Are you a heretic??

Question

The original meaning of the word "heresy" meant "choice". Here is your choice:

Do you believe that
(A) Every word in the Bible is the direct word of God, or,

(B) Do you believe this statement from the Pope/Vatican issued regarding religious "fundamentalism" contained in a document issued in 1993 entitled, "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church" Here is the exact wording.

"The fundamentalist approach is dangerous, for it is attractive to people who look to the Bible for ready answers to the problems of life ... instead of telling them that the Bible does not necessarily contain an immediate answer to each and every problem.....Fundamentalism actually invites people to a kind of intellectual suicide. It injects into life a false certitude, for it unwittingly confuses the divine substance of the biblical message with what are in fact its human limitations".

Answer 1

Yes. Indeed a heretic is someone who picks and choses what they wish of the faith. Hmmm. Catholicism was the only Christian church at all for over 1500 years until a man, a crazy monk in fact-- (Please read "Luther" by O'Hare before you think of disagreeing...). It is those people who "picked and chose" a faith contrary to what God issued through Christ to Peter when the keys of the kingdom were given. Yet it's a happy day when "Fundies" acknowledge that they drove themselves away (and continue to do so) by their blantant disregard, hate and outright blasphemy to thumb their noses at God.

The Bible isn't the end all, be all of Christian life. It is a guide. Indeed divinely inspired. However, apparently it isn't everything Christ spoke in his three years of ministry.

Question1: what happened to the people, these souls for 1500 years prior to the mass publication of the Bible? According to your theory; that the Bible alone is all you need--and there was nothing but Catholics--what happened to those souls??? Go to hell? I doubt it.

Ouestion 2: If you are an American, are you the authority to intrpret properly the US Constitution? I mean you don't like the Bill of Rights, you can intrepret it til it fits what you want, right? Oh, wait. There is something called "Supreme Court" that does that.

Hmmm, but Joe Blow off the street has the authority, ability, and the correct understanding the text for the Holy Bible?? Very arrogant of people, don't you think? There are what? 25,000 different interpretations of this Holy Book and guess what, all Protestants. And only ONE Catholic church. There is a word Christ used; called UNITY.

The Catholic church ONLY has the authority to interpret Scripture. Umm..Catholics DID put together the Bible you read...almost ALL learned Protestant scholars admit this; but alas--Joe Blow Protestant thinks he can interpret everything to his wishes and how he 'feels' about said Bible.

*Exhale* Inhale* ....slowly...

Okay, thank you. I feel better now.

And I proudly and with a big pen stroke chose "B".

I refuse to stand before God and be called a heretic, schismatic, or worse an apostate!

Answer 2

here's the reason...
It's all about power and control. If people are off interpreting the bible themselves, then the Pope can no longer tell them what to think and do and the religious organization becomes fractured (as does the financial support).
So- the Pope's edict here is that you must listen to the organization of the Catholic church for how to interpret the bible, and not run off and try to do it yourself, or listen to others who claim to know god's words.

It's a simple power struggle to lead the followers. Frankly- I'd rather have those who need to follow someone, follow the Pope rather than some of the fundamentalist religious leaders I've seen.

Answer 3

No, I'm not a "heretic." I'm more of an "apostate." I deny the entire ediface of Christianity as a notorious fraud historically perpetrated on the poor and ignorant.

This question is pretty hilarious though. I THINK what you're driving at is that those Godless heathens, the Catholics, actually expect people NOT to take the Bible as literally as a 5 year old would, and use it as the sole textbook for every subject in life - oh, the outrage! Honestly, this is probably the only "Vatican-issued" statement I've ever read that makes any kind of sense - assuming it's genuine.

Answer 4

I have been told that any man, with good study ethics, (study to show thyself aproved unto God) should be able to properly understand the Bible. However, in Eccl. 12:12 it says much study is weariness to the soul. Do you understand the meaning of this verse? Simply stated, the more you learn, the more you understand the meaning of the bible and the more you have the responsiblility to embark your wisdom to others. It also means that once you understand the Bible there will be many instances where your knowledge will bring you as much grief as it does pleasure. For once you understand the meaning, you also begin to understand the magnitude of those who will be lost in Hell.

As for myself, I have my doubts that every word of any modern Bible is completely accurate. Perhaps it was at one time the perfect wording as it was given by God to man, but man can be very unscrupulous and would desire power to be given to man over God. The Pope is considered to be God in the flesh and therefore infalible. Yet the Bible teaches that all men have sinned and all are subject to the judgement of Christ who shall judge all men on the Day of Judgement. For many years the Catholics were forbidden to study or even read the Bible. It was believed that only those with divine understanding could interpret the scriptures and so the believers in the Catholic church lived by what other men told them to be true.

Now consider this, if the bible is the complete word of God and therefore undisputed, why would the Catholics beliefs constantly change? There have been many cases where the Pope said ''this'' was wrong and then later said ''this'' is now OK.

Interpretations can and are faulty. Give one verse or one chapter in any book and allow 10 men of different beliefs give their interpretation and you will have 10 different answers. Why is it like this? Again this is simple, power and control. Men seek power and therefore control over other men. Take that control away and allow each individual the right to worship as they please and the division between the churches will decrease. The Lord's prayer (not found in Matthew but in the 17th chapter of John) was Christ praying for unity of his appostles, untiy of his followers and unity of the church (the church meaning all those who obeyed the gospel). Today there are over 2500 different Christian beliefs. Add that to the numbers of the many other beliefs which are not Christians and you have thousands of beliefs. Can all be right? Simple answer, no. So what has caused this great separation? Man, his lust for power, glory, fame, or whatever other reason.

To say the bible has no errors would be to say there are no divisions in the church, which there are. To say the Pope is infalible and able to change God's word as he chooses would be to say all men can be infalible if one can. But if man can be infalible, why would Jesus have died for the sins of ALL men. The bible doesn't say ''for the sins of a few'' or ''for the sina of all except one''. The Bible say Christ died for the sins of all men.

To conclude, neither choice A or choice B would be correct. There must be a third choice, choice C. Choice C would be ''do you believe in the knowledge of man and his abilities to interpret the word of God in a fair and resonable way as to include the salvation of all men, and not just a select few.''

I realize my answer is quite long but the question you have asked requires an indepth answer. Hope I have helped in some way.

Answer 5

Accordingly to the dictionary description of the word 'heretic'. . . then yes I am a heretic.

Interestingly...the dictionary states " One who professes heresey...a religions belief opposed to the church. . . opposed to official or established rules ".

I have heard the phrase " How do you know that ? ". Reply at times is "Oh, it's based on hear say ". I guess now that " hear say " is of the word " heresey " or " heretic ".

Do I believe that EVERY word in the Bible is the DIRECT Word of God ? Do I go along with the statement you noted that the Pope made ?

Answers to both those questions is ' no '. So, would that label me as a ' heretic. Is the Bible or any other ' officials ' expressed words " hear say " ? I think so. Yet, respectfully so, is hear say " heresey " necessarily ' wrong ' ? Or, might ' hear say ' awaken a wonder in the person hearing or reading those words and use that spark of wonder to go to God...the One and ask . . . " What of this that I heard / read. . . is it so ? " Children often to their parents and express " This is what I heard...is it so ?"

God...the One. . . answers to my heart, soul with an answer. The 'feeling' within that I receive is my answer. An answer that was confirmed by the One...so at that point it's not hear say...heresey...of being a heretic... The knowledge learned is Knowingness...Truth...it breaths within my soul the warm embracing answer . . . " Yes ". Thus no longer being ' heresey '.

I believe in the core message of the Bible. Yet, the 'guilt' that is placed with the Bible that a person is to base all answers and truths based only written is written in the blble. . . I have issue with that...so, that would label me a 'heretic'?

Having said that and having answered your question . . . I don't base what I am about based on limiting labels of heretic, any one religion, faith, church, temple etc. Just for the sake of understanding as people do use labels for comprehension. . . I am simply spiritual. The Word of the bible is the Word that I clearly ' hear ' and live by naturalness of. I Know this naturalness as a Truth within, a connectedness within and outword. . . I simply ' am '...and I know God...Love...Authentic voice that has no ' sound '. . . the One.

I connect with the One...the Bible does in fact support that connectness that I ' hear ' within...Yet, so do many other writings out there.. . . At the same time, some of what is written in the bible sounds to be the thought of that individual's words that was noted in the bible. . . Here say . . . ' heresey '. . . Does that make a ' heretic ' " bad " ? My thought is " no "...Those thoughts expressed in the bible or even my own here for that matter are simply expressed for another to read, digest, connect with the One . . . Does a persons words in the Bible or otherwise feel pure and bright within the soul / heart ? If yes, that live that. We have free will...we ask questions . . . feel within . . .

God...the One...' speaks ' to my soul, heart, with a smile expressing " Let them ' label ' as they do my child...I KNOW your heart...you're doing fine . . .Now go on out and (play) continue walking your soulful path, your journey".

Am I a heretic ? . . . I'll leave this here with this . . . I am no label . . . I simply ' am '.
.

Answer 6

Pope schmope. Biblical scriptures are subjective and open to interpretation. I know what I know, I believe what I believe, and I am fully secure in my faith. I don't need some old guy at the Vatican, or a bunch of judgemental, self-righteous gits telling me what to believe or how to read the bible.

Answer 7

I don't believe in any of that. The popes and the Vatican pick and choose, cafeteria-style, from science, philosophy and so on what they'll believe as it fits their agenda. Case in point: PJPII's "Theology of the Body". It's my favorite case in point but it's the most obvious.

In this case, fundamentalism is discussed, however the Mother Angelica fundamentalist approach to Catholicism wasn't shut down was it? Even when Mother Angelica publicly chastized the Pope himself, all she got was the equivalent of a finger wagged at her (that's NOT the finger I'm referring to)... and she kept on going. If the Church wanted to have shut her down they could've EASILY.

I'm never impressed by anything the Magisterium declares.

_()_

Answer 8

I think I'm a heathen but I'd go with (B) not such a big fan of the Church but they're way better than the fundies.

Answer 9

yes, i probably be called a heretic..but so was a lot of people like Martin Luther...and a lot that were killed and tortured for their rights to disagree with the catholic church.

yes, i think you are correct in assessing the different religious groups...
religion is supposed to comfort the afflictedd and afflicte the comforted

Answer 10

Hello, I believe or another way of putting that word BE-LIVE that Jesus is the second member of The Godhead and that The Word of God "NOT" Taken out of context it our guideline as to how to escape this world of death where everyone dies in. I believe God's Bible interpretes itself with Prayer anyone can find salvation, in fact if your interested in finding out more free bible lessons www.amazingfacts.org no i hold to NO statement from the papcy, thanks and email me and i will tell you why, talk to me [e-mail] God bless