Betatheism: Superheroes and the 21st Century Pagan Pantheon

milos · July 25, 2022, 09:05:53 AM

With the "death of God" came the rise of false idols that transcend the constraints of this world. So the 20th century saw the rise of the superhero.

Snuffy · September 16, 2022, 09:24:50 AM

Ummm.

GOD hasn't died ever. His son, perhaps, but not the Almighty Eternal GOD.

T Hunt · September 16, 2022, 10:59:59 AM

Quote from: milos on July 25, 2022, 09:05:53 AMWith the "death of God" came the rise of false idols that transcend the constraints of this world. So the 20th century saw the rise of the superhero.

The idea that God died, even in the sense that society abandoned him, is just a strawman the left created. In reality the vast majority of Americans still believe in God and its growing even as chruch attendance is falling. So what we are really seeing is just a rejection of the INSTITUTION of the church, not a rejection of God, the supernatural, or religion.

milos · September 16, 2022, 12:06:46 PM

Quote from: T Hunt on September 16, 2022, 10:59:59 AMThe idea that God died, even in the sense that society abandoned him, is just a strawman the left created. In reality the vast majority of Americans still believe in God and its growing even as chruch attendance is falling. So what we are really seeing is just a rejection of the INSTITUTION of the church, not a rejection of God, the supernatural, or religion.

I hope you are right.

But we in the Eastern Orthodox Christianity believe that Jesus founded the Church, and that being a member of the Church and participating in the Holy Liturgy and Eucharist and accepting the Holy Communion, so becoming the Body of Christ, is the whole meaning of being Christian. And rejection of the Church Jesus founded and of his Eucharist would mean rejection of Jesus himself. Of course, people are criticising priests for not being spiritual enough, and really some of them are not, but also some of them are truly into Christian spirituality. But those kind of people are forgetting that it is not the Church of a priest but the Church of Jesus. So abandoning the Church of Jesus because some priest is corrupted is not a valid Christian choice.

The greatest problem begun with the Great Schism of 1054, when the Patriarch of Rome falsely claimed he was the first among the Patriarchs, which was a sin of narcissism and egoism. Since then, once unique Church is being divided into various different Churches and denominations, and that division is Satan's deed. There is also a Satan's Ecumenical movement which is another Satan's deception, because there is only one and original Church - the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the real Church can't be uniting with false Churches, the same way as the truth can't be uniting with lies. That is also a reason why the Eastern Orthodox Church is not proselytist, it just offers the truth, but it is not forcing anyone to believe in truth.

T Hunt · September 17, 2022, 04:46:55 PM

Quote from: milos on September 16, 2022, 12:06:46 PMI hope you are right.

But we in the Eastern Orthodox Christianity believe that Jesus founded the Church, and that being a member of the Church and participating in the Holy Liturgy and Eucharist and accepting the Holy Communion, so becoming the Body of Christ, is the whole meaning of being Christian. And rejection of the Church Jesus founded and of his Eucharist would mean rejection of Jesus himself. Of course, people are criticising priests for not being spiritual enough, and really some of them are not, but also some of them are truly into Christian spirituality. But those kind of people are forgetting that it is not the Church of a priest but the Church of Jesus. So abandoning the Church of Jesus because some priest is corrupted is not a valid Christian choice.

The greatest problem begun with the Great Schism of 1054, when the Patriarch of Rome falsely claimed he was the first among the Patriarchs, which was a sin of narcissism and egoism. Since then, once unique Church is being divided into various different Churches and denominations, and that division is Satan's deed. There is also a Satan's Ecumenical movement which is another Satan's deception, because there is only one and original Church - the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the real Church can't be uniting with false Churches, the same way as the truth can't be uniting with lies. That is also a reason why the Eastern Orthodox Church is not proselytist, it just offers the truth, but it is not forcing anyone to believe in truth.

Matthew 20:18

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

milos · September 19, 2022, 12:51:05 PM

Quote from: T Hunt on September 17, 2022, 04:46:55 PMMatthew 20:18

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

Well, I can toss few quotes as well.

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast." (Matthew 9:14-15)

Jesus told he will build his church. He gave his disciples to eat his body and drink his blood. He said that his disciples will fast. In Matthew 20:18, when he said "gather in my name", it meant something more than just a gathering. Jesus told his disciples what to do and how to pray. That is why we have the Church, and the Holy Communion, and fasts and lents. Not to mention baptism or confession. Jesus himself was baptized by John. People begged Jesus to forgive their sins and heal them. Jesus ordained first twelve apostles, they ordained hundreds of other apostles, who ordained bishops and priests and deacons. It is the institution of the Church Jesus built.

I would highly recommend this English gentleman and his You Tube channel. In this video he talks about how he was seeking for the one and true Church.

T Hunt · September 22, 2022, 02:51:08 PM

Quote from: milos on September 19, 2022, 12:51:05 PMWell, I can toss few quotes as well.

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast." (Matthew 9:14-15)

Jesus told he will build his church. He gave his disciples to eat his body and drink his blood. He said that his disciples will fast. In Matthew 20:18, when he said "gather in my name", it meant something more than just a gathering. Jesus told his disciples what to do and how to pray. That is why we have the Church, and the Holy Communion, and fasts and lents. Not to mention baptism or confession. Jesus himself was baptized by John. People begged Jesus to forgive their sins and heal them. Jesus ordained first twelve apostles, they ordained hundreds of other apostles, who ordained bishops and priests and deacons. It is the institution of the Church Jesus built.

I would highly recommend this English gentleman and his You Tube channel. In this video he talks about how he was seeking for the one and true Church.

Yes but which specific church is the institution Jesus built? Catholics? Protestants? Orthodox? The ancient Ethiopian church?

Have you heard of the concepts of the VISIBLE and INVISIBLE churches?

Snuffy · September 22, 2022, 07:40:48 PM

Quote from: T Hunt on September 22, 2022, 02:51:08 PMYes but which specific church is the institution Jesus built? Catholics? Protestants? Orthodox? The ancient Ethiopian church?

Have you heard of the concepts of the VISIBLE and INVISIBLE churches?

Answer to the above .... NONE of those.

milos · September 23, 2022, 10:35:02 AM

Quote from: T Hunt on September 22, 2022, 02:51:08 PMYes but which specific church is the institution Jesus built? Catholics? Protestants? Orthodox? The ancient Ethiopian church?

Have you heard of the concepts of the VISIBLE and INVISIBLE churches?

Orthodox, as the man explained in the video. It is the original Church.

Surely, not everyone in the "visible Church" will be saved, as many outside the "visible Church" will be saved. Because Jesus values only human hearts.

But, the "visible Church", that is the Eastern Orthodox, provides good tools for protection of a Christian believer and for his spiritual life, as there are many demonic deceptions and various kinds of attacks on human spirituality which can bring us to a wrong path. For example, the Antichrist will pretend that he is a highly spiritual man, and that he loves the human race and the Planet Earth, and he will decept many good people into serving him and abandoning God without them even noticing it. That is why we in the "visible Church" keep the watch and try to keep the original Jesus' path, we got the means to do it, like baptism, confession, Holy Communion, Holy Liturgy and prayers, fast and lent, and the experience of the Church we call Holy Tradition, which should all help us in our striving for the true Christian life and for becoming the Body of Christ (but with no guaranteed results of course).

It is like we got armor and shield and sword when we confront the enemy. You can have confidence in yourself that you can do everything bare handed, but it is still better to be armed. You got the Christian Bible, but it is also Eastern Orthodox.

Snuffy · September 23, 2022, 12:19:04 PM

Quote from: milos on September 23, 2022, 10:35:02 AMOrthodox, as the man explained in the video. It is the original Church. ...

Ummm, No.

milos · September 26, 2022, 09:41:06 AM

Quote from: Snuffy on September 23, 2022, 12:19:04 PMUmmm, No.

Why do you think so? Which is the original Church in your opinion? Jesus told that he will build his Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. So the original Church still exists.

Snuffy · September 26, 2022, 10:00:01 AM

Because the "original Church", (a word never found in the ancient writings btw,) consists of the Lord's Chosen. Those members are slated for Heavenly life, thus Hades cannot overtake them. ("The Church" being people belonging to Christ, not a physical entity, but spiritual.)

The Jewish system at the time of Christ's life on earth rejected him as the Messiah, Christ's Father, GOD (YHWH,) in Heaven, rejected the Jewish system for that. That was clear in the renting of the curtain in the Temple between the Holy and the Most Holy.

With Christ now sanctified as The Messiah, Lord of GOD's People, (those whose faith is within their hearts and does not require a physical visible organization,) the Jewish religious system was no longer required. Thus the reason there is no longer a Temple of any kind to the Holy Sovern of the Universe. (And why a Muslim abomination stands in the Holy Temple's former location.)

Any man made representations of a "church" are condemned by GOD, and are representative in the form of the Babylonian Harlot of Revelation, who will shortly recieve her condemnation and total destruction at the hand of GOD's Appointed Messiah, at GOD's chosen time. And this destruction will be done by the other man made organizations, such as Governments.

(This of course is my interpretation ... as noted, yours may vary.)

milos · September 28, 2022, 10:38:35 AM

Surely the real Church are those who are the Lord's chosen and saved, and only the Lord knows who are they.

But also, there is the visible Christ's life on Earth, and his visible teaching, and visible history of his deeds, and deeds of his disciples. If it was not for them spreading Christ's teaching, baptizing people, writing the gospels, etc, nothing would have left of the Christ's visible teaching, there would be no New Testament, no prayers, nor any remembrance that Jesus even existed. God wanted to offer everyone the opportunity to be saved through the visible things such as the Church and its Holy Mysteries, because he gave us free will, therefore he gave us the visible choice so that we can consciously decide whether we want to obey God or we don't. If there was not the Church as the institution, we couldn't have been talking about Jesus at all. It is the visible Church that saved Christ's teaching for us.

T Hunt · September 28, 2022, 11:16:51 AM

Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

INVISIBLE CHURCH=All people who seek Jesus for forgiveness from any church, anywhere, anytime in history.
This is dependent on the heart and only God sees the heart. But humans can guess based on a persons words and actions.

1Samuel16
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

VISIBLE CHURCH=The physical organizations we see today. Historically speaking there is no unbroken connection to any modern churches from the original 12 disciples. It doesnt matter either. Its the Invisible church that matters. Arguing about which modern church is the original is a waste of time. What matters is spreading the good news of Jesus to the world, which is happening. Christianity is growing across the globe faster than any other religion.

Snuffy · September 30, 2022, 08:07:40 AM

Pertaining to all that you said prior to the below, I have to ask these questions.
Is GOD of Heaven so weak and so emasculated that you feel he can do nothing of his own initiative/power, without the "church"?
Who do you think instilled and guided the early Israelite nation, the then "Chosen People of GOD?"
Do you not think that if GOD wants his truth to survive in this world that he cannot do it on his own?
Why does HE need to rely on a man corrupted organization to do that?

Quote from: milos on September 28, 2022, 10:38:35 AM... If there was not the Church as the institution, we couldn't have been talking about Jesus at all. It is the visible Church that saved Christ's teaching for us.

Jesus had a couple words for the "church" of his time, speaking to the Scribes, Pharasies, and Saducees, you can find them in the following:

QuoteJohn 8:44, NASB: "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies."

Point is, there is no man instituted "visible church". (Again a institution never mentioned in the Holy Writings.)