Christian Discussion Thread IV

[Land Der Volkeren]

So, in short, the Father in Orthodox churches is seen as a mystery (negative theology) and in the (western) Catholic church the Father is given human attributes, am I right?

[Jute]

Here's a topic that's a bit odd considering for some people it's Easter (I'm in the same same boat as Arch and Constantinopolis we have Pascha on the 12th), but I was wondering what the different Christian stances on suicide are.

I am with Constantinopolis (I believe it was who wrote the post I am thinking about) on this issue; when one thinks of the struggles of early Christians and of in general those of our predecessors most of our problems seem...well, not so bad.

That's not to say they aren't valid or real. But as I've often read, that is an awfully final decision to deal with problems that are only temporary, and leaves behind only losses and victims. Therefore, we should help people thinking about it to regain hope for the future and faith in themselves that they can stand through those hard times.

Still a happy Easter everyone

[The United Neptumousian Empire]

I've considered priesthood before myself. But I don't feel like I'm a good enough Christian to be one, though.

[Sebastianbourg]

I am with Constantinopolis (I believe it was who wrote the post I am thinking about) on this issue; when one thinks of the struggles of early Christians and of in general those of our predecessors most of our problems seem...well, not so bad.

That's not to say they aren't valid or real. But as I've often read, that is an awfully final decision to deal with problems that are only temporary, and leaves behind only losses and victims. Therefore, we should help people thinking about it to regain hope for the future and faith in themselves that they can stand through those hard times.

Precisely.

Still a happy Easter everyone

Happy Easter!

[Nordengrund]

I've considered priesthood before myself. But I don't feel like I'm a good enough Christian to be one, though.

That's how I feel about myself. I decided I will only serve in my church's ministry if God calls me.

[Aelex]

I've considered priesthood before myself. But I don't feel like I'm a good enough Christian to be one, though.

Personally it's more the whole "abstinence" and "parcimonie" which don't really accord to my personality... ^^

[Wintanceastre]

So... since it is Sunday and I haven't said it before... Happy Easter to all Catholic and Protestant Christians! CHRIST IS RISEN!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

And to you, and all other Orthodox Christians, happy Palm Sunday!

Are you a priest? Or at least a deacon?
You seem far more knowledgeable than the typical layperson.

No, I am a layperson. So is Arch, of course, and he is considerably more knowledgeable than me. I don't think we have any ordained clergy posting in this thread, actually.

Don't forget Athartha (though he is not as active as before), he's an Ordained Catholic Priest.

My Church has suggested I be ordained a deacon, and I have been considering it actually.

[Efraim-Judah]

I hope you all had a great Passover and celebrated the Passover to commemorate the crucifixion of Messiah, the Parting of the Red Sea and Exodus from Egypt, and are looking forward to The Resurrection this Tuesday!

[Efraim-Judah]

So... since it is Sunday and I haven't said it before... Happy Easter to all Catholic and Protestant Christians! CHRIST IS RISEN!

Have a most joyous feast of the Resurrection, brothers and sisters!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And for my fellow Orthodox: Happy Palm Sunday!
Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

(Image)

Some hymns for the occasion on YouTube:
Troparion of Palm Sunday (in English)
Troparion of Palm Sunday (in several different languages)
Canon of Lazarus (in English)
Rejoice O Bethany (in English)

Troparion:

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your passion,
You did confirm the universal Resurrection, O Christ God!
Like the children with the palms of victory,
We cry out to You, O Vanquisher of death;
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

Kontakion:

Sitting on Your throne in heaven,
And carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God!
Accept the praise of angels and the songs of children who sing:
Blessed is He that comes to recall Adam!

* * * * * * *

And since the Oriental Churches and their traditions do not get the exposure they deserve in this thread, here is a beautiful hymn I found for Palm Sunday, from the Malankara (Indian) Church:

Yerushalem Puriyil

How could have Messiah risen, if Passover was on Saturday? It took 3 days for him to be Resurrected. That doesn't make any sense. The Resurrection this year will occur on a Tuesday.

[Czechanada]

The institute for Middle East Studies that I work for is going to focus more on non-Muslims. Since I previously published a paper on the Druze, I'll make a push to research Coptic and Syriac Christians.

[Coulee Croche]

So... since it is Sunday and I haven't said it before... Happy Easter to all Catholic and Protestant Christians! CHRIST IS RISEN!

Have a most joyous feast of the Resurrection, brothers and sisters!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And for my fellow Orthodox: Happy Palm Sunday!
Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

(Image)

Some hymns for the occasion on YouTube:
Troparion of Palm Sunday (in English)
Troparion of Palm Sunday (in several different languages)
Canon of Lazarus (in English)
Rejoice O Bethany (in English)

Troparion:

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your passion,
You did confirm the universal Resurrection, O Christ God!
Like the children with the palms of victory,
We cry out to You, O Vanquisher of death;
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

Kontakion:

Sitting on Your throne in heaven,
And carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God!
Accept the praise of angels and the songs of children who sing:
Blessed is He that comes to recall Adam!

* * * * * * *

And since the Oriental Churches and their traditions do not get the exposure they deserve in this thread, here is a beautiful hymn I found for Palm Sunday, from the Malankara (Indian) Church:

Yerushalem Puriyil

How could have Messiah risen, if Passover was on Saturday? It took 3 days for him to be Resurrected. That doesn't make any sense. The Resurrection this year will occur on a Tuesday.

John 19:31
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down

Jesus had died before the Sabbath which was the day of Preparation.

Matthew 28
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

The day after Sabbath is Sunday

[Efraim-Judah]

How could have Messiah risen, if Passover was on Saturday? It took 3 days for him to be Resurrected. That doesn't make any sense. The Resurrection this year will occur on a Tuesday.

John 19:31
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down

Jesus had died before the Sabbath which was the day of Preparation.

Matthew 28
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

The day after Sabbath is Sunday

Jesus was crucified at 9:00 AM on Thursday, the fourteenth of Nisan. Correct which would have made it a Sunday for his resurrection, I concede this. However, Passover isn't the same Gregorian day every year, it follows the Biblical Calendar, so, When Passover is on a Saturday, we should ceelbrate the Resurrection of Messiah 3 days later, NOT SUNDAY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

[Coulee Croche]

John 19:31
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down

Jesus had died before the Sabbath which was the day of Preparation.

Matthew 28
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

The day after Sabbath is Sunday

Jesus was crucified at 9:00 AM on Thursday, the fourteenth of Nisan. Correct which would have made it a Sunday for his resurrection, I concede this. However, Passover isn't the same Gregorian day every year, it follows the Biblical Calendar, so, When Passover is on a Saturday, we should ceelbrate the Resurrection of Messiah 3 days later, NOT SUNDAY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

Its very, very complicated.
I believe it has to do with the fact the the first full moon of the Vernal Equinox is not always in spring. The season which passover needs to be celebrated. Making (sometimes) the 2nd full moon the 1st full moon in the Jewish calendar.
So some Christians follow the Jewish calendar in determining Easter after passover, while others follow the 1st moon of the Vernal Equinox.
However most of the time, the two Calendars coincide.
(Im not even sure how the Julian calendar works in this respect; which the Orthodox use)

[Jute]

The institute for Middle East Studies that I work for is going to focus more on non-Muslims. Since I previously published a paper on the Druze, I'll make a push to research Coptic and Syriac Christians.

Huh, I don't even think I had even heard of the Druze before. Interesting.

[Efraim-Judah]

Jesus was crucified at 9:00 AM on Thursday, the fourteenth of Nisan. Correct which would have made it a Sunday for his resurrection, I concede this. However, Passover isn't the same Gregorian day every year, it follows the Biblical Calendar, so, When Passover is on a Saturday, we should ceelbrate the Resurrection of Messiah 3 days later, NOT SUNDAY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

Its very, very complicated.
I believe it has to do with the fact the the first full moon of the Vernal Equinox is not always in spring. The season which passover needs to be celebrated. Making (sometimes) the 2nd full moon the 1st full moon in the Jewish calendar.
So some Christians follow the Jewish calendar in determining Easter after passover, while others follow the 1st moon of the Vernal Equinox.
However most of the time, the two Calendars coincide.
(Im not even sure how the Julian calendar works in this respect; which the Orthodox use)

Passover must be celebrated on the 14th/15th of Nisan, Its not difficult at all. Resurrection should follow 3 days after Passover.

[Angleter]

John 19:31
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down

Jesus had died before the Sabbath which was the day of Preparation.

Matthew 28
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

The day after Sabbath is Sunday

Jesus was crucified at 9:00 AM on Thursday, the fourteenth of Nisan. Correct which would have made it a Sunday for his resurrection, I concede this. However, Passover isn't the same Gregorian day every year, it follows the Biblical Calendar, so, When Passover is on a Saturday, we should ceelbrate the Resurrection of Messiah 3 days later, NOT SUNDAY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

Friday 14 Nisan - the first day, with Sunday being the third. The Sabbath (and Passover, and 15 Nisan) would commence that evening.

[Unified Imperial States]

Just wanted to say Happy Easter, I'm sure it's been said many times over here.

[2nd America]

You're insane for posting a religious thread on the internet. You know how many people are going to post harsh, negative, intolerant things about Christianity while teaching tolerance themselves?


However, I support your right to this, in fact, I encourage it.

[Angleter]

You're insane for posting a religious thread on the internet. You know how many people are going to post harsh, negative, intolerant things about Christianity while teaching tolerance themselves?


However, I support your right to this, in fact, I encourage it.

We've managed 466 pages (and three previous threads) without things boiling over too much.

[The United Neptumousian Empire]

I've considered priesthood before myself. But I don't feel like I'm a good enough Christian to be one, though.

Personally it's more the whole "abstinence" and "parcimonie" which don't really accord to my personality... ^^

I'm asexual, I can handle the abstinence part

But my problem is that I'm not well versed in Catholic traditions due to being raised in a secular house. I don't go to mass, I barely know the words of any prayers, and I'm only just now reading the Bible for the first time.

And yet, the idea of priesthood is always at the back of my mind, despite all that.

[The Alexanderians]

You're insane for posting a religious thread on the internet. You know how many people are going to post harsh, negative, intolerant things about Christianity while teaching tolerance themselves?


However, I support your right to this, in fact, I encourage it.

We've managed 466 pages (and three previous threads) without things boiling over too much.

That being said things have hit the lid a few times.

Personally it's more the whole "abstinence" and "parcimonie" which don't really accord to my personality... ^^

I'm asexual, I can handle the abstinence part

But my problem is that I'm not well versed in Catholic traditions due to being raised in a secular house. I don't go to mass, I barely know the words of any prayers, and I'm only just now reading the Bible for the first time.

And yet, the idea of priesthood is always at the back of my mind, despite all that.

A friend of mine was raised in a hardcore atheist household, he became one of the best examples of a Christian I know. All it takes is some dedication, if you want to try go for it. (Besides some people who speak for and against Christianity haven't even read the bible, so you're already off to a better start then they are)

[Coulee Croche]

Its very, very complicated.
I believe it has to do with the fact the the first full moon of the Vernal Equinox is not always in spring. The season which passover needs to be celebrated. Making (sometimes) the 2nd full moon the 1st full moon in the Jewish calendar.
So some Christians follow the Jewish calendar in determining Easter after passover, while others follow the 1st moon of the Vernal Equinox.
However most of the time, the two Calendars coincide.
(Im not even sure how the Julian calendar works in this respect; which the Orthodox use)

Passover must be celebrated on the 14th/15th of Nisan, Its not difficult at all. Resurrection should follow 3 days after Passover.

Umm no. In any case the resurrection would be celebrated the day after Passover. He was crucified before Passover and resurrected after. And like i said its complicated. Passover is supposed to be on the 1st full moon of the Vernal Equinox, but it must be celebrated in spring. Sometimes Passover is celebrated on the 2nd full moon because of this. Therefore Jesus was most likely crucified and Resurrected between as early as March 22 and no later than April 25 according to the Equinox in the Gregorian calendar. If we followed Passover on a leap year according to the Jewish calendar, we would be celebrating his resurrection long passed the time than it was supposed to have happened. Now the Julian Calendar, from further research, has a difference between 13 days from the Gregorian calendar, and also calculates the Equinox differently. For instance, Passover was this Saturday, for Westerners it's Easter today, but for Easterners its Palm Sunday. And itll be different sometime around, where Easter in the East could be as far as 5 weeks later than Easter in the West.

Considering all of this plus so much more, determining the actual date for Easter is rather complicated moreso than you think. Of course Christ's resurrection is so much more than a petty disagreements over the date of when it happened.

[Benuty]

You're insane for posting a religious thread on the internet. You know how many people are going to post harsh, negative, intolerant things about Christianity while teaching tolerance themselves?


However, I support your right to this, in fact, I encourage it.

Insanity is nothing more than a legal term so it has no bearing outside of that reality.

Either way this isn't the first iteration of this thread.

[Athartha]

Are you a priest? Or at least a deacon?
You seem far more knowledgeable than the typical layperson.

No, I am a layperson. So is Arch, of course, and he is considerably more knowledgeable than me. I don't think we have any ordained clergy posting in this thread, actually.

A few people have suggested to me that I should seek to become ordained as a deacon. I am keeping that in mind as a possibility for a later stage in my life. Much later - perhaps around the time of retirement. But definitely not now. I do not feel that is God's calling for me.

As i've mentioned in the past, I am ordained as a diocesan priest.

In any case, have a blessed (remainder of your) Easter!

[Angleter]

Personally it's more the whole "abstinence" and "parcimonie" which don't really accord to my personality... ^^

I'm asexual, I can handle the abstinence part

But my problem is that I'm not well versed in Catholic traditions due to being raised in a secular house. I don't go to mass, I barely know the words of any prayers, and I'm only just now reading the Bible for the first time.

And yet, the idea of priesthood is always at the back of my mind, despite all that.

You've got plenty of time for all of that, though.

As for myself, I have given some consideration to the priesthood, but my problem is I'm far too ambitious. I'd want to be a bishop, and I'd resent not progressing through the ranks. Which would be highly likely, considering the state of the episcopate in England and Wales, but that's beyond the point. A priest really shouldn't be ambitious in that manner (not that that's stopped several of the bishops and monsignori in England and Wales, but again, that's beyond the point).