Christmas thoughts

No, we don't serve a dead Saviour, but by His wounds we are healed, and the Apostle Paul said he "boasted in the Cross of Christ". Many people wear the a little crosses around their neck--or sign themselves with the cross--as a testimony to their faith in Christ's atonement. (Of course I realize that many others wear the cross or make the sign of the cross because of cultural or fashion considerations without regard to the meaning of the cross--I'm not talking about those folks). Also, Christians were making the sign of the cross even before Constantine came on the scene, so you can't blame it all on that rascally Roman Catholic Church which Constantine allegedly invented.

 

You miss the whole point. What did Paul mean when he said that? He was not referring to a pretty little gold decoration. He was referring to a bloody cross on which Christ was crucified. It was blood stained, His flesh still hanging from it. The picture he had in mind was far different from the little ornamental pieces that people wear around their necks and even from their ears. He gloried in the cross--the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross--that is what he is speaking of. If you are going to wear a cross make it real, and don't be a hypocrite, or else don't wear one at all. I prefer the latter.

Naive aren't they?
Is it necessary to wear a cross to let others know that you are a Christian. Pagans wear crosses too.

What kind of Christians? True believers in Christ? I doubt it. There are many that the history books call Christians that are not. But then Voodooism uses crosses also.

 

And of course y'all would never think of wearing weddings rings! As everyone knows they have pagan roots.

 

What kind of Christians? True believers in Christ? I doubt it. There are many that the history books call Christians that are not. But then Voodooism uses crosses also.

Why would you doubt that a true believer would make the sign of the cross? Your anti-catholicism runs so deep that a simple gesture that identified a person as a Christian automatically disqualifies them from being a true believer.

 

Yep, the Olympics have five of them locked together, and we know the origins of the Olympics.

 

No, my experience as an ex-Catholic runs deep. I would never be able to count the number of times I made that foolish gesture. The sign of the cross is used commonly when one "is blessing oneself." I don't need to bless myself. God blesses me.

 

I do not believe all Catholics are lost. I think the Lord has saved some despite the gross perversion of their theology. That is a great testimony that to the Lord, anything is possible. One thing I have never understood, even after reading the history. How could we have such a viabrant New Testement Church in Acts and just a few centuries later, viola, we have the most vile, ungodly form of Christianity in the form of the Vatican, that has drawn in so many people, and continues to infect the Lord's work to this day.

Why is it that we have such detailed history of this monster, and cannot figure out if we as Baptists, for sure, came out of the Reformation, or was along side the Catholic church preserving the Lord's church. My heart's desire is the latter.

 

After 20 years in the Catholic Church, the Lord saved my soul. But because I was not taught in the Scriptures I did not leave the Catholic Church until two years later. Thus the case can be made that there are others like myself in the Catholic Church that are saved, but don't know any better than to get out.
The Reformers, like Luther, stayed in the Catholic Church, trying to reform it from within, but it never worked. They ended up getting excommunicated. There are many such naive new believers that think they can change the church from within. But we know it won't work. Yes, there are some believers within the walls of that corrupt institution; not because of it, but in spite of it.

The latter is true. Instead of reading church history written by Catholics, read Baptist History. There have always been true believers always protesting against the heretical teachings of the RCC. Their writings are few because they were the persecuted ones. For an example, there was a Crusade against the Albigenses at the same time that there was against the Muslims. Muslims and Christians alike==they were going to kill them both off.

 

Are you consistent in your practice?

Each day of the week is named after a false Pagan god.

If your church has their prayer meeting on Wednesday then they are honoring Woden on Woden's day. If Thursday then you are honoring Thor on Thor's day.

The biblical mandate is to use cardinal numbers: First day of the week; second day; seventh day, etc.

So if you already haven't, strike these names from your vocabulary and start obeying the Bible.

HankD

 

How generous of you! To think that maybe, just maybe some of us poor ignorant Catholics might be saved!

My experience as a former Baptist, now Catholic Christian is that there are MANY Catholics who love Jesus, believe they are saved by His shed blood on the cross and strive to share the Good News of salvation with the lost of this world.

 

The difference here is that the days of the week are not "worship days." They are not days that are specifically set aside for "Christian" worship. December 25 is claimed as a Christian holiday when in reality it is more pagan than it is Christian. That is the difference. Yes, there is still consistency.

 

I believe it was Paul that said something like "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." I have done this and I am persuaded.

But, you would rather be unbiblical in this matter. You think everybody should think like you do and you call them idolators and the like when they don't think that way. Celebrate Christmas in September if you want, but I'm fully persuaded that I'm not sinning by celebrating on December 25th. I'll thank you to take your insults back where they came from.

This debate is very much like the debate that Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians about meat sacrificed to idols.

 

Are you playing devils advocate or just being ignorant.