texts: Why are Matthew, Mark, and Luke called the synoptic gospels?

texts: The first three gospels are sometimes known as the "synoptic" gospels. What does this term mean, and how does it differentiate them from the gospel of John?


texts: Does Christianity provide the right elements for democracy?

texts:
I understand that Christianity does not enforce any way of governing. And that democracy was invented by the Greeks before Jesus. But my question is this: Does Christianity teach the values for democracy to work?

As an example, the United States Declaration of Independence states that all humans have rights because they were created equal by God :

  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (source)

The idea of religious liberty has been defended from Calvin onwards.

Also the book of Acts contains examples that could be understood as democracy at work in the church. Acts 13 presents the whole church sending Paul and Barnabas.

Therefore are Christian values the reason democracy became a viable way of governing?


texts: Was the matter of whether the Christians who had renounced their faith under torture should be accepted back considered in the First Council?

texts:
Was the question of whether to accept back into the Church those who, under torture, renounced their Christian faith, was considered at the First Ecumenical Council of 325?
The wiki page on the First Council only mentions "lapsed Christians", but that could mean those who had willingly renounced their faith or had developed some "wrong" branch in it, thus, becoming heretics, both of which cases are not torture-related.


texts: If Protestants won't ask dead saints to intercede because there is no mediator but Jesus then why do they ask living Christians to pray for them?

texts:
Protestants reject the Catholic and Orthodox practice of asking deceased saints to pray for them, and I think there are two main reasons why they reject it: it is communicating with the dead, and it is dishonouring to Jesus. The first has been dealt with in many other questions, but I'd like to focus on the second one to see how valid an argument it is.

So the second major reasons why protestants don't ask the deceased to pray for them is that they believe they need no other mediator than Jesus. For protestants, asking anyone other than Jesus to intercede with God for them is dishonouring to Jesus!

But Protestant Christians have no hesitation at all in asking living Christians to pray for them. Why does the argument against dead Christians not apply to living Christians? If you ask your Christian brother or sister to pray for you, why is that not seeking another mediator than Jesus? The Bible clearly instructs us to pray for others, and it frequently show that early Christians asked other Christians to pray for them (ex. in Paul's letters), but does it ever instruct us to ask others to pray for us?


texts: Gifts of the Holy Spirit according to Seventh Day Adventists

texts:
Can you please explain or give commentary about the understanding and uses of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Seventh Day Adventists church.

For example, I would appreciate a format of (if they are relevant)

The Word of Knowledge
The Word of Wisdom
The Gift of Prophecy
The Gift of Faith
The Gift of Healing
The Working of Miracles
The Discerning of Spirits
Different Kinds of Tongues
The Interpretation of Tongues

With a short (or long if necessary) description that addresses these points:

Are still used in the church (if not, why not)
When are they used
For what purpose
By whom (can anyone, or only specific people)
For whom
What, if any, conditions are there for using the gifts


texts: Why did Protestants abandon Liturgy of the Hours?

texts:
In Divine office or Liturgy of the Hours as it is practiced in Catholic Church there's nothing bad for Protestants (or at least nothing of which I know that Protestants consider bad); prayer is good for all Christians and Psalms are a good basis. However, most Protestants don't pray this way. Why?

Did any of the reformers condemn it? Or did this tradition just fade away over time?

EDIT: I'm adding history, because I'm interrested mostly in the time when Liturgy of Hours vanished from practice of most Protestants (16th or 17th century? I don't know exactly). Modern Protestants' point of view has some value, but the best answer shouldn't rely on practice/ doctrine nowadays. I know that some denominations practice it (especially Lutherans); these are excluded from "protestantism" for this question's sake.

I imagine citation of some reformer, founder of some denomination, or at least a notable convert who prayed Liturgy of Hours before (i.e. former Catholic priest) or at least knew the practice and wrote anything about it. I'm not sure whether such a source is even available.

Less direct citations + few words on context and how it applies to Liturgy of Hours are also OK. For example some of early criticisms against prayer in someone other's words, including words of Bible, by someone who influenced some of the major branches of Protestantism. Such a criticism could apply if it sounds plausible to audience accustomed to Liturgy of Hours, though not necessarily understanding its significance - so "vain repetitions" as Narnian suggested are based on ignorance of the prayer's structure and therefore not acceptable to anyone knowing it, but fear of praying "only at set times" as LCIII mentioned could be easily accepted by someone who prayed it regularly for a long time, but didn't discover its value as a backbone of constant prayer.

An answer based solely on reasoning and Bible citations can be (temporarily) accepted as well if at least some of its points likely played role in the beginning of Protestantism. However, if some answer with solid historical reasoning and/or citations appears later, I will definitely accept the new one instead.


texts: Why is "We Three Kings" a Christmas hymn, and not a Lenten one?

texts:
I'll admit, when I was a young'n, I thought "We Three Kings" was a silly song.  I mean, it was just about a star, right?  After all, since I only knew the chorus, and the first verse:

  We three kings of Orient are / Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
  Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star.

  O star of wonder, star of night,
  Star with royal beauty bright,
  Westward leading, still proceeding,
  Guide us to thy perfect Light.

I figured, what a tame song.  I kinda wondered what separated this from your standard, pithy 7-11 chorus (seven words, eleven times).

Then, I started singing the whole song:

  Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
  Gold I bring to crown Him again,
  King forever, ceasing never
  Over us all to reign.

  Frankincense to offer have I.
  Incense owns a Deity nigh.
  Prayer and praising all men raising,
  Worship Him, God on high.

  Myrrh is mine: it's bitter perfume
  Breaths a life of gathering gloom.
  Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
  Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

  Glorious now behold Him arise,
  King and God and Sacrifice.
  Alleluia, alleluia!
  Sounds through the earth and skies.

Now, as I read through through this amazingly, deep, insightful sermon of a text - reading the crucifixion into the gifts of the wise men, I'm kinda blown away.  In five short verses, we have the entire life story of Jesus, prefigured in the verses.

Given that understanding, then, why is this hymn restricted to Epiphany, and not also pulled out during the Lenten preparation for the cross?


texts: What is the definition of sons of God in Job 2:1?

texts:
Job 2

  Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord

Multiple sons of God are mentioned in Job 2:1. What definition would entail the title 'Sons of God'.

Is it:

God in essence.
A special servant of God.
Biological son (as in begotten).
Other than the above

What evidence would denote a definition for 'sons of God' in Job 2:1?

Luke 6:35

  Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High

Children of The Most High, sons of God... a status to be achieved?

A second question would be (for another day): Is the hebrew 'son of god' equivalent to the Greek 'son of god' like in Mathew 4:3

  And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."


texts: Other than JWs, which denominations (or religions) recognize God's personal name as the form "Jehovah"?

texts:
Background

Referring to God as Jehovah is a known practice by Jehovah's Witnesses as written by Raymond Franz in In Search of Christian Freedom in 1991:

  The fact remains that today no religious group of any size uses the
  name "Jehovah" with such intense frequency as does that of Jehovah's
  Witnesses. That name predominates throughout their literature. Among
  Jehovah's Witnesses it has become almost strange to speak of "God"
  without prefacing the term by saying "Jehovah God", while the term
  "Lord" is quite rare in their expressions. They read "Lord" in the
  Bible but hardly ever use it in their own speech extemporaneously. It
  is almost a liturgical form for them in most prayers to initially
  address these to "Jehovah" or "Jehovah God".

However, the above was written after his expulsion, and thus may not carry any significant doctrinal weight.

Question

Are there other denominations or religions that understand God's personal name as the form "Jehovah"?


texts: Where does this definition of humility come from, if not the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

texts:
I have found a couple claims like this online:

  The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes humility in this way: "The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride, and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer (No. 2559)

But, in the Catechism #2559, there is no such definition of humility, although it does mention the word. What, then, am I missing?

Clarification:

I am not asking how to define humility, or even how the Catechism defines humility. I am asking, What is the origin of this quote: "The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good"? Everyone seems to attribute it to the Catechism, but I cannot find it there.


texts: How did the Born Again teaching be associated with one first believing in Jesus Christ?

texts:
Many Protestant Christians believe that you become born again as soon as you believe on Jesus Christ. Many believe that this teaching is clear in the opening verses of John chapter 3. How did this teaching get developed? Who started it?

I'm not asking whether any church believes that a person becomes born again by believing in Jesus Christ. I want to know how the idea developed that born again was something that happened at one's first faith in Jesus, and not, for instance, at a later time in the spiritual journey.

I'm acutely aware that I've accepted this teaching without question, probably as a result of group-think and not from personal theological study. Jesus doesn't plainly say that born again happens when you first believe on Him, so where did that teaching come from?

An acceptable answer would be to say who developed the interpretation that Jesus' usage of born again takes place at the time when one first received Christ. Another acceptable answer would be to trace the development of the idea.


texts: Can Catholic works of ‘satisfaction’ (prayer, fasting, etc.) for the removal of temporal punishments of venial sin be credited to others still alive?

texts:
Here is what I think I understand:

A Catholic believes in something called penance that is understood as a sacrament by which forgiveness of sins (committed after baptism) is granted through the priest's ‘absolution’ to those with:

a) ‘true sorrow
b) confess their sins and
c) promise to satisfy for the confessed sin

The satisfactions are basically works necessary to ensure the temporal punishments due to sin are ‘satisfied’. The idea is that although the ‘absolution’ remits both the guilt and the eternal punishment of mortal sins, some indebtedness to justice that demands temporal punishment can be cancelled through the ‘satisfaction’ (or later on in purgatory).

On the subject of purgatory one mans work with intrinsic satisfactory qualities may actually be transferred to another in order to remove some (or all?) of the punishments of those believers in purgatory. Those in purgatory are those who did not make satisfaction for their own menial sins before dying – thus having to be in purgatory.

  Owing to the peculiar relation between and material identity of merit and satisfaction in the present economy of salvation, a twofold value must in general be distinguished in every good work: the meritorious and the satisfactory value. But each preserves its distinctive character, theoretically by the difference in concepts, and practically in this, that the value of merit as such, consisting in the increase of grace and of heavenly glory, is purely personal and is not applicable to others, while the satisfactory value may be detached from the meriting agent and applied to others. The possibility of this transfer rests on the fact that the residual punishments for sin are in the nature of a debt, which may be legitimately paid to the creditor and thereby cancelled not only by the debtor himself but also by a friend of the debtor. This consideration is important for the proper understanding of the usefulness of suffrages for the souls in purgatory (cf. Council of Trent, Sess. XXV, Decret. de purgat., in Denzinger, n. 983). (Catholic Encyclopedia – Merit)

Here is my question:

'I understand that a Catholic through meritorious works that have satisfactory power in them, can transfer those satisfactions as a kind of spiritual wealth to those in purgatory. However, can these ‘credits’ if I may use the word, be sent to others who are still alive as well?'

More specifically: 'If I was Catholic and a dear relative I know commits venial sins and needs to do some satisfaction to avoid temporal punishment, can I do good meritorious/satisfactory works for them and thereby remove their temporal punishments for them? Or is the transfer of satisfaction only for those believers who are suffering temporal punishments in purgatory?


texts: What is a "Daud of Sons" as stated in Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon?

texts:
In my copy of Readings in World Christian History Volume 1: Earliest Christianity to 1453, edited by John W. Coakley & Andrea Sterk, the 35th text, starting on page 175, entitled "Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon", is a text regarding the Council of Chalcedon, and in it, the author says that "for it [Truth, as best I can tell] opposes those who would render the mystery of the dispensation [i.e. the Incarnation] in a Daud of Sons;" (emphasis mine)

My question is, what is a "Daud of Sons," and how would false teachers make the Incarnation into such a thing?

Here's a link to an online copy I found that seems to be the same translation
Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon


texts: If the Bible is open to interpretation, how does one know which one is right?

texts:
Often times when I cite a particularly egregious passage from the Bible in an argument with a Christian, they just shrug and say it's not meant be taken literally, that it's parable, or worse - that they don't follow it because they consider it outright wrong.

If scripture can have multiple, and possibly conflicting interpretations, how does one know which one is the right one? And why did this happen in the first place? ie: why does His word need to be interpreted?


texts: Why is Jesus looking on an oddly standing stone?

texts:
I am not a Christian, so please excuse my Philistinism if I'm missing the obvious, but ever since I saw this painting on my Grandma's wall I've been intrigued by it. Particularly the standing stone in the foreground and by the odd little stare Jesus seems to give it.
Question: Does anyone know if there's any deeper (Biblical) meaning to it?

"Christ in the Desert", Ivan Kramskoy, 1872


texts: Did most of the people that Jesus heal believe he was God? If so, why does the Bible not record them asking for salvation?

texts:
1) Most of the people that Jesus healed — did they believe Jesus was God?

2) If so, why did they ask for temporary things (let me walk; let me see; get rid of my diseases; heal my son/daughter) rather than "Tell me I'm saved"?

In this sense, the repentant thief was an absolute genius. He could have probably just as easily asked, "Please, let it be that after I die of crucifixion and be buried, you'll resurrect me a few days later like Lazarus," but instead, he said:

Luke 23:42

  42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Question re-iterated: why is that in the Bible there's numerous records of people asking Jesus for earthly deliverance (thus believing that he had great power) — yet no record of asking him for eternal life?

Did their belief in Jesus's ability to heal them count as faith towards believing in Jesus and receiving eternal life?


texts:
Matthew 9:1-8 (NIV)
  1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
   3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

  4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  7 Then the man got up and went home.
  8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

What does  Matthew 9:5 mean?

Taken literally, it doesn't seem to make any sense at all. What is the verse trying to say?


texts: Christians showing purported satanic signs

texts:
I have read about satanic symbols and signs and that made me conscious of people around me doing them. Christians, relatives, people I know who I believe cannot belong to any cult. Here are the common signs

The first and last it's claimed to be making obeisance to Satan showing his 2 horns and the middle one is claimed to be representing 3 6's = 666. Note the literal meaning written under the images, it is believed it is coded like that so people wouldn't know the actual meaning.

From the image below, captured from wikipaedia - OK-Sign, note the highlighted comment

How do other Christians view this? Does it matter if Christians show them?


texts: Souls being immortal vs all of existence needing to be continually and actively maintained by God

texts:
Non Christian asking a question here.

My understanding is that Christianity claims that:

A) Souls are immortal.

B) Everything that exists (except God Himself) needs to be continually maintained by God, or it'll simply disappear.

This seems to me to be contradictory.

Assuming souls are not an exception to the above rule, it seems to me that immortality means that something will exist as long as God sees fit to maintain it. My problem with this is that surely God can maintain anything indefinitely, so there's nothing special about Souls.
God could maintain a speck of dust indefinitely, say.

One could say that souls being immortal isn't an inherent trait, but a prediction of sorts. It's not that souls can exist forever that makes them special; it's that they will exist forever. However, I've yet to see any Christian argue for this view.

Regards, Peter.


texts:
The basic argument of Sola Scriptura is that all Christian teachings and traditions are to be founded in and subservient to the Bible, and in nothing else. Obviously this does not mean that there are to be no Christian traditions, but rather that they are to be biblically-based.

How does this tally with the history of how the Biblical canon was formed and the criteria (tradition) according to which the canon was chosen and closed? How can this formation have been founded on the Bible, if there was no Biblical canon to start with (especially with regards to the Gospels and the NT in general)?


texts:
If two people are saved, are they "equally saved?" I don't doubt that both people are completely forgiven, but is it possible for one Christian to be more revered by God than another Christian? Is being saved a simple yes/no kind of thing or are there tiers to it?

This question is not to be confused with a question about being part of an elect or pre-destination.


texts: What were the Apostolic Fathers's contributions to Christology which survived to Nicene (325 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD)?

texts:
The Apostolic Fathers is a special group of church fathers who personally knew or taught by the apostles.  Some of their writings were even considered to be included in the canon although ultimately they were not.  In a way they are like the 2nd generation apostles who can give us some clues on the 1st generation apostles's understanding and teaching.

The purpose of this question is to trace the development of the early church teachings about Christ between the New Testament books and the Christological formulations in the Nicene creed (as the 2nd person of the Trinity) and the Chalcedonian definition (the double nature of Jesus as fully God and fully human).

What we can learn from the answer is whether the Trinitarian and Chalcedonian formulas about Christ organically developed from the apostles's understanding of the divinity of Jesus, which were not fully explicit in the New Testament.  Even so, we can already see the hints of the doctrines from the NT books (for example, see this answer for 2 resources discussing it).

Among the proponents of sola scriptura, it is commonly established that more precise formulation was motivated to combat heresies (such as Docetism, Gnosticism, Modalism, Arianism, etc.), but the generations after the apostles did NOT introduce new elements into the final formulation.  In other words, those post apostolic generations made use of Greek philosophical terms and EXTENDED the meanings of those terms to make the council formulas (because the reality of Christological revelation pushed the limits of available language and concepts to describe it faithfully).  Sola Scriptura proponents reject the reverse: that the church fathers introduced foreign Greek philosophical teachings into the formulas.  Examining the Apostolic Fathers's writings can potentially make this case.

Accepted answer should include quotes from their writings and a brief analysis showing the continuity (if exists) between the NT books and the 2 council documents.  We can then see the nature of this continuity, whether foreign Greek philosophical elements have smuggled themselves into the formulas.


texts: What is the Biblical Basis for differences in the Dispensational and Non-dispensational understanding of the 70th week in the Book of Daniel?

texts:
I've heard at least two different interpretations from Baptists of:

  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

  Daniel 9:27 - KJV

referring to one of these:

Non-dispensational view:

The period of the 1st Jewish war (approx 66 to 73AD), when the sacrifices were stopped mid way and the temple was destroyed in 70AD.
Dispensational view:

The 70th week represents the time of Jacob's trouble and when the anti-christ comes and makes a peace covenant with the Jews, but breaks it half way through.

What is the scriptural basis for these interpretations?


texts: According to Catholicism, is it permitted for a priest to employ the Benedictio Deprecatoris prayer to stop the spread of the coronavirus?

texts:
In our daily living, the Church has given us a treasury of prayers from everything to blessings of various object such as holy water to exorcisms against the evil spirits that possess people. There is also a blessing ad omnia, for things not having a proper blessing unto themselves.

I have been wondering through the Rituale Romanun the other day and caught myself thinking if it were liturgically permitted for a priest to pray the  following prayer in order to put an end to the coronavirus within his region (diocese or city) with the bishops consent: Benedictio Deprecatoris contra mures, locustas, bruchos, verities et alia animalia nociva (page 396). This prayer is in fact a minor exorcism.

In the Tridentine Rite a priest must have the permission of the local bishop to recite this prayer. In th Ordinary Form, I am not sure.

An English version in the Ordinary Form also exists: “Deprecatory Blessing Against Pests” that can be prayed by a priest. So when the pests won’t seem to go away, call the exterminator … and the priest.

  Here is a spiritual way to drive out pests

  There are times we need help from God to get rid of mice and rats, locusts, worms, rats, etc. A deprecatory prayer expresses to God –the Creator of all things– our negative or disapproval of one His guests. The prayer speaks for itself.

It seems reasonable that this prayer could be used in this circumstance, since viruses can be considered to be a life form and thus a pest.

  The origins of viruses are unclear: some may have evolved from plasmids, others from bacteria. Viruses are sometimes considered to be a life form, because they carry genetic material, reproduce and evolve through natural selection. - Viruses

Are viruses liturgically speaking considered pests (alia animalia nociva)?

My question remains thus: Is it permitted for priests to pray this particular prayer to help stop the spread of the coronavirus?


texts: Why are days like "Sunday" or "Monday" not mentioned in the Bible?

texts:
Even though we celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday, there is no mention of days such as "Sunday" or "Wednesday" in the Bible.

Why are days not mentioned in the Bible?


texts: How do you reconcile Hebrews 9:27 with Elijah and Enoch?

texts:
Hebrews 9:27 says

  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment
  (NIV)

Elijah and Enoch are both presented in the bible as men who do not die. Are they exceptions to the rule that all men die once, or is there another explanation?

Answers from a protestant viewpoint would be appreciated.


texts: For people who believe in Jesus and not the devil, what happened in the desert?

texts:
Some Christians believe in God and Jesus, but not the devil.

If so, what is their explanation of the temptation of Christ in the desert?


texts: Who is Mammon whom Jesus warned of in Sermon of the Mount?

texts:
In the beautiful sermon of the mount Jesus said (Matthew 6)" None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon".

Who is really Mammon?


texts: Why do Christian's associate Jesus as the son of God?

texts:
Hi to the Christian community.

I've always wondered why Christian's associate Jesus as the son of God? Let me elaborate. I am Muslim, and in Islam we believe that God has no partner. He is alone.

  Praise be to Allah, Who hath not taken unto Himself a son, and Who hath no partner in the Sovereignty, nor hath He any protecting friend through dependence. And magnify Him with all magnificence. (Chapter (17) sūrat l-isrā (The Night Journey))

In Christianity Jesus is referred to as 'Son of God'. To have a son - God had to have some sort of sexual relation right? If Jesus is a human, what is God? Could someone please 'kindly' explain? Thanks and would appreciate any clarification.


texts: Are these Bible verses referencing UFOs?

texts:
Ezekiel 1:16:

  This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.

Exodus 13:22:

  Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

2 Kings 2:1:

  When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

Do these, or any other verses in the Bible, refer to UFOs, in the sense of extra-terrestrial, or extra-dimensional vehicles?


texts: If both the Orthodox and Catholic Church affirm salvation by grace through faith, why did the Protestant Reformation happen?

texts:
I will often engage in dialogue with Catholics and Orthodox Christians who tell me that the doctrine of their churches affirms that salvation is by grace through faith.

If that is true, then what distinguishes Lutherans from Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians?


texts:
In Acts 15 Paul goes to the Jerusalem council and, although Peter speaks, James has the last word and announces his judgement: "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God" - Acts 15:19

If Peter was leader of the early church, why did James take what appears to be the role of leader in speaking last and in elucidating his judgement?


texts: In Canada, is it true that when Mormons first arrived (1887) they weren't allowed to settle within 50km of Lethbridge?

texts:
In 1886, a Mormon named Charles Card was directed by the then President on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor, to go north and find a suitable settlement site in Canada. In 1887 he chose an area which later became the town of Cardston, then began recruiting settlers from Utah. Apparently the Canadian government was thrilled that so many skilled agricultural workers were settling in an area where the mining industry was settling down.

According to the LDS Church website:

  The favorable reception of the Canadian government to the member-settlers was a reflection on the times. At a moment when Ottawa’s national policy was to seek new settlers to populate the almost endless stretches of the Canadian West, immigration—particularly of skilled and seasoned farmers—was strongly encouraged. With both Church directives and government incentives as impetus, President Card returned to Alberta and in time organized the villages of Mountain View, Beazer, Leavitt, and Kimball.

And the Canadian Encyclopedia:

  Irrigation played an important role in the evolution of Lethbridge as agriculture displaced coal as the key local resource and the main source of jobs. Between 1898 and 1900, Mormon migrants from Utah built a 185-kilometre long system of canals to divert the St Mary River, the first large-scale irrigation system in Western Canada.

With that background in mind, here is a rumour I often hear floating around about later settlements of Mormons that moved both east and west:
Near all of these settlements was the new and growing town of Lethbridge (which now has a massive Mormon population). According to the rumour, when Mormons started arriving nearby, a law was passed that no Mormon was allowed to settle within 50km of Lethbridge.

This is used as an explanation as to why there are so many little, predominantly Mormon settlements surrounding Lethbridge. I've heard this rumour for years. I've even said it to people before. However, the only source I've ever been able to find that this may have been true is this quote from the LDS website (same link as above):

  What animosities nearby neighbors and fellow settlers may once have harbored against the Mormons gradually gave way in the face of the Manifesto of 1890 and the growing reputation of the Latter-day Saints for industry, thrift, integrity, obedience to law, temperance, strong family ties, and an enthusiastic loyalty to Canadian institutions and traditions.

"The Manifesto" is a name that has been given to the LDS Church's direction to its members to stop practicing polygamy.

So my question is: Is this rumour about Lethbridge true?


texts: Why is the Book of Enoch not regarded as canonical?

texts:
A short section of 1 Enoch (1 En 1:9) is quoted in the New Testament
  (Letter of Jude 1:14-15), and is there attributed to "Enoch the
  Seventh from Adam" (1 En 60:8). It is argued that all the writers of
  the New Testament were familiar with it and were influenced by it in
  thought and diction. — Wikipedia

So why is the Book of Enoch not regarded as canonical by major Christian denominations?


texts: Do infant-baptizing Protestant denominations have any requirements on names?

texts:
Catholicism views infant baptism as the norm; a child born to a Catholic parent or parents is ordinarily to be baptized soon after birth:

  Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks [sc. after birth].

(Code of Canon Law, Canon 867, section 1)

This baptism is also colloquially and historically known as christening and had much to do with the naming of the child. Even now, the Liturgy of Baptism begins with the question, "What name do you give [or What name have you given] your child?"

The current canon law specifies that

  parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to take care that a name foreign to Christian sensibility is not given

(Canon 855)

so that, for example, a pastor will not baptize a child named "Satan", or a swear word, or something like that.

Is there a Protestant denomination which accepts infant baptism and has any such custom of requiring a "Christian" name (or at least, not a "decidedly un-Christian name") before baptizing a child? (A "No", with any sort of reasonable idea why, or a "Yes", with any single example, will suffice.)


texts: What is the first recorded observation of Good Friday?

texts:
When was the first Good Friday commemoration observed, distinct from Pascha/Passover or Sunday Easter?

Related:

What is the origin of the Good Friday tradition?

However, I am not interested in when or where the idea of it being Friday came from, but simply what and when the first record of a "Good Friday"  was.


texts: Is it given by God in human nature to be a creator too?

texts: We humans have a significant ability to create using our fantasy. Was this ability given to us by God, a Creator as He created man in His image, according to His likeness, or was this ability developed itself while world became more complex?


texts:
In particular, is it sin when someone:

does something sinful, but he is not aware of the sinfulness
does something sinful, someone told him it is sinful, but he still doesn't feel it as sin
does something not sinful, but he feels it as sin

?

What is the relationship between sinful behavior and sin?


texts: Is there anything unique to a christian marriage that non-christian marriages are deprived of?

texts:
Are there any teachings that state that there is anything unique to a Christian marriage that non-Christian marriages are deprived of?

A slightly different question but similar enough:

Does a couple that "goes to city hall" and enters into (what they believe to be) a strictly legal agreement of marriage also unwittingly enter into the same holy covenant that Christian spouses have?

Along these lines, from the question: What is the moral status of common-law marriage?, Caleb states:

  Christianity even honors marriage as sacred when entered into by two
  non Christians with a purely secular profession. God's role in the
  covenant relationship is something we believe just is -- even if the
  parties involved ignore him.

(Could someone provide scriptural references for this assertion?)

Assuming what Caleb states is true, I understand the idea that a Christian marriage will have the privilege and benefits of working with God instead of against or in indifference to Him, as in a secular marriage. My question is not about the effect of the "quantity" of God in a marriage - rather, is there any special qualitative distinction between the two marriages? For example, the Holy Spirit dwells in a Christian, but not a non-Christian - is there anything analogous to this for the two kinds of marriage?

I'm mostly interested in this from a protestant perspective. It goes without saying, but in order to minimize opinion and open discussion, please derive any answers from scriptural references.


texts: Did John the Evangelist make a mistake in counting the post-resurrection apparitions of Jesus?

texts:
We see Jesus making his post-resurrection apparition before the disciples on various occasions: first, to the disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24: 13-35), second, to the disciples in the absence of Thomas (Jn 20:19) then in the presence of Thomas (Jn 20:26) followed by the apparition at Tiberius (Jn 21:1). John specifies the Tiberius apparition as the third one (Jn 21:14), whereas it should have stood at 4th place, counting from the Emmaus apparition.
My question therefore is: Did John the Evangelist make a mistake in counting in order, the post-resurrection apparitions of Jesus? What does the Catholic Church say about such a prospect?


texts: Communion of saints - Is there a Greek equivalent of "ecclesia penitens"?

texts:
The doctrine of the communion of saints states that the body of Christ consists of three churches:

The Church militant, or Latin ecclesia militans, or Greek ἡ ἐκκλησία ἡ στρατευομένη
The Church triumphant, or Latin ecclesia triumphans, or Greek ἡ ἐκκλησία ἡ θριαμβεύουσα
The Church penitent, or Latin ecclesia penitens

Is there a Greek phrase which corresponds to the Latin ecclesia penitens found in any Catholic writings?


texts: Is there a word for describing the existence of a unique or controversial interpretation of Christianity within a denomination?

texts:
So obviously different sects or denominations have different interpretations and apply different emphasis to various teachings of the bible, but I'm wondering if there is a word to describe when a person or sect has a certain belief that is unique from other versions of Christianity. For instance, if someone believes that Jesus visited the Americas (Mormonism), or that he did not die in crucifixion and went on to have a family, or even something extremely trivial and specific like, for instance, (I'm just making this up off the top of my head) Jesus was a born as a breached birth.

How could you say, "The Breachers  (again, I'm making this up and am not trying to be disrespectful) have a _________ where they believe Jesus was born as a breached birth." Is there a word that could fill that blank that would mean "a unique or controversial interpretation of a specific aspect of Christianity"?


texts: Why is the date of the 2016 Passover a month late when compared to Easter?

texts:
Jesus was put to death on Passover eve Nisan 14.

This was the first full moon following the vernal equinox.this year the vernal equinox is March 20.2016
The first full moon after March 20 is March 23 2016.

This is the day that Jehovah's  Witnesses will have their annual memorial of Christs death event.

That is why those who celebrate Easter  will be doing so on March 27 2016. The first Sunday following the paschal full moon.

All seems to be in order until I check the date for Passover this year and it is April 22 2016.

Can someone explain why there is almost a full month lag for Passover this year?


texts: Why such importance given to the hour of death?

texts:
There is very importance given to the hour of death within the Catholic Church and maybe other Christian groups too.

Rosary contains:

  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
  our death.

Matthew 20:1-16 The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard also hints the importance of our last days before death.

There are other sacraments (confession, baptism, the anointment of the sick) that guarantee salvation if performed in the hour of our death.

Aren't we supposed to be judged by our whole life and not just what happens at the hour of our death? Should our whole eternity be based on what we did at the hour of death and pretend like our whole earthly life didn't matter?

So what is the importance or the Catholic teaching on the hour of death if we will be judged based on our whole life and not just that moment right before dying.

2 Corinthians 5:10

  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that
  each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the
  body, whether good or bad.


texts: Why is Mary Magdalene the patron saint of hairdressers?

texts:
Why is Mary Magdalene the patron saint of hairdressers and when was the first time she was assigned this role?
From Wikipedia:

Patronage
Apothecaries; Kawit, Cavite; Atrani, Italy; Casamicciola Terme, Ischia; contemplative life; converts; glove makers; hairdressers; penitent sinners; people ridiculed for their piety; perfumeries; pharmacists; reformed prostitutes; sexual temptation; tanners; women


texts: How does Catholic Church deal with priests who have since turned atheists?

texts:
The other day, media brought up the news of Rev. Vosper who does not believe in God, but has been allowed to administer in the United Protestant Church of Canada. A Canadian Preacher Who Doesn’t Believe in God.

I am eager to know how the Catolic Church deals with priests who have since turned atheists . Is there an official procedure for the same ?


texts: Can annulments be granted after a marriage has received a Radical Sanation?

texts: Can a Annulment be granted after the marriage received a Sanatio in Radice (Radical Sanation)? If yes, what justification is needed/valid?


texts:
Romans 4:16 says:  Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace…

In this verse it appears that “faith” enables “grace”.  The case could be made that the initial breach with God was one of  ”faith”, mankind placed their faith in the "word" of the serpent rather than in the Word of God.
Also Acts 14:27 speaks of “the door of faith”.

My question: Is there any early church teachings which link “the door of faith”, in which mankind exited a relationship with God to the “door of faith” wherein mankind enters into a relationship with God?  And does "faith" enable a loving relationship?


texts: Perfect relationship between Trinity and other relationships in heaven - Catholic

texts:
My question can sound like a question out of blue, but I am going to ask it anyway.

We can come up with many different descriptions of so called "perfect relationship", but for Christians the best example of perfect relationship (or the most "ideal" relationship) would be the relationship within the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Will every relationship that takes place in heaven (which includes heavenly relationship between God's creations, for example, a relationship between two heavenly human beings) as perfect and complete as the relationship of the Trinity?

On one hand, my logic says it is impossible for God's creatures to have such perfect and complete relationship with some other God's creation, since we as a finite and inferior being do not have capacity to receive love or to give love as much as our infinite God.
On the other hand, my logic says that because heaven is "the perfect" place, the strength of relationship/union that occurs throughout heavenly community should be equally perfect, powerful, and strong to the utmost extreme. If the heavenly relationship between God's creation are not as perfect and complete as that of the Trinity, that means unity in heaven is in a sense can be fragile.

Will every heavenly relationship (including relationship between a heavenly human and some other heavenly human) be as perfect and complete as the relationship that Trinity has? Please answer according to Catholic understanding.

Thank you,


texts: Did Roman Catholic Church law ever condone (the contemporary practice of) incest?

texts:
I may not be asking the right question, but I'm trying to figure out the context behind a quote from an Arthur Pink sermon:

  herein we may see the blasphemous impiety of the popes of Rome, who in the canons have dared to dispense with some of the laws of consanguinity in Leviticus 18

What's he talking about?

A little vocabulary help from Wikipedia:

  Consanguinity ("blood relation", from the Latin consanguinitas) is the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that aspect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person


texts: Is there a Patron Saint against the coronavirus?

texts: Does the Catholic Church have a “Patron Saint against the pandemic caused by the coronavirus”?


texts: Why are Kingdom Halls sometimes built in the "quick-build" manner?

texts:
Wikipedia has an article on Kingdom Halls that states:

  In many countries, a number of standard designs of construction are used that can be built in just a few days. The act of constructing a Kingdom Hall in this manner is called a quick-build, although typically the preparation work involving the structural foundation and surrounding surface may take several weeks prior to the scheduled build. For various reasons, not all Kingdom Halls are constructed as quick-builds or using the standard designs.

Seeing many issues that can go wrong with building something so quickly I figure there is some sort of theological importance in doing this, however, not all are quick-builds, so it cannot be all that important.

Why do Jehovah's Witnesses build their Kingdom Halls in three days?

Please provide quotes and links to official sources


texts: Where in Old Testament is said something like we must be cautious reading it because prophets can make mistakes?

texts:
A week ago I was reading Matthew, and at Mt 2:15 and 2:17 he write about Old Testament prophecies. Searching for it, maybe in Jeremiah, I read something like  'we must be cautious reading the Holy Scriptures because prophets can make mistakes'. I found it a beautiful message, but at the time, when I was searching for the prophecy referenced by Matthew, I don't pay too much attention to it, and today I'm not able to find it again.
Can someone point me the location of some versicle that could be that?


texts: What is the theological import behind genealogies?

texts:
So, several places in the bible are just lists of names:

Genesis 5
I Chronicles 1 - 10
Matthew 1
Luke 3

all come to mind.

In Matthew 1, in particular, I have pulled sermons out of the only four women named (each one has a really good story!), but I wonder what use a genealogy is from a theological point of view.  Obviously, there are good reasons to include them or they wouldn't be there, but I wonder how/if one should make use of these in a pulpit.


texts: What is a good reference to explain the different protestant sects and denominations?

texts: I would like to gain clarity on the definitions of evangelical, Presbyterian,  Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Calvinist, Jesuit, Lutheran, Quaker, puritan, and others.  It should explain the main differences and how they evolved.  Free but accurate online resources only please.


texts: What is the "General Magisterium" in Roman Catholicism?

texts:
I understand that there are three magisterium in Roman Catholicism.

What is the General Magisterium according to Roman Catholic belief?


texts: In what sense they don't have life in them? John 6:53-57

texts:
John 6:53-57

  Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh
  of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

In what sense people outside of the Catholic Church have no life in them? What is the Catholic interpretation of this verse?


texts: From where did the Pearl of Great Price come and how did it become recognized as Scripture in the LDS church?

texts: The LDS church recognizes, among other writing, a book called The Pearl of Great Price.  What is the origins of this work and how did it become accepted as Scripture by the LDS church?  Also, do any other groups recognize this work as Scripture?


texts: Do any denominations besides the United Church of God commemorate Jesus' death on a Wednesday?

texts:
Other questions and answers have established that Jesus may have actually died on a Wednesday rather than a Friday.

Have any Christians other than the United Church of God reached the Wednesday conclusion, so to speak?


texts: Why is Apostolic succession required in some denominations?

texts:
Many of the old churches such as the Roman Catholics and the various Orthodox churches hold to the principle of Apostolic succession. To quote from Wikipedia:

  The Orthodox Church traces its development back to the earliest church established by St. Paul and the Apostles, through the ancient Roman Empire and its continuation the Byzantine Empire. It regards itself as the historical and organic continuation of the original Church founded by Christ and His apostles.

As a protestant I can appreciate the desirability in being able to trace your church back to the time of the apostles, but I can't understand why these churches consider it to be necessary so that they consider churches without apostolic succession to be invalid.

Why do churches which hold to Apostolic succession require it? Or, what is it about Apostolic succession that validates a church so that one without it is invalid?


texts: Is there a way to know for sure that a given practice is true Catholic Tradition?

texts:
Is there a way to ascertain if a spiritual practice really comes from Catholic Tradition, and is not a fabrication? If, for example, I am told to look at the book of Athanasius in the New Testament in chapter 10, verse 20, I know that that book is fictitious.

I ask this question because where I live a Catholic priest organized a novena of prayer to the bloody tears of the Virgin Mary a few years ago and it made me very uneasy. We know that Jesus shed sweat of blood, but how can we know that a novena is a prayer approved by the Church, and not some invention by a devout medieval person or group of persons?


texts: How do Catholics reconcile the Immaculate Conception with Romans 3:23?

texts:
How do Catholics reconcile the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception with what it says in Romans 3:23 about all having sinned and falling short of the glory of God?

Romans 3:23 NIV

  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Thanks!


texts: If a Mormon man turns from Mormonism, what happens to his Mormon wife when she dies?

texts: I'm told that according to Mormon doctrine, a Mormon woman has to be granted entry into heaven by her Mormon husband. Assuming my impression is correct, what would happen if the husband turned from Mormonism and then died? Would the wife need to quickly remarry a Mormon before she died in order to get to heaven?


texts: Jehovah's Witness officiating a non-denomination wedding ceremony

texts: I would like to ask my brother to officiate my wedding but he is a baptized Jehovah's Witness and my fiance and I are not. According to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, can he legally officiate our non-denominational ceremony without putting a strain on his faith?  If so, how?


texts: Can these three "2nd greatest commandments" be put into one sentence?

texts:
I was playing my homemade Catholic Jeopardy with the Faith Formation class last night and I asked.  "What is the 2nd greatest commandment".  The kids were all like,  "umm obey your parents", "Don't swear", etc... and I just said.  "Love your neighbor".  Well, just then the Director of Religious Ed. walks in and she just wanted to make sure I added the ..."as yourself" part.  I didn't think that was terribly important, she said it was important because teenagers have a hard time seeing themselves as someone loveable.

So, I've got a notion that the following three precious words of Jesus are pretty much the same thing:

  Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.

(Matt 7:12 NABRE)

  love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another

(John 13:34 NABRE)

  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

(Mark 12:31 NABRE)

What I want to know is:

Is is the commandment itself just to love or is the description of how to love wrapped up in the commandment.
Do we love each other as Jesus loves us and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Does 'Do Unto' mean 'Love in this way'
If not how does 'Do unto others' fit into the way we're supposed to treat each other?
How could I phrase what I meant to say so it encapsulates all three aspects of how we're supposed to love and treat each other and ourselves?

I think Pope John Paul II (before he was Pope) wrote in Love and Responsibility something about love your neighbor being more than just 'do unto others', but I'm not sure how.  That might be a good starting point though.

Since this question is about love, and love is eternal, I'd gladly accept any answer that makes sense from any perspective.


texts: Did the early church devote themselves to prayer or to "the prayers", and if the latter, which prayers?

texts:
I couldn't decide if this fit better in Hermeneutics or here, but anyways:

Acts 2:42 NIV - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:42 ESV - And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 2:42 KJV - And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers

What would be an overview of Christian beliefs regarding whether Acts 2:42 is stating that they, that is the early church, committed themselves to generally praying together or to specific prayers?


texts:
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. - Luke 22:19-20

It seems that the institution of the Eucharist intended for both the flesh and blood of Christ to be consumed. Why does the Catholic Church reserve this two-fold consumption only for the priests whereas the laity commune with Christ only under one kind? Is there any Biblical basis for it?

I researched this question a bit - to me it feels very odd and random that communion under both kinds is kept, but only for the priest. If there's a problem with communion under both kinds, why not remove for the priest as well? And if there's no problem, why exclude the laity?


texts: According to Catholicism, is Jesus' resurrected body in a certain location now that it has ascended?

texts: According to Catholicism, does Jesus still have his resurrected body, and if so is it in a certain location now that it has ascended?


texts:
The documentary series This Changed Everything: 500 Years of the Reformation includes a section in episode 1 about Martin Luther's marriage to Katharina von Bora. Dr. Frank James (President and Professor of Historical Theology at the Biblical Theological Seminary) includes his input as well, and says that it was due to their love for each other.

Narrator: Martin Luther turned the idea of marriage on its head when he married a runaway nun, Katharina von Bora. In a society that views marriage as a financial and social contract, Luther's marriage is revolutionary.
Dr. James: Well, there was no social status to be gained for the two of them getting married, and there was no money. I mean, he didn't have any money, and she didn't have any money. So what did they have? They had love. […] Before it was based on social status and a dowry. Suddenly, this whole notion of marrying someone because you love them becomes a significant paradigm shift in the concept of marriage.

This is in contrast to the Wikipedia page of Katharina von Bora, which states that Luther arranged marriages for runaway nuns like her so that they could be provided for

Luther at first asked the parents and relations of the refugee nuns to admit them again into their houses, but they declined to receive them, possibly as this was participating in a crime under canon law. Within two years, Luther was able to arrange homes, marriages, or employment for all of the escaped nuns—except for Katharina. […]
Katharina had a number of suitors, including Wittenberg University alumnus Jerome (Hieronymus) Baumgärtner (1498–1565) of Nuremberg and a pastor, Kaspar Glatz of Orlamünde. None of the proposed matches resulted in marriage. She told Luther’s friend and fellow reformer, Nikolaus von Amsdorf, that she would be willing to marry only Luther or von Amsdorf himself.

While it's clear that Katharina stated her desire to marry Luther, it's not clear to me that the two chose to marry out of mutual love for each other (in other words, it wasn't a love marriage).
Which account is correct? Was Martin Luther's marriage to Katharina von Bora due to their love for each other?


texts:
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. -2 Peter 2:1

My question is: How can you tell if a teacher is a "false teacher"?

Please support your answer with Scripture.


texts: Can a prospective Catholic convert skip the RCIA by self-teaching?

texts:
Main Question: Can a prospective Catholic convert skip the RCIA by self-teaching the entire corpus of the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

Sub-questions: What parts of the RCIA would the prospective Catholic convert miss out? Would there be a rigorous factual examination of the CCC to confirm that the individual has truly read the material? Also, does the prospective convert really have to believe that the doctrines are true, or will the factual knowledge of the CCC be sufficient for baptism by the Catholic church?


texts: What does Jesus mean by "this generation" and "all these things" in Mark 13:30

texts:
In Mark 13, Jesus tells about the last days and the tribulation. In this context, he says in verse 30 (KJV):

  Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

Assuming Jesus was not wrong, what did he mean then?


texts: What date to place the patronal feast day of St. Mary’s Church?

texts:
According to Catholicism, what are the norms or rubrics that explain what is the patronal feast day of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, when no particular mystery or other title has been indicated?

In my diocese alone there are many churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary with no other indication as to know when we should celebrate the parish feast day!

I am interested in the norms and rubrics for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Rites of the Mass, whether they are different or the same.


texts: In CS Lewis's 'Transposition' essay, what does he mean, in the last sentence, by 'meaning'?

texts:
"a meaning, a transvaluation"...

Meaning as in 'meaning of life' sort of meaning...like 'purpose' or 'reason'...

Or 'meaning' as in, as he was talking about previously, the sort of 'new understanding' one might realise by finding out that the things pictures are of (trees, cathedrals and such like) are not, like the pictures themselves, 2d, but are, instead, 3d...

So, 'meaning' as in 'purpose behind all' or as in 'full clarity of what we sense'?


texts: What to do with a Nun’s silver wedding band?

texts:
I found the silver wedding band that belonged to a deceased nun. I do not know the family, but her name is engraved inside and dated 2-12-46.

What does the Church teach about the sacramental status of these objects and how can I avoid blasphemy while possessing them?


texts: What are the soteriological implications of Arianism?

texts:
A friend recently made the following statement regarding the heresy of Arianism:

  The conflict was about the nature of Christ before the Creation of the Universe. It was a Philosophical/Metaphysical cum Theological difference which really had no practical manifestation in terms of Saving Faith or practice.

As Arianism denies the divinity of Christ and the fullness of the Godhead, I am inclined to disagree. (The emphasis of my studies are mostly biblical theology with an Old Testament emphasis and this is a systematics issue.)

What impact, if any, does an Arian view of Christ have on a person's salvation?

While I welcome answers from a purely biblical perspective, I also welcome historical arguments and answers quoting authors from the time of and close to the controversy.


texts: According to Two Kingdom theology, could a man hold both secular and spiritual office?

texts:
The so called Two Kingdom view of the separate institutes of secular state vs the church identifies a fairly clear boundary between the authority of each: one demanding some compliance with a nominal set of ethical behaviors for the well being of both Christian and all members of society of any religious persuasion and includes powers (e.g. punishing injustice, warfare) while the other holds higher standards in both ethical and spiritual matters but who's authority is limited in scope to the spiritual (e.g. sacraments, doctrine).

According to adherents of this view1, ordained church office bearers carry a special authority over spiritual matters in the context of the church. Likewise those who hold public office under any political structure2 have a special charge to create and enforce laws that fulfill a specific purpose. Given the the separation between both domain and available powers, under any circumstances would it be valid for an individual man to hold both ordained office in the church and a public office3 in the state? Is such a dual role4 possible for an office-bearer in the same way that it would be for a normal Christian to maintain any political role or is there a fundamental conflict of interest in being ordained resulting in some sort of unacceptable schizophrenia?

If there is a difference between the thinking of Reformation era theologians who used "two kingdom" terminology (viz. Martin Luther, John Calvin) and the modern "Radical Two Kingdoms" theological framework (viz. Meredith Kline, Michael Horton) on this issue, I would like to hear the difference between them spelled out.

1 Please note that this is not the quite same as the modern Evangelical parlance of "separation of church and state". Please limit answers to actual implementations of Two Kingdom theology.

2 For the purposes of this question the sort of public office I am referring to might be characterized by those of a mayor or constable—offices that are charged with either legislating or enforcing civil structures as their primary responsibility.

3 I am not thinking of the sort of office that might be conferred by the state automatically to religious office holders such as the right to officiate marriages, I'm thinking more along the lines of mayor or constable or parliamentary representative.

4 I am aware that most 2K views see all Christians as holding dual citizenship. This question is not about citizenship or the roles of all believers but specifically about office bearing.


texts: Do Jehovah's Witnesses have anyone recognized as a "prophet", or what kind of titles do they use?

texts:
I was looking for information about the founders of Jehovah's Witnesses. It looks like some notable early people were the founder Charles T. Russell and then Joseph F. Rutherford who was the president after Russell's death.

The material at Jehovah's Witnesses websites (here, and here) however does not provide a lot of information on the titles these or other leaders were referred by, or how their statements or writings were viewed.

Example from paragraph 7 in an article titled "Methods of Preaching—Using Every Means to Reach People" (located here):

  The second event was the death of Brother Russell on October 31, 1916.
  Thus, The Watch Tower of December 15, 1916, announced: “Now that
  Brother Russell has passed beyond, the sermon feature [in the
  newspapers] will be discontinued entirely.” Although this avenue of
  preaching came to an end, other methods, such as the “Photo-Drama of
  Creation,” continued to have great success.

Example from an article titled “When Are We Going to Have Another Assembly?”, located here:

  During his visit, Brother Rutherford encouraged these faithful ones
  very much with two motivating talks at the convention and five
  lectures that were broadcast on the radio.

The only reference to a title I have found so far is "brother".

Questions to JWs:

Do you use any other titles ("Reverend"/"Prophet"/"Elder"/etc.) when
referring to those who are currently, or have been in the past, in
high standing in your organization?
Do you consider anybody currently alive, or anyone who has been on
earth since Jesus, to be a prophet (someone put in position by God
to foretell future events)?
Do you consider any current or past JWs to have been infallible?
Do you have any books or other writings that are considered sacred
or infallible (excluding the Bible)?


texts: How much money does the Christian Church save because of religious tax exemption in the United States?

texts: The only source I have been able to find is 85 billion dollars but that's all religions. How much does Christianity, specifically, save because of religious tax exemption?


texts: What is the biblical basis for NOT tithing?

texts: On what biblical grounds do denominations that do not adhere to the practice of tithing usually defend their case? What is the biblical basis for not tithing?


texts: How Christians are expected to accommodate or view the existence and presence of other religions vis a vis Christianity?

texts:
We as Christians acknowledge the God’s plan of salvation at work first through Judaism  in OT and then through Christianity in NT. So this question does not apply to Judaism.
This plan of salvation right from man’s fall in Genesis to the NT, is like a well oiled machine, where the OT and NT are in sync with each other. This I am saying because we accept OT in same spirit as NT and Judaism as from God because that is how God wanted to mould Jewish people to make them ready for receiving His promised Messiah.  Contrary to this we find all other religions not at all compatible with each other and that applies their relation with Judaism and Christianity also.
So what would be the best viewpoint to take on these other religions? How Christians are expected to accommodate or view them vis a vis our belief. Do we have to treat them as teaching that did not have origin from God but only from human thinking or from some hallucinations?
I am looking for answers from the Christian point of view only and not from any other position of belief/unbelief.
Are all other religions man-made?


texts: Is there any Christian teaching as to where Adam and Eve were sent after their fall from the Garden of Eden?

texts:
In Islamic teachings, it is said that, after the fall from the Garden of Eden, Adam found himself on Mount Safa and Eve on Mount Marwa. (Of course, these locations are near enough so they found each other easily.) There are other narratives which introduce various places but this is the most famous one.
My question is that; is there mentioned, in Christian sources, any exact location where Adam and eve have been sent immediately after their fall?
Any help is really appreciated. Thank you, all.


texts: Has the matter of salvation - whether it is by works or by faith alone - ever been considered on any councils of the Catholic and Orthodox churches?

texts: Prior to Luther's Reformation, has the matter of salvation - whether it is by works or by faith alone - ever been considered on any councils of the Catholic and Orthodox churches?


texts: How does one discern a calling to the vocation of religious life?

texts: Approaching this from a Catholic perspective, I'd like to ask believers how they came to know that they were called to join the religious life (as a brother or nun), as opposed to the other vocations (priesthood, marriage, single life etc). Rephrasing the same question, what should a believer look for when discerning whether they are called to the vocation of religious life?


texts: What specific thing in the Bible separates the Old Testament from the New Testament?

texts:
We have the Old Testament and the New Testament. Does Old Testament just simply refer to the time before the Incarnation and the New Testament to the time afterwards?
I do not see one specific thing that occured in the Old Testament that would be the Bible.

What specific thing is the Testament in the Old Testament and New Testament?

What is the definition of Testament and who came up with the name Old Testament and New Testament?


texts: How do non-trinitarians reconcile Rev. 22 verses 6 and 16?

texts:
Jehovah's Witnesses, as one non-trinitarian example, claim that Revelation 22:13 is a reference to Jehovah God and not Jesus:

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

It is spoken to John by an angel and not directly by either Jehovah God or Jesus (Rev. 22:8)
Revelation 22:6 says that God sent this angel to John:

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

The "he" in the above verse is the angel from verse 22:1 and 8:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb - v.1
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me - v.8

Later in verse 22:16 Jesus himself claims to be the one who has sent the angel:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

What exegetical proof is there that the Alpha and Omega statement of verse 13 is not applied to both Jehovah God and Jesus equally since both sent the angel who proclaimed it?  Or put another way, how can this be reconciled with a non-trinitarian belief?


texts:
Is there any referring in the holy books regarding Jesus if he covered his head? And if not, based on what a lot of pastors/bishops or pop, cover their head? (of course, different types and forms of covers on the head, I'm not familiar with their specific names)
Also, I can see for example in the Orthodox Christianity that only people with function in the church are going with this cover, but other people from their community, although they are absolutely religious, they do not cover their head. And it raises another question if it's only for those who have a function in the church?


texts: Is Metatron actually part of Catholic dogma?

texts: Metatron is believed by some to be Enoch transformed into an angel. Some time ago on chat someone said that he is part of official Catholic dogma. However, I couldn't really confirm this with a cursory Google search as I keep running into stuff talking about Jewish beliefs. Thus, I'm wondering just how official Metatron is within Catholicism?


texts: What is a special sign of predestination? (Catholic)

texts:
One of the promises given by Mary to the people who pray the rosary is

  Devotion to my Rosary is a special sign of predestination.

Reference

I read many things on predestination and can't really find a proper description of what it means in regards to this message.

It's something that highlights we were predestined by God. We were predestined to receive his grace but not predestined, as Calvinists believe, to obtain his salvation after we die.

Is there any explanation what it means to obtain a special sign of predestination according to the Catholic Church?


texts: What are the key differences between the Western and Eastern Christianity?

texts:
I'm currently reading about Eastern Christianity as a part of my study.

Those are the churches that have existed since early times, such as the Nestorians, the Jacobites, the Coptics, and others. But not the Melkite/Orthodox Christianity (I don't include them as Eastern Christianity as in Keith Ward's categorization, he seems to separate them to another major branch besides Catholic and Protestantism).

The major differences between them and Western Christianity seem to be their agreement regarding the Council of Chalcedon, regarding the incarnation of Jesus. However besides of that, are there any other major differences? For example, what about the church hierarchy? Or do they have different political cultures?


texts: Why is a distressing spirit said to be from God?

texts:
1 Samuel 16 reads:

  14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing
  spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him,
  “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our
  master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a
  man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will
  play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon
  you, and you shall be well.”

and:

  23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that
  David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would
  become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart
  from him.

Why is the distressing spirit said to be from God, as God is good?

EDIT: This C.SE question addresses the question "How can a Wholly Good God Deliberately Create Evil?" In this question I am looking for the reason why the distressing spirit is addressed to God, and not, for example, to satan.


texts: What is the biblical basis for the assignment of patron saints?

texts: Within Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy specifically (there may be more) there are many patron saints. Is there any biblical basis that exists for the assignment of a patron saint?


texts: Why was Jesus condemned for blasphemy by the Jews?

texts:
Jesus confirmed that He was the Messiah. But this can't be a blasphemy as the Jews were waiting for him.
Jesus confirmed that He was the Son of God. But a lot of people in the old Testament were called Son of God.
Jesus confirmed that He was sitting right next to the Power. Was this the main reason that He committed blasphemy?


texts:
We can be quite certain that God didn't originally create us as sinners. Rather Adam and Eve chose sin in the Fall.

The doctrine of original sin is widely held in Christian churches, but those opposing it are not a small minority, either. As original sin means that we inherit our sinfulness from the Fall, I think it might be equivalent to the question asked here: Are we born sinners?

Please provide at least the biblical evidence for an answer -- non-biblical arguments are, of course, welcome as additional information. Also, I might be wrong, and some believers in original sin might not think we're born sinners. If these notions are actually separate, please elaborate in the answers.


texts: Non-Christian/secular translation of the Bible?

texts:
Is there a rigorous translation of the Bible, sponsored or produced by secular organization?  Not that this translation would be necessarily more impartial, but it would be nice to have this version to read in parallel with other versions. There are several Parallel works (listed below) but they too seem to be affiliated with Christian organization or scholars.

Popular translations:

The NIV was sponsored by the Christian Reformed Church and the National Association of Evangelicals.
The KJV conforms to instructions by King James I to support the episcopal structure of the Church of England.

Parallel translations:

The Amplified Bible (which sources 2+ translations side-by-side) is a product of the Zondervan Corporation, the founding member of the Evangelical Publishing Association of America.
The Comprehensive New Testament - promising. I may read it, but also edited and compiled by Christians.


texts: Are (or were) sacraments necessary for salvation in the Catholic religion?

texts:
According to the Wikipedia page,

  Though not every individual has to receive every sacrament, the Church affirms that, for believers as a whole, the sacraments are necessary for salvation, as the modes of grace divinely instituted by Christ himself.

where the seven sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony.

How am I to interpret the Wikipedia claim that "sacraments are necessary for salvation"? Does it mean for example that someone who doesn't get married can't go to heaven?


texts: Can a divorced aunt be a Catholic Godparent?

texts:
I was married in the Catholic Church but I am divorced now. I did not get a annulment. The priest said I could not be a godmother, but I have my doubts.

Am I able to be a godmother at the baptism of my niece that I have custody of?


texts: According to Reformed Theology, are Catholics Christians?

texts:
In John MacArthur's Scandal of the Catholic Preisthood, Catholicism is not portrayed as the zenith of Christianity.

Question:

Is this

a John MacArthur only view, not held by the majority of reformed theologists or
a view held by reformed theology -- i.e. there are fundamental beliefs that:

A. Catholicism hold but reformed theology and

B. reformed theology require which Catholicism deny

If your choose (1); please cite sources on how Reformed Theology + Catholic Theology agree. If you choose (B); please cite examples of (A) and (B)


texts: Historical figures mentioned in the Bible that skeptics doubted existed but were later confirmed by archaeology

texts: In the past I've read about skeptics thinking that certain figures that the Bible lists as having historically existed didn't actually exist, but then later archaeology confirmed that they did.  Does anyone know some good examples of these?


texts: Are Easter eggs derived from Ishtar Religion?

texts:
Are Easter eggs derived from Ishtar religion?

And with that considered,

What now is the connection of the Easter egg to Christianity's Easter?

I've heard from multiple sources that the tradition of painting Easter Eggs is derived from the original practice of dipping eggs in the blood of sacrificed infants. All of this revolved around the godess Ishtar, of which the word "Easter" is derived.

Its possible that the significance of the Easter egg is a little further removed from the Ishtar-practice, in which case I'd like to know that as well. But with that considered, is there any truth to the infant sacrifice claim I hear occasionally?

I had meant to ask this in a "paganism" stackexchange, or possibly a "religion" stackexchange but could not find one. But since Easter is now so closely related to Jesus, I thought it appropriate to check the history here.


texts: Catholics ordained as "mail order ministers"?

texts: What is the canonical penalty for Catholics who get ordained as "mail order ministers"?


texts: What is the origin of the idea that Miriam, sister of Moses, was a virgin?

texts:
Church father Chromatius, writing around the turn of the 4th century, appeals to an interesting OT example to defend the perpetual virginity of Mary:

  Remember that Miriam the prophetess of the Old Testament (the sister of Moses and Aaron) remained a virgin unsullied by man, having beheld the light of heavenly signs after the plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea and the Lord's glory going in advance and seen in a pillar of fire and clouds.  It is not plausible therefore that the Mary of the Gospel, a virgin bearing God, who beheld God's glory not in a cloud but was worthy of carrying him in her virginal womb, had relations with a man. (source)

I reviewed the Wikipedia article on Miriam, and it seems to indicate that Chromatius's understanding is contrary to that of Judaism – the article mentions the Midrash as saying that Miriam had a spouse.  Furthermore, Chromatius seems to make much of Miriam's status as a "prophetess," yet many prophets had spouses (e.g., Moses, Isaiah, Hosea)

So I wonder – what is the origin of this tradition, that Miriam was a virgin?  Did it develop in association with the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary, or was Chromatius relying on an older tradition?


texts: How does the Jehovah's Witness denomination deal with the filial piety among its East Asian believers?

texts:
The Jehovah's Witness denomination has been preached in more than 300 different languages, apparently using the English text as the base instead of directly from the original biblical languages. Surely, there must be some East Asian believers.

The reason why I raise this concern is that "filial piety" is the dominant cultural value of East Asia and overseas East Asians. In regards to Christianity, there was the Chinese Rites Controversy, which was resolved by Pope Pius XII, in which he declared that traditional Chinese Confucian practices were tolerated, as they did not conflict with Catholicism, and these practices were embedded within the culture. Among South Korean Catholics, they practice jesa, but the Roman Catholic Church has no problem with it either, seeing it as a part of the culture that does not conflict with (Catholic) Christianity.

Also, I searched "filial piety" on the Watchtower Online Library, and only two articles discussed it, and the two articles seemed to use filial piety only when it served the interest of the church.

  Cultivating Faith in the Creator

  As an old Chinese saying puts it, Among a hundred virtues, filial
  piety is the foremost. Surely it is proper that children know their
  father and honor their parents. (Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20)

  Can the Dead influence the Living?

  CAN THE DEAD INFLUENCE THE LIVING?
  MANY people have a morbid fear of the dead. Some believe that spirits
  of the dead can either protect them as their guardians or harm them as
  vengeful ghosts. Many Chinese worship their ancestors as a way of
  showing filial piety (devotion to parents) and of ensuring blessings
  for future generations. Though such beliefs are common, the Bible
  clearly shows that the dead cannot in any way influence the living.

  Source: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=filial+piety&p=par

The author(s) of the two articles fail(s) to recognize that filial piety can actually manifest itself in both, which may hint that the denomination merely uses it to serve its own interests. In addition, as a sub-question, how does the Jehovah's Witness denomination deal with the filial piety among its East Asian believers (and those in the diaspora) in cases of disfellowship and shunning? Given that the JW denomination has a hierarchical church polity, has there been an official church pronouncement about this cultural value that may or may not conflict with this church denomination? So, does the Jehovah's Witness Watchtower have anything to say about the likely conflict between its own tradition and traditional Chinese beliefs and practices?


texts:
According to several internet sites (for example, here and here), C.S. Lewis' book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe expresses a particular understanding of the Atonement, known as Christus Victor.

What are the key points of the Christus Victor understanding of the atonement, and what distinguishes it from other perspectives?


texts: What is an overview of different stances on whether and why it is a sin to pay taxes?

texts:
Assuming your government participates in immoral wars that are unjust according to your personal beliefs and religious doctrine (for example Christian just war theory), what do Christian groups believe about giving support to the government in terms of ethics and sin?

The government also does useful things and it can be claimed the government saves lives as well, and your funds are being partly used for a good cause (fungibility). Note that it is possible other institutions would save those lives if the government didn't.

To put it in other terms, let's say someone asks you for a dollar and with that dollar they will buy some medicine to save someone and a bullet to kill someone.

Please provide an overview of the stances different denominations would have on this subject.


texts: Acts 13:48 Good News Bible "and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers."  If believers are chosen then intercessory prayer for unbelievers would seem to be futile.  What am I missing?


texts: What is the Catholic explanation of the particular temptations of Jesus in the wilderness?

texts:
Please refer to Luke 4:1-13: Jesus fasts and is tempted in the wilderness

If Son, stone to bread > Kingdoms for you, if you pay me [Satan] homage > If Son, throw yourself, God will protect you.1

From Catholic theology, what is the explanation of the devil tempting Jesus with these temptations, and presenting them to him in a particular graduation?

1. Actual chronology may be as in Matt 4:1-11.

Related: Why Mathew and Luke Presented a Different Order of Satan's Temptation.

Just to clarify, this question is not seeking the Catholic explanation of why Jesus was tempted but why he was tempted with these temptations and in a certain order.

Explaining further, the devil might tempt one man with a certain sin - in the case of David it was adultery - and another man with a different one. The [Catholic] explanation being sought is why these particular temptations were presented to Jesus and in a particular order.


texts: Why is it hard for a rich man to go to heaven?

texts:
Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven. Why would this be?

Does this mean that it will be hard for e.g. Warren Buffett to go to heaven? Can a rich man go to heaven only by giving away all of his goods to the poor, as Jesus advised one young rich man? And could this be why Warren Buffett set up a charitable foundation?

  And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”  Mark 11:23-27 ESV


texts:
Indeed it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (NIV)

Is this a straight foward verse or he was meaning only that rich man


texts: He could have fell to Mars, Venus, or GJ667Cc. I understand that he needed to be cast out of heaven, but why to Earth where he has caused more trouble?  Are there any apocryphal books which describe this differently?


texts: What is the difference between an Apostle and an Evangelist according to Charismatic Christianity?

texts:
Consider the following passage from the letter to the Ephesians that lists a number of offices of ministry.

  Ephesians 4:11-14 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

It seems to me that the role of an Apostle is to establish the churches by traveling, proclaiming the Gospel as they went in order to fulfill the Great Commission. But isn't this also what an Evangelist does?

According to Charismatic traditions that teach that these offices of ministry and spiritual gifts are still distributed within the Body of Christ (i.e. that the office of Apostle was not just for the first disciples and/or NT authors), what is the difference between the office of Apostle and that of Evangelist?


texts:
Are Israel and the Church two different kingdoms?

Israel - Psalm 114:2

Church - Matthew 16:18-19

I am asking this question because a Catholic friend of mine insists that there is one kingdom which is the church and that means that Israel was replaced by the church.There is no more the nation Israel but only the church. God is done with Israel since the inception of the church.

I want to know the view of Protestants regarding this.


texts: Pope John Paul II and the Agnus Dei sacramentals?

texts:
The Agnus Dei sacramental is one of the Church's strongest sacramental which can only be blessed by a pope. This great consecration of Agnus Deis take place only in the first year of each pontificate and every seventh year afterwards.

  On the Wednesday of Easter week these discs are brought to the Pope, who dips them into a vessel of water mixed with chrism and balsam, adding various consecratory prayers. The distribution takes place with solemnity on the Saturday following. - Catholic Encyclopedia

The last known blessing of the Agnus Dei sacramentals was in 1964 by Pope Paul VI.

  In a wonderful article by Charles Hugo Doyle, entitled "The Forgotten Sacramental," the author provides a summary of the special virtues of the Agnus Dei, as cited by Popes Urban V, Paul II, Julius III, Sixtus V and Benedict XIV, which include the following benefits:

  They foster piety, banish tepidity, preserve from vice and dispose to virtue.

  They cancel venial sins and purify from the stain left by grievous sin after it has been remitted in the Sacrament of Penance.

  They banish evil spirits, deliver from temptation and preserve from eternal ruin.

  They are a protection from a sudden and unprovided death.

  They dispel fears occasioned by evil spirits.

  They are a protection in combat, and have power to ensure victory.

  They deliver from poison and from the snares of the wicked.

  They are excellent preventatives against sickness and are also an efficacious remedy -- especially in cases of epilepsy.

  They hinder the ravages of pestilence, of epidemics and infectious diseases.\

  They quiet the winds, dissipate hurricanes, calm whirlwinds, and keep away tempests.

  They save from shipwreck and the danger of lightning and floods. An anecdote is recalled here of Pope St. Pius V, who had recourse to this expedient when the Tiber was in flood and seemed likely to submerge the city. We are told that when an Agnus Dei had been thrown into the river, the angry waters at once subsided. - Agnus Dei Sacramentals and other relics

Lost Catholic culture: the Agnus Dei wax

  If you visit the parish of Santa Susanna (the English-speaking parish in Rome), you can ring the bell of the second sacristy and the sister will let you into the room which is a little gift shop. There you can receive, with a little donation, the wonderful Agnus Dei wax along with this informative brochure (with an Imprimatur from 1960). - Lost Catholic culture: the Agnus Dei wax

Since these sacramental have gone the way of the dodo bird (1964), how can there still be some of these wax sacramental available for the faithful?

The Catholic website Fish Eaters made an update on their Agnus Dei page stating the following:

  Update: I've received an e-mail from a priest who was kind enough to take the time to inform me that the Holy Father issued Agnus Dei sacramentals during the Jubilee Year 2000. Wonderful!

My question is this: Is it possible to find a source (in print or online) that states definitively that Pope John Paul II actually blessed these wax tablets of the Agnus Deis during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000?


texts: Why did God change Jacob's name to Israel?

texts:
I am reading the book of Genesis, and I have noticed that God changes certain people's names, such as Abram to Abraham and Jacob to Israel. Why does he change their names? What does it symbolize?

  Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, saying, "Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel." So God renamed him Israel. (Genesis 35:9-10, NLT )


texts: Why do there appear to be two very different variations of “tongues” in the New Testament?

texts:
The first variety seemed to be without need for interpretation because all those who heard it heard their own language being spoken.

Acts 2:8 (NKJV):

  And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

The second one the church is warned not to utter without interpretation. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:28 (NKJV):

  But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

And in 14:23:

  Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or un-believers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

What makes the initial event different from the subsequent?


texts: Were the early Christians known by any other name?

texts:
We see in Acts 11:24-26 (NRSVCE):

"For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord.  Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,  and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”

I wish to know how the name Christians used for followers of Jesus stuck . Antioch was a part of ancient Greece, and the word Christian had its origin in Greek word Christos meaning the Saviour,  known as Messiah in Hebrew. That St. Luke wrote the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles in Greek, may also have contributed to the firming up  of the  name Christian. But then, we see Jesus being addressed as The Nazarene all through the Gospels and the Acts. It is therefore, strange that His disciples were not called Nazarenes by the Jews who were more comfortable with Hebrew language than  with Greek.

My question therefore is: Were the early Christians called  by some other name in languages other than Greek? If they were, why did those names become defunct?

PS: In southern India, Christians in the good old days called themselves as Nasrani, a name derived from the Syrian word for Nazarene.


texts: How can these inconsistencies about Jesus' tomb be explained?

texts:
As it was mentioned in this topic, reading the New Testament side by side, one can pick up apparent inconsistencies in the Gospels by various Disciples. As it was suggested that they should be explained on a case by case basis, lets start with the opening of Jesus' tomb. Looking at four different passages:

  Mathew 28:2
  There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the
  Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the
  stone and sat on it.

  Mark 16:4-5 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed
  in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

  Luke 24:2-4 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but
  when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that
  gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

  John 20:11-12 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept,
  she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white,
  seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at
  the foot.

How is this inconsistency explained by theologians of the various major denominations of Christianity, especially the ones that believe in Biblical inerrancy?


texts: What's the normal term for a Catholic priest that works in a parish under another one?

texts:
I am trying to learn about Catholic clerical posts called "cura" and "cura teniente" in rural 1700s Mexico. "Teniente" generally means second-in-command, like lieutenant. I am tempted to translate the title as "assistant priest" but this specific term refers to priests of the cathedral chapter, so I'm not sure of its correct name in English.

So in a parish with both sorts of priests, one would outrank the other? If so, I would like to know what to call those positions. Thank you!


texts: Are the gifts of the Holy Spirit still active today?

texts:
In first Corinthians and other places, there is a lot of talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For example:

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (NIV 1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;  if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;  if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.(Romans 12:6-8)

Were these gifts just for those early Christians, or are some or all of them still active in some churches today? If only some how can we tell which ones?


texts: Is there any evidence that Jesus had no children?

texts:
There is no evidence that Jesus had children. But is there anything in the Bible indicating that he certainly did not?

The reason for asking about the evidence of the negative: If someone says "Jesus might have children, I might have his blood in my veins" I may answer "I don't believe that Jesus had children because..." - is there anything in Bible supporting this attitude?


texts: About 20 minutes into Handel's 'Messiah there is a chorus about the Messiah being like a refiner's fire.... "and He shall purify... the sons of Levi". This is taken from Malachi 3:3. My question is, why is it only the Levites that are singled out for purification? What about all the other tribes of Israel?