Catholics believe in the biblical god and Jesus



The snake was also significant in both pre-dynastic Egypt as well as during the period of their eventual demise. The snake was synonymous with the Goddess or female Pharaoh. It always prefaced the hieroglyphic that referred to her. Also cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt.

Why didn’t Darwin come up with any theories establishing our human relationship with feline or reptile?

I'd like to thank them for taming cats because I'm a big cat lover.

I have to confess, I've been pondering an earlier argument about Ishmael, it's been bothering me. I can't believe you didn't bring this up, I was shaking in my boots thinking "I know what she's going to say next." I didn't have an answer.

But if Ishmael was "irrelavent" because he was born of a handmaid. Then what of Jacobs sons? Half of them were born of handmaids. That would make half of the 12 tribes of Israel "irrelevant".

I'm going to ponder this some more and see what else you come up with.

I don’t see the relationship there at tall with Darwin?

Anyway, it’s just that the bible is very contradictory.

In several passages in the bible it claims that Abraham had only one son.

However probably what happened is a Jewish scribe simply decided to put most of the emphasis on Isaac so as to make it appear that all of the blessings fell on him.

That’s very likely. This would also explain the contradiction.

The Egyptians were domesticated by the cat.

The Reptilian aliens.

But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a savior norslyman.

I think we are on our own where it comes to the lesser Gods. They are aliens of the third density battling it out with each other.

Save yourself. Realize your own divinity and let love and compassion be your guide.

indeed norslyman.....

all the facts you have been given from above, are indeed real and as true, and the knowing of the mind for good profit....

but no matter what name be most "god" under heaven for you, IT IS AS PERFECT BY YOU?

if your god be perfect, and IT IS, then finding the WHY your god allow all such "evil" to exist, as NONE HUMAN DARE RESIST YOUR GOD, then WHAT SHALL BE is revealed.....

what is up is down, and what is down is up?

if there be a "evil" half, and there be a "god" half, then what do the two halves together make?

would the two halves together, create a new or larger picture?

would it create a third?

purpose?

purpose then seen from a time and spell, teaching any student how to itself to create?

when this be completed, a fourth man in the fire?

when this be come a fulfillment come, as the soul-body-mind-spirit-to new soul, or new essence, or new "CREATURE"?

AMEN to that! Thanks for pointing the finger in the right direction.

You are making many valid points in your posts.

AMEN! and AMEN!

The reason that pornography is such a huge business in the US is probably based in the fact that this country is a Christian nation. Why don’t you look online and find a comparison between how many billions are spent on the adult film industry in the United States as opposed to say, Europe.

norsleyman...I believe you are referring to the "quote" by Albert Pike, the writer of the Scottich Rite degrees for the Southern Jurisdiction of the US..which, if you would truly research, you would know was a hoax by a writer whos pseudonym was Leo Taxil. The supposed "occultism" of Freemasonry was intended at the time to point out the weakness in the Roman Catholic church, which was the real intended butt of Taxil's writings, due to his excommunication in the 1800's (I don't recall the exact year off the top of my head). But Freemasons, the Shriners, Scottish and York Rites of Freemasonry do not follow any evil powers, nor do we worship the severed head of St. John the Baptist(one of the more interesting claims I have heard from those who are willing to let unfounded, and misquoted sources dictate their beliefs).

Yours Truly
swampfox....
a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason

Personally, I feel that, as in many other areas, people are making far too big a deal regarding a person's religion and beliefs, and the concept of "sin". Now, I am *NOT* a Christian, and haven't been for many years. Being what would be considered a "pagan", I tend to resent the assertion in an earlier post by the author of this thread that pagan equates to demonic or devil worship. I don't believe in your concept of the devil for reasons which I will explain in a moment. First, I will tell you that, though I am not a practitioner of the Christian faith, I *DID* devote seventeen years of my life to the study of the Bible and the various Christian faiths with the goal of one day becoming a minister. I would like to direct the various Christians' attention to various passages out of the New Testament. It should be noted that the entire passages are worth consideration in this, but I will limit myself to the more salient verses. First is Romans Chapter 14, the following verses:

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls."Romans 14:4 NIV

Verse 9 is of interest to some, bearing as it does references to several myths out of that area regarding descent into the underworld, and is followed by other verses pertinent to the discussion:

"9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat." Romans 14:9-10 NIV

and finally:

"22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin." Romans 14:22-23 NIV

From here, I'll move on to 1 Corinthians:

23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NIV

Now, that seems to me to be pretty common sense, but I understand that common sense isn't all that common, so a lot of people need it spelled out for them. The fallacy in the arguments presented thus far is in the fact that it has been presented that the only place to get this is from Christianity. With a little bit of research, I could find a similar passage in the sacred writings of most religions. For many pagans, it is summed up by stating "do as thou wilt, but harm none."

"31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 NIV

All these verses are pretty much stating ONE thing. Don't worry about the actions or beliefs or others, for they will be judged by the one they serve. If, as the thread author posits, those who run things worship "Satan", then it won't be God, but Satan, who judges and punishes them. Personally, I believe that they are simply greedy and that they are amoral from the ONLY quantifiable measure of the word, each man's actions towards his fellow man.

As to why I don't believe in the Christian concept of the devil, it's pretty simple. Satan is "the Adversary". He is supposedly in rebellion against God, and unwelcome in Heaven, according to the current Christian mythos. And yet, in the beginning of the book of Job, he shows up in heaven. God's reaction is not one of "get the hell out" or "what are you doing here?" Indeed, the dialect of Hebrew that is used for God's response is one of a king speaking to a trusted advisor. His reaction could be most readily said to have been one of "where have you been, I've been waiting for you?" *IF* Satan exists, then it is simply as contrast, to show the difference between "good" and "evil" for the benefit of the Judeo-Christian God, and he is doing EXACTLY the job that God assigned him.

I've always enjoyed discussions like this. Please, continue.

Scott

Welcome to the forum Scott. If you are interested in paganism, check out the "Other Religion" forum and the thread entitled "Witchcraft and Shamanism" has been long running and interesting. We discuss anything and everything and only entitled the thread that in order to draw more people in.

I find the level to which people who are not members of said "secret" society will reach for anything to associate organizations such as the Masons, Thule, Golden Dawn, Hermetica, Seele, and numerous other societies and organizations to evil completely absurd. True many of these organizations have pagan roots. But i would remind people of any faith to do some research. The entire concept of the "devil" and particularlly the idea of him having horns and a tail is a catholic creation. The church as it grew and tryed to absorb other cultures after constantine took each culture's pagan deities and myths and twisted them to be interpeted as of the "devil". A devil who looks surprising like the greek god Pan.....hmmmmm what do you suppose the agenda was there. Any person who has done their research would know that Lucifer, a cherub angel of Yaweh according to judeo-christian beliefs and the book enoch tryed to overthrow Yaweh but was cast down along with a third of the angels to earth where like many creation stories around the world repeat man was decieved by a great "evil" and lost their connection to the divine. Christians, Jews and Muslims call the story Adam and Eve. Greeks called it Pandora's Box. Babyloyians called it Gilgamesh. Taoist call it the Great Seperation. Point is every culture has its own story of the fall of man. You can't go around saying you are any different or better then other system of belief becuase of all the evil that occurs in the world. That is the point you are missing here, evil, sin, karma whatever you wanna call it happens to everybody and no one can use it to justify that their particular faith or belief is better then anyone else's. Arguing that becuase bad or "evil" things happen in the world is a legitimate reason to believe something completely ignores the responsibilty of the said believer to use logic and reason and to provide evidence to support their beliefs.

It’s so funny that should get brought up again. Scroll back to page 4 of this thread. Incidentally, the story of "The Tree of Knowledge" in the bible was actually based upon the original tale that was taken from the Sumerians. You might ask how that would make its way into the bible and that's a legitimate question. The Sumerians would eventually be sacked by the Akkadians who were a tribe that was Semitic in origin.

sakruse...I agree entirely. what one's faith is, is entirely between them and (whatever name applicable). I was kind of the opposite, I started out following various paths and wound up now as a Baptist...but I cannot condemn another while they are on the spiritual journey.

interesting