Quote:
Originally Posted by abqfriend
I am Roman Catholic on this site. While there were many disagreements at the Council of Nicaea as other councils, let's not throw stones at history or those that made it. Much good-in my opinion was accomplished at this and other Church Councils.
To say the council had "nothing sacred or spiritual about it"-is an afront to many Christians in general and me specifically.
We may disagree on doctrine-but let's not throw stones at others or put one's slant on the history of the Church.
Throwing stones never brings people together-it just keeps them apart.
-Carol
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Carol:
I suggest you read my posts slowly and carefully. Also, it may be a good idea to assess my statements from a historical standpoint rather than theological in order to understand what I am trying to say. I am not criticizing The Roman Catholic Church, I am making an observation about the nature of the proceedings, which in the words of the historians and theologians that attended the Councils, reported being a contentious gathering. We must be careful not to bring into the argument our own wishes, desires and bias as we examine history. It was what it was and sacrad or reverent those meetings were not. It is hard to imagine now, but there were riots on the streets, pamphlets thrown about and arguing all over the Turkish town even before the 318 bishops arrived.
It was (the council) one attempt to bring order and organization to the liturgy and practice of the Christian rites. It is evident, according to the historical accounts, that there were many sects and factions holding on to dissenting theologies and doctrines. Thru consensus and simple majority voting certain texts were accepted, other rejected and a general creed was adoted as a compromise as to define Christianity at that moment in time in history. It was an attempt, among many subsequent, to rid the incipient church of perceived heresy, to bring order and coherence to the faith.
Yes indeed, good came from those historical meetings, but we must look and study them in context. But without any romanticism or attributing to them a veil of sacredness since according to the eyewitness, there was none.