Can I pray to Satan in school?

Quote: terapined

I'm actually pretty fascinated by religion.
Scientology dominates the next town over, but its not just that.
Documentaries on TV such dead sea scrolls, historical Jesus. religious texts excluded from the bible, I stop and watch and am fascinated. I love history and religious history is a big part of history. I eat all this up. Love it.
On the flip side, just don't think about God personally. I don't believe, move on and think about other stuff. simple as that.

Again I don't think this is uncommon but it remains my biggest concerns. Smart people who know a lot about God and religion but don't know Him.

I heard a great story recently about a group who went to Ireland to one of those old castles that they have turned into a quasi dinner theatre. One of them was particularly packed because there was a superb actor who specialized in Shakespearian performances. He could do just about anything the audience asked him to do and do it well. He took requests from Hamlet, King Lear, any of the sonnets, you name it. The leader of the group happened to be a priest and he asked this actor if he would recite the 23rd Psalm. The actor was a man of faith and said he would gladly honor the good father's request but only if the priest recited it as a prayer after it was preformed. The priest agreed and the actor went all out. His voice rose and fell and went quiet only to boom out again, He almost danced as he spoke the psalm with great energy and vigor. Afterwards he received a standing ovation and uproarious applause. True to his word the priest stood at his table in a room full of people and was a little nervous. He bowed his head and began, "The Lord is my shepherd..." After he was finished the entire room was quiet as a tomb, a few people sniffled back tears. The actor then said, "My friends, I know the psalm but he knows the shepherd."

Quote: FrGamble

What sounds ridiculous to me is that you are comparing belief in a six foot bunny to belief in God and non-belief in said bunny to atheism. I think no matter where you stand on the issue of God we should all be offended by such ridiculousness.

I don't know, guess it was sudden inspiration.

Quote: FrGamble

A Smart people who know a lot about God and religion but don't know Him.

I don't know a lot about god, what's to know.
You invent a lot of stuff and then choose to
believe it. You get a bunch of other people
to go along with you and soon you have a
religion. Based on wishful thinking and urban
legend. They say there are 2500 different
offshoots of Christianity and they all think
they're correct. To an outsider looking in,
this is a very unstable environment. I'm
putting it mildly because I don't want to
insult you. Look at the history of your own
church. For hundreds of years it was run by
lunatics. Blood thirsty, greedy, egocentric,
certifiable lunatics.

Ya know?

If your worried about stability look towards the largest Christian Church, the Catholic one. For the vast majority of the time Christianity has existed on earth there was just one Church, the Catholic one. All that changed in the early 16th century and that is sad and does indeed hurt our witness today. One day I pray and hope we will be one again. Also remember that hundreds of years is not a huge amount of time for an institution, the only one by the way, that is over 2,000 years old. Another thing that you unwittingly reinforce is the divine protection of the Church by reminding us that somehow we survived those years of the bad popes (wait a second isn't it you who believes there is no sin?!?). Anyway, focus on the fact that we have recently had a world-class philosopher followed by a world-class theologian and now a world-class pastor.

Quote: AZDuffman

Not really. In fact not at all, as that implies atheism is the religion. We are told that we have to accept others. Some people are told they have to do business with others that they do not wish to conduct. Sorry, but if I have to put up with the "gay pride" group putting forth positions that I do not believe in then you must put up with the Christians handing out Bibles if they wish to do so.

What I meant is that freedom from religion means I don't have to have one, and can pursue my life without having to show that I have one, register it, or be forced to acknowledge a God or religion in my dealings with the State. NOT that I have the right to walk down the street without being preached to by private (non public) individuals.

That's all. The States, as far as I know, doesn't force it on people. Some countries you HAVE to register a religion, and no, atheist is not on that list.

Quote:

I haven't seen any schools having doctrine taught in class. Religious history of course, but that is where it ends. My problem is religious groups are being singled out for persecution and forced to take as members people who do not share their views. This is as if the minority students were told they had to accept active KKK members.

Sadly, it is just another fissure in the culture that will help cause the disruption I keep predicting in the 2020s.

Hymns and Christian service was a part of my education till about 12 years old. This is in the UK. I suspect it's no longer the case unless you go to a church school. They still exist, and also in Canada too. And get government money. I have no idea of the situation in the US... but I suspect they are all privately run, but no doubt some of them would like public funds. And some, of course, don't.

Quote: FrGamble

If your worried about stability look towards the largest Christian Church, the Catholic one. For the vast majority of the time Christianity has existed on earth there was just one Church, the Catholic one. All that changed in the early 16th century and that is sad and does indeed hurt our witness today..

It split because of corruption.
You wanted to get into heaven, got to pay up and give money to the church.
The gateway to heaven was being sold.
Martin Luther's honest 95 points was the best thing to happen to religion. IMO of course.
One church is absurd.
Its a big planet with a gazillion cultures worshipping God in their own way as they see fit and that's the way it should be.

Christianity has been fractured and divided throughout history.
One of the great controversies throughout the history of the church.
Did Jesus own the clothes he wore?
The answer leads to either a vow of poverty or a rich church selling salvation and living very wealthy lives.
The division is still being battled today as it has a thousand years ago.

Quote: terapined

It split because of corruption.
You wanted to get into heaven, got to pay up and give money to the church.
The gateway to heaven was being sold.
Martin Luther's honest 95 points was the best thing to happen to religion. IMO of course.
One church is absurd.
Its a big planet with a gazillion cultures worshiping God in their own way as they see fit and that's the way it should be.
.

The Church had to split, it was corrupt to
the core, as you say. The most corrupt,
evil institution on the planet for hundreds
of years. If you don't think it was evil, read
the records of the various Inquistions led
entirely by the Vatican, sanctioned by everybody
there. It was power they were after. There
had to be a gentler and saner brand of Christianity,
the split was inevitable.

Quote: FrGamble

Anyway, focus on the fact that we have recently had a world-class philosopher followed by a world-class theologian and now a world-class pastor.

Can't do that, an institution is it's past,
you can't ignore or erase it. The Church
claims it's sanctioned and run by god,
that the pope is god's direct spokesman
on earth. If that were true (it's not), then
how do you explain the Churches bloody
history. It was obviously run by men, for
men. And still is.

According to the Church: "The infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching."

In other words, god will not let the Church
err, everything it says and does has god's
permission attached to it. Including hundreds
of years of Inquisitions. There's no wiggle
room here, the Church and the pope are
both infallible. No caveats, no asterisks, just
simple fact.

Quote: FrGamble

If your worried about stability look towards the largest Christian Church, the Catholic one. For the vast majority of the time Christianity has existed on earth there was just one Church, the Catholic one. All that changed in the early 16th century and that is sad and does indeed hurt our witness today. One day I pray and hope we will be one again. Also remember that hundreds of years is not a huge amount of time for an institution, the only one by the way, that is over 2,000 years old. Another thing that you unwittingly reinforce is the divine protection of the Church by reminding us that somehow we survived those years of the bad popes (wait a second isn't it you who believes there is no sin?!?). Anyway, focus on the fact that we have recently had a world-class philosopher followed by a world-class theologian and now a world-class pastor.

I don't know if I mis understood?

All along I thought you were some form of Catholic, are you not? Please excuse my ignorance.

Quote: Evenbob

According to the Church: "The infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching."

In other words, god will not let the Church
err, everything it says and does has god's
permission attached to it. Including hundreds
of years of Inquisitions. There's no wiggle
room here, the Church and the pope are
both infallible. No caveats, no asterisks, just
simple fact.

You don't need other words, in the definition of papal infallibility you quoted the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church err in its belief or teaching. This does not mean that members of the Church, even Popes, will be perfect. A simple reminder of the 12 Apostles is all you have to think about to know this is obvious. The very first Pope, St. Peter, denied the Lord three times. One of the hand picked Apostles Judas betrayed the Lord. The Church is composed of men and women and guess what; they have and do sin. It is the power of God that even in the midst of our sins and mistakes He can still protect, guide, and forgive us. This is in many ways the fundamental teaching of the Gospel and it has been taught from the beginning. Again I do want to go on the record that I find it ironic a guy who claims there is no sin and that right and wrong is different for different people determined by circumstances is so fired up about the Church's sins.

In regards to the Church being rotten to its core, you must know that the abuses that led to the reformation were not universally supported by Catholics. The era that led to Martin Luther was also the time of some of our greatest saints like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius.

Finally, I feel like I might have inadvertently lit a fire under you Evenbob that has led to your inquisition-like attacks upon the Church. And by inquisition-like I mean mostly false exaggerated claims that have little to no basis in history. If I have been a little free and biting with my recent comments about some of your ideas I am sorry.