Arian Catholicism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Arian Catholicism is an Internet Church claiming to teach true Christianity. The church is Arian in nature but not Anomoean and follows the teachings of Arius of Alexandria - that Jesus was a man to be followed, not worshipped, who was the spiritual Son of God. God the Father and God the Son were not co-eternal, nor of the same substance. Arian Catholics believe that Christianity was hijacked during the fourth century; that the Romans integrated Christianity with Paganism and the Roman State; the Romans introduced Trinitarianism, altering the ecumenism of the church; and that the Romans destroyed scriptures that were not in keeping with the newly authorised beliefs[citation needed].

According to their website, the official symbol of the Arian Catholic Church is the Chi-Rho cross, in preference to the crucifix or the other types of cross.

"Chi-Rho" A symbol of Early Christianity and modern Arian Catholicism
"Chi-Rho" A symbol of Early Christianity and modern Arian Catholicism

Arian doctrine was historically deemed heresy by Trinitarian Christians, but the Arian Catholic Church likewise deem Trinitarian Christians to be heretics and apostates.

Contents

[edit] Historical background

Arian Catholicism claims to be based on the early Catholic Church, and especially some of the teachings of Arius, who taught, among other things, that Christ was not of the same substance, i.e. not co-substantial, with God and therefore was not God, and did not exist before he was born on earth and therefore was not co-eternal with God, seeing the pre-incarnate Jesus as a divine being but nonetheless created by (and consequently inferior to) the Father at some point, before which the Son did not exist.[1] Arius concluded that Jesus Christ was not an eternal being ('Once there was a time when he was not'). Other theologians and bishops have argued along similar grounds resulting in the religious concepts of Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, Monophysitism/Eutychianism, Monothelitism.

Although such views did not become the 'orthodox' view in Christianity, they continued to be held throughout history. For example, in early 18th century Britain (1707 - 1747) there was a strong Arian movement within the Church of England. Its leading exponents, William Whiston and Samuel Clarke, were among the prominent scientists of the day and disciples of Sir Isaac Newton in both their scientific and their theological views, believing that Christianity had gone astray in the 4th century, accepting scripture as embodying divinely given truth, but interpreting it not so much with the aid of tradition as with that of reason, characteristic of the emerging scientific age. They found themselves impelled in a broadly Arian direction[citation needed]. However there is no known connection between any of these historical figures and the contemporary Arian Catholic Church.

[edit] Arian Catholic ministry

The Arian Catholic Church's Internet site states that it has an active clergy base and maintains a Global Internet Diocese, which serves people around the world through the Internet.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^  Ecclesiastical Law and Liturgy of the Arian Catholic Church, http://www.holy-catholic.org/arian/liturgical_lore.html
  2. ^  Brother John Raymond: “Arianism Versus the Council of Nicaea,” http://www.monksofadoration.org/arianism.html
  3. ^  Maurice Wiles: “Arianism,” Hastings, Mason and Pyper: “The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought,” Oxford University Press, (2000), Page 38.
  4. ^  F. Paul Peterson: “Peter’s Tomb Discovered In Jerusalem,” (1960).
  5. ^  B.M. Metzger, M.D. Coogan, "The Oxford Companion to the Bible," Oxford University Press, (1993), Page 57.
  6. ^  Project Canterbury, The Seventh General Council and the Doctrine of Icons, Conference in the Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster, December 2, 1918. London: SPCK, 1919.
  7. ^  Hermann Fulda, author of “The Cross and Crucifixion.”

[edit] See also

[edit] External links