Saints, heretics and hypocrites
We all know that humans aren’t perfectly good, but there are many times and ways in which we presume that then they must be perfectly bad. It stands to reason for linear thinkers, doesn’t it? We live in scorched earth feefees all the time. All or nothing. You are either perfectly good or perfectly bad, right?
If you follow the rules of your state and religion, then you must be perfectly good? More likely when you err or sin, you avoid detection. They can’t watch you 24/7, can they?
Does that avoidance mean that you have a moral code? IMO there are very few people who don’t have any morality. And more than just the fear of getting caught too. Is protecting yourself and what you care about most morality? Is having a consistant code of behaviour morality? Or must we have a divine being watching over us who will smite us if we don’t develop a sense of morality? Is it people pleasing as infants who adhere to what we were raised with morality? Is being a rebellious teen being a heretic or sinner? Or mentally ill now?
All in all, humanity does have grace too, but few are at the extremes of either light or shadow. We each have some of the one and the other. Some are more bestial and others more civilized than others. But animals have more grace than most humans do. Yet we try to claim they have no souls. So is being bestial being immoral or righteous? Just because you never step foot off the path society sets for you, does that make you moral? Or a follower?
I have far more questions than I do answers for this one…
Stuart Chase –
. For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe,no proof is possible .
what does it take to be a saint?
-Morality
Adherence to the faith you belong to and it’s rules
-Service
to the faith/culture and it’s people and god(s)
-a special relationship with the divine
-miracles
some other ability associated with you that cannot be explained, after your death
-martyrdom
if you died forwarding the cause of your faith/culture and god(s)
Are Saints only Catholic?
Christendom – In Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox, and Lutheran doctrine,
worldwide Eastern and Middle East religions
britannica
The religious person may have various relationships with the sacred: as seer, prophet, saviour, monk, nun, priest, priestess, or other such personage
Canonization requires, among other things, proof that the person in question wrought miracles during his or her lifetime.
how to become a saint
Catholic Process
canonization and beatification
hypocrisy
In apostasy, one totally repudiates the Christian faith and no longer even claims to be a Christian.Hypocrisy is…
1. Inconsistency between what one teaches and what one does (23:3-4)
2. Desire for prestige and power and congratulation (23:5-12)
3. Abuse of teaching authority through both false teachings and false practices (23:13, 15, 16-22, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28).
4. Overconcern with minutiae and lack of focus on the major issues (23:23-24, 25-26, 27-28): that is, moral myopia.
5. Inconsistency between appearance and practice (23:27-28).
heresy
To commit heresy, one must refuse to be corrected. A person who is ready to be corrected or who is unaware that what he has been saying is against Church teaching is not a heretic.
A person must be baptized to commit heresy. This means that movements that have split off from or been influenced by Christianity, but that do not practice baptism (or do not practice valid baptism), are not heresies, but separate religions.
In schism, one separates from the Catholic Church without repudiating a defined doctrine.
In apostasy, one totally repudiates the Christian faith and no longer even claims to be a Christian.
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