Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Evil Bible

On Twitter and outside in the real world, I have been messaged and confronted by many people.  Some say good things, some ask questions, and some are angry and confrontational.  I will focus on the latter.

Those who are confrontational (mostly Atheists, Humanists, Secularists, Pro Abortion/Choice, Homosexuals, Muslims, Agnostics, and random inquirers) message me regarding the Bible.  They question how it can be God's Word if it is full of "evil and hate."  They cite passages claiming they advocate slavery, infanticide, murder, rape, incest, misogyny, hate, and in a word: evil.


I can relate to their concerns too because as an Atheist at first, I did find the Bible a bit too racy and crazy to be the "Word" of a All knowing, All Good, All Present Supreme Being.  However, I did not knock the Book down, so to speak.  I gave it a chance and let it speak to my rational mind before it spoke to my heart and soul.

To claim that the Bible is Evil is an unfair, biased and uneducated opinion.  This is a conclusion based on poor interpretation of particular texts.  When one reads the Bible in light of the time, language, culture, mind frame of the people, and circumstance in which a particular verse was written, it will be more understandable.  One must not fall into Presentism when interpreting the Bible or any other text that is old.

The Bible is not a "Book" per se.  It is a collection of Books.  The word "Bible" means "books."  It is a collection of 73 books: 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.  Each book was written at different times.  Some chapters within books were also written at different periods.  This is important to know if we are to understand the Bible instead of judging it as hate speech and what not.

We cannot be quick to label people of the past because of how they lived, thought or acted.  Let us take Slavery for example.  In America and other nations, Africans and Indigenous people were used as Slaves.  This was seen as normal.  These people were not people, they were just "livestock."  Even the laws defined them as such.

Take this letter by Trott, S published in 1842 in the Cincinnati Post where Trott is claiming that Slavery is God's will and ending it will harm society and the Slaves themselves.  (http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/resources/pro-slavery-letter-s-trott)  More info can be found here: http://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/613

One can find many articles, books, and writings of people both well known and common who supported Slavery. Many were outspoken against those who wanted the Slaves free, or the Abolitionists.

Here is an ad warning Citizens of the Abolitionists.  



Here is another inviting people to a meeting to stop the "evil and fanaticism" called Abolitionism. 

As you can see, the movement to free Slaves was seen as dangerous, fanatical and evil.  Many warnings were published.  


If that is not bad enough, here is an ad requesting that a runaway Slave described as "Negro Boy Joel" be found for a reward of 5 Dollars:


Now one who has never heard of this past and is reading it for the first time might say, "what the heck is this??? These people are evil, ignorant, hateful, and racist."  

Others might say, "They published an ad to find a Slave teen boy for a reward of 5 bucks???!??"  

After this culture shock they can take one of two positions:

  • This nation is evil, ridiculous, hateful, primitive and must be destroyed.
OR
  • This is the past. This is how people saw each other and things.  We cannot judge them for their ignorance at the time or how they interpreted life.




An educated rational person who does research in History will take the latter position.  Yes this was the past.  This was how people saw each other and things in life.  We must interpret their ads, writings and behavior in light of their time, their culture, and circumstance.  


Now, the same must be done with the Bible.  When one reads it in context, then it will not be the "Evil Bible," but the Bible that is the Word of God in the language and experience of Man.  





Nigeria Sends A Clear Message

In Nigeria, the Senate outlawed so called "Gay Marriage" as well as other gay establishments.  The Senate President said that the gay subculture is against Nigeria's 'culture, tradition, and beliefs.'

Despite treats from western nations such as the United Kingdom to stop aid, Nigeria moved along and passed this law.  This sends a loud and clear message that social engineering will not be part of Nigerian society.

Many African and Arab nations dislike how western nations impose their cultures on them.  This form of assimilation beings division, harm and corruption to the moral fabric of societies that are traditional in nature.  Homosexuality, once a hidden sexual pass time is now becoming more public and pushing itself into mainstream society as acceptable and normal.  This social engineering is destroying society and the family which is the cell of society.

A comment on the site that I read this news from says it nicely:

"The practice of Same-sex marriage is alien to us in Africa. Such act should not be encouraged by any God driven Society,because it's a '' Taboo''. The Nigerian Senate has done well and needs to be commended for not regarding the threats from the British Prime Minister. I urge other African Nations to follow suit. MORALITY is the foundation of Africa.Therefore, we must protect it against foreign influence."



Morality is very important in society.  Right from wrong is the platform from which we define and create laws.  Without Morality, anything goes.  What is right and wrong depends on how each individual sees fit.  This is dangerous.

I hope the entire continent of Africa and the rest of the world follows Nigeria in saying this bold NO to perversion and the destruction of the family, morals and identity of a particular people.



Source:






Sunday, November 27, 2011

Spittin 4 da Lord



Yo yo dawg, wass good?   This is language typical of the inner city youth who are often fond of Hip Hop or Rap music.  Coming from the Boogie Down Bronx myself, home of the NY Yankees, birth place of Hip Hop and Rap on Sedgwick and Morris, I too appreciate this poetic art form.  I grew up with Old, Middle and New Schools of Rap.

After Vatican II, there was more liberty to use, create or adopt other forms of music that is geared towards God and compatible with doctrine in either Liturgy or privately at groups.  Hip Hop/Rap was not excluded.  

Many within the Church: clergy and laity have blessed the Church by assimilating this art into Catholicism.  Now there are those who feel it brings a worldly gimmicky atmosphere to religion which is often known to be serious in nature.  "Spittin'" for the Lord sounds offensive to some.  What do you think?  

  • Is Catholic Hip Hop/Rap good for the Church? 
  • Should it be used in Liturgy?  









Sing to da Lord

He who sings prays twice, 
Ma boy Augustine said it nice.
Holy Holy God of Hosts
In Jesus' name I boast
saved from sin
burn the devil like toast.
Sing to da Lord
Don't get bored
Sing to da Lord
More more more
He's in the Eucharist
I see him
I can get used to this
Whoa here comes bliss
atheists will diss
so what
snakes always hiss.
Sing to da Lord
Don't get bored
Praise the Lord
Adore dore dore.   
                                                                       - Sacerdotus (circa 2006) ©  

Atheism Dilemma II

In my previous post I wrote that,


"If Atheism cannot provide reason not to believe based on empirical evidence, then we must dismiss this ideology as merely fallacious rhetoric created to appease those who have anger towards God and/or organized religion."   


How true are these words.  Those who call themselves atheists pride themselves in being rational, yet offer no verifiable reason in which to not believe in God.  We have to accept their negation on "faith" not evidence.  The quest for reason goes on...


I have just finished attempting to instill scientific reason to some atheists in regards to God.   As always, they adamantly deny anything, even science itself.  This is when they lose credibility.  One in particular accuses me of arguing from ignorance.   Another sends me a link "debunking the Laws of Information."  


Now this is funny because I merely stated the laws of information which are used in physics and thermodynamics.  These laws basically state that matter cannot produce information.  That is to say that no matter in this universe can develop data or code on its own.  It needs a sender or mover.  


For example, you buy a DVD and it is blank.  You leave it in a room that is locked for 10 or more years.  After that time period you return and take the DVD and put it in a computer.  Will that DVD have data on it?  The answer is no.  The DVD needs an intelligent sentient sender to "burn" the data on it.  The same with matter in this universe.  Matter did not develop or "burn" the data within itself.  It had an external sender that instilled it within.  That sender of course has to be sentient and intelligent rationally speaking.  How else can it be aware of the matter and know how to put information into it and what information to put?


I pointed this out to this gentleman, and he denied it.  I even gave citations to texts that he can go purchase or rent, and he still rejects it.  What now?  Well the logical conclusion is that this individual is in denial.     Citing laws of Physics or any discipline is not arguing from ignorance.  Arguing from ignorance is when one claims that something is true because it has not been disproved.   


All I merely stated was that matter cannot produce information without a sender.  This is a law.  Now, this law is often used to prove the existence of a Logos.   The point I was trying to make was that since matter cannot produce information without a sender and a sender has to be sentient and intelligent, then there is evidence for a Logos.    


Logic is often thrown around by atheists erroneously.  This individual obviously does not have a full grasp of fallacies.  We cannot throw charges of fallacies around at everything said.  If we do, then basic facts such as the 4 seasons are "arguments of ignorance."  Science says we have 4 seasons and this is true because it cannot be disproved, so is this an argument of ignorance?  No way.  This is an observable fact that cannot be disproved unless the Earth changes and some how ends up with 2 or even 10 seasons which is highly unlikely.  


Atheism needs to learn what logic is before they attempt to discredit any theistic arguments.   If not, then what is next?  Will a citation in a thesis be called "appeal to authority?"  It is silly.   If using the Laws of Information as evidence of a Logos is Arguing from Ignorance than so is stating Evolution or Abiogenesis is the cause of life on earth and not God.   


Atheism cannot have its cake and eat it too.  It must be fair, rational and realistic.  It must not request proof of God and then deny everything presented by misapplying fallacies to them.  It must not request proof of God in the sense of summoning some sort of genie to appear before them.  Atheism must realize that the evidence of God is there and it must build on that evidence; they must go on to the next step.  If God is a personal being, one cannot test a person in a lab per se.  One must interact with that person.  Now here lies the problem.  Atheists will not interact with this person called God.  


As an atheist I took that step.  I actually prayed and asked God to show proof.  


A movie comes to mind when thinking of this.  That movie is the "Matrix."  Neo played by Keanu Reeves is a computer hacker who is aware of the "Matrix code."  He wants to know of it and instead finds a group of people dressed in black claiming to know about this "Matrix."  The leader, "Morpheus" tries to explain that the world Neo was living in was a simulation in a computer system.  Neo of course denies it because his senses tell him otherwise.  Now it isn't until Neo sees the bending of the laws of Physics that he begins to see that maybe Morpheus is telling the truth.    Morpheus then tells Neo "I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it."   The scenario is similar of the one who is trying to show the atheist proof of God.  At some point, the atheist has to 'free his mind' and 'walk through the door."  


This is what the scientific method is all about.  We propose a hypothesis, research it, test it, analyze the results and then make a conclusion.  Atheists get stuck at the hypothesis part.  They just ask questions or take guesses based on assumptions that absence of evidence IS evidence of absence.    They must move on from the hypothesis stage to the research step and then to the testing one.  


Just like Morpheus could not tangibly show Neo that the Matrix is a simulation unless Neo freed his mind and walked through the door, so too the atheist cannot process the evidence of God and God unless he/she frees his mind and takes the next steps.


Let us take Santa Claus for example.  In America, this Elf supposedly comes on Christmas eve in a sleigh with reindeer.  He comes down a chimney and delivers presents for people.  Now that is a nice story.  It is fun to hear and adds to the child's Christmas experience.  Now how can we prove this is real or not?  Easy.  We ask the question:


  • Is Santa Claus real?


  • Then we do the research: Origin: "St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra was caricatured into Santa Claus"





After that research we begin to test what we know so far.  



  • Santa Clause is a caricature of a Bishop named St. Nicholas
  • Santa Clause comes on Christmas Eve in a sleigh and down chimneys. 

  1. One test we can do is on Christmas eve go outside and survey the skies for any sleighs. 
  2.  Another test is one inspired by my nephew which entails actually waiting at the fireplace for Santa Claus.

Now after these tests, we analyze what we know and found from testing and come to the conclusion that...(whatever that conclusion is)



Atheism does not do this with God.  It is intellectually dishonest.  Theists all over report miracles, many are documented by science as having no explanation and which defy all known laws of physics.  Many have personal experiences.  We cannot discount this.  


Even the Catholic Church uses science to verify supposed miracles before canonizing a Saint.  The Church does not go by word of mouth.  
For centuries many have written about God showing evidence, but atheists ignore this or cowardly label them as "God of gaps."

An atheist who truly wishes to seek truth regarding God must go to the next step and test these.  

If not, then 

"...we must dismiss Atheism as merely fallacious rhetoric created to appease those who have anger towards God and/or organized religion."












There is no NEW MASS!


Today the Church has officially implemented the new translation of the Roman Missal.    Many people, especially in the media are crying out, "the Mass has been changed!"  That is just not true.  The Mass is the same structurally.  What has changed are the words to some responses and prayers.  Now these changes are corrections in translation and not a complete replacement of the responses and prayers.  The book itself which was called the "Sacramentary" is now the "Roman Missal."  The term "Roman Missal" is how it was called in every other nation so it was strange to have the United States call it the "Sacramentary."

Since 1973 there have been questions surrounding the loss of meaning in the English translation from the Latin.  Latin is the language of the Catholic Church. Latin has always been used as the language of academia and the arts.  The Mass in its Latin form did not make a good transition to English after Vatican II.  Therefore, the Church needed to fix this.  These changes have been in the works now for over 30 years.  Now the Mass in English better reflects the actual words in the Latin version.  So far the changes have been well received.

I hope this new translation will help Catholics pay attention better and focus on the prayer and spirituality of the Holy Mass.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Advent


We are in the holy season of Advent where we prepare for both the coming of Christ at Christmas and the second coming at the end of time.  It is a spiritual period in which to meditate on these two mysteries and prepare for them.  We use the wreath and 4 candles to mark down the 4 weeks before Christmas.  


Three of the candles are purple and one is pink.  The purple symbolizes preparation through penance and prayer.  Purple is also used during Lent.  Another way to see it is purple is a physical sign of healing.  When we get hurt, the injury becomes purple.  During the time of healing it remains purple until it clears up.  Sin hurts us and we need time to heal from it by using the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, Prayer, Fasting, Indulgences and a Spiritual life.  


The pink is for the third Sunday or Gaudete Sunday which means "Sunday of Joy."   We are joyous because we are getting closer to Christ's birth.  As each week goes, we light the candle that corresponds to that week.  


Let us continue to meditate on Christ's first coming and not forget that He is coming again to judge the living and dead.  Let us all prepare for that coming.









Let us pray:


Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your Father and ours. Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord who enlists me in God's own work for justice. 

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world, peace in my home, peace in myself. 

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy. I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love. 

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me the joy and love and peace it is right to bring to the manger of my Lord. Raise in me, too, sober reverence for the God who acted there, hearty gratitude for the lifebegun there, and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son. 

I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose advent I hail. Amen.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Atheism Dilemma

 SININE


If you follow my blog you have seen my attempt to get reason out of the so-called rational atheists.  Unfortunately any attempt has produced futility.  Atheism does not have a logical reason to support its disbelief in God.  A theist ironically is supposed to accept on faith the position of Atheism.  "There is No God, God is a myth" is nothing more than a statement of belief not reason with supporting evidence.

Atheism therefore has a dilemma.  How can it claim to be rational if it offers no reason for its position on God?  Why even bother to make extravagant claims such as "there is no God"  "God is a myth" when you cannot back it up with empirical evidence or logical reason?

It makes Atheism look foolish and as ignorant as it claims Theism is.  In reality, Atheism and Theism are different sides of the same coin.  One side believes in God and the other denies that God exists.

Until Atheism can provide reason not to believe based on empirical evidence, then we must dismiss this ideology as merely fallacious rhetoric created to appease those who have anger towards God and/or organized religion.

Atheism vs Theism

I recently became more active on Twitter after not really paying too much attention to it. Back in 2009, I created the "sacerdotus" account just to reserve it and just out of curiosity on what Twitter was.  I heard about it and my sister also told me about it.

After Pope Benedict XVI told clergy, religious and seminarians to make use of social media and technology for the faith, I began to use Twitter more and Facebook as well. 

While still learning how to use Twitter, I eventually came across what are called "mentions" on the network. This is when people reply to your tweets. At first, I thought Twitter was just to post short status updates reminiscent of the AOL buddy list days. I remember using AOL Messenger where I would put a status update or away message so my friends and others could see what I was up to. With the onset of the T-Mobile Side Kick phone, the feature became more useful as it would alert my friends as to what I was doing and whether or not they could text or call me.  Those were some fun days. Anyhow, I thought Twitter was something similar, but on a grand scale since it had more members and users did not have to be a member in the sense as in the days of AOL.

This is when I realized Twitter was not so good for communication of any sort. I noticed very angry, hateful and abusive mentions on my account. People from gays, pro-abortion supporters, Protestants, and of course, alleged atheists were all there attacking me. They took issue with my tweets and stormed them with vile comments, personal attacks and some even making threats against me and my family. I have never experienced this while using the internet. Never on AOL, its chat rooms or buddy list. It was a whole new experience for me.  Not even in person have I ever faced comments like the ones sent to me. This is when I realized several things 1). There are a lot of angry people out there. 2). Religion is not very popular online.  3). Trolls rule Twitter.  4). People use social media as an outlet to escape reality and behave differently while on it. 5). There is a lot of uneducated people on Twitter and social media in general. 6). Twitter does nothing to stop abusive people. 7). People on Twitter have a lot of misconceptions about many things. 8). People on social media gather in packs of tribes and stick to them loyally. 

Most of the mentions were from people claiming to be atheist. They used all kinds of funny caricature accounts with cartoons or avatars borrowed from popular culture. From a cartoon figure with a paper bag on its head, photos of Dr. House from the sitcom "House," old lady Halloween masks, Pokemon type wolves, to even made up Avengers. They all messaged me with vile comments and attempts to correct my tweets by using nonsense. I replied to as many as I could only to get bombarded by even more. What was interesting was that many others would join in creating confusions as to who replied to what tweet.

The reality that these people worked in packs was becoming more obvious. The pro-abortion people stuck with the pro-abortion people, the gays with gays and the alleged atheists with the alleged atheists. Later on, I learned that many of these people were using what is called a "sock-puppet." A sock-puppet is when someone creates several accounts as back up to defend the main account. This is very common on social media, particularly Twitter.

Reading the many mentions I received told me that there is definitely a tribal sense that takes for on Twitter.  There is one for Atheism and one for Theism.  The one for Atheism seems to be better organized. These alleged atheists who tweet on the hashtag usually follow each other and defend each other against theists. Theists, on the other hands, stick with those who adhere to their own respective religious faith. While theists believe in God and use all kinds of arguments and comments to defend His existence, they are generally not united as well as those alleging to be atheists.  Theists on Twitter unite via politics and their personal sect.  The same goes with theists who claim to be Catholic. There are the conservative ones and liberal ones. These are further divided by religious persuasion. The conservative ones tend to be those who call themselves "traditional Catholics" or are sede vacantists and those who are Protestant, but Evangelical. They tend to support Republicanism and are fixated on criticizing Democrats, abortion, illegal immigration and homosexuality.The liberal ones on the Catholic end tend to be more flexible with homosexuality, but still stern on abortion. They often prefer the ordinary form over the extraordinary, and go after those who prefer the latter. The liberal Protestants tend to be more open to abortion and definitely support homosexual marriage and the like. These show great support for illegal immigration.

This is pretty much what falls under the "Atheism vs Theism" umbrella on Twitter and other social media networks according to my experience. One might think that "Atheism vs Theism" on Twitter is a display of intellectual discourse, however, the opposite is more accurate. I have witness a lot of nonsense from both sides. Those who claim to be atheists posit all kinds of erroneous tweets claiming to be supported by science. In reality, the tweets display a poor understanding of science. Scientific facts are twisted to support the atheist's bias. For example, evolution, the big bang theory or philosophical constructs like free will are used to attack God and religion. Theists who tweet on theism also display similar things. I have read many tweets by theists attacking evolution in favor of a literal 6 day creation period. Some have even gone as far as discrediting science as part of some scheme to delude humanity. Others dishonestly simply rely on the Bible as the sole means to prove God's existence and disregard science, philosophy and even theology. However, not all do this. There are theists who validity present intellectual discourse with ample support. They are few, but do exist. The same cannot be said of those claiming to be atheist. I have yet to see any arguments by alleged atheists on Twitter that actually demonstrates objective science and pure philosophical thinking. What is interesting is that atheists who are actually scientists or philosophers tend to be mute on the topic; with the exception of Richard Dawkins who seems to use his account to bait and draw attention to himself.

So on Twitter we have Atheism vs Theism, but within them are more divisions which pretty much defeats the purpose of having a dialog. If both sides cannot keep their stories straight, so to speak, then nothing gets accomplished. No facts are presented and no conclusions of  truth can take place. At times, it seems like the short debates using 140 characters is more like a competition or game rather than an actual intellectual discourse attempt.  In order words, Atheist vs Theism tend to be more like a tribal batter between groups rather than an actual way to discuss the issues and address them with facts and reason. Because of this, dialogues become puerile and nonsensical. They end up with insults going back and forth and eventually one party giving in to blocking the other.  This is eventually what convinced me to stop replying to mentions as they served no purpose but to bait me into getting into this us vs them battle-game.

Hopefully, things will get better and people can have meaningful discussions on Twitter. In the meantime, it seems trolls are controlling it and are abusive Twitter's lack of response to make the social media their playground. The Atheism vs Theism dialog is then disrupted. Both sides present Theism and Atheism as silliness rather than serious topics to dissect and study.  It becomes a "No, you are wrong... no, you are wrong!"  Pigeon chess is engaged, not reason. 

Obama Forgets God



There is an uproar directed towards President Obama after he omitted any mention of God in his Thanksgiving speech.  He thanks troops and others, but did not thank God.

While this may be a petty issue for some, it is something we should reflect on.  Thanksgiving is a holiday that was established based on the religious principles of the Pilgrims.  Thanks are given to the Creator mentioned in the Constitution.

This is the purpose of Thanksgiving.  For a President to not thank God on this day is indeed a scandal.  How can our leader not thank the Creator that has endowed Americans with inalienable rights?

Black Friday


The Friday after Thanksgiving days is called "Black Friday."  On this day many stores offer what appear to be extreme sales in order to lure people in to buy for Christmas.  While the idea seems good - people can save money and give presents without breaking the bank- the idea has proven to be dangerous.

Hordes of people flock to stores and literally storm it like zombies from Romero films or the Walking Dead program as soon as the doors open.  Customers run in all directions, snatch items off shelves and even from each other!  There are fights, foul language, injuries and even death.  Last year a worker was trampled to death.  This worker was over 6 feet tall and could not prevent the mob from killing him!

It is sad and disgusting to hear this.  Black Friday is indeed black.  It shows the reality and ugliness of one of the 7 capital sins: Greed.  The accumulation of material goods is never a good.  It is a sign of mental illness and a desire to seek happiness from materials.  Christmas is about Jesus Christ, His Incarnation.  It is not about getting the best deal in order to be able to give gifts.  We must return to the true meaning of Christ's Mass.  

On Black Friday human beings become primitive, savage like and ignorant.  They imitate the animals of the wild who fight for food, territory and water.  This day can probably be added as evidence of Evolution!  I hope retailers take responsibility for activating this primitive instinct among human beings who shop.  How many more people will die or get hurt just for a stupid piece of material?  Are goods more valuable than human life?

 Let's end the madness.  Bring Christ back to Christmas!  

 

Thanksgiving

On the last Thursday of every November Americans celebrate Thanksgiving day.  On this day, the traditional turkey meal is enjoyed by families across the nation.  Americans give thanks for life, their families, health, goods etc.

The origin of this day is said to come from the Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth rock.  The Wampanoag Indians taught these settlers how to farm and hunt.  As a deeply religious people, the Pilgrims then had a meal thanking God for the many blessings in this new land. However, the real first Thanksgiving was done by Catholics.  Many do not know that the first Thanksgiving was done by Catholics over 50 years before the pilgrims.  Native Americans and Spanish settlers had a Feast and Mass in 1565 on September 8th, the feast day of the Birth of Mary.  This took place in St. Augustine, Florida. Thanks were given on this day by the Natives and Spanish.  

While the day is great, we should always thank God daily for everything, both good and bad.  Everything is a blessing whether direct or hidden.  The Catholic Church always gives thanks in the Eucharist.  The word "Eucharist" means Thanksgiving.  We offer out prayers to God, thanking Him while remembering His Son's sacrifice on the Cross.  Jesus Christ becomes the bread and wine at Mass not symbolically but literally.  The Mass takes place daily throughout the Earth.  There is only one day where Mass is not said and that is on Good Friday.   So before the Pilgrims, Catholics have been having Thanksgiving, not with comfort food, but with The Bread of Life.  

Let us Thank God for everything, not just on this last Thursday of November, but daily; whether at Holy Mass, work, school or at home.




Source:





Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Let Kids Be Kids!

Sex education has been a heavy topic to discuss after the disgusting curriculum about to be implemented in NYC public schools.  Some claim that it is important for kids to know about condoms, sex, diseases, abortion and pregnancy.  


"They are going to do it" say those under the so-called Liberal and Progressive banners.  They completely ignore the facts.  The CDC or Center for Disease Control has recently released data showing that condoms and birth control are not decreasing the spread of STD's and teen pregnancy.

This report just came out in October 2011 and is entitled, "National Survey of Family Growth,"  (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_031.pdf)


 The survey shows an increase of STD infection and no affect whatsoever on avoiding teen pregnancy.


Abroad in Spain, the University of Navarre found that the majority of Spanish teens are not sexually active.  This speaks volumes in a nation that is succumbing to the ignorance of secularism which promotes promiscuity and other immoral behavior.  (http://www.unav.es/english/)


Moreover, teens are choosing abstinence.  A study by the CDC has found that abstinence is on the rise in the United States of America despite the push for condoms and so called "safe sex" practice.   (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr036.pdf)  The CDC also shows that more teens are virgins and that the trend to remain as such is high. (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_030.pdf)


The data is there: "Safe sex" as predicted is a BIG FAILURE and waste of money.

Please let kids be kids. Let them enjoy sports,  school, toys, art, video games, music, shopping and things kids like to do.  Those who call themselves Liberal and Progressive need to keep their sexual frustrations to themselves and not project it on minors.  You are destroying our young people!  Stop it!  

I wonder if this "safe sex" campaign is an attempt by pedophiles to overly sexualize the youth so they can be more susceptible to bait for sex?  hmmm...

Sources:

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=4426

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/World.php?id=3595

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=2784

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Pepper Sprayed Students

The recent events at the University of California are disturbing.  A group of students sat on campus property protesting tuition hikes and other issues that also concern the Occupy Wall Street movement.

During the protest, a Campus police officer sprayed the students with pepper spray.  The manner in which he did it was disturbing.  He casually walked about spraying the students as if they were roaches.



The situation could have been handled better in my opinion.  Universities should be a place for academic freedom, and a place where students can exercise their Constitutional rights in a manner that does not infringe on the rights of others.

Is America becoming a police state?

Our Lady of Divine Providence


The image of Our Lady of Divine Providence was first created by Italian artist Scipione Pulzone in 1580.  This image has The Blessed Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus cradled in her arms.

She is the patroness of the Barnabite order as well as Puerto Rico.  Since 1896, the Barnabite order has adopted this image as part of religious decor in their properties.


On November 19 Columbus discovered Puerto Rico.   Pope Paul VI in 1969 decreed that this day would be the day for the feast day of Our Lady of Divine Providence.  It was originally celebrated on January 2.

Puerto Ricans on the island and in the American States celebrate this day with a festive Mass, processions, and with other cultural aspects that represent the Puerto Rican culture.

The image of Our Lady of Divine Providence is a beautiful one indeed.  Our Lady is holding in her arms the Lord of Lords, the God of gods.  A human woman who represents us before Christ.  She is our intercessor before Jesus the Lord.

May Our Lady of Divine Providence pray for all of us, for all Puerto Ricans - those who are faithful and those who have fallen away from the faith, and for Puerto Rico, the "Isla del Encanto."





Prayer to Our Lady of Providence

Let us ask Our Lady of Providence, Mary most holy, who is the refuge of sinners, the consolation of the afflicted, and athe help of Christians, to assist us in all our necessities.
Litany of Our Lady of Providence
God the Creator of heaven and earth, have mercy on us.
God the son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Most Holy Trinity, Divine Providence, have mercy on us.
Our Lady of Providence, mother of grace and mercy, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, help of the sick, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, hope of the oppressed, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, star of the sea, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, tower of David, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, queen of the home, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, model of disciples, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, mother of the Church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Pray for us, Our lady of Providence, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
O God, whose ever-watchful Providence rules all things, we humbly implore you through the prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your son, to remove from us whatever is harmful and to bestow on us only that which will be helpful. We ask this through Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Adapted for a novena prior to the Feast of Our Lady of Providence (Saturday preceding the third Sunday in November). Ecclesiastical approval 1983.






Prayer to Our Lady of Providence, Queen of the Home
Our Lady of Providence, I place in your hands our beloved home. As you were queen of the Holy Family at Nazareth, be queen of our home. Keep our home ties unbroken--today, tomorrow, and forever, Amen.
National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence
Sisters of Providence
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana 47876


Christ the King





We have just celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King.  What a glorious day.  Jesus Christ is King of all.  The very word "Christ" means "Anointed one, King."  

All those Baptized share in this Kingship.  This day which always falls on a Sunday is the last Sunday of the Liturgical calendar.  The Sunday that follows is the First Sunday of Advent which starts a new Liturgical Year.  



Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ The King
Lectionary: 160

Reading 1 Ez 34:11-12, 15-17

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep. 
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark. 
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. 
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading 2 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power. 
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.

Gospel Mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him. 
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. 
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink? 
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you? 
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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