http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1563
Here are some one liners...
The Council of Trent Outlaws Idol Worship but not PBS -- Fine lines are made but those lines don't matter if the people cannot distinguish between them.
The Godly Puritans and the Need to Follow our Oaths -- The word "Puritan" is first used. I talk about how oaths are not mission statements and that we should take fewer oaths and observe them like the Ten Commandments.
The Council of Trent Outlaws Idol Worship but not PBS
With the Protestant Reformation breathing down their necks, the Pope called for a special Church Council to resolve many of the controversies at hand and possibly generate a counter-Reformation. After 18 years of debating and politicking, the final resolution has come. It is a complex and wordy document, but it defines what the Catholic Church will become into the modern day. One thing that stands out in contrast to the modern day impression of the Catholic Church is its prohibition of worshiping statues and images (essentially, paintings). They state that Catholics shall NOT worship images or statues. These images are only representations of the saints and of Christ. The Church decrees that anyone who is still worshiping these images should stop doing so immediately. A collective sigh of relief can be heard, but it's not going to be enough to stop the Reformation and reunite the Church. [1]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
So... when people fall to their knees before a statue of the Virgin Mary they are not worshiping the statue itself. They are remembering her virtue and using her image as a mental focus to make that connection with God. (I'm being deliberately vague here. Fill in the details on your own.) This is what is happening amongst informed Catholics. What is happening amongst the less informed Catholics I'm not so sure. I'm convinced that their hearts are in the right place, though. There will be no resolving this issue here. The miracle of the Council of Trent is that it happened at all. Those so-called indulgences looked a lot like bribes for a "no-hassle" pass. Almost every church and synagogue (or PBS station) does this on some level but there is a fine line between having your business sponsor the local church picnic (or the latest episode of NOVA) and outright paying for a business introduction. I'm leaving it up to the members of the church (or your local affiliate) to decide where to draw the line.
So... when people fall to their knees before a statue of the Virgin Mary they are not worshiping the statue itself. They are remembering her virtue and using her image as a mental focus to make that connection with God. (I'm being deliberately vague here. Fill in the details on your own.) This is what is happening amongst informed Catholics. What is happening amongst the less informed Catholics I'm not so sure. I'm convinced that their hearts are in the right place, though. There will be no resolving this issue here. The miracle of the Council of Trent is that it happened at all. Those so-called indulgences looked a lot like bribes for a "no-hassle" pass. Almost every church and synagogue (or PBS station) does this on some level but there is a fine line between having your business sponsor the local church picnic (or the latest episode of NOVA) and outright paying for a business introduction. I'm leaving it up to the members of the church (or your local affiliate) to decide where to draw the line.
The Godly Puritans and the Need to Follow our Oaths
The word "puritan" comes into use in England in the 1560s. It is a mildly derogatory word at this time that means "precise". It does not describe a particular church but rather a type of personality within the church that insists on following church rules and rituals precisely. Many of the Calvinists escaping French persecution fall into this category. These people call themselves "Godly," but in time, like so many other groups, they will embrace the word "Puritan." A full theology will be developed by 1666 and after much turmoil, the Puritans will separate into factions. One faction will travel to the American colonies on the Mayflower looking for religious freedom. [2] [3]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Remember that the Jesuits were also a group that embraced the insult that people hurled at them. Jesuit means "one who speaks of Jesus a little too much for comfortable conversation." These are not terrible insults. They are meant to bully people into conformance. They are saying, "Hey! You aren't fitting in well. Get back in line!" But telling system-followers that they aren't following the system is laughable. It's almost as ridiculous as being taught the Constitution by teachers who think it means Redistribution. We want the Constitution taught, plain and simple... and followed like our public officials pledge to do but are so careless in its execution. Right now we rattle off oaths as if they were mission statements. In fact, oaths are a personal set of commandments. If you aren't ready to carry them out like they were the Ten Commandments, you shouldn't raise your hand and pledge that you will.
Remember that the Jesuits were also a group that embraced the insult that people hurled at them. Jesuit means "one who speaks of Jesus a little too much for comfortable conversation." These are not terrible insults. They are meant to bully people into conformance. They are saying, "Hey! You aren't fitting in well. Get back in line!" But telling system-followers that they aren't following the system is laughable. It's almost as ridiculous as being taught the Constitution by teachers who think it means Redistribution. We want the Constitution taught, plain and simple... and followed like our public officials pledge to do but are so careless in its execution. Right now we rattle off oaths as if they were mission statements. In fact, oaths are a personal set of commandments. If you aren't ready to carry them out like they were the Ten Commandments, you shouldn't raise your hand and pledge that you will.
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