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Maxim Shipenkov / EPA
Russian Orthodox Church believers stand in a line to enter the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to see a casket containing the holy belt of the Mother of God, brought to Russia from Vatopedi monastery situated on Athos Mountain in Greece, after a church service in Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 19. Greek monks brought the belt said to be the one of the Virgin Mary to Russia nearly a month earlier and finish their tour of Russia in Moscow.
According to a number of religious texts, Thomas the Apostle, or Doubting Thomas since he did not believe in the ascension of Christ until he touched Christ's wounds, also doubted the Virgin Mary's Assumption. It is said that she tossed her girdle, or what is now called a belt, that she had made from camel hair herself, to Thomas from above in order to make him believe that she had been lifted to heaven.
Today there are two parties that claim to possess the belt in its entirety: the Cathedral of Prato in Italy and the Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos in Greece. Despite the claims of both the cathedral and monastery, thousands of people come out to see both pieces when they are made available for viewings. In Italy, the belt can be seen five times per year: Easter, May 1, Aug. 15, Sept. 8 and Dec. 24. On Mt. Athos, viewings are limited only to men, so the current showing in Russia is quite special.
The shrine is said to have powers to cure barrenness and to promote good health.
Sergei Chirikov / EPA
Russian Orthodox Church priests and bishops stand in line to kiss a casket containing the holy belt of the Mother of God, in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 19.
Sergei Chirikov / EPA
Russian faithful kiss a casket containing the holy belt of the Mother of God, Nov. 19, in Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia.
Read more from Rianovosti.
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Catholics and their idiotic reliquaries (I once saw a vile of 'Mother's Milk' in a French pligrimage church) make Christianity seem like a Carnival Side Show.
AH! Here we go! You probaly go to your church every Sunday, and you think that the others are stupid just because they are going to the church across the street....Ha Ha!
We all get a little misguided sometimes, espescially when we rely on the church instead of relying on GOD's Word the BIBLE. I'm a catholic who reads her bible, and only do what the WORD of GOD says to do!! I pray for my fellow christians because the devil to busy.
Dumbass russian peasants the belt was obviously made in china!
I am sure you would kiss it too if, instead of a belt, it was the latest dumb piece of crap made in China by Steve Jobs...Won't ya!
These are not Roman Catholic. Greek or Russian Orthodox.
I can't keep track of all these holy things. Is there anyone who remembers them all?
Please look at the pictures, really look at them. How can you fault something that fills a throng of people with such reverential approbation?
Would you be more likely to respect their devotion if they were standing in line outside a Wal-Mart waiting to scratch and fight their way to the front in order to get the latest iPhone or XBox?
It's about the same thing. Worship of "things", "stuff".
Casket kissing? The casket contains a camel hair belt? These are graven images. Mary is/was human...NOT God.
This is not worship of the Savior.
More of fan club idolism than being faithful.
Or just living without reading and meditating on GOD's word, catholics do it most all christians do it. We need to start putting the WORD of GOD first place, instead of tradition.
And all of you need to read and see how other people in the world do not give a rat's ass about your God. They are happy and content with their God, and they will keep on kissing boxes and other things as they wish to do so.
And the Word of GOD says that these people will continue on kissing boxes and other things up until our LORD and SAVIORS return. Jesus said just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be the last days. People giving in marriage, and drinking when the flood waters came.
We Catholics believe in miracles. Is that so bad?
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/misc/angels_demons.htm
Go to YouTube and enter "Incorruptibles".
There's nothing wrong in believing in miracles, but this is idol worshiping, plain and simple. I'm catholic, but the WORD of GOD comes first, and there's nothing in the bible about the belt of Mary or Mary being the mother of GOD.
I'm not Catholic, but Isn't it a prerequisite that Catholics believe Mary to be the mother of God?
No it isn't, the nicene creed that's read in every Catholic church states our beliefs. Google it, i belief in the bible, the living WORD of GOD Jesus Christ my LORD.
There is no such thing as a dead atheist.
I am a Russian student in the US. Every other week the missionaries knock at my door trying to force me to believe that Darvin's evolution theory is false or, since an ovulated egg is a human being, women shouldn't do abortions. What I read here is just another example of typically American disdain towards non-American cultures and beliefs; and russophobia is institutionalized in this country. Just ignore them, if they confront you, simply be good Christians and forgive these neanderthals.
Thank you Margarita...You hit the nail on the head. Most of the "Christians" here are not different than the extremist muslims..Shoving their religion down our throats.
If it is not their "religion" then it is just garbage, and they are offensive and rude.
I just hope that they remember that it was one truly religious man: Thomas Jefferson, who decided that religion and politics SHOULD NOT MIX....and they should keep their hate religion away from the rest of us.
Hate religion? If it wasn't for religious persecutions, the United States wouldn't exist. Personally each Chrsitian have their own walk with JESUS and where they are at is solely dependent upon their time spent in pray and reading the word. Some christians are rude, but not all.
Why are people arguing about this? It is religion, belief, whether it is silly or not, people have different beliefs concerning the supernatural. What is the point?
If we are all children of God.... what makes Jesus so special? We should all be so special. In fact, because I feel so special, I took off my belt and mailed it to the Vatican. Do you think anyone will kiss my belt?
Jesus is what makes us special. Apart from GOD we're not special. We're special because GOD said we are special, GOD sent his Son to reconcile back to HIM. Thru GOD's love for us we are SPECIAL!!
Just look at their acts, how they treat others. I wouldn't get hung up on
particulars. History is hard to know, but if today and every day here after is
filled with Love, Kindness and Generosity I think those who abide by these
statues are most definitely on the right track and with God.
And it doesn't mean that those who don't share their exact beliefs are not with
God, truly there are many ways to God as we are many different peoples with
different persuasions of the mind. But our acts need to be those of Love,
Kindness and Generosity.
All The Best To Everyone!
Having read this article and comments (if it is true), I am amazed that no one has seized on the main theme, that is, there are two belts purporting to be one!
Both owners say they have the belt in it's entirety. Surely this fact, in and of itself is a miracle and indeed a great sign. I believe our illustrious leader should declare tomorrow, St. "Belt up" day, that way nobody kills anyone.
I am a Russian student in the US. Every other day the missionaries knock at my door trying to convince me that Darvin's evolution theory is false, or, since ovulated egg is a human being, women shouldn't do abortions. Most comments posted here are a good example of typically American disdain to other cultures and beliefs; moreover, russophobia is institutionalized in this country. Ignore these neanderthals, if they try to confront you then be good Christians and forgive them. Amen.
Hey ya all! Check this out. It's pretty straight forward and gives you enough to think about when it comes to kissing, or NOT kissing relics, icons, images, statues, girdles, etc. www.biblelight.net/wylie-images.htm
I see there is a lot of debate of religion vs. atheism, but I am more skeptical of religious artifacts. I had studied a lot of Renaissance art history in college and we looked at religious artifacts. When some countries went to war they'd loot religious artifacts to keep as their own. There was also an example where 3 churches were claiming to have the same religious artifact. Even back in that era there was lots of scamming and fraud associated with religious artifacts- some by merchants trying to sell to private dealers and some by the church itself.
They can believe whatever they want to believe, but I doubt that belt actually belonged to THE virgin Mary. Same with the supposed duplicate.
Mary did not ascend into heaven. She was not infallible, she is not the co-redemptrix. The Bible clearly states that there is only one mediator between God and man - Jesus Christ. Mary was a sinner just like everyone else. She herself said in her prayer after being told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to the Messiah, "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:47). Mary herself admits that she needs a Savior, and only sinners need saviors. She was a blessed woman and deserves respect and honor for the sacrifice she made to give birth to Jesus. She is not to be revered or worshiped.
These are the idiots who tell everyone how they should be living their lives.
Please, at least make an effort to understand the basic beliefs of Christianity before you attempt to comment/criticize. Mary is often referred to as the "Mother of God" because she was chosen to give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. It's called the Incarnation - God incarnate in a human form..
It's also called Christmas - you know, stable, no room at the inn, magi, baby born in a manger, singing camels (oh, wait - that was only in the claymation christmas version - sorry.)
You need to read more.
Start with the Bible and grow from there : )
Maybe they should start with an atlas...I am sure they think Russia is part of Mexico...
Perhaps not, but belief and disbelief are both states of mind and without the purest of proofs, both are mere opinions.
Christ was on Earth 40 days after the resurrection. You can see the 40-day gap on any Catholic calendar.
Actually, from a philosophical point of view, atheism is very much a matter of belief, for it is based upon a determinate belief in strict absolute materialism, and a firm belief in the superiority of man (humanism) - namely that there is no possibility for any God, Goddess, or religion in our (or any other) physical dimension. This is an intentional conviction.
If you are a skeptic of religious dogma and religion as an organization, and admit that although no one can prove the existence of God in an absolute sense, nevertheless no one can disprove the existence of God in an absolute sense. For example, in order for someone to dismiss the idea of any metaphysics all together, one would have to be knowledgeable about all facts in the universe. Clearly an examination of science and its historical development is a perfect illustration of humankind's incapacity to know absolute fact - as we unravel the "science" of our dimension we uncover "new" revelations which contradict the former scientific absolutes of the previous generation, or if you will, century. If one is completely skeptical of the possibility of anything beyond physical materialism, then one can only be an agnostic.........
Furthermore, there are many concepts of God, some are monotheistic and dominant (the Abrahamic faiths) and others are immutable and could be described as unfolding - whether the Source of all things might be energy, a willful pattern of development, or perhaps consciousness itself. Surely if "God" was the pattern or the Energy behind and within all things rather than a separate Supreme Being it would be totally foolish for an "atheist" to state absolutely that God doesn't exist. All human beings have a psychological necessity for belief, even if it is only a narcissistic belief in themselves.
There are no actual certainties - only probabilities. This is the central point of science - one can test a hypothesis only a finite number of times, and one is never 100% sure that the outcome might be altered in some manner. If you desire to dispute this, you may........however if you do, you also are denying evolution, which presupposes both inherent large and small alterations of development based upon a specific biological and chemical pattern. Of course a person can believe in all sorts of things, and have firm convictions about their own subjective truths - but the physical realm is also not an absolute one in the strictest sense, and our own myopic subjectivism implies only an experiential truth for ourselves. And when that "truth" collides with intersubjectivity or a contradiction, we can either learn and admit fault or believe in ourselves and our view stubbornly regardless of "facts".
Is it that much of a problem for those who don't have faith but still attack those who do, that are no-christian.
Those who believe and have faith, God loves you. Those who don't believe. God loves you the same.
So remember, those who have faith, love those who don't.
Appears Athiest or ( Non-Christians) are not happy when God's has attention.
I am always amazed by how people are deceived by the same journalistic trick every time! These 'stories' are only printed to promote exactly the kind of senseless debate you are all having and thus drive traffic up on the site! Look at the ads, people! Every 10 or so posts!
Me, I go with Runeberg's heresy. What is sufficient to redeem mankind; a few hours nailed to a tree or eternal damnation? I think that the latter sounds so much more plausible if you want to believe something.