Christian Discussion Thread XII: Soter? I hardly know her!

[Salus Maior]

Catholic.

Roman or Russian Orthodox?

Russian Catholic.

[Salus Maior]

Roman Catholic.

I wonder what is the difference between having an idol of God and Mother Mary and not having them. The difference between idolatry and non-idolatry, which separates the realm of Christianity, as it has separated Europe west and east?

....What?

No Catholic, or Orthodox for that matter, has "idols" of either God or Mary. And that's also not been a major sticking point between East and West.

[Usanguk]

Roman or Russian Orthodox?

Russian Catholic.

It's probably the most original based on Byzantine Christianity.

[Salus Maior]

Ah, so just the display of God's presence.

I just wish his presence would be more visible today.

Indeed. I've often pondered on why he's not. Many theories, no answers.

God's present in you, bro.

[Usanguk]

I wonder what is the difference between having an idol of God and Mother Mary and not having them. The difference between idolatry and non-idolatry, which separates the realm of Christianity, as it has separated Europe west and east?

....What?

No Catholic, or Orthodox for that matter, has "idols" of either God or Mary. And that's also not been a major sticking point between East and West.

Pope Leo III's Prohibition of Idolatry law?

[Salus Maior]

....What?

No Catholic, or Orthodox for that matter, has "idols" of either God or Mary. And that's also not been a major sticking point between East and West.

Pope Leo III's Prohibition of Idolatry law?

You mean the Byzantine Emperor Leo III? Who wasn't the Pope?

The Iconoclast controversy ended well before the Schism. And even then, the Pope was on the side of the non-Iconoclast Easterners iirc.

[Usanguk]

Pope Leo III's Prohibition of Idolatry law?

You mean the Byzantine Emperor Leo III? Who wasn't the Pope?

The Iconoclast controversy ended well before the Schism. And even then, the Pope was on the side of the non-Iconoclast Easterners iirc.

Yeah, the Emperor, not the Pope. What am I saying? Lol.

[Sundiata]

Indeed. I've often pondered on why he's not. Many theories, no answers.

God's present in you, bro.

Bro

[Usanguk]

God's present in you, bro.

Bro

Fraternity is an important theme within the realm of Christianity.

[Tarsonis]

Indeed. I've often pondered on why he's not. Many theories, no answers.

God's present in you, bro.

No I know that. I meant visibly present. Gone are the days when God laid waste to armies, rained fire, and turned cities into pillars of salt. Gone are the days where God unequivocally made his presence known to the world and the multitudes trembled before the Almighry. Instead we clamor over signs like a tomato in which the seeds formed a rosary, because we're so desperate for even the flimsiesr possible hope of divine validation.


I've often pondered why God chose this for us.

[Usanguk]

God's present in you, bro.

No I know that. I meant visibly present. Gone are the days when God laid waste to armies, rained fire, and turned cities into pillars of salt. Gone are the days where God unequivocally made his presence known to the world and the multitudes trembled before the Almighry. Instead we clamor over signs like a tomato in which the seeds formed a rosary, because we're so desperate for even the flimsiesr possible hope of divine validation.


I've often pondered why God chose this for us.

I mean, I've been pondering: Were acts of divinity present in the ancient times, and, as the society modernized, we see less or even none of those?

[Salus Maior]

God's present in you, bro.

No I know that. I meant visibly present. Gone are the days when God laid waste to armies, rained fire, and turned cities into pillars of salt. Gone are the days where God unequivocally made his presence known to the world and the multitudes trembled before the Almighry. Instead we clamor over signs like a tomato in which the seeds formed a rosary, because we're so desperate for even the flimsiesr possible hope of divine validation.


I've often pondered why God chose this for us.

I don't think the flashier stuff is important, or even that helpful to us.

I think God working in subtle and unseen ways is more evocative of creating real change in peoples' hearts. Think of St. Magnus for example; he never saw the Red Sea part, or Joshua break down city walls with only trumpets. His conversion came from simply seeing a woman, St. Bonosa, be willing to give up her life and suffer for the sake of her faith. And he didn't just convert, but become a martyr himself on the spot, joining her in her execution.

I think that's more profound than a plague of locusts.

[Usanguk]

No I know that. I meant visibly present. Gone are the days when God laid waste to armies, rained fire, and turned cities into pillars of salt. Gone are the days where God unequivocally made his presence known to the world and the multitudes trembled before the Almighry. Instead we clamor over signs like a tomato in which the seeds formed a rosary, because we're so desperate for even the flimsiesr possible hope of divine validation.


I've often pondered why God chose this for us.

I don't think the flashier stuff is important, or even that helpful to us.

I think God working in subtle and unseen ways is more evocative of creating real change in peoples' hearts. Think of St. Magnus for example; he never saw the Red Sea part, or Joshua break down city walls with only trumpets. His conversion came from simply seeing a woman, St. Bonosa, be willing to give up her life and suffer for the sake of her faith. And he didn't just convert, but become a martyr himself on the spot, joining her in her execution.

I think that's more profound than a plague of locusts.

Yes, that's exactly why I undermine the importance of miracles in peoples' lives.

[Salus Maior]

I don't think the flashier stuff is important, or even that helpful to us.

I think God working in subtle and unseen ways is more evocative of creating real change in peoples' hearts. Think of St. Magnus for example; he never saw the Red Sea part, or Joshua break down city walls with only trumpets. His conversion came from simply seeing a woman, St. Bonosa, be willing to give up her life and suffer for the sake of her faith. And he didn't just convert, but become a martyr himself on the spot, joining her in her execution.

I think that's more profound than a plague of locusts.

Yes, that's exactly why I undermine the importance of miracles in peoples' lives.

I mean, if a legit miracle happens in your life that's still pretty important and a big deal.

But in the absence of that, we're not really deprived.

[Usanguk]

I mean, if a legit miracle happens in your life that's still pretty important and a big deal.

But in the absence of that, we're not really deprived.

Of course. Not saying it's never important, but less important and paramount than what one would think.

[Conservative Republic Of Huang]

How theologically accurate (at least for its time) is the Divine Comedy?

[Gim]

How theologically accurate (at least for its time) is the Divine Comedy?

Divine Comedy?

[Conservative Republic Of Huang]

How theologically accurate (at least for its time) is the Divine Comedy?

Divine Comedy?

Epic poem by Dante Aligheri. The more well-known part of it is Dante's Inferno.

[Gim]

Divine Comedy?

Epic poem by Dante Aligheri. The more well-known part of it is Dante's Inferno.

Oh, the poem that was included in Da Vinci Code, I believe? My dad told me not to read it, so I didn't really read it.

[Conservative Republic Of Huang]

Epic poem by Dante Aligheri. The more well-known part of it is Dante's Inferno.

Oh, the poem that was included in Da Vinci Code, I believe? My dad told me not to read it, so I didn't really read it.

The punishments for sinners are pretty violent. On the other hand, it was written in the 14th century in verse, so it really isn't graphic. Moderately boring, at best.

[Gim]

Oh, the poem that was included in Da Vinci Code, I believe? My dad told me not to read it, so I didn't really read it.

The punishments for sinners are pretty violent. On the other hand, it was written in the 14th century in verse, so it really isn't graphic. Moderately boring, at best.

I mean, if it's puritanical; it's not worthless, but if it's horribly restrictive, then there's a problem.

[Lower Nubia]

God's present in you, bro.

No I know that. I meant visibly present. Gone are the days when God laid waste to armies, rained fire, and turned cities into pillars of salt. Gone are the days where God unequivocally made his presence known to the world and the multitudes trembled before the Almighry. Instead we clamor over signs like a tomato in which the seeds formed a rosary, because we're so desperate for even the flimsiesr possible hope of divine validation.


I've often pondered why God chose this for us.

Well, he does make himself quite known and visible to a specific cohort even in the Church age. The stories of the saints are quite dramatic in their encounters. Yet these are purely individual experiences, and often unique to Holy people, they lack the visibility of the destruction of whole armies and cities. Perhaps, as we have moved into the mentality that the spiritual and material are real but very distinct entities, compared to 500+ years ago where spiritual and material matters were real and intimately intertwined. We no longer have the expectation that spiritual things will happen in our daily lives and thus we arn’t looking (spiritually) or expecting as we should be, even if we want it to happen. Whereas long ago, a simple butcher could expect themselves to be visited by an angel, demon, or have a vision (at any time), causing them to then go on a pilgrimage, or do miracles, or have wisdom, and become a great saint. I certainly don’t expect to have a vision, or a dream, or a visitation at any time, and perhaps that’s fundamentally wrong because the spiritual and material world are melded utterly, rather than being separated by a vast impassable ‘space’.

That change from intervention focusing on people, and instead focusing on individuals makes sense in the Church as as God grows each person, rather than a people.

[Salus Maior]

How theologically accurate (at least for its time) is the Divine Comedy?

It’s fanfiction.

I mean, didn’t Dante putting people he personally hated in hell tip you off?

[New Visayan Islands]

How theologically accurate (at least for its time) is the Divine Comedy?

It’s fanfiction.

I mean, didn’t Dante putting people he personally hated in hell tip you off?

...among them St. Celestine V.

Although Satan chilling (pun definitely intended) on his Frozen Throne does make for an amusing image.

[Saiwania]

What are people's beliefs on the Antichrist from Book of Revelation in New Testament? Do you believe it refers to someone in the past (such as Nero) or does it refer to an individual who is yet to arrive or perhaps does it refer to a group or many people in alignment against all that Jesus Christ/God stands for?

I'm a huge fan of the original Omen trilogy of films (the 4th movie and anything else made, probably doesn't count). In that movie universe, the Antichrist was born from Satan/Lucifer to a Jackal mother in Rome on June 6, 1966 at 6 AM as Damien Thorn, who has demonic powers as he grew up into his role but figured out his destiny upon finding his 666 birthmark.

The Omen universe also has some fictional artifacts such as the Daggers of Megiddo which are a set of 7 sacred daggers which are the only weapons that can kill the Antichrist forever. To do so, the daggers have to be stabbed into him in a sequence that forms a cross with it being in a church on an altar. Failing those conditions, he is merely dead but has a soul that lives on that can switch over to someone else. Also in the process, there are supernatural forces from Hell that protect the Antichrist such as Rottweillers appearing from nowhere to maul whoever knows too much or is trying to harm Damien.

If the Antichrist were real and in your presence and you witnessed powers or events you can't explain, how would you navigate that?

I'd be intrigued enough by the Antichrist to want to befriend them to benefit from their evil indirectly, but also scared enough to not want to oppose them, but would perhaps also be foolish enough to delude myself into wanting to act as an Anti-hero and wait for the right moment to strike but that just never comes as I probably either get eliminated before that or damn myself to Hell in the process.