IAmOnetruth – Thoughtful Sharing of Truth on Religion with Comments on Health, Philosophy, Politics and more…

Halloween – It is that time of the year again.

October 11th, 2007 by Administrator

The following is a reply to a misinformed ‘post’ on myspace…

You are a loving Christian lady and I respect that… but “Halloween” comes from the term “All Hallows Eve” or “All Saints Eve”. The original celebration of All Saints Eve was in honor of all the Christians that have led exemplary lives and gone before us… you know, the “cloud of witnesses” [Heb. 12:1] that St. Paul speaks of.

Yet, it is true, that satan has taken it over [a Christian practice] and made it something evil. So, I agree that we can find other things to do at that time. For example, there is a Catholic tradition [small 't'], that suggests children and even adults dressing up as figures from the Bible and play acting that others can guess who they are supposed to be. This is quite fun as I have done the same myself.

Excerpt from This Rock online magazine

Can Catholics Celebrate Halloween?

Q: Some families in our parish don’t allow their children to celebrate Halloween. Should Catholics celebrate Halloween?

A: The word Halloween is a contraction for All Hallows Eve, which, before the reform of the liturgical calendar following the Second Vatican Council, was the vigil of All Saints and All Souls Days. As such, Halloween can be considered a Christian holiday. As with many Christian holidays, the secular world has attached its own traditions to the day (costumes, trick-or-treating, parties) that are not intrinsically wrong but can become problematic when the religious meaning of the holiday is set aside or forgotten.

For more information:

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Halloween/

Christianity has started many traditions that have been handed from one generation to the next. Secular society tries to take them and make them non-Christian, such as we can see with taking “Christ” out of Christmas. Should Christians give in to this approach?

I am sure you would agree that Christians need to, “test everything, holding to what is good”, 1 Thess 5.

Christianity saw a pagan festival and decided to end the practice and replace it with something good and holy. That ‘held’ for centuries, until modern society decided to uproot the good tradition and make it bad… with satan smiling the whole time… as Christians oppose each other.

Christians should not oppose each other on this… just hold fast to what is good. Remember Christ’s prayer for the ‘unity of the believers’ the night before He died. [Jn. 17:21]

I am sorry this is long, but just giving you a small amount of information didn’t seem the right thing to do.

Your friend in Christ;

Philip

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | 3 Comments

Discussion With A Loving Lady

August 12th, 2007 by Administrator

The setting is a restaurant overlooking the water in St. Augustine. A meal and good conversation. The lady does not practice her Catholic Faith anymore and is seeking validation of her poor view of The Catholic Church. Perhaps, even, she might be seeking to enlighten me on the evils of The Catholic Church.

She didn’t realize that God, “has a better idea”!

First she brought up “The Inquisition”.

She opened our conversation with; “How about the atrocities that were perpetrated by The Catholic Church during The Spanish Inquisition?”
I think that her question to me could be construed as; “How could I think that the Catholic Church was a loving, caring organization in light of the torture devices used in interrogations, such as the Iron Maiden, by The Inquisition?”.

I gave a brief but succinct answer that I knew a truly loving person could accept.
I answered:
1.) The Catholic Church bases all their teachings on two criteria.
A) Love of God
B) Love of self and love of neighbor.

2.) I said to her that she would agree with my next statement.
I told her that it is unfair to judge a civilization of a different time period by the standards of today. She looked thoughtful, for a moment, then agreed.

I then pointed out that there are writings from that time period; of people who, actually, petitioned the secular courts whom they were brought before for crimes, such as stealing, to allow them to be tried by The Inquisition, because, at the time, The Inquisition was known to be fair and lenient.

3.) I pointed out that there is much misinformation about The Inquisition. I told her that years ago one “anti-Catholic” author put the statistic in his book, about The Inquisition, that 95 Million people were killed. When, in reality, there were not 95 Million people in all of Spain at the time of The Spanish Inquisition. But, many authors who wrote after that book was published used this man’s mis-information without checking the validity of his statement.

For more on this subject:
The Inquisition – “This Rock” – http://www.catholic.com/library/inquisition.asp
“What’s So Great About Catholicism” – By. H.W. Crocker III – “Did this Inquisition of the 13th century strike fear into the people of western Europe? No. Its scope was limited; its trials and punishments more lenient to the accused than were those of its secular counterparts. Inquisitional punishment was often no more than the sort of penance—charity, pilgrimage, mortification—that one might be given by a priest in a confessional.”   http://www.crisismagazine.com/november2002/feature6.htm

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | 2 Comments

Harry Potter’s Back!

July 22nd, 2007 by Administrator

 

 

Why Harry Potter Goes Awry - Zenit

harry potter alert

 

Reasonable Christian parents would not permit their children to read a series of enthralling books depicting likable young people involved in drug-dealing, or premarital sex, or torture. We would not give our children fiction in which a group of “good fornicators” struggled against a set of “bad fornicators.” Why, then, have we accepted a set of books which glamorize and normalize occult activity, even though it is every bit as deadly to the soul as sexual sin, if not more so? 

 For more Catholic views on “Harry”:

Catholic Educator’s Resource: Here are links to several articles.

Rome’s chief excorcist warns parents against Harry Potter

My personal view is:

Suppose there is a “NEW” discovery for space travel.

Everyone can now go to the Moon cheap. But, there is a controversy. A famed Rocket Scientist, an expert in his field says that the craft that carries everyone on this journey isn’t safe.

However, everyone you know is signing up to go. You want to go. You are like eveyone else, it is “new” and “everyone is doing it”.

But, you don’t want to take a chance with the safety of your family or your own. Your friends try to convince you that it safe by quoting experts of their own. There is even a local ‘car mechanic’ who checked the craft over and he says that it is fine. Eveyone knows him as a man of integrity, why would he say the craft isn’t safe if it was not?

I am going with the “expert” (in this case Fr. Gabriel Amorth – the leading Exorcist in Rome – an expert in the field in question), he says “that Satan is behind the works”.

My question to anyone who would take this kind of chance with their family’s Salvation is; “With so much good, safe, Christian reading available today, why would you read something that might take you & your family away from God?”

“Why?”

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | 4 Comments

Contempt for human life, acted on, is a Mortal Sin.

June 20th, 2007 by Administrator

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican on Tuesday issued a “Ten Commandments” for motorists to keep them on the road to salvation, warning drivers against the sins of road rage, abuse of alcohol or even simple rudeness.   http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070619/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_road_rage

I had a discussion with a friend of mine on the preceding article.

When I read the article I sent him a, little known, teaching from the Catechism of The Catholic Church (CCC), that speeding can be a mortal sin. http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm#II

2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

Here is what he sent me, in reply.

“BUT to drive recklessly is a mortal sin???   that is sick!   all my life i thought a mortal sin was an XTRTEMELY serious infraction like nothing short of murder. u know something that only the worst of the worst could ever possibly commit. But thanks to your quoting of the catlic chrch “rules” i feel “mortal” sins have been cheapened to the point of making them meaningless.  i mean to put murder, & rape in the same category as reckless driving and adultry is to me just ridiculous and further degrades the chrches credibility in my book.
sorry but i had to say it after u said it was a mortal sin…… all i asked was if ya think the popes driver always obeys the limit and not speaking of emergencies,”

This is what I have to say to anyone who may think as my friend does. When mankind holds the lives, health and welfare of other humans in contempt that is a “grave” – “mortal” (as the Bible puts it, 1 John 5:16-17; James 1:15), sin. If I through my own lack of respect for another person’s dignity and welfare, use that person’s body in a sinful contemptuous way then it is a Mortal Sin. If some one has a contemptuous attitude for those around him and drives recklessly so as to endanger their lives needlessly, then it is a Mortal Sin.

To take human life or to use human life with contempt is a “grave” offense against God!

To quote my friend again: “all my life i thought a mortal sin was an XTRTEMELY serious infraction like nothing short of murder”

Treating those around you as though they were nothing more then a rag to sop up the dirt on your garage floor, is an “extremely serious infraction”!

Here are some other statements from the CCC that may help to clarify God’s teaching.

2269 The fifth commandment forbids doing anything with the intention of indirectly bringing about a person’s death. The moral law prohibits exposing someone to mortal danger without grave reason, as well as refusing assistance to a person in danger.

Unintentional killing is not morally imputable. But one is not exonerated from grave offense if, without proportionate reasons, he has acted in a way that brings about someone’s death, even without the intention to do so.

For more on this subject: Highway to Heaven, DAVID GIBSON

The Light from The Son, hurt’s the eyes of those who wish to remain in Darkness!

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | 2 Comments

Evolution Fact or -”Scientific Theory”?

May 28th, 2007 by Administrator

In an effort to provide the “open-minded” with scientific proof of the prevarication of Evolution I provide the following links.“Public television producers are clearly at odds with overwhelming public sentiment in favor of hearing all scientific sides of the debate [on evolution],” said Chapman, a former Director of the US Census Bureau.” For more information click here… http://www.reviewevolution.com/press/pressRelease_100Scientists.php

For the “home page” of “Discovery Institute” click here.

http://www.reviewevolution.com/

—

Apparently there is more than one “Discovery Institute” dealing with the Evolution question.

http://www.discovery.org/

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From “This Rock” Catholic magazine.

“Theories, as followers of Ptolemy learned, may be true or false. They are provisional explanations based on observation and measurement, but they are distinct from incontrovertible truths.”

http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9703fea2.asp

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12 Quotes from Leading Evolutionists

http://www.creationism.org/articles/quotes.htm

—

Intelligent Design Network

http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/

—

“Dumbing down is not an answer either. The Georgia Department of Education—faced by 35 Georgia scientists arguing for the academic freedom to teach the controversy (of the 300 in the U.S.)—decided to remove all references to “evolution” in science textbooks, and replace the term with “biological changes over time.”"

http://www.christianity.ca/news/social-issues/2004/03.001.html

—

“Darwinism, Design and Public Education” – instead of hiding the controversy… teach it.

http://www.darwinismanddesign.com/index.php

—

ALL I AM SAYING; “IS GIVE TRUTH A CHANCE”.

I read the following in an article; “Evolution and Dissent“, By: David K. DeWolf
Boston Globe
June 11, 2007
“The debate is over” really means, “My mind is made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts.”

I thought it appropo.

 

Posted in Religion and Philosophy, evolution | No Comments

New museum says dinosaurs were on Noah’s Ark

May 27th, 2007 by Administrator

A ‘pet peeve’ of mine is the teaching of ‘evolution’ as fact when,

IN FACT

it has never been proven!

It has never been proven! Don’t get me wrong… I am not a ‘dyed in the wool’ creationist either, but I think it an abomination that so called ’scientists’ can teach as fact something that is only a theory, that being, “evolution”. Any realistic, honest person who has studied both sides knows that evolution has, not only, never been proven, but many leading evolutionists totally disagree with each other. Evolution is a theory that should be taught as such!I am speaking here of public education, of course. What is taught in a private school is up to the teaching staff of the school.

”$27 million museum near Cincinnati has drawn snickers from media…” click here.

[Opponents argue that children who see the exhibits will be confused when they learn in school that the universe is 14 billion years old rather than 6,000.”Teachers don’t deserve a student coming into class saying ‘Gee Mrs. Brown, I went to this fancy museum and it said you’re teaching me a lie,”‘ Dr. Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, told reporters before the museum opened.]

 

I actually like this part… teachers shouldn’t lie to the children!

 

It should be against the law for teachers at a public school to be able to say that the earth is 14 billion years old when they can’t prove it! I think there should be a public debate with qualified people presenting both Creationism and Evolutionism. Then people would see the truth! Which is that they are both ‘theories’ that can’t be proven. If either should be taught in public schools, they should both be taught or niether and then as theories. To be fair, there probably isn’t enough Evolutionists or Creationists that agree (with each other), to form 2 teams for opposing views. On the other hand I am ambivalent about the spending of $27 million to prove that Genesis happened they way it reads… as far as I know it didn’t.
 

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | 3 Comments

The Odd Saint? Dean Koontz

March 28th, 2007 by Administrator

It has been years for me since I stopped reading Dean Koontz and, for that matter, any horror novels, but I always liked the fact that he had some “Catholic” aspect in his books.

Here is a link to an article about his “Odd Thomas” series, that you might find interesting.

St. Odd?    TIM DRAKE

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | No Comments

Is Global Warming Real?

February 27th, 2007 by Administrator

 ”environmentalism-as-religion”

I just wanted to share some interesting information on Global Warming that many people might not know…

David Suzuki vs. Michael Crichton    BARBARA KAY

Posted in Politics, Religion and Philosophy | 1 Comment

The Passion of The Christ – Via Dolorosa

February 14th, 2007 by Administrator

The Passion of The Christ – Via Dolorosa

Clip from the movie by Mel Gibson, The Passion of The Christ accompanied by the music Via Dolorosa, very moving presentation.

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | No Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 12th, 2007 by Administrator

Valentine’s Day has become so commercialized, like Christmas, that it has lost most of its original meaning. Many are aware that it is a day that is all about “love”. But they believe it is a day that is all about sexual love. Which, although our sexuality can be expressed in love, many times it is not.

The love that Valentine’s Day is meant to express is “Christian Love”, “Perfect Love”. It is an expression of the “Royal Law” which Saint James speaks about it his Letter in the Bible, James 2:10.

Think about this…
If God is Love [1 Jn. 4:8, 16], as we know that He is, then our best “connection” to God is to live in Love. When we “live outside of Love” through sin, we disconnect ourselves from God… from Love! St. James is saying that when we sin and it “reaches maturity it gives birth to death” [James 1:15]. That “death” is our life, our “connection”, if you will, with God. Remember, God does not disconnect from us, it is us who disconnect ourselves from God by our “Free Will” decision to sin.

Posted in Religion and Philosophy | 2 Comments

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