and I pray this stays rooted in the word of God. I developed these questions watching all the coverage of the pope's visit to the US.

 

1. Is it just me or does it bother anyone else when the pope is called the Holy father? How is it not blaspheme to call the pope the Holy father?

2. What is with the robes and the hat's that the Catholic priests seem to wear? Also, likewise,

3. Where do they get rituals from the do, like swinging that smoking censer or what ever it was. Maybe it is me, but everything in there services seemed to be a rip off of God's commands to the Jews in the Old testament but done badly. 

 

Am I off base with this? Am i missing anything? Everything I saw about the pope's titles , the church services, all of it bothered me. It just seemed wrong, and I'm not even sure I can explain why other than the Holy father thing.

firestormx, let me start with a question, 

why do you think it is blasphemous to call the pope  holy father?

 

 

"Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9).

Then we have a problem for then we have scripture contradicting scripture, for Paul calls Abraham the "father" of us all

 

Rom 4:16

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

 

Paul calls himself "father" of the Corinthians, refers to himself as "father" of believers he has taught and mentored and they his children.

1 Cor. 4:14–15

"I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" 

2 Cor. 12:14

"Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you; for children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children" 

 

1Th 2:11

As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

 

1Ti 5:1

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;

 

 

Paul regularly referred to Timothy as his child, son and himself as Timothy's father:

1 Cor. 4:17

"Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ"  

1 Tim. 1:2

"To Timothy, my true child in the faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord" 

2 Tim. 1:2

"To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord" 

1 Tim 1:18

"This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophetic utterances which pointed to you, that inspired by them you may wage the good warfare" 

2 Tim. 2:1

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus"

Phil. 2:22

"But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel"

 

Paul also referred to other of his converts in this way:

Titus 1:4

"To Titus, my true child in a common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior" 

Philem. 10

"I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment" 

Gal. 4:19

"My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!" 

 

Peter calls  his son"

1 Pet. 5:13

"She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark" 

 

John calls believers his children:

1 John 2:1

"My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"

3 John 4

"No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my children follow the truth" ()

 

And then John calls men he writes to - FATHERS:

1 John 2:03 

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.

1 John 2:14 

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.

 

This is the beloved Apostles John whom Jesus Loved calling others  "father" -  so  we have a problem here.

Either scripture is false,  or your interpretation is way off base.

 

Jesus used hyperbole often.    Call no man "father" doesn't mean we don't call others father, even in a spiritual sense, for obviously Paul referred to himself as a spiritual father, so did John, who also referred to others as spiritual fathers.

 

So there is nothing blasphemous to recognize the role of the leader of the Catholic Church as a spiritual "father" just as Paul referred to himself as, as John referred to himself as, etc.

 

 

 

[thereselittleflower]

I just got a couple questions I was hoping someone could answer for me. I am not trying to bash anything and I pray this stays rooted in the word of God. I developed these questions watching all the coverage of the pope's visit to the US.

 

1. Is it just me or does it bother anyone else when the pope is called the Holy father? How is it not blaspheme to call the pope the Holy father?

2. What is with the robes and the hat's that the Catholic priests seem to wear? Also, likewise,

3. Where do they get rituals from the do, like swinging that smoking censer or what ever it was. Maybe it is me, but everything in there services seemed to be a rip off of God's commands to the Jews in the Old testament but done badly. 

 

Am I off base with this? Am i missing anything? Everything I saw about the pope's titles , the church services, all of it bothered me. It just seemed wrong, and I'm not even sure I can explain why other than the Holy father thing.

Your second question.   The robes the priests wear are in keeping with chrsitianity's birth from Judaism.  It is a tradition that has continued, nothing more.

[thereselittleflower]

I just got a couple questions I was hoping someone could answer for me. I am not trying to bash anything and I pray this stays rooted in the word of God. I developed these questions watching all the coverage of the pope's visit to the US.

 

1. Is it just me or does it bother anyone else when the pope is called the Holy father? How is it not blaspheme to call the pope the Holy father?

2. What is with the robes and the hat's that the Catholic priests seem to wear? Also, likewise,

3. Where do they get rituals from the do, like swinging that smoking censer or what ever it was. Maybe it is me, but everything in there services seemed to be a rip off of God's commands to the Jews in the Old testament but done badly. 

 

Am I off base with this? Am i missing anything? Everything I saw about the pope's titles , the church services, all of it bothered me. It just seemed wrong, and I'm not even sure I can explain why other than the Holy father thing.

Your third question

Many of the rituals, again,  are in keeping with chrsitianity's birth from judaism.  We see censors used in Revelation.

 

These are not ripoffs.   Where do you think christianity came from?  The first Christians were Jews.  

 

 

[missmuffet]

What would be interesting is to have a forum for us to ask questions about the Catholic faith.I know that we all have questions.But one of the rules is that we only get our questions asked from the perspective of a Catholic but we can not come back with any negative remarks.

[firestormx]

I just got a couple questions I was hoping someone could answer for me. I am not trying to bash anything and I pray this stays rooted in the word of God. I developed these questions watching all the coverage of the pope's visit to the US.

 

1. Is it just me or does it bother anyone else when the pope is called the Holy father? How is it not blaspheme to call the pope the Holy father?

2. What is with the robes and the hat's that the Catholic priests seem to wear? Also, likewise,

3. Where do they get rituals from the do, like swinging that smoking censer or what ever it was. Maybe it is me, but everything in there services seemed to be a rip off of God's commands to the Jews in the Old testament but done badly. 

 

Am I off base with this? Am i missing anything? Everything I saw about the pope's titles , the church services, all of it bothered me. It just seemed wrong, and I'm not even sure I can explain why other than the Holy father thing.

firestormx, let me start with a question, 

why do you think it is blasphemous to call the pope  holy father?

 

Because there is only one HOLY Father and he is in heaven.