He gave them free-will, resulting in a glorious array of diversity
which has woven a magnificent tapestry of life on this rapidly spinning Blue
Planet, but they fail to see and accept this diversity for the gift that it
truly is. Instead look what they do with
this most generous gift of free-will ...
Their pride and self-centered way of viewing the world around them
consumes them. They bicker and argue
over trivialities –for they cannot see beyond this here, this now. They do this all in the name of a false sense
of righteousness which they believe affords them the right to judge, condemn
and ultimately control others in an effort to align others in the world around
them with their narrow-minded way of thinking.
But perhaps the greatest affront of all comes from those who claim that
their judgment and resultant actions are the will of the Creator. Those who act in violence using His name are
the greatest affront to His gift of all.
How much longer do you suppose He will leave these humans to act in
violence using His name? Righteousness belongs to the Creator and to Him alone.
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Scary Eye-Opener!!
[ Hmmmm ... Want to watch your blog sputter, spiral and plunge to the abysmal depths of the blogspheres' lower levels? Then just mention the name "Glenn Beck" in your post. ; ) ... Ah what a world, what a world!! Free speech is m-e-l-t-i-n-g .... I honestly think that the ONLY WAY "free speech" will survive during this administration is if the American people WAKE UP and put some genuine effort into their search for truth and information instead of just sitting back, while lazily being spoon fed by the egnimatic "Big Brother".]
I have not been watching a lot of Glenn Beck these days. His gloom and doom, ranting, raving and tears on air were just getting to be a bit much for me. Today, however, I have been down with a bad headache, so I decided to listen to his show during lunch and I have to say that today's show was a real eye opener for me.
I have not been watching a lot of Glenn Beck these days. His gloom and doom, ranting, raving and tears on air were just getting to be a bit much for me. Today, however, I have been down with a bad headache, so I decided to listen to his show during lunch and I have to say that today's show was a real eye opener for me.
I find the study of various religions, their history and beliefs, to be fascinating. I like to think that I have a fairly good grasp on various world religions, but I heard something on the Glenn Beck show today that sent chills down my spine ... something that made me realize that while we all share a belief in the same Creator there are still fundamental differences in our religious beliefs that perhaps may never ever be able to be reconciled. I will have to do more research to verify the information presented on the Glenn Beck show today, but if it bears even an ounce of truth then it is a wake-up call indeed!
So what was this religious belief that sends chills down my spine, makes me stop dead in my tracks and think: a belief among religious scholars of Islam that a man can forgo the sins of adultery and fornication if he owns a sex slave and uses her for his satisfaction. The show even ran a clip where a Muslim woman was shown speaking for ... condoning ... the selling of slaves into the sex trade as a viable alternative to POW's being put to death. This woman further believed that use of sex slaves would in fact exempt her sons and husband from sin should they seek to have sexual relations outside of marriage.
I am sorry, but I cannot see ... especially in this day and age ... any religion openly condoning the selling and owning of slaves, especially for the explicit purpose of sexual assault!! God our Creator is fundamentally about free-will and LOVE: slavery and assault are polar opposites to His way.
I have to say watching this show was LOUD wake-up call for me today! I will look further into the matter for myself, but my eyes are wide open now. May God Bless women and children everywhere and protect them from such crimes.
I have to say watching this show was LOUD wake-up call for me today! I will look further into the matter for myself, but my eyes are wide open now. May God Bless women and children everywhere and protect them from such crimes.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Where will we find our Truth?
@Copyrighted Image, 2010. All Rights Reserved: Isabelle Black Smith.
"Shadow of Truth"
One God, a church with no walls ... Peace, Love ... Hope.
(Photo taken at Christ's Church Cathedral, Victoria Island, Summer 2010. To this day, I am
unsure as to the actual source for this shadow of this cross upon the cathedral door.)
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A Church, with no walls ... one God and one people.
What I believe ...
I probably shouldn't be writing this when I am tired, but the words are flowing rapidly through my mind so I am hoping that perhaps they are divinely inspired. Thus, I will try to capture all of these thoughts swirling about in my mind into something a bit more tangible, black and white ('ink'). First, let me start by stating that religion is not a subject I often choose to discuss with others, especially my parents. For the most part, my philosophy on religion is "live and let live", meaning each person must travel the path they find best suited for the individual journey they find themselves on in this particular lifetime. As for my parents, they are very old school and quite frankly --at this point-- rigidly set in their ways. They have a strong belief in a higher power, that is to say they believe in God and as such they have found a way to worship that they are comfortable with in the Catholic faith. Knowing this about them, I feel no need to share my present day --after years of suffering and the subsequent spiritual evolution thereof-- ideas and personal beliefs on the subject of 'religion' with them. For some reason, of late, they continue to press on this subject matter: religion and faith. So tonight, I shared my thoughts and feelings with them, but perhaps I did not accomplish the task in the most eloquent way? It's hard to keep the emotional element that comes with a deep pondering of the spiritual aspects of ones life, especially when you happen to be talking with your parents and basically saying --to their way of thinking-- that you reject "everything they taught you to believe." With this in mind, here follows the basic gist of the unemotional version of my thoughts on the subject matter of faith and religion, bearing in mind that to my way of thinking two are not mutually exclusive.
My parents wonder: 1) "Why don't you go to church every Sunday?"
2) "Why have you chosen to practice outside of the Catholic faith?"
3) "It says in the Bible that the only way to get to the Father is through the Son. Don't you believe in Jesus? Don't you believe that the Bible is THE Word of God?"
Okay, before I get into the semantics of religion, let me first say that I have come to believe that there is in fact a God, a Creator, and that He is first and foremost a loving and benevolent being. He loves us and He wants us to become the best that we can be in this life, as we continue our journey back to ultimately re-unite with Him, where upon the entire essence of our being will finally be HOME, that place where we belong. Furthermore, I believe Our Creator is present in our lives. He is there for us if only we ask for His help, His strength and His guidance. I, personally, believe the Creator does not particularly care which method we choose to utilize in expressing our belief in Him and our need to have Him present in our lives, whether this expression be an organized religion, of any faith (be it Lutheran, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism or ANY other), or be it merely a personal belief and relationship with Him on our own terms, outside the confines of any organized religion. What fundamentally matters is THAT we believe, NOT HOW we believe.
With the above in mind, I don't feel that one has to attend a church, or other religious places of worship, each and every Sunday in order to find our way back to the Creator and have him present in our daily lives. To my way of thinking, the opportunities for spiritual growth are all around us, each and every day ... in almost every moment. I find it rather ludicrous that some ardently believe that weekly attendance at mass, on Sunday, is a prerequisite for returning home to our Creator. I also find it rather hypocritical that some attend mass religiously on Sundays, only then to turn around and forget, by both their words and actions, that there is in fact a God every other day of the week. That being said, I do grant that religious institutions. churches and faith communities, can be useful in providing fellowship, community outreach and spiritual guidance should an individual choose to participate in them. "If I am willing to admit that not all who attend mass regularly on Sundays are hypocrites, then won't you admit that perhaps many who do not attend church are, in fact, good people who can have a strong relationship with God?"
As for the Catholic Church specifically, for my part, I was personally tired with the ongoing guilt that I felt while attending the Catholic Church. This guilt stemmed from the ongoing issues I had with the Catholic Church on many of the positions they hold. These issues came to a head when my husband and I decided to send our children to Catholic school. When my kids came home from Catholic school and started asking specific questions, questions that needed specific answers, I finally had to admit the truthful answers: I don't believe that the Pope is the only person on the planet that has a direct line to God; I don't believe that the Pope is infallible; I don't believe that the Catholic Church is infallible; I don't believe that all birth control is wrong; I do think all priests should be allowed to marry; I do feel that women should be allowed to become priests; I don't think that we have to go to "Confession" in order to address our sins or to be forgiven; I believe that people should be free to love whomever they love, regardless of gender; I personally do believe in Jesus, but I don't believe that everyone has to believe in Jesus in order to be "saved." I believe that the Spirit of God is all around us, each and every moment, and moreover that the Holy Spirit is within all of us, while it has yet to awaken in everyone. I believe that there are many paths that lead to God, our Creator, and in the end that we will be judged by our actions in this life and by what is in our hearts, not by what man-made religious dogma we choose to subscribe to and the rules and consequences thereof. I believe in the resurrection of the body, in the sense that I believe that we are, each of us, reborn into a series of lives during which we hopefully, grow and progress spiritually until we are last worthy of the final journey home to our Creator ... That is to say that I believe in reincarnation.
In some respects, to me, the focus and bickering that goes on amongst individuals within and of various religions over differences in dogma and belief systems makes religion little better than "organized deceit", because this takes away from what should be the focus and the message: That there is a God, a Creator, one God for ALL of humanity. That this the Creator loves us deeply and that He wants us to love one another, to help one another along our journey in this life that we will in turn come to know Him more fully in our daily lives so that we may grow in the ways of spirit and eventually be worthy of completion our final journey back home to Him. It is Faith, in the form of Hope and Love that can move mountains. It is reaching out to the forgotten, the neglected and letting them know that they are not alone, that there is a God and that He is a loving, merciful and forgiving God. It is learning to forgive ourselves, to forgive others and to know that we are forgiven if we but ask and mean it in our hearts. It is not about rules and dogma; for these things are of men and they have led to some pretty horrible things being done in the name of religion, claiming falsely to have been done in the name of God.
I have said it before, and I will say it again: "I am but an empty vessel waiting to be filled,to be used as I am needed", and while, I may not attend church every Sunday these days: when God calls on me, I answer His call. I have gone head to head with very intelligent people, brilliant thinkers who claim to be staunch atheists and have over time, with God's guidance and grace, planted the seeds that have led these individuals to a belief in a Creator. I have reached out to those who have felt betrayed by God, because of failure to conform to or to meet the demands of organized religions , and led them back to see God's love for them, to know His forgiveness and to believe in Him once again. I have stood up for injustice when I have seen it (from a very young age), even at times when I knew that it meant that I might be physically hurt myself. I pray earnestly for those who I encounter or come to know directly, or indirectly, who are need of prayer ... most often for physical healing for some illness. I pray for these individuals daily, with formal and informal prayers, throughout the course of a day as they happen to enter my mind, not just on Sundays and not just in a church. When these people are uplifted and often healed, I cannot help but feel that others too see the hand of God and believe.
As for the Bible, I do believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe that Bible was sent to us as a guidebook to help us find our way. I believe that the Bible is God's Living Word, that it is to say that the Bible is there to guide us in our own unique situations, that one passage, read by two different people in two different situations, may have a different meaning for each. I don't think that God intended the Bible to be a black and white set of rules that we would fight and dispute over. And in absolutely no way does the Bible, or any other inspired Word of God (e.g., Quran) call us to commit violence in His name. The latter runs so very counter to the nature of God, our Creator!
The Bible is also a rich tapestry of history, containing the story of where we have been as a people of God. It details our weaknesses and shortcomings, but the Bible also reminds us of our triumphs and provides us evidence of the spiritual growth, we as a people have made thus far. In sum, I think the Bible helps us to remember our past, such that we may continue to move forward, perhaps a bit more enlightened and hopeful, into our future.
Two of my favorite passages in the Bible are the story of The Prodigal Son, from the NewTestament (Luke 15: 11-32), , and the Story of Martha and Mary, from the New Testament. The story of The Prodigal Son reminds me that God rejoices over all of us choosing to live as His children, but He is overjoyed when a lost child, a sinner ... a non-conformist,finds their way back to Him. This passage of the Bible reminds me that we should not be so quick to judge one another,to condemn one another. We should, instead, reach out to those who have lost their way in order to share God's gift of forgiveness with them and let them know that God loves them still.
The story of Martha and Mary reminds me that being a child of God is NOT about following the so called rules; it is about paying attention to God and what He is trying to say to each of us in our own lives, to heed God's call when He calls us to do His will here on Earth: be that to reach out to someone in need, to bear witness to God's love and presence in our own life, or to pray for the needs of others.
As for the Bible "saying that Jesus said, 'No one can enter the kingdom of heaven but through me.' " ... This is the passage in the Bible that I find to be the most revealing:
"The Father Revealed in the Son
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” "
~Matthew 11:25-30
To me this passage says that in order to be worthy of returning to God, our Creator ... that is to reach the final stage of spiritual growth ... you must be willing to forgo what you think that you know ... and like "little children", you must imitate the examples of Jesus in his life. And when you are at last willing surrender to this idea, you will be at true peace and you will at last find "rest for your souls."
It's not about "knowing Jesus" in the sense of acknowledging him ... believing in him ... it's about understanding what his life and way of living were all about. Jesus is God saying ... I have tasted of your humanness ... I know your burdens ... follow me and I will show you the way, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
This is God being inclusive: not exclusive. God is showing us the way (back to him) through Jesus, through his life and examples, in terms that we are capable of understanding. To my way of thinking, it is possible to understand the ideas behind the life and experiences of Jesus without actually "knowing Jesus." And that is why I personally believe that everyone does not have "to know" and acknowledge Jesus in order to return to our Creator.
So Mom and Dad, while I no longer choose to worship as you do, please know that I do believe in God and He is a bigger part of my life than you could ever possibly know. And while I no longer feel that weekly attendance at a church service, on Sunday, is necessary in order to be a good person and to have a strong relationship with God, our Creator: I have chosen, for the time being, to belong to a religious community, a Lutheran community, and my family attends mass as often as we can and want. I do the latter in order to help my children build a strong foundation for their relationship with God --as you did for me-- but I will teach my children that in a perfect world there would be a church, with no walls, one God and one people.
"Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ...." "
~Matthew 12:24-26
"A Church with no walls ..."
@Copyrighted Image 2010, Michelle C. of whatplanetareyoulivingon.blogspot.com.
All Rights Reserved.
I probably shouldn't be writing this when I am tired, but the words are flowing rapidly through my mind so I am hoping that perhaps they are divinely inspired. Thus, I will try to capture all of these thoughts swirling about in my mind into something a bit more tangible, black and white ('ink'). First, let me start by stating that religion is not a subject I often choose to discuss with others, especially my parents. For the most part, my philosophy on religion is "live and let live", meaning each person must travel the path they find best suited for the individual journey they find themselves on in this particular lifetime. As for my parents, they are very old school and quite frankly --at this point-- rigidly set in their ways. They have a strong belief in a higher power, that is to say they believe in God and as such they have found a way to worship that they are comfortable with in the Catholic faith. Knowing this about them, I feel no need to share my present day --after years of suffering and the subsequent spiritual evolution thereof-- ideas and personal beliefs on the subject of 'religion' with them. For some reason, of late, they continue to press on this subject matter: religion and faith. So tonight, I shared my thoughts and feelings with them, but perhaps I did not accomplish the task in the most eloquent way? It's hard to keep the emotional element that comes with a deep pondering of the spiritual aspects of ones life, especially when you happen to be talking with your parents and basically saying --to their way of thinking-- that you reject "everything they taught you to believe." With this in mind, here follows the basic gist of the unemotional version of my thoughts on the subject matter of faith and religion, bearing in mind that to my way of thinking two are not mutually exclusive.
My parents wonder: 1) "Why don't you go to church every Sunday?"
2) "Why have you chosen to practice outside of the Catholic faith?"
3) "It says in the Bible that the only way to get to the Father is through the Son. Don't you believe in Jesus? Don't you believe that the Bible is THE Word of God?"
Okay, before I get into the semantics of religion, let me first say that I have come to believe that there is in fact a God, a Creator, and that He is first and foremost a loving and benevolent being. He loves us and He wants us to become the best that we can be in this life, as we continue our journey back to ultimately re-unite with Him, where upon the entire essence of our being will finally be HOME, that place where we belong. Furthermore, I believe Our Creator is present in our lives. He is there for us if only we ask for His help, His strength and His guidance. I, personally, believe the Creator does not particularly care which method we choose to utilize in expressing our belief in Him and our need to have Him present in our lives, whether this expression be an organized religion, of any faith (be it Lutheran, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism or ANY other), or be it merely a personal belief and relationship with Him on our own terms, outside the confines of any organized religion. What fundamentally matters is THAT we believe, NOT HOW we believe.
With the above in mind, I don't feel that one has to attend a church, or other religious places of worship, each and every Sunday in order to find our way back to the Creator and have him present in our daily lives. To my way of thinking, the opportunities for spiritual growth are all around us, each and every day ... in almost every moment. I find it rather ludicrous that some ardently believe that weekly attendance at mass, on Sunday, is a prerequisite for returning home to our Creator. I also find it rather hypocritical that some attend mass religiously on Sundays, only then to turn around and forget, by both their words and actions, that there is in fact a God every other day of the week. That being said, I do grant that religious institutions. churches and faith communities, can be useful in providing fellowship, community outreach and spiritual guidance should an individual choose to participate in them. "If I am willing to admit that not all who attend mass regularly on Sundays are hypocrites, then won't you admit that perhaps many who do not attend church are, in fact, good people who can have a strong relationship with God?"
As for the Catholic Church specifically, for my part, I was personally tired with the ongoing guilt that I felt while attending the Catholic Church. This guilt stemmed from the ongoing issues I had with the Catholic Church on many of the positions they hold. These issues came to a head when my husband and I decided to send our children to Catholic school. When my kids came home from Catholic school and started asking specific questions, questions that needed specific answers, I finally had to admit the truthful answers: I don't believe that the Pope is the only person on the planet that has a direct line to God; I don't believe that the Pope is infallible; I don't believe that the Catholic Church is infallible; I don't believe that all birth control is wrong; I do think all priests should be allowed to marry; I do feel that women should be allowed to become priests; I don't think that we have to go to "Confession" in order to address our sins or to be forgiven; I believe that people should be free to love whomever they love, regardless of gender; I personally do believe in Jesus, but I don't believe that everyone has to believe in Jesus in order to be "saved." I believe that the Spirit of God is all around us, each and every moment, and moreover that the Holy Spirit is within all of us, while it has yet to awaken in everyone. I believe that there are many paths that lead to God, our Creator, and in the end that we will be judged by our actions in this life and by what is in our hearts, not by what man-made religious dogma we choose to subscribe to and the rules and consequences thereof. I believe in the resurrection of the body, in the sense that I believe that we are, each of us, reborn into a series of lives during which we hopefully, grow and progress spiritually until we are last worthy of the final journey home to our Creator ... That is to say that I believe in reincarnation.
In some respects, to me, the focus and bickering that goes on amongst individuals within and of various religions over differences in dogma and belief systems makes religion little better than "organized deceit", because this takes away from what should be the focus and the message: That there is a God, a Creator, one God for ALL of humanity. That this the Creator loves us deeply and that He wants us to love one another, to help one another along our journey in this life that we will in turn come to know Him more fully in our daily lives so that we may grow in the ways of spirit and eventually be worthy of completion our final journey back home to Him. It is Faith, in the form of Hope and Love that can move mountains. It is reaching out to the forgotten, the neglected and letting them know that they are not alone, that there is a God and that He is a loving, merciful and forgiving God. It is learning to forgive ourselves, to forgive others and to know that we are forgiven if we but ask and mean it in our hearts. It is not about rules and dogma; for these things are of men and they have led to some pretty horrible things being done in the name of religion, claiming falsely to have been done in the name of God.
I have said it before, and I will say it again: "I am but an empty vessel waiting to be filled,to be used as I am needed", and while, I may not attend church every Sunday these days: when God calls on me, I answer His call. I have gone head to head with very intelligent people, brilliant thinkers who claim to be staunch atheists and have over time, with God's guidance and grace, planted the seeds that have led these individuals to a belief in a Creator. I have reached out to those who have felt betrayed by God, because of failure to conform to or to meet the demands of organized religions , and led them back to see God's love for them, to know His forgiveness and to believe in Him once again. I have stood up for injustice when I have seen it (from a very young age), even at times when I knew that it meant that I might be physically hurt myself. I pray earnestly for those who I encounter or come to know directly, or indirectly, who are need of prayer ... most often for physical healing for some illness. I pray for these individuals daily, with formal and informal prayers, throughout the course of a day as they happen to enter my mind, not just on Sundays and not just in a church. When these people are uplifted and often healed, I cannot help but feel that others too see the hand of God and believe.
As for the Bible, I do believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe that Bible was sent to us as a guidebook to help us find our way. I believe that the Bible is God's Living Word, that it is to say that the Bible is there to guide us in our own unique situations, that one passage, read by two different people in two different situations, may have a different meaning for each. I don't think that God intended the Bible to be a black and white set of rules that we would fight and dispute over. And in absolutely no way does the Bible, or any other inspired Word of God (e.g., Quran) call us to commit violence in His name. The latter runs so very counter to the nature of God, our Creator!
The Bible is also a rich tapestry of history, containing the story of where we have been as a people of God. It details our weaknesses and shortcomings, but the Bible also reminds us of our triumphs and provides us evidence of the spiritual growth, we as a people have made thus far. In sum, I think the Bible helps us to remember our past, such that we may continue to move forward, perhaps a bit more enlightened and hopeful, into our future.
Two of my favorite passages in the Bible are the story of The Prodigal Son, from the NewTestament (Luke 15: 11-32), , and the Story of Martha and Mary, from the New Testament. The story of The Prodigal Son reminds me that God rejoices over all of us choosing to live as His children, but He is overjoyed when a lost child, a sinner ... a non-conformist,finds their way back to Him. This passage of the Bible reminds me that we should not be so quick to judge one another,to condemn one another. We should, instead, reach out to those who have lost their way in order to share God's gift of forgiveness with them and let them know that God loves them still.
The story of Martha and Mary reminds me that being a child of God is NOT about following the so called rules; it is about paying attention to God and what He is trying to say to each of us in our own lives, to heed God's call when He calls us to do His will here on Earth: be that to reach out to someone in need, to bear witness to God's love and presence in our own life, or to pray for the needs of others.
As for the Bible "saying that Jesus said, 'No one can enter the kingdom of heaven but through me.' " ... This is the passage in the Bible that I find to be the most revealing:
"The Father Revealed in the Son
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” "
~Matthew 11:25-30
To me this passage says that in order to be worthy of returning to God, our Creator ... that is to reach the final stage of spiritual growth ... you must be willing to forgo what you think that you know ... and like "little children", you must imitate the examples of Jesus in his life. And when you are at last willing surrender to this idea, you will be at true peace and you will at last find "rest for your souls."
It's not about "knowing Jesus" in the sense of acknowledging him ... believing in him ... it's about understanding what his life and way of living were all about. Jesus is God saying ... I have tasted of your humanness ... I know your burdens ... follow me and I will show you the way, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
This is God being inclusive: not exclusive. God is showing us the way (back to him) through Jesus, through his life and examples, in terms that we are capable of understanding. To my way of thinking, it is possible to understand the ideas behind the life and experiences of Jesus without actually "knowing Jesus." And that is why I personally believe that everyone does not have "to know" and acknowledge Jesus in order to return to our Creator.
So Mom and Dad, while I no longer choose to worship as you do, please know that I do believe in God and He is a bigger part of my life than you could ever possibly know. And while I no longer feel that weekly attendance at a church service, on Sunday, is necessary in order to be a good person and to have a strong relationship with God, our Creator: I have chosen, for the time being, to belong to a religious community, a Lutheran community, and my family attends mass as often as we can and want. I do the latter in order to help my children build a strong foundation for their relationship with God --as you did for me-- but I will teach my children that in a perfect world there would be a church, with no walls, one God and one people.
"Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ...." "
~Matthew 12:24-26
Friday, January 22, 2010
We are so much more than the packages that we come in ...
A friend of mine once said "It's not Jesus that I have a problem with, it's His followers." I had a hard time understanding this statement at first, but since then I've experienced many things which have given me a clearer understanding of what my friend meant by his statement.
Unfortunately, far too many people use the name of "Jesus" as a means to impose their rigid -- and often times somewhat distorted -- views and 'beliefs' upon others. In this type of scenario, the name of Jesus becomes less about the man --and his message given by way of actual example, in the way he lived his life-- instead becoming more of a convenient tool for inflicting a perceived order onto the world around these 'followers' --for I would argue the latter individuals little resemble Jesus, the man, in action. Where this perceived order then dictates convenient social mores as to what the world 'should' and 'should not' be. I am sad to say -- not to mention to think on -- the many, many wrongs that have unfortunately been committed in the name of Christendom.
God made this crazy beautiful world and then He chose to fill it with DIVERSITY ... Why? I won't even try to begin to try to understand, or claim to understand, the mind of God. ... But for whatever reason: God painted this world of OURS with an abundance of diversity and I doubt that He did the latter so that we would waste precious time and energy trying to tear one another apart because of our seemingly 'important' differences (e.g., skin color, beliefs, ethnicity, gender, etc.). We are so much more than sets of man-made, man-imposed rules and ideologies ... We are so much more than the packages that we come in; And until we realize, accept and embrace this, we will never become any more than what we are. Which kind of defeats the whole purpose for our being, from a free-will/spiritual perspective, right?????
God gave us free-will, who then are we to disrespect HIS gift? We should accept this gift in others, not condemn those who happen to disagree with the man-made ideologies and beliefs that we personally choose to subscribe to. As a wise man once said: judge not least you should be judged and the first shall be last and the last shall be first ... I would offer that the latter applies to the pious and self-righteous among us as well.
"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."
"I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life."
~Mahatma Gandhi
Unfortunately, far too many people use the name of "Jesus" as a means to impose their rigid -- and often times somewhat distorted -- views and 'beliefs' upon others. In this type of scenario, the name of Jesus becomes less about the man --and his message given by way of actual example, in the way he lived his life-- instead becoming more of a convenient tool for inflicting a perceived order onto the world around these 'followers' --for I would argue the latter individuals little resemble Jesus, the man, in action. Where this perceived order then dictates convenient social mores as to what the world 'should' and 'should not' be. I am sad to say -- not to mention to think on -- the many, many wrongs that have unfortunately been committed in the name of Christendom.
God made this crazy beautiful world and then He chose to fill it with DIVERSITY ... Why? I won't even try to begin to try to understand, or claim to understand, the mind of God. ... But for whatever reason: God painted this world of OURS with an abundance of diversity and I doubt that He did the latter so that we would waste precious time and energy trying to tear one another apart because of our seemingly 'important' differences (e.g., skin color, beliefs, ethnicity, gender, etc.). We are so much more than sets of man-made, man-imposed rules and ideologies ... We are so much more than the packages that we come in; And until we realize, accept and embrace this, we will never become any more than what we are. Which kind of defeats the whole purpose for our being, from a free-will/spiritual perspective, right?????
God gave us free-will, who then are we to disrespect HIS gift? We should accept this gift in others, not condemn those who happen to disagree with the man-made ideologies and beliefs that we personally choose to subscribe to. As a wise man once said: judge not least you should be judged and the first shall be last and the last shall be first ... I would offer that the latter applies to the pious and self-righteous among us as well.
"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."
"I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life."
~Mahatma Gandhi
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Church of the Future?
O DUOMO MIO
One of my favorites. This one hangs in our music room. Inspirational!
Surreal ...
Perhaps one day, in the near, future: real?
"A church with no walls, one God and one united people."
Now that idea, to me, has infinite appeal ...
God Bless!
M
Monday, July 16, 2007
Pope Benedict Issues a New Statement: What is The Meaning?
I just heard -- via CBN -- that Pope Benedict has issued a new statement to the effect that the Catholic Church is the "one true church" and that other religions (i.e., protestants) are "not guaranteed salvation" -- according to CBN reporter.
If this is , in fact, true: I have to say, I am greatly disappointed! At a time when religions around the world should be working together to find common ground and peace, in a chaotic and often violent world, to have the leader of the Catholic Church issue such a statement seems prime to cause further division and serves no useful purpose.
I know for a fact that there are many, many Catholics who do not feel, or believe, this way. And in fact, Benedict was an author of the current "Catholic Catechism", in which it states that there are many religions and many paths to God and salvation. So why is Benedict changing his view now that he is Pope? Were the statements in question misinterpreted?
Any insights? Am I missing something?
Okay, here is the link to the official Vatican website. You will have to cut and paste it into your browser window -- as the Vatican website does not allow links from blog pages:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html
I am going to read this for myself and see if this alleged statement by the Pope is, in fact, true and being interpreted properly. See what you think.
7/17/07 I have now read the statement which was authored by another individual and "authorized for publication" by the Pope.
It seems as if the document, set up as a series of questions and answers, is stating that the Catholic Church is the "one" true, or original, church as created by Jesus before his death -- when He made Peter "the rock" upon which His church would be built and His apostles the first priest of the church.
The document allows that other religions -- particularly those that celebrate the mystery of the Holy Eucharist -- are "sister" churches that can share in the salvation promised by Jesus. But it seems as if there is a hope that all disperse religions, will at some point in the future, reunite as "one" and in doing so work more fully toward salvation for all.
I personally don't think that Jesus would want various religions fighting over which religion is the "one" true religion. What a distraction and waste of our time and energy, when together we could unite and pray and work for peace and an end to violence. But there are many written works that speak of the "end times", and in these there are numerous prophecies of "all world religions uniting as one". What a force to be reckoned with: if total unity of Christian -- and other religions of the one true God -- could actually become a reality.
The Pope is said to be inspired by God himself, and so perhaps Pope Benedict is acting on the will of God. Perhaps this statement is supposed to begin to get people thinking about: 1) the unification of religions and 2) the enormous power that we would represent to make God's will done "here on earth as is in heaven" as "one" unified church. The logistics to that end may be a bit more complicated. But perhaps, we can pray and reflect on this statement and its true intent before taking offense. Then in prayer, perhaps God will open our hearts to His will and plan for us here on earth.
I will also pray that Pope Benedict may improve his skills of empathy, compassion, and diplomacy. Perhaps he can revisit some of the works of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, for guidance and insight.
If this is , in fact, true: I have to say, I am greatly disappointed! At a time when religions around the world should be working together to find common ground and peace, in a chaotic and often violent world, to have the leader of the Catholic Church issue such a statement seems prime to cause further division and serves no useful purpose.
I know for a fact that there are many, many Catholics who do not feel, or believe, this way. And in fact, Benedict was an author of the current "Catholic Catechism", in which it states that there are many religions and many paths to God and salvation. So why is Benedict changing his view now that he is Pope? Were the statements in question misinterpreted?
Any insights? Am I missing something?
Okay, here is the link to the official Vatican website. You will have to cut and paste it into your browser window -- as the Vatican website does not allow links from blog pages:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html
I am going to read this for myself and see if this alleged statement by the Pope is, in fact, true and being interpreted properly. See what you think.
7/17/07 I have now read the statement which was authored by another individual and "authorized for publication" by the Pope.
It seems as if the document, set up as a series of questions and answers, is stating that the Catholic Church is the "one" true, or original, church as created by Jesus before his death -- when He made Peter "the rock" upon which His church would be built and His apostles the first priest of the church.
The document allows that other religions -- particularly those that celebrate the mystery of the Holy Eucharist -- are "sister" churches that can share in the salvation promised by Jesus. But it seems as if there is a hope that all disperse religions, will at some point in the future, reunite as "one" and in doing so work more fully toward salvation for all.
I personally don't think that Jesus would want various religions fighting over which religion is the "one" true religion. What a distraction and waste of our time and energy, when together we could unite and pray and work for peace and an end to violence. But there are many written works that speak of the "end times", and in these there are numerous prophecies of "all world religions uniting as one". What a force to be reckoned with: if total unity of Christian -- and other religions of the one true God -- could actually become a reality.
The Pope is said to be inspired by God himself, and so perhaps Pope Benedict is acting on the will of God. Perhaps this statement is supposed to begin to get people thinking about: 1) the unification of religions and 2) the enormous power that we would represent to make God's will done "here on earth as is in heaven" as "one" unified church. The logistics to that end may be a bit more complicated. But perhaps, we can pray and reflect on this statement and its true intent before taking offense. Then in prayer, perhaps God will open our hearts to His will and plan for us here on earth.
I will also pray that Pope Benedict may improve his skills of empathy, compassion, and diplomacy. Perhaps he can revisit some of the works of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, for guidance and insight.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Friday, March 02, 2007
Why Do Catholics Abstain From Meat During Lent?
I have always wondered this?! Why do Catholics abstain from meat during the Lenten Season? I have further wondered: is fasting an actual requirement of Canon Law, of the Catholic Church?
I've asked several Catholics the above question and most all of them replied that they fasted because "it is the Law of the Church." Some said they do fast in order to be reverent of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us by dying on the cross. Others said they fasted because it is inconvenient and reminds us that we need to put God first.
Well here follows my deep dive into what the Catholic has to say on the matter:
This was the main focus of my original post:
"2) Fasting and abstinence is not part of Canon Law. In fact, Pope Paul VI, in an Apostolic Constitution titled: "(1966) Paul Apostolic constitution on Fasting and Abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church," clearly stated that fasting and abstinence from meat was to be voluntary --except for the Holy Days of obligation of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday."
He (Pope Paul VI) went to further indicate that he "hoped fasting and abstinence would be replaced by prayer and works of charity."
Looking for further clarification, I initially searched the Vatican website, however, I found the site to very cryptic with no specific information readily available. That is to say their search feature was not very forgiving, you had to have very specific criteria. So, I did a general search on Google and it turned up several Wikipedia Links. Then, I used the information from these search to refine my search criteria on the Vatican website.
Doing a subsequent search on the actual Vatican website, I was able to verify the information given on Wikipedia. Here is the most useful link that I found on the Vatican website, with respect to recent policy on fasting in the Catholic Church:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini_en.html
Warning: This stuff reads like stereo instructions! But if you power through it, you will see that most of the information found on Wikipedia pages was, in point of fact, correct.
There actually is such a thing as an "Apostolic Constitution" and Pope Paul VI did make a speech to the lay people of the church entitled "APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION PAENITEMINI OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF PAUL VI ON FAST AND ABSTINENCE." Furthermore, this address was made in 1966: "Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, February 17, 1966, the third year of our pontificate."
If you scan down to Chapter III, of the above, most of the relevant and detailed information pertaining to "fast and abstinence for the lay people" can be found here. The first two chapters are mainly philosophical and they set the context for the third chapter.
In short summary, from this chapter it seems abundantly clear that Pope Paul VI sees a triad of: 1) Prayer, 2) Fasting & Abstinence, and 3) Charity as essential to purifying oneself and making oneself worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us by His death on the cross for our sins.
Furthermore, he sees each of these three aspects as being equally important. While the words "voluntary" are used with respect to fasting and abstinence, however, it is still somewhat unclear to me, upon first reading, if Fasting & Abstinence are truly voluntary for all Catholics? I will have to read this passage again for further clarification.
Other websites also verified the following information from my original post:
"1) Fasting and abstinence during Lent is a tradition dating back to the earliest history of the Catholic Church. Originally fasting and abstinence from meat was supposed to be every single Friday, but it gradually evolved to only during Lent."
So perhaps I've helped to clarify the matter a bit for you with my above research? If not, feel free to pick up where I left off and leave some notes on your own findings. I would truly love to hear from you!
In conclusion, I'd like to know:
Q: What do other religions do during Lent? Which religions observe Lent?
If you belong to another religion and know answers to these questions please leave me a comment. Thanks in advance for the info!
P.S. Here are my original sources for information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paenitemini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Constitution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_Abstinence_in_the_Roman_Catholic_Church
I've asked several Catholics the above question and most all of them replied that they fasted because "it is the Law of the Church." Some said they do fast in order to be reverent of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us by dying on the cross. Others said they fasted because it is inconvenient and reminds us that we need to put God first.
Well here follows my deep dive into what the Catholic has to say on the matter:
This was the main focus of my original post:
"2) Fasting and abstinence is not part of Canon Law. In fact, Pope Paul VI, in an Apostolic Constitution titled: "(1966) Paul Apostolic constitution on Fasting and Abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church," clearly stated that fasting and abstinence from meat was to be voluntary --except for the Holy Days of obligation of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday."
He (Pope Paul VI) went to further indicate that he "hoped fasting and abstinence would be replaced by prayer and works of charity."
Looking for further clarification, I initially searched the Vatican website, however, I found the site to very cryptic with no specific information readily available. That is to say their search feature was not very forgiving, you had to have very specific criteria. So, I did a general search on Google and it turned up several Wikipedia Links. Then, I used the information from these search to refine my search criteria on the Vatican website.
Doing a subsequent search on the actual Vatican website, I was able to verify the information given on Wikipedia. Here is the most useful link that I found on the Vatican website, with respect to recent policy on fasting in the Catholic Church:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini_en.html
Warning: This stuff reads like stereo instructions! But if you power through it, you will see that most of the information found on Wikipedia pages was, in point of fact, correct.
There actually is such a thing as an "Apostolic Constitution" and Pope Paul VI did make a speech to the lay people of the church entitled "APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION PAENITEMINI OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF PAUL VI ON FAST AND ABSTINENCE." Furthermore, this address was made in 1966: "Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, February 17, 1966, the third year of our pontificate."
If you scan down to Chapter III, of the above, most of the relevant and detailed information pertaining to "fast and abstinence for the lay people" can be found here. The first two chapters are mainly philosophical and they set the context for the third chapter.
In short summary, from this chapter it seems abundantly clear that Pope Paul VI sees a triad of: 1) Prayer, 2) Fasting & Abstinence, and 3) Charity as essential to purifying oneself and making oneself worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us by His death on the cross for our sins.
Furthermore, he sees each of these three aspects as being equally important. While the words "voluntary" are used with respect to fasting and abstinence, however, it is still somewhat unclear to me, upon first reading, if Fasting & Abstinence are truly voluntary for all Catholics? I will have to read this passage again for further clarification.
Other websites also verified the following information from my original post:
"1) Fasting and abstinence during Lent is a tradition dating back to the earliest history of the Catholic Church. Originally fasting and abstinence from meat was supposed to be every single Friday, but it gradually evolved to only during Lent."
So perhaps I've helped to clarify the matter a bit for you with my above research? If not, feel free to pick up where I left off and leave some notes on your own findings. I would truly love to hear from you!
In conclusion, I'd like to know:
Q: What do other religions do during Lent? Which religions observe Lent?
If you belong to another religion and know answers to these questions please leave me a comment. Thanks in advance for the info!
P.S. Here are my original sources for information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paenitemini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Constitution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_Abstinence_in_the_Roman_Catholic_Church
Friday, October 13, 2006
Christ's TRUE PEACE!
Something about my entry on the Pope's September 12th speech has been bothering me, and I've finally figured it out. In that entry I said "I sincerely don't think He [God] prefers [one way of worshiping Him] one way to another."
What bothers me about that is how sad for those who don't know Jesus! I call upon Jesus daily in many conversations throughout the day. I give him my fears and worries. I ask His advice. I ask for His help and strength where I am weak. I thank Him for all that He does for me and my family in our daily lives. And I feel joy and comfort in His presence. I couldn't imagine a world without Jesus to turn to!
It says in the Bible that the only way into Heaven is through Jesus. And that may be true, but that is for God to decide and not me or any of us. So by my quote above: I do not judge others in their choice of way to worship God. There are many different Christian ways of worship as well.
I think that we need to stop judging and criticizing our different ways of worship. Let us just show others who Jesus is by the way we live our lives and by witnessing to the power He has in our lives to make us whole and to feel TRUE PEACE in a world that -- at times -- seem to have gone mad.
All we can do is share our knowledge of Jesus with others -- by our words and actions -- planting the seeds of faith, and then let Jesus touch their hearts. I think that's what we are here on Earth to do. And in these times of war, conflict, and terrorism: I don't think that just "being a good person" is enough anymore! We need to act daily with our whole being to witness to the power of God in our lives, to share Jesus with others, and to make the world a better place in little ways each and every day. There is a bigger war going on here: a spiritual war for our very souls and every little thing that we do DOES make a huge difference!
So think about that as you get angry at the person who just cut you off on the highway. Smile at the person who frowns at you as you walk down the street. Pray for the safety of our children and truly love and help one another!
Those that have been shown Christ and choose not to accept Him may have to answer to God, but that is for Him and not any of us to decide.
May Christ's TRUE PEACE be with each of you who reads this. May He inspire you to live more fully in His name and to share Him with those who you come into contact with on a daily basis. Amen.
What bothers me about that is how sad for those who don't know Jesus! I call upon Jesus daily in many conversations throughout the day. I give him my fears and worries. I ask His advice. I ask for His help and strength where I am weak. I thank Him for all that He does for me and my family in our daily lives. And I feel joy and comfort in His presence. I couldn't imagine a world without Jesus to turn to!
It says in the Bible that the only way into Heaven is through Jesus. And that may be true, but that is for God to decide and not me or any of us. So by my quote above: I do not judge others in their choice of way to worship God. There are many different Christian ways of worship as well.
I think that we need to stop judging and criticizing our different ways of worship. Let us just show others who Jesus is by the way we live our lives and by witnessing to the power He has in our lives to make us whole and to feel TRUE PEACE in a world that -- at times -- seem to have gone mad.
All we can do is share our knowledge of Jesus with others -- by our words and actions -- planting the seeds of faith, and then let Jesus touch their hearts. I think that's what we are here on Earth to do. And in these times of war, conflict, and terrorism: I don't think that just "being a good person" is enough anymore! We need to act daily with our whole being to witness to the power of God in our lives, to share Jesus with others, and to make the world a better place in little ways each and every day. There is a bigger war going on here: a spiritual war for our very souls and every little thing that we do DOES make a huge difference!
So think about that as you get angry at the person who just cut you off on the highway. Smile at the person who frowns at you as you walk down the street. Pray for the safety of our children and truly love and help one another!
Those that have been shown Christ and choose not to accept Him may have to answer to God, but that is for Him and not any of us to decide.
May Christ's TRUE PEACE be with each of you who reads this. May He inspire you to live more fully in His name and to share Him with those who you come into contact with on a daily basis. Amen.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Pope Speech, September 12th to the University of Regensburg
Copyrighted By "What Planet Are You Living On", September 2006
I have read the Pope's speech in its entirety ... just so that I could see -- without media bias - for myself the context in which his controversial quote was made. More on what I think about what the Pope said next login, but for now let me just say this:
Isn't a soul coming to God of his own free-will -- a gift God chose to give to us, when HE above all has the absolute power to command and force our obedience ... yet He chose to give us free-will -- more meaningful to Him? As opposed to a soul that pledges allegiance to God and a particular set of man-made religious ideals out of fear and as a result of violence?
Further, why would God want any of us to use force, fear, and violence to call others to Him? By using force, fear, and violence to call others to God don't we totally dismiss the gift of free-will that He gave to us in the first place?
It says in the Bible that our God is a loving God, slow to anger, and quick to show mercy and forgiveness to all who ask it. Isn't it time that we start showing LOVE, MERCY and FORGIVENESS and tolerance to those who differ in man-made religious ideals and dogma?
God made us a diverse peoples, with different skin colors, languages, gifts & talents, and cultures. It only stands to reason that these different peoples would find different ways to worship and know God. And I sincerely feel that He finds no one way preferable. But I also feel that God IS saddened by those that would overlook His gift of free-will and choose instead to use force, fear, and violence in order to bring followers to His name in-line according to their own narrow-minded --and often rigid-- idealogies.
I think that on some level this was the major point that the Pope was trying to make. Also that we need to keep a dialogue open between various religions, but that a dialogue is impossible with extremist religions that have no tolerance for other religions, and that further resort to violence as the means to spread their version of religion.
I regret that the Pope chose to quote a conversation from some medieval text. I don't think that particular quote was truly needed in order to set the stage for his speech. I think that the Pope could, and should, have found another way to begin his speech and set the stage for his conversation.
The Pope's intent may have been innocent: I think that in his mind, he was simply addressing his fellow theologians. He had just read the text that he quoted, so he felt that it would be appropriate to share the same with his colleagues. I don't think he considered the ramifications, or possible interpretations, of this quote when it would be heard by the general public. That for him, and for all of the millions of Catholics around the globe, is unfortunate: When you are the Pope you can't afford to make statements like this without fully considering the possible ramifications and interpretations.
The above being said, I hope that there can be forgiveness and that the violence against innocent Catholics can stop. Let Islam be the "bigger man" in this instance and lead by example not by violence. Prove this very controversial quote wrong and simply do not respond with violence!
Here is the quote to the actual speech text. Read and decide for yourself: (Not currently working ... the Vatican isn't allowing blogger servers to connect to its website.)
Copyrighted By "What Planet Are You Living On", September 2006
I have read the Pope's speech in its entirety ... just so that I could see -- without media bias - for myself the context in which his controversial quote was made. More on what I think about what the Pope said next login, but for now let me just say this:
Isn't a soul coming to God of his own free-will -- a gift God chose to give to us, when HE above all has the absolute power to command and force our obedience ... yet He chose to give us free-will -- more meaningful to Him? As opposed to a soul that pledges allegiance to God and a particular set of man-made religious ideals out of fear and as a result of violence?
Further, why would God want any of us to use force, fear, and violence to call others to Him? By using force, fear, and violence to call others to God don't we totally dismiss the gift of free-will that He gave to us in the first place?
It says in the Bible that our God is a loving God, slow to anger, and quick to show mercy and forgiveness to all who ask it. Isn't it time that we start showing LOVE, MERCY and FORGIVENESS and tolerance to those who differ in man-made religious ideals and dogma?
God made us a diverse peoples, with different skin colors, languages, gifts & talents, and cultures. It only stands to reason that these different peoples would find different ways to worship and know God. And I sincerely feel that He finds no one way preferable. But I also feel that God IS saddened by those that would overlook His gift of free-will and choose instead to use force, fear, and violence in order to bring followers to His name in-line according to their own narrow-minded --and often rigid-- idealogies.
I think that on some level this was the major point that the Pope was trying to make. Also that we need to keep a dialogue open between various religions, but that a dialogue is impossible with extremist religions that have no tolerance for other religions, and that further resort to violence as the means to spread their version of religion.
I regret that the Pope chose to quote a conversation from some medieval text. I don't think that particular quote was truly needed in order to set the stage for his speech. I think that the Pope could, and should, have found another way to begin his speech and set the stage for his conversation.
The Pope's intent may have been innocent: I think that in his mind, he was simply addressing his fellow theologians. He had just read the text that he quoted, so he felt that it would be appropriate to share the same with his colleagues. I don't think he considered the ramifications, or possible interpretations, of this quote when it would be heard by the general public. That for him, and for all of the millions of Catholics around the globe, is unfortunate: When you are the Pope you can't afford to make statements like this without fully considering the possible ramifications and interpretations.
The above being said, I hope that there can be forgiveness and that the violence against innocent Catholics can stop. Let Islam be the "bigger man" in this instance and lead by example not by violence. Prove this very controversial quote wrong and simply do not respond with violence!
Here is the quote to the actual speech text. Read and decide for yourself: (Not currently working ... the Vatican isn't allowing blogger servers to connect to its website.)
Copyrighted By "What Planet Are You Living On", September 2006
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