Let's take a look at just a few of the statements in the linked NY Times article.
"... with a thousand-year history and volumes of church law devoted to its intricacies, [the indulgence] is one of the most complicated to explain."
Isn't "volumes of church law" (that is, legalism) one of the things Jesus warned against?
"According to church teaching, even after sinners are absolved in the confessional and say their Our Fathers or Hail Marys as penance, they still face punishment after death, in Purgatory, ..."
There is and always has been 0% scriptural support for the concept of Purgatory. If you want to bet your eternity on the (changing) ideas of men rather than the (unchanging) Word of God, go right ahead ... God gave you free will and you are free to continue living in a deceived state if that's what you really want.
"There are partial indulgences, which reduce purgatorial time by a certain number of days or years, and plenary indulgences, which eliminate all of it, until another sin is committed."
I sure am glad that God chose to rank sins according to their badness, and set up a complicated system of weights, measures, penalties, and prices that requires a massive church bureaucracy to administer. Shucks, if only He had thought to ask his Son to speak about all this during His earthly ministry, so it could have been recorded and documented in the writings that would be collected into that troublesome Book we stupid protestants keep wanting to check everything against.
"You can get one for yourself, or for someone who is dead. You cannot buy one — the church outlawed the sale of indulgences in 1567 — but charitable contributions, combined with other acts, can help you earn one. There is a limit of one plenary indulgence per sinner per day."
Some restrictions apply. May not be combined with other offers, coupons, or discounts. Valid only in the presence of authorized RCC officials. Should not be used by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. Side-effects range from mild to severe and may include dizziness, headaches, self-deception, legalism, elitism, and eventually having to hear the Lord say, "depart from me, I never knew you." Offer subject to change at any time.
Buy your way to Heaven! The Catholic Church brings back indulgences
Apr 1st 2009 12:52PM (WalletPop)"... with a thousand-year history and volumes of church law devoted to its intricacies, [the indulgence] is one of the most complicated to explain."
Isn't "volumes of church law" (that is, legalism) one of the things Jesus warned against?
"According to church teaching, even after sinners are absolved in the confessional and say their Our Fathers or Hail Marys as penance, they still face punishment after death, in Purgatory, ..."
There is and always has been 0% scriptural support for the concept of Purgatory. If you want to bet your eternity on the (changing) ideas of men rather than the (unchanging) Word of God, go right ahead ... God gave you free will and you are free to continue living in a deceived state if that's what you really want.
"There are partial indulgences, which reduce purgatorial time by a certain number of days or years, and plenary indulgences, which eliminate all of it, until another sin is committed."
I sure am glad that God chose to rank sins according to their badness, and set up a complicated system of weights, measures, penalties, and prices that requires a massive church bureaucracy to administer. Shucks, if only He had thought to ask his Son to speak about all this during His earthly ministry, so it could have been recorded and documented in the writings that would be collected into that troublesome Book we stupid protestants keep wanting to check everything against.
"You can get one for yourself, or for someone who is dead. You cannot buy one — the church outlawed the sale of indulgences in 1567 — but charitable contributions, combined with other acts, can help you earn one. There is a limit of one plenary indulgence per sinner per day."
Some restrictions apply. May not be combined with other offers, coupons, or discounts. Valid only in the presence of authorized RCC officials. Should not be used by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. Side-effects range from mild to severe and may include dizziness, headaches, self-deception, legalism, elitism, and eventually having to hear the Lord say, "depart from me, I never knew you." Offer subject to change at any time.
Wii update 3.1 includes USB keyboard support, enhanced Everybody Votes channel
Oct 10th 2007 11:58AM (Joystiq)