Jesus spoke using metaphors. The coffee metaphor, like most metaphors, are limited because metaphors are not perfect; but they're able to paint a picture to help illustrate truth through a story of ideas. Analogies are not always going to be perfect. I was being excessively simple. I enjoy using very generic illustrations to help jump-start (Icebreaker) conversations (Gateway).
Did you say carnivals? Well, I was not aware of alleged association between carnivals and Christmas and Lent.
I drink coffee every morning.
Correct, Paul talked about meat offered up to idols and also unclean meats.
Why does Mary look like Diana?
In the Bible, look at how Jesus talks about his own mother, study the exact words he uses.
True, catholic means universal. However, there is a difference between generic and specific definitions to terms. There is a difference between the word "CAT" and "THE CAT" and "A CAT." There is a difference between "god" and "God." Therefore, like with anything, you have to look at the original meaning to words as they were written at the time they were written to whoever they were written and spoken to, the context, the content. There are cultural barriers, language gaps. Even reading the Bible can be hard if we don't take the time to go back in time to understand what each thing meant back in those days.
There is a difference between Christianity and Catholicism. The rise of the state-run religion of the Roman Catholic Church started rising. However, they didn't have a monopoly. There were underground churches back then as there are still to this day. The Roman Empire was forcing people to become Catholics. It was a state religion. It was required. No separation between church and state. That does not mean Christians became Catholics. It means a bunch of people were becoming Catholics but would call themselves Christians but were really Catholics and thus conflating and confusing everyone between the differences between the two. Christians continued from the days of the Apostles. Rome didn't kill all the Pre-Catholic Christians. Catholics will say they go back to Peter as the Rock of their church. But Jesus was talking about the rock being Jesus as that foundation. Catholic has two meanings, universal and the Roman Catholic Church. So, if you're talking about the more generic meaning being universal, then Catholicism is Christianity in that they are Universal. But that waters down the meaning.
Christians had the books of the Bible as they were being written. Rome forced people to enter a political-religion that is controlled by the empire or country. America brought up the separation of church and state in order to say nations should not have control over religion.
Control-freaks ran off with so many books.
Different people wrote books.
The Greek Empire is intriguing to study.
You mentioned the printing press followed with the Dark Legend and Black Legend which I'm not sure what that means or perhaps Dark Legend is a name of a book or a series of legends or myths or what have you.
Throughout history, we will find truth mixed with lies. So, I'm a History Nerd. So, I like looking at what different people have said about the different things that happened throughout World History since the dawn of time. So, I look for patterns that can help verify and confirm some of what might be more accurate regarding history. Some legends can be based on elements of reality and truth. It takes patience to isolate fallacy from the truth of the past.
I agree that western civilization was founded on top of Judeo-Christianity and as you mentioned, that includes hospitals.
Slavery happens to this day in Islamic-run countries. Islam is taking over Minnesota. Slavery happens via child sex trafficking rings run by Hollywood, globalists, politicians, celebrities who are blackmailed, etc.
Slavery has two meaning. Most people only talk about the normal meaning that slavery is when people are owned and forced to work too hard. Some slave masters and others raped and murdered slaves. But a second meaning for slave is simply servant or employee or staff. Some slave masters were not as abusive as other masters and lords. So, it depends on the kind of slavery we are talking about. Speaking of slavery, Islam has teaching on their views on women.
I agree that Christianity pushed the world away from the worse forms of slavery and towards freedoms, free markets, etc.
I know very little about Japan.
When I talk about Catholicism, I'm not talking about the individual followers but rather the leaders on top.
You say you're not Catholic and yet you are promoting Catholicism over Christianity. When you study the two, you find they are not the same. Catholicism came later on. We have to be careful with terminology because you're going back and forth between how you define Catholicism and the conflation between Catholicism and Christianity.
Long ago, some people were told they could not read the Bible by themselves. That idea is not a Christian idea. It's a Catholic idea.