Fellow Church People

[Muppet Newsgirl]

As a Catholic girl myself, Sylinde, I'd like to respectfully put in my two cents' worth. Sure, my grandmother was raised in the God-fearing fashion, but I was raised to believe that God is a loving god, and that we should look up to Him as children do to their parents.
As for confession, it is true that most parishes make you say a few Acts of Contrition, but in my parish, after my last confession the priest recommended that I do an act of kindness or charity for someone. We're a fairly liberal-leaning parish, the kind where the priest's dog goes running around the church before Mass and where the deacon opens his homilies with a bad joke.

That's just my two cents' worth for you. The teachings and Mass protocol tend to vary from parish to parish.

As for the Hail Mary, she is referred to Mother of God because of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

 

[CensoredAlso]

As Muppet Newsgirl says, it really depends on what Church you go to. A lot of Protestant denominations preach the fear of God stuff, while a lot of Catholic churches emphasize the loving God.

And Mary is the mother of God, because Jesus is both man and God, being the 2nd being in the Trinity.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I hear this fear god stuff and this loving god stuff. I think God is a loving god who you shoud fear. You should because you fear him. If you don't love the Lord like he commands, you should fear his wrath. But If you loov him, you should not fear his wrath because he will save you from it.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Also, several sources say the phrase "fear of God" does not refer to the emotion of being afraid. But rather honoring God's wishes on how he wants us to act as good people. It's more of a recognition of God's teachings than a fear.

This is something the denominations debate often. As I said before, it's ok if we don't figure out the truth today on this forum.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I just don't see god seeing anyone as good people, but he makes people his people who he calls holy because e loves them. He doesn't just want us to be good people, he wants us to want to obay him becaue we love him. Like I said before, there's nothing good we could do to be saved by his son, but he saves us because he loves us. And it's our choise weather we wan't to be or not. but their are consiquinces for choosing not to.

 

[Beebers]

It's not some good we have within ourselves, But Jusus who makes us that way, And he's the only reason were good. if your not saved by him, Wher just worthless dirt tha deserves to Die and burn.

Wow.

Do you even hear yourself?

Jesus was an actual person who lived and died. An extraordinary person, but a person nonetheless, regardless of whether one chooses to believe he was the Son of God or not. Before he arrived there were good people, bad people, insane people, boring people, morally upright people and morally bankrupt people. And so it has continued after his death, because these are the inevitable colors of the human palette.

Pretty much everybody, other than the sociopath or psychopath, has some good in them. Your statement - "It's not some good we have within ourselves"- is shocking.

Life is all about choices. Let's see, there's a bank in front of me. Uh, rob it? Or, not rob it. My life's getting me down. Take it out on others? Or DO something constructive about it?

Waiting around to get saved by anyone is possibly the most unproductive way to spend time ever invented. The idea that we're nothing until we're saved completely annihilates the ACTUAL fact that we are NOT inherently bad but in fact inherently good.

". . . we're just worthless dirt that deserves to die and burn."
That's amazing. Firstly, dirt doesn't burn. And, Christians back in the day regularly burnt to death epileptics and schizophrenics because they were so sure that they were either witches or possessed by Satan. Epilepsy is a physical malady caused by scarring on the surface of the brain. Schizophrenia is a physical malady caused by pitting on the surface of the brain. Not by Satan. Not by God. Not by Witches.

But hey, they were so sure they were right, and so righteous in their rightness, that burning people to death was certainly okay.

There are a lot of impressionable kids and young people on this messageboard. While you certainly are entitled to your views, as I am quite sure you would be quick to point out had I not just now done it for you, it should be pointed out that they are frightening views indeed, and you ought have a care in your choices of words.

Again, with the exception of socio- and psychopaths, people have every capability and responsibility to pursue intellectual, emotional and creative freedom, and to be the best possible person they can be, FOR ITS OWN SAKE, and not out of fear of God, hellfire, Satan, or any other thing one comes up with, and not out of pursuit of Brownie points with God or a St. Peter EZPass at the Pearly Gates.

Fear as the governor of human beings does not and never has worked. We are, and should be, the governors of ourselves. Only then do we become full human beings and learn the meaning and potential of true humanity at its best.

 

[CensoredAlso]

That's a big Christian debate. Some denominations say you can be saved purely by faith and God's good graces alone. But others say you have to do good work in your life in order to be saved.

Personally, I agree with the latter, Jesus wouldn't have gone through all the trouble of teaching us how to be good people if it didn't matter in the end. And I also think we can be good people. That's what being created in God's image means.

 

[Davina]

we can easily settle this.. withthe bible itself.. there is a passage that clearly states "Faith without works is dead."
now, to me, that seems a pretty clear indication that it's not just by faith that we are "saved". Intentions may be good, but unless we actively work towards those goals, and live our beliefs (that means, actually doing the things we claim we believe are good...having charity, living as good examples, keeping the commandments, etc.. ) then we can't claim the full benefit of Christ's sacrifices for us. We can still be saved, it will just be a good deal harder for us if we have all these "incompletes" on our report cards..

 

[CensoredAlso]

I agree, actions are more important than faith.

Saying that, it's important to remember that everyone has their own views. We don't have to agree, but part of being a good person is being respectful of others.

 

[Beebers]

I agree, actions are more important than faith.

Saying that, it's important to remember that everyone has their own views. We don't have to agree, but part of being a good person is being respectful of others.

I did say within my post that ilikemuppets is entitled to his/her viewpoints. Claiming that we are dirt and should burn is disrespectful. And hardly Christian. Not what Jesus had in mind.