Are you squeamish about the word "catholic"?

[OrthodoxyUSA]

I read a book about ancient Babylon and how the various forms of religions spread across the globe. It's interesting how each denomination has their own unique traditions.

Do you believe in a "Holy Tradition"... given by Christ God to the Apostles?

Forgive me...

 

[Dave-W]

it is a word that belongs to the whole Church as it is expressed in the Nicene Creed:

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

Now days that line refers to (first) the Roman Catholics, and (second) to the Oneness Pentecostals (the Apostolics)

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

I voted no but then I have fun with it telling people ‘I’m catholic just not Roman’. And watch their eyes glaze over

Gary Mitchell style! Gonna go add this to the OP... People like pictures.

Forgive me...

 

[Dave-W]

Do you believe in a "Holy Tradition"... given by Christ God to the Apostles?

No more than the Pharisaic claim that God gave Moses the "Oral Torah" (aka "traditions of the fathers") on Sinai along with the written Torah.

 

[Philip_B]

Now days that line refers to (first) the Roman Catholics, and (second) to the Oneness Pentecostals (the Apostolics)

In my loose imagination I beg to differ, and as one of many Christians who regularly recite the Nicene Creed, in one translation or another, I do not believe that most of us would understand it that way at all.

 

[Dave-W]

In my loose imagination I beg to differ, and as one of many Christians who regularly recite the Nicene Creed, in one translation or another, I do not believe that most of us would understand it that way at all.

I understand that. But most evangelical congregations do not recite the Creed; or if they do, word that line differently to avoid sounding like they endorse either the Catholics or the Apostolics.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

In my loose imagination I beg to differ, and as one of many Christians who regularly recite the Nicene Creed, in one translation or another, I do not believe that most of us would understand it that way at all.

I agree of course, and find the thought of Oneness Pentecostals being Apostolic somewhat humorous (Sorry).

Yet, I do know for a fact that he speaks the truth especially in the southern US.

Forgive me...

 

[RaymondG]

Yes. To refer to another as anything other than a follower or Christ or a child of God, can cause strife and division. It can be used as a means to separate me from "you," those that are heaven-bound to those that are hell-bound Or/and the real from the fake. I find, sometimes, that the using of these names are in themselves judgement of the statues of the target. I do not wish to be judged by a name or are category...I wish to be judges by the fruits i produce. My zucchinis grew in pretty nice this summer...

 

[CoolDude68]

Do you believe in a "Holy Tradition"... given by Christ God to the Apostles?

Forgive me...

I believe in God, the Holy Spirit and that Jesus is the savior. Everything else is accessory.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Yes. To refer to another as anything other than a follower or Christ or a child of God, can cause strife and division. It can be used as a means to separate me from "you," those that are heaven-bound to those that are hell-bound Or/and the real from the fake. I find, sometimes, that the using of these names are in themselves judgement of the statues of the target. I do not wish to be judged by a name or are category...I wish to be judges by the fruits i produce. My zucchinis grew in pretty nice this summer...

Okay... but that (hell bound) isn't the view of the whole catholic Church... just one of them.

You might be (pleasantly) surprised that catholics of Eastern Orthodox Christianity teaches that more than just Christians will be included in those ushered into Heaven. And yet when some hear that Christ God is more merciful than they were taught they run and set their hair on fire reading scripture to you that says only Christians will be saved. That is a clear misuse of scripture from the Eastern Orthodox point of view.

Fried Zucchini and Yellow squash, perhaps an onion and green tomato, fried in a pan... mmmmm!

Forgive me...

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

I believe in God, the Holy Spirit and that Jesus is the savior. Everything else is accessory.

That's pretty catholic!

Can you agree to the rest of the creed at all?

Forgive me...

 

[FenderTL5]

Fried Zucchini and Yellow squash, perhaps an onion and green tomato, fried in a pan... mmmmm!

Sorry for the off-topic.. but that recipe could come in handy come mid-November to the Nativity.

 

[Tayla]

Right; that is the denotated meaning. The connotated meaning is indicating a particular denomination - the Roman Catholic Church.

The word "catholic" has two meanings. The second meaning has a capital "C" and refers to the institution (which, in spite of its claims, is not "catholic", lowercase "c").

 

[CoolDude68]

That's pretty catholic!

Can you agree to the rest of the creed at all?

Forgive me...

That's Catholic? Hmm...I never knew I was Catholic! Go figure. lol Seriously though, I go to a Christian church and this is pretty much how everyone else views it. As far as the rest of their creed, I have no clue. I don't follow their tradition.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

That's Catholic? Hmm...I never knew I was Catholic! Go figure. lol Seriously though, I go to a Christian church and this is pretty much how everyone else views it. As far as the rest of their creed, I have no clue. I don't follow their tradition.

This is before there was a church that took catholic as a proper noun.

I bet you're more catholic than you think.

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 A.D.)
In English:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, Begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made:

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man;

And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried;

And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures;

And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father;

And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets;

And we believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.

We look for the Resurrection of the dead,

And the Life of the age to come. Amen."

Forgive me...

 

[paul1149]

In other words, when we say we believe in "one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church", it implies there are no division lines.

You may have hit the very root of the misunderstanding.

How I wish we would all simply love Jesus, put our differences aside as much as possible, and start being the universal church, instead of all the arguing I see.

 

[GingerBeer]

Why worry if somebody thinks "catholic" means the Catholic Church. In conversational English it usually does mean Catholic. That's just a fact.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

How I wish we would all simply love Jesus, put our differences aside as much as possible, and start being the universal church, instead of all the arguing I see.

Oh I would agree. However, there are a set of things that distinguish what is Christian. Most of the time, by telling us what is not Christian. ACTS 15 is a prime example of problems coming us and the group having to decide what is the catholic (although they didn't use the word yet) belief about about circumcision.

Did they (Gentile at Antioch) have to follow the whole Torah or not?

Forgive me...

 

[SeventyOne]

I'm no more squeamish concerning the word 'Catholic' any more than I am over the words 'Muslim' or 'Buddhist'.

 

[Dave-W]

CTS 15 is a prime example of problems coming us and the group having to decide what is the catholic (although they didn't use the word yet) belief about about circumcision.
Did they have to follow Torah or not?

Gentiles - no.
Jews - yes. (see Acts 21)