RELIGION....(part 2)

[ichor_82283]

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"So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ" (Rom. 10:17). The Church would always be the living teacher. It is a mistake to limit "Christ’s word" to the written word only or to suggest that all his teachings were reduced to writing. The Bible nowhere supports either notion.

Now do you mean to say that those who believe that GOD'S WORD is sufficient by itself as it is written limits GOD'S WORD?
And thus, you imply that GOD'S WORD is more convincible if there's human intervention?

"Scripture plus apostolic tradition, as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church, to which were entrusted the oral teachings of Jesus and the apostles, along with the authority to interpret Scripture correctly."

SRIPTURE + APOSTOLIC TRADITION

What authority and power does these apostolic tradition have/has that GOD'S WORD needs it help to preach CHRIST?

Does it mean that you belittle the POWER OF GOD'S WORD to convict a person?

REMEMBER THIS:

HUMANS HAVE NO AUTHORITY AND POWER TO CONVICT ANYONE OR TO PERSONS WHO HEAR GOD'S WORD!

THE AUTHORITY AND POWER TO CONVICT A PERSON HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. I believe you knew this.

SO THEN IF THE HOLY SPIRIT SOLELY HAS THE POWER AND THE AUTHORITY TO CONVICT HEARERS OF GOD'S WORD FROM THE BIBLE OR FROM THE WORD OF GOD;

THE BIBLE IS SUFFICIENT AND SUFFICIENT AS THE COMPLETE RULE OF FAITH.

the HOLY BIBLE OR THE WORD OF GOD IS THE WORD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,

THUS, THE BIBLE OR GOD'S WORD IS SUFFICIENT BY ITSELF.

the one who narrows down or as used in the article "limits" God's WORD are those who believe in the formulae SCRIPTURE + APOSTOLIC TRADITION!

Apparently, its a twisted logic.

I mean who are we to say that the Scripture should be added by APOSTOLIC TRADITION?

Do we have the power and authority?

[kleah]

What can you say about this article?Â*

Religion: The Scourged of Society

I loathe religion. I loathe it with a passion. Since its conception, it has inspired
foolishness, destruction, and needless death. The bible, Talmud, and Koran all speak of great battles. Many of these battles were fought by people disagreeing over the existence of God. Or their God. The Greek and Roman civilizations destroyed native cultures by the handful to assert their culture and religion over the natives. The Romans slaughtered Jews and Christians. The Crusades were all fought to claim a 'holy land' which killed 500,000 people. In a population
of just a few hundred million, that’s a huge amount. The inquisitions held in Western Europe decimated anyone who wasn't a Christian.Â* The Holocaust was genocide of a religious group. Ireland, Israel, the entire Middle East... all up in arms over whose God is better.Â* And how many cultures are still hurting from the influence of religion? How many countries in Africa fighting after western missionaries set up societies for the native cultures and fled? The Sudan, Rwanda... just a few still embroiled in conflict. Religion is the cause of death in every part of the world.

But that's not enough. Religious fanatics want to ensure the future is full of needless death too. Stem cell research is a non-issue. Why is it an issue!? There is a decision to be made. Either stem cells are destroyed in the hopes of finding cures for serious diseases. Or just destroyed. It angers me how useless this issue is. What would Jesus do? Kill babies to save people or just kill babies?! Neither choices are nice ones, but a choice has to be made. And for religious fanatics to wave off a chance for a cure for potentially millions of people's pain and suffering. We all know the story of Galileo, no? How he ventured a scientific theory that later proved to be true, but disagreed with the church? Where would we be if Galileo never spoke? If he was like the rest of the sheep,happy to be told how things were without second guessing? The church apologized for that incident 300 years later! 300 years?! That’s how long it took for the church to accept that the universe wasn't geocentric? This is the same church that told people not to bathe for several hundred years. That smell? That's the
smell of benevolence.

What religion accepts as fact is relative to the times. Before man achieved sustained flight, we thought heaven was in the skies and the angels sat on clouds. We couldn't dig too far into the ground, so of course hell was underground. Now? No, no no. Heaven and Hell are places that don't exist on the physical plane, they're another place entirely.

Granted,religion has provided a basis for society as we know it today. In the time when people were few and far from each other, it drew them together and formed communities. Religion has motivated people to help each other, provide homes and medicine, time and money for each other. And for a pre-modern society, that is a great asset. But hasn't religion served its cause? Hasn't religion outworn its welcome? There are homeless outreach programs, drug rehab programs, organizations that provide rovisions for starving people in Africa. But do we need a book to tell us that we should be nice? Sure, these are great things these people are doing, but why do it in the name of some higher power when we can claim it for the sake of humanity? “Humans can be infinitely kind�, the message should be, not “humans can be infinitely kind when receiving God's love.� It's about motivation. And there are much better motivators than religion when religion has a track record like that.

Again, war is so destructive. Not only does it cripple countries involved, it can drive civilization backwards. Lives are lost, schools destroyed, disease runs rampant. Why do we need more reasons for this? Karl Marx once said that religion and poverty go hand in hand. Another of his theories suggested that all wars have roots in class struggle. In societies with poverty, there is sure to be class struggle. Therefore, religion and war go hand in hand. We should be working for a better tomorrow, not a war-filled tomorrow.

Anyway, who needs religion when we have modern science to explain and prove its explanations for life? The scientific method allows for theories to be changed and added on to. The bible is infallible. It can't be contested. Why? It doesn't prove itself except to those who believe. Only the faithful believe. And that’s the thing about faith. It’s not proof. It is what it is. If one believes in something, it means that they aren't completely sure. It's not knowledge, it’s faith. These ancient texts, without aid from any sort of science, were created by the few people of the time who knew how to read and write. Literacy was a rare treasure 2000 years ago. Only the highest members of society had access to books and scrolls. Only a very, very lucky few knew how to write. Just a thought here, but if one has an advantage, will they exploit it? Could they write texts and tell stories to simple farmers and herders about a great benevolent creator who saves people? And threaten everlasting pain and anguish to those who disagree?

On that subject, picture this scenario: You are a farmer at the dawn of civilization. You don't know much about anything besides what you do. There are no telescopes,microscopes, medicine. You pick up a rock, and place it somewhere else. What goes through your mind? Perhaps “I put this rock here. If I didn't, it wouldn't be there. Where did I come from? Obviously, from this example, something must have put me here.� Through that rationale, pre-modern man may have come to the conclusion that they must have been created through the works of a greater being.

Either way,God is as great and kind as many would esteem him, why is he allowing all that goes on to go on? Why would I have cause to write this? Why are there millions of starving, sick, dying, unhappy, disadvantaged, disenfranchised, abused, neglected children? Why? Settle for it this way. Either God is a cruel, evil creator, or doesn't exist. And if he's a cruel evil sort of creator, I wouldn't worship him either.

In conclusion, whether or not there is a God in the end, life is what you make of it. No book needs to tell us how to be a decent human being. We don't need a higher power to direct us into being good people. To resign ourselves to living our lives being kind so we can go into heaven is selfish and wasteful. Live a good life for the sake of living a good life. Be kind for the sake of having kindness returned. Don't believe everything that it is you heard, no matter how
many times it is told. Always have proof. Worship yourself, treat yourself with ultimate respect. Be your own God.

im much impressed by the way youve said things..nice piece of literary, really..
but i most disagree on the later part when you said..Be your own GOD..i dont think so..
we have to keep in mind that above all things..humans are just part of GOd's creation..
and of course..our very purpose of living is to worship HIm..

[h00ters]

More fantasies? No such "hidden standard" exists. There is only one truth. That is in the historical record. Jesus founded the Catholic Church and gave it authority. You seem to dream there was another church, but you have ZERO evidence to prove this wacky claim.

oh for cryin out loud, jesus was not the founder of the catholic church.Â* katolikos know your religion history for chrissakes!

[mango]

KARL MARX - I'm too intelligent to be religious !
Religion is a crutch for the weak-minded. Religion is blackmail- do good or else. Atheists do good cause it's the RIGHT thing to do not because they're afraid of a mythical creature roasting them in the fire after death. So which group has better MORALS ?

[Cardinal Bunal]

Avoid foolish and pointless debates for they only breed quarrels - 2 Tim. 2: 23

There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it leads to death.
- Proverbs 14: 12

[torcuato marcelo]

KARL MARX - I'm too intelligent to be religious !
Religion is a crutch for the weak-minded.Â* Religion is blackmail- do good or else. Atheists do good cause it's the RIGHT thing to do not because they're afraid of a mythical creature roasting them in the fire after death. So which group has better MORALS ?

I dont think so.

Religion is an act of self surrender in the realization that there is SOMEONE supernatural and more pwerful than us.

[whiteoleander]

i respect each to his own, i will not argue , but remember those of you who have heard the truth yet refused to believe in it , when u come to the edge of death , you will long for a priest, because only by that time you will realize that somehow , something greater is behind them who work for Him.

and the time may be near for the truth to be revealed in each one of you. you dont have to admit here , and most of us wont , because we are too proud to admit that we are wrong . but God is an ever merciful God , and when you close your eyes everynight i hope you will regret the telling and distorting of the truth, and your witnessing of the works of people who have distorted the truth - you would know who you are . the speaker of the truth is confident they are back by God and would try to defend and only state the facts . but the destroyer of the truth will attack and try to 'share' what the facts 'should' be.Â*

the one thing between marx and me is that we both wouldÂ* not see the end of the real church . detractors come and pass from century to century , but they will pass and the church that have tried to destroy has stood , and will stand even if the new breed of detractors has already passed.

God bless you all and have merry christmas!

[naomi6000]

bro ayaw nalng liboga ang inyong self..believe nlng kong unsa inyong gitoho-an..thers always alot of side of wat is written in the bible..lets mke it simple...everybody i think saw kingkong the movie ryt?? but i knw sa akong nasabtan sa estorya ug sa inyong na sabtan lahi even we see it with our own eyes...lalisan paman gani..how much more if ang bible na text ang basihanan and it happend along time ago..samot na ng dli gyud mo mag homan ug lalis...kibaw ka bro..if wat u think wat u blive is perfect then its perfect...no need to convince others na...if ur faith is perfect then everybody wil go ther..ana lang..ok

life is short...make it simple

[Cardinal Bunal]

Naomi6000,

This is OT: but are you Naomi Watts?? Whoa! Kabaw di-ay ka mag binisaya? Fighter kaayo ka... I really like your acting in MULHOLLAND DRIVE and 21 GRAMS, maayo kaayo ka og bug-at nga acting.

Anyway, back on topic, yup arguments only breed quarrels... but one also has the right to witness boldly if his sources for truth are credible.

[tingkagol]

but one also has the right to witness boldly if his sources for truth are credible.

Who exactly is to say what source is credible or not? none. nada... except one's Faith.

Religion fascinates me.