ECT ICON OF THE VIRGIN MARY FROM THE EARLY CHURCH PERIOD

Desert Reign

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You ascribe worth to your mother. Why, then, are you worshiping your mother? (See how that works?)

I gave examples of what I meant by worship. All you are doing is twisting words.

Great admiration or devotion shown towards a person or principle: the worship of celebrity and wealth

Feel great admiration or devotion for: she adores her sons and they worship her

I have never worshipped my mother. Nor do I worship any of my living family members. That's because I love them and because I respect them for who they are. I don't ascribe worth to my mother. All my family members have worth in themselves without me having to ascribe it to them. What you do with your own family is your own business but don't assume I follow suit.
 

Cruciform

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Hmm so the fresco was found with many others showing biblical themes. So do you claim that all the characters so depicted in these scenes were venerated by the early church?
Not necessarily.

what you have is a picture of someone who was probably Mary, it shows nothing in the way of veneration.
It's clear from some of the inscriptions found along with such images that they were intended as religious icons, which have been used by Christians as aids to faith and devotion from the beginning [source].

In addition, the veneration of past Saints is a subject discussed in the voluminous writings of the early Church Fathers as well, also from very early in Christian history.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
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Old man

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Not necessarily.


It's clear from some of the inscriptions found along with such images that they were intended as religious icons, which have been used by Christians as aids to faith and devotion from the beginning [source].

In addition, the veneration of past Saints is a subject discussed in the voluminous writings of the early Church Fathers as well, also from very early in Christian history.

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

What kind of a religion is it that needs so called religious icons to aid in faith and devotion? When guided by the holy Spirit there is no need for icons (bowing before idols), pictures or any of the hundreds (probably thousands) of the Catholic venerated saints and objects such as crosses, etc. of the RCC religion.

These early Church Fathers you keep talking about were not the Church Fathers of the Church of God founded on the day of Pentecost but supposedly converted Romans and Greeks who after the fact brought along with them the traditions of their former pagan religions and infiltrated the Churches of God. It is rightly called the "Roman" Catholic (universal) Church which is not "God's" true Church, "The Church of God." (1 Cor.11:16 and 1 Thess.2:14)
 

Cruciform

New member
What kind of a religion is it that needs so called religious icons to aid in faith and devotion?
The kind like Christianity, established by the same God who created human beings with five physical senses through which to experience both the creation and the Creator who made it. Read the Bible. God commonly communicates himself and his will by means of material reality on nearly every page. Jesus Christ and his apostles used physical things like water, garments, bread, wine, fish, handkerchiefs, shadows---even spit and mud---as means of his supernatural grace in the lives of human beings. He himself became a physical being who was born of a physical woman, lived a physical life and died a physical death, thus sanctifying the material world for God's use. And God continues to communicate himself and his purposes to men by such physical means in our own day as well.

When guided by the holy Spirit there is no need for icons (bowing before idols), pictures or any of the hundreds (probably thousands) of the Catholic venerated saints and objects such as crosses, etc. of the RCC religion.
The opinions that you have been fed by your chosen man-made non-Catholic sect are noted. :yawn:

These early Church Fathers you keep talking about were not the Church Fathers of the Church of God founded on the day of Pentecost but supposedly converted Romans and Greeks who after the fact brought along with them the traditions of their former pagan religions and infiltrated the Churches of God.
Your ignorance is on display in this claim. The early Church Fathers were the early leaders and scholars of the Christian Church who knew and were taught by the apostles themselves and by their (the apostles') ordained successors, the bishops. They were very proximate in history and experience to the apostles---far nearer than we are today---and their apostolic testimony is well worth affirming and applying today. After all, the Church did not begin with Billy Graham, as some non-Catholics seem to assume.

It is rightly called the "Roman" Catholic (universal) Church which is not "God's" true Church, "The Church of God." (1 Cor.11:16 and 1 Thess.2:14)
Categorically refuted here and here. Nice try, though.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
 

Old man

New member
The kind like Christianity, established by the same God who created human beings with five physical senses through which to experience both the creation and the Creator who made it. Read the Bible. God commonly communicates himself and his will by means of material reality on nearly every page. Jesus Christ and his apostles used physical things like water, garments, bread, wine, fish, handkerchiefs, shadows---even spit and mud---as means of his supernatural grace in the lives of human beings. He himself became a physical being who was born of a physical woman, lived a physical life and died a physical death, thus sanctifying the material world for God's use. And God continues to communicate himself and his purposes to men by such physical means in our own day as well.


The opinions that you have been fed by your chosen man-made non-Catholic sect are noted. :yawn:


Your ignorance is on display in this claim. The early Church Fathers were the early leaders and scholars of the Christian Church who knew and were taught by the apostles themselves and by their (the apostles') ordained successors, the bishops. They were very proximate in history and experience to the apostles---far nearer than we are today---and their apostolic testimony is well worth affirming and applying today. After all, the Church did not begin with Billy Graham, as some non-Catholics seem to assume.


Categorically refuted here and here. Nice try, though.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

You say they were taught by the Apostles themselves, then that would have been as written by the Apostles in the NT right?

The Apostle Paul's manner (as well as Christ') was the weekly Sabbath, not the suns-day. The Apostles never taught the birth celebration of Jesus. The Apostles never taught Easter Sunday, the celebration of the resurrection. Paul taught the annual Passover in remembrance of His death until His return.

Your religion is nothing more than a duplication of Mithraism (the pagan sun-god of the Romans) and nothing whatsoever to do with what the Apostles taught as you claim.
 

Cruciform

New member
You say they were taught by the Apostles themselves, then that would have been as written by the Apostles in the NT right?
Not necessarily, since the apostles wrote nothing down until years after Jesus' resurrection. Indeed, Jesus never instructed them to write anything whatsoever, nor did Jesus himself write any letters or books. Rather, he commanded the apostles to preach his message, which was handed down in the form of Apostolic Tradition, just as it still is today.

The Apostle Paul's manner (as well as Christ') was the weekly Sabbath, not the suns-day.
You're wandering off-topic now, but your comment is addressed here.

The Apostles never taught the birth celebration of Jesus.
That's not a doctrine per se, but rather a liturgical practice. Of course, your assumption that everything the apostles taught is somehow contained in the Bible is itself false and unbiblical. Indeed, just because no explicit reference to Christians celebrating the Nativity of the Lord appears in the New Testament, that certainly does not mean that, as you claim, "the apostles never taught the birth celebration of Jesus." In fact, the writings of the earliest Christians demonstrates that believers celebrated the Lord's Nativity from the very beginning of the Church.

The Apostles never taught Easter Sunday, the celebration of the resurrection.
See just above.

Your religion is nothing more than a duplication of Mithraism (the pagan sun-god of the Romans)...
:darwinsm:... That's patented nonsense, as all qualified historians of religion freely acknowledge. [source]


So, which are you: Seventh-Day Adventist, or Jehovah's Witness? :think:



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
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Old man

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Not necessarily, since the apostles wrote nothing down until years after Jesus' resurrection. Indeed, Jesus never instructed them to write anything whatsoever, nor did Jesus himself write any letters or books. Rather, he commanded the apostles to preach his message, which was handed down in the form of Apostolic Tradition, just as it still is today.


You're wandering off-topic now, but your comment is addressed here.


That's not a doctrine per se, but rather a liturgical practice. Of course, your assumption that everything the apostles taught is somehow contained in the Bible is itself false and unbiblical. Indeed, just because no explicit reference to Christians celebrating the Nativity of the Lord appears in the New Testament, that certainly does not mean that, as you claim, "the apostles never taught the birth celebration of Jesus." In fact, the writings of the earliest Christians demonstrates that believers celebrated the Lord's Nativity from the very beginning of the Church.


See just above.


:darwinsm:... That's patented nonsense, as all qualified historians of religion freely acknowledge. [source]


So, which are you: Seventh-Day Adventist, or Jehovah's Witness? :think:

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

NEITHER protestant or catholic, "CHRISTIAN"

Left the man-made religions years ago.

What is taught in the Bible as written by the Apostles is all a Christian needs for salvation. The syncretism of the RCC is to be ignored AND AVOIDED in the life of a true Christian

"The writings of the earliest Christians..." were nothing more than the adding of non-Scriptural traditions of men and here again, the nativity celebration is just another adoption from Mithraism as his birth was celebrated on Dec.25, Christ' birth was never celebrated by either Christ or His Apostles. (just more catholic syncretism)

When you speak of the writings of the earliest Christians do you mean the Didache? If so forget it, they as I said before were supposedly converted Christians which brought and taught their pagan Roman traditions (Mithraism) into the Churches of God.

Were you always a catholic? If not, when did you lay the Bible aside and pick up the catholic Encyclopedia?
 

Cruciform

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NEITHER protestant or catholic, "CHRISTIAN"
You reject the central and defining Christian doctrines of both the Trinity and Incarnation, thus decidedly not "Christian."

Left the man-made religions years ago.
...and the Christian faith as well.

What is taught in the Bible as written by the Apostles is all a Christian needs for salvation.
Please cite the biblical text which actually states this.

"The writings of the earliest Christians..." were nothing more than the adding of non-Scriptural traditions of men...
Proof, please.

Were you always a Catholic?
No, I was compelled to become a Catholic after a lifetime of Evangelical Protestant sectarianism, and after three years of in-depth and intensive study and prayer regarding the issues involved.

...when did you lay the Bible aside and pick up the Catholic Encyclopedia?
Your question is internally flawed, since I never "laid the Bible aside," but rather learned to read it in its proper context, that is, in light of the authoritative teachings of Christ's one historic Church.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
 

Old man

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You reject the central and defining Christian doctrines of both the Trinity and Incarnation, thus decidedly not "Christian."


...and the Christian faith as well.


Please cite the biblical text which actually states this.


Proof, please.


No, I was compelled to become a Catholic after a lifetime of Evangelical Protestant sectarianism, and after three years of in-depth and intensive study and prayer regarding the issues involved.


Your question is internally flawed, since I never "laid the Bible aside," but rather learned to read it in its proper context, that is, in light of the authoritative teachings of Christ's one historic Church.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

A "Christian Doctrine" such as the Immortality of the Soul is man made, the inspired Word of God is God made.

The Word became the Son when the Word set aside It's deity and became the incarnate Son of God being flesh born of flesh. As for your "Trinity" doctrine, that had it's origin with Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz.

Man made religions, there are thousands and thousands of them including your man made catholic cult.

The Holy Bible is all that is needed (Sufficient) unto salvation, if that were not true then no one throughout history before the catholic writings came into being were ever saved as no Christians outside the RCC. HOGWASH!

So you went church shopping like a woman shops for a new pair of shoes and ended up choosing the mother of all ......(Rev.17:5) "The Catholic Church is the mother of all Protestant Denominations - Pope John Paul the 2nd.

You quote the writings of the Catholic Encyclopedia FAR MORE than you do the Holy Word of God. The written Word of God is secondary to your RCC writings.

A "Roman" Catholic - yes

A "Church of God" Christian" - no
 

Cruciform

New member
A "Christian Doctrine" such as the Immortality of the Soul is man made, the inspired Word of God is God made. The Word became the Son when the Word set aside It's deity and became the incarnate Son of God being flesh born of flesh. As for your "Trinity" doctrine, that had it's origin with Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz.
Again, your thoroughly non-Christian doctrinal opinions are noted. Thank you for nicely proving my point.
 

Old man

New member
My definition of a Christian is not only Catholic, but Protestant as well. You are a non-Christian not only to Catholics, but to ALL Christians.

You catholic religion gave the definition of a non-Catholic long ago, even before Protestants existed.

"Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord's Day; and if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ" - The council of Laodica states in cannon 29

Since the observing of the "weekly" Sunday can not be found in the Word of God I believe that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and if any day is to be called "The Lord's Day" it would be HIS seventh Day Sabbath and I am one of those "Christians" (Judaizing) who keeps the Day of the Lord of the Sabbath.

Not Constantine's venerable Day of the Sun edict (Sunday law)

It's to bad that when the Protestants dumped the pagan Catholic religion they did not make a clean swipe of it instead of keeping the pagan (Mithra) traditions of sun worship which the Catholics had adopted as their religions foundation.

And NO, I'm not a SDA, a Seventh Day Baptist, or a COG 7th Day. I do not belong or am a member of any organized "man made religion". I was born and raise in the German (MO. Synod) Lutheran Church and began studying the Bible for what is says not what men say is says over 40 years ago around the age of 30, took a course in Comparative Religions and found the Word of God is the Way of a Christian Life and salvation. And to put it bluntly, the RCC is the most off course religion of all the major man made religions.
 
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