why do catholics have improvised gods?
458142
I don't know where you get your information from.  You have been misinformed.  There are some so called "Catholics" that are misguided, as well as many others.  I was raised and taught in Catholic schools.  Not once, did anyone ever suggest praising statues or worshiping anyone or anything other than (Jesus, Holy Spirit & the Father) Holy trinity = one God.  We believe in offering prayers for loved ones, and we believe that the Staints offer they're prayers for the living.  But if someone was to assume that Catholics are taught to worship anyone or anything other than God, they are sadly mistaken.  Statues, pictures, etc... are reminders of who are good examples of how to live as Christ did.  Just like having pictures of your children.  The pictures are NOT your children, but an image of your children.  you would feed, clothe or talk to the picture.  Being Cathoilic does not mean that you are out of touch with reality.
441986
Gods are spawned as a product of their worshippers' collective imaginations and minds. If you believe in a god, he is, if noone does, a god isn't.\nThe true power lies with the people, who can bend reality if they believe in themselves and  realise this possibility. As they can't accept the fact of the power of the human mind, they invent gods to account for the miracles they cause themselves
407060
I quit being catholic because of these things.. Like I have always wondered why they taught us to pray to the saints and Mary when it is made clear in the bible that our prayers are to be to God only..If you ask a priest you will most likely get a 30 minute answer that answers NOTHING...I am still looking for those answers so good luck...Just read your Bible and go by that . It won't lie to you.
753168
I was kicked out of catholic preschool. \nBut I do know this much.\nWe are supposed to pray to Jesus because he was Jehovah's(God) avatar in the human form.\nAllegedly God is a being of different dimensional considerations than what it is to be human. \nTherefore, Jesus was sent to earth to mediate for man's misgivings to God's will. Jesus was not directly supposed to be God himself in the flesh, but one who was partially devine himself and also mortal in that he would communicate man's folly back to God and condone man's confessions and scapegoat man for his imperfections so that he could still conceive of God.\nJesus is supposed to be the middle man to heaven in all forms of Christianity I am aware of. God is something to respect and fear. God is something that we cannot name or judge or even begin to think we can understand his will. \nJesus is our agent to the devine.\nWhen it comes to praying to Mary?\nThat is just another hypocrisy of the Catholic church, because its not actually a monotheism because we have established so many other little deities such as Mary, and the Saints and even named Angels.  It flat out makes no sense. Its mans perversion and mans desire to create heaven in his own ideal. Thus the imagery. And the assumption that beings of devine energy are somehow related to their previous state in the afterlife. Its all a pathetic sham. \nThe only thing we really got right in my opinion is that we should have ultimate fear and respect for God. Whether we believe in the slight chance there may be some fate further in other planes of existence or whatever after checking out of this world is quite sentimental and just about anyone can buy into that or have the sincere desire to do so. But still, I just cant buy it when the words that are supposedly devine handy downs from the Catholics themselves have spawned into other religeons over the past few hundred years I really just cant buy into any of it at all. \nI say fear God and leave it at that.
733763
It is what they are taught. It's part of their religion.\n\nThey are taught that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and not one but three different Gods. They are polytheist.
816147
What you are not entertaining, is the other possibility, that they CAN be reconciled, and you aren't seeing it, or not letting yourself.  It is not hard, it is right there.   The reference you give supports itself within the bible.  I don't see the problem, sorry.  Perhaps, your bible (Catholic Bible), could be off?    Do a study of the Christian cannon, and how the books were chosen to be included, or left out.  It is fascinating and eye opening.  Don't just assume the catholic church has it right, study for yourself.
891598
Which god? There seems to be more than one anyway. Maybe they have elections every few centuries or something.
941080
"Afraid that those other gods you claim didn't exsist just might actually have existed so you have to shroud them in lies?"\n\nYep, that's pretty much the way it happened. The emerging Catholic Church made a practice of declaring that all Pagan Gods were actually demons. Which was nothing more than yet another pronouncement by a man, who of course claimed it was "from God" and everyone believed him. Well, not everyone, but enough that those who didn't were grossly outnumbered.
458034
i am catholic but i believe most of what you said especially the end part. people trust catholicism for the same reason they trust any other religion (i don't know why i follow the religion i am just guided) people use religion because they have weak minds and hearts. there is nothing wrong with this but religion gives them somethin to hold onto. someone in history i believe it was Marx or Stalin said the church was the "opiate of the masses"
874110
People manipulate religion to what they want it to mean
617580
No.\nIt's just as believeable as the "Praying trees" farce.\nPeople can make any pattern look like anything they want it to look like. It's just a few overzealous faithfuls who want to spread the name of God and His works.\n\nJenova\n(d.yuffie@gmail.com)
901351
Ok, so you think God might have been a master illusionist. Let's think of it this way, God isn't the only one with "powers" i guess you could say. Th devil workss his mischief into the equation and provides those who don't believe in God with, so called, powers. This is the very reason why it's so hard for people to accept the idea that God exists. Theres just so much out there having to do with magic and trickery that anyone can say that their god is real above all others. I personally don't believe that God was just an illusionist, there's just gotta be some higher being out there that made everything possible. I hope this answer helps.
911113
Well you pretty much answered your own question..thoroughly I might add. That's a silly Catholic guilt mechanism designed to control people when a person who knows better wants to control them. I'd imagine that the people that dish out this nonsense rarely believe it, it simply gives them more control in other peoples lives. Good to see you see better than that :)
1043323
I find you make a very good point.  I find it quite amusing to hear of people denouncing the idea of a God, yet get married or hold their loved ones funeral  in a church.  Politicians fall to the pressure of a society that want to take Christ out of Christmas yet plan elaborate weddings for their children whom they insist get married by a priest or minister.  Funny how it works isn't it!!
1006472
Technically, we are asking the saints to intercede with God on our behalf, not praying to them. You are correct, though, most people don't get it and that is a problem. Most people go to church out of habit and just do things without thinking about them--not a good practice at all! There is a fine line between worshiping Saints and asking for intercession!
106105
Early leaders of the church tried to make everyone feel welcome, even pagans. In doing this they incorporated many pagan practices into the church by mixing them with Christianity. Because of this, A lot of Catholic ritual has obvious pagan aspects. This by itself makes Catholicism open to criticism by those who think theirs is the ONLY religion. And then of course the pedophile priests don't help things either. When I was growing up in a Catholic part of New Orleans, every kid knew of some other kid that had been molested by his priest. My friend got all of his buddies fraudulent baptismal certificates from the priest that was molesting him. We used the certificates to get ID with drinking ages on them. One guy even used his to join the military at 14. With stuff like this going on for decades, the religion is very open to criticism.
548526
didn't; god is fictional, the people made him up as well as that other crap to try to guilt you in to conforming to their beliefs. Yes they set you up to fail.