Good vs Bad

For years I had the naive philosophy that deep down most people are basically good. Once I woke up to reality, my intuitive understanding of all began fitting perfectly. Moreover, predictions of outcomes have also flowed naturally, realistically, and closer to initial expectations. Of course, the scenario of people  that think are good when, in fact, they are the opposite exists...many fool themselves all the way to the grave.

Politicization of All

If one looks up the definition of the word politics, one soon realizes that several definitions exist for the word. Basically, our personal opinions of how society should run collective affairs relate to politics. Moreover, we elect officials as leaders to conduct social affairs for society in a way we feel is correct. Most people feel that their personal views, which they have acquired due to many factors involving things such as upbringing or religious views, are correct based on their understanding of all. This idea of understanding of all can be described as a worldview. Merriam-Webster defines worldview as a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint. The foregoing basically involves one’s understanding which can have limitations based on many factors depending on our personal experiences, for instance. Our place of birth along with the different culture or language to which one was initially exposed contributes greatly to our worldviews. Consequently, worldviews are as diverse as our world, which consists of many races, nations, and languages. Inhabitants of planet Earth think and have opinions which often evolve and transition depending on our age, or perhaps phases in life which we go through. Based on some of these factors, our ideas about anything can very often be completely different. Regardless of all mentioned thus far, the one thing we all share is our humanity. We are a species that inhabits this planet in our physical universe, and as our lives interact, we make decisions based on how to best share this collective experience. Politics ultimately is involved in this process on a national and global level, but how much we allow politics to be involved in our daily lives is important. A question I ask is at what point do we stop making personal decisions and allow others to decide for us. Moreover, what percentage of our personal decisions will we allow to conceivably be made for us? Will we ultimately allow a politicization of all? The foregoing question is basically the title to this post, and perhaps it is where humanity is standing now. Ultimately, this question is possibly the one we may be asking ourselves without asking out loud. This question is obviously also ecumenical, and the one thing I do know is that many people do not like anyone else making decisions for them, especially those with which they disagree. I recently took an idea from the Stephen Stills’ song, For what it’s worth. A line in the song says: nobody's right if everybody's wrong. I took this idea a step further by adding: nobody is wrong if everybody is right. Well, the idea is indeed correct, if everyone is right than no one is wrong; however, the bigger question this idea raises is how can everyone be right? Can everyone be right? Personally, I don’t think it is possible, but there are certain times where we just must agree to disagree to get along.

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas to All!

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Christmas Message 2018

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

Christmas Message 2018

In the Third Chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus says at one point, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that all who believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

For years, I’ve often thought that that passage only referred to Jesus giving his life as a sacrifice on the cross. And to be sure, that is part of what it means. But some years ago I was reading a commentary by Raymond Brown, on the Gospel of John, and Professor Brown said that that passage not only speaks of Jesus willingly giving his life on the cross, but it actually speaks of Christmas, of God giving his very self, his very son to the world, not for anything God could get out of it, but for the good and the welfare and the well-being of the world. Of us.

Someone once said, in a Christmas poem, “Love came down at Christmas.” That’s what love is. To give, and not to count the cost. To give, not for what one can get, but for what the other can receive. That’s what love is. God so loved the world, that he gave.

I realized recently how powerful that passage really is, when I saw an old poster from 1938. A poster produced by the Episcopal Church at that time, to encourage Episcopalians and other Christians, and other people of faith and good will, to do whatever they could to help Jewish refugees fleeing tyranny in Europe. To help people from all over Europe seeking refuge in America, this land of freedom. The poster depicts Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. They’re fleeing persecution in Palestine, as Matthew’s Gospel says. And the poster depicting Mary, Joseph, and Jesus says in the tag line, “In the name of these refugees, help all refugees.”

God so loved the world, that he gave, even to the point of risking his own son. And in the name of those refugees, in the name of that Jesus, help all refugees, all people who suffer, anyone who’s alone, everyone who is in need. That’s what love does.

Love came down at Christmas, because God so loved the world, that he gave.

In those days, a decree went out from the Emperor Augustus, that all the world should be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem because he was a descendent from the House of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged, and who was expecting a child. While they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son, and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Meanwhile, in that region, there were shepherds, living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then the angel of the Lord stood above them. And the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were terrified. The angel said unto them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people. To you is born this day, in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign. You will find the child wrapped in bands of cloth, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly, there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to all people on earth.”

Have a blessed Christmas. Have a merry Christmas. Have a joyful Christmas.

God love you, God bless you, and may God hold us all in those almighty hands of love.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry

Presiding Bishop and Primate

The Episcopal Church

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZa07Cmqrm0

https://cnyepiscopal.org/2018/12/god-so-loved-the-world-that-he-gave-presiding-bishop-christmas-message-2018/.

Mission!

'“Mission is not an action or activity we can choose. It is an expression of daily life. It belongs to the whole church and is not the function of just a few or of an agency,” says Father Ioan Sauca, deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC)."'

Mission is and will always be the essence of Christianity. Jesus gave us the Great Commission. Saint Paul followed the instructions of Jesus, and today we are Christians because of that fact. Read the full article at the link below.

Mission!

Reference:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/mission-is-the-essence-of-christian-life-says-orthodox-theologian.

Happy 10th Birthday to my Sibling Blog!

http://arangoapologeticspage.blogspot.com/2018/11/happy-10th-birthday.html?m=0

Arango's Apologetics Page: When the Son of Man Comes, Will He Find Faith on Earth?

I hope everyone is doing well. Just sharing a recent post from the sibling blog! Click on the link below to be guided to it. Blessings!



Arango's Apologetics Page: When the Son of Man Comes, Will He Find Faith on Earth?: "And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” The preceding quote is from Jesus and it is taken out of con...

Shanah Tovah to All!

Shanah Tovah to all!

Is The Museum of the Bible Exploiting Jewish Tradition?

'"According to traditional Jewish law, decommissioned Torah scrolls are to be either buried in a Jewish cemetery or stored in perpetuity in a genizah, a dedicated synagogue space for out-of-use ritual objects. Damaged scrolls can also be restored and rededicated for ritual use, while those that survived the Nazi era are permitted to be displayed in exhibits dedicated to documenting the Holocaust, as they are, for example, at the Holocaust Museum a few blocks away...

...These scrolls, the heritage of European Judaism, now sit in a display case at the museum or in storage, in the possession of one of the world’s most prominent evangelical families. Carroll noted that this situation may result in an unfortunate impression: “The Greens in some way have built... a Christian museum on the backs of Jewish items (www.thedailybeast.com).”'

The foregoing are excerpts from an article by Candida Moss and Joel Baden for the Daily Beast. I will be sharing the article on here. Basically, I am hoping people will understand the idea the article is conveying, as well as the reality of what the museum has done, thus far with relevance to the collection of Torahs. Moreover, the article states the following: “According to Jeffrey Kloha, director of museum collections, of the 2,559 items owned by the museum, some 1,835 are Torahs—scrolls.” I suppose that I just want to share and let everyone decide what it is you personally think. I am sure that one can contact the museum to verify all the details. Read the full article below. 

The Museum of the Bible Is Exploiting Jewish Tradition—And Saving Its Evangelical Christian Donors Millions

Reference:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-museum-of-the-bible-exploits-jewish-traditionand-saves-its-evangelical-christian-donors-millions?ref=home

Sermon from the Royal Wedding

In case you didn't catch it live, or even if you did, I decided to share the link for the sermon by Bishop Michael Curry during the recent Royal Wedding on here. Thanks to today's technology, we can view so many great things in our world over and over, and this is a sermon that is worthy of watching as often as possible. Moreover, it is probably one the most ecumenical messages about the power of love. The link is below. Blessings and enjoy watching!

 

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gonlKodrmk&t=14s

Lorna Byrne Documentary

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer season. It’s hot here in South Florida, but what else is new? I had to share this video because I feel that the message that Lorna is bringing is perhaps one of the most ecumenical that I have heard. I strongly suggest or encourage watching this video and deciding for yourselves. I am going to be brief; in fact, I am done. Enjoy watching and blessings!

Source:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssAmweLstLE

Loving our neighbors?

Lately, I have seen some use the Jesus quote of loving our neighbor as ourselves out of context, and that is fine. I have been using the quote for decades. In fact, the quote has been in the New Testament for almost 2000 years. Yes, Jesus was not exclusive. Jesus was inclusive. Jesus basically was saying to love everyone. Love people, regardless of race, or gender orientation, and so on. I am sure we all get the picture. But, I wonder if people understand that this is a double-edged sword  depending on how we apply it. Why is that, one might ask? Well, basically in today's seemingly polarized society, which I don't think is really so polarized because it's all mostly media hype, loving our neighbor also means loving those with different political views...etc. For instance, left wingers have to love right wingers, and right wingers have to love left wingers. Meaning, people who hate Trump have to love him, and so on. Non racist people have to love racist people, etc. I am sure everyone gets the picture. Basically, everyone is our neighbor. Jesus hung out with everyone, and he made no exceptions. Of course, he told everyone the truth. When he spoke to Pharisees, he said what he had to say. I am pretty much done explaining. Blessings and go out and love your neighbor as yourself! Of course, remember that loving God precedes the phrase. 

Arango's Apologetics Page: Can God Change His Mind?

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. Here in South Florida it is hot and muggy, as usual. I am simply sharing a recent article from the sibling blog. This post is basically a question geared towards all the readers, and especially you "Sola Scriptura" readers, so feel free to respond as elaborately as you desire. The post raises the following question.


If God is God, can God change his mind about anything and everything?


Note: you may either answer in the comments section on here, or follow the link to the original post below.

Arango's Apologetics Page: Can God Change His Mind?: I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. Here in South Florida it is hot and muggy, as usual. This post is basically a question geared...

Pope Francis at World Council of Churches

"The landmark visit of Pope Francis to the World Council of Churches on 21 June will be a centrepiece of the ecumenical commemoration of the WCC's 70th anniversary (WCC)."


Pope Francis will visit on June 21, 2018. See details at the link below:

Visit of Pope Francis








Reference:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/events/pope-francis-to-visit-the-world-council-of-churches.

John 1: 1-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being
4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him.
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth....

Footnotes:

John 1:4 Or 3 through him. And without him not one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In him was life
John 1:9 Or He was the true light that enlightens everyone coming into the world
John 1:11 Or to his own home
John 1:14 Or the Father’s only Son














Source:

John 1: 1-14, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

A Short Defense of Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith was born in 1805, and he was killed in 1844. My assumption is that he was 38 years old at the time of his earthly death. Smith died in Illinois when a mob stormed the facility in which he was imprisoned. Joseph Smith Jr. was the founder of Mormonism. Yes, he published the Book of Mormon, and he attracted many followers then and until the present day. In fact, a very well known gentleman that ran for president recently is a Mormon. The Book of Mormon is supposedly based on an apparition or revelation in which he had involving an angelic type being named Moroni. The Book of Mormon, according to Moroni, was written on golden plates. Moroni revealed to Smith the place where they were hidden from ancient times. I don’t know if it is of any significance, but the day in which the revelation came was on September 21, 1823. Including himself, there were 11 men who witnessed the plates in total. However, Smith wasn’t supposed to reveal them to anyone other than those commanded. I am basically summarizing the story; it is a little more detailed. My question for many years has been: is this story credible? Obviously, many people seem to think it is, and I am not more knowledgeable than many.

Twenty years ago, if you mentioned Smith, I would have probably laughed and asked you to tell me more about the planet Kolov? Of course, today we know that that stars normally have planets that orbit them; therefore, the existence of strange planets isn’t a farfetched idea. Smith wrote many texts about cosmology, family, and God…. The fact is that some of these crazy things he may have written about probably aren’t so crazy based on today’s knowledge of things like archeology and DNA, for instance. Okay (Oll Korrect), here is where we take off into the unknown. Hopefully, Smith will seem more convincing than you ever imagined at the end of this post.

I am not sure how I am developing the post. I will be asking questions, and if you do not know what it is I am referencing, I hope you do the research to learn more about…; however, I strongly suggest that you put any fundamentalist thoughts aside for a while. Here we go!

Did you know that we recently discovered more than 60,000 archeological ruins under the jungle in Tikal, Guatemala? Those ruin were only seen because of a new laser scanning technology. Although, these ruins have only been buried for about a thousand years, perhaps, they tell us that the Mayan empire was much bigger, and populated by millions more people than previously believed. Fascinating! But, you are probably wondering, what does this have to do with Smith?

The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. Basically, this happened 106 years ago. In just about a century there is very little remaining of this once biggest ship of the time. Why? Well, it is under the North Atlantic waters and metal rusts. Basically, this once 882 foot long vessel that had a tonnage of about 46,000 GRT is almost completely rusted away. Again, fascinating! But, you are probably wondering, what does this have to do with Smith?

Have you ever heard of Gobekli Tepe? In case you have never heard of it, I strongly suggest learning more about what it is. Either way, I will brief you on it, regardless. Gobekli Tepe is an archeological site in Turkey that is believed to be the oldest megalithic site on the planet, by our current understanding. It possibly dates to the 10thmillennium BC. It consists of more than 200 pillars in 20 circles. The pillars weigh up to ten tons and are 20 feet tall. The question many people have with relevance to this place is how did hunter gatherers make something like it using primitive tools when it is difficult for us to assemble something like it with our own modern technology today? Oh, I also want to add that the site is almost 2,500 feet above sea level. Again, fascinating! But, you are probably wondering, what does this have to do with Smith? Let’s move on, and I will get to explain the reason.

Everyone has heard about Atlantis. I won’t talk much about it. I will simply reference what Plato said. In Timaeus, Plato said that Solon travelled to Egypt, and in Sais he spoke to a priest, who told him a story about how 9,000 years before a very advanced nation named Atlantis existed. Solon lived 600 years before Plato. If Atlantis actually existed along the timeline in the story, it must have existed almost 12000 years ago. This might not have anything to do with Joseph Smith, yet, but it sure sounds like Atlantis may have existed around the time Gobekli Tepe was built if we do the math. Moving along; I will introduce something about Joseph Smith, at this point in the story.

In the Book of Mormon there is a book titled: The Book of Ether. The Book of Ether contains the story of the Jaredites. The book says that the language of the Jaredites was not confounded during the Tower of Babel. The book provides the genealogy of Jared. The Tower of Babel in the Bible does not seem to predate the flood in which Noah survived by building an Ark. The story of Noah is in Chapter 6 of Genesis, and The Tower is in chapter 11. Either way, both of these stories seem to be included in Sumerian texts, and also predate the story of Abraham which starts in chapter 12 of the Book of Genesis. In the Book of Ether, Jared’s brother is told by the Lord to build 8 barges. Skipping some details, in “the floods” the Jaredites spend 344 days on these barges, and eventually reach the Promised Land which seemingly was, you guessed it, what is the present day United States, but in ancient times. Was the time of the Jaredites about 12,000 years ago, if they actually existed? I have no clue, but I can tell you a little about some recent studies in DNA that may be mind boggling. Moreover, these studies make this story somewhat believable.

Before I talk about DNA, I want to recommend doing a little reading and research with relevance to Graham Hancock and his work. Many claim that Hancock’s ideas are about pseudoscience and pseudo-archeology; however, I think some of his ideas about ancient civilizations may have a great deal of credibility based on simple logic alone. It is said that his work has never been peer reviewed nor published in academic journals, but I have my own opinions with relevance to peer reviewed anything. Peer reviewed does not necessarily make something accurate or true. Peer reviewed can sometimes very well mean that all are in on the deception to try to save themselves because perhaps they have all agreed on wrong information, and most don't want to lose the status of recognition. Of course, collective complicity isn't a new thing. "Et tu, Brute?" I am done with this point, so please allow me to move on to DNA, although I am sure I just made a few enemies, unintentionally.

DNA is a genetic code in us, it is hereditary material. These days most people know exactly what it is, so I really don’t have to go into details explaining it, not that I actually could if I tried…lol. What I really want to write about is based a recent article in The Epoch Times titled: Anomalous Native American DNA: New Tests Show Middle East Origins? The article reads that Geneticist Dr. Donald Yates has been studying Cherokee DNA. The article says:

"He found what he sees as strong evidence that Cherokee Native Americans have Middle Eastern ancestry—ancestry that cannot be accounted for by modern admixture, but which is rooted in the ancient origins of the people (theepochtimes.com)."

Fascinating! One can read the full article at the following link.

https://m.theepochtimes.com/anomalous-dna-found-in-cherokee-native-american-genetic-research_1021858.html

My thoughts with relevance to this article and Joseph Smith is that I wonder if this DNA in Cherokees somehow could be relevant to that of the Jaredites. Does it really matter? I don’t know, but 20 years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to make the connection. Well, there you have it, this is my short defense of Joseph Smith.

Oh, before closing I have a question that one might think is irrelevant. Here is the question: If all the ice in Antarctica was to melt because it was hit by a comet, did you know that sea levels would probably rise about 190 feet? Well, they most likely would. Did you know that most humans live in coastal areas? Yes, they do! I did mention earlier that the Titanic has almost completely rusted away under water in about 100 years. Do you think that if all the ice in Antarctica melted, and most cities went under water that they would completely rust away and vanish in 200 years time? I don’t know, but it is a huge possibility. I remember seeing the construction of the Twin Towers from a distance overlooking the Hudson, as a child living in New Jersey. It took years to build them. On September 11, 2001, it took about a couple of hours for the steel structure within them to melt, and in disbelief I saw them come down very quickly. I will leave you with that thought. In very little time things can often change drastically. Being arrogant about anything is not a good attribute. Humility is often the best road to follow. But, please don't get me wrong, what Jesus is quoted as saying in Matthew 10:16 is also very significant. That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading. Blessings!




References:

https://m.theepochtimes.com/anomalous-dna-found-in-cherokee-native-american-genetic-research_1021858.html

The Book of Mormon

Christos Anesti to Those of Us on the Julian Calendar!

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Happy Easter to Those of Us on the Gregorian Calendar

Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

- St. Paul

Source:

NRSV

Gender Justice Discussed by UN

"[WCC] As the 62nd session of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSWS62) was underway this week in New York City, the Revd Canon Terrie Robinson, director for women in society at the Anglican Communion Office, encouraged faith leaders to see their positive role in speaking out for gender justice in their communities. When it comes to living and working with a sense of justice, “faith leaders and faith groups – at least where they are adequately equipped – have huge potential,” she said (ACNS)."

The foregoing excerpt is taken from an article published on the Anglican Communion News Service that is titled: Faith leaders discuss gender justice at UN Commission on the Status of Women side-event. Read more about it at the following link:

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2018/03/faith-leaders-discuss-gender-justice-at-un-commission-on-the-status-of-women-side-event.aspx

Source:

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2018/03/faith-leaders-discuss-gender-justice-at-un-commission-on-the-status-of-women-side-event.aspx

Possible Unity Between Methodist and The Church of England

"The Church of England has embraced plans for unity with the Methodist Church, possibliy ending 200 years of schism... (www.christiantoday.com)."

Obviously, the previous excerpt is self explanatory. Sounds like fantastic ecumenical news! Read more about the details at the following link:

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/church-of-england-embraces-unity-with-methodist-church/125575.htm

Blessings!

Source:

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/church-of-england-embraces-unity-with-methodist-church/125575.htm

Taizé and Unity

'"In his various speeches, Brother Alois, prior of the Taizé Community, introduced four proposals for 2018 which are based on various experiences from recent visits to Sudan, South Sudan and Egypt. They are focused around “inexhaustible joy”.

Speaking about unity among Christians, he said: “As Christians of different churches, we should have the audacity to turn together towards Christ and, without waiting for our theologies to be completely in tune, to ‘put ourselves under the same roof’… to enter into this process, we can begin by thanking God for the gifts of others (www.oikoumene.org/).”'

The foregoing excerpt is from a World Council of Churches article about the recent gathering in Basel, Switzerland, for the 40th annual Taizé European Meeting of Young Adults. I wanted to share this excerpt mainly to include the quote by Brother Alois. Mainly, because Brother Alois couldn't be further from the truth on this matter. Read the full article at the link below. Blessings!




https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/youth-gather-in-basel-for-taize-pilgrimage

Reference:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/youth-gather-in-basel-for-taize-pilgrimage

Happy 2018 to all!