Should We Imitate the Catholic, Orthodox Saints and Protestant “Esteemed” Christians?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
A

Adstar

Senior Member
#21
Jul 24, 2016
7,600
3,622
113
#21
The fundamentals of the Catholic faith is based on the same thing likely as you believe.
Click to expand...
If it was then i would have remained in the catholic church.. But it wasn't and isn't..

I am seeing that no matter where you look you can't find the perfect church that believes everything 100 percent correctly. .
Click to expand...
Then don't post posts supporting churches. If you think a church is preaching false doctrines. DO NOT post, posts supporting that church.. Post Posts supporting the Holy Bible, Supporting the Word of God, Supporting The LORD Jesus..

I want to welcome and love my brothers and sisters....all of them.
Click to expand...
If you declare people who believe in the doctrine of pergatory ( and all catholics do) as brothers and Sisters in Christ then you are not a brother in christ to me.. Because catholics are not brothers and sisters in Christ to anyone..
 
A

arthurfleminger

Well-known member
#22
Aug 18, 2021
1,405
780
113
#22
Adstar said:
As an ex catholic i am thankful for the day when a friend gave me a Bible to read and i read it and became a Christian.. I thank God he moved me out of that catholic religon and caused me to know the truth that set me free from bondage deception that is the works salvation catholic religon..

And yes it is against this site to push catholic dogma on here..
Click to expand...
Since when has it become a 'Catholic Idea' to imitate holy/esteemed Christians that came before us? You say that you only believe in Scripture, yet Scripture itself tells us to imitate holy Christians. The apostle Paul wrote in the book of 1 Corinthians 4:16 calling the Corinthian believers to be followers or imitator of him. Again Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:1 saying, “imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ”

Many try and emulate Billy Graham, Augustine, C S Lewis and other Christians who have displayed their 'Living Christianity' in thought/word/deed.
 
ebdesroches

ebdesroches

Well-known member
#23
Aug 20, 2022
976
495
63
76
#23
arthurfleminger said:
The answer is an unequivocal yes, we should imitate esteemed Christians from the past, saints or what ever you prefer to call them.

Scripture tells us to do so. The apostle Paul wrote in the book of 1 Corinthians 4:16 calling the Corinthian believers to be followers or imitator of him. Again Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:1 saying, “imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ”

Of course, the main reason we should imitate the holy ones who came before us is that they all became holy/saintly by imitating Christ. It is Christ, first and foremost, whom they help us imitate, by showing how a life centered on Christ is possible anywhere in the world at any time in history.
Click to expand...
Totaly agree, Jesus first, our lord and brother, and then those that have fallen so in love with Him that are saints and “esteemed” brothers and sisters we dint dare to call saints.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#24
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#24
ebdesroches said:
Please point me to the site policy that forbids “Catholic ideas”

There can be Catholics that truly love God as individuals.
Click to expand...
Born and raised a Catholic I am all for the consideration of Catholic points of view in the conversations in the forums. For the record, I have not attended mass for years due to perceived conflicts with scripture in some areas. I do believe however that most Catholics are definitely Christians just as much as most Protestants in many various denominations are Christian. Also, during each mass the Holy Trinity is confirmed in the recital of the Apostles Creed including Jesus dying for our sins and rising from the dead. Nothing wrong with that for sure.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#26
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#26
ResidentAlien said:
Yes, there are a lot of Catholics who say they love God and Jesus. But the question is: Which God, and which Jesus? It's not enough to say you love Jesus; a lot of people say they love Jesus. You have to love the true Jesus, not a wafer Jesus.

"For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." Romans 10:2
Click to expand...
Which God and which Jesus do Protestants believe in? Also, I do believe that it was Jesus who first started the breaking and partaking of bread during the Last Supper as stated in the gospel accounts.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#27
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#27
Adstar said:
If it was then i would have remained in the catholic church.. But it wasn't and isn't..



Then don't post posts supporting churches. If you think a church is preaching false doctrines. DO NOT post, posts supporting that church.. Post Posts supporting the Holy Bible, Supporting the Word of God, Supporting The LORD Jesus..



If you declare people who believe in the doctrine of pergatory ( and all catholics do) as brothers and Sisters in Christ then you are not a brother in christ to me.. Because catholics are not brothers and sisters in Christ to anyone..
Click to expand...
Are Protestants brothers and sisters in Christ to anyone either? Interesting thing about purgatory is that after dying on the cross for our sins Jesus spent the next 3 days preaching to the spirits in prison. What was that all about anyway? Would it be more correct to say that Catholics are not brothers and sisters to you, rather than claiming to know what 'anyone' else believes?
 
L

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
#28
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#28
tourist said:
Which God and which Jesus do Protestants believe in? Also, I do believe that it was Jesus who first started the breaking and partaking of bread during the Last Supper as stated in the gospel accounts.
Click to expand...
Do you believe that the bread and the wine at the Last Supper, which, btw, occurred BEFORE Jesus died and ushered in the New Testament, literally became the body and blood of Jesus?

Please tell me that you don't...
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
#29
Apr 21, 2021
8,420
3,677
113
#29
tourist said:
Which God and which Jesus do Protestants believe in? Also, I do believe that it was Jesus who first started the breaking and partaking of bread during the Last Supper as stated in the gospel accounts.
Click to expand...
No argument there. The interpretation of what He meant by this is where I part ways with Catholics. The Jesus in the wafer didn't finish his work at the cross. The true Jesus did.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#30
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#30
Live4Him3 said:
Do you believe that the bread and the wine at the Last Supper, which, btw, occurred BEFORE Jesus died and ushered in the New Testament, literally became the body and blood of Jesus?

Please tell me that you don't...
Click to expand...
No, I don't believe that but rather the communion was symbolic in nature.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#31
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#31
ResidentAlien said:
No argument there. The interpretation of what He meant by this is where I part ways with Catholics.
Click to expand...
Despite my recent posts in this thread while I didn't part ways with Catholics I certainly parted ways with the Catholic Church. Started to seriously question a lot of the doctrine after reading my first bible given to me as a Christmas gift in my early teens.
 
L

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
#32
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#32
tourist said:
No, I don't believe that but rather the communion was symbolic in nature.
Click to expand...
Well, Roman Catholic believe it or in what is called "transubstantiation".

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transubstantiation

Definition of transubstantiation

1: the miraculous change by which according to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox dogma the eucharistic elements at their consecration become the body and blood of Christ while keeping only the appearances of bread and wine

That, my friend, is "another Jesus".
 
L

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
#33
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#33
tourist said:
Despite my recent posts in this thread while I didn't part ways with Catholics I certainly parted ways with the Catholic Church. Started to seriously question a lot of the doctrine after reading my first bible given to me as a Christmas gift in my early teens.
Click to expand...
Speaking of the Bible, it was the Roman Catholic hierarchy who had William Tyndale publicly strangled before burning him at the stake. His crime? Translating the Bible into the common tongue of the people. They similarly burned John Hus at the stake (and countless others), and they even went so far as to exhume the dead bones of John Wycliffe in order to burn the same.

"Brothers" my donkey.

Instead, the Vatican/the Papacy is LITERALLY the prophesied kingdom of antichrist.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#34
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#34
Live4Him3 said:
Speaking of the Bible, it was the Roman Catholic hierarchy who had William Tyndale publicly strangled before burning him at the stake. His crime? Translating the Bible into the common tongue of the people. They similarly burned John Hus at the stake (and countless others), and they even went so far as to exhume the dead bones of John Wycliffe in order to burn the same.

"Brothers" my donkey.

Instead, the Vatican/the Papacy is LITERALLY the prophesied kingdom of antichrist.
Click to expand...
The papacy was very much corrupt for sure and did a lot of evil things. That is not the same as Catholics doing evil things though. Every denomination has had scandals.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#35
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#35
Live4Him3 said:
Well, Roman Catholic believe it or in what is called "transubstantiation".

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transubstantiation

Definition of transubstantiation

1: the miraculous change by which according to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox dogma the eucharistic elements at their consecration become the body and blood of Christ while keeping only the appearances of bread and wine

That, my friend, is "another Jesus".
Click to expand...
The transubstantiation belief is not substantiated by scripture. Neither is confession and remission of sin by a priest.
 
L

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
#36
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#36
tourist said:
The papacy was very much corrupt for sure and did a lot of evil things. That is not the same as Catholics doing evil things though. Every denomination has had scandals.
Click to expand...
There are definitely nice Roman Catholic people.

In fact, most of the people who have been the nicest/kindest to me throughout my entire lifetime were/are Roman Catholics.

That said, I've still shared the true gospel with all of them and given many of them, if not all of them, Bibles.
 
L

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
#37
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#37
tourist said:
The transubstantiation belief is not substantiated by scripture. Neither is confession and remission of sin by a priest.
Click to expand...
Non-substantiated transubstantiation?

I agree, but that's almost humorous.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#39
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#39
Live4Him3 said:
There are definitely nice Roman Catholic people.

In fact, most of the people who have been the nicest/kindest to me throughout my entire lifetime were/are Roman Catholics.

That said, I've still shared the true gospel with all of them and given many of them, if not all of them, Bibles.
Click to expand...
That is a good ministry of yours for sure. That is how I got my head screwed on straight, finally picked up a bible and started to read the good word.
 
L

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
#40
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#40
tourist said:
That is a good ministry of yours for sure. That is how I got my head screwed on straight, finally picked up a bible and started to read the good word.
Click to expand...
Perhaps, but that "good ministry" has made me a lot of enemies...especially in my own immediate family.

Not completely, though.

Some, whether within or without my immediate family, have definitely listened and considered some of the things that I've shared with them.

Others?

Well, let's just say that their favorite menu item is "grilled grizzly bear".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.