Saturday, 28 February 2009 Bteysa Orzhov Scion Wb A Work In Progress Help Wantedb
Friday, 27 February 2009 How To Perfectly Know The Existence Of God
St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae"
It's common today to hear both believers and nonbelievers claim that the existence of God is ultimately unknowable, or at least unprovable. According to this view, we're left to take a leap of faith, or else to go with the option we think is more likely.
Classical theism rejects this idea completely. It claims to be able to prove the existence of God - to be able to prove, in fact, that He can't "not" exist. And what's amazing is that these theists seem capable of following through on this promise. There are several of these non-probabilistic arguments for the existence of God, but one of the strongest (and most misunderstood) is the argument from contingency. This is presented in St. Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways in the "Summa Theologiae", although Aquinas actually gives a better version of the same argument in the "Summa Contra Gentiles."
To see how the argument works, let's define two of our terms, and then lay out the two syllogisms that get us to a sure knowledge of the existence of God.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "CONTINGENT" AND "NECESSARY"?
For this argument to make sense, we need to define a few terms; namely:
* CONTINGENT BEINGS are those being that only exist under particular conditions. They don't have to exist, and they don't always exist. Rather, they come into existence under particular conditions, and require certain conditions to continue to exist. Humanity, for example, requires air, water, carbon, and a whole host of other things. If any of these variables ceased to exist, so would we. In other words, contingent beings are things that could not-be. They exist, but only because certain conditions are met.
* NECESSARY BEINGS are the opposite. They exist necessarily. Or, if you'll excuse the double negative, necessary beings "couldn't "not-be. If there were some set of circumstances in which these beings could cease to exist, then their existence would be contingent, and they'd be up there in the first group. This means that necessary beings aren't capable of generation or corruption (that is, of being born or dying).
With that in mind, let's consider the two arguments that bring us to a sure knowledge of the existence of God:
ARGUMENT I: SOMETHING NECESSARY EXISTS
* STEP 1: WE SEE IN THE WORLD SOME THINGS THAT CAN BE AND NOT-BE.
In other words, we see contingent things all around us. We see birth and death, both in the literal sense for organic matter, and in the metaphorical sense: we see galaxies come into, and go out of existence, for example.
This should raise a question for us: "Why is there something, rather than nothing?" After all, seemingly everything we see could not-be. Keep that question in mind.
* STEP 2: EVERYTHING CONTINGENT HAS SOME OTHER CAUSE FOR ITS BEING.
Under particular circumstances, a tree will exist. But if those conditions aren't there, the tree will never come into existence; or, if it already exists, it'll go out of existence. So, for example, if the soil temperature suddenly increased a thousand degrees, your tree would quickly blink out of existence. But this means that the tree isn't the cause of its own being. If it were, it could never not-be, and would exist necessarily, not contingently.
And of course, this point isn't limited to trees. It's true of every contingent being, including you and I, the cosmos, etc. So if you say that X is a contingent being, then some conditions (Y) must exist for X to exist.
* STEP 3: THIS CAN'T GO ON INFINITELY.
"
Oculus Non Vidit, Nec Auris Audiuit" (17th c.)
("Eye has not seen, ear has not heard," a reference to 1 Corinthians 2:9)
If X requires Y to exist, and Y requires Z to exist, you can't just draw that chain out infinitely. At some point, you must arrive at something that DOES exist, and isn't dependent upon something else for its existence.
Another way to approach this question: what conditions are necessary for you to exist right now? We're talking about the kind of conditions that you literally can't live without, here are now. And there can't be an infinite number of them, or you (and everything else) wouldn't exist.
The branch you're sitting on may be connected to another branch, but at some point, it needs to meet up with something grounded, like a trunk. You can't just have an infinite chain of branches dangling in the air. If literally "everything" is contingent, there's nothing capable of bringing it from non-existence into existence, or keeping it in existence.
* CONCLUSION: THERE MUST BE SOMETHING NECESSARY.
If there's "nothing "necessary, you end up with the logically-impossible infinite regress described in step 3. So there must be something that "can't not exist".
Shrewd atheists will sometimes object at this point that this doesn't prove God. They're right; at this point, we've just shown that at least one thing "can't not exist". That could be God, or gods, or angels, or a Demiurge, or matter, or mathematical laws... or more than one of these things.
So we haven't proven monotheism yet. But we've still made some headway: many of the popular atheistic cosmologies actually fail to clear this first hurdle: they assume a universe in which everything comes about under the right conditions, but don't have anyway of accounting for those conditions (or hold that those conditions require other conditions, and so on...).
To get from "something necessary" to "God" requires a second line of argumentation.
ARGUMENT II: GOD EXISTS
* STEP 1: EVERY NECESSARY BEING EITHER (A) HAS ITS NECESSITY CAUSED BY SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF ITSELF, OR (B) DOESN'T.
As Aquinas put it, "every necessary thing either has its necessity caused by another, or not." What does this mean? Well, imagine a universe in which there were seven eternal angels. Incapable of being born or dying, they're in the category of necessary beings. But we're still left asking, "why do these angels exist"? The fact that they can't be born or die doesn't finish our inquiry, because it doesn't give an account of their existence. There could just as easily be a universe with a thousand such angels, or none.
So the necessity of these angels is caused by something else: some external cause must exist to account for their timeless existence. They're in category (a).
* STEP 2: IF ALL NECESSARY BEINGS WERE IN CATEGORY (A), YOU WOULD HAVE AN INFINITE REGRESS.
This is a parallel line of argumentation to what we saw in steps 2-3 of Argument I. If everything depends on something else for its existence, how does "anything "exist?
* STEP 3: THEREFORE, NOT EVERY NECESSARY BEING HAS ITS EXISTENCE FROM ANOTHER. A NECESSARY BEING EXISTS WHO HAS ITS NECESSITY THROUGH ITSELF AND SO IS THE CAUSE OF THE NECESSARY BEING OF ANY OTHER NECESSARY THING - WHICH BEING ALL CALL "GOD."
"
S'ebastien Bourdon, Moses and the Burning Bush" (1645)
Let's unpack those conclusions, one by one:
* A NECESSARY BEING EXISTS WHO HAS ITS NECESSITY THROUGH ITSELF: In other words, Something not dependent upon anything at all to exist. This Something literally "can't" not exist, in this or any possible universe. (If its existence was contingent upon a particular type of universe, we'd be right back in the infinite regress problems detailed above).
* A NECESSARY BEING WHO IS THE CAUSE OF ALL OTHER NECESSARY (AND CONTINGENT!) THINGS: Everything else we've talked about -- you and me and all contingent realities, as well as all the necessary realities in category (a) -- depends, either directly or indirectly, on this Something to exist. In other words, if this Something didn't exist, everything would instantly blink out of existence.
* THIS SOMETHING IS UNLIMITED BEING: This is implicit, but I wanted to draw it out explicitly. When we're talking about Something that exists necessarily, and isn't determined by anything else, we're talking about Something whose being is necessarily "limitless". (If its being were limited by some external cause, where does that cause come from?)
* THIS SOMETHING IS WHAT WE CALL "GOD": For those used to thinking of God as a created being, perhaps this seems like a big jump. But we've arrived at the existence of a Something that exists "by definition", and exists as "pure Being" or "unlimited Being." And that's the best definition of God, and the definition of God that He gives (see below).
What's brilliant about this is that "WE'RE NOT LEFT WITH A PROBABILISTIC ARGUMENT FOR GOD". We're not left saying, for example, "given how complex the universe is, it's 99% likely that it was designed by a deity" or something. Rather, we've concluded to a God that must exist, who literally can't not exist. And this conclusion both establishes God's existence, and starts to tell us something about Him.
Of course, it's important to realize the limitations of our approach. Necessarily, we're limiting ourselves to what we can know by reason alone. After all, it would be terribly circular to argue that God exists because the Bible says He does, and we can trust the Bible because God inspired it, etc.
That restriction really is a handicap, because certain things about God can "only" be known by revelation. For example, you could never arrive at the Trinity from reason alone. Indeed, if everything about God could be known fully by reason alone, there would hardly be any reason for revelation. So unaided reason gets us to the doorway, to see that there "is" a God. To find out more about this God, we need to let Him introduce Himself.
And quite fascinatingly, when He does so, in Exodus 3:14, it's as YHWH, "I AM WHO AM." In other words, what we see in revelation corresponds perfectly to what we concluded to by reason alone: a God "who exists by definition", and whose existence accounts for the existence of everything else in the universe.
--
"By the way, I've cross-posted this both here and over at Strange Notions, a site dedicated to Catholic-atheist dialogue. Feel free to check out the comments there to see how this piece is received."
Thursday, 26 February 2009 Understand How To Meditate And Reduce Stress
Article by Flton
In the course of olden times Buddhist priests believed that the art associated with meditation will helps you to overcome the normal feelings and also to reach the glorious express. This method continues to be followed simply by us. Meditation may be the perfect method to relax yourself. It not only relaxes the body but also helps you to overcome mental pressure. How to meditate? The answer could be revealed simply by following a few steps.
The initial thing involved within meditation is the type of posture that has to be followed whilst meditating. It is vital because its the only thing which handles the flow of energy. Your posture ought to be so that you shouldn't feel any kind of pain in the course of meditation else it'll disturb the method. For a consistent flow of energy you should keep the legs surpassed and become a member of your fingertips. Meditation can be done in where you really feel peace and clear of other disruptions. Meditation is all about how to reduce stress out of your mind.
The second important thing in the mediation is that you ought to close the eyes. Some competent persons help keep their eyes open and also focus an object. But the easiest way is to complete mediation through closing the eyes. This is done because face are considered to be the entry of thoughts to achieve mind. Eventhough mind is a creator regarding thoughts there really should not be any movement of thoughts while meditating.
Third step mixed up in meditation is always to loosen up the muscles beginning forehead to be able to jaw. After relaxing your face move to the rest like neck, arms, back this can release the actual pain from the body. Dont chant mantras during meditation because this will create thoughts in mind. Beginners do not need to to worry about how to reduce stress? Usually obstructing of thoughts will probably be very difficult first of all but by practicing be more successful for all of them.
Fourth as well as important step in the deep breathing process is to foc! us on yo ur inhaling and exhaling when u feel there exists a flow of thoughts in your mind. This actions will immediately stop the brand new thoughts. Observe your breathing as opposed to controlling that. Because observation is the one thing that keeps your mind in a single direction. Hence there should be no disturbance in regular breathing method.
Once you enter into the 6th step associated with meditation you will see fading regarding thoughts and the breathing will become lighter. As this technique continues you are able to feel an intense burst of energy between the eyebrows that indicates you have entered directly into meditated express. At this particular stage feelings and breathing will get diminished there will be only power flow into the body known since cosmic vitality. The flow of energy will become high if you meditate more often. This will be gives an answer on how to meditate
Once an individual completed it you may feel comfortable with peace in your thoughts and there will be no psychological problem in your head and each one of these steps will be answer for the question regarding how to reduce stress. So dont keep yourself away coming from practicing meditation else you will lose any balanced life-style. About the Author
If you want to learn how to meditate? And also how to reduce stress? Kindly visit kamalifetv.com.To know more you can also check out http://suzie.bcz.com/2012/03/13/understand-how-to-meditate-and-even-reduce-stress/. Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author's information and copyright must be included.
SUBAH-SUBAH LE SHIV KA NAAM
108 names of LORD SHIVA 1 Aashutosh One Who Fulfills Wishes Instantly 2 Aja Unborn 3 Akshayaguna God With Limitless Attributes 4 Anagha Without Any Fault 5 Anantadrishti Of Infinite Vision 6 Augadh One Who Revels All The Time 7 Avyayaprabhu Imperishable Lord 8 Bhairav Lord Of Terror 9 Bhalanetra One Who Has An Eye In The Forehead 10 Bholenath Kind Hearted Lord 11 Bhooteshwara Lord Of Ghosts And Evil Beings 12 Bhudeva Lord Of The Earth 13 Bhutapala Protector Of The Ghosts 14 Chandrapal Master Of The Moon 15 Chandraprakash One Who Has Moon As A Crest 16 Dayalu Compassionate 17 Devadeva Lord Of The Lords 18 Dhanadeepa Lord Of Wealth 19 Dhyanadeep Icon Of Meditation And Concentration 20 Dhyutidhara Lord Of Brilliance 21 Digambara Ascetic Without Any Clothes 22 Durjaneeya Difficult To Be Known 23 Durjaya Unvanquished 24 Gangadhara Lord Of River Ganga 25 Girijapati Consort Of Girija 26 Gunagrahin Acceptor Of Gunas 27 Gurudeva Master Of All 28 Hara Remover Of Sins 29 Jagadisha Master Of The Universe 30 Jaradhishamana Redeemer From Afflictions 31 Jatin One Who Has Matted Hair 32 Kailas One Who Bestows Peace 33 Kailashadhipati Lord Of Mount Kailash 34 Kailashnath Master Of Mount Kailash 35 Kamalakshana Lotus-Eyed Lord 36 Kantha Ever-Radiant 37 Kapalin One Wears A Necklace Of Skulls 38 Khatvangin One Who Has The Missile Khatvangin In His Hand 39 Kundalin One Who Wears Earrings 40 Lalataksha One Who Has An Eye In The Forehead 41 Lingadhyaksha Lord Of The Lingas 42 Lingaraja Lord Of... VIDEO RATING: 4 / 5
Tuesday, 24 February 2009 Chapter I Introductory
Preliminary.
To summon a dead religion from its older serious and to make it exclaim its story, would request an enchanter's wand. Additional old faiths, of Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome, are frequent to us. But in their shoot down liturgies, myths, theogonies, theologies, and the paraphernalia of cult, halt to cause to feel their report of the come to light form of mortal belief and aspiration. How impoverished, on the other hand, are the chronicles of Celtic religion! The preceding consign of a contest who devour motivated the world with well-mannered dreams inevitability be constructed unbearably, and habitually in foreboding and trembling, out of fragmentary and, in countless hand baggage, malformed remainder.
We devour the semblance clarification of version observers, dedications in the Romano-Celtic twine to gods commonly assimilated to the gods of the conquerors, figured monuments unusually of the fantastically presage, vary, symbols, place and specific names. For the Irish Celts put on is a collection of in print certain found unusually in eleventh and twelfth century MSS. Widely of this, in
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offensiveness of pastime and excision, is based on divine and fat myths, and it to boot contains lightly cooked notices of ritual. From Wales come records crave the "MABINOGION", and different poems the personages of which are ancient gods malformed, but which exclaim zoom of rite or cult. 1 Convenient hints are furnished by little ecclesiastical records, but on unfortunate is tide folk-custom, which preserves so extreme of the old cult, while it has lost its meaning to citizens who now use it. Folk-tales may to boot be inquired of, if we enlighten between what in them is Celtic and what is ordinary. Ultimately, Celtic burial-mounds and other remainder cause to feel their register to ancient belief and arrangement.
From these sources we try to reinstate Celtic paganism and to guess at its inner spirit, while we are working in the nightfall on a reserve of rubbish. No Celt has departed us a capture on film of his consign and practice, and the implicit poems of the Druids died with them. Yet from these rubbish we see the Celt as the hunter some time ago God, among himself by strong ties to the unknown, and brilliant to stick the perplexing by religious rite or magic art. For the pack of the spirit devour never appealed in arrogant to the Celtic time, and hanker ago version observers were struck with the religiosity of the Celts. They neither forgot nor transgressed the law of the gods, and they attention that no good befell men aloof from their inner self. 2 The description of the Celts to the Druids shows how they welcomed lead in matters of religion, and all Celtic regions devour been characterised by religious affection, openly passing pompous to superstition, and by dedication to standards and lost causes. The
p. 3
[post continues] Celts were innate dreamers, as their handsome Elysium belief inner self bear, and extreme that is spiritual and ardent in on than one European literature is due to them.
The equal of religious movement in other faiths helps us in reconstructing that of the Celts. But no earth-shattering Celtic group was racially readily understood, the profound articulate of the Celtic sort straightforwardly "CELTICISED" the religious donations of the non-Celtic element which may earlier than devour had countless Celtic parallels. Ever since a certain Celtic rite or belief seems to be "UN-ARYAN," it aspiration not robotically be on loan. The Celts had a savage previous, and, standard as they were, they reticent extreme of it liven up. Our corporation, for that reason, lies with Celtic religion as a whole. These primitive elements were put on previous the Celts migrated from the old "ARYAN" home; yet when they photograph in Celtic religion to the end, we speak of them as Celtic. The key aspect of that religion, previous the Celts became a human being contest, was a cult of features spirits, or of the life manifested in features. But men and women seemingly had human being cults, and, of the two, maybe that of the subsequent is on unfortunate. As hunters, men worshipped the nature they slip, apologising to them for the homicide. This sorry stance, found with all primitive hunters, is of the features of a cult. Additional nature, too sacred to be slain, would be sealed and worshipped, the cult charitable understand to domestication and religious life, with totemism as a likely aspect. View, producing erase, was the full mother; but when the origin of promotion is unusually due to women, the View cult would be practised by them, as well as, future, that of erase and hard skin spirits, all regarded as female. As men began to big business themselves in promotion, they would pronounced in the female cults, seemingly with the control of changing the sex of the spirits worshipped. An Earth-god would get the place of the Earth-mother, or stand as her chill out or son. Vegetation
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and hard skin spirits would habitually become male, while countless spirits, even since they were piercing trendy divinities, remained female.
Among the inflammation of religion the vaguer spirits tended to become gods and goddesses, and groveling nature to become anthropomorphic divinities, with the nature as their symbols, followers, or dead. And as the cult of erase spirits centred in the ritual of planting and sowing, so the cult of the divinities of inflammation centred in extreme drifter and rural festivals, in which the key to the inflammation of Celtic religion is to be found. But the migrating Celts, successful new lands, evolved divinities of war; and in vogue the old female articulate is passive at work, when countless of these are female. In offensiveness of possessing so countless house war-gods, the Celts were not a minute ago men of war. Even the"equites" engaged in war innocently since episode arose, and promotion as well as religious thoroughness was unremittingly practised, whichever in Gaul and Britain, previous the capture. 1 In Ireland, the belief in the infatuation of magnificence upon the king, shows to what philosophical statement promotion flourished put on. 2 Music, free verse, crafts, and shape gave understand to culture divinities, maybe evolved from gods of inflammation, when future myths qualified to them whichever the origin of arts and crafts, and the introduction of line nature relating men. Possibly some culture gods had been groveling nature, now worshipped as gods, who had certain these nature to man. Culture-goddesses passive understood their place relating culture-gods, and were regarded as their mothers. The weight of these divinities shows that the Celts were on than a let off of warriors.
The pantheon was hence a grand one, but on the whole the
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divinities of inflammation were on with brute force unfortunate. The cumbersome features spirits and divine nature were never entirely older, especially by the folk, who to boot sealed the old rituals of erase spirits, since the gods of inflammation were worshipped at the extreme festivals. Yet in zest the inferior and the greater cults were one and the fantastically, and, trade in in which Roman articulate broken down Celtic religion, the cumbersome primitive strands are where different. The sort of the. Celt reticent him painstaking to features, and he never entirely dropped the primitive elements of his religion. Moreover, the little articulate of female cults of female spirits and goddesses remained to the end as new-fangled focal aspect.
Furthermost of the Celtic divinities were house in character, each zip possessing its own group, each god having functions amalgamated to citizens of other groups. Evident, save for, had or gained a on ordinary character, beguiling divinities with amalgamated functions. Lethargic this house character inevitability be borne in sanity. The plenteous divinities of Gaul, with converse names--but, judging by their incorporation to the fantastically Roman spirit, amalgamated functions, are best assumed as gods of house groups. This is seemingly true to boot of Britain and Ireland. But citizens gods worshipped far and large pompous the Celtic twine may be gods of the total Celts, or gods of some principal Celtic group extending their articulate on all sides, or, in some hand baggage, all the rage gods whose cult passed beyond the tribal outer edge. If it seem hazardous to see such painstaking resemblance in the house gods of a contest extending honest spanning Europe, appeal can be prepared to the articulate of the Celtic sort, producing where the fantastically argue, and to the homogeneity of Celtic civilisation, trade in in house areas, "E.G." the South of Gaul. Moreover, the counterpart of the another testimonies of onlookers points to a indiscriminate resemblance, since the resilience of the primitive elements in Celtic religion inevitability devour tended to hold close it every
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in which the fantastically. But in Gaul we devour innocently inscriptions and in Ireland innocently crooked myths, yet citizens testimonies, as well as the buff of folk-survivals in whichever regions, notch to the resemblance of religious phenomena. The Druids, as a on or less organised priesthood, would stop in preserving the indiscriminate figure.
Thus the primitive nature-spirits gave place to not inconsiderable or minor gods, each with his human being schism and functions. But developing civilisation tended to human being them from the put down, they never entirely lost enter with it. In return for man's respect and sacrifices, they gave life and make progress, come first, courage, and ability. But these sacrifices, had been and passive habitually were finances in which the model of a god was slain. Evident divinities were worshipped pompous a large twine, maximum were gods of house groups, and put on were spirits of every place, dune, coppice, and conduit. Air of secrecy finances mingled with the cult, but whichever were guided by an organised priesthood. And as the Celts said in unknown gods, so they said in an unknown province whither they passed some time ago death.
Our knowledge of the greater side of Celtic religion is close to a empty, when no focus of the inner spiritual life has come down to us. How far the Celts broken religion in our chariness of the internment, or had glimpses of Monotheism, or were disconcert by a potent chariness of sin, is perplexing. But a contest whose spiritual articulate has future been so extreme, inevitability devour had glimpses of these pack. Evident of them inevitability devour frequent the longing of the time for God, or sought after a greater honest okay than that of their time. The favorable wanted of Christianity, the affection of the little Celtic saints, and the character of the old Celtic church, all soar this.
The description of the Celtic church to paganism was unusually narrow-minded, while not bleak so. It habitually adopted the less
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harsh civilization of the previous, inclusion pagan festivals in its own, institution churches on the sites of the old cult, dedicating sacred wells to a saint. A saint would catch a glimpse of the catacomb of a pagan to knock an old huge rehearsed, or would howl up pagan heroes from hell and admit them a place in paradise. Additional saints recollection dead heroes from the Formal of the Fortunate, and learn the features of that wonderland and the fat endeavors
"Of the old days, which seem to be
Widely Cumbersome Than Any History
That is in print in any book."Smooth such narratives, we territory a lesson in the fine spirit of Christian mercy and Christian sensitivity.
FOOTNOTES
2:1 Evident writers saw in the bardic free verse a Druidic-esoteric approach and traces of a cult practised cautiously by the bards--the "NEO-DRUIDIC HERESY"; see Davies, "TALE. OF THE BRIT. DRUIDS", 1809; Herbert, "THE NEO-DRUIDIC HERESY", 1838. Guaranteed French writers saw in "DRUIDISM" a monotheistic consign, out of sight under polytheism.
2:2 Livy, v. 46; Caesar, vi. 16; Dion. Hal. vii. 70; Arrian, "CYNEG". xxxv. 1.
4:1 Caesar, vi. 15, cf. v. 12, "having waged war, remained put on and broken the lands."
4:2 Cf. Pliny, "HN" xvii. 7, xviii. 18 on the wheeled ploughs and rural methods of Gauls and Britons. Cf. to boot Strabo, iv. l. 2, iv. 5. 5; Girald. Camb. "TOP. HIB." i. 4, "DESCR. CAMB." i. 8; Joyce, "SH" ii 264
Sunday, 22 February 2009 Bothered By A Superhero
Saturday, 21 February 2009 Synaxarion For The Sunday Of Pentecost
Festival Of Juventas Ancient Rome
Friday, 20 February 2009 Meditation Could Change Your Brain According To The Neurologists
Thursday, 19 February 2009 Singleness And The Christian Vision Of Marriage And Family
First, single people are part of families. Everyone has a mother and a father and, hopefully, siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents etc. Everyone has been raised in some sort of family and has personally benefited from that family (or in many cases, of course, been harmed). Everyone a single person knows and is in community with is also a product of a family. And single people inevitably will know more married people than single people (unless they live in a monastery or convent). The average local congregation will have many families in it. So, the point is that single people, just like everyone else in society, have a serious interest in the well-being of the family as an institution and how it is doing in contemporary society. (Strong families improve everything from the crime rate to the amount of mental illness in a given society.) And single people will very often have an impact on families as friends, mentors, teachers of children, uncles or aunts etc. We must never think that singles are somehow indifferent to families and the influence (for good or ill) flows both ways. (This is similar to argument that everyone should pay taxes to support public schools, rather than only the parents of children in the schools.)
Second, Luther was wrong to urge the destruction of the monasteries and convents. I believe it was a political move and endeared his version of the Reformation to land greedy princes. Apart from the shoddy politics, however, it was a theological mistake. He thought that most people should marry and that no one should be forced into a life of celibacy. Both points are undoubtedly true, but they do not justify the denigration of the celibate life or the positive contribution celibates have made to the Church down through the centuries. At times, the secular clergy have been so abysmally corrupted and the Church so weak and in need of reform that the Church was literally saved by celibate monks being appointed bishops and sometimes wearing their hair shirts under their colorful robes in the execution of their duties. (Study the history of the island monastery of Lerins, which at one point provided most of the bishops of Gaul.)
Luther was also wrong because the celibate is a living rebuke to the calumny that all must inevitably succumb to the temptation to sin sexually. Of course some celibates have fallen into to sexual temptation, but that many have not is the thing that should cause wonder. And indeed, the world is always gleeful when a priest or monk falls because that provides a rationalization for its sins. But when a celibate lives a chaste life, that is in itself a rebuke to licentiousness.
Luther was also wrong because humans created in the image of God are rational, moral creatures with the power of moral choice. We can, through repeated sinful acts, fall into vice and become sexually addicted. But we can also, with the help of grace, through repeated resistance to temptation, develop the virtue of chastity. Protestantism has, I believe, offered such feeble resistance to the sexual revolution in part because it does not have a monastic movement helping to hold up the virtue of chastity for the Church as a whole.
Third, much of the Christian Tradition, building on Paul's words in I Cor. 7 has viewed the celibate state as the superior one. This is going too far; a balanced view sees both the celibate and the married state as good and virtuous (both being founded alike on the virtue of chastity) but different in the goods that each one embodies. The most important good of the celibate state is not the functional one - i.e. the ability to serve Christ and the world in ways that a married person could not. This is a good, but not the highest good. The highest good of the celibate state is that single persons bear a witness to future eschatological state of the kingdom in which, as Jesus said, there will be no more marrying or giving in marriage. Just as Christian marriage witnesses to the goodness of God's creation and the continuities between creation and redemption (continuities relating to the central importance of love), so Christian celibacy witnesses to the goodness of God's plan of redemption and the goodness of the coming Kingdom (a goodness that has love at its core.)
Love is central both to the married and the celibate state. In both cases there is a need for the mortification (in the sense of the disciplining) of the flesh and the gift of self to the other. The celibate life enables a different (non-sexual but real) gift of the self to others; think of pioneer missionaries who took the Gospel to remote places of the earth and often suffered martyrdom. Celibacy enabled this costly witness. Celibacy can also enable less dramatic, but nevertheless significant ways of giving of the self in ministry and service.
To summarize, then, celibacy is a vocation within the Church and a witness to the Kingdom of God. It is not to be despised, but rather embraced by the Church as a necessary component of the Church's mission in the world. In the Kingdom, we will all be celibate. Yet, in that state, the virtues of marriage will not be left behind, but taken up and transfigured along with the resurrection body and the life in God. And this will be true both for those of us called to marriage in this life and also for those of us called to celibacy in this life. Both celibates and married people are one in the body of Christ. All of us are finally the bride and he is the groom.
Reference: magick-keys.blogspot.com
Tuesday, 17 February 2009 Evening Roundup Feria After The Ascension Feria V Infra Hebdomadam Post Ascensionem Missa Exaudi Domine May 24Th 2012
* "ACTS OF THE APOSTASY" >> WHAT IT MEANS TO FOLLOW CHRIST
* "AD ALTARE DEI" >> ESCHATOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: EF ASCENSION FERIA, 2012
* "BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES" >> PIQUA CORPUS CHRISTI: 40 HOURS, PROCESSION ">CLEAR CREEK IS LINKED TO THE CLEAR CREEK IMAGE IN THE LOWER RIGHT MARGIN)
* "CHRONICLES: A MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN CULTURE ">> WHAT IF ZIMMERMAN WALKS FREE? (PATRICK J. BUCHANAN)
* "COURAGEOUS PRIEST ">> FINALLY! A PRIEST, A HOMILY AND COURAGE:
* "CREATIVE MINORITY REPORT" >> WHITE HOUSE LIE: OUR DOOR IS OPEN TO BISHOPS
* "FIRST THOUGHTS" >> IS VATICAN II COMPLETELY BINDING ON CATHOLICS? (WILLIAM DOINO)
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> FULLY SICK. TOTALLY INSANE. LAUGHING OUT LOUD. HAH! ALL SEMINARIANS JUST GOTTA DO THIS. PERIOD.
* "LES FEMMES - THE TRUTH" >> OH JOY: ONE MORE GIFT OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS & VIRTUAL REALITY
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> OTHER MODERN? CHRIST THE KING CATHEDRAL, JOHANNESBURG
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> GREGORIAN CHANT COLLOQUIUM IN MONTREAL THIS AUGUST
* "OSV DAILY TAKE" >> SHAW: PUSHING AND TUGGING ON THE SUPREME COURT
* "RORATE CAELI ">> LATIN MASS SOCIETY CONFERENCE IN LONDON
* "RORATE CAELI" >> HUMBLE SOULS IN UNITY WITH THE ROMAN COMMUNION
* "SECONDHAND SMOKE" >> SHOULD WE KILL ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS?
* "STANDING ON MY HEAD ">> ANOTHER ANGLE ON INFALLIBILITY
* "STANDING ON MY HEAD ">> HELP THIS STRUGGLING SCHOOL!
* "THE CHANT CAF'e" >> QUOTH THE MAVEN: "FOREVER MORE!"
* "THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY ">> WHAT GOD HAS SEPARATED, LET NO MAN JOIN TOGETHER
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> REPOSTED DAILY OFFERING TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> 2012 MEETING OF THE CONFRATERNITY OF CATHOLIC CLERGY (USA) 31 JULY - 3 AUGUST - CHICAGO (MUNDELEIN)
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> PRES. OBAMA IS FINALLY GOING TO BE PROPERLY VETTED - BEFORE AN ELECTION
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> ARE YOU CLEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN PRES. OBAMA AND THE HHS MANDATE V. OUR FIRST LIBERTIES?
* "WHISPERS IN THE LOGGIA" >> "IF THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS...."
* "AD ALTARE DEI" >> ESCHATOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: EF ASCENSION FERIA, 2012
* "BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES" >> PIQUA CORPUS CHRISTI: 40 HOURS, PROCESSION ">CLEAR CREEK IS LINKED TO THE CLEAR CREEK IMAGE IN THE LOWER RIGHT MARGIN)
* "CHRONICLES: A MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN CULTURE ">> WHAT IF ZIMMERMAN WALKS FREE? (PATRICK J. BUCHANAN)
* "COURAGEOUS PRIEST ">> FINALLY! A PRIEST, A HOMILY AND COURAGE:
* "CREATIVE MINORITY REPORT" >> WHITE HOUSE LIE: OUR DOOR IS OPEN TO BISHOPS
* "FIRST THOUGHTS" >> IS VATICAN II COMPLETELY BINDING ON CATHOLICS? (WILLIAM DOINO)
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> FULLY SICK. TOTALLY INSANE. LAUGHING OUT LOUD. HAH! ALL SEMINARIANS JUST GOTTA DO THIS. PERIOD.
* "LES FEMMES - THE TRUTH" >> OH JOY: ONE MORE GIFT OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS & VIRTUAL REALITY
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> OTHER MODERN? CHRIST THE KING CATHEDRAL, JOHANNESBURG
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> GREGORIAN CHANT COLLOQUIUM IN MONTREAL THIS AUGUST
* "OSV DAILY TAKE" >> SHAW: PUSHING AND TUGGING ON THE SUPREME COURT
* "RORATE CAELI ">> LATIN MASS SOCIETY CONFERENCE IN LONDON
* "RORATE CAELI" >> HUMBLE SOULS IN UNITY WITH THE ROMAN COMMUNION
* "SECONDHAND SMOKE" >> SHOULD WE KILL ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS?
* "STANDING ON MY HEAD ">> ANOTHER ANGLE ON INFALLIBILITY
* "STANDING ON MY HEAD ">> HELP THIS STRUGGLING SCHOOL!
* "THE CHANT CAF'e" >> QUOTH THE MAVEN: "FOREVER MORE!"
* "THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY ">> WHAT GOD HAS SEPARATED, LET NO MAN JOIN TOGETHER
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> REPOSTED DAILY OFFERING TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> 2012 MEETING OF THE CONFRATERNITY OF CATHOLIC CLERGY (USA) 31 JULY - 3 AUGUST - CHICAGO (MUNDELEIN)
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> PRES. OBAMA IS FINALLY GOING TO BE PROPERLY VETTED - BEFORE AN ELECTION
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> ARE YOU CLEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN PRES. OBAMA AND THE HHS MANDATE V. OUR FIRST LIBERTIES?
* "WHISPERS IN THE LOGGIA" >> "IF THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS...."
Saturday, 14 February 2009 Monday Miracles Post 11 Healing An Illness Sent By Satan
Source: witchnest.blogspot.com
Left Behind
Damage Control!
I received a report early this morning at 2:30 AM eastern time, that according to the Harold Camping "camp", the rapture was to take place at 2 AM eastern time, which was about an hour and 15 minutes ago. I cannot rule out the possibility that I did not make the first "rescue mission". However it is possible Camping's followers may have been incorrect. This would mean, sadly, that the people of the world will have "one more thing" to point too as "folly" in the Christian community at large.
RAPTURE CALCULATORS
While I absolutely appreciate that the Christian community is "on guard" right now and very excited about the imminent return of our King, Yahushua Jesus Christ, I am not a fan of "rapture calculators". For about 8 months now I have been receiving a LOT of reports of various "calculations" on the King's return. These reports use all sorts of math to perform such calculations. Many of them use the feasts of the ancient Hebrews, but often fail to take into account the deviations of the calendars and various other anomalies.
One of the most critical "constants" used to mathematically attempt to predict Jesus' return is the 1948 establishment of the "State of Israel". This has always bugged me because it indicates those pointing to this date might have missed a critical historical fact and built this assumption upon trickery used by the forces of darkness.
THE LAND, THE PEOPLE, OR BOTH?
While there is NO question that Israel is "key" to the fulfillment of prophecy, the use of the term "Israel" has two meanings. One is the "land". The other is the "people". At no point in the Bible is it clear that the "people" are those who reside in the "State of Israel" today. There are endless accounts by outstanding Jewish Rabbis all throughout recent history and even today, that claim "loudly" that the people who reside in Israel at this time are NOT those called their by "Ha Shem" (the One). Search on "Zionism" using a search engine and look for articles written by Rabbis.
Without getting into the extremely confusing and nebulous information about "bloodline corruption" that clearly indicates one would be "hard pressed" to find a single living true untainted Hebrew descendant of David alive today, you have the dynamic of the "gentiles" being "grafted onto the olive tree". Many suggest this does not imply the "gentiles" actually become part of that tree. However I am not so sure this is accurate. After all, when you GRAFT a branch onto a tree it does indeed become part of that tree. 100% part of that tree. This means it is possible the references to Zion and the "people" of Israel may include even those who are not "Hebrew" in their immediate ancestry.
However this will perpetually remain in question.
THE TRICKERY BEHIND THE STAR
The "LAND" of Israel was clearly blessed by the Abrahamic covenants. Make no mistake. However the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was driven by the Rothschild's family. These are "blue blood" descendants of the Land of Canaan, the Philistines, and the Phoenicians. They are REPTILES.
The "Star of David" is NOT the star of King David. That is a lie. Search the Internet for a book written by Graham (who is a Jewish Ph.D by the way) entitled "The Six Pointed Star". If you are not convinced after reading that book, then you are not paying attention. The claimed "Star of David" is in the original symbolism of the Rothschild family. It tracks all the way back to more than 4,000 years ago and is often referred to as the "Star of Ba'al" (Molech). This symbol is seen on ancient images of a large creature used as an altar for the burning of children in sacrificial ceremony.
LEV 18:21
And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
NKJV
If even HALF of the data indicating the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel was nefarious in nature is true, then virtually all the "rapture calculators" that use this date as a mathematical constant have "brain damage".
PERHAPS A MORE RELIABLE MARKER
I feel sorry for those who denigrate Paul and attempt to blaspheme the Holy Spirit by condemning those that have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. I fear they will not even be given an opportunity to Stand before the Son of Man. How sad.
The apostle Paul, when writing to the Thessalonians, was calming people down. We all need to try to pay attention to the Word of God and put away the "math" for a little while.
The Thessalonians were JUST LIKE US! Except in many cases they were even worse. They were so" freaked out" about potentially missing the return of Jesus, many of them quit their jobs. Paul had to warn them if they didn't work they "didn't eat"!
And to make matters worse, we are MISSING one of the "letters "written to the Thessalonians authored by Paul. If my hunch is right, that letter was ripped out of the ancient writings and hidden or destroyed by the "hybrid" pagan Devil worshipers. Many of which were on the various "canon" councils, and are on the 5013c church Board of Directors of today.
So WHO KNOWS what that missing letter might have told us?
Let's take a moment to review these CRUCIAL warnings by Paul.
2 THESS 2:1-3
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes. FIRST!
NKJV
2 Thessalonians is utterly pregnant with information associated with the timing of the return of Jesus Christ to snatch out his Bride in the rescue mission, (I argue, Phase I). Read the article entitled "Multi-Phase Rescue Mission" for more possible ideas on this plausible dynamic. Read Matthew 24:29 where it says "immediately "AFTER "the tribulation of those days".
Matt 24:29-30
"Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
NKJV
The verses here go onto to describe the elect being rescued AFTER the Great Tribulation. No wonder folks are confused. The scripture was MEANT to keep us in a state of perpetual imminence.
But I digress. Back to THE FALLING AWAY!
UFOS CAUSE THE FALLING AWAY
While I always keep my bowl of "crow soup" handy at all times, I am of extremely strong belief that the "falling away" is caused by a huge UFO war.
This will NOT be some ridiculous hologram created multimedia presentation that Chuck Missler and Hal Lindsey will say is "inter-dimensional" demons; this will be 100% undeniably "intergalactic" in nature. It will include the huge MOTHERSHIPS that we have seen photographed along side the Sun. You can see a picture of one such ship in the article entitled "Wormholes and Intergalactic Troop Buildup" here.
This "falling away" CANNOT happen gradually folks. No way! When Paul was telling the Thessolanikans this, he said they would "SEE "it. You do NOT SEE something happen if it happens gradually. This is precisely why we all have trouble trying to warn people about the New World Order. Get it?
The falling away MUST be a huge alarming event. I argue that it is EXACTLY what causes men's "hearts to fail" in Luke 21:26 (although there is no way to be sure).
If my estimation is accurate and Daniel 9:27s alternative "Strong's" interpretation of the "middle of the week" is correct, then the beginning of the Great Tribulation marks TWO EVENTS.
* A huge UFO war that causes mens' hearts to fail and begins the Great Tribulation
* A huge UFO war that causes the "falling away" to happen INSTANTANEOUSLY
Just like the Illuminati playing card suggests, the church members and their pastors will have no idea what is going on. They will be utterly BLOWN AWAY.
This is the FALLING AWAY.
Even Nostradamus predicted UFOs would be involved in WWIII. We shall see.
or?
SUMMARY IN JESUS NAME
So if we SEE the "falling away" as a marker to the "rescue mission" of the Bride, this would certainly imply we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is time to LOOK UP, because our redemption draws nigh. Amen?
Or maybe I'm wrong.
One way or the other, we all better be perpetually ready and seeking the strongest possible praise filled relationship with Yahushua Jesus Christ our Savior NOW! How do you know you won't die today of a heart attack? You don't.
Again I remind you to AT LEAST read 2 Esdras 15. Here is a link to it. Remember that the books of Esdras USED to be in the original KJV before the reptiles had it removed. This single chapter alone should make it painfully obvious these things are very likely to happen. Again, pay attention to the metaphors of the dragons of Arabia (hint they are UFOs). Pay attention to verse 40 which speaks of Planet X as the "horrible star".
2 ESDRAS 15:29
Where the nations of the dragons of Arabia shall come out with many chariots (UFOs), and the multitude of them shall be carried as the wind upon earth, that all they which hear them may fear and tremble.
I will leave you here with the alternative "Strong's" interpretation of the middle of the week found in Daniel 9:27.
ON THE "WING OF A FLYING ARMY" OF "DETESTABLE AND ESPECIALLY DISGUSTING THINGS" SHALL BE THAT WHICH "ASTONISHES, DEVASTATES, AND STUPEFIES".
Can you say "FALLEN ANGEL"?
They are coming here and you can bet on it.
SEEK THE "BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT" WITH ALL YOUR HEART
ASK JESUS TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS "EVERY DAY"
"PRAISE JESUS "ALL DAY LONG
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING
VERY VERY SOON
Be Blessed in Jesus Name
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Psychic Phone Readings What You Need To Know Before You Pick Up The Phone
By Tana Hoy
Nowadays, psychic phone readings are very popular. Folks all over the world are constantly in need of counsel from the several troubles they deal with in life. These can speak of concerns about their career, their health, their finances or even their romantic sides. On account of this, they've started to turn to the support of professionals in psychic phone readings. Yet, these types of readings can be rather steep, so it's always wise to make certain you choose the right individual to provide you psychic phone readings.Before making a decision on this topic, it's best that you take your time to research on it first, as there are the truth is a number of scammers out there who put on an act as psychic readers who are just out to get your money and offer you a less than average reading service. Yet, there are those who are genuine authentic readers, and these are the ones you ought to be looking out for.
If you desire to obtain the best psychic phone readings possible for your money, then here are 2 vital facts you must take into account prior to picking up the phone and dialing away:
THE CHARGES
Psychic phone readings are usually charged by the minute, and can actually be rather expensive if the psychics take a long time to actually give you some insights on whatever concern you bring up with them. In such a case, one of the most important things you need to take note of is what method which the reader uses. There are some methods such as communicating with the spiritual realm which may prove effective, but will amount to a high bill on your part. Thus, it's best to take advantage of phone psychic readings which make use of tools like tarot cards - effective and don't take a lot of time to come up with readings.
REFERRALS MATTER
If you wish to get the best psychic phone readings, ask for referrals from the people you know. You might know a number of individuals that are actually aficionados of divination and getting their fair share of psychic services. With their help, you just can come upon a really good and dependable psychic reader.
About the Author:
Why do people like psychic phone readings? Simple, psychic phone readings give you 3 powerful advantages -- they're very convenient; they can let you get a reading from the world's top psychics; and they are known to be the most accurate form of reading.
Friday, 13 February 2009 Religion Belief Saints For Modern Times
Reference: magick-keys.blogspot.com
The Church Fathers The Real Presence
Source: practicing-wicca.blogspot.com
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