Questions tagged [religious-practice]
Outward practice of one's religion in worship or prayer expressed through rituals and ceremonies.
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In the Catholic Church, does the private Act of Contrition require a specific prayer?
I'm aware that there is a specific act of contrition read in confession. However, when one seeks to make a private act of contrition (such as in the case where a mortal sin has been committed but a ...
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Was the immersion in water by the hand of others, a part of joining Christianity?
Was the immersion in water by the hand/s of others (such as the pastor's) for joining Christianity, already practiced in the time of Jesus in Judea (or right after), or was it something relatively new?...
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The priest/preacher's prayer before the sermon/homily -- what is it and why do the ECLA (and others) do it?
Tried to put the gist of this in the subject.
Often in my tradition (ELCA), the preacher will say a quick prayer before preaching; often it's the "May the words of my mouth.." prayer, or ...
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Why are the Trappist monks vegetarians?
I was reading about American prisoner Clayton Fountain and then stumbled upon the Trappists who are vegetarians. Generally, as a Baptist and having many Catholic friends, I don't see any vegetarian ...
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What is the origin of the "Fire Tunnel" ritual at Bethel Church?
According to Wikipedia:
Bethel Church is an American non-denominational hyper-charismatic megachurch in Redding, California with over 11,000 members. The church was established in 1952 and is ...
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Why did the Jansenists practice such harsh penances?
If the Jansenists did not deny the gratuity of grace, thinking grace cannot be earned or merited, why did they practice penances sometimes considered harsh?
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What is the origin of closing one's eyes during prayer?
I have been a Christian since my youth, but I have never received a satisfactory answer to this question.
Why must a Christian close their eyes during prayer?
In large services in the west, (I am not ...
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What are the meaning of and the biblical basis for the practice of pleading the blood of Jesus in prayer?
I've heard people say this phrase in prayer many times. A simple Google search for the exact phrase "plead the blood of Jesus" confirms that this is the case, returning about 280,000 hits (...
user50422
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What are the historical and scriptural reasons why women are prohibited and/or discouraged from wearing pants in some churches?
Note: I'm little surprised that this question had not been asked before.
I've noticed that some churches place more emphasis on the issue of modesty than others. In more exaggerated cases, some ...
user50422
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What practices are prohibited by Protestant churches but not explicitly prohibited by the Bible?
I would like examples of practices that are prohibited by Protestant churches (consider only Protestant churches that accept the Westminster Confession of Faith) but are not explicitly prohibited in ...
user51445
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Would an actual Christian (in the 1920s or today) actually make a "prayer sign" like this in this context?
In the Charlie Chaplin film "The Kid" (1921), there is a scene where his character, who is apparently supposed to be Christian, is being threatened with violence by a thug. As he walks ...
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Which sects of Christianity recite verses of God and prostrate to God during the night?
I'm looking that this verse if Quran.
Āl ʿImrān:13
They are not (all) equal. Of the population of the Book (Or: Family of
the Book; i.e., the Jews and Christians) is an upright nation (who)
recite ...
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How common is it to fast for 40+ days among Christians?
I recently watched a testimony that reports the results of a 40-day water/juice fast (no food). The individual claims to have been addicted to drugs for 22 years, including marijuana, cocaine, ...
user50422
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What is the biblical basis for switching between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as recipients during prayer?
I've noticed that some Christians seem to switch the recipient of their prayer as they pray. For example, they may begin their prayer by addressing the Father, but at some point they suddenly switch ...
user50422
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Why do Christians stand when we sing?
In my experience, every church I've either been in or seen recorded ask the congregation to stand when they sing. Without having done a scientific study, it seems this is a near-universal practice ...
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How to light incense like a pro?
So, perhaps needless to say, we've been WFHing a lot lately, and maybe you're like me, finishing up Exodus 90, super sick of cold showers, but not needing to go out much... And maybe your wife bought ...
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Is there a Bible-verse, what says that one must not quote the bible all the time? [closed]
Can someone advice me please. I have an acquaintance who is highly religious and reads and quotes bible verses and prays almost all the time, many hours in a row. Is there any bible verse, with what ...
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Can a Catholic eat the food prepared for the Muslim Eid al-Adha?
I am a Catholic living in a Muslim country> All meat and stuff is halal according to their practice. When they offer Sacrifice on Eid can I consume the meat they send me?
Since I believe it’s not a ...
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According to Catholicism, what is needed to perform an exorcism?
Can one perform an exorcism on oneself? What is needed to perform a proper exorcism, ward off demons, cleansing and blessing a house or area?
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Was the Gathering Relics of Holy Men in 1st Century common in the Early Church?
I am hoping to understand or know if Jesus' apostles would have had gathering relics of something like the crucifixion in mind at some point when it as still possible to locate them (ex: the true ...
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Why did this frustrated person make the sign of the cross in front of me? [closed]
I was working in the bakery of a supermarket. One day, I was helping a customer with something. She wanted a pumpkin pie. It wasn't available on the floor. So, I went to the freezer and found a frozen ...
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What is the Catholic Church's position on a divorced man attending services
I would like to join a Catholic church with my 13 year old son. I am a 47 year old man that was divorced in 2006. If I’m able to, I would like to find a Catholic church for my son and to attend ...
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How has Roman Catholic Confession changed throughout the centuries?
Currently, the common practice of confession in the U.S. is...
A person completes an examination of conscious, tells the priest how long it has been since their last confession, then they make their ...
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Do Mormons in European countries also sing patriotic American songs?
The answer to this question says about the hymnbook used by the LDS church in USA that:
The patriotic songs in the hymnbook include America the Beautiful, My
Country, 'Tis of Thee, The Star-...
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When did the Latin Catholic Church begin to generally require fasting only one hour prior to the Eucharist?
According to Wikipedia's article on eucharistic discipline, the Latin rite of Catholicism requires only one hour of fasting before the Eucharist (cf. Canon 919 §1), but that prior to 1955, the fasting ...
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Who are the hypocrites associated with fasting in the Didache?
The early Christian teaching Didache states that Christians should not fast like the hypocrites:
Your fasts must not be identical with those of the hypocrites. They fast on Mondays and Thursdays; ...
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What are the first references to a tradition of fasting before partaking of the Lord's Supper?
I recently learned that in Roman Catholicism, it's expected that partakers of the Eucharist will fast for at least an hour. Canon 919, §1 reads:
A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist ...
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What part do Monks play in the Christian church?
I'm really interested in the practices of monks, one of which is being quite confined from society.
I very much respect their practices and am curious to know what fruits they bear in the Christian ...
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When did Jesus preach from inside a building?
Are there any documents were he preached publicly inside? Is there a map of the points where he talked?
user33627
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Is it appropriate (as a Catholic) to make the sign of the cross when passing an Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox or Church of the East church?
It is an old tradition in Catholicism to make the sign of the cross when passing a Catholic church, as a sign of respect to the Eucharist contained in the tabernacle, located within the Church.
I am ...
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What was the amount of bread and wine used when Jesus did communion?
I could imagine that times then were hard and food somewhat scarce. A whole loaf of bread divided equally would be a small meal and a bottle of wine could serve well to wash down the bread. I could ...
user33627
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How do I clean, iron and fold purificators? [closed]
I have taken on Sacristan duties at an Anglican place of worship. What are the best techniques for cleaning, ironing and folding purificators - the clothes used to wipe the chalices/cups when wine is ...
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Laurentian Litany - How pray it?
During a prayer service in our Church, we sang the Laurentian Litany to Our Lady. Does someone knows if there exist any rules that say how the litany should be prayed (ex: standing up during ...
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Is there, or was there, a Christian denomination that believes, or believed, that Jesus Christ was "just a normal human"? [closed]
I have met several people that came in contact with Christianity as adults. Their perception is that Christ was a human preacher that voiced his concerns in a time of corruption, abuse by authorities, ...
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Can I take notes during a mass?
I was raised roman catholic for the first 13 years of my life. The rest I spent agnostic of religion after I read the bible. Books like Leviticus made me very upset. Now I heard that this doesn't ...
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What are the Roman Catholic pilgrimages in Northern America?
In France there are several "formal" and organised catholic pilgrimage each year to Lourdes, Chartres, Vezelay for boy-scouts and other shrines that occures a few times, sometimes even once a year and ...
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Did John Calvin discourage harmonies in congregational singing?
In many traditional Reformed churches, the songs found in hymnbooks and psalters (collections of Psalms set to music) are written with four parts: a melody/soprano line on the top, and alto, tenor, ...
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Why did Augustine attempt to stop Christians from walking barefoot?
In The Confessions, Augustine relates the story of an ascetic named Alypius who "tamed his body" to such an extent that "he went barefoot on the icy soil of Italy" (IX.vi). Henry Chadwick notes:
...
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What do Christianity and Judaism have in common? [closed]
Most Christians relate to Judaism more than to Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism, or any other religion. So, my question is, what do Christianity and Judaism have in common so as to make them so related to ...
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What is the origin of hands lifting in worship?
You don't need to go far to agree that raising hands while singing and worshiping (with music or prayer) is a big Christian tradition.
I've always thought that this was some reference to Psalm 134.2:
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What is an overview of arguments given by churches that allow women to plait their hair to support that practice? (1 Peter 3:1-6)
Consider this passage from 1 Peter 3,
1 Peter 3:1-6 KJV Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the ...
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Are there any Tridentine Rite Catholic communities that also use the Liturgical Calendar of 1970?
The Roman Catholic Church has two Liturgical Forms of Mass in usage at the moment: The Ordinary Form of the Mass (of Pope Paul VI) and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (of Pope Pius V).
Usually ...
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Prior to Exodus 3:5, was it customary to take off one's shoes on sacred ground?
In the King James version of the Bible, Exodus 3:5, we read,
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy
feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
We are ...
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Are crucifixes used in Protestant churches in Germany?
I want to know if Protestant churches and chapels in Germany have crucifixes with Jesus depicted on them, or just empty crosses.
Correct me if I am mistaken, because I am ignorant of christian ...
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What is the biblical basis for "March for Jesus" or "Jesus Day"?
As a Christian, I believe that the scripture contains the basis for all the activity that I, as a member of the Church, need to get involved.
Of course, we can't find all kind of Christian activity ...
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Is there any theological reason that Eastern Orthodox clergy tend to maintain long beards?
I have minimal familiarity with the Eastern Orthodox tradition, but I can typically guess by seeing a photo that a person is an Eastern Orthodox clergyman.
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What is the purpose of asceticism?
Christians have been practicing asceticism for thousands of years. Why? I would prefer sources from before the Great Schism. If not are available I will accept Orthodox teaching from after that time.
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When and why did Protestantism begin moving away from liturgy?
I have been to some Protestant churches that have a liturgy on Sunday mornings (Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc) but most of the churches I've attended do not (Baptist, Assembly of God, etc). By liturgy,...
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What is the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God?
What is an overview of the practices, doctrines, and goals of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God that distinguish it from other Evangelical and Pentecostal groups active in Latin America?
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Why do Anglicans kneel when Catholics would stand?
During the liturgy in both churches, there are several times (for example, at the Collect, just before the first reading) when a prayer is introduced by words, "Let us pray." At those times, we ...
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