It never ends...

[JVAC]

I have just grown into a niche of going to St. John's Cathedral [yes, it's Catholic] Saturday nights (I even have my own spot, now and people recognize me). So I went this Sunday, and there was a guest Fr. there today. He gave the longest homily ever (which I was totally engrossed in, he used numbers, I love math!!) and he also handed out this handout......

(Want to discuss feelings about this, yes I know there is gramatical errors and date errors, but those were as seen on the flyer.)

YOU NEED SEVEN PEOPLE IN THE U.S. TO START YOUR OWN RELIGION OR CHURCH. It is legal and tax deductable.

HOW OLD IS YOUR CHURCH?

Jewish Faith - Religion was founded by Abraham - 2000 B.C.
Hindu - Developed in India - 500 B.C.
Buddhist - Split from Hinduism & founded by Budda, Prince Siddhartha Guatama - 500 B.C.

Roman catholic - Jesus Christ - Son of God - began your Religion in - 33 A.D. (Only religion started by God - namely Jesus Christ- All other religions started by a man).

Islamic - Mohammed started religion in what is now Saudi Arabia 600 A.D.
Eastern Orthodox Catholic - separated from Roman Catholocism - 1000 A.D.
Russian Orthodox Catholic - Largest of Orthodox Eastern
If you are a Lutheran - your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England - your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with right to re-marry.
If you are presbyterian - your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in 1560.
If you are a Presbyterian Episcopalian, your religion was an off shoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American Colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist - your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland 1582
If you are a Baptist - you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605
If you are Methodist - religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley - England, 1744
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints) - Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, New York in 1829
If you worship with the Salvation Army - your sect began with William Booth - London, 1865
If you belong to the church of Jehova's Witnesses 1870, Christian Scientist 1879, Pentecostal 1901, Nazarene, Holiness Church, your religion is one of the thousands new sects founded by men in the past 100 years.

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 250,000 TO 300,000 RELIGIONS OR CHURCHES IN UNITED STATES.

(Eachone is completely separate.)

(Sad that it is: 90% Attendance of these new religions are made up of former Catholics).

Agnostic.....profess an uncertainty or skepticism about the existence of God or a Higher Being
Atheist.......does not believe in the existence of God or any other Higher Power.

I am going to comment on it, but typing that up got my fingers tired, so I'll post later.

VERY INTERESTED on ALL your opinions, thoughts, etc.

-James

 

[Protoevangel]

Wow, where to start? He is wrong in so many places and ways...

Jewish Faith - Religion was founded by God. Abraham was a big figure in Jewish history, and is often considered the "originator", but the Jewish faith now has little remaining that resembles Abraham's walk with God. So if these are the same faith, what was the faith of Cain and Abel when making their sacrifices? No, the God and faith of Abraham was not conceptualized by Abraham.

Hindu - 500 B.C.? No, Hinduism is much older than that... Hinduism is considered to be among the oldest of all of the surviving world religions, dating from possibly as far back as 1500 B.C. Aspects of Hinduism have been traced back to the ancient animistic religions of the Indus valley civilization of circa >2200 B.C.

Buddhist - Close enough.

Roman catholic - If I wanted to be divisive like the person who handed out the flier, I would state it was started in 312 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Constantine. But I will try to be more charitable and truthful than the person who made the flier you shared with us. Yea, I'd agree that Jesus Christ - Son of God - began this Religion in - 33 A.D. I would also agree that it is the only religion started by God... Twice. It is the continuation of the Jewish faith.

Islamic - Close enough.
Eastern Orthodox Catholic - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Russian Orthodox Catholic - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Lutheran - I, as a Lutheran follow Christ, not Luther. Same "religion".
Church of England - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Presbyterian - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Congregationalist - I don't know much about them.
Baptist - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Methodist - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Mormon (Latter Day Saints) - Well, what can I say? The "Christ" they follow does seem to be different than the Christ Jesus we as Christians follow.
Salvation Army - I don't know much about them.
Jehova's Witnesses - Well, what can I say? The "Christ" they follow does seem to be different than the Christ Jesus we as Christians follow.
Christian Scientist - I don't know much about them.
Pentecostal - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Nazarene - Same "religion" as Roman catholic.
Holiness Church - I don't know much about them.

But then again, my understanding of our unity of "religion" is based primarily on our shared beliefs in one God, the Trinity, Christ's imminent return, Christ’ bodily resurrection, the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, etc...

Is Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism completely seperate religions?
Are Sunni Muslims and Shi'ites Muslims completely separate religions?
Are Vaishnava Hindus and Saiva Hindu's completely different religions?
No. Neither are Catholic Christianity and "protestant" Christianity.

Well, JVAC... You asked.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Jewish Faith - Religion was founded by Abraham - 2000 B.C.

Roman catholic - Jesus Christ - Son of God - began your Religion in - 33 A.D. (Only religion started by God - namely Jesus Christ- All other religions started by a man).

? Abraham originated Judaism?
Sorry but GOD started it.

It was God who made promises to Abraham - Abraham didn't come up with them!

And as I see it - God started Christianity.

 

[dsdumpling]

Just a question and I hope I'm not stealing this thread. What are the churches that Paul started?

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

VERY INTERESTED on ALL your opinions, thoughts, etc.

-James

Just look at it from each churches own point of view. History and facts prove that these churches were founded by men (those men's view of Christianity).

Lutheranism was started by Martin Luther
Church of England by King Henry VIII
Presbyterianism by John Knox
Episcopalianism by Samuel Seabury
Congregationalism by Robert Brown
Methodistism by John and Charles Wesley
Unitarian by Theophilus Lindley
Mormon by Joseph Smith
Baptist by John Smyth
Salvation Army by William Booth
Christian Scientist by Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy

This can't be said about the Catholic Church. From our point of view, it was founded by Jesus Christ and our first pope, St. Peter around c. 33 AD in Matthew's Gospel, chaper 16.

 

[ChrisB]

I'm not sure that I know what point it is he's trying to make

Is it that age of a religion counts for something? If so.....

Acts 17
19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?


Even Christianity was a new-fangled religion one day!

 

[Rechtgläubig]

I better stay out of this one. I feel a rant comming... good, there's my wife, I'll vent on her...

 

[BBAS 64]

I better stay out of this one. I feel a rant comming... good, there's my wife, I'll vent on her...

Good Day, Rech

Are you sure that is a wise choice?

Bill

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

DanHead-

That was a very good post.

 

[Jamie70]

I suppose he'll ask you next if you'd be interesting in paying the Church a sum of money so that your stay in purgatory wont last as long...

 

[Rechtgläubig]

Good Day, Rech

Are you sure that is a wise choice?

Bill

Bill, are you talking about keeping my mouth shut here, or venting to my wife?

Here I risk getting reported, my wife will probably just tune me out...

LOL!

 

[EdmundBlackadderTheThird]

The flyer presents other Christian groups as other religions. That is as far as I got, once the person writing it made that statement then nothing they have to say can possibly be of any value. The church was founded by Christ, the whole church, the entire body of believers and nothing less. To say that I am a member of a different religion becuase I do not belong to the Catholic denomination is just plain ignorant.

 

[Blindfaith]

What I got out of that is that someone within the Christian faith was demeaning all other denominations and did a pretty good job at creating a wider wedge of division.

Honestly, I really don't take things like that seriously. As long as I have my eyes trained on God, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of me and my "religion". (I really hate that word.....relationship is so much more accurate"

 

[BBAS 64]

Bill, are you talking about keeping my mouth shut here, or venting to my wife?

Here I risk getting reported, my wife will probably just tune me out...

LOL!

Hi, Rech

I "Bill" will not report you. If you got someting to say, Say it last I checked you are with in the fourm scope of P/R/E. If your wife tunes you out you are wiser to vent here IMO, do not think you sould be punished like that. "That is unwise"

Bill

 

[JVAC]

I suppose he'll ask you next if you'd be interesting in paying the Church a sum of money so that your stay in purgatory wont last as long...

Actually, he didn't touch on indulgences which surprised me. However, he did say that after the series of classes that he will be giving (Course in Christianity), that he will be giving out confession that is promised to be very quick, painless and joyful. He likened it to getting upto recieve the Mass.

(I did recieve an indulgence on Friday, I don't know what I am going to do with it...)

-James

(P.S. I am really happy Defensor and Jeff stopped by!! I wanted your opinions too. I am glad you dropped by!!)

 

[wvmtnkid]

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 2:3-6

I thought that was the important part. Yes, some of our churches have different doctrines, but, if the above is followed, were are all Christians, because we are all apart of the body of Christ. Maybe my church doesn't take communion like your church does, that doesn't mean that we still both aren't a part of the body of Christ. Does it matter how old your church is? I think what is important is what is the foundation of your faith, not your religion, but your faith.

 

[Greeter]

 

[EdmundBlackadderTheThird]

While we are looking at things from other peoples point of views, how about looking at this from the PRE point of view. From our POV and the above, Catholics think less of us. They do not regard us as equals. How is that any less anti-Protestantism then the anti-Catholicism we see being reported throughout OBOB? To us it is just as hateful.

Simply put you can't have it both ways. You can't accuse Protestants of being anti-Catholic while at the same time saying Protestants are less then Catholics.

Well said Greeter, very well said!

 

[La Bonita Zorilla]

While we are looking at things from other peoples point of views, how about looking at this from the PRE point of view. From our POV and the above, Catholics think less of us. They do not regard us as equals. How is that any less anti-Protestantism then the anti-Catholicism we see being reported throughout OBOB? To us it is just as hateful.

Simply put you can't have it both ways. You can't accuse Protestants of being anti-Catholic while at the same time saying Protestants are less then Catholics.

Very well stated. Equally applicable to just about any other two groups, or more.

 

[Rechtgläubig]

Hi, Rech

I "Bill" will not report you. If you got someting to say, Say it last I checked you are with in the fourm scope of P/R/E. If your wife tunes you out you are wiser to vent here IMO, do not think you sould be punished like that.

"That is unwise"

Bill

Hmmmm...


I'll be back when I have more time.