My Girlfriend is Orthodox, and I am having a lot of trouble getting my head round the teachings of Orthodox.
I do not understand where in Bible it says “man may make saints and pray through them”. In Christian believes you are not allowed to contact the dead. But you are allowed to contact church made saints? I don’t get it.
Mother of God. Why did the Church decide she was divine all her life? I don’t think Joseph would have agreed. He is Human too, like Mary. Also where in Bible does it state we can pray through Mary?
Post, not eating meat at certain times of the year. Why only certain times of the year? You eat meat or you don’t. No in between...
2007-01-25 20:48:45 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Go to the site below and it will explain our doctrine
God Bless You
2007-01-25 20:57:28 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, I'm sure your girlfriend would be more than happy to explain all these things, but here goes:
There are people who in their lives they obeyed God, followed his word and even died for Him. Then, they become saints. Saints go to heaven when they die and you can pray to them to ask God for forgiveness on your behalf. Because they are so much closer to God.
Mother of God. Yes, she was divine all her life. She gave birth to the Son of God. It would be a little difficult after that to have sex to a man, wouldn't it? As for the brothers and sisters that are mentioned in the Bible, they are actually cousins or sons of Joseph from his first marriage (when he married Mary she was about 13 and he was about 50).
Fasting means not eating meat, cheese, milk or eggs for predetermined periods around ther year. Jesus fasted before he was crucified, so, in order to remember God, we, too fast.
As for praying to saint and to the Virgin Mary. No, you cannot fid these things in the Bible. But the Catholic and the Orthodox traditions also base themselves on the teachings of the Holy Church Fathers.
2007-01-26 05:01:07 · answer #2 · answered by Ana 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe I can help answer one or two questions. I am Roman Catholic, so I can give the RC viewpoint. We Catholics see the Bible as part of our religion, but not the entire religion. Many criticize Catholicism for changing or adding to scripture, as you might imagine we do not see it that way. You are right that there is no Bible verse which says "Thou shalt canonize saints". There is also no Bible verse which says "Thou shalt sing Amazing Grace at Funerals".
The Mother of God question is the easiest one to answer. In the book of Luke, chapter one I believe, The Virgin Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is the mother of John the Baptist. Elizabeth called Mary the mother of my Lord.
2007-01-26 10:26:07 · answer #3 · answered by Adoptive Father 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Truth, the truth is this.
Those who practice such things are not doing it in accordance to the bible. Already you have someone here admitting that you can't find these in the bible.
If you can be 'urged' to do something BEyond the bible, I suppose you can even be 'urged' to do something like following the q'uran.
My point is this. Anything APART from the bible is wrong. This is written in the book of Revelation.
"Anyone who takes out or adds to this book...shall receive all the curses written in this book..."
You are right. Mary herself claimed in her humble benediction that she was ONLY a vessel when she conceived Christ. In no way can she be greater than the Son of God. Also, a saint who is dead is not to be prayed to. I believe those who do this thinks that because Jesus spoke to Moses & Elijah at the mountain, therefore they can do the same.
Jesus says...'NO ONE GOES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME'...'I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE'.
In the case of the two prophets above, it was NOT Jesus praying or speaking to them, but rather THEY (Moses & Elijah), speaking TO Jesus. If you get the order wrong, you make a mess of your religious understanding.
STICK TO THE BIBLE...ONLY.
2007-01-26 05:19:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Those are all traditions and doctrines of the church. One must either accept it or leave the faith.
The meat tradition had something to do with easter, I believe, something to do with having respect and not eating flesh around Easter time.
2007-01-26 06:14:40 · answer #5 · answered by Benvenuto 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You have received alot of great answers by Catholics and by some very literate non-Catholics.
You can go to the Catholic website:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/index.html
or another good website
:
http://www.catholicapologetics.net/
2007-01-29 16:58:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The catholic church, as well as the poster above me ,,is full of rules, regulations, and UNREALISTIC standards.
it is all bs dude,,get out why u can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2007-01-28 01:24:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
+ The Saints (including the Blessed Virgin Mary) +
Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.
The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.
Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.
As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.
Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.
http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946
+ The Blessed Virgin Mary +
The Blessed Virgin Mary is important to Catholics because the Bible says she is important to God.
+ Mary is the handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1:38), a servant of God just like us.
+ Mary is the first Christian. All other Christians follow her on the road of faith. She is the model for all of us because she actively cooperated with the Will of God by saying "Yes" to God in the plan of salvation.
+ Mary is the model of faith. Mary's faith never wavered throughout Jesus' life, even while watching him die on the cross when most of the Apostles ran away.
+ Mary is full of grace. The angel Gabriel called her, "Full of grace" and said, "The Lord is with you." She is full of grace at that moment; the Lord is with her at that moment, before she says "yes" to the angel's question. Catholics believe the state of grace was with her since her Immaculate Conception. God prepared her for her later role as the mother of Jesus.
+ Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, of God the Son.
+ Mary is a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, a tabernacle. The angel Gabriel says to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow." (Luke 1:35)
+ God praised Mary through His messenger, the angel Gabriel, "Rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." If God and his angels praise Mary, shouldn't we?
+ Jesus honored Mary. Jesus kept the Commandments and did not sin. Jesus fulfilled the Commandment to honor both his father and his mother. WWJD? What would Jesus do? Jesus would and did honor Mary, his mother.
+ The Holy Spirit inspired praises of Mary. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women," and "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." (Luke 1:41-45)
+ The Scriptures tell of Mary's place with Jesus. Mary gives birth to Jesus, presents him to the shepherds, to the wise men, to God in the Temple. She lived with him for many years in Nazareth, intercedes with Jesus in Cana, suffers with him at the foot of the Cross, and prays to him with the apostles in the Upper Room.
+ Mary was a prophet. "Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me." (Luke 48-49) As Christians who believe the Bible, we must call Mary "blessed."
+ Mary is our Mother too. While he was on the Cross, Jesus said to his beloved disciple (who represents all Christians), "this is your mother." (John 19:27)
The Blessed Virgin Mary is not a goddess but the blessed daughter of God the Father, mother of God the Son, and dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit.
The Hail Mary prayer simply recites Bible passages (the Word of God) and asks Mary to pray for us:
Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with you. (These are the words the angel Gabriel said to Mary, a Bible quote.)
Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (This is Mary's cousin Elizabeth's greeting, another bible quote.)
Holy Mary, (The angel Gabriel said she was full of grace and Elizabeth said she was blessed.)
Mother of God, (the Bible says Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, God the Son)
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. (A simple request to pray for us.)
Amen.
+ With love in Christ.
2007-01-27 02:33:04 · answer #8 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋