Jesus said to those Jews who
believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and
you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are descendents of
Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free?’” Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to
you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin…”
Yesterday, an anonymous individual wrote a comment that I preferred not
to publish. Here's a part of it: “Once
all gods are dropped from conversation the world can get on with ‘serious’
matters, without religion getting in the way.”
Serious matters…
This morning I saw the picture of two individuals featured on the front
page of The Dallas Morning News: The
Pope and a teenage killer. The Pope had
told an estimated crowd of 200,000 people the following: “Let us
be protectors of the poor, the neglected and the planet.” The teenage killer told the relatives of his
victims, “The hand that pulled the
trigger and killed your children is the same hand that masturbates to that
thought.”
Mind you, the teenage killer was deemed to be absolutely competent and
of sound mind. In other words, he knew
exactly what he was saying and doing. It
doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that this young man has rejected
Christianity, a very serious matter with
very serious consequences.
Who in the world is urging the world to be protectors of the poor, the
neglected and the planet? The Pope. I don’t know about you, but I consider these
things “serious” stuff. Who in the world
is killing others? Those who have
not truly accepted Jesus Christ into their heart and life.
And by the way, Jesus is God.
Now, I’m not going to say that Christians have not killed people. But we have a name for them. We call them “bad Christians.” And this name actually has a lot of meaning
because we have a God-man to measure each Christian by: Jesus Christ.
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Lions have speed, claws and sharp teeth to defend themselves
from other lions and other beasts. Birds
have wings and claws for flight or fight.
Some animals can even change the color of their skin in order to blend
in with their environment. These are
just a few examples of certain defense mechanisms that enable living creatures
to thrive and survive in our world. So what
is man’s defense mechanism? Is one of
them to lie? Well, if you only believe in random mutations, then I guess so. After all, lies come in handy, especially when being attacked by other human
beings. And we have to admit that some
people are better liars than others. Is
this a good gene mutation? Hey, for a
materialistic Darwinist, it might very well be.
After all, it’s all about survival baby…and
survival of the fittest.
But not only is lying a "good" defense mechanism, it’s also a means to get further ahead! People lie on their
curriculum vitae, in their interviews and in their businesses. They lie in so many ways. Yesterday, an anonymous writer left a comment in which they quoted certain Nazi figures referring to "God" and "the Lord." This was the commentators attempt to give proof that Nazis were Christians. But what it really illustrated was simply another way that people tend to lie. After all, people say things they don't believe all the time, especially if it can help win them voters and supporters.
People lie, and it’s just as "natural" to lie as so many other things that materialistic Darwinists (atheists) would consider to be just fine and dandy, but that I prefer not to mention on this family friendly blog.
Is it any wonder they have such a hard time admitting anything to be bad, or evil or a sin?
People lie, and it’s just as "natural" to lie as so many other things that materialistic Darwinists (atheists) would consider to be just fine and dandy, but that I prefer not to mention on this family friendly blog.
Is it any wonder they have such a hard time admitting anything to be bad, or evil or a sin?
“I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life,” says the Lord, and “the truth shall set you free.”
Who is the Truth? Jesus Christ. And the truth of the matter is clear: He spoke like no other. He said He was God; He said to take care of
the hungry and the thirsty, to visit the criminals and the sick, to lay down one's life for others. He did what no others ever did: He showed respect towards
women and the rejected; compassion towards criminals, even a thief; and He insisted on mercy and forgiveness for sinners, even
the worst of sinners.
Few people will visit this teenage killer in prison. But I guarantee you a priest or a lay Christian
will go to that prison to visit him, talk to him and listen to him, and bring the love of Christ
to him. This is a serious matter. It is a matter of life and death!
This is how people have changed their lives.
This is how people have changed their lives.
The Church, though filled with many sinners (no new news there),
continues to be the largest defender of the poor, the neglected, the
abandoned and the rejected. They
continue to speak out on the atrocity of abortion.
Resolution: I will stand up to those who belittle and
insult the beliefs of others with Truth and Love; that is, with Jesus Christ. Ife and death is a serious matter.
yes ! totally correct this is a family friendly blog. but um..............
ReplyDeletesorry to be a bother some !
Resolution:
" Ife and death is a serious matter." - Life and death - did you mean
this right ?? #!
God Bless u our beautiful Father Alfonse :)
Maybe he passes the ‘clinical test’ of mental health, which is debatable, but I’m sorry, he’s just not well (emotionally, spiritually & he definitely is not thinking correctly, which I call mental).
ReplyDelete“When we sin we are a slave to sin.”
In trying to spell this out, when I lie, I am hiding something behind that lie (my pride, my reputation, something that I am trying to protect). I am a slave to that lie (and have to continue to lie) – I am not free. I am not facing the truth. I might not want to admit my lack of freedom or am not even aware of it. When I yell at my kids for when they did something stupid or silly, I need to turn around and ask for their forgiveness because I realize that I had a bad day and was taking it out on them. I am not facing the truth as to where my anger really stems from so that I can work that out. There are thousands of different examples.
Isn’t this how addictions begin? …trying to find a way out of my problems or reaching for some ecstasy that I don’t have in my life? Instead of facing the truth and dealing with it head on (which can be very painful), I take the easy way out: sin. But in reality, I still have my problems! I am not free! I am sabotaging myself through my sin!
Jesus truly desires our freedom! That’s why I love being a Christian!! I am totally free!!!..... when I choose to be…when I choose to not sin, but love. As someone not so famous put it: “Freedom is easy for those who can carry their cross with joy.”
I also realize that God allows temptations for us to become stronger Christians. But I think He picks out specific temptations for us to learn from. “Save for the grace of God, there go I.” I am capable of anything, given the perfect circumstances. How many times I judge my brother instead of working on myself!!
You have a gift for getting your message across. Thanks for all your great meditations.
Father, it doesn't surprise me that an atheist wants all mention of God out of the way. Because to those who don't believe, the mere mention of God is like the tooth fairy to us Christians.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but wonder why a atheist is an atheist. What happened in their lives that they can not see all that God has given them so they can believe.
I've never met George Washington, but I know he did exist. Our history books documented his life. For me, I like to view the Bible much like a history book. It has documented the life of Jesus, the miracles he performed by eye witness accounts. Yet a atheist chooses not to believe. Then you take into account how is it that this one tiny planet EARTH happens to be the only planet in our galaxy that has such an abundance of life on it. Does a atheist really believe that is just by chance, and not the hand of God.
Someday, in heaven, we will be given the opportunity to study how exactly God chose all the wonderful wonders he put here for us to ponder on and love. How the stars are in our night sky so we wont be lonely looking at only a dark obis, how the sun provides warmth for our comfort, and life giving elements for everything to flourish and live. How the ocean provides life of a whole different dimension for thousands upon thousands of creatures, and food for us, and a means of fast transportation upon it's surface.
I truly don't understand how anyone of reasonable intelligence can not see that this had to be the hands of our creator. Do you think it is basically a ego problem? All atheists are loved by someone, love is something you can not see, you are shown love. First by your mothers breast, then your father's guidance, your grandparents, sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends. Atheists accept the love of a fellow human being without proof of it's existence. Yet not of our heavenly father, who has given us his written word, his only son, the planet we live on with all it's wonders, as our proof he does exist.
It must be a trick of the devil, he is working hard in our modern society to get in the way of people accepting, believing, wanting and relationship with God.
I will continue to pray for the atheists of the world, that somehow someone gets through enough to lead them to study the bible as a history book and come to believe all that the pages contain.
I love your meditations, and I am grateful for the opportunity to partake with comments. I am not a person with a high IQ or huge vocabulary, those are not one of my gifts. I just speak from the heart. Thank you for not making me fee foolish with my simple ways.... God Bless you Father for all you do.
"I can't help but wonder why a atheist is an atheist"
ReplyDeleteSimple, I see no compelling reason to believe in your (or any) god. Not ego, not hate, just lack of evidence. Of course, I'm only speaking for myself.
"I've never met George Washington, but I know he did exist. Our history books documented his life."
We have his writings, records of his birth, education, careers, deeds, basically his actual existence. Multiple independent sources.
"For me, I like to view the Bible much like a history book. It has documented the life of Jesus, the miracles he performed by eye witness accounts."
What eye witness accounts? Mark was written maybe 30 years after Jesus death at a time when the average life span was probably around 40 or so. Certainly such people could have existed, but as far as I know, there are no contemporary accounts of Jesus existence.
"Then you take into account how is it that this one tiny planet EARTH happens to be the only planet in our galaxy that has such an abundance of life on it."
And you know this for a fact? The volume of the Milky Way is a couple trillion cubic light years and it is one of tens of billions of galaxies. That claim is analagous to looking at a few atoms in a olympic swimming pool and claiming there are no fish. Nothing has been found yet; doesn't mean it will, doesn't mean it won't. But if we are the only life in the universe, why did god create something that is 99.999999 (and a whole lot more 9's)% uninhabitable and uninhabited? And most of which will probably never even be seen or detected here?
"love is something you can not see...Atheists accept the love of a fellow human being without proof of it's existence."
It does, however, give off some pretty distinct brain wave patterns, so we can be sure of its existence.
"Yet not of our heavenly father, who has given us his written word, his only son, the planet we live on with all it's wonders, as our proof he does exist."
Why couldn't it be proof of any one of the 1000's of other gods?
"...study the bible as a history book and come to believe all that the pages contain"
Do you mean historical events like everything that happened in Genesis which is known to be completely false?
I will pray for you, that God reveals a true miracle just for you so you can believe. You have a scientific mind and I think that is wonderful, it is probably why you need proof. I tried to tell you my story ,why I believe, the miracle God granted me during my husbands long battle with cancer, but I went over 4,096 characters and I had to erase the entire message.
ReplyDeleteGod is real, I have been shown two miracles, they solidified my faith, even more then before, and I hope the Lord will do the same for you, my friend...
"I will pray for you, that God reveals a true miracle just for you so you can believe.”
DeleteObviously, I do not know your story, but if it had a happy ending, I am glad for you. However, do you know 100% that it was a miracle and that there is absolutely no other explanation? Cancer has been known to go into spontaneous remission. Coincidences can happen. There are things that we just don't fully understand. There are books and sites on the internet full of unexplained phenomena, doesn't automatically mean there is something behind them.
If it makes you feel good about yourself, pray away. But before you do, consider a few things.
How do you know it isn't part of god's plan that I be an atheist? Maybe he is somehow using my atheism for the good of mankind? Is my not experiencing a miracle due to that?
Now suppose I do see something unexplained, should I immediately label it a miracle? Arthur C. Clark proposed that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Suppose I was able to travel back in time to before our ancestors were able to control fire and show someone a match. Fire from a stick. We think it no big thing, they would be utterly astounded. To them it would be a miracle. Or maybe simple antibiotics to someone in the middle ages? How many natural phenomena were previously thought to be caused by gods? Lightning, volcanoes, eclipses, comets, etc. We now have explanations for all of these, even though we may not completely understand how they work. So if I were to see something unexplained, do I automatically think miracle or do I think unexplained phenomenon?
Well, maybe it is a miracle, but to whom do I ascribe it? Seeing as how I don't believe in any of the thousands of gods out there, it isn't as if I would think it is from the one I was praying to. So you're praying for me, but how do I know people of other religions aren't as well? How do I not know that it isn't Coyote trying to distract me from the true god Yimantuwinyai?
I guess I'll just have to wait and see. If a miracle does come, I hope it's something better than blond haired, blue eyed, European Jesus appearing on my food.
“…it is probably why you need proof.”
I’d be happy to start with some strong, specific evidence.
Just a quick post to say as the "anonymous" poster who has been here frequently recently, the anonymous post Fr. mentioned above wasn't mine. Noting that, I will start posting with a profile with my next reply once I am finished with it. Too many anonymouses does get confusing.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous March 24, 2103 10:45 PM.
ReplyDeletePraying for you doesn't make me feel good about me, it makes me feel good for you. I want you to have at some point in your life that absolute miracle, you will know it is from God when he gives it to you.
My husband did have cancer, but he was not cured, he passed away a year ago. He went to Viet Nam back in the 60's, they were spraying agent orange everywhere. He was in the Air Force and it turns out 25% of Viet Nam Vets have come down with prostate cancer.
I would really love to tell you my story, not in hopes of converting you, only your heart can do that. I would like to share my two miracles, but it would take a conversation with you. I am willing to talk to you over the phone and tell you about how God gave me his peace, love, and compassion so I could find my way without my beloved husband. This is the most difficult thing I have ever gone through, my story is what truly happened. If you want to hear it, reply with a yes and you can friend me on my facebook where I will give you my phone number.
It is worth hearing, if nothing else just to toss around the possibilities that Jesus is always with us.
I'll check in a few days to see if you would like to talk.
"Praying for you doesn't make me feel good about me, it makes me feel good for you"
ReplyDeleteEither way it makes you feel good. It does nothing for me.
"I would really love to tell you my story, not in hopes of converting you, only your heart can do that"
No, god could do it as well. He is all powerful, right?
I appreciate your offer, but I have no desire to hear your story. As a child, I read all the books on mythology I could find. They were full of miraculous events. Then I started reading "true life" supernatural/paranormal stories full of unexplained events. I have heard and read countless stories of the unexplained, none of which could possibly have any natural explanation. But all of them could not possibly be true, because many of them rely on contradictory beliefs. Could some of them be true? Possibly, but how are we to know which ones?
Now I'm guessing you believed in god before the "miracles", so when you encountered something unexplained, you obviously attributed it to him. Had you been of another faith, would you also have attributed it to god or to whatever other deity you followed?
Thank you banana_slug. This was a comment I've been waiting for and needed to read. An anonymous claims that to be an atheist simply means to not believe in God. I differ to believe since I think it also affects the way one lives their life.
ReplyDeleteYour comment was the comment I've been waiting for. Someone prays for you and you greet that prayer with ungratitude??? "It does nothing for me."
So atheists are ungrateful people! You said it yourself: "It does nothing for me."
Not only that, but you're ungrateful to people who don't agree with you, right? So, in order for you to be grateful to someone, they must do something that you consider worthwhile, correct?
And to be grateful to someone, they must give you a gift you consider worth giving, correct???
And if they spend time for you, it must be time spent well...I assume "doing something that is according to your liking, correct???
I remember a Buddhist telling me that he would pray for me. I don't believe in Buddhist prayers, but I told that person "Thank you." And left it at that.
Not too long ago a Catholic asked me if he should go to a Protestant healing service. I said, "Of course. If they wish to pray for you, what harm can that do?"
A Muslim friend of mine said that she would keep me in her prayers. I told her, "Thank you."
Now if an atheist said to me that they would bash their brains trying to solve a problem for me, I would tell them "Thank you." And I would hope that more would do it.
THANK YOU!!! You are a wonderful example of an atheist. You see, even with your comment, I can greet it with gratitude.
THANK YOU!
Actually I was the anonymous poster, I got an ID to better keep track.
ReplyDeleteDid I say I was ungrateful? No, I had told her in one post to go ahead and pray, but I also let her know that her prayer would do nothing for me. By that, I mean her prayer will have no effect on me. To me it is no different than saying "I will sit on the couch and watch soap operas for you." Should I be grateful for that? How does that affect me? Not at all. How does that change my life? Not at all. How does that help me? It doesn't. What does it do for me? Absolutely nothing. Do I even know about it unless they tell me? No. What does it do for her? It makes her feel good. I have no problem with that.
"And if they spend time for you, it must be time spent well...I assume "doing something that is according to your liking, correct???"
I don't like or dislike her praying, I am indifferent towards it. If she thinks it is a good use of her time, good for her.
"Now if an atheist said to me that they would bash their brains trying to solve a problem for me, I would tell them "Thank you." And I would hope that more would do it."
Now that would be something to be grateful for. Why? Because it may actually accomplish something.
Banana_slug SAID: "Did I say I was ungrateful?"
ReplyDeleteI SAY: Banana_slug, you can wiggle your way around this all you want. But your comment speaks louder than your excuses.
YOU SAID: IT [YOUR PRAYER] DOES NOTHING FOR ME.
Not only does this speak volumes of how ungrateful you are. It also speaks volumes of how arrogant you are. For to think you know it all, seen it all, witnessed it all, researched it all, to definitely and conclusively state that prayers have no effect whatsoever on a person...well, not even scientists would agree with that.
Face it. Face it. You are an arrogrant and ungrateful atheist. Or simply put: an atheist.