Christian Discussion Thread XI: Anicetus’ Revenge

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

From what I remember the first Christmas trees appeared in Germany in the 1500s and the first wreaths in the 1700s with neither having an origin in any pagan tradition IIRC, unless I'm mistaken.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Salus Maior]

Eh, the people convert and they convert their holidays with it. But it also isn’t the same holiday.

What’s your source that Christians didn’t practice birthdays?

It's such a ubiquitous claim I honestly don't have any singular source to link to actually. Everything I've always read has made the claim that the early Christians rejected birthdays due to them, at the time, being steeped in Greco-Roman religious influences and thus not proper for a Christian to celebrate.

I mean, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that but I’ve never heard it from anyone else.

[Tarsonis]

From what I remember the first Christmas trees appeared in Germany in the 1500s and the first wreaths in the 1700s with neither having an origin in any pagan tradition IIRC, unless I'm mistaken.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Easter eggs are also a German import

[The Blaatschapen]

i
what
that
my brain

To be fair, Easter, alongside Christmas, stole a lot of things from various pagan spring celebrations.

So the Grinch was doing vigilante justice?

[Bienenhalde]

I've been reading about it but I'm still pretty confused about the doctrine of the eucharist. I understand that the orthodox consider it to be a holy mystery, but would it be against dogma to say that the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine is of a purely spiritual nature?

That is a common view among Reformed, Methodist, and low-church Anglican churches, but the Catholics, the Orthodox, and Lutherans would say that Christ in physically present in the bread and wine in some manner.

[Kowani]

Pope cuts pay for cardinals by 10% due to pandemic, while priests and other clerics will see their salaries cut by between 3% and 8% and planned salary increases will be suspended until March 2023

[Salus Maior]

Pope cuts pay for cardinals by 10% due to pandemic, while priests and other clerics will see their salaries cut by between 3% and 8% and planned salary increases will be suspended until March 2023

Sounds like a commonsense sort of thing.

[Luminesa]

Pope cuts pay for cardinals by 10% due to pandemic, while priests and other clerics will see their salaries cut by between 3% and 8% and planned salary increases will be suspended until March 2023

Well a pay cut for cardinals and priests is better than firing them, generally they have what they need to get by. (It depends on the parish.) However, it’s still good for parishioners to remember their priests and their parishes during times of need such as this. Priests are busy shepherds, there’s nothing wrong with going to the priest and asking, “Hi, how can I help?” Even if one can’t make up for the pay cut, helping with things around the parish always makes a priest’s day. As for cardinals, they’re not as visible but helping with anything around a local diocese - especially fundraising and charity - will make them happy.

[New Visayan Islands]

Friendly reminder that today, March 25th, is the Solemnity of the Annunciation.

Ecce, ancilla Domini; fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.

[Australian rePublic]

So, I've seen a lot of hoopla that Jesus would not be wearing a face mask if He were alive today (during Covid-19). To which I say, that's utter nonsense. In places where masks are compulsory, Jesus would've wanted people to obey the law of the land, so long as it doesn't contradict God's law. In places where masks aren't compulsory, Jesus would have still worn to set a good example. What do you guys think?

[Sundiata]

So, I've seen a lot of hoopla that Jesus would not be wearing a face mask if He were alive today (during Covid-19). To which I say, that's utter nonsense. In places where masks are compulsory, Jesus would've wanted people to obey the law of the land, so long as it doesn't contradict God's law. In places where masks aren't compulsory, Jesus would have still worn to set a good example. What do you guys think?

I don't like to remove Jesus from the context of his time. He physically existed when he did for a specific purpose. Still, I think he would want practicing Christians to wear face-masks.

[Australian rePublic]

So, I've seen a lot of hoopla that Jesus would not be wearing a face mask if He were alive today (during Covid-19). To which I say, that's utter nonsense. In places where masks are compulsory, Jesus would've wanted people to obey the law of the land, so long as it doesn't contradict God's law. In places where masks aren't compulsory, Jesus would have still worn to set a good example. What do you guys think?

I don't like to remove Jesus from the context of his time. He physically existed when he did for a specific purpose. Still, I think he would want practicing Christians to wear face-masks.

Yea, I agree with you completely about not dragging Jesus into these kind of things, but since He's already been dragged into this discussion, we may as well contribute to it to debunk any nonsense

[The New California Republic]

Evidence of cultural whitewashing occurring in the aftermath of the recent Nagorno-Karabakh war with churches being destroyed.

[Salus Maior]

Evidence of cultural whitewashing occurring in the aftermath of the recent Nagorno-Karabakh war with churches being destroyed.

Yeah well, I figured that was going to happen.

[Salus Maior]

So, I've seen a lot of hoopla that Jesus would not be wearing a face mask if He were alive today (during Covid-19). To which I say, that's utter nonsense. In places where masks are compulsory, Jesus would've wanted people to obey the law of the land, so long as it doesn't contradict God's law. In places where masks aren't compulsory, Jesus would have still worn to set a good example. What do you guys think?

It's just pure speculation as to what Jesus would have done in modernity. So, I don't really engage with these kinds of hypotheticals just like I don't care for the whole "Jesus was a socialist/libertarian/whatever-politics-I-believe-in" schtick.

That being said, the morality He preached certainly entails that we care for the wellbeing of our neighbors, so as far as that's concerned wearing masks is the least we can do.

[The New California Republic]

Churches and Christian charities are calling on the Government to take more action to prevent harms caused by gambling.

The call has been made in submissions to the Government's review of the 2005 Gambling Act, which is considering online protections for players and gambling sponsorship in sports.

Ahead of the consultation deadline next week, a coalition of churches and Christian organisations is warning of the risk posed by online gambling, especially to children and young people.

"Gambling related harms affect families, communities, colleagues and friends as well as individuals, and can cause mental and physical ill health, indebtedness, family breakdown and most tragically may even result in suicide. These harms simply cannot be tackled by focusing on individuals' gambling habits or relying on individual organisations to provide solutions. Instead the devolved and UK Governments must adopt a public health approach to prevent harm and address population level risks. One area where this is urgently needed is remote gambling. The extent of internet gambling or advertising was barely imagined when the 2005 Act was passed. It is a more complex environment with people able to gamble almost anywhere and at any time. Government needs to use this opportunity to require the gambling industry to implement measures, such as caps on expenditure or losses with the aim of reducing risks of gambling-related harm."

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/ ... 136578.htm

[Tarsonis]

Churches and Christian charities are calling on the Government to take more action to prevent harms caused by gambling.

The call has been made in submissions to the Government's review of the 2005 Gambling Act, which is considering online protections for players and gambling sponsorship in sports.

Ahead of the consultation deadline next week, a coalition of churches and Christian organisations is warning of the risk posed by online gambling, especially to children and young people.

"Gambling related harms affect families, communities, colleagues and friends as well as individuals, and can cause mental and physical ill health, indebtedness, family breakdown and most tragically may even result in suicide. These harms simply cannot be tackled by focusing on individuals' gambling habits or relying on individual organisations to provide solutions. Instead the devolved and UK Governments must adopt a public health approach to prevent harm and address population level risks. One area where this is urgently needed is remote gambling. The extent of internet gambling or advertising was barely imagined when the 2005 Act was passed. It is a more complex environment with people able to gamble almost anywhere and at any time. Government needs to use this opportunity to require the gambling industry to implement measures, such as caps on expenditure or losses with the aim of reducing risks of gambling-related harm."

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/ ... 136578.htm

my bank does this.

[Suriyanakhon]

So, I've seen a lot of hoopla that Jesus would not be wearing a face mask if He were alive today (during Covid-19). To which I say, that's utter nonsense. In places where masks are compulsory, Jesus would've wanted people to obey the law of the land, so long as it doesn't contradict God's law. In places where masks aren't compulsory, Jesus would have still worn to set a good example. What do you guys think?

It's just pure speculation as to what Jesus would have done in modernity. So, I don't really engage with these kinds of hypotheticals just like I don't care for the whole "Jesus was a socialist/libertarian/whatever-politics-I-believe-in" schtick.

That being said, the morality He preached certainly entails that we care for the wellbeing of our neighbors, so as far as that's concerned wearing masks is the least we can do.

“What do you mean it's fishy that Jesus happens to agree with my very specific 20th century political ideology?” Fish puns incoming in 3... 2... 1...

[Australian rePublic]

It's just pure speculation as to what Jesus would have done in modernity. So, I don't really engage with these kinds of hypotheticals just like I don't care for the whole "Jesus was a socialist/libertarian/whatever-politics-I-believe-in" schtick.

That being said, the morality He preached certainly entails that we care for the wellbeing of our neighbors, so as far as that's concerned wearing masks is the least we can do.

“What do you mean it's fishy that Jesus happens to agree with my very specific 20th century political ideology?” Fish puns incoming in 3... 2... 1...

Of coarse it's fishy for you to believe that Jesus would havr agreed with your very specific 20th Century beliefs. It's so fishy that the whole concept of "ΙΧΘΥΣ" confirms its fishiness. You codda be kidding me if you think that your specific 20th century are Jesus' political ideologies. That's not BASSed on anythi g. In reality, everybody knows that Jesus happens to agree with my very, very specific 21st century political beliefs. Every single person in the 20th century was wrong, and I am the one true bearer of Jesus' true political beliefs

[The Blaatschapen]

It's just pure speculation as to what Jesus would have done in modernity. So, I don't really engage with these kinds of hypotheticals just like I don't care for the whole "Jesus was a socialist/libertarian/whatever-politics-I-believe-in" schtick.

That being said, the morality He preached certainly entails that we care for the wellbeing of our neighbors, so as far as that's concerned wearing masks is the least we can do.

“What do you mean it's fishy that Jesus happens to agree with my very specific 20th century political ideology?” Fish puns incoming in 3... 2... 1...

Jesus wants Scotland independent, according to Alex Salmond.

There, happy?

[A m e n r i a]

Continuing from my last question, to what extent is the serious portrayal of Christianity and/or Christian artifacts acceptable to you, O Christians of NS?

[Punished UMN]

Continuing from my last question, to what extent is the serious portrayal of Christianity and/or Christian artifacts acceptable to you, O Christians of NS?

I'm not sure what you're asking, can you elaborate?

[A m e n r i a]

Continuing from my last question, to what extent is the serious portrayal of Christianity and/or Christian artifacts acceptable to you, O Christians of NS?

I'm not sure what you're asking, can you elaborate?

If, say, a movie, or any other work decide to portray Christianity or Christian objects such as the Arma Christi, what's acceptable and what's not? For example, I've seen videogames show fighting being done in churches. Is this not offensive?

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

I'm not sure what you're asking, can you elaborate?

If, say, a movie, or any other work decide to portray Christianity or Christian objects such as the Arma Christi, what's acceptable and what's not? For example, I've seen videogames show fighting being done in churches. Is this not offensive?

Fiction is largely fiction and I personally try to remember that when dealing with issues of sacrilege and whatnot.

Of course it'd be nice if fiction writers would stop with the "Christian fundies as the baddies" cliche. It's getting old and IRL fundies give us all a bad enough name as it is, we don't need fictional fundies doing the same.

[Salus Maior]

I'm not sure what you're asking, can you elaborate?

If, say, a movie, or any other work decide to portray Christianity or Christian objects such as the Arma Christi, what's acceptable and what's not? For example, I've seen videogames show fighting being done in churches. Is this not offensive?

Hm, there's no hard rule against it but I have heard of a few situations where a church was upset at a depiction of violence within a church. IIRC, the Anglican Church filed a complaint against the first Resistance game because there was a level in a real life Cathedral (Might have been Westminster).

I'd say such complaints are valid. Sacred spaces should be kept sacred.