Was Jesus God?

Quote: Nareed

So a big split is your definition of "unchanged." Good to know.

When something splits you can still see where the main trunk is.

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Are you willing to swear to God that the Church is exactly the same as it was 2,000 years ago?

Well let's see...same structure with the successor of St. Peter directly traced back to the Christ Himself, bishops, priests, deacons, the laity. The major teachings about the Eucharist, the Trinity, Incarnation is the same from Apostles. The Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed is still said every Sunday. The clothes have changed and the architecture is a little different sometimes. There have been awful scandalous Bishops, which was the same from the original 12. The biggest problem was the connection of Church and State, but that has been mercifully restored to the original plan and the current successor of Peter wishes to even further return us to the poor, humble, servant Church that was when we were most powerful. So exactly is a strong word, but the Church is much, much more the same than say any country was 2,000 years ago.

Quote: FrGamble

To help you understand the differences in the Abrahamic religions.

They all have the same god, Yahweh. The
details are irrelevant. They pray to the same
god, that's all we need to know. God hasn't
changed, according to you, the god of Moses
is the god of the three major religions.

It's fascinating because there is no god, that's
why things have run amok. But that bothers
none of you, you just soldier on, pretending
Yahweh listens to all of you and considers all
your prayers. Madness..

Quote: FrGamble

When something splits you can still see where the main trunk is.

I did not miss your love affair with the non-sequitur.

How much official power does the Pope have over the Italian kings these days?

Oh, and how many Mormon and Protestant sects were active in, oh, 475 CE? Ten?

Quote: FrGamble

To help you understand the uniqueness of Jesus you have to see the Gospel as the ultimate fulfillment of the greatest hopes of humanity.

It seems to me an omniscient, all-powerful god would not keep issuing corrections after his final word. He would not keep issuing holy books like hot cakes, either.

Quote: FrGamble

Where God is as close to us as a personal friend who loves us more than we can imagine no matter what our faults, failings, reputation, or sufferings might be.

How do you square that with a threat of eternal torture if you disobey this "loving" deity or even disagree with him? What about those who follow this deity and gleefully tell others they'll be tortured by their loving god for all eternity? It seems to me they are like their god.

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Where God is as close to us as a personal friend who loves us more than we can imagine no matter what our faults, failings, reputation, or sufferings might be.

This describes my dog perfectly. He does all
these things daily, and I can actually see him
and touch him. He even answers my prayers
at times, and has never threatened me in
any way. Is he a god? He's certainly better
behaved than your god, with just as much
to offer.

Quote: Nareed

I did not miss your love affair with the non-sequitur.

The point was that a big split does not necessarily change the nature of that from which it split off of.

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How much official power does the Pope have over the Italian kings these days?

As I mentioned in my post we have mercifully returned to the original state of the Church as leaven in the midst of society and not ruling or having State powers.

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Oh, and how many Mormon and Protestant sects were active in, oh, 475 CE? Ten?

Absolutely zero.

Quote: Nareed

It seems to me an omniscient, all-powerful god would not keep issuing corrections after his final word. He would not keep issuing holy books like hot cakes, either.

His final word is the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. God is infinitely patient in correcting our errors and slowly teaching us moving us ever more closer to the fulfillment of Revelation in Jesus. I don't know what you mean about issuing holy books like hot cakes.

Quote: Nareed

How do you square that with a threat of eternal torture if you disobey this "loving" deity or even disagree with him? What about those who follow this deity and gleefully tell others they'll be tortured by their loving god for all eternity? It seems to me they are like their god.

Neither disobeying or disagreeing with God will send you to eternal torture. You need to understand the Mercy of God and this coming year will be a special year of Mercy to experience it. There are so many things that go into what we would call mortal sin that in the words of Pope Francis, "Who am I to judge?" All I can say is that God does not send anyone to hell that does not choose to go there and I can also say that it is God's will that all will be saved. If we were more like our God we would tell you, as I do, that you are loved and that God wants your happiness here on earth and eternally with Him. Like Evenbob, it seems like your view of Christianity is hopelessly tainted by Christians who do not follow the teachings of the Church or the life of our Lord.

Quote: FrGamble

As I mentioned in my post we have mercifully returned to the original state of the Church as leaven in the midst of society and not ruling or having State powers.

You cannot claim Nicaea, a state-directed council, and claim the original state of the church does not involve state powers.

Come, Ambrose had none other than Theodosius on a tight leash. Surely the Pope controls some leader of some super power today. Keeping things homeostasis and all.

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Absolutely zero.

How many Monophisites, Arians, Nestorians, et cetera? Ten?

Whitewashing history is a common practice. Why would any human institution eschew it? It would be inhuman.