Personally I believe that catholics have a very bad heirarchy setup. The pope has to much power for one person and why is their a charge to go to church? we have to pay to go to the catholic "house of god"? I am Orthodox Christian of which was the first Christian religion and yet we are hardly heard of, so many people have broken off for money scams. Why in the hell are people doing this? They call themselfs righteous? What all Christian religions should do is unite as one share beliefes and go over the Whole bible together. They should all just synergize.
Share any thaughts that go along with these topics, I am intrigued as to how people think.
2006-11-15 07:59:02 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian. And you know very well what is up with the Pope, you remember that little thing called the Great Schism in 1054?
We Orthodox Christians have to support our church financially, so I don't understand. Beeswax candles cost, so does it cost to feed a Priest and his family. You just can't make a bunch of money off of people or it isn't christian.
Concerning your comment, about all Christian religions should just unite, and go over the whole bible together....well, then you would have a mess. Protestants are attempting to do this, but the more they go over things, the less they have in common. Why not go with the Church that wrote the bible, and assembled it? The Apostles were all part of our One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, and they passed on many things that were not written down. Without tradition, and Apostolic Succession, you are merely someone who has an opinion about God. Who wants that? I want the truth, not somoene's opinion.
2006-11-15 08:12:12 · answer #1 · answered by Felicitas 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
>>>Personally I believe that catholics have a very bad heirarchy setup.
The "heirarchy setup" is modelled after the Old Davidic Kingdom. Jesus set it up, you really should take it up with him.
>>>The pope has to much power for one person...
The Pope has no power by himself. For example, when he signs his name to a document, making it an official teaching of the church, he does so in union with all the bishops in the world. I recommend you read "The Love of God" which is Pope B16 first encyclical.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html
People hate the Pope for what he is, but never for what he teaches. This is bigotry.
>>>and why is their a charge to go to church? we have to pay to go to the catholic "house of god"?
No one is obligated to make any donations to the Church to attend any function, this is simply an anti-Catholic invention. Some Protestant churches require a tithe from regular members so they can pay the bills too. You wouldn't think twice about paying a fitness club membership fee if you were into that.
>>>I am Orthodox Christian of which was the first Christian religion and yet we are hardly heard of, so many people have broken off for money scams.
For an Orthodox Christian, you are either very young, or very uninformed. I know of no heresy or schism that was about monetary issues.
>>>Why in the hell are people doing this? They call themselfs righteous? What all Christian religions should do is unite as one share beliefes and go over the Whole bible together. They should all just synergize.
Some churches are trying to do this with sensible dialogue and some actually work together to feed the poor and house the homeless etc. Some so called churches are preoccupied with bearing false witness with horrible lies against the Catholic Church, and are blind to the great amount of good she does in the world. None of these hate cults have built one single hospital or school, I mean
multi-millionairs like Jack Chick and Dave Hunt and a legion of other bigots.
2006-11-15 16:28:08 · answer #2 · answered by Br. Dymphna S.F.O 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can't drive a car by committee - no matter how many advisors, map-readers, look-outs, etc. - there is only one driver. Actually having one leader is what gives the Catholic Church unity - looks at all the other churches who are divided and continue to divide. To have unity in the church / among christians requires a central authority.
Many have the mistaken idea that the Pope is authoritarian, that he decides whatever he wants. Yet he is a servant, not only to the members of the Church, but to the truth. He guards, protects and proclaims what was handed down to him from his predecessors - which can be traced all the way back to the time of the apostles. He doesn't decide what we believe and do - he simply proclaims what Jesus and the apostles taught and did.
In the end, this is the Church as Christ established it, setting Peter as head of the apostles. Thus to this day, the succesors of the apostles (bishops) lead the Church, but always in union with the successor of Peter (the Pope).
2006-11-15 16:10:04 · answer #3 · answered by frcoulter 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
+ The Pope +
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:17-19)
The Catholic Church believes the Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.
The Pope is the senior pastor of 1.1 billion Catholics, the direct successor of Simon Peter.
http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p4.htm#880
+ Tithing +
The Catholic encourages tithing but does not require it. We do not have to pay to go to church.
+ Catholic and Orthodox +
Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics separated from one another in 1054. There are very few theological differences. The main difference is that the Eastern Orthodox Churches (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11329a.htm) use the Byzantine Rite (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04312d.htm) and the Roman Catholic Church use the Roman or Latin Rite.
Pope John Paul II said of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Orientale Lumen, "A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common." (see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_02051995_orientale-lumen_en.html)
+ Dialogues with other Christians +
The Catholic Church is participating in many dialogues with many other religions:
The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation
The Joint Committee of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops
The Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation
The Polish National Catholic-Roman Catholic Dialogue
The Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation USA
The Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue
Roman Catholic-Reformed Consultation
The United Methodist-Catholic Dialogue
Southern Baptist Convention-Catholic Dialogue
The Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue
Faith and Order Commission, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
Consultation with the National Council of Synagogues
Consultation with the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America
And these dialogues are only the ones happening in the United States of America: http://www.usccb.org/seia/officialdialogues.shtml
+ With love in Christ.
2006-11-16 01:41:57 · answer #4 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree about the pope thing, but not all catholics charge for church!
2006-11-15 16:10:24 · answer #5 · answered by lady_s_hazy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes..people should come together and love and serve each other...hatred and anger towards each other will solve nothing...the different denominations should focus on the betterment of society and not each ones on interests....there are many hungry, sick, lonely and sad people in the world that need our help...
2006-11-15 16:03:29 · answer #6 · answered by nellie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Can we have these questions one or two at a time, please?
2006-11-15 16:02:51 · answer #7 · answered by palaver 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋