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Some folks make a big miscalculation if they visit Bryce Canyon National Park. They seem to believe that if you've seen one hoodoo, you've seen them all. They may be in a hurry, and thus hit the one famous overlook, like Sunset View, or Inspiration Point, and head out to Ruby's for lunch, and then on to Zion. They miss out. There is a twenty mile long park road that has a dozen or more stops, and once you know what to expect, you can enjoy the sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious differences.
I mean, this is hardly memorable at all, right?
Here's what I am getting at...there are unique sections of the park that reveal differences in the degree of erosion that has eaten away at the edge of the plateau. The Silent City, in the most visited and most photographed part of the park, is a vast expanse of countless hoodoos, and there is no place quite like it in the world. But the formation of which it is made, the Claron Formation, is present over thousands of square miles in southern Utah. Why aren't there dozens of valleys out there just like this one?
It has to do with the degree to which erosion has reached the underlying Cretaceous layers. In the northern stretch of the park, around Fairyland View, headward erosion of the Paria River has only begun to attack the Claron, and essentially only the "tops" of the future hoodoos are sticking out.
Fairyland is colorful and beautiful, but it is mostly lacking in the tall hoodoos that characterize the Silent City in the central part of the park. The incision caused by the occasional flash floods just hasn't cut very far into the freshwater limestones of the Claron Formation. As time goes on, the gullies will become deeper and deeper, and the hoodoos will reach their zenith in height and relief.
In the diagram above, note how the deepest slot canyons have almost reached the underlying Cretaceous sediments. The sediments include weakly consolidated sandstone and siltstone that is easily eroded. Once the contact has been reached, the hoodoos will rapidly disappear. Until then, the scenery is spectacular! The Sunrise, Sunset, Bryce, and Inspiration viewpoints in the central part of Bryce Canyon National Park are truly incredible places to learn about hoodoos. The hikes into the depths of the slot canyons, especially Wall Street, are memorable.
The southernmost part of the park, at Yovimpa and Rainbow Points, represents the last stage in the disappearance of the hoodoos. The Claron Formation only makes up part of the cliff face, and only a few hoodoos are evident.
Most of the hoodoos may be gone from the valleys below, but Rainbow and Yovimpa Points are at the highest point in the park, and the view from each point covers thousands of square miles of plateau country, including the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and far off in the distance, the Kaibab Plateau and the Grand Canyon. On this recent trip, we could make out the snowy peaks of the Wasatch Front to the north, many miles away.
Bryce Canyon deserves a leisurely exploration. It's not a place to rush through...after all, if you disrespect the petrified beings of the Silent City, you might suffer a "hoodoo curse"!
Reference: http://33witches.blogspot.com
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This reading is done through the use of crystals as well as the burning of a chakra balancing candle and using the chakra tumbling stones to help balance out your chakra.
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Over on Mark Shea's blog today, we can read about a woman who insists she's a good Catholic...except that she's really into the spirit world and thinks witchcraft is cool (no word on whether she's also a liturgist, but I wouldn't be surprised).
Meanwhile, Larry D explores the reasons ex-Catholics give for leaving the Church, in a thoughtful post which considers all of our duties as lay Catholics to work harder against this phenomenon.
And from our own comment boxes in the rather lengthy comment thread below this post, you can read such gems as:
Part of what I love about the Church is how it has remained true to tradition in some things, but part of what I loathe about the Church is its utter inflexibility in others...
I have been Catholic for almost 20 years. I know how I feel at Mass on a personal level, and that is why I go. So I may be a "catholic, but"...but I daresay, there are a lot of us who would like to see some things grow and change within the church...
Jesus was a revolutionary and bucked the traditions of his day...
If everything was to remain the same, we would be in the same clothes, with the same morality of Jesus' time. We no longer have slaves, women can cut their hair and speak their minds. Yes, the Bible uses Wheat as a metaphor, but many metaphors are used that we don't take so literally...
In all my life as a Catholic, I have never been taught a catechism that even comes close to what you guys are preaching here. My children are following in a Catholic School, and I know that they have only very minimally discussed the Pope. I was never told I had to bow down to the Church's will no matter what, and I was never taught, nor are my children, that there is one way, or the highway (to Hell) as some of you suggest. I have been told by a priest that reconcilliation was not a necessary sacrament. I have also heard a priest say to not worry ourselves too much with the goings on in Rome. I have to say as well, that I cannot recall a homily ever discussing taking everything literally. I know the Catholic community in which I participate, and I don't know anyone who takes everything as seriously and as literally as some people on this blog...
One can't be a good Catholic, a devout Catholic, a Catholic in full communion with the Church unless one what believes what the Church teaches. This is true. One can only be a dissenting Catholic, a "cafeteria" Catholic, a "Catholic, but."...
I think that ricegirl's point... is that many "catholics" are just that...catholics with air quotes. I like being that kind of Catholic, because frankly, if I had been told at RCIA that it was all or nothing. I would've looked somewhere else. I don't recall any homily regarding following Rome. I know that some parishes do things more seriously than others. I would say my parish is middle of the road. So there is a LOT of inconsistency in the Church. How is this "allowed" to happen in the one and only church? You can't deny that if we took a poll of Catholics, VERY FEW would say, "Yes, I take EVERY last bit of the catechism to heart, and if I deviate from it, I am in sin and not truly Catholic". You'd lose lots of the women (and men) right off the bat for using artificial birth control...There are probably more, but these were the ones that stood out.
Show of hands, anybody: when is the last time you heard a homily on what it means to be Catholic? On the papacy? On what the Catechism has to say about the Church? On the sacraments (including matter and form)? On moral law or the precepts of the Church? On contraception, abortion, or any other serious issue?
I don't mean to pick on our priests, here. They get approximately five to seven minutes a week to tackle 40 years of horrendous catechesis, creeping relativism, a culture which thinks that to be good one must be nice and to be bad one will be judgmental, and a laity comprised of anywhere from thirty to sixty percent functional heretics (in terms of their actual understanding and acceptance of Church teaching). Above and beyond all of this, our priests today must deal with the inconvenient reality that from earliest infancy American Catholics are taught to worship one false god: the god of self. The only criteria for truth is, "Do I like this? Does it fulfill me personally?" and it is the standard by which all other truth is judged.
Thus, you can have people beside you in the pews at Mass who really don't believe a word of the Nicene Creed, for instance (and who are going to go ballistic when one of those words becomes "consubstantial" next year), and who are actually charming pagans instead of Christians because they think of Jesus as a not-divine but rather nice social justice sort of person-and yet these same people will insist that they are Catholics, really, because their only criteria for what the word "Catholic" means is their own highly personal definition.
And our priests, as I said, get five to seven minutes a week in which to address any of this. Which is not nearly enough time-but wouldn't it be nice if this time were actually used for this purpose?
I mean, during my life as a Catholic I've heard countless homilies on our Christian duty to love each other, as in be nice and kind and caring and forgiving to each other. I've also heard countless homilies on how important it is to have a close, intimate, personal relationship with Jesus. In terms of putting the focus on Christ's call to love God and love our neighbor, then, these homilies haven't been all bad.
But like many adult Catholics, I can probably count on one decade of the rosary the number of times in the last ten or fifteen years I've heard homilies about serious moral issues, Catholic teaching on the Church, the papacy, and so forth, or our duty as Catholics to assent to Church teachings. Actually, let me take that back-one pastor of mine probably filled a whole decade by himself each year I was privileged to attend his Masses; but that's one pastor out of a great many. The "Get to know Jesus and be nice to everybody!" homily has been the standard fare.
There's a lot that needs to be done, if the Church in America is going to reach out to those Catholics who are only Catholics by their own lax definition of the word. The laity have an important role to play, too. But if our priests would lead the way by using that five-to-seven minute Sunday homily to address key aspects of Church teaching, pressing issues of morality and virtue, and other topics of similar importance, I think it would help. As the one commenter I quoted above said, "I don't recall any homily regarding following Rome." What would it mean to her and to many others, I wonder, if we all had heard many such homilies?
Origin: http://witchcraftforall.blogspot.com
Aya Responds to God's Purpose for Her Life
"God Has a Purpose for Me" is a uplifting story with a captivating message for children ages four through seven. LaRonda Koffi's creative narrative and Victor Guiza's beautiful colorful illustrations draw the young reader to respond to this enchanting story.
Victor's pictures reflect joy and excitement that endear the Aya and her friends to the reader. While attending the worship service in her church Aya became enthralled with the thought of fulfilling God's purpose for her life.
As she considers what it might mean she tries to put into action her understanding of fulfilling God's purpose, by making Him happy. She puts on her Mom's Sunday worship clothes thinking this might make God happy. Later she discovered a drum and some bells. As she marched with the drum and belles she sang and danced to make a joyful noise in an attempt to make God happy. She soon became tired from her efforts. Later in the evening she found the best way to make God happy as she listened to her father. She began to understand the secret of God's purpose for her life.
She learned how to please God in school, at home, with friends and in church in youth choir and in everything she did to glorify Him.
This is an excellent read aloud story book for younger children and a challenging and exciting primer for the early reader. "God Has a Purpose for Me" is a delightful book which encourages family relationships and spiritual development in the young child.
Children's
Source:: http://new-generation-witch.blogspot.com
Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence by God. How, then, was He manifested to the world? A star shone forth in heaven above all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light was exceedingly great above them all. And there was agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came, so unlike to everything else [in the heavens]. Hence every kind of magic was destroyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was removed, and the old kingdom abolished, God Himself being manifested in human form for the renewal of eternal life. And now that took a beginning which had been prepared by God. Henceforth all things were in a state of tumult, because He meditated the abolition of death.
- St. Ignatius of Antioch ("Letter to the Ephesians")
We have, then, now stated in part, as far as it was possible, and as ourselves had been able to understand, the reason of His bodily appearing; that it was in the power of none other to turn the corruptible to incorruption, except the Savior Himself, that had at the beginning also made all things out of nought and that none other could create anew the likeness of God's image for men, save the Image of the Father; and that none other could render the mortal immortal, save our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Very Life; and that none other could teach men of the Father, and destroy the worship of idols, save the Word, that orders all things and is alone the true Only-begotten Son of the Father.
- St. Athanasius of Alexandria ("On the Incarnation of the Word")
The reasons why Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world are these: 1. The love of God for the human race: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). 2. The restoration in fallen humanity of the image and likeness of God, as the holy Church celebrates it: "Man who, being made in the image of God, had become corrupt through sin, and was full of vileness, and had fallen away from the better life Divine, doth the wise Creator restore anew" (First Canon of Matins for the Nativity of Christ). 3. The salvation of men's souls: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). And so we, in conformance with the purposes of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, should spend our life in accordance with this Divine teaching, so that through it we may obtain the salvation of our souls.
- St. Seraphim of Sarov ("The Reasons Why Jesus Christ Came into the World")
PRAYER TO THE LORD WHO WAS BORN
By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite
Jesus, Son of the Father without mother according to divinity, I glorify You the eternal Who is above every entreaty and word.
Jesus, Son of a Mother without father according to humanity, I glorify You Who became man for us.
Jesus, Emmanuel unchanged, for You are the Angel-bearer of the great message of salvation, I thank You for Your great love for man.
Jesus, spotless Lamb of God, I ever confess You, for I am the lost sheep.
Jesus, most-compassionate Comforter, make the grace of your Spirit to work within me.
Jesus, new Adam, take from me the old man, and establish in me the new.
Jesus, You Who descended to earth, make me worthy to have my habitation in the heavens.
Jesus, You Who took on human nature, make me a partaker in the grace of theosis.
Jesus, my breath, come to visit me.
Source: http://magick-keys.blogspot.com
Present-day fringe theorists often cite the case of Galileo (1564-1642) as proof that they're right and the authorities are wrong. It's true that Galileo was constantly in conflict with the intellectual establishment of his time, and that history has proved him to be on the winning side on all the big issues. The Earth really does move around the Sun, and heavy objects really do fall at the same rate as light ones. But is Galileo really such a good role model? Unlike the armchair scientists and internet cranks of today, Galileo didn't always get it right.
To start with, it's worth dispelling a couple of tenacious myths about Galileo. The first myth is that he set out to disprove the Bible. In fact, it's clear from his Selected Writings" that he had no problems at all with the Bible: "Holy Scripture can never lie or be in error... nonetheless some of its interpreters or expositors can. All of Galileo's arguments are aimed not at the Bible but at the Greek philosopher Aristotle-who was held by the Church to be second only to the Bible in authority.
Galileo used the Biblical story of Joshua, where God caused the Sun to stand still in order to lengthen the day, as evidence that the Aristotelian earth-centred model is wrong, and the Copernican sun-centred model is correct: "This passage of scripture clearly demonstrates the impossibility of the Aristotelian and Ptolemaic world system, and on the contrary fits perfectly well with the system of Copernicus. Galileo argues (correctly) that making the Sun stand still in the Aristotelian view would actually shorten the day, not lengthen it (since the length of the day is set by the "Primum Mobile", and the Sun moves backwards relative to this). What you actually need to do is freeze up the whole Solar System. Galileo had observed the Sun to rotate on its own axis, and believed (wrongly) that this rotation was the source of all the motion in the Solar System-hence he argued it was this rotation that God halted in the story of Joshua.
Another myth-conception is that the Church prohibited Galileo from writing about the Sun-centred theory, and that his 'crime' was to defy this prohibition. Actually, the Church "encouraged "him to write about the theory... as long as he ended up debunking it, or at least showing that the truth couldn't be proved one way or the other. What he was prohibited from doing was offering any concrete proof that Copernicus was right and Aristotle was wrong. But that's what he did, and that's what got him into trouble.
The hilarious thing (and now I'm finally getting to the point of the article) is that Galileo's proof was rubbish. At the time, no-one knew what caused sea tides-Galileo's fellow Copernican Kepler believed they were due to the influence of the Moon, but Galileo dismissed this as mystical mumbo-jumbo ("Of all the great men who have speculated on this marvellous effect of nature, the one who most astonishes me is Kepler... he had grasped the motions attributed to the Earth, and yet he still listened and assented to the notion of the Moon's influence on the water, and occult properties, and similar childish ideas.") Galileo was convinced the tides were a direct result of the Earth's motion, in the same way water sloshes around in a vase when you move it. But Galileo was wrong about this... and he was wrong about the Moon having nothing to do with the tides!
You might think that, having upset the Irish nation last week by suggesting that St Patrick was British, I've now lurched on Boris Johnson style to insult the Italians-by pointing out the single occasion on which Galileo made a mistake. But it's worse than that... he made another mistake as well! Galileo believed that orbits had to be perfectly circular (again, this was a disagreement with Kepler). This created a problem in the case of comets, which are on manifestly non-circular orbits. Galileo's solution was to dismiss comets as not really existing at all-merely an illusion caused by the Sun reflecting off the upper layers of the atmosphere!
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It's been awhile since we published a Rapture
The impetus for such a special report was due to the fact there still remains a significant portion of people within the Body of Christ who don't give eschatology a single thought even though Jesus Christ's Second Coming is written about almost twice as much as His First, and even though roughly a third of the entire Bible is prophetic in nature.
Of course, these are the only reasons why Christians need to be familiar with what God's Word has to say about the future, but they are the two that always immediately come to mind.
I thought about all of that today when I caught wind of a pretty well-known Christian Apologist who indirectly revealed to the world that he simply hasn't studied Bible prophecy as evidenced by his recent comments regarding the Rapture.
Now, this was NO MERE DISAGREEMENT OVER ITS "TIMING", but A FLAT OUT ADMISSION THAT HE BELIEVES THAT THERE IS "NO SUCH THING" AS THE RAPTURE! I'll defer to Alan Kurschner who recently documented this incident for us on his Biblical Prophecy blog.
"THERE'S NO RAPTURE" - GREG KOUKL
"Gregory Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio talk show host, and founder of STAND TO REASON, a solid apologetics ministry that I recommend. At 43:45 into his radio program on 4-2-12, a caller called into this show who apparently switched from being pretrib to posttrib (and supposedly Koukl is posttrib as well). The caller mentioned the point that pretribs reject the posttrib position namely because pretribs believe that Matthew 24 is for Jews, not the church (the caller is correct). There was silence on the other end for a moment, then Koukl said he has never heard of such an argument from pretribulationists. At this point, I was like, "what? you're kidding me." Anyone remotely familiar with the debate between pretrib and posttribs (and prewrath) understand that this is one of the most significant issues in the debate. So I was thinking that perhaps Koukl has just never actually studied the debate. Then the next thing he said only confirmed for me that eschatology is certainly something he has not studied, at least on the rapture issue. He said: "
There's no rapture.
He followed this up with saying that Paul only teaches a resurrection not a rapture. At this point, I wondered how he could get around 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which explicitly mentions the rapture: "THEN WE WHO ARE ALIVE, WHO ARE LEFT, WILL BE SUDDENLY CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. AND SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD" (1 Thess 4:17). I kept on listening for him to mention this verse, and listened, and listened. Koukl repeatedly mentioned "1 Thessalonians 4' but never this verse. After a couple more comments he finished with his caller and cut to commercial.
I want to make a few comments.
This is not the first time I have heard seasoned Christians assert, "There is no mention of a rapture in the Bible." Honestly, I do not know how Koukl can miss it. But others who have made this assertion do so for the purpose of getting as far away from pretribulationism as possible, as if: the rapture = pretribulationism. In doing so they unfortunately throw out the baby (the rapture) with the bathwater (pretribulationism).
There are two biblical reasons the Bible teaches a rapture, an explicit and implicit reason. First the explicit, as I cited above:
"Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thess 4:17).
What part of "WILL BE SUDDENLY CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR" does Mr. Koukl not understand? You do not have to know Greek to see what the English is clearly saying: We are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Certainly this is not missing from Koukl's Bible.
The implicit reason for the rapture is shown in three passages that teach when Christ returns he will then bring us to heaven before the Father's presence. It logically follows we must be raptured from the earth before we are brought before the presence of the Father:
"SINCE WE HAVE THE SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH ACCORDING TO WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN, "I BELIEVED, AND SO I SPOKE," WE ALSO BELIEVE, AND SO WE ALSO SPEAK, (14) KNOWING THAT HE WHO RAISED THE LORD JESUS WILL RAISE US ALSO WITH JESUS AND BRING US WITH YOU INTO HIS PRESENCE." -2 COR 4:13-14
"IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again AND WILL TAKE YOU TO MYSELF, THAT WHERE I AM YOU MAY BE ALSO." -JOHN 14:2-3
"Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" (14) I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (15) "For this reason, THEY ARE BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them." -REV 7:13-15
"One final point, it sounded as if Koukl was saying if you believe in the resurrection you cannot believe in the rapture, or vice versa. What he fails to see is that Paul teaches the resurrection will happen first, then both groups, the alive in Christ and the dead in Christ will be caught up (raptured) together at the same time (1 Thess 4:15-17). "
Kurschner's absolutely right to call out Mr. Koukl's ignorance on this subject. I just pray that he receives the message somehow, appreciates it (2 Timothy 3:16), and that the Lord opens his mind to the truth.
The fact that there is a literal Rapture event is certainly Biblical even if its actual timing is regularly open to debate and discussion.
Continue to encourage the brethren in your life who ignore Bible prophecy to reconsider their stance on the subject and pray for the Lord to give them a desire to watch for His return.
Keep looking up!
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Reference: http://healing-magic.blogspot.com
"Life is not tried it is merely survived, If you're standing outside the fire"." -Garth Brooks
"Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames." -Rumi
Theoretically, I do love people, all people. It is the practicality where I sometimes struggle. It's easy to visualize love raining down on everyone, when I sit in my living room, or lie in my bed. It is another story when I walk into Service Ontario and find myself to be 35th person in line. This is a bit more challenging. Call me crazy, but crowds of hot, disgruntled people make me feel overstimulated and icky.
Life has taught me to surrender, that the only thing that I have any control over is my reactions and attitudes. I am powerless over how life decides to unfold. At one time, finding myself at the end of that line would have sent me right around the bend. I would have tried to cope with my anxious feelings by being angry because for many of us, anger feels safer and is somehow more socially acceptable than fear/anxiety at our powerlessness. I would have spent the time in line seething over the fact that I shouldn't even have to be there if my stickers had come in the mail like they were supposed to. I would have reinforced the story that I am too busy and too important to have to stand in a line like that by repeating it to myself and to anyone else who wanted to hear it (and even some that didn't want to hear it), as I waited. If I was cranky that day, I might have hung onto it as a great excuse for being miserable for the rest of the afternoon. Instead, I made a decision to remain present and open. I stuck my earbuds in and put on some Bob Marley to give me some positive ju ju. I then looked around at the other people, while I made a conscious effort to stay open to whatever emotion that they displayed without judging them for it. Even though there were some people who were far more likable than others, I tried to send a blessing to each of them. In order to practice inclusion, I have been working toward sending positivity to those that I feel aversion to as well as those that I like. By reframing the experience (choosing my attitude about it), I found that the line moved pretty quickly, my teller was friendly and helpful, and I was out of there before I knew it and ready enjoy the rest of my day.
When hearing of a shooting spree or a bombing, I have always prayed for the victims of the tragedy, and for their families. A few years ago, I started praying for the parents of the perpetrators too. Lately, I have begun working on trying to find some compassion for the killers themselves. I am only able to accomplish this in the theoretical, but if I continue to grow, I hope to eventually become compassionate enough to embrace those who stand past the fringe, the ones who stand outside of the circle of humanity. Ironically, as we are able to develop compassion for those people on the outside of the circle, we progress closer to the center of it.
I am learning that for me, this path of growth is more about letting go of conditioning that blocks my ability to see clearly, than it is about attaining higher knowledge and meaning. It becomes more about releasing preconceived notions, than it is about attaining something new. When I stumble upon a Truth, and think, "Of course!" it feels more like I have remembered something that I always knew but I just couldn't see clearly yet. It is that moment when the theoretical meets practical and what is gained is experiential knowledge.
I feel that we grow and evolve as human beings, and as spirit, in concentric rings that move closer to the center of ourselves and closer to the center of humanity as we progress. The center is where people are able to remain open to all others, under all conditions. This is where the prophets like Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha are, and that we each are evolving toward. The center is the creative field that Rumi refers to, the Source. There are many Gods that belong to many faiths, but WICCANs believe that All Gods Are One. The closer that we get to The Source, the more Unity that we experience. It is pure, primordial energy, and where the fire of creation is. It takes wisdom, faith, stamina, and determination to get back to knowledge. It is where we all started and where we will all end up again, as we continue in our eternal journey. The Gnostics call this the Godhead, where we were each once spit out as individual sparks with the sole purpose of gathering practical experience before returning and rejoining containing the knowledge and experiences that we have gathered on our quests to return home.
Practical knowledge as opposed to theoretical, is experienced. It is the knowledge of the mother Goddess, feminine, creation, love. By containing this knowledge and returning to pure theory, father, wisdom, we (who are verb,action, experience) merge the masculine and the feminine to complete the circle. It takes limitless love, compassion, and acceptance to get there. That is why we are able to learn and grow and evolve toward this at our own pace. Individually and collectively, we progress through different stages of development toward awakening. We do have a choice about how quickly or slowly that we progress toward this center. We can always arrest our development, and refuse to grow any further, at any moment. This is what happens when we dig in our heels about something and choose to remain stuck. Sometimes it is what happens when we become impatient with God's plan for us and are chomping at the bit to change too much too soon. Insisting upon movement when the Universe asks for stillness creates delays just the same. It is unwillingness to surrender to what is. When we see ourselves as separate, small and victimized, we move away from center. We master these lessons throughout our lives as we work our way through our challenges and issues. Think about some of the situations that you experienced as a youngster that caused you so much pain, yet they seem so insignificant and silly now. Each time that we master a lesson or learn a truth, we become more powerful and gain confidence in our ability to endure, survive, and to thrive. Some people decide that they have done enough growing in this life and choose to dally behind in the depression of inertia. To opt out or live on autopilot, because it is easier, always leads to suffering. We can resist, but eventually we all tire of the suffering and will decide to wake up.
When we stop resisting and move toward our centers, we allow life to unfold without too much interference and all of the experiences and opportunities for us to learn whatever we need appear. We all learn life lessons and make mistakes as we progress on our journeys, but none so big as to compete with the stagnation that happens when we refuse to open ourselves to new experiences, people, ideas, and concepts. I believe that we open ourselves in layers (fractals). While we each approach center with each issue that we encounter and master, we simultaneously do the same in the bigger picture throughout our life (impacting situations around us), while doing it throughout a series of lifetimes (impacting the collective conscious). I think that this is why the pictograph for life is a spiral and since what happens in one, happens in the whole. Each time that any of us masters a life lesson, (which really boils down to choosing Love or not) the rest of us move a little closer to center too.
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"From
The Black Tulip Conundrum (Kindl
The Black Tulip Conundrum (Kindle Edition)
By Max Wyman
Buy new: 2.99
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First tagged "conspiracy" by Serge Diaghilev
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Of all the tools of the Craft, the broom is probably the most well known. For better or for worse, it has been the image of Wicca and Witchcraft for generations. The picture of a powerful Witch riding through the air, though far from accurate, is something almost every has seen before. But the true nature of the broom in Wicca is more complex.
The broom, in one form or another, has been in use magickally and mundanely for thousands of years. In ancient times, it was used during ritual as women would straddle a broom and jump, showing the crops how high they should grow. Today it is used primarily for cleansing, and the broom is still found in most households today. However, it also has more symbolic purpose.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE BROOM
Typically, the broom is thought of as a masculine tool due to its phallic nature. However, it may also be considered a balanced tool. The handle (or stave) is certainly phallic, and so is masculine. The bristles, on the other hand, receive the stave much as the female receives the male. In this way, the broom can be said to embody both the male and the female.
RITUAL USES OF THE BROOM
The broom can be used for a variety of purposes. It can serve as a decoration, especially in the winter month. More commonly, Wiccans will use the broom to cleanse a ritual area. This is done by sweeping your ritual space, often the Magick Circle itself, in a clockwise motion, visualizing the negative energy leaving the Circle. Some Wiccans will chant as they do this, perhaps saying something like: "As I gently sweep this place, I cast out negativity from this space"." It doesn't have to be complicated.
Brooms are also laid across the entrance to a coven circle or hung on doors for protection. They can also be used during a wedding, in some traditions. In this case, the broom is laid before the newly-wedded couple, who proceed to 'Jump the Broom' to seal their commitment to each other.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BROOM
The traditional broom of the Witch is a besom, a broom that is rounded instead of flat. These are very easy to make at home. First you'll need a stave, traditionally made of ash. However, you may use any wood you choose. You'll also need twigs, straw, or herbs for the bristles. If you are making a traditional besom, you'll want birch twigs for your bristles, but really you can use anything that works for you.
The twigs should be gathered to the stave and tied together tightly. You can use rope or twine or even a leather thong to bind to the twigs. Keep the bristles as even as possible, and bind them only tight enough to secure them to the stave. If you bind them too tightly, they could break.
The broom is a common tool of Wiccan practice. Though surrounded by much myth and legend, the modern use of the broom is for ceremonial cleansing and protection.
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Lk 4:16-30 HE PASSED THROUGH THE MIDST OF THEM
"(Click here for reading)"
Jesus went back to his hometown and entered the synagogue. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage from the prophet Isaiah where it is written:
"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. "He sent me to proclaim liberty (release) from the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."
The words of the prophet Isaiah take up the language of the Book of Leviticus regarding the jubilee year. A jubilee was celebrated every 50 years in Israel. It marked the cancellation of all debts and mandated that property and slaves be returned to their original family owners. Isaiah foresees this jubilee celebration into the future when God will come to release Israel from its slavery (idols) and debt (guilt). The Lord follows Isaiah's spirit when he announces the greatest liberation of all: from sin. The word "release" means "forgiveness."
On March 18th, 2007 Pope Benedict visited the Roman juvenile detention center Casal del Marmo. He celebrated Mass with the youth and afterwards met with them in the center's gymnasium. At the beginning of the audience, the director of the center told the Pope: "Since we learned that you would come, something extraordinary has happened: Smiles have invaded the detention center. Everyone laughs; everyone works. They were all asking me, "What can I do for the Pope? One young man spoke on behalf of all the detainees: "Dear Holy Father, your visit has brought us a lot of joy. When we learned that you would come, we were all in shock. We couldn't imagine that someone as important as you would come to visit us. We are sorry for having made so many mistakes. You are a role model and our greatest desire right now is for your blessing. (Zenit, March 18th, 2007)
The two greatest blessings the Lord gives to man are his love (his presence) and his forgiveness. With Christ's incarnation, the Lord inaugurates a new year, a new beginning. "Now" is an acceptable time to return to the Lord. "Now" is a time to ask for forgiveness. The Lord is present in our midst. We cannot kill him, nor can we detain him. "They led him to the brow of the hill, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away." We are truly like mischievous children who do not wish to be taken by the hand and led. We prefer to lead God. Where? To the edge of the cliff to get rid of him. Do I believe that I can be happy without the Lord? That as soon as I can get rid of him, I will be free at last? Of course not! Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this meditation. And yet, reality is honesty. When we sin, we push Christ over the cliff!
Do I realize that happiness is the union between two realities: My duties and my freedom. My duties tell me what I should do. My freedom speaks to me about the things I want. When the two voices are one, when what I should do is the same as what I want, then there is true happiness. "Lord, I love your commands. (Ps 119:97)
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Truth The spirit of his mouth, The breath of his lipsThe breath of his lips, the Word of God, and The Spirit of Truth. The wisdom and understanding. The brightness of his coming and the light to the gentiles
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:9 "Even him", whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.ISAIAH 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.HOSEA 6:4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness "is" as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. 5Therefore have I hewed "them" by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments "are as" the light "that" goeth forth.
REVELATION 11:3 And I will give "power" unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred "and" threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies "shall lie" in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
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"I'm one with the Goddess
and open to Her Wisdom."
15th Day of the 5th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Gaia
Lunar Tree Cycle of Saille/Willow
5th Day of the Celtic Tree
Month of Hauth/Hawthorn
15th Day of the Cycle of Mab -
Days of Faeries
Moon Phase: Full - 7:08AM EDST
Moon sets: 5:52AM EDST
Moon rises: 9:13PM EDST
Moon in Scorpio v/c 7:08AM EDST
Moon enters the Mutable Fire
Sign of Sagittarius at 1:23PM EDST
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: Your heart's desire. ]
Sun in Taurus
Sunrise: 6:02AM EDST
Sunset: 8:30PM EDST
Solar Question for the Day: "What
challenges are on the horizon?"
Beltane (Calan Mai) Quarter
of the Year
May 17th, 2011
FULL MOON - The Full Moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Astrologically the Sun and Moon are in
"opposition "(ie., opposite each other in the sky and in opposite signs of the zodiac). She is visible all night long from moonrise to moonset. She opens and blossoms during the Full Moon into the FLOWER, with the desire to share her beauty with others. Keywords for the full moon phase are: fulfillment, illumination, realization and experience. It is the time in a lunar cycle that you given a clear view so that you can make adjustments to put you back on track to manifesting the goals you at the new moon. Go to a public place. Do something with a friend. LISTEN. Receive awareness. Understand others. Those who were born during a Full Moon phase enjoy companionship and partnership and desire to merge deeply. Fulfillment and illumuination are their goals.
MOON IN SAGITTARIUS - The Moon in Sagittarius gets us moving; it brings cheerful impatience and refreshing honesty. We need wide open minds, souls, and attitudes, but can't sit still. This the time to get honest, forgive, dance, hike, explore and connect to the natural world. A Sagittarius transit brings out our inner-Artemis; we need to roam, to explore in body and in soul. Our curiosity intensifies. Check out untraveled territory and connect with the organic world. Have a long talk with the animals in your garden. Work the soil but hold off the planting. The restless, enthusiastic Sagittarius loves adventure, change, and motion. The moon in this sign is a time for philosophy, metaphysics, travelling, studying, and freedom from responsibility. Sagittarius brings the need to feel free, of restrictions, and to be spontaneous. Her restless and independent nature wishes to explore and warm and friendly vibes make it a good time for seeing new places, encountering different people and relating to a changing environment. There is a tendency towards open, honest exchanges. Sagittarius also brings an interest in philosophy, education, ethics, women's culture and seeing things from an idealistic viewpoint. Moon in Sagittarius is the best time to work magick for publications, legal matters, travel, and truth. Healing rituals for ailments of the liver, thighs or hips are also done at this time. Those born under a Sagittarius moon sign are funny, restless, freedom-loving, and direct; they are a natural global citizen but need also to look for answers at home. They accept the wild in all sentient beings.
TIU'S DAY - Mar's Day - the Day of Activity and Physicality, Passion and Desire...there are Major magical energies for seeking Independence.
"Earth, Air, Fire and Water "A Witch thrives as Freedom's daughter. "Esbat Blessings bring to thee "the prize, the grail. Be wild, Be free. From Season of the Witch datebook
Origin: http://masonsofheaven.blogspot.com
Along some of Alaska's coast, the rocks are covered with petroglyphs of men and whales. These were carved by shaman whalers as part of the rituals whereby they gained the secrets of the sea and offered thanks for its bounty.
Among the Alutiiq people, shaman harpooners who lived apart from the tribe dominated whaling:
"Whalers were essentially loner shamans," explains Harvard-educated archaeologist Sven Haakanson, himself an Alutiiq person and lifelong Kodiak resident with deep appreciation for the artistry of the glyphs. "They were solitary, considered very spiritual. They worked alone, except perhaps when training an apprentice, and were probably a bit feared, because of the power and knowledge they had."
Part of their special status came from the unique hunting practices they developed. Alutiiq whalers used lances tipped with sharp stone points coated with poison to take their prey. To keep the poison-derived from plants that still grow on Kodiak-from washing off in the sea, a strong adhesive was needed, namely fat. Sven says this need was behind the Alutiiq practice of mummifying gifted hunters following their deaths. "A whaler needed the fat of a powerful dead person, not just anyone, because they believed incorporating the spiritual essence of that person into their hunting gear enhanced its power. So if you were a great hunter, you were honored by being mummified."
The shaman-whalers used fat harvested from these mummies to coat their spear tips and enhance their chances of success.
It was dangerous work, according to Sven. "If you cut yourself while readying your lance and the poison got in there, it would kill you in about a minute." Chasing a whale across the bay, alone, in a single-man boat was no picnic either. With luck, a hunter would strike the whale in the fluke or tail, delivering the poison which began to do its work. Then the whaler would lay a long line of mummy fat across the mouth of the bay, to create a spiritual barrier that kept the whale from fleeing to open ocean.
Next, the shaman-hunter would return to shore for a fast of three days, the time it usually took for a paralyzed whale to drown, surface and be brought in on the currents.
Origin: http://wiccalessons.blogspot.com
This talented Tuesday is brought to you by Samhain's Sirens Blog Project and Giveaway.
Over the last few months I've found some wonderful new friends. And some pretty talented ones. For Talented Tuesday I've decided to introduce Saga's Cottage to you. Loren Morris is an amazing artist and an all around great person.
As many of you know I'm a follower of Hecate. I've found some amazing stuff in Loren's shop. Here are a few examples.
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AAAS on the compatibility of science and religion - a perfect representation of Gould's non-overlapping magestaria (NOMA) (tip from Framing Science). Yes, when pushed this view gets into trouble (as Francis Collins in this clip talking about God answering personal prayers). But the question is, who is the audience?
This video would work for those who are religious and science-friendly and may provide them with a justification for supporting (and doing) science. On the other hand, many would have good reasons to point out that NOMA can be a slippery slope - and that these boundaries are overstepped all the time.
Thus, there may not be a single good approach to talking about science ">Chincoteague Island. At breakfast at the hotel, I overheard a conversation about the movie Expelled. A guy, probably in his 70's, was talking to a younger couple (seemed like his son and his wife). He liked the movie and was now reading Michael Behe's new book.
He was familiar with the fine-tuning argument (with explicit religious overtones) and also with the tenure case of Guillermo Gonzalez. However, what struck me was his interest and fascination with science. Too bad, he got suckered into ID-nonsense. But I was thinking, he would be the perfect audience for this AAAS video - well-educated, religious, and having a deep interest in science.
Yes, NOMA has serious problems - but we should also not cede this demographic to ID.
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by Gary A. Hand, www.ondoctrine.com
The WIDER MERCY DOCTRINE is not particularly new, having been a part of the peripheral, heretical teachings of the Christian church almost since its inception. What makes its appearance unique today, is the fact that it appears to be accepted and given doctrinal status by certain members of the historically orthodox faith.
DEFINITION OF "WIDER MERCY"
-
The "Wider Mercy Doctrine" is a belief that salvation can be obtained even when a person has not heard the gospel and does not know Jesus Christ. It is a belief that, somehow, God grants status to persons who are sincere in their religious beliefs, even if those beliefs are false. Therefore, a sincere Buddhist or Shintoist or any other religious adherent can obtain salvation, simply because they are sincere in their belief and desire to approach God.
This doctrine, in a slightly revised form, has been the main creed of Universalist belief for centuries. Universalism teaches that all religions are the same and that all beliefs are ultimately pointed toward the one true Deity. It does not matter which religion is accepted or practiced, they are simply different roads that ultimately lead to the same destination.
THE DOCTRINE IN PRACTICE
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On May 31, 1997, during an interview with Robert Schuller, Billy Graham made statements in a conversation that would indicate that he does not necessarily believe in the singular means by which salvation is granted and the relationship that salvation has to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the gospel that He has preached. The conversation below occurred between Billy Graham and Robert Schuller, who is the pastor of the "Crystal Cathedral" in Garden Grove, California and founder of the "Hour Of Power"television program.
DR. SCHULLER BEGINS BY SPEAKING TO BILLY GRAHAM:DR. SCHULLER: "Tell me, what is the future of Christianity?"DR. GRAHAM: "Well, Christianity and being a true believer, you know, I think there's the body of Christ which comes from all the Christian groups around the world, or outside the Christian groups. I think that everybody that loves Christ or knows Christ, whether they're conscious of it or not, they're members of the body of Christ. And I don't think that we're going to see a great sweeping revival that will turn the whole world to Christ at any time."WHAT GOD IS DOING TODAY IS CALLING PEOPLE OUT OF THE WORLD FOR HIS NAME. WHETHER THEY COME FROM THE MUSLIM WORLD, OR THE BUDDHIST WORLD, OR THE CHRISTIAN WORLD, OR THE NON-BELIEVING WORLD, THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN CALLED BY GOD. THEY MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF JESUS, BUT THEY KNOW IN THEIR HEARTS THEY NEED SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE AND THEY TURN TO THE ONLY LIGHT THEY HAVE AND I THINK THEY'RE SAVED AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE WITH US IN HEAVEN."DR. SCHULLER: "What I hear you saying is that it's possible for Jesus Christ to come into a human heart and soul and life even if they've been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you're saying?"DR. GRAHAM: "Yes it is because I believe that. I've met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, have never heard of Jesus but they've believed in their hearts that there is a God and they tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived."DR. SCHULLER: "This is fantastic. I'm so thrilled to hear you say that. There's a wideness in God's mercy."DR. GRAHAM: There is. There definitely is."It is not particularly surprising that Robert Schuller would agree to the "Wider Mercy Doctrine" since his definition of sin is, "...any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem." Given that theological slant, Robert Schuller is far away from any orthodox belief.
Dr. Graham makes several statements that simply cannot be reconciled with the message of salvation that he has preached his entire life. An inquiry directed toward the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association produced the following reply. The question of exactly why he made the statements that he did is not addressed, so the reader must determine for themselves if the reply answers the issues raised in the interview with Dr. Schuller.
Dear Gary:
Thank you for your email.
We appreciate your interest and concern about an interview with Mr. Graham that was conducted by Rev. Robert Schuller. Mr. Graham has faithfully and clearly preached the Gospel for over 50 years, and since the interview he has reaffirmed his belief in Christ as the only way of salvation: "In all our Crusades we place a prominent banner with Jesus' words, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' We put that verse there because people live in a confused world, with so many competing religious voices calling men and women to follow them. But Christ is distinctive and exclusive about the way to God. There can be no true Christianity apart from Him. While some of the ethics and idealism of other religions may run parallel to Christian teachings, the fact remains, as stated by Jesus Christ, 'No Man cometh unto the Father but by me' (John 14:6, KJV).
"Over the years I have met people with many religious and philosophical views. Many of them have had deep commitment to their beliefs. But I have become even more convinced of the uniqueness and the truth of Christ and His Gospel. And I want to continue preaching it as long as possible."
We trust that you will pray that Mr. Graham will always correctly interpret God's Word and be sensitive to the Spirit's leading in every situation.
Sincerely,
Jamie Andrews
Administrative Services Supervisor
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
DOCTRINAL ERRORS
-
False beliefs of the "Wider Mercy Doctrine":
1. TRUE BELIEVER
The true believer is identified as a person who comes from inside the Christian groups around the world OR OUTSIDE the Christian groups around the world. Of course, all believers at one time were outside the church or the body of Christ, but that is not what is being said. It is stated that a person can be a true believer within the church or outside the church, within the Christian world and outside of the Christian world - a person can be a believer and not claim the name of Jesus Christ and, in fact, might even be a person who denies Jesus Christ.
2. MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
Those that love and know Christ are members AND those that DON'T LOVE OR KNOW Christ are members equally in the true church. A person can be a member of the body of Christ and not even know it. He claims there is not going to be a sweeping world-wide revival, presumably because people in other religions are already part of the body of Christ and are going to heaven without the knowledge of the gospel, so they don't need to be evangelized.
What is the reasoning used for these assumptions?
1. God is calling a people for his name out of every nation in the world.
2. People are saved because they are called.
3. People are saved because they know that they need something in their life.
4. People are saved because they turn to the light that they have, EVEN IF THAT "LIGHT" IS A FALSE BELIEF.
5. People are saved because they realize a need and have tried to live a better life than the people around them.The reasons start very well, but quickly deteriorate into a litany of errors.
(1) God is calling out a people, as is noted in Revelation 5:9
(2) All people who are called are saved according to 1 Thessalonians 2:10-13.
The reasons now become increasingly distorted.
(3) The reality is that all people are not saved because of their perceived need...they are saved by the sovereign will of God. Many perceive a "need" but are not saved, and many believe they are saved when in fact they are not:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" Matthew 21-23 (NAS)
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:44 (NAS)There appear to be many people on the Day of Judgment who believed sincerely that they were saved, and even claimed to have worked miracles in the name of Jesus, but Jesus did not know them as His own and they were rejected by Him. Sincerity of belief does not seem to be one of the criteria for acceptance, if one does not believe the proper gospel.
(4) There is no "light" if the belief is false. All false belief is darkness.
"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" Galatians 1:6-8 (NAS)Apparently the Apostle Paul taught only one gospel...and it was "not" the "Wider Mercy Doctrine." If sincerity of belief is the criteria for acceptance with God, why was Paul so concerned with the purity of the doctrine that was being taught?
(5) People are not saved by their efforts or by a comparison to persons around themselves.
"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of god, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus form all eternity..." 2 Timothy 1:8-9 (NAS)Why preach salvation through Jesus Christ when a person can be saved by believing in any other religion in the world, justifying that belief as a turning to the only "light" that a person has? What is being said is that a person gets to heaven by sincerity. If one is "sincere" in their attempt to find light, then they will obtain heaven even if they sincerely believe a false doctrine.
What, then, is the point of the teaching in the New Testament, regarding the warnings against false teachers and false doctrine, if it does not matter if the doctrine is false...but only that the false doctrine is sincerely believed?
Those who accept the "Wider Mercy Doctrine" must ignore the teaching of Jesus Christ about those who are true believers. True believers are those who are like sheep, because they know the Shepherd and enter the fold by means of the door which is Christ. In addition, Jesus knows His own. By His own statement, Jesus Christ declares that any who attempt to enter the into the fold of the sheep without passing through the door, which is Jesus Christ, are thieves and robbers.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up
"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd." John 10:14-16 (NAS)It is abundantly clear from the words of Jesus Christ, that the hallmark of the Christian is that they must know, and do know, Jesus Christ. They cannot claim another shepherd and be considered part of the flock of Jesus Christ. Therefore, another religion or another gospel is not an acceptable substitute for a knowledge of and belief in Jesus Christ. To accept another gospel or another religion in place of Jesus Christ is to accept that which is a thief and a robber; that which claims the soul in a false belief and robs the individual of entrance into heaven.
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