www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Interfaith dialogue

That's exactly my point! The Holy Spirit CANNOT be the author of confusion!!! The only best source is to look at the VISIBLE...which is the Church. Jesus promised to the Apostles that He will always remain with us...and also that the Holy Spirit will guide Peter and the Apostles and their successors (Pope and Bishops).

Many modern thinkers (mostly modernists or Protestants) conceive the Church as only a "spiritual nature"...meaning...a collection of people united to praise Jesus (collection of people meaning...from any religion or nationality or whatever). That is heresy, I must say. Because it's saying that it doesn't matter what Christian religion you're in....they're all the same (which we know it's not).

The Church is NOT just a spiritual only...The Church is also PHYSICAL, just as G-d is also physical (in Christ who is G-d and Man). The Church is THERE visibily (that's what I meant when I said...look at the visible source at my above comment). Physical Church...with faithful looking at the SAME Faith and Tradition (Catholic/Orthodox is good example).

The evidence is also there..that the Catholic/Orthodox Church existed from the time Christ founded her. (look at historical PROOF...OLD Churches, early Christian catacombs, places of worship in Christian homes, etc.) Also look at the early Church Councils, look at the Early Church Fathers. It's all there! What we believe today is the same belief back then. One unchangable Faith. NO Protestant or other Christian sects can claim that fact.

IN the creed..One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church..the Apostolic part signify the VISIBILITY of the Church, that's passed down from the Apostles to today. The Catholic part signify the Universality of the Church that is ONE and Holy and Apostolic (visible/handed down by Apostles).

Besides, how can Jesus, the Groom, consumate His love to His Bride (which is the One Holy Catholic Apostlic Church)??? REMEMBER, Jesus is BOTH G-d AND Man. OH! Of course! The CHURCH also have to be physical as well as spiritual! The Eucharist is the best example of Christ's LOVE and consumation of His Love...being united with Christ..as ONE Flesh...in Communion..partaking His Body and Precious Blood in our physical bodies..as a True Food for our both bodies AND soul.

G-d makes things VISIBLE for us, since we are visible creatures. So He makes Himself visible so that we will be ONE with Him as He is among us (Emmanuel).

G-d even USES earthly things to manifest His powers! (Look at Christ's healing of a blind person..by using clay. If you look at the scriptures, you'll find that Christ used things to heal people.). We know that things per se don't heal people, but rather G-d uses them to SHOW that it is happening.

That is exactly what Sacraments are...things that's used to SHOW the true manifestation of what is really happening that cannot be seen. I.E. Baptism, we use water to Baptize. We know that the water per se doesn't renew us spiritually, but the water is used to SHOW what is really happening.

It's sad and unfortunate that we are living in a culture (mainly Protestant culture) saying that "things are evil and bad". Like sex is bad. Sex is the manifestation of a Husband and Wife's Sacrament of Matrimony, every time a man and wife does "it", he and she renews the wedding vows. Sex is extremely sacred, so sacred that the devil did all he can to profane it.

Man, the Eastern Churches are right on target on the topic of "Theosis"...G-d became Man, so that we all can become like G-d. It's only the Western Catholics that is now coming to grips of this profound theology.

I know that, someday at the end of the world, when our bodies and souls reunite to it's true "being", there will be a PHYSICAL Heaven. Heaven isn't just a "spiritual place." Perhaps the earth will be resurrected as well for our resurrected bodies.

Anyway...

I've heard of a lady saying that abortion is a gift from G-d...that she was "inspired" by the Holy Spirit. That cannot be so!

So..in the same way...many private interpretations of the Scriptures cannot contradict the teachings of the Church (which is infallabily INSPIRED by the Holy Spirit) contained in the Sacred Scriptures which the Church wrote and in the Sacred Tradition which the Church passed down on.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine