About sins and Excommunication

[Azunite]

So, Christian faith says that if you confess your sins to a priest, your sins are erased.
And in Medieval times, Pope could excommunicate a country ?
Do you think that is really possible ?

In Islam, they say "No man on earth ( priests ) has the privilage of God" thereffore you have no authority to ban someone from religion or excommunicate a country.

Christians and Atheists out there, what do you think ?

[Sage]

So, Christian faith says that if you confess your sins to a priest, your sins are erased.
I'm pretty sure that's limited to catholicism, I don't know of any protestant denominations that use the confession thing.

And in Medieval times, Pope could excommunicate a country ?
It's been a while since I've studied medieval history. I know individuals could be excommunicated but I'm not sure about entire countries. I know during the Great Schism, when there were multiple popes, each excommunicated all the followers of the others.

Do you think that is really possible ?
That the pope can excommunicate people? Uh, sure. It's happened. Excommunication, to my knowledge anyway, simply means you're no longer part of the church. I don't believe in Christianity so any spiritual or supernatural consequences are beyond me.

In Islam, they say "No man on earth ( priests ) has the privilage of God" thereffore you have no authority to ban someone from religion or excommunicate a country.
Well, Islam isn't Catholicism.

[huginnmuninn]

Well, Islam isn't Catholicism.

are you sure

[Sage]

are you sure

Uh, yes. They're two separate religions.

[darkwoon]

So, Christian faith says that if you confess your sins to a priest, your sins are erased.
Confession does not exist in every Christian tradition - Catholics or Lutherians do it, but others don't.
And your sins are not erased - they are forgiven, which is quite different.

And in Medieval times, Pope could excommunicate a country ?
Do you think that is really possible ?
I see no incompatibility between both notions. You are not necessarily excommunicated following a sin, but you can be, for example, if you do not follow the rituals of that Church.

Do not forget that popes are not divinities - they are men who, at various points of history, abused their spiritual power as a political one. Mass excommunications happened usually during schisms or during wars against the Pope himself. I don't really think it ever was theologically sound to excommunicate whole populations like that - and in fact, such decisions were often ignored or reversed at a later date.

In Islam, they say "No man on earth ( priests ) has the privilage of God" thereffore you have no authority to ban someone from religion or excommunicate a country.
Note that it is no different in Roman Catholicism - the Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church and the successor of St Peter, which was labelled "shepherd of the Church" by Jesus. In no way does the Pope get the "priviledge of God".

The reason why Islam never excommunicated whole populations is simply because unlike Catholicism, it has no centralized authority. But in Medieval Times, some muslim political leaders had a lot of spiritual power and used that spiritual power to order wars against populations of different religions. Just as with Catholicism, in most cases, the real reasons were purely political ones, and not related to theological grounds.

I think most civilizations used the religious excuse to justify their politics at some point of their history - excommunication in Medieval Times was just another tool in the Pope's bag of tricks to defend its own political power.

[Continuum]

And your sins are not erased - they are forgiven, which is quite different.


Pretty much the same since the sin the priest absolves is forgotten afterwards.




Do not forget that popes are not divinities - they are men who, at various points of history, abused their spiritual power as a political one. Mass excommunications happened usually during schisms or during wars against the Pope himself. I don't really think it ever was theologically sound to excommunicate whole populations like that - and in fact, such decisions were often ignored or reversed at a later date.


Abuse it or not, medieval kings and emperors still allow the pope to exercise the power they have on their people. I believe that if a king was excommunicated from the church, then his people will to, and will be a target of *self* righteous paladin states and confused partisans.