Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Catholic Apologetics: Catholics don't read the bible.
Greetings and salutations.
As a Catholic, I come across many interesting and misguided questions and opinions. I usually take them in stride and answer them, or deal with them, with a smile.
I will address them as time goes on here on my blog.
Today, I will address a viewpoint given to my wife.
Catholics don't read the bible.
Where does this COME from!?!?!?!
WHO came up with the notion that Catholics, who comprise the original Christian church, don't read the bible?
This never made sense to me. Perhaps it is because we don't carry our bibles around with us?
Well, why would we need to? The day's bible readings (every Mass has three readings, an Old Testament reading, a related New Testament reading, and a related Gospel reading, as well as a homily based on said readings) are usually posted on pamphlets in the pews. No need to carry the bible.
Even this notion is wrong, since there are, in fact, MANY Catholics in the pews reading out of their own bibles.
Also, EVERY part of the Mass is based DIRECTLY on scripture. Even most of the songs and responsorials.
How does anyone figure we don't read the bible?
I really hate to do this, because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, but usually it is the Protestants who attack Catholics.
And yes, it was a protestant that made the declaration today.
Protestants, for the most part, believe Catholicism is man made. That we make up traditions and ritual to follow. That we blaspheme by not believing in Sola Scriptura, meaning we don't follow the literal interpretation of the scriptures.
Sola Scriptura.
Lets address this for a moment, even though I have an entire blog post dealing with it.
From The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministries:
Sola Scriptura is the teaching that the Scriptures contain all that is necessary for salvation and proper living before God. Sola Scriptura means that the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments (excluding the Catholic apocrypha) are the final authority in all that they address (1 Cor. 4:6) and that tradition, even so-called Sacred Tradition, is judged by Scriptures. Sola Scriptura does not negate past church councils or traditions. Those who hold to Sola Scriptura are free to consider past councils, traditions, commentaries, and the opinions of others. But, the final authority is the Scripture alone because the Scripture alone is what is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and not past church councils, tradition, commentaries, and opinions. Scripture is is above them all.
Ok, so, The Scriptures contain all that is necessary for salvation.
Fair enough.
However, protestants believe that we are "saved" through faith alone.
Yet the only time those two words are mentioned in the bible is in James 2:24:
"You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."
In James 2:20, he says:
"Faith without works is dead,"
Even Jesus himself gave us things to DO.
Help the needy.
Feed the hungry.
Shelter the homeless.
Love each other.
He never said "Yeah, you know what? Just believe in me. Thats all you need to do."
No, Jesus made people work for it. As did God throughout the Old testament. It is something that has never changed.
Lot.
Job.
Abraham.
The list goes on and on. God made people work for him, for his love. Nothing in the bible is free.
Jesus died for our sakes, to open the door to our salvation, but the work must still be done. In fact, he left us things to DO, not things to simply believe in.
If "believing" was enough, then the devil should be in heaven, as he believes in God and Jesus too.
So, Faith alone is not enough, ACCORDING to scripture.
Lets try another protestant "belief".
You are Born Again when you accept Jesus into your heart as your personal lord and savior.
Alright, look in the bible and see what it says about this.
Go ahead, I'll wait.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
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.
.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Nothing? I know, weird, right? That the written word of God, the one true means of salvation, mentions nothing about accepting Jesus into our hearts? Nor of him being a personal savior?
What it DOES say, what JESUS HIMSELF says, is that we can only be born again through water and the spirit. (John 3:5)
Water and Spirit.
Baptism. Another lame Catholic tradition.
So, neither the bible, nor Jesus, mentions ANYTHING about accepting him into our hearts as a prerequisite to being born again.
It also mentions nothing about him being a personal anything, since he was crucified for ALL our sins (not just some of us, but ALL of us).
So....... what bible are the protestants reading from that they get all this stuff from?
I mean, the bible is the word of God, no?
Unerring?
Infallible?
Completely true and should be taken literally?
Well....... not according to those very same protestant. After all, it was the protestants who decided, on their own, that some books in the bible didn't stack up, and decided to remove them. To "edit" the unerring word of God.
Silly creator of the universe. He made some errors. NOW it is perfect.
Ok, this has turned into what I didn't want it to become, an us vs. them post, and that is not the point. I have many protestant friends and love them all. My point originally was, protestants themselves are FULL of their traditions and man made doctrines. There are 30,000 protestant denominations. The beliefs/teachings of each Protestant denomination conflict with the teachings of the others, yet they all claim to be following the Bible. Truth cannot conflict with truth, and the Bible cannot conflict with itself, which is why Jesus Christ founded only ONE Church, and said it was to remain ONE. To say we don't read the bible, when the very church services we attend revolve AROUND the bible, is yet another silly protestant creation (tradition?). The person who said this to my wife is guilty of doing exactly what Jesus said NOT to do. Judging others.
And in case you are not up on your scripture readings, here it is, in his own words:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:1-5
So please be careful when it comes to a person's faith, belief, or practice. Unless you have done what they've done, been where they've been, or practiced what they have practiced, you have no idea.
Until next time, EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
As a Catholic, I come across many interesting and misguided questions and opinions. I usually take them in stride and answer them, or deal with them, with a smile.
I will address them as time goes on here on my blog.
Today, I will address a viewpoint given to my wife.
Catholics don't read the bible.
Where does this COME from!?!?!?!
WHO came up with the notion that Catholics, who comprise the original Christian church, don't read the bible?
This never made sense to me. Perhaps it is because we don't carry our bibles around with us?
Well, why would we need to? The day's bible readings (every Mass has three readings, an Old Testament reading, a related New Testament reading, and a related Gospel reading, as well as a homily based on said readings) are usually posted on pamphlets in the pews. No need to carry the bible.
Even this notion is wrong, since there are, in fact, MANY Catholics in the pews reading out of their own bibles.
Also, EVERY part of the Mass is based DIRECTLY on scripture. Even most of the songs and responsorials.
How does anyone figure we don't read the bible?
I really hate to do this, because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, but usually it is the Protestants who attack Catholics.
And yes, it was a protestant that made the declaration today.
Protestants, for the most part, believe Catholicism is man made. That we make up traditions and ritual to follow. That we blaspheme by not believing in Sola Scriptura, meaning we don't follow the literal interpretation of the scriptures.
Sola Scriptura.
Lets address this for a moment, even though I have an entire blog post dealing with it.
From The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministries:
Sola Scriptura is the teaching that the Scriptures contain all that is necessary for salvation and proper living before God. Sola Scriptura means that the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments (excluding the Catholic apocrypha) are the final authority in all that they address (1 Cor. 4:6) and that tradition, even so-called Sacred Tradition, is judged by Scriptures. Sola Scriptura does not negate past church councils or traditions. Those who hold to Sola Scriptura are free to consider past councils, traditions, commentaries, and the opinions of others. But, the final authority is the Scripture alone because the Scripture alone is what is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and not past church councils, tradition, commentaries, and opinions. Scripture is is above them all.
Ok, so, The Scriptures contain all that is necessary for salvation.
Fair enough.
However, protestants believe that we are "saved" through faith alone.
Yet the only time those two words are mentioned in the bible is in James 2:24:
"You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."
In James 2:20, he says:
"Faith without works is dead,"
Even Jesus himself gave us things to DO.
Help the needy.
Feed the hungry.
Shelter the homeless.
Love each other.
He never said "Yeah, you know what? Just believe in me. Thats all you need to do."
No, Jesus made people work for it. As did God throughout the Old testament. It is something that has never changed.
Lot.
Job.
Abraham.
The list goes on and on. God made people work for him, for his love. Nothing in the bible is free.
Jesus died for our sakes, to open the door to our salvation, but the work must still be done. In fact, he left us things to DO, not things to simply believe in.
If "believing" was enough, then the devil should be in heaven, as he believes in God and Jesus too.
So, Faith alone is not enough, ACCORDING to scripture.
Lets try another protestant "belief".
You are Born Again when you accept Jesus into your heart as your personal lord and savior.
Alright, look in the bible and see what it says about this.
Go ahead, I'll wait.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Nothing? I know, weird, right? That the written word of God, the one true means of salvation, mentions nothing about accepting Jesus into our hearts? Nor of him being a personal savior?
What it DOES say, what JESUS HIMSELF says, is that we can only be born again through water and the spirit. (John 3:5)
Water and Spirit.
Baptism. Another lame Catholic tradition.
So, neither the bible, nor Jesus, mentions ANYTHING about accepting him into our hearts as a prerequisite to being born again.
It also mentions nothing about him being a personal anything, since he was crucified for ALL our sins (not just some of us, but ALL of us).
So....... what bible are the protestants reading from that they get all this stuff from?
I mean, the bible is the word of God, no?
Unerring?
Infallible?
Completely true and should be taken literally?
Well....... not according to those very same protestant. After all, it was the protestants who decided, on their own, that some books in the bible didn't stack up, and decided to remove them. To "edit" the unerring word of God.
Silly creator of the universe. He made some errors. NOW it is perfect.
Ok, this has turned into what I didn't want it to become, an us vs. them post, and that is not the point. I have many protestant friends and love them all. My point originally was, protestants themselves are FULL of their traditions and man made doctrines. There are 30,000 protestant denominations. The beliefs/teachings of each Protestant denomination conflict with the teachings of the others, yet they all claim to be following the Bible. Truth cannot conflict with truth, and the Bible cannot conflict with itself, which is why Jesus Christ founded only ONE Church, and said it was to remain ONE. To say we don't read the bible, when the very church services we attend revolve AROUND the bible, is yet another silly protestant creation (tradition?). The person who said this to my wife is guilty of doing exactly what Jesus said NOT to do. Judging others.
And in case you are not up on your scripture readings, here it is, in his own words:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:1-5
So please be careful when it comes to a person's faith, belief, or practice. Unless you have done what they've done, been where they've been, or practiced what they have practiced, you have no idea.
Until next time, EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
So, THIS is what Jesus died for?
Greetings and salutations everyone, and happy Easter to all.
On this most joyous of Christian holidays, I present to you the exact opposite of what Jesus died for. From an article I read online today:
UGANDAN CATHOLIC EASTER MESSAGE CALLS FOR GENOCIDE OF GAYS
CATHOLIC CHURCH MESSAGE IN UGANDA - blessings to all Christians who have been working so hard to make Jinja a land free of gay persons
The Bishop of the Jinja Diocese of the Catholic Church, Bishop Rt. Rev. Fr. Charles Wamika, in today’s Easter Message delivered at St. Chalres Lwanga Catholic Church, praised the Members of Parliament for the Anti-Homosexuality Act that provides life in prison for gay (LGBTI) people in Uganda. The Bishop called for a blessing for Uganda’s Christians who worked so hard to ‘free the land of gays.’ The Bishope also asked for parents to hand over their gay children to authorities, so they would be rewarded in heaven. I would call that a statement praising and calling for a genocide.
Since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people have gone into hiding. The law, which institutionalizes homophobia and affirms the persecution of LGBTI people, has been held in esteem, the highest reverence and praised by Christian leadership in Uganda, to the point of holding rallies to reward parliamentarians and the President, Yoweri Museveni. The Ugandan Churches and Christian community, (except for a handful, who have been banished and shamed for their compassionate and affirming stance,) have led the assault against gays.
AMWe have challenged noteworthy Christian leaders such as Joel Osteen and others to come forward and condemn the law, and to distinguish their brands of Christianity from that been touted on the stages and streets of Uganda, yet none have done so.
Now a young man in hiding, challenges the Pope, Pope Francis, as the Catholic Church’s official stand in Uganda, on this Easter Sunday seems to send a message of extreme hate, exacerbating the terror felt by gays in hiding.
As this law in Uganda seems to copy the course of Nazi Germany, the scapegoating, and the forcing of a minority into camps and death, the Ann Franks of Uganda remain in terror, questioning whether the Pope will repeat the mistakes of the Catholic Church during the Hitler Holocaust?
From the voice of a young man “accused” of being gay who is in hiding in Uganda:
“The Bishop of Jinja Diocese – Bishop Rt. Rev. Fr. Charles Wamika, in today’s Easter Message delivered at St. Chalres Lwanga Catholic Church, praised the Members of Parliament for taking a stand to see to it that the Anti-homosexuality bill passed into law, he went ahead and called on the faithful to vote for President Museveni in 2016 general elections for signing the bill into law.
He reminded the Christians that, it has been a law and he sent blessings to all Christians who have been working so hard to make Jinja a land free of gay persons. He said throughout human history the catholic church has fought evil and blood has been shed, he called on all the Christians to do whatever they can in their own means to clean this city.
I am surprised that a well educated bishop, well traveled and studied in different western countries uses his position to justify killing. He asked parents with gay suspected children to handle them over to authorities and their reward is in heaven. This is too much hatred. I wonder if we will hear from the Pope on this. If not, I lose all hope.”
To my way of thinking on this Easter Sunday the Ugandan Catholic Bishop of Jinja has indeed called for the extermination of gays. I hope Pope Francis has a great Easter while Ugandan Gays have to hear this hate sputtering from his Bishops. I think this Bishop should be recalled and put to pasture. Perhaps a petition is called for. And what about an apology and a clear message from Pope Francis on this tragic issue.
Alrighty, so now, it's my turn.
This backwards thinking is what gives the Catholic church, and indeed ALL of Christianity, a bad name!! It amazes me how people, in this case a Bishop who should know better, still choose to bend and manipulate the scriptures to express their personal views and opinions.
Some points about the bible:
There are 8 Covenants. From the Covenant of Eden, through the Covenant of Moses, and finally the covenant of Christ, each covenant makes the previous one obsolete by giving the lord's followers SPECIFIC rules to follow. This is easy enough to realize by simply reading the bible.
We don't live according to the rules of the Garden of Eden.
We don't have the responsibility of fathering a nation full of children (The covenant of Abraham) nor of repopulating the Earth (The Covenant of Noah).
We are no longer required to sacrifice animals in the name of God, or even to circumcise our children in His name (the signature of the covenant of Moses).
So we DO understand that the rules of the old covenant are replaced by those of the new.
We also KNOW that Jesus came and gave his blood, the "blood of a NEW and EVERLASTING covenant". Why everlasting? Because he is seated at the right hand of the Father, where he reigns forever and ever.
Ok, so, Jesus is the priest of the final, and everlasting covenant. Yet people are still following the rules of the Mosaic covenant! And not even God's law, but the law of the Levitican priests!! Where oh where in the bible does Jesus say it is wrong to be "gay"? If someone can PLEASE show me, it would sure clear things up!
Now, it DOES say, in the Levitican law (1 of over 600 laws) that a man should not lay with another man, as he does with a woman, that it is an abomination and is punishable by death.
Ok, so, lets look at that.
The abomination is a man laying with a man as with a woman.
Laying with a man.
Interesting how it says nothing about a man being emotionally in love with another man like he is with a woman.
Emotions are never mentioned.
Just the act.
So, when is the act of man on man sex done without involving feelings and emotions?
Probably the same way it is with a man and a woman.
It is called rape.
And back in the days that the old testament was recording, it was a common ocurrance for men to rape other men in order to break them and establish dominance over them. Usually an invading and conquering army would rape the conquered. Other times, the men from one village would want at any visiting men, not because they were gay, but because they wanted to show the visitors who was boss.
If you don't believe me, look it up. It is common in secular history of the area (and still quite common in prisons around the world today.)
You can also look it up in the bible.
Genesis 19:5
They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
This took place in Sodom and Gomorrah, when the two angels came to warn Lot that he had to leave because the city was being destroyed.
So, right there in the bible it mentions men wanting to rape other men.
Not exactly gay behavior, since rape is NEVER consentual.
Considering the reputation this city had, it would make ALL the sense in the world for the Levitican Priests to want to ban such behavior.
Sodomy/rape is still considered an abomination today.
However, this is not what this bishop is talking about.
He is talking about "Gay" people. An altogether different animal.
Being gay or lesbian, means having feelings and emotions toward someone who is of the same sex.
Is it unnatural? Perhaps. After all, nature (Or God, depending on how you look at it) specifically made man and woman compatible for mating.
But again, mating and love are two altogether different animals as well.
So, ok, back to the bible. So, Christ's Covenant, the reason he died, abolished the previous covenant.
In Christ'as covenant he has 2 commandments.
1)Love God above all things.
2)Love each other as we love ourselves. Indeed, love each other as Jesus himself loved us.
And he summed up all the prophets and all the laws with the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.
So, as Christians (followers of Christ, not of Moses, Abraham, Noah, etc), where does Jesus talk about murdering and slaughtering people who are different?
This Bishop is a disgrace to the cloth, and to the church. I understand the social views of his country, but he is a CATHOLIC Bishop. He is responsible for following and teaching CATHOLIC law
I do not want to judge, since Jesus warned us against that as well, but...... well, there you have it.
EXCELSIOR......... and God bless.
On this most joyous of Christian holidays, I present to you the exact opposite of what Jesus died for. From an article I read online today:
UGANDAN CATHOLIC EASTER MESSAGE CALLS FOR GENOCIDE OF GAYS
CATHOLIC CHURCH MESSAGE IN UGANDA - blessings to all Christians who have been working so hard to make Jinja a land free of gay persons
The Bishop of the Jinja Diocese of the Catholic Church, Bishop Rt. Rev. Fr. Charles Wamika, in today’s Easter Message delivered at St. Chalres Lwanga Catholic Church, praised the Members of Parliament for the Anti-Homosexuality Act that provides life in prison for gay (LGBTI) people in Uganda. The Bishop called for a blessing for Uganda’s Christians who worked so hard to ‘free the land of gays.’ The Bishope also asked for parents to hand over their gay children to authorities, so they would be rewarded in heaven. I would call that a statement praising and calling for a genocide.
Since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people have gone into hiding. The law, which institutionalizes homophobia and affirms the persecution of LGBTI people, has been held in esteem, the highest reverence and praised by Christian leadership in Uganda, to the point of holding rallies to reward parliamentarians and the President, Yoweri Museveni. The Ugandan Churches and Christian community, (except for a handful, who have been banished and shamed for their compassionate and affirming stance,) have led the assault against gays.
AMWe have challenged noteworthy Christian leaders such as Joel Osteen and others to come forward and condemn the law, and to distinguish their brands of Christianity from that been touted on the stages and streets of Uganda, yet none have done so.
Now a young man in hiding, challenges the Pope, Pope Francis, as the Catholic Church’s official stand in Uganda, on this Easter Sunday seems to send a message of extreme hate, exacerbating the terror felt by gays in hiding.
As this law in Uganda seems to copy the course of Nazi Germany, the scapegoating, and the forcing of a minority into camps and death, the Ann Franks of Uganda remain in terror, questioning whether the Pope will repeat the mistakes of the Catholic Church during the Hitler Holocaust?
From the voice of a young man “accused” of being gay who is in hiding in Uganda:
“The Bishop of Jinja Diocese – Bishop Rt. Rev. Fr. Charles Wamika, in today’s Easter Message delivered at St. Chalres Lwanga Catholic Church, praised the Members of Parliament for taking a stand to see to it that the Anti-homosexuality bill passed into law, he went ahead and called on the faithful to vote for President Museveni in 2016 general elections for signing the bill into law.
He reminded the Christians that, it has been a law and he sent blessings to all Christians who have been working so hard to make Jinja a land free of gay persons. He said throughout human history the catholic church has fought evil and blood has been shed, he called on all the Christians to do whatever they can in their own means to clean this city.
I am surprised that a well educated bishop, well traveled and studied in different western countries uses his position to justify killing. He asked parents with gay suspected children to handle them over to authorities and their reward is in heaven. This is too much hatred. I wonder if we will hear from the Pope on this. If not, I lose all hope.”
To my way of thinking on this Easter Sunday the Ugandan Catholic Bishop of Jinja has indeed called for the extermination of gays. I hope Pope Francis has a great Easter while Ugandan Gays have to hear this hate sputtering from his Bishops. I think this Bishop should be recalled and put to pasture. Perhaps a petition is called for. And what about an apology and a clear message from Pope Francis on this tragic issue.
Alrighty, so now, it's my turn.
This backwards thinking is what gives the Catholic church, and indeed ALL of Christianity, a bad name!! It amazes me how people, in this case a Bishop who should know better, still choose to bend and manipulate the scriptures to express their personal views and opinions.
Some points about the bible:
There are 8 Covenants. From the Covenant of Eden, through the Covenant of Moses, and finally the covenant of Christ, each covenant makes the previous one obsolete by giving the lord's followers SPECIFIC rules to follow. This is easy enough to realize by simply reading the bible.
We don't live according to the rules of the Garden of Eden.
We don't have the responsibility of fathering a nation full of children (The covenant of Abraham) nor of repopulating the Earth (The Covenant of Noah).
We are no longer required to sacrifice animals in the name of God, or even to circumcise our children in His name (the signature of the covenant of Moses).
So we DO understand that the rules of the old covenant are replaced by those of the new.
We also KNOW that Jesus came and gave his blood, the "blood of a NEW and EVERLASTING covenant". Why everlasting? Because he is seated at the right hand of the Father, where he reigns forever and ever.
Ok, so, Jesus is the priest of the final, and everlasting covenant. Yet people are still following the rules of the Mosaic covenant! And not even God's law, but the law of the Levitican priests!! Where oh where in the bible does Jesus say it is wrong to be "gay"? If someone can PLEASE show me, it would sure clear things up!
Now, it DOES say, in the Levitican law (1 of over 600 laws) that a man should not lay with another man, as he does with a woman, that it is an abomination and is punishable by death.
Ok, so, lets look at that.
The abomination is a man laying with a man as with a woman.
Laying with a man.
Interesting how it says nothing about a man being emotionally in love with another man like he is with a woman.
Emotions are never mentioned.
Just the act.
So, when is the act of man on man sex done without involving feelings and emotions?
Probably the same way it is with a man and a woman.
It is called rape.
And back in the days that the old testament was recording, it was a common ocurrance for men to rape other men in order to break them and establish dominance over them. Usually an invading and conquering army would rape the conquered. Other times, the men from one village would want at any visiting men, not because they were gay, but because they wanted to show the visitors who was boss.
If you don't believe me, look it up. It is common in secular history of the area (and still quite common in prisons around the world today.)
You can also look it up in the bible.
Genesis 19:5
They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
This took place in Sodom and Gomorrah, when the two angels came to warn Lot that he had to leave because the city was being destroyed.
So, right there in the bible it mentions men wanting to rape other men.
Not exactly gay behavior, since rape is NEVER consentual.
Considering the reputation this city had, it would make ALL the sense in the world for the Levitican Priests to want to ban such behavior.
Sodomy/rape is still considered an abomination today.
However, this is not what this bishop is talking about.
He is talking about "Gay" people. An altogether different animal.
Being gay or lesbian, means having feelings and emotions toward someone who is of the same sex.
Is it unnatural? Perhaps. After all, nature (Or God, depending on how you look at it) specifically made man and woman compatible for mating.
But again, mating and love are two altogether different animals as well.
So, ok, back to the bible. So, Christ's Covenant, the reason he died, abolished the previous covenant.
In Christ'as covenant he has 2 commandments.
1)Love God above all things.
2)Love each other as we love ourselves. Indeed, love each other as Jesus himself loved us.
And he summed up all the prophets and all the laws with the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.
So, as Christians (followers of Christ, not of Moses, Abraham, Noah, etc), where does Jesus talk about murdering and slaughtering people who are different?
This Bishop is a disgrace to the cloth, and to the church. I understand the social views of his country, but he is a CATHOLIC Bishop. He is responsible for following and teaching CATHOLIC law
I do not want to judge, since Jesus warned us against that as well, but...... well, there you have it.
EXCELSIOR......... and God bless.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
R.I.P. Ultimate Warrior
Greetings and salutations everyone.
A somber blog entry, if you will. It's taken me a couple of days to write about this, since I wasn't sure quite what I was feeling. Obviously, shock and saddness. Shock because I had just seen him the night before on Monday Night RAW. Saddness because of the family he left behind. However, the thing that struck me the most about the Ultimate Warrior's death was the parallel I noticed with me. No, I am no where near the shape he was in. No, I have never been anywhere near as successful or famous as he was. However (and this is speculation for the time being, as the official cause of death has not been given yet), my heart can go out just as quickly as his did.
The Ultimate Warrior was a known steroid user. That is a given. He had the absolute most impressive physique in wrestling. There were wrestlers who were bigger then he was, like your Hulk Hogans and Road Warriors, and there were wrestlers who were more ripped, like Rick Rude. However, Warrior's was a unique combination of size AND vascularity. He was big AND shredded. He was an amazing physical specimen. However, he was always exhausted, or "blown up" when he got to the ring. Granted, his entrance included him sprinting to the ring, around the ring, and shaking the ring ropes. That would tire ANYONE out. Yet he never seemed to catch his breath. In all the years of watching him wrestle, I never saw him not blown up. This probably means that for all his bulging muscles, he never did a lot of cardio work. In other words, his heart was not fully exercised. Like Warrior, cardiovascular wise, I am in HORRID shape. I used to be an alligator wrestler, and strong as an ox, but I never had a lot of stamina. My heart is not in the best shape.
Now, in the Warrior's case, you had a dangerous combination of a weak heart and a body full of steroids, which put MORE pressure on that very same weak heart. In my case, it is a weak heart and a body full of fat from eating too much crappy food. At 41 years old, I really need to watch what I eat, and exercise my heart more. Dropping dead at any moment, as the Warrior did in an Arizona parking lot while walking with his wife, is a very scary, and real, possibility for me.
Now, I am not going to sit here and talk about what a wonderful man the Warrior was, because I personally did not know him, and can only rely on the testimonies of his fellow wrestlers, many of which I have met and worked with in person. Very very few ever had anything nice to say about the man. They all claimed fame came too soon for him and went right to his head. There are stories of him stiffing people in the ring (hitting them too hard), and of him just being an all around curmudgeon. An extremely hard to work with grouch. And for years he waged legal war against the WWF/WWE for a variety of reasons. He also had a history of returning, only to leave the company without notice, leaving us fans in a lurch.
However, the wrestling fan in me longed for the day he would return. He was my childhood hero, a real life superhero. A larger then life hero who fought insurmountable odds and came out on top every time. He had the heart of the Warrior, and let me know I could be a warrior too. Having him return to the WWE, get inducted into the Hall of Fame, and hearing him cut a promo on RAW was amazingly nostalgic. For all the history and bad blood that went down, it was definitely good to see him back.
And now he is gone again.
This time forever.
As a Catholic, I can only pray for his soul. I pray he has returned to the source, and I hope that one day, on top of some thunderhead far up in the sky, I will be standing in a ring, surrounded by angels cheering, as that unmistakable guitar riff hits. From out of the fog, there he will come, running at full speed, blown up as always, charging the ring for our main event match. The Geek vs. The Warrior.
RIP Ultimate Warrior. Thanks for the memories.
EXCELSIOR........ and God Bless.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Musical geek out moment!!
Greetings and Salutations everyone.
Was not even planning on coming on here today, but came across this video on youtube. This guy is AWESOME!!! His name is Aram Bedrosian, and the instrument he is playing here is not the electric guitar, but the electric Bass!!! This is normally a rhythm instrument, used to lay down a baseline, or set the groove. Yet he plays it like a guitar!! Check it out:
EXCELSIOR........ and God Bless.
Was not even planning on coming on here today, but came across this video on youtube. This guy is AWESOME!!! His name is Aram Bedrosian, and the instrument he is playing here is not the electric guitar, but the electric Bass!!! This is normally a rhythm instrument, used to lay down a baseline, or set the groove. Yet he plays it like a guitar!! Check it out:
EXCELSIOR........ and God Bless.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Professional Wrestling RULES!!!!!!
Greetings and Salutations, BROTHER!!
One of my greatest, and longest lasting loves, is professional wrestling. I can't get enough of it. I never seem to outgrow it. It remains one of my great passions.
The question is, why?
I am a 41 year old man. WHy do I keep watching it? I mean, these guys are not really fighting.
These guys don't really hate each other.
I DO know pro wrestling is "fake" right?
Scripted?
Choreographed?
Planned out?
Predetermined?
Well, YES!! However, if I gave it up for the reasons given above, then by necessity, I'd have to give up watching movies, cartoons, reality tv, etc, as those are also all predetermined, choreographed, scripted, and "fake".
Pro wrestling is not a sport, and it doesn't claim to be. It is sports "entertainment". It is not a competition. It's goal is to entertain. There are story lines and plot twists along the way. It is similar to the Walking Dead, or Lost, or any other tv show, in that it is about the characters more then anything.
As a child, it was my escape. It defined right and wrong, good and bad, and gave me a sense of being. It was an occasion for fellowship, as many were the times when I would have friends over to watch a pay per view. And it gave us hours of discussions as to who was better then who, and why.
Years later, I even got to be a part of pro wrestling, becoming a good guy manager named Handsome Johnny Angel, and a bad guy manager named Johnny BigTime.
I know people look down on this art form, and on those of us who love it. They shake their heads and wonder why.
Well, whats the point in trying to explain?
After all, as magician and mentalist Joseph Dunninger once said (and pro wrestler Jeff Jarrett in the video below) "For those who believe, no explanation is needed. for those who DON'T believe, no explanation will do."
If you guys want to learn a little bit of the "why" that attracts us fans to pro wrestling, check out the video below. It is a very light hearted and fun documentary on pro wrestling's history and modern appeal.
EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
One of my greatest, and longest lasting loves, is professional wrestling. I can't get enough of it. I never seem to outgrow it. It remains one of my great passions.
The question is, why?
I am a 41 year old man. WHy do I keep watching it? I mean, these guys are not really fighting.
These guys don't really hate each other.
I DO know pro wrestling is "fake" right?
Scripted?
Choreographed?
Planned out?
Predetermined?
Well, YES!! However, if I gave it up for the reasons given above, then by necessity, I'd have to give up watching movies, cartoons, reality tv, etc, as those are also all predetermined, choreographed, scripted, and "fake".
Pro wrestling is not a sport, and it doesn't claim to be. It is sports "entertainment". It is not a competition. It's goal is to entertain. There are story lines and plot twists along the way. It is similar to the Walking Dead, or Lost, or any other tv show, in that it is about the characters more then anything.
As a child, it was my escape. It defined right and wrong, good and bad, and gave me a sense of being. It was an occasion for fellowship, as many were the times when I would have friends over to watch a pay per view. And it gave us hours of discussions as to who was better then who, and why.
Years later, I even got to be a part of pro wrestling, becoming a good guy manager named Handsome Johnny Angel, and a bad guy manager named Johnny BigTime.
I know people look down on this art form, and on those of us who love it. They shake their heads and wonder why.
Well, whats the point in trying to explain?
After all, as magician and mentalist Joseph Dunninger once said (and pro wrestler Jeff Jarrett in the video below) "For those who believe, no explanation is needed. for those who DON'T believe, no explanation will do."
If you guys want to learn a little bit of the "why" that attracts us fans to pro wrestling, check out the video below. It is a very light hearted and fun documentary on pro wrestling's history and modern appeal.
EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Catholic Apologetics: Being Born Again.
Greetings and Salutations everyone.
It is interesting to me the many ways people view the term "Born Again". I hear things as "Accepting Jesus into your heart" or "Accepting Jesus your personal Lord and Savior." When I question them, they argue that it was what they were taught, and that it is what the bible says. Interestingly enough, the phrase "personal lord and savior" is not even IN the bible. Of course, when it comes to being "Born Again", I get referred to John 3:3, in which Jesus says:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
However, this is where it ends. I can't count the times I have been told, in response to my "Born Again" query, to read Jesus 3:3 ONLY. Just that one verse. But, if we were looking for the truth, why would we only read one verse and make an entire sub-faith out of it? Let us read on, shall we? After all, context does matter.
John 3:4-5,
"4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Ok, so these were Jesus' words. Except a man be born of water AND spirit. In other words, BOTH need to happen. Water AND spirit. Why did he not just say "Nicodemus, no worries. Just accept me into your heart, and we are good. That's all it takes." Jesus never says that. He says we have to be reborn through water and spirit. This is something all Catholics do. It is called Baptism. This of course means, according to JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, and according to the BIBLE ITSELF, all Catholics are Born Again. Interesting, no? Here's Steve Ray discussing this very same topic, in a very similar situation:
Until next time, EXCELSIOR........ and God Bless.
It is interesting to me the many ways people view the term "Born Again". I hear things as "Accepting Jesus into your heart" or "Accepting Jesus your personal Lord and Savior." When I question them, they argue that it was what they were taught, and that it is what the bible says. Interestingly enough, the phrase "personal lord and savior" is not even IN the bible. Of course, when it comes to being "Born Again", I get referred to John 3:3, in which Jesus says:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
However, this is where it ends. I can't count the times I have been told, in response to my "Born Again" query, to read Jesus 3:3 ONLY. Just that one verse. But, if we were looking for the truth, why would we only read one verse and make an entire sub-faith out of it? Let us read on, shall we? After all, context does matter.
John 3:4-5,
"4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Ok, so these were Jesus' words. Except a man be born of water AND spirit. In other words, BOTH need to happen. Water AND spirit. Why did he not just say "Nicodemus, no worries. Just accept me into your heart, and we are good. That's all it takes." Jesus never says that. He says we have to be reborn through water and spirit. This is something all Catholics do. It is called Baptism. This of course means, according to JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, and according to the BIBLE ITSELF, all Catholics are Born Again. Interesting, no? Here's Steve Ray discussing this very same topic, in a very similar situation:
Until next time, EXCELSIOR........ and God Bless.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Catholic Apologetics: Sola Scriptura (Scripture only)
Greetings and Salutations everyone.
Today I'd like to discuss an interesting situation that has arisen in the Christian world.
Of course, I make it out to seem like it is a recent situation.
Haha.
No, it is hundreds of years in the making, but it baffles me that it still exists. The notion of Sola Scriptura, or of using only what is in the bible. This is an interesting thing because it is an incomplete understanding of Jesus and Christianity. Think about this, Jesus walked from town to town, village to village, in a tireless trek to spread the word of the Lord.
I wonder how worn his bible was.
Of course, he had NO bible. His teachings were oral. When he ascended into heaven, as all his apostles were looking up at him, he did not yell down to them "Hey, guys, go read the bible to everyone!! And make sure they read them too!" No, he told them to go out and preach his Gospel, to TALK about it. He did not leave us a book at the spot where he had been standing right before he ascended. He left us eleven people to learn from. So this notion of the bible being the sole source of our faith is clearly disputed by that very same bible. A big part of Catholic condemnation is our adherence to Tradition AS WELL as scripture. It is viewed as man made, silly, non biblical, blasphemous even. Yet, that very same bible tells us to
"stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter."
This, of course, is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:15.
How very interesting that those who claim Catholics can not be real Christians because they follow traditions instead of just the scriptures missed this verse WITHIN THOSE VERY SAME SCRIPTURES.
Another interesting fact about Sola Scriptura is that no where in the bible does it direct us to solely read scriptures. It does tell us to read them, of course, but no where does it say that they are the be all and end all of our faith. How can it be? If it were, then we miss out on so much. I mean, think of all the deeds Jesus did that were not recorded! What of them? Are they not important? According to John 21:25
"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."
There is no way the bible could capture everything, and no one can know it captured everything that was important. Our faith is like a three legged table. It is held up by The spoken Word of God, the written Word of God, and the Traditions of God. We as Catholics have many traditions that we observe, and interestingly enough for my Sola Scriptura friends who argue that this is wrong, this is found and approved in the scriptures themselves.
Matthew 16:19
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
This was told to Peter at Caesarea Philippi. These traditions that we Catholics "made up" are bound in heaven as well, according to scripture. Jesus gave Peter, and his descendants, the authority, and more importantly, the responsibility to govern his church. The church has the keys to the kingdom. It has the authority to evolve the church and the traditions within it. This, again, is according to scripture. See, we Catholics stand on all three legs of the Christian faith. It is the only way. Take one leg away (as many of done) and the table collapses.
Well, that's it for now. Until next time,
EXCELSIOR.........and God Bless.
Today I'd like to discuss an interesting situation that has arisen in the Christian world.
Of course, I make it out to seem like it is a recent situation.
Haha.
No, it is hundreds of years in the making, but it baffles me that it still exists. The notion of Sola Scriptura, or of using only what is in the bible. This is an interesting thing because it is an incomplete understanding of Jesus and Christianity. Think about this, Jesus walked from town to town, village to village, in a tireless trek to spread the word of the Lord.
I wonder how worn his bible was.
Of course, he had NO bible. His teachings were oral. When he ascended into heaven, as all his apostles were looking up at him, he did not yell down to them "Hey, guys, go read the bible to everyone!! And make sure they read them too!" No, he told them to go out and preach his Gospel, to TALK about it. He did not leave us a book at the spot where he had been standing right before he ascended. He left us eleven people to learn from. So this notion of the bible being the sole source of our faith is clearly disputed by that very same bible. A big part of Catholic condemnation is our adherence to Tradition AS WELL as scripture. It is viewed as man made, silly, non biblical, blasphemous even. Yet, that very same bible tells us to
"stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter."
This, of course, is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:15.
How very interesting that those who claim Catholics can not be real Christians because they follow traditions instead of just the scriptures missed this verse WITHIN THOSE VERY SAME SCRIPTURES.
Another interesting fact about Sola Scriptura is that no where in the bible does it direct us to solely read scriptures. It does tell us to read them, of course, but no where does it say that they are the be all and end all of our faith. How can it be? If it were, then we miss out on so much. I mean, think of all the deeds Jesus did that were not recorded! What of them? Are they not important? According to John 21:25
"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."
There is no way the bible could capture everything, and no one can know it captured everything that was important. Our faith is like a three legged table. It is held up by The spoken Word of God, the written Word of God, and the Traditions of God. We as Catholics have many traditions that we observe, and interestingly enough for my Sola Scriptura friends who argue that this is wrong, this is found and approved in the scriptures themselves.
Matthew 16:19
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
This was told to Peter at Caesarea Philippi. These traditions that we Catholics "made up" are bound in heaven as well, according to scripture. Jesus gave Peter, and his descendants, the authority, and more importantly, the responsibility to govern his church. The church has the keys to the kingdom. It has the authority to evolve the church and the traditions within it. This, again, is according to scripture. See, we Catholics stand on all three legs of the Christian faith. It is the only way. Take one leg away (as many of done) and the table collapses.
Well, that's it for now. Until next time,
EXCELSIOR.........and God Bless.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Pope Francis message of unity to Pentacostals.
Greetings and Salutations.
Once again, Pope Francis blows my mind. Here he sends a message of unity to a Pentacostal church. This is..... well, mind blowing.
Hopefully this sticks. Its time to end the divisions. Christ wanted a UNIFIED church. Here's our chance.
EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
Once again, Pope Francis blows my mind. Here he sends a message of unity to a Pentacostal church. This is..... well, mind blowing.
Hopefully this sticks. Its time to end the divisions. Christ wanted a UNIFIED church. Here's our chance.
EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
Pope Francis goes to confession...... publicly!! Is this Reality?
Greetings and Salutations.
For those of you who are not Catholic, this video might not seem like anything unusual. But as for me? Mind Blown. A Pope confessing, in public, in front of hundreds of parishioners? This has traditionally been done in private. Pope Francis is totally breaking with Catholic tradition here, and its not necessarily a bad thing.
EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
For those of you who are not Catholic, this video might not seem like anything unusual. But as for me? Mind Blown. A Pope confessing, in public, in front of hundreds of parishioners? This has traditionally been done in private. Pope Francis is totally breaking with Catholic tradition here, and its not necessarily a bad thing.
EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
Skyrim - Lindsey Stirling & Peter Hollens
Greetings and Salutations everyone.
As you can imagine, I spend an inordinate amount of time on the interwebz, and I came across this girl, Lindsey Stirling, a few weeks ago. Lovely girl, and really good violin player. The violin being one of my favorite instruments to listen to, I became a fan. However, this video TOTALLY sold me on this girl. Awesome musician, and a friggin GAMER GEEK TO BOOT!!! YEAH!! Skyrim just happens to be my favorite game right now, so this friggin ROCKS!!!
Subscribe to her page and check out some of her other work. She has all styles of music, and could probably use the views.
Til next time, EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
As you can imagine, I spend an inordinate amount of time on the interwebz, and I came across this girl, Lindsey Stirling, a few weeks ago. Lovely girl, and really good violin player. The violin being one of my favorite instruments to listen to, I became a fan. However, this video TOTALLY sold me on this girl. Awesome musician, and a friggin GAMER GEEK TO BOOT!!! YEAH!! Skyrim just happens to be my favorite game right now, so this friggin ROCKS!!!
Subscribe to her page and check out some of her other work. She has all styles of music, and could probably use the views.
Til next time, EXCELSIOR....... and God Bless.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Catholic Apologetics: Evangelization.
Greetings and Salutations, ya'll.
Today's entry is a bit heavy, but still appropriate for our little blog here, so, let's jump right in. As a Catholic, I have never been trained to be a fire and brimstone evangelist. We do not stand on street corners and preach to the world. We do not go on TV and try convert people. In fact, we keep our worship quiet and humble. Even within the Catholic Mass. There are not many "AMENS" or "PRAISE JESUS" shouts. Catholics are very conservative with our worship. Why? Well, because it is how Jesus himself wanted us to be.
Matthew 6:1-6
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Prayer 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
We tend to love getting recognition for the things we do. However, this is a function of the ego, to get satisfaction in recognition.
This has nothing to do with God, who, after all, sees what we do, and knows what we truly feel.
We Catholics are called to evangelization through our actions, our lives, and our joy. I see it every day in my own life. I do not preach the gospel, or push the bible, or shove Jesus' name in people's faces. I don't even make a point to tell anyone that I am Catholic, or religious or what have you. Yet, people see me as a positive, respectable, man of God. They come to me with problems, and often times want to know how I manage to keep things together and positive. I tell them I really don't have things together, that it is a daily struggle for me, just as it is for everyone, but that I have some big time help. I don't do it alone. This usually sets the wheels in motion for them, and some even pursue it further right then and there. Some think about it and return to me later. Only when they ask for me to enter their lives do I proceed. There is no point in spreading the gospel of the Lord if it is not with Joy, and there is no Joy in forcing it on people. This is what is important. In the Bible, Jesus did not necessarily push his teachings on others either. An example is the prostitute who was to be stoned. Jesus interceded on her behalf, yet what did he say to her? He could have rebuked her for her sinful life, told her that is not the way, and gone into a long diatribe about how she would burn in hell if she did not turn her life over to God. He could have yelled and screamed and "spoken in tongues" (a topic for another post, by the way). But no. What did he say to her? He helps her up and simply says:
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and sin no more." (John 8:10)
Thats it. A kind gesture, and some warm words.
Jesus did this a lot.
Why do so many feel the need to do things differently? Even when Addressing the crowd who was trying to hurt this woman did Jesus not scream and shout. A simple request (Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.) is all he needed. Yet too often today, "Christian" evangelizers do more harm then good.
Between being judgmental, condescending, intrusive, angry, impatient, and holier then thou, many of these types push people further away from the Joy of the Gospel then towards it.
I should know. I spent 15 years "alone in the wilderness" because I did not want to associate myself with a religion that taught hate and judgment. Only recently did I discover that it is not the religion that preaches this, but the people within the religion who misinterpret the message. When we evangelize, we have to do so humbly, quietly, and with Joy. We do it not be speaking, but by example, by practicing what we preach. After all, as Christians, we have but two commandments to follow. Love God, and love each other as we love ourselves. Jesus himself sums up his entire teachings by the Golden Rule.
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 7:12.
Bruce Lee once said "Your mind is like a garden. What yo plant will grow." He was talking about negative and positive thoughts. The same can be applied to evangelizing. So lets live our lives with the Joy of God, the humbleness of Jesus, and the radiance of the holy spirit. It is all the evangelizing we will ever have to do.
EXCELSIOR...... and God bless.
Today's entry is a bit heavy, but still appropriate for our little blog here, so, let's jump right in. As a Catholic, I have never been trained to be a fire and brimstone evangelist. We do not stand on street corners and preach to the world. We do not go on TV and try convert people. In fact, we keep our worship quiet and humble. Even within the Catholic Mass. There are not many "AMENS" or "PRAISE JESUS" shouts. Catholics are very conservative with our worship. Why? Well, because it is how Jesus himself wanted us to be.
Matthew 6:1-6
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Prayer 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
We tend to love getting recognition for the things we do. However, this is a function of the ego, to get satisfaction in recognition.
This has nothing to do with God, who, after all, sees what we do, and knows what we truly feel.
We Catholics are called to evangelization through our actions, our lives, and our joy. I see it every day in my own life. I do not preach the gospel, or push the bible, or shove Jesus' name in people's faces. I don't even make a point to tell anyone that I am Catholic, or religious or what have you. Yet, people see me as a positive, respectable, man of God. They come to me with problems, and often times want to know how I manage to keep things together and positive. I tell them I really don't have things together, that it is a daily struggle for me, just as it is for everyone, but that I have some big time help. I don't do it alone. This usually sets the wheels in motion for them, and some even pursue it further right then and there. Some think about it and return to me later. Only when they ask for me to enter their lives do I proceed. There is no point in spreading the gospel of the Lord if it is not with Joy, and there is no Joy in forcing it on people. This is what is important. In the Bible, Jesus did not necessarily push his teachings on others either. An example is the prostitute who was to be stoned. Jesus interceded on her behalf, yet what did he say to her? He could have rebuked her for her sinful life, told her that is not the way, and gone into a long diatribe about how she would burn in hell if she did not turn her life over to God. He could have yelled and screamed and "spoken in tongues" (a topic for another post, by the way). But no. What did he say to her? He helps her up and simply says:
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and sin no more." (John 8:10)
Thats it. A kind gesture, and some warm words.
Jesus did this a lot.
Why do so many feel the need to do things differently? Even when Addressing the crowd who was trying to hurt this woman did Jesus not scream and shout. A simple request (Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.) is all he needed. Yet too often today, "Christian" evangelizers do more harm then good.
Between being judgmental, condescending, intrusive, angry, impatient, and holier then thou, many of these types push people further away from the Joy of the Gospel then towards it.
I should know. I spent 15 years "alone in the wilderness" because I did not want to associate myself with a religion that taught hate and judgment. Only recently did I discover that it is not the religion that preaches this, but the people within the religion who misinterpret the message. When we evangelize, we have to do so humbly, quietly, and with Joy. We do it not be speaking, but by example, by practicing what we preach. After all, as Christians, we have but two commandments to follow. Love God, and love each other as we love ourselves. Jesus himself sums up his entire teachings by the Golden Rule.
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 7:12.
Bruce Lee once said "Your mind is like a garden. What yo plant will grow." He was talking about negative and positive thoughts. The same can be applied to evangelizing. So lets live our lives with the Joy of God, the humbleness of Jesus, and the radiance of the holy spirit. It is all the evangelizing we will ever have to do.
EXCELSIOR...... and God bless.
Monday, March 24, 2014
A life worth writing about?
Greetings and Salutations.
Before we jump into this thing, let me think aloud for a moment.
I am starting a blog.
Me.
Johnny Matos.
What the heck am I going to write about?
I have never kept a journal. Diaries were as foreign to me as Sri Lanka. I never really even tell anyone about my day. I just never thought I had anything worth while to talk about.
However........ maybe I do have some interesting tales to tell. I mean, when I look back on it, I HAVE led a pretty interesting life.
Born in New York, raised in New Jersey, I moved to Florida to wrestle alligators, which I did for 6 years.
Before that, though, I worked at a funeral home. I picked up/delivered corpses, helped get them ready for the viewings, and helped with the burial. Lots of crazy stories will most likely pour from that particular job. I mean, in what other job is it considered a normal day to drive through the Burger King drive-through window, order your food, get it, and drive away eating your tasty burger while a dead body is strapped to a gurney right behind you?
Yeah, that job should provide me with quite a bit of material for this blog.
Like I said, I wrestled alligators for 6 years. An odd career choice to say the least for this New Yorker. Not just alligators, either. Snakes, lizards, tarantulas, and scorpions were common place at my home. As were the bites and injuries that came along with it. This is yet another time in my life which will likely yield a few gems for your reading pleasure, including meeting and marrying my wife, all while surrounded by alligators.
I even got to sing an Opera Aria, in full tuxedo, at a gala fund raiser, all while wrestling an 8 foot, 180 pound alligator!!
Lolwut!?!?
Love, marriage, and fatherhood (a story still being written) should yield some gems as well. As should my faith and my interests. As the title of this blog states, I am a geek. I am a Catholic. Quite a few seemingly contradictory ideas collide in my brain, but for some reason, they all seem to blend and mix harmoniously.
Perhaps I do indeed have a life worth writing about!!
Perhaps it will be a bit of therapy for me.
Maybe..... HOPEFULLY...... it will be as entertaining or enlightening for you, my dear readers, as it will be therapeutic for me.
And who knows, we might all, together, learn a few things along the way!!
Ok, maybe not, but here's hoping we can at least come out of this in one piece.
So, til next time, I say EXCELSIOR!!!!!!! And God bless.
Before we jump into this thing, let me think aloud for a moment.
I am starting a blog.
Me.
Johnny Matos.
What the heck am I going to write about?
I have never kept a journal. Diaries were as foreign to me as Sri Lanka. I never really even tell anyone about my day. I just never thought I had anything worth while to talk about.
However........ maybe I do have some interesting tales to tell. I mean, when I look back on it, I HAVE led a pretty interesting life.
Born in New York, raised in New Jersey, I moved to Florida to wrestle alligators, which I did for 6 years.
Before that, though, I worked at a funeral home. I picked up/delivered corpses, helped get them ready for the viewings, and helped with the burial. Lots of crazy stories will most likely pour from that particular job. I mean, in what other job is it considered a normal day to drive through the Burger King drive-through window, order your food, get it, and drive away eating your tasty burger while a dead body is strapped to a gurney right behind you?
Yeah, that job should provide me with quite a bit of material for this blog.
Like I said, I wrestled alligators for 6 years. An odd career choice to say the least for this New Yorker. Not just alligators, either. Snakes, lizards, tarantulas, and scorpions were common place at my home. As were the bites and injuries that came along with it. This is yet another time in my life which will likely yield a few gems for your reading pleasure, including meeting and marrying my wife, all while surrounded by alligators.
I even got to sing an Opera Aria, in full tuxedo, at a gala fund raiser, all while wrestling an 8 foot, 180 pound alligator!!
Lolwut!?!?
Love, marriage, and fatherhood (a story still being written) should yield some gems as well. As should my faith and my interests. As the title of this blog states, I am a geek. I am a Catholic. Quite a few seemingly contradictory ideas collide in my brain, but for some reason, they all seem to blend and mix harmoniously.
Perhaps I do indeed have a life worth writing about!!
Perhaps it will be a bit of therapy for me.
Maybe..... HOPEFULLY...... it will be as entertaining or enlightening for you, my dear readers, as it will be therapeutic for me.
And who knows, we might all, together, learn a few things along the way!!
Ok, maybe not, but here's hoping we can at least come out of this in one piece.
So, til next time, I say EXCELSIOR!!!!!!! And God bless.
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