Are the people in higher positions closer to your God?
2007-12-14 01:58:48 · 11 answers · asked by Link strikes back 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes and no.
Yes: The Church does have a kinda famous hierarchy, with the Pope at the top and the rest trailing down the organizational tree.
Why: organizational and administrative purposes.
No: The top of the tree is not de facto closer to God than the bottom.
2007-12-14 02:01:11 · answer #1 · answered by Acorn 7 · 6⤊ 2⤋
No. Christianity exists in order to remove all hierarchy. Any religion since Christ that has hierarchy is of Satan.
'"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, because I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more," declares the Lord.' Jeremiah 31:33-34
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2007-12-14 11:00:27 · answer #2 · answered by miller 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
From the Christian point of view, the top of the chain is God. And if he is really God, then that's okay. If he weren't then he wouldn't be worthy of the title.
As for human beings, there is certainly the concept of a authority structure or hierarchy in the first 2 centuries of the church. That authority was always, subject to the authority, of Scripture, however.
In terms of closeness to God, from the Christian point of view, nobody gets close to God by anything they do, or by what office, or responsibility they hold. It's only by bering pure and absolutely holy that we can experience and enjoy closeness and intimacy with God.
Since, we are not (I am not anyway - and I challenge you to humbly admit the same thing) absolutely holy and pure, we need to be made pure. This is where Jesus' death on the cross is important for a Christian, because it is through this, that we can enter into God's presence and enjoy closeness with God, having been given the purity and holiness of Jesus, as he takes our place and takes responsibility for our lack of holiness and purity.
So, from a Christian point of view. God is God, if he is God. The Bible is over human leaders (including the Pope). And we get close to God by God's gift of forgiveness, not by our own arrogant effort to make ourselves holy enough for him (as if we really could!).
2007-12-14 10:37:10 · answer #3 · answered by socrates4hemlock 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes the Catholic Church does have a hierarchy. Because that is the way Jesus wanted it and set it up. No Protestant denomination or so-called "churches" has a hierarchy. Only the Catholic Church. I don't really know what you mean by "closer to your God" but the Pope is the Vicar of Christ so he is very close to God. But everyone who is in Heaven is closer than all of us. Also, everyone who receives of the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion on a regular and frequent basis is very close to God.
The Pope was given apostalic authority, by Christ, to interpret the Bible and whatever He says, on faith and morals, is infallible. Since Jesus would not be physically present as a human to explain the Bible for us, He was smart enough (God forgive me, no blasphemy was intended toward Jesus.) to leave us a physical head of the Church to act in His place as the Vicar of Christ. Of course, why would He leave us a head who could possibly lead us into error on faith and morals? That is why He promised that the Holy Spirit would always guide him and never let him fall into error on faith and morals. God bless.
EDIT: Mike, you can't follow Christ through secularism.
EDIT: Honeybee, the Bible DOES teach the hierarchy. A hierachy is very clear in the Bible during the time of the early Church. I respectfully ask you to read your Bible in a truthful way and stop distorting it to seemingly contradict the Catholic Church. You, like most Protestants, pick certain Bible versus out of context and distort them to fit your teachings. There is nothing in the Bible contrary to the Catholic Church and there is nothing in the Catholic Church contrary to the Bible. The Catholic Church gave the Bible to the world. The Bible is a Catholic book. God Bless.
2007-12-14 10:27:38 · answer #4 · answered by k-9fanatic 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Islam,no It doesn't have a Hierarchy in terms of more righteousness, or closeness to God, but there are people who are more dedicated to knowing the laws of the religion whom we go for guidance as it is impossible to know everything.
2007-12-14 10:25:54 · answer #5 · answered by Electric 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋
The Bible does not teach hierarchy but unfortunately many groups who claim to follow the Bible do use hierarchical models for government.
But Jesus said in Mark 10, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant."
2007-12-14 10:03:34 · answer #6 · answered by Bride of Yeshua 3 · 3⤊ 3⤋
no.
Islam does NOT have hierarchy.
2007-12-14 13:32:06 · answer #7 · answered by Candee_Puffs 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sorry all are equel in my faith. We only have one leader -Christ. He just uses some in the congregation as shepherds, but they are not leaders.
2007-12-14 12:39:10 · answer #8 · answered by Purple triangle 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Mine doesn't. per se. Not one of Men and Women anyway. We're all stars.
2007-12-14 10:04:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
in hinduism we pray to the living gods who are of priestly caste, namely the brahmins. our the brahmis are gods. we revere them.
2007-12-14 10:01:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋