Being Raised a Christian, But Without Demons

I was born in one of the most catholic spots on this planet.

How it goes was when you were born you were either catholic or protestant.

Once your faith was "decided" through birth, you went to kindergarden and later school.

Religious education was BIG when I was going to school, with crucifix on the wall and religious classes where your local small-town priest was also the teacher for the religious classes. (Again, from where I am coming from, Catholicism has a BIG "tradition". It was/is part of life and culture. If you had a business or were a known personality in town, it was "expected" that you will also attend Church, not doing so would have been just odd.)

Up until I was about 12, in addition to the catholic education in school we OF COURSE also attended church, usually once a week, either on Friday where there was a "cildren's mess" or on Sunday. Sometimes even both.

But here is the point I am wanting to make here:

Even RAISED Catholic, with all the church going in my youth and religious classes, there was some things I NEVER ever heard about, neither in Church or school:

* demons
* hell
* similar fantasy stories as recently found on ATS

What this means is that not ALL "Christians" are in fact "crazy", obsessing over demons and Satan etc. I remember in school we were mostly going through the NT and OT, things like that....but I dont remember any of such stories back then.

I don't like institutionalized church and Catholicism in particular, just saying that it might not be smart to generalize all "Christians" in the same way as those few individuals who pop up once in a while who seem to be fundamental/fanatics..but those are a very small minority (IMO).

The problem is that such people with their demon and hell stories actually make it look as if ALL Christians are like that...but that's not the case. Just saying.

nm

reply to post by flexy123


Dear flexy123,

F&S, hello, welcome.

reply to post by flexy123


I am really failing to see the conspiracy here...

This seems more like a thread trumpeting up yourself over the "crazy" fundamentalists for you not being properly educated or educated in a way that provides any evidence of proof. I never realized that ignorance and lack of research was something to be proud of and tout over others.

I could tear your whole thread apart and make you look like a tool, the question is can I be bothered to put together a 7,000+ odd word reply (which you prob won't have any interest in reading or following up on with your own research) that will be sufficient enough when you seem very proud of ignorance and a position that actually assumes Jesus to be a liar and false prophet. If you are proud of such a contradictory and weak "Christianity" then great...confidence to move mountains for sure

Originally posted by flexy123
Religious education was BIG when I was going to school, with crucifix on the wall and religious classes where your local small-town priest was also the teacher for the religious classes....
But here is the point I am wanting to make here:

Even RAISED Catholic, with all the church going in my youth and religious classes, there was some things I NEVER ever heard about, neither in Church or school:

* demons
* hell

A crucifix without Hell? For starters, where did Jesus go when he died? What did he cast out in front of his disciples and order them to do the same? Who tempted him on top of the mountain? What did Jesus teach his disciples were in danger of if they say "Raca!" to their brothers or sisters? As Christ said, "It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into..." what?

reply to post by JesuitGarlic

Originally posted by JesuitGarlic
reply to post by flexy123

 

I am really failing to see the conspiracy here...

This seems more like a thread trumpeting up yourself over the "crazy" fundamentalists for you not being properly educated or educated in a way that provides any evidence of proof. I never realized that ignorance and lack of research was something to be proud of and tout over others.

I could tear your whole thread apart and make you look like a tool, the question is can I be bothered to put together a 7,000+ odd word reply (which you prob won't have any interest in reading or following up on with your own research) that will be sufficient enough when you seem very proud of ignorance and a position that actually assumes Jesus to be a liar and false prophet. If you are proud of such a contradictory and weak "Christianity" then great...confidence to move mountains for sure

edit on 3-3-2013 by JesuitGarlic because: (no reason given)

You don't see the conspiracy? I'd say it's to do with making all Catholics (rather than just the Vatican) look bad, and that is certainly a pet pastime of many individuals as well as institutions which may or may not include other Christian denominations.

But that aside, why would you feel the need to say that you "could tear your whole thread apart and make you look like a tool[sic]"? What is the need for such confrontational language just because the OP offended you? It's not very modest, or even nice.

As to the OP, I agree. My Catholic upbringing wasn't bad at all, apart from the fact that a lot of us were fooling ourselves trying to believe (in our borough's parishes, anyway). Demons and hell weren't problems until I met relatives who went to other kinds of churches. To each their own, I guess, as long as it's strictly personal.

reply to post by ihavenoaccount

But that aside, why would you feel the need to say that you "could tear your whole thread apart and make you look like a tool[sic]"? What is the need for such confrontational language just because the OP offended you? It's not very modest, or even nice.

Firstly, he has said that he is a Christian so straight away he was a responsibility to uphold what Jesus said to preserve other people's faith. He makes statements that are contradictory to the Bible and thus is destroying other Christians faith.

He assumes that his Catholic education is somehow a good complete Christian education (which it isn't), just because he hasn't heard something taught in his Catholic education he is saying that these things are "fantasy stories"

He then calls people like me, who can actually back up the proper teachings of demons and hell (the lake of fire) with evidence, as crazy and fanatics. Not only is he intellectually wrong on this issue, he trumpets up his ignorance by ostracizing others who can actually prove him wrong and destroys other Christians faith in the process.

The problem is that such people with their demon and hell stories actually make it look as if ALL Christians are like that...but that's not the case. Just saying.

What he is saying is that those other Christians who have properly researched and who have a strong faith are strange....they are not a "problem"...they bring people to God by proving the truthfulness of the Bible.

His appeal is to take away from God's Word (true Christian teaching) so he can be more appealing or palatable to everyday people.

For anyone saying they are a Christian and then writing on issues that destroy a Christian's faith when he doesn't back up his opinion with any evidence deserves a good tongue lashing.

The only conspiracy here is how someone who grew up in Bavaria (he has mentioned elsewhere) which is a hotbed for Satanism can say that demons don't exist


All-Seeing Eye within Equilateral Triangle, Jesuit Church at Landsberg-am-Lech, Bavaria, Germany


All-Seeing within Equilateral Triangle, Aachen Cathedral, Germany


All-Seeing Eye within Equilateral Triangle, Brugge Cathedral, Germany


All-Seeing Eye within Equilateral Triangle, St. Dionysius Baroque Altar in North Rhine, Westphaila, Germany


All-Seeing Eye within Equilateral Triangle, Jesuit Church of St. Magnus, Landkreis Ravensburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

The Blazing Star (Pentagram) has been regarded as an emblem of Omniscience, or the All-Seeing Eye, which to the Egyptian Initiates was the emblem of Osiris, the Creator."
Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma", p. 16

Satan! Cry Aloud! Though Exalted Most High! Oh Me Father Satan! The Eye!" (Aleister Crowley, Magnum Opus, Book Four)

Therefore, the All-Seeing Eye is the symbol of the Omniscience of the Sun God, Lucifer, whom they worship. These All-Seeing Eyes represents the Omniscience of Horus, who is Lucifer in the Egyptian Satanic Mysteries. Masonic author, Carl Claudy writes: "This is one of the oldest and most widespread symbols denoting God. We find it in Egypt, in India ... The Open Eye of Egypt represented Osiris. In India, Siva is represented by an eye." [Carl Claudy, "Introduction To Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master mason Complete In One Volume", The Temple Publishers, 1931, p. 148, quoted by Dr. Cathy Burns, "Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated", p. 357]

So you have all these All Seeing Eye symbols over the Catholic church in Germany (and particularly in Bavaria where he grew up) and this symbol is correlated to Osiris, Horus, Siva (and elsewhere Apollo and Nimrod) who is Lucifer/Satan. And yet he thinks he got a good a complete Christian education growing up here. The symbols for his own religion following Satan but yet he wasn't taught about demons....it is more worthwhile to explore that conspiracy connection than the direction he was going with the thread.