Be careful about works-based theology (did I do good enough? Am I sinning too much? Can I lose my salvation?)
The Bible declares the good works of men as pleasing to God as if they were soiled rags (literally menstrual rags).
Accepting Jesus as Lord of your life and believing in His Resurrection ensures your place in heaven. The reason Christians sin less (or should sin less), is because they understand that Jesus has paid the penalty for their sin with His own death on a cross. Continuing to sin runs up the bill even higher, and you wouldn't want to do that to someone who's essentially paid the ransom for your eternal soul.
Additionally, if you follow God's commandments, you'll avoid a great many pitfalls in life. Ex. You're less likely to catch STDs if you only have sex with your spouse.
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by [b]my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [c]dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made [d]perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was [e]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Right. This means that if you have real faith, you will feel an obligation to do the work Jesus would want you to do.
If you say you have faith, but don't do the work, then did you really have faith to begin with?
It is faith that saves, and a consequence of true faith is works. It is not the works that save, because we can see a lot of people without faith do good works, and they definitely will not be saved without faith in Jesus.
In my view, Catholics can still meet the requirements for salvation, which the Apostle Paul and Silas stated in the book of Acts:
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Caring about things having Pagan origins is kinda overrated. See Paul's words concerning food sacrificed to idols. It's okay to feel that way, but let your kids have their damn Christmas presents even if the origins of the holiday are more or less married to the similar pagan thing.
Orthodox Christian here. NO. The nimbus is ancient and depicts the divine light. This is hidden from us in our day-to-day but is spiritual reality. It was shown to the disciples at Mount Tabor, for example. But Jesus Christ is the Light and the Life. It is truth that is being depicted in holy icons, not random pagan traditions. That nimbus points to Jesus Christ and nowhere else.
(Orthodox Christianity included Rome for 1000 years before they started changing their faith and left the other Churches, which all stayed together and united in confessing the same Faith, and icons depicting saints with nimbuses is ancient practice right back to the beginning of Christianity, so that is why I am answering from an Orthodox perspective when you said Catholic.)
The crescent moon symbol is a hold over from early idol and moon worship cults. Mohamed unified the idol worship by moving the idols to Mecca and placing them in the Kaaba.
Be careful about works-based theology (did I do good enough? Am I sinning too much? Can I lose my salvation?)
The Bible declares the good works of men as pleasing to God as if they were soiled rags (literally menstrual rags).
Accepting Jesus as Lord of your life and believing in His Resurrection ensures your place in heaven. The reason Christians sin less (or should sin less), is because they understand that Jesus has paid the penalty for their sin with His own death on a cross. Continuing to sin runs up the bill even higher, and you wouldn't want to do that to someone who's essentially paid the ransom for your eternal soul.
Additionally, if you follow God's commandments, you'll avoid a great many pitfalls in life. Ex. You're less likely to catch STDs if you only have sex with your spouse.
Faith Without Works Is Dead [James 2:14-26]
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by [b]my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [c]dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made [d]perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was [e]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202:14-26&version=NKJV
Right. This means that if you have real faith, you will feel an obligation to do the work Jesus would want you to do.
If you say you have faith, but don't do the work, then did you really have faith to begin with?
It is faith that saves, and a consequence of true faith is works. It is not the works that save, because we can see a lot of people without faith do good works, and they definitely will not be saved without faith in Jesus.
In my view, Catholics can still meet the requirements for salvation, which the Apostle Paul and Silas stated in the book of Acts:
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.16.30-31.ESV
I may disagree with some aspects of Catholicism, but Catholics are still frens we'll see in heaven.
Caring about things having Pagan origins is kinda overrated. See Paul's words concerning food sacrificed to idols. It's okay to feel that way, but let your kids have their damn Christmas presents even if the origins of the holiday are more or less married to the similar pagan thing.
Orthodox Christian here. NO. The nimbus is ancient and depicts the divine light. This is hidden from us in our day-to-day but is spiritual reality. It was shown to the disciples at Mount Tabor, for example. But Jesus Christ is the Light and the Life. It is truth that is being depicted in holy icons, not random pagan traditions. That nimbus points to Jesus Christ and nowhere else.
(Orthodox Christianity included Rome for 1000 years before they started changing their faith and left the other Churches, which all stayed together and united in confessing the same Faith, and icons depicting saints with nimbuses is ancient practice right back to the beginning of Christianity, so that is why I am answering from an Orthodox perspective when you said Catholic.)
Different topic.
The crescent moon symbol is a hold over from early idol and moon worship cults. Mohamed unified the idol worship by moving the idols to Mecca and placing them in the Kaaba.
Actually showing the sun behind Jesus is a common artistic way of portraying that Jesus is the light, exceeding natural light in every way. Peace.
Praise the Sun!