Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Religion
Related: About this forumThe Truth About Angels in the Bible
Last week a priest appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, at the scene of a car crash in Missouri last week. He prayed with the victim, Katie Lentz, and then vanished without so much as leaving his name. The event sparked a frenzy of religious excitement. Among Christians, speculation grew that this mysterious figure was a guardian angel sent to protect the teenage girl. Bloggers were even hypothesizing about the identity of the angel himself.
When it was revealed that the angel was flesh-and-blood priest Father Patrick Dowling, the news was greeted with mild disappointment. A humble and helpful priest who wouldnt even take the credit for saving the girls life wasnt quite as flashy as the Miracle on the Highway.
What everyone seemed to agree upon was that if angels exist they are helpful supernatural entities there to shield us from harm.
But are they?
In the Bible angels are mostly errand boys, the word itself means "messenger." As Gods intermediaries they give tours of heaven to righteous visionaries like Daniel, deliver messages to Gods chosen ones, and sing eternal praises to God. There are many kinds of angels, from the familiar (the angels, archangels, cherubs) to the strangely inanimate (St. Paul opaquely talks about thrones, principalities, and powers which sounds a lot like celestial furniture).
But they have a violent streak.
The first angel mentioned in the Bible is the angel that guards the entrance to the Garden of Eden with a fiery ever-turning sword. Guardian angels are in the Bible, but theyre not there to protect us.
More at the link
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/15/the-truth-about-angels-in-the-bible.html
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
6 replies, 1636 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (0)
ReplyReply to this post
6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Truth About Angels in the Bible (Original Post)
moobu2
Aug 2013
OP
rug
(82,333 posts)1. A side note.
Angel and evangelist share the same root, angelos, meaning messenger or announcer. Add eu, good, and you get evangelist, or, messenger of good news.
LostOne4Ever
(9,288 posts)2. This reminded me of this cracked article
http://www.cracked.com/article_18757_5-things-you-wont-believe-arent-in-bible.html
Shows some depictions of how they are actually supposed to look like.
Shows some depictions of how they are actually supposed to look like.
Th1onein
(8,514 posts)3. The Angel of the Lord is always packing heat.
If you meet an angel you should probably run.
lolol!
No Vested Interest
(5,166 posts)4. The "mild disappointment" is in the eyes of the beholder.
I was quite pleased that Fr. Patrick Dowling is a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, with a brogue so pleasing to the ear.
I'd be so happy to have him appear at the scene if I were to ever be in such a situation.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)6. Here is an article about him and the accident.
dimbear
(6,271 posts)5. Some angels mean you well, some mean you harm.
Check the story of King Ahab for details. On the whole, it's a little like wild mushrooms. You're better off without.