Interesting note:

One might say that the Protestant ethic formed what was later referred to, particularly in the United States, as the work ethic, High value was given to honesty, hard work, and thrift. In the Calvinist view, these attributes were seen as the underpinnings of eternal salvation. Sociologists have argued that the Protestant ethic contributed significantly to the beginning and later development of capitalism.

Central Beliefs and Holy Writings of Protestants

Jesus Christ and the Bible formed the authoritative base of the faith. The Protestant churches were organized with biblical supremacy.

They believed in what might be called a democracy of believers - every Christian could communicate directly with God without having to go through the intermediary of a priest or saint. Thus the Protestand principal, you might say, is that the church is not God, neither are preists, pasteros, nore ministers' only God is God and he alone should be worshipped.

The Reformation rebelled against what was called "fix prayer," meaning prayers that had been composed by others to be remembered by rote and later regurgitated at the appropriate time and place. Freedom from the strictures of the Roman Catholic Church was emphasized and people were encouraged to pray frequently and directly from the heart and not the head. Protestants recognize two sacreaments: baptism and communion (the Eucharist).

There have been variations in sacramental doctrine among Protestants over the years, but these two have become virtually universal.

The New Testament, especially the letters and writings of Paul, captured the Protestant sense of having discovered a religious hero, a mentor who exemplified their philosophy. He was brought up in one strict faith, in which he was striving to please God, but he had failed and then went through a period of self doubt. His conversion through his epiphany with Jesus, and his acceptance of Christ as a savior were seen in the light of a sinner who had been looked on by God who was blind to his sins because of faith. Thus Paul was the perfect example of the Protestant theology of justification by grace through faith. In other words, God didn't have to be satisfied to forgive and accept.

more to come...

Yes, one is more strict then the other. Synod is more strict.

Diversification into Modern Society

Protestantism has led the way in providing women with the ability to become ministers. Today in many of the denominations, there are even female bishops.

Protestantism became strong in the northwestern Europe, England, and English speaking America. Through the missionary movement, it was taken to all parts of the world and joined Roman Catholicism as a minority presence in Asia and Africa.

Protestantism became part of the history of the North Atlantic nations. While there are more Protestants than Catholics in the United States, Catholicism is the single largest church.

The Protestant heritage of separation led to diversity, which in turn contributed to the vast array of denominations within it.

This concludes the introduction to this religion. If you have more to add then don't hesitate to share it with us.

Next up is "Quakerism".

Good morning everyone. The next up is Quakerism. The only thing I know about Quakers is their Quaker Oats with different flavors. I have it occassionally for breakfast. So today I will learn more. If you have more to share then don't hesitate to jot it down here in the thread. Educate us!

QUAKERISM

Quakers, a Christian group, are also known as the Society of Friends; members are called Friends. It is said that the name Quaker came about through Justice Bennet of Deby, England, who called them that because they believed man theoretically should "tremble at the word of God." George Fox, a nonconformist religious reformer, founded the movement in the seveteenth century in England. He had a vision and heard a voice that told him, "There is one, even Jesus Christ, who can speak to thy condition," which motivated him to become a preacher.

He believed in a "inner Light" - the presence of God's spirit within each individual.

The existence of the "inner Light" means that everyone has direct access to God. Fox reasoned that there was no need to have a church or priest to act as a go-between. Nor did people need elaborate rituals, creeds, dogmas, or even to dress up in church garments.

None of this sat well with Oliver Cromwell, the Congregationalist leader who had overthrown the English monarchy and ruled the country as a Lord Protector in the mid-seventeenth century. As a result, Fox and his followers were persecuted by Cromwell's puritanical government.

A philosophy of intense concern for others is a bulwark of the Quaker movement. Early quakers advocated for an end to slavery and the improvement in the treatement and conditions in mental health institutions and penitentiaries.

When the Quakers came to the United States, they didn't fare any better than they had at home. They were looked at as witches, and many hanged. They evenually settled in Rohode Island, known for its religious tolerance, but they soon gravitated to New Jersey and especially to Pennsylvania, whose founder, William Penn, ws himself a Quaker and a friend of George Fox.

The Revolutionary War sparked resentment against the Quakers again because they refused to pay military taxes or to join in the fighting. Some of them were even exiled. After the war their attitudes towar helping improve society and the people in it gained ground.

Quaker organizations sprang up in opposition to slavery and poverty, and as early as the 1780s were active in helping escaped slaves travel safely north to freedom - the beginning of what would come to be known as the "Underground Railroad."

In the 1830s , Levi Coffin, a Quaker who lived in Indiana and later in Ohio, was instrmental in helping thousands of slave to freedom on the Underground Railroad. While there were many abolitionists of all faiths in the United States, the Quakers as a group are particularly noted for their work toward manumission - the emancipation of slaves.


What a great story I must add. I like the Quakers!


more to come...

Smiless, Im a little confused on this one. Yes I tend to believe that he did indeed wed Mary Magdalene. At least I feel that is plausible and he did have children or a child by her before his alleged death but Barabbas? Are we talking about the same Barabbas as the one that the people called for his release instead of Jesus? Im not really sure I am following you?

I wish I knew myself, but it is hard to tell of such events that happened over 2000 years ago.

Here are some choices:


Some say that Jesus's full name was Jesus Bar-Abbas.

Some say he was a criminal to be executed on the same day as Jesus, but was released.

Some say that it was used as a parabel because Bar-Abbas means that we are that person - the sinner - and Jesus spared our life from execution as he did it for us to forgive our sins and wrongs.

Some say he was a seperate person trialed for crimes and his name so happens to be Jesus Bar-Abbas at the same time Jesus of Nazareth was imprisoned.

Then in the book "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, there is an idea that Barabbas is son of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.


Here on this site are more possiblities: http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/2329/Barabbas.html

Yeah I have never heard that before and I pulled this from Wiki.

This article is about the biblical character Barabbas.

"Give us Barabbas!", from The Bible and its Story Taught by One Thousand Picture Lessons, 1910 In the Christian narrative of the Passion of Jesus, Barabbas, according to about five of the thousands of Greek texts Jesus bar-Abbas, "son of the father", was the insurrectionary whom Pontius Pilate freed at the Passover feast in Jerusalem.

It depends if you are interpreting the story literally or not and that is often argued by Evangelical Christians. If you take it literally, then Barabbus was a prisoner at the same time as Jesus so could hardly have been his son. I dont take any of this literally of course and just view it as parables and stories. I just found that statement to be confusing is all.

This is also interesting:

I highlighted the last part of the paragraph for you to read concerning the son of Jesus. If it is true is for you to decide


The true aftermath has several possibilities. Jesus was undoubtedly removed from his tomb by the morning of the third day. Unfortunately for all their planning, Jesus, still seriously hurt, was unable to lead his followers into Jerusalem. Instead, he may well have been taken to Egypt, specifically Alexandria -- where, at about the same time, the sage Ormus is said to have created the Rose-Croix by amalgamating Christianity with earlier, pre-Christian mysteries. According to certain Islamic and Indian legends, Jesus eventually died, at a ripe old age, somewhere in the east -- possibly in Kashmir. At least one modern scholar has made a persuasive argument that Jesus died at Masada when the fortress fell to the Romans in AD 74 -- by which time he would have been approaching his eightieth year. His wife, Mary Magdalen, may well have fled the country, and in fact landed in Southern France. With her, she would have carried the Holy Grail -- or "Blood Royal".

Remember Barabbas? The one spared in lieu of Jesus? Some scholars consider the term to be a corruption of Jesus Berabbi. "Berabbi" was a title reserved for the highest and most esteemed rabbis and was placed after the rabbi's given name, as it may have been done in Matthew's Gospel. Alternatively, "Jesus Barabbas" might originally have been "Jesus bar Rabbi" -- literally, "Jesus, son of the Rabbi".

There is no record anywhere that Jesus's father was a rabbi, but if Jesus had a son named after himself, that son would indeed have been "Jesus bar Rabbi". Furthermore, rabbis were expected, as a matter of course, to marry and have children. If Jesus was a rabbi, it would have been very unusual for him to remain childless. It is also noteworthy that, in Matthew's Gospel, Barabbas is described as a "notable prisoner", which would be true if Barabbas was the son and heir apparent of Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Such a situation would account for the crowd of Jews, which when given the choice between the two, would consider the dynasty more important than the individual, and thus ask for the release of the son. Would not a people, faced with the dreadful choice, prefer to see their king sacrificed in order that his offspring and his line might survive. If the line survived, there would at least be hope for the future.

Thus it would seem that a son, a "Blood Royal", could have accompanied his mother, the wife of Jesus to safety in the South of France.


website - http://www.halexandria.org/dward229.htm


For me it kind of leads to the Templar Knights and their attempts to save such items as the holy grail as of other items that Jesus once used and somehow smuggled it back to Europe. Perhaps there is a connection there. Of course for most this is only a conspiracy, yet who knows what to believe these days.

Well this would certainly lend more credence to the fact that he married Mary Magdalene and had children by her. Of course you wont get a lot of support from most Christians on that theory.

If you order this book you will read the author's reasons why they believe Bar-Abbas was the son of Jesus.

"The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln.


If this is true perhaps the children where told to keep their mouths shut and run from the country so they wouldn't also get persecuted.

And in the end the children of Jesus lived a quiet life in a foreign country where their mother or without.

Who knows? I know for most devoted Christians this is all faulty information, but for a few this is what they believe in.

Yes this is interesting. Thanks for pointing that out.

Hmm. Well its hard to know. Maybe its not intended to be taken literally that he was actually the biological father of Barabbas but I definitely feel that he had children by Mary Magdalene either in or out of wedlock.

Well I can share that feeling with you on this and if it is to be true then it is to bad that Jesus couldn't have stayed alive to see his children grow up to be young adults.

In the end it is a great big mystery, yet for some it isn't as they are certain what is written in the bible is the accurate account of everything.

So be it. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs in today's society. Fortunately that is

Yeah. Im pretty sure the bible indicates that Barabbas was a prisoner at the same time Jesus was also incarcerated and that the people wanted Barabbas released instead because he promised to buy a lot of alcohol. Its not like we had Maury Povich there at the time running DNA tests for paternity.

Central Beliefs for Quakerism

Quakers are one of the least ritualized religions, Spiritual soul searching is a common element, culminating in a mutual closeness with God. Much stress is made on the "inner Light," which has mystical aspects to it in the members recieve an immediate sense of God's presence.

Meetings are held to worship God and wait for his word. Generally, members will sit in a circle or a square, facing each other. In some American meetings there may be a pastor to lead it. Sometimes the meetings are silent. At others, members express a new understanding that has come to them. Incidentally, men and women are equal in the faith. Whenever a "message" comes out of these meditations that might require action, it is put ot the group, considered, and if there is consensus, then they act on it. The action to be taken generally has a strong social bias to it; something has to be put right irrespective of the consequences to the group or individual members. Thus, courage and conviction are paramount.

Quakers have no stated creed or ritual, but they do have an agreement regarding the losophy and beliefs of the faith: Worship is an at of seeking; not asking; the virtues of moral purity, integrity, honesty, simplicity, and humility are to be sought after; there shall be concern for the suffering and unfortuante; and true religion is a personal encounter with God. Quakers refuse to take oaths. they believe that one should tell the truth at all times, therefore an oath is irrelevant.

they feel that taking an oath implies that there are two types of truthfulness: one for ordinary life and aother for special occasions.

The individuality of Quakers comes out in the beleif, or not, of life after death. Very few believe there is eternal punishment in hell. They see all life as sacramental with no difference between the secular and the religious. No one thing or activity is any more spiritual than any other.

Baptism, in accepted sense, is not a practiced sacrament; Quakers believe in the "inward baptism of the Holy Spirit" (Epheisans 4:4-5)

In short, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit and reading from the Bible are stressed. Outward rits are rejected, as is an ordained ministry. The Society is grounded in the exprience of God and the philosophy that God is in everyone, which tyey believe informs conscience and redirects reasons.

While the experience of this inner guide is mystical, it is also practical. Meetings to worship God and await his word are essential to quaker faith and practice. Anyone can go to a Quaker meeting.

more to come...

Now that is what I would have done myself. Promise alot of drinks and good food to have my ass saved from being nailed on wood

Although I like the history of the Quakers and their view on how they see things, I can't help but laugh here for a moment.

Can you imagine a group of Quakers gathering together sitting in a circle like druids would in Ireland and they remain silent? Then suddenly one jumps up and says, "I feel something!" The others instantly join and the man goes, "Oh sorry false alarm. A salamander went up my leg."

So they all sit back down silently trying to feel the mystical sensations of God.

Then suddenly one jumps up and says, "I feel words entering my head. There is salvation for all of us. We are forgiven!"

They all jump up and say, "Yes, yes I feel it to." Then they start doing the running man that MC Hammer was so famous for in his days.





but in the end I like Quakers. They have a good history, especially how they risked their lives trying to get slaves up north away from the southern states. There stance on peace and not wanting to pay for military endeavors, and their rules of not being so strict concerning their faith.

Very nice

Thats what I would have done also. I would have lied and said whatever I had to more than likely. Crucifixion was a bad way to go, no doubt. I wont sit here and lie about that.

Quite possibly they were the same individual. Jesus Christ and Jesus Barabbas were one and the same person. The Jews wanted the real Jesus released, but the Romans crucified him anyway.

Quakerism in Today's World

Meetings are held all year in North America. These include: Friends, United Meeting, about fourteen meetings each year; Friends General Conference, some 500 meetings; and Evangelical Friends International and the Friends World Committee for Consultation, which is a international group in London, England.

Quakers have practically and visually contributed to the promotion of tolerance, peace, and justice more than most any other Christian denomination. In 1947, the Society of Friends was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It was awarded to the American Friends Serive committee and the (British) Friends Service Council for the active work in ministering to refugees and victims of famine.


Quakers also in the nineteenth century founded such colleges as Earlham, Haverford, and Swarthmore. Indivudal Friends founded Bryn Mawr College, Cornell University, and Johns Hopkins University. Quaker schools tend to emphasize science.

This is all I have for the Quakers. I enjoyed it and I hope you did also. If you have more information on Quakers then please share it with us.

So now we come to the last Christian denomination that I will write about. I am sure there are more out there and if you know about it then don't hesitate to post it in this thread. Educate us!

Next up "Unitarian Universalist Association."