Tradition

[Eleventh Doctor]

What do you mean by completely contradicts the Bible? I've been told that according to the 10 Commandments churches shouldn't have crosses or nativity scenes. Who decides that?

[Paula]

Like if you're told to do/say something that is bad. If it's completely irrelevant or weird, but not technically bad, then I'd say it's just you thinking. However, God could ask you to do something like that, and have a plan for whatever He's having you do. I hope that makes sense...

I've never heard that in my life...What commandment says this? And could you expand on it?

[Blitz]

Tradition can be very dangerous especially here. There are so many times culture traditions get mixed in with the church and end up being very bad for the church's health.

[Eleventh Doctor]

@Paula Exodus 20 says "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" So some people say that clearly means we shouldn't have crosses and nativity scenes, what would you say against that?

[Paula]

Well, that verse alone might make one think that, but it continues on to say...

"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

And I wouldn't have anything to say against it, because to me it's an incomplete thought.

[Eleventh Doctor]

Fair enough, I've said that same thing to those people though and they still held to their beliefs.

[Paula]

Ah, okay. Yeah, it's hard to shake someones opinion.

[Mandy]

I think there is a point here that hasn't been mentioned when it comes to tradition. Tradition, in a church, usually comes from a source...an interpretation of the scriptures. But I also agree tradition can become a danger after so many generations...its easy to just slide along with it. And again, tradition also holds a church together. I think an answer is to compare all the customs and rituals with scripture, knock out the ones that have no real meaning, and then explain to the next generation, why we have the tradition that we do.

Personally, I want order in my church service. This is one thing Mandy and I don't agree on. Her church would be more like Paula's... And I have to say while "listening to the Holy Spirit" can paint a very attractive picture, often it doesn't turn out. Someone can easily claim what the Holy Spirit has been telling them, and that starts becoming the focus instead of the Bible. Often disagreeing with the Bible as well.

But I would like to learn more on this subject....

Miss Friendship it's not like nothing would be done if someone started saying things that were wrong in the meeting. If someone starts acting or speaking in a manner that is wrong one of the brothers addresses it and it's taken care of. The only meeting of ours that you witnessed was very unusual, mostly because my dad was gone but also because of all the visitors, including the 2 weirdos (you know who). So it wouldn't be accurate to judge from that Sunday.

[Eleventh Doctor]

If someone starts acting or speaking in a manner that is wrong one of the brothers addresses it and it's taken care of.

So anyone in the congregation could decide someone else isn't being led by the Spirit? That's an interesting tradition.

[Miss Friendship]

@Paula Exodus 20 says "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" So some people say that clearly means we shouldn't have crosses and nativity scenes, what would you say against that?

I know a couple who won't take pictures because of this verse...but they don't condemn others who don't share this conviction.

Mandy, I guess you are right. When your service had a man who was type to cut off his arm in obedience to the scriptures about "if thy eye offend thee, cut it off" I shouldn't go off of that. And yet I don't sit in my church for an hour on end not knowing what to expect. Both sides have good points...just don't call my church seeped in tradition if we have order, instead of spontaneous meetings. Besides I'd hardly say a church that is a decade old, to boast of much tradition.

[Gooey98]

*pops head in*

*pops back out*

[Paula]

xD You DA BEST GOOEY!!!

[Mr. Yorp]

Tradition can be very dangerous especially here. There are so many times culture traditions get mixed in with the church and end up being very bad for the church's health.

Such as evil festivals that Christians celebrate; Christ Mass, Valentines Day, All Hallows eve..

[Miss Friendship]

Tradition can be very dangerous especially here. There are so many times culture traditions get mixed in with the church and end up being very bad for the church's health.

Such as evil festivals that Christians celebrate; Christ Mass, Valentines Day, All Hallows eve..

Good point. Exactly.

[TigerShadow]

MissFriendship, do you take issue with celebrating Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine's Day?

[Miss Friendship]

MissFriendship, do you take issue with celebrating Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine's Day?

Well yes, with the exception of Valentine's Day, I don't know enough about the days history to make a judgment one way or another. With Halloween, it should be obvious, it celebrates witchcraft --Satans holiday. With Christmas, its just so watered down to Santa Claus and trees to really credit it with Christ's birth, but even I could ignore that except for the fact that the day has pagan roots. This holiday isnt practiced by my family for reasons I have just mentioned, but we don't condemn anyone who does. We have no problem celebrating "Christ's birth" just not "Christmas" besides was Jesus really born in December? Seems to me it should be around the month of April, when Shepard's are watching their sheep.

[Eleventh Doctor]

Actually Halloween has it's origins in the All Saints Day celebration and has no pagan connections at all. American Protestants made up pagan connections because they were against the Catholic holiday.

What pagan roots does Christmas have?

[Miss Friendship]

Actually Halloween has it's origins in the All Saints Day celebration and has no pagan connections at all. American Protestants made up pagan connections because they were against the Catholic holiday.

So the Catholic church likes the ideas of witches, demons, and a lot of the things Halloween promotes?

Look up the origin of the day December 25th. It was a pagan holiday of the Romans. If you follow the history of the Satnurlia carnival and all it represented, you might understand why I refuse to celebrate Christmas on that day. Also it might be interesting for you to know that the Catholic church approved of this holiday before anything do with Christ's birth ever entered the picture.

I don't think the early Christians practiced Roman holidays...should we?

[Eleventh Doctor]

Nope, those are modern Protestant inventions.

Source? Christmas and these early Roman holidays were never just one day, in the Early Church they were often 40 days the festival of Saturnalia was December 17-23 so nope not December 25th. As for your claim that the Catholic church approved of Saturnalia, source?

No we shouldn't practice Roman holidays, I don't know of anyone who does. If you want to celebrate a completely Christian holiday then you should celebrate Halloween, not the witches and demons that American Protestants added but the celebration of the Saints.

[Miss Friendship]

http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/ ... m#_ftnref5

Here's the link...its talks about it on the second subject heading. And it includes a source for that claim.

As for celebrating Halloween, I have no comment. I would never...I am wary of anything connected to it.