Friday, May 31, 2013

Asteroid Passing By




Today asteroid 1998 QE2 is passing by planet Earth at a very close distance.  It will be at its closest at around 4-5:00 PM today EST time.  The asteroid was observed to have its own "moon" orbiting it.  It poses no threat to Earth, so do not panic nor sell your stocks and other items.  This visit from one of our many millions of neighbors will help us learn more about these large bodies traveling through space.

The asteroid will be nearly impossible to see without a power telescope, but you can view it here: http://www.space.com/19195-night-sky-planets-asteroids-webcasts.html

 


Source:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/31/187496903/huge-asteroid-makes-its-closest-pass-to-earth-today


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Strange Twitter Days...



I seem to attract the strangest people on Twitter...  This young lady followed me about a week ago.  The account was brand new and I found that suspicious; nevertheless, I gave her the benefit of doubt.  The individual claimed that her brother is a fan of my blog and what not - as you can read in the tweets.  The conversation seemed okay until a few days later I posted my Gay boy scouts post and she commented, siding with homosexuals.  This was a red flag for me.  What orthodox Catholic sides with homosexuals against morality?

The red flag got even bigger when this individual began tweeting rosa rubicondior.  Immediately, I suspected that this was a ploy of sorts.  Rubicondior was recently suspended on twitter and is fuming mad.  This sock puppet account is an attempt to discredit me and cause harm, but it back fired.  Other Catholics jumped in immediately sensing the account to be bogus.  Here are the tweets so you can be the judge.  They start off friendly, she and her brother are "fans" of mine, then she turns on me, even calls me dishonest, a liar and a jerk!  This fan even goes from praising my blog to claiming it to be fallacious!  I smell a sock puppet of these crazy atheists on twitter.
































































































June 2, 2013 - the Stalking and fixation continues. This atheist is now best friends with "Rosa" and plotting against me.. Sighs..
































Wednesday, May 29, 2013

#ITrustinU Twitter Storm


Join the Twitter Storm
THE HOUR OF MERCY!
Friday June 7, 2013 @ 3:00 PM EST
 as we take over Twitter in honor of Jesus' Mercy.

Tweet to #ITrustinU





Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Introduction to the Catholic Church



The Catholic Church – Roman (Latin) Rite
            There is probably no other religion on Earth that is more widespread and known than the Catholic Church.  As I write this, the media is gathering in Rome anticipating the election of a new Pope due to the fact that Pope Benedict XVI retired. (Ruth, Lisa M, Wash. Times)  The Catholic Church is the largest religion on Earth with over 1.5 billion members.  It is also the oldest western religion.  One can say, based on history that it has built western society as we know it today. 
The Catholic Church is a revealed religion. (CCC. Para. 813)  It can be traced back to Jesus Christ and the Apostles. (Bokenkotter, pg1)  The Church states that it has the four marks of the true Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. (CCC. Para. 865)  Jesus Christ is thought to be by billions, the Son of God.  The Jews prior to Christ were expecting a Messiah or Savior.  This Messiah was thought to be a warrior who would rescue Israel similarly like Moses did in the book of Exodus found in the Bible. (Levine, USCatholic.org)  However, the one claming to be the Messiah - or “chosen/anointed one” - was a poor carpenter named Jesus Christ. (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, Mark 6:1-3 [p.83-84])  This would cause scandal among the Jews of the time who expected a man with a sword in hand that would defeat the oppressors of the nation of Israel.
Furthermore, instead of rousing up the people to fight against Rome, Christ spoke of peace, love, forgiveness and repentance. (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, Matthew 7:1-5 [p.11] John 16:33 [p.222] Matthew 4:17 [p.12]) This was a sharp contrast to what the image of the Messiah was supposed to be.  According to the Gospels in the New Testament, Jesus chose 12 men. (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, Matthew 10 [p.26]) These 12 men would represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, Matthew 19:28 [p.48])  In a sense, Christ was renewing the already established Jewish religion. (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, Matthew 19:28 [p.48]) 
One of them named Simon was a fisherman and the oldest.  Jesus would change his name to Peter which means “rock.”  He would also tell Peter that He would give him the keys of the kingdom of Heaven and Earth.  Whatever Peter changed would be changed in heaven and whatever he left untouched would be left untouched. (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, Matthew 16:18-19 [p.42]).  This giving of the keys originates from Isaiah 22:20-22 in the Old Testament.  (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, Isaiah 22:22 [p.546])  Hezekiah gave the keys to the kingdom of David to a servant named Eliakim to be the prime minister.  The keys are also a symbol of succession.  The Catholic Church teaches that Peter would have a specific primal role in the Church as the visible head of it.  This role would be defined as the Papacy. (CCC paragraph 881)  Jesus would then continue stating that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church. 
Before the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ, Christ told the Apostles that he would send a Paraclete or “helper” who will remind them of what he has taught and would guide them. (Bible Catholic Pastoral Edition, John 14:15-17 [p.218])  Jesus would then ascend into heaven and the Apostles would be left to begin their mission to preach the Gospel to the world and Baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Catholic Pastoral Edition, Matthew 28:18-20 [p.70])  On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection, this helper would come over the Apostles and Mary - Jesus’ mother - as they prayed in a room. (Catholic Pastoral Edition, Acts 2:1-13 [p.236-237])  This helper would be the Holy Spirit and would allow those who received Him to speak the Word of God clearly and in the vernacular of those who were listening.  The Catholic Church calls this day Pentecost and it is considered the birthday of the Catholic Church. (CCC paragraph 1076)
After Pentecost, the Apostles would spread around the region and preach the message of Jesus Christ.  They would baptize, and celebrate primitive versions of what are called “sacraments,” or visible signs of God’s grace. (Catholic Pastoral Edition, Acts 20:7 [p.273], Acts 19:5 [p.270]; Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 774)  The Catholic Church would establish its center in Rome. (Bokenkotter, Pg. 16-27)  Peter and another disciple named Paul who was not originally part of the Apostles founded the Church there.  This is why the Church is centered in Vatican City, Rome.  According to Origen of Alexandria, Peter was crucified on the land upside-down.  He did not want to die in the same manner as Christ so he requested to be crucified in this manner.  His remains would be buried where the basilica of St. Peter’s is now. (Bokenkotter, 42)  His “cathedra” or chair is also preserved there. 
Moreover, some erroneously call the Catholic Church, the “Roman Catholic Church;” however, this is not the proper title.  The Catholic Church is a collection of about 22 different churches or rites. (CCC, Para.1203)  Latin is one of those rites which originated in Rome as the official vernacular.   Each rite has a distinct way of having Liturgy, or public service/worship.
The early Church used the philosophies of its time to explicate Christian dogmas.  They used Greek philosophy’s view of the “Logos” to explain God.  God has always been part of philosophy whether Greek or not.  The major difference with the God of philosophy in ancient Greece and the Biblical/Qur’an God is that this being is not named or treated as a person who interacts with humanity.  This Supreme Being is merely described as the “esse subsistens” or the absolute being, while the Judeo-Christian God names Himself and interacts personally with humanity according to Pope Benedict XVI. (XVI, Benedict, 130)   
The Catholic Church would eventually be recognized as the official religion of the Roman Empire after Constantine receives a vision of a Christian symbol, the chi-rho which means Christ. (Bokenkotter: 35,38)  He would hand over the Pagan temples to the Catholic Church which would be transformed into Christian themed buildings. (Bokenkotter, 39)  The Pantheon is an example.  It originally existed to give homage to the many Pagan Roman gods and now it is a Catholic Church giving homage to Christ’s mother and all the Christian martyrs, or those who died for the faith.  The Church would rise in power after this and would eventually take over the Roman Empire. (Bokenkotter, 89-90)
With this temporal authority, the Church under the leadership of Popes was able to promote the religion more and leave its mark on society.  It presented the western idea of the university and created the first hospital system.  Many priests and monks worked in the sciences such as Franciscan Roger Bacon who formulated what we now use as the scientific method. (Bokenkotter, 143)  Even the “Big Bang” theory was developed by Monsignor George Lemaitre who corrected physicist Albert Einstein who believed the universe was constant and not expanding.  The Bible or Scripture itself was put together by the Catholic Church in 382 A.D. by Pope Damasus I. (CCC. Para. 120)  Scripture was defined as the “Word of God” and Christians were required to learn it.  By using the Bible or Sacred Scripture as well as Sacred Tradition, or the teachings of the Apostles and early Christian; the Catholic Church define its teachings. (CCC. Para 87, 94)
The religion itself is based solely on the person of Christ. (CCC. Para 666) Christ is seen as the source of the truth, liberty and salvation from sin. (CCC 2466)  Grace, or the favor or life of God is given to people. (CCC. Para. 1996) The people using free will can respond to it with the gift of faith.  They then put that faith into works or action in order to be justified in the eyes of God. (CCC. Para. 1993) The Church sums this up in the Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. (CCC. Para. 1813, 2095)  The living of these virtues will bring about the Cardinal virtues of, Fortitude, Prudence, Temperance and Justice. (CCC. Para 1805, 1834) 
In addition to these virtues, the Catholic Church offers the seven sacraments which are divided into three categories: Initiation, Healing and Vocation.  Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist are the Sacraments of initiation. (CCC. Para. 1113) They leave an indelible mark on the souls of believers who receive them. (CCC. Para. 698) Anointing of the Sick and Penance are the Sacraments of Healing.  One offers comfort to the sick and prepares them for death while the other removes all sin when a believer confesses his or her sins to a priest. (CCC. Para. 1421) Lastly, Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders are the Vocation Sacraments.  God can call one to marry the opposite gender, or a male to become a deacon or priest via ordination in Holy Orders.  Only celibate men can become deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals and pope. (CCC. Para. 1580, 1598) Women are called to the religious life, but this is not the same as Holy Orders.  
The Catholic Church is a monotheistic religion which believes God to be three distinct Divine persons who co-substantially exist as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (CCC. Para. 253) God is the only one worshiped while the saints, or men and women who succeeded in living the Christian virtues and have died are canonized and are believed to intercede on the behalf of those still living on Earth or the “Church Militant.” (CCC. Para. 956)
The Mother of Christ, commonly referred to as the Virgin Mary holds a special veneration by Catholics. (CCC. Para. 721) It is believed that she has appeared to specific individuals throughout the centuries.  Many shrines were built on or near the spot where she had appeared.  In addition to this, Catholics stress the important of a prayer life.  Liturgy is the official worship of the Church. (CCC. Para. 1136) Catholics are required to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. (CCC. Para. 2042) They must frequent the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist and must take part in good works.  Sacramentals, or objects and actions that are considered reminders of the sacred and bring blessings are used. (CCC. Para. 1677) Popular sacramentals are medals of saints, rosary beads, chaplets, scapulars and holy water. 
The Catholic Church believes that the human race is fallen from grace.  After the original sin of Adam and Eve, all of humanity was tarnished by it and must remove this sin via baptism. (CCC. Para. 390)  However, actual sin still remains which predisposes people to sin via their own free will.  When a sin is great, it is called mortal.  Mortal sins are sins that must have three criteria, 1. It must be a grave matter.  2. One must contemplate committing the sin 3. One freely committed the sin. (CCC. Para. 1857)
If a human being dies with a mortal sin, he or she will most likely end up in hell, or the state of absence from the love of God. (CCC. Para. 1035) Mortal sins are removed only via the sacrament of Penance. (CCC. Para. 1496) Those sins which are committed without premeditation are called Venial. (CCC. Para. 1862) These sins can be removed with an act of Contrition.  Anyone who dies with these sins will remain in the state of Purgatory which cleanses a soul prior to entry into heaven. (CCC. Para. 1031) The Sacrament of Penance does not remove the suffering that one incurs upon oneself due to sin.  Indulgences or the merits of Christ and the saints are applied to souls in order to remove this suffering. (CCC. Para. 1471) The Catholic Church teaches that human beings have an immortal soul which can exist after death in either heaven, hell, or temporarily in purgatory. (CCC. Para. 1022)   
The Catholic Church teaches that it is the Mystical body of Christ.  Christ is its head, but a visible head remains on Earth called the Pontiff, Vicar of Christ or Pope. (CCC. Para. 1119) The Pope is an ordained man who is elected by the Cardinals, or princes of the Church.  The Cardinals vote among themselves who will replace a Pope.  The Church has had 266 Popes from St. Peter to Pope Benedict XVI.  Recently, Pope Benedict XVI retired and a conclave was held which is the ceremony from which a new Pope is elected.  The Cardinal of Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected on March 13, 2013 and took the name of Pope Francis. 
            In closing, the Catholic Church is a religion that is well organized and has a long history.  It was difficult attempting to summarize the Catholic religion because of the volumes of information on it.  I think the religion is rational and if one observes it correctly, one will benefit greatly.  Its ideas are often misunderstood.  The Church has done much for society and is the largest charitable organization in the world.  It provides both spiritual and material needs to all peoples, even non-Catholics.  The Church educates people of all races, ages, genders, faith and no faith. 
To my knowledge, the Catholic Church is the only religion that promotes science and even has its own observatory.  Despite the bad reputation some of its members have given the Church, the Church deserves a lot of credit for many good things.   






Works Cited

Bokenkotter, Thomas.  A Concise History of the Catholic Church,   Revised and Expanded EditionImage Books, 1990

   Hurault, Bernardo. Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition.  Claretian Publications, 1994

   Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Image Books Doubleday, 1995

                           XVI, Benedict.  Introduction to Christianity. Revised
Ignatius Press, 2004

Ruth, Lisa M.   “Pope Benedict resigns. Selecting the next Pope.” http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/life-lisa/2013/feb/28/pope-benedict-resigns-so-whats-next/
           Washington Times News Website, 28 Feb. 2013

  A U.S. Catholic Interview – Amy-Jill Levine.  “A Jewish take on Jesus: Amy-Jilll Levine talks the gospels.”   http://www.uscatholic.org/church/2012/09/jewish-take-jesus-amy-jill-levine-talks-gospels

           US Catholic.Org Website/U.S. Catholic Vol. 77, No. 10, pages 18-22.  Oct. 2012

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Evidence for God I - Philosophy Thought Experiment


The new Star Trek movie is out in theaters, so I have decided to present a Star Trek themed thought experiment to show evidence for God by using reason.

"Space, the final frontier.  These are the voyages of the Starship Sacerdotus.  It's continuing mission, is to explore strange atheist worlds, to seek out new life in Christ and teach civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."  


"Star Trek" - The Search for God in Nature

Suppose you are in the year AD 2487.  Things have changed on Earth.  New technologies have replaced the old.  What seemed impossible in 2013 is now possible.  Humanity has reached the point where it has designed warp drive and vessels that can travel long distances in space in a matter of seconds.

Human beings are naturally curious creatures.  They will study and observe anything, even if it is dangerous to them. Whatever is observed is processed in the brain and then rationalizations come about.

Anyhow, the human race has explored the Solar System by this point and is hungry for more.  The Triangulum galaxy (M33) is huge and looks interesting to study from Earth; however, the human race wants to actually visit it.  At over 2 million light years from Earth, it would take a considerable amount of time to reach the galaxy.

Nevertheless, humanity is stubborn and willing to do whatever it takes to get the mission done.  They study wormholes and how to bend time and space and develop means of creating an artificial one that will shorten the trip.  The trip is risky.  A wormhole can become unstable and those within it can be lost forever if the wormhole collapses.

With determination in mind, the human race continues with its plan and begins searching for qualified experts who can travel there, investigate and bring back whatever knowledge is obtained.  They interview thousands of scientists, pilots, engineers, medical personnel and others in order to finalize the crew that will participate in this mission.

Twelve are chosen from among the thousands and are given training.  This training will hopefully prepare each participant with facing whatever challenges may lie ahead.

After the training, the twelve begin to board the USS Sacerdotus.  The USS Sacerdotus is specifically designed to handle the harsh environments of outer space.  It's computers host vast amounts of data regarding the human race as well as programs needed to study whatever data is acquired from the galaxy Triangulum.

The astronauts board and begin to travel outside the Solar System to a point where space and time
are mildly unstable and a wormhole can be opened.  The deflector array is turned on and a beam of exotic baryons are shot at the point where space and time are at its weakest.  A rift begins to open and disturbs normal space and time.  When the rift is large enough for the USS Sacerdotus to enter, the vessel begins to move towards it.  The inside of the rifts is white - a sharp contrast to the blackness of outer space.  The USS Sacerdotus enters it and begins moving at an incredible speed due to the absence of normal space, time and gravity.  Within two seconds the USS Sacerdotus emerges into normal space once again.  It is right in the Triangulum galaxy.  The twelve on board celebrate the success of the trip.  All is well, the USS Sacerdotus suffers no damage and it begins to explore this strange new galaxy in ways observatories on Earth could never possibly do.

The USS Sacerdotus detects a local star system similar to the Solar System back home in the Milky
Way galaxy.  The crew sets course to it and arrives a few hours later at warp nine.  As the USS Sacerdotus approaches the system, it detects a planet in the "Goldilocks's zone" or habitable zone.  The planet has an indigo tone to it and is four times the size of Earth.  It has oceans, lakes, rivers, mountains; all of the geological features found on Earth.  The crew is ecstatic!  They immediately test the gases on the planet to see if they are safe.

Tests indicate that there is oxygen on the planet that is safe to breathe; however, there is more concentration of it.  The oxygen content in the atmosphere is 58% which could post a threat to the health of the astronauts.  Human lungs are designed to intake about 21% oxygen.  Anything greater can cause harm such as fluid in the lungs, damage to capillaries and alveoli.  Depending on the atmospheric pressure, other issues such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, muscle twitching can occur.

Undeterred by this, the crew continues to plan a way to go on the surface and investigate this new world.  While scanning the surface, the crew discover something even more exciting.  Ship sensors detect structures of some sort that do not match the surrounding landscape.  This discovery increases the zeal to launch an away team to the planet to investigate.  All adjustments necessary to survive the planet's surface are made to the crew's spacesuits.  Six of the twelve prepare to make the trip down to the surface in order to investigate the planet as well as these structures.

They all board a shuttle craft with the necessary items for the mission.  The shuttle craft leaves the bay and begins its decent to the planet.  The trip takes about 20 minutes.  The shuttle lands and the crew sets foot on the alien world 14.6 quintillion miles from Earth.  The world is a bit gloomy looking.  It is not as bright as a spring day on Earth, nevertheless, the crew steps afoot and begins to investigate.  They walk about and study ever inch of the landing zone.  Their instruments detect identical minerals to those found on Earth.  Nothing seems out of the ordinary other than the fact that they are on a different world.

Life is detected such as plants, bacteria and strange looking arachnids, but nothing similar to animal wildlife or human beings.  The crew continues walking towards the site where the ship's sensors detected structures that did not match the natural landscape.  As they get closer, they can see some of the structures in the distance.  Wonder fills their minds as they try to make sense as to what these structures are.

They finally reach the area and find ruins scattered about.  There are structures, buildings and other things that are not naturally part of the landscape.  The scientists begin to study them.  They realize that these structures are not made by an unconscious agent; that is to say, they did not form themselves.

The geologist on the crew clearly states that neither weathering nor tectonics can account for the formation of these structures.  They are clearly made by a conscious intelligent source capable of manipulating materials found on the planet.  The scientists conclude based on what is observable that life existed on this planet and constructed these structures.  The ruins clearly indicate that an intelligent conscious civilization once inhabited the planet.

*******************************************************************************

Objection 1:

The structures on the planet could have been created due to winds, weathering and other natural phenomenon.  The "face on Mars" was created this way.  Some believed it to be a structure on Mars; however, as technology improved, it was determined that the face was really a mountain and its shadows created the illusion of a face.  This is nothing more than Pareidolia, or the psychological phenomenon of interpreting images and sounds into identifiable stimuli.  The human mind is wired to detect faces.  

Response:

While nature can "create" things such as valleys, cliffs, mountains and other elaborate designs, it cannot create complex ones which involve planning and mathematics.  A mountain is not the same as a pyramid or a building of some sort.  Pyramids and other edifices require mathematics and planning in order for the structure to stand and survive.  Moreover, pareidolia cannot be a factor in the astronaut's experience because the structures were confirmed by technology.  They existed prior to the arrival of the crew and will exist when they leave.

Objection II:

The astronauts were hallucinating due to the difference of pressure, oxygen levels and gravity.  These factors caused them to see things that are not there just like people on Earth can experience mirages.


Response:

While people do hallucinate and can misinterpret visual stimuli, the astronauts on this mission had suits that shielded them from any external effects from the planet's surface.  They did not inhale the planet's oxygen, but that found in their suits.  Moreover, their instruments detected the structures and these instruments cannot hallucinate nor experience mirages.
                        

Conclusion: 

Atheists often claim that there is no evidence for God.  They demand "peer reviewed" journals, empirical evidence and the like in order to believe that there is a God.  The reality is that nature is evidence of God's existence.  Just like the astronauts concluded that structures made with intelligence, precision and purpose are not the result of weathering and other natural phenomenon; so to we can determine via this same reason that the universe cannot be a product of random probability and natural forces.  Buildings, cities cannot create themselves.  When early European explorers came across Mayan temples and the like, they immediately knew that these structures were designed by someone.  Similarly, if astronauts find ruins of a civilization on a foreign body in space, it is logical to conclude that they were constructed by a conscious intelligent people and did not build themselves.  

While some astrophysicists such as Neil Degrasse Tyson claim that the universe is harsh and hostile to human beings, this does not take away from the fact that human beings exist in an environment that caters to them.  The anthropic principle is an indication of this.  Yes there are parts of the universe that are hostile to human beings; however, this is not because these parts somehow exist to destroy us but because we were not meant to exist in them.  For example, fish are designed to exist solely in water.  If a fish goes out of its element, it will die.  Similarly, human beings are designed to exist solely on Earth within the troposphere.  Logically speaking, they will indeed suffer or die if they step outside of this habitable zone.  

Interestingly enough, we have the brains that allow us to defy this "prison" and go beyond it into outer space.  That begs the question, why?  It would seem that our brains too were designed to figure out how to counter any harsh situations nature may throw at us.  The existence of harsh environments does not mean there is no intelligent design.  Rather, it shows there is specificity in the design.

The universe with its laws, order and harmony even within the chaos of subatomic particles shows an intelligence is behind its construction.  It is not logically nor mathematically possible for a universe like ours to appear randomly in such a way as to allow life and the maintenance of galaxies and other bodies in space.

As Psalm 19:1-4 states:
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun"

         

  

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Boy Scouts Turn Gay



The Boy Scouts of America, an organization which prides itself in helping young boys grow into strong men with strong morals has succumbed to social engineering.  It is now seeking a new "pride," so to speak.

The Boy Scouts will now allow gay boys to join its ranks.  Prior to this decision, there have been many cases of gay boys being rejected when applying.  Others who were already gay and came out publicly were frowned upon by other members.  Religious leaders are now urging members of the Boy Scouts who are religious to abandon the organization.

If the organization's religious members leave, the Boy Scouts will suffer greatly.  Not only will they lose members, but also sponsorship from the many religious institutions that provide funds and support.

It is sad that an organization meant to teach boys integrity and morals would succumb to pressure from social engineering.  Will they allow transsexual boys as well?  God helps us all.    

    




Source:

http://news.yahoo.com/boy-scouts-anti-gay-troops-emerge-193625987.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-boy-scouts-lift-ban-on-gay-youth-20130523,0,5686326.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-boy-scouts-lift-ban-on-gay-youth-20130523,0,5686326.story

Friday, May 24, 2013

UK Soldier Attacked


"You who have Faith! show integrity for the sake of God, bearing witness with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just. That is closer to piety. Have piety of God. God is aware of what you do." Qur'an 5: 8



Lee Rigby (pictured above), a British soldier was minding his own business wearing a Help for Heros hoodie not knowing what would occur.  Two deranged individuals hit him with their car running him over.  This was not a car accident for these two individuals would get out of their vehicle with knives and meat cleavers.  They attack the injured soldier to the point of nearly decapitating his head completely.

The gross event took place in front of many witnesses including a lady who tried to get the perpetrators to stop and talked to them until the authorities arrived.  Their motive was clear as one of them spoke to her holding the weapons in his hands full of Rigby's blood.  The attacker said:    
“We swear by Almighty Allah, we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. The only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,You will never be safe. Remove your government. They don’t care about you. I apologize that women had to witness this but in our land women have to see the same.”

This attack was meant to be a message of vengeance for Muslims killed in the War on Terror.  This is scary indeed.  Rigby became a victim just because he was a soldier and his nation is involved in the War of Terror.  

Apparently the attackers did not read the Quran quote I posted under Rigby's photo.  It says, and I paraphrase:  to show integrity for God's sake; do not let hatred for people incite you to become unjust.  Perhaps the most powerful words ends the quote: "God is aware of what you do."  God is certainly aware and saw these attackers kill this innocent soldier.  These two individuals betrayed God and their Islamic faith by committing this horrendous act.  

However, Rigby's death was not in vain.  The Help for Heros website crashed after millions visited it in order to donate in his honor.  May Lee Rigby rest in peace and may God teach all people of faith that killing one another is not His will.       




Source:



Thursday, May 23, 2013

Pope Francis - Atheists who are Good


Pope Francis shocked the world recently by implying that atheists can go to Heaven if they are good. This is no shock to Catholics who are well versed in their faith.  While the Catholic Church is the sole beacon from which one can be saved in Jesus Christ, she is not the only means Christ uses.  Those who are good and through no fault of their own did not hear of Christ or His Catholic Church can go to heaven.  However, this does not apply to atheists who do evil and uncharitable things, or those who reject God.  

The Catechism states the following:

839 "Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."325


"Outside the Church there is no salvation"
846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:
Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:
Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337

848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."338

As you can see clearly, God will not hold anyone accountable for not hearing the Word of God for whatever reason.  There are still areas that the Church has not reached completely.  People in those areas have no fault of this and therefore do not merit damnation unless they lived lives that were not good.  Similarly, atheists who are good, help others, donate, volunteer, treat others with love and respect can possibly go to Heaven even if they did not believe in God, granted they were not hostile against Him or rejected Him after learning of Him.   

Jesus Himself died for everyone.  He redeemed all peoples in every place and time. (1 Timothy 2:6)  Jesus is the one who saves people.  He did not come for the Jews, for Catholics, Muslims or whatever; He came for ALL peoples.  Moreover, Jesus says that He has others who do not belong to His main flock in the Catholic Church. (John 10:6)  These sheep hear His voice and follow even if they are not part of the main flock. Obviously, these sheep are the good people in other religions including agnostics and atheists.  

Unfortunately, many atheists are under the impression that they are damned.  They are often told that God hates them and they are "heathens" who will burn in hell for eternity.  This idea comes from Protestantism Fundamentalism which often berates atheists as people who are evil and have no redemption.  Catholicism, which is Christ's One and Only True religion does not teach this nor does it advocate this hate.  Jesus came for all.  He died for all.  Jesus did not come to condemn anyone but to bring salvation. (John 3:17)  This is a verse perhaps Protestant fundamentalists skipped.

God is a Father who wants all of His children to be with Him enjoying the bliss of Heaven.  He would not have sent His Son Christ to die for mere primates if He did not value each one of them.  Whether atheists believe in God or not does not take away from the fact that they belong to Him.  Atheism is part of faith. Many saints have gone through periods of atheism during their spiritual journey.  

I personally believe that atheists of today exist because of a lack of proper Christian education.  Some clergy, religious sisters and brothers, and lay people in teaching positions have abused their authority and taught ideas that are not Catholic.  Because of this, people become atheists after not receiving proper knowledge in regards to faith.  The faith they were taught is irrational and silly.  Furthermore, scandals or bad behavior in the Church can contribute to someone becoming an atheist.  We must all imitiate Christ and not our fallen human nature in order to prevent this.  Nevertheless, atheists still have a desire to know of God.  I write on this in my post, Why do Atheists care about God?      

Pope Francis with his words is merely reminding us that Christ's love has no limits.  He will not deny those who do good even if they did not believe in Him or were never informed.  However, those who do learn of Him and still reject Him are out of luck.   


   

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Gays Attacked in New York City

Recently, for the past month or so, gay men have been targeted in New York City.  One gay man, Mark Carson was shot to death as he walked with a partner near the Stonewall inn, the spot where the Gay rights movement began.  Others have been beaten severely after being verbally abused by being called homosexual derogatory terms.  The incidents and their timing are of concern to city officials, gay rights leaders and all New Yorkers including myself.

This is extremely disturbing to hear.  I am not in favor of the Homosexual lifestyle nor am I for Gay rights in regards to marriage and adoption; however, I am for the Homosexual person.  I respect and love the individual as I would anyone else of any gender, race or religious persuasion.  Regardless of how we live our lives, we all deserve to live them peacefully and without hate.

Unfortunately, many gays are attacked or abused on streets and elsewhere and these incidents are
not reported.  The same occurs with women who are sexually harassed.  This has to stop.  Any incident that makes one feel uncomfortable or is a clear violation of the law must be reported in detail to the police.  There is nothing anyone should fear because the law is on their side.

Any person who attacks gay people because they are gay is full of anger and needs psychological and spiritual healing.  Moreover, if this person is hating based on religious ideas, then this person must be made aware that God is not about hate.  God is love.  God hates our sins and the stupid things we do that degrade our human dignity; however, He loves each one of us unconditionally.  Christ on the Cross proves this.  As Catholics, our lifestyle is to love others in Christ, this includes gay people.


We do not know the details of each attack, but must let investigators do their job and not jump to conclusions.  These attacks can be the result of "Gay panic."  This is a term psychologists use when heterosexual men are confronted by gay men in a flirtatious or sexual manner and panic.

This panic can result in aggression because the heterosexual male feels that the gay male overstepped his boundaries and disrespected his masculinity.  Two cases of this comes to mind.  Years ago, on the "Jenny Jones" show, a gay man came on the show to reveal a crush he had on a heterosexual male.  The heterosexual male was brought on the show with the news that "someone" had a crush on him.

Believing it to be a female, he gladly and excitedly participated.  However, when the revelation was made that the crush was another male, this heterosexual male on the show seemed to take it in good stride, but looks can be deceiving.  After the show, he killed the homosexual man claiming he was embarrassed on nation television and made out to look like if he was gay.  Read more on it here: http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/a/scottamedure/scott_amedure.htm

The other case was in Puerto Rico where a heterosexual Puerto Rican picked up a prostitute he believed to be a woman.  When the prostitute revealed himself to be a 19 year old transsexual, the heterosexual man killed him, decapitated him and set his remains on fire in an apparent rage.  You can read more here:  http://southfloridagaynews.com/articles/puerto-rican-pleads-guilty-in-decapitation-of-gay-teen/101172

In any case, violence is not the answer.  Heterosexual men must realize that sometimes they do not attract only females.  Today's men's fashion have clothing that are skin tight and will reveal curves and bumps that will most likely attract gay men.  Heterosexual males must realize this.  Modesty is important.  Gay men must also respect the fact that not every good looking guy can be approached and flirted with.  Some heterosexual men who are mature will most likely smile and say they are not gay and not make a big deal, others may not be so peaceful.        

I pray that this wave of attacks ceases and that all peoples gay or not can walk the streets of New York or any place and not feel as if they will be a victim of hate or violence.








Source:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/reports-anti-gay-attacks-nyc-19228655#.UZ8QGqLqjBo
http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/2-more-reports-of-anti-gay-attacks-in-new-york-city
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Anti-Gay-Hate-Crime-SoHo-Broadway-Attack-208337881.html
http://www.gayexpress.co.nz/2013/05/new-york-city-a-rise-in-horrific-anti-gay-attacks-culminates-in-murder/ 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Pope Exorcism

Recently, there has been a commotion in the media regarding Pope Francis and his blessing on an obviously disabled man.

As Pope Francis laid his hands on the man, the man seemed to grunt or show facial expressions that seemed to show frustration or agitation.  Immediately, those in the media began to claim that Pope Francis conducted an exorcism.

Exorcisms have been the talk of Hollywood and the media for some time now.  With the many movies produced on the subject, they seem to find its supernatural element fascinating.  However, the case with Pope Francis was not an exorcism.  He was merely praying over a man who was presented to him.

I am not a doctor, but from seeing the man on the video and from my studies in Biology and Psychology, I believe the man has cerebral palsy.  Cerebral palsy is a condition that can take many forms.  Involuntary movements can be part of cerebral palsy.  This kind of cerebral palsy is called Athetoid Palsy.
From the video I saw and from personal experience knowing parishioners with this condition, it is obvious that this man has athetoid cerebral palsy.

This was not an exorcism done by Pope Francis, nor was the man possessed.  Before the Church conducts and exorcism, an extensive investigation is done to rule out psychological disorders.  Moreover, the Church does this rite privately, so any public display of it would be out of the question.

The media is so desperate to print a story that they will do it even if no research is done.  This is disturbing indeed.





Source:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/22/vatican-denies-that-pope-francis-performed-exorcism/?test=latestnews

 

Monday, May 20, 2013

Storms Hitting Midwest

Huge storms are engulfing the Midwest, in particular Oklahoma city which was hit by a huge tornado.  Many people have been killed and others are still missing including children in the rubble.

As usual, some are blaming "Global warming" for these random and powerful storms which are appearing out of nowhere.  However, we must pray and ask God to reveal to us why these storms are really happening.  Are they just random natural occurrences or do they hold a significant meaning?

America is falling behind in its moral values.  We have just finished wrapping up a trial against an evil individual who killed babies for a living.  Many more States in the union are making a mockery of marriage by passing laws allowing a perverted version of it.  Morality seems to be something of the past.  Some are making up morality as they go along.  This is a scary time indeed.

Nature rebels when man's sins cry out to the heavens for vengeance.  Is it a coincidence that after the passing of laws allowing perversion that we see nature attacking back?

Let us pray for all those suffering and offer our assistance  but let us also ask the Divine Mercy for assistance on our spiritual journey.  America is falling, only Christ can help her back up. 

I leave you now with a quote from St. John Vianney:









Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/us/oklahoma-tornado-developments/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/us/tornado-oklahoma.html?_r=0 

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