"The Christianity of history is not Protestantism. If ever there were a safe truth it is this, and Protestantism has ever felt it so; to be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant." (-John Henry Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine).

"Where the bishop is, there let the people gather; just as where ever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church". -St. Ignatius of Antioch (ca 110 AD)a martyr later thrown to the lions, wrote to a church in Asia Minor. Antioch was also where the term "Christian" was first used.

“But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” 1 Timothy 3:15

"This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic." -CCC 811

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Why Do Muslims Behead People? by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Are the brutal beheadings done by ISIS fanatics connected with their religion?

Douglas Murray, writing here at the Spectator discusses the reluctance of any of the intelligentsia to discuss the reason for the barbarism of radical Muslims. Murray was on a BBC discussion program with a group of intellectuals who were debating the deteriorating situation in Iraq. Murray tried to make the point that there was a real link between the Islamic religion and violence.

I was once again struck – in a discussion in what remains a free country with a right of free speech – by the desperate efforts to not explore, indeed to shut down, discussion heading in one particular direction.

Myriam, as ever, remained insistent on the oft-repeated line that the bad guys are ‘misinterpreting’ Islam. But it was Lord Winston’s attempt to stop any linkage between the actions of groups like ISIS and the religion of Islam which struck me far more. Lord Winston is a scientist. In any other sphere he would be eager to follow a trail of thought, evidence, discovery and logic. But not here. ‘It’s not to do with Islam’ he scolded Ann Leslie and then me. ‘This is not a British problem and it’s not an Islamic problem either.’ True, it’s not only any one of those things. But it is partly those things, isn’t it?

Towards the end I made the point I keep trying to make – which is that although the radicals like the murderer of James Foley have what is obviously the worst interpretation of Islam, it is nevertheless a plausible interpretation.

Yes, yes, we all agree that the majority of Muslims are nice, kind people who don’t cut people’s heads off. However, Murray makes the point that the be-headings are warranted by Islamic Scriptures and by the example of the prophet Mohammed himself. He admits that the problem is complex, but at least part of the reason Muslim fanatics behead their enemies is because the Koran tells them to. Murray continues:

TO THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO de MANALO-1914: The Persecuted CHRISTIANS in Iraq are CATHOLICS-- not members of your fake church! That's the reason why you don't want to help them! SHAME ON YOU!!

... so where is your INC charities for the suffering Christians in Iraq? Where is your CHARITY DRIVE? I bet you will not donate a single cent because they are CATHOLICS!

Your Charity Drive Campaign is all HYPOCRISY!

EXCLUSIVE: Pope Calls Iraqi Priest to Express His Closeness to Persecuted Christians

ZENIT - Pope Francis has telephoned an Iraqi priest working in a refugee camp in the war-torn northern part of the country to express his closeness to persecuted Christians in the region, ZENIT has learned.

The Pope made the call after the priest, Father Behnam Benoka, sent a message to the Holy Father via the “Viber” messaging system. The message was sent to Rome-based journalist Alan Holdren who turned it into a letter and handed it to Pope Francis on the papal flight back from South Korea.

In the message, Father Behnam turns to the "Holy Father, our merciful shepherd" and writes: "My name is Behnam Benoka, priest of Bartella, a small Christian town near Mosul. I am vice-rector of the Catholic seminary in Ankawa. Today, however, I find myself in a tent that has been erected with a staff of doctors and volunteers who are giving medical care to our brothers fleeing persecution."

Father Behnam explained to the Pope the tragic situation faced by hundreds of thousands of Christians: "Your holiness,” he writes, “the situation of your sheep is miserable, they are dying and they are hungry. Your little ones are scared and cannot hide anymore. We priests and religious are few and fear not being able to meet the physical and mental needs of your and our children."

The priest does not fail to express gratitude to the Pope’s continued appeals to end the suffering of persecuted brothers and sisters in Iraq. "I would like to thank you so much – really thank you – because you always carry us in your heart, placing us on the altar where Mass is celebrated so that God erases our sins and has mercy on us, and hopefully take this cup away from us."

The letter continues by expressing concerns and asking for a blessing: "I am writing with tears, because here we are, in a dark valley in the middle of a large pack of ferocious wolves. Holiness, I'm afraid of losing your children, especially infants who are struggling every day and weaken more and more. I'm afraid that death will take some away. Send us your blessing so we have the strength to go on and maybe still resist. I love you, Behnam Benoka."

Francis' reply was not long in coming. A day after his return to Italy, precisely on the morning of 19 August, the Pope called Father Behnam to express how deeply moved he was by the letter. According to what he told us, the Pope expressed his gratitude for the volunteers at work in the refugee camps.

In the telephone conversation, the Pope also reiterated his full support and closeness to the persecuted Christians, promising that he will continue to do his utmost to help give relief to their suffering. Finally, he imparted his apostolic blessing asking the Lord for the gift of perseverance in the faith.

Woman in Yemen Burned to Death for Converting to Christianity, brother-in-law said to have sabotaged cooking oil bottle.

ISTANBUL (Morning Star News; thanks to JihadWatch for the link) – On the morning of June 9 in southern Yemen, Saeed woke to the sound of screaming. He shot out of bed, pushed panicked family members aside and saw his wife stumbling out of their kitchen, engulfed in flames.

His wife, Nazeera, had been preparing breakfast at about 9 a.m. when she poured liquid from a cooking oil bottle into a hot pan. The liquid flashed, and the bottle exploded. While her four children watched, screaming, Nazeera was being burned alive.

“I rushed out of the room,” Saeed (full name undisclosed for security reasons) told Morning Star News, weeping. “I couldn’t even speak to ask her what happened. All I could think about was putting the fire out and then getting her to the hospital. But my 16-year-old son, he couldn’t stop himself and held on to her, hugging her while she was burning. He got hurt, and I had to pull him away from her.”

About two weeks later, Nazeera, 33, died as a result of her burns. When Saeed returned to his home in a village (undisclosed for security reasons) after her death, a relative told him the unthinkable – members of both his family and hers had taken the vegetable oil out of the bottle and replaced it with gasoline. Saeed knew the reason – many years ago, the two had become Christians and refused to return to Islam.

After living in hiding in Yemen for several months, Saeed was able to flee to the relative safety of another country, he told Morning Star News.

Before the attack, Saeed and his wife had already decided to flee their families and the 99 percent Muslim country on the Arabian Peninsula. They got their travel papers two days before the sabotaged bottle exploded.

Medical Care

After doctors said there was nothing more they could do for Nazeera, friends of the couple were able to secure a room in a hospital in Egypt for further treatment. Nazeera died that day, before they could go.

Friday, August 29, 2014

SAGOT SA BALIK-ISLAM: Hesus, Hindi Diyos dahil Sumamba sa Diyos Ama? (John 4:22; John 20:17)

Mula sa SAGOT SA BALIK-ISLAM blog

HINDI MATUTULAN ng mga Muslim na si Hesus ay Diyos kaya PILIT silang NAGHAHANAP ng DAHILAN para TUTULAN ang PAGKA-DIYOS ng Kristo.

Isa sa IPINAGPIPILITAN NILA ay “Hindi Diyos si Hesus dahil may sinasamba Siya.” Ang tinutukoy nila ay ang PAGSAMBA ni Hesus sa Diyos Ama.

Ginagamit nila ang John 4:22 at John 20:17 para ipilit ang kanilang pagtutol.

Pero tama ba sila? Dahil ba sinamba ni Hesus ang Ama Niyang Diyos ay hindi na Siya Diyos?

NAGKAKAMALI ang Muslim.

Ang PAGSAMBA ni Hesus sa DIYOS AMA ay PAGKILALA sa pagka-DIYOS ng KANYANG AMA at PAGGALANG ng DIYOS ANAK sa DIYOS AMA.

Dapat lang KILALANIN at IGALANG ng ANAK ang Kanyang AMA. At HINDI NAWALAN ng pagka-DIYOS ang ANAK dahil ginawa Niya iyan.

Kung tayo ba ay KIKILALA at GAGALANG sa ating mga AMA ay NAWAWALA na rin ang ATING PAGIGING ANAK at PAGIGING TAO?

HINDI po.

+++

A. MALING UNAWA
NARITO ang sabi ng Muslim na si Nhordz G Diamal sa Facebook:
Sa kabila na maraming ebidensya na si hesus MAY SINASAMBA: ay ang mga kristyano ay walang tigil sa paghahalungkat ng biblia para lng maging Dios si hesus,, Trying hard maxado,, mapride, may maliwanag na ngang talata na may sinasamba si hesus abay gagawa pa rin ng paraan para maging dios si hesus,,

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Holy confessors and martyrs of Iraq, pray for us!

Simon Caldwell recently published an inspiring account of elderly Iraqi Christians in the village of Karamless. (See: Elderly Iraqi Christians defy terrorists, flee to camp H/T Transalpine Redemptorists) When the IS terrorists overran Karamless, on the night of 6-7 August, everyone fled except the elderly who were too weak to run.

The masked terrorists demanded that they convert or be killed by the sword. All of the elderly people said "we prefer to be killed rather than convert." In the event they were ordered to leave the village with only the clothes they were wearing.

This moving and inspiring story of courageous witness to Christ is redolent of the days of ancient Rome. Those who refused to deny their faith yet were not actually martyred yet were called "confessors" because of their stout confession of the faith. Penitents could go to them and ask for a note to say that the confessors had prayed for them; this note or "libellus pacis" could then be taken to the Bishop who could choose to remit all or part of a canonical penance, in view of the power of the prayers of the holy confessors.

There are also many in recent times who have actually been martyred in Iraq because they chose death rather than agree to renounce Christ. They are martyrs because without doubt they were killed propter odium fidei, "on account of hatred of the faith." I hope that a list is kept of their names, along with at least some evidence from witnesses, so that the sacrifice they have made is given due recognition in the life of the Church by their eventual canonisation, and so that people down the ages can remember their heroism and invoke their prayers.

Holy Martyrs and Confessors of Iraq, pray for us.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

ISLAM RELIGION and MUSLIM TERRORISTS!

Images taken from Muslim Statistics






Why MUSLIMS remain SILENT amidst Islamic Terrorists ISIS killing spree on Christians in Islamic States

Fr. Samir: "we have now reached the most ferocious brutality in the history of Islam"

Boys look at the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 1. One Anglican official said more than 1,500 people were killed in Iraq in late July in violence perpetrated by the Islamic State extremists. (CNS photo/Wissm al-Okili, Reuters)
"...we have now reached the most ferocious brutality in the history of Islam. Never before have we witnessed this degree of barbarity. The question is: Is this Islam? Or is it an aberration? Certainly it originates in the Islamic tradition. But on the other hand, we certainly cannot say that this is Islam. In other words, it is a derivative of Islam: they hope to bring about the “caliphate”, [as in] the famous period from the turn of the tenth century to the thirteenth, and this is a mistake. Many Muslims say so; I repeat: their great thinkers are opposed to it. The tragedy is that Muslims do not dare engage in self-criticism: in other words, the people silently go along with it. I don’t see [anyone saying] what even the Vatican Commission for interreligious dialogue says in the document that it issued on Tuesday, August 12: These things are unacceptable! It is the clearest document that I know of; it does not use diplomatic expressions; it is very balanced but strong. And it says: How long are you going to remain silent? Let the imams speak up! And not only the imams: the crowd, the Muslim people go into the public squares when there is a minor political “cause” involving others, against others; but when it is about Islamic questions, they may think that something is not right, but they do not go into the streets over that." -Egyptian Jesuit Father Samir Khalil Samir, a professor of the history of Arab culture and Islamology at Saint Joseph University in Beirut

Monday, August 25, 2014

JESUS CHRIST was and is NEVER a MUSLIM!


The Muslim Jesus?
From Facing Islam
In the post below, Robert Spencer ably refutes a sly article which seeks to assimilate Jesus Christ into the Islamic tradition. I'd like to augment Mr. Spencer's comments with a few of my own:

The main absurdity in the Philip Jenkins article (reproduced below following Mr. Spencer's comments) is that the author presents supposed sayings of Jesus taken from non-canonical Christian sources, mixed in with supposed sayings of Jesus taken from Islamic sources. Jenkins states:

This degree of similarity is amazing given the chronology. All the Christian examples date from the second or third centuries, none of the Muslim examples is recorded before the ninth century. Yet they breathe exactly the same atmosphere.

Actually, there is nothing amazing about such similarity at all. In a very real sense it is the comparison of fabrications and heresies in order to imply a link between Islam and the real Jesus. The non-canonical "Christian" texts are non-canonical for very good reasons. Yet the unwitting Jenkins appeals to their ancientness, dating them to the second and third centuries. That puts them anywhere from 100 to 250 years older than the Gospels in the New Testament, and rejected by the Christian Church as outside the Apostolic tradition. (Spencer has more to say on this below.)

Further, Jenkins and the Muslim author he is deriving his thesis from appeal to similarities between sayings of the Islamic Jesus and the Synoptic Gospels: "In perhaps 30 cases, the resemblances to the Synoptic gospels are overwhelming." .. continue reading here!

The Muslim Jesus?
From JihadWatch
Aleteia has published an extraordinarily irresponsible piece by Philip Jenkins, entitled “The Muslim Jesus.” Jenkins is the politically correct professor who has claimed to have found that “the Islamic scriptures in the Quran were actually far less bloody and less violent than those in the Bible.” In this new piece he claims that the Islamic tradition has preserved some sayings of Jesus that could be authentic — basing his argument on the fact that they sound rather like other sayings attributed to Jesus, particularly in their exhortation not to value this passing world. He produces six sayings to support this, three from Islamic tradition and three from Christian non-canonical sources, claiming that the impossibility of distinguishing them from each other supports the authenticity of the Islamic sayings.

This is, of course, palpably absurd. Otherworldly sayings can be found in all manner of non-Christian traditions. The fact that they’re otherworldly doesn’t mean that Jesus said them. What’s more, his own argument cuts against itself, for he says: “Such words would have been treasured by Eastern Christian monks and hermits, in lands like Syria and Mesopotamia. We also know that from earliest times, some Christian monks and clergy accepted Islam. The Koran reports how their eyes filled with tears, as they prayed, ‘We do believe; make us one, then, with all who bear witness to the truth!’” If such words were treasured by Eastern Christian monks and hermits, and only some but presumably not all Christian monks and clergy accepted Islam, why is there no trace of these sayings in Eastern Christian traditions? It just happened that all the Christians who had preserved these sayings converted to Islam?... continue reading here

Listen to JOSEPH an IMAM converted to CATHOLICISM!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

"...Most Terrorists are Muslims"

"...fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims..." by Abdel Rahman al-Rashed

Friday, August 22, 2014

Indonesian president says Islamic State 'embarrassing' Muslims-Yahoo!News

We are not sure if the views of Indonesia's President is shared by Muslims in the Middle East. Thanks to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his bold stand against Muslim Extremists now trying to divide the world.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono salutes during a
ceremony for the 69th Indonesian Independence day at the presidential
palace in Jakarta on August 17, 2014 -Source: AFP
Yahoo!News - The president of the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesia, on Thursday called the actions of Islamic State militants "embarrassing" to the religion and urged Islamic leaders to unite in tackling extremism.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the scale of the slaughter wrought by the extremists in overrunning large swathes of Iraq and Syria and the level of violence being used was appalling.

"It is shocking. It is becoming out of control," he said in an interview with The Australian, a day after IS released a video showing a masked militant beheading US reporter James Foley, provoking worldwide revulsion.

"We do not tolerate it, we forbid ISIS in Indonesia," he added, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as IS was formerly known.

"Indonesia is not an Islamic state. We respect all religions."

He urged international leaders to work together to combat radicalisation.

"This is a new wake-up call to international leaders all over the world, including Islamic leaders," he said, adding that the actions of IS were not only "embarrassing" to Islam but "humiliating", the newspaper reported.

The Iglesia ni Cristo: Who are they?

"However, it has been claimed that 'Iglesia' are really far more interested in attacking Roman Catholicism than in carefully outlining their own beliefs and are therefore parasitic in approach, feeding off, and expanding through, disgruntled Filippino Catholics. The Philippines, of course, are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic (84% of the population) and Iglesia's undoubtedly great success in poaching members from that organisation is why, in the opinion of many, they were very slow to spread outside that corner of Asia.

Through it's magazine, 'God's Message' (formerly Pasugo) 'Iglesia' appears to heavily rely on anti-Catholic scare tactics as support for it's own doctrines, which cannot stand up to a careful biblical scrutiny. When purely outlining their own teachings, many cult-watchers have noted contradiction and inconsistency.

"From 1922, Felix Manalo started to teach his 'God's last messenger' doctrine (applied, of course, to himself). This was at a time of dissent and schism within the group and it was how he again centralized all power to himself and sought to make his own theological spin authoritative. Apart from being fervently anti-Roman Catholic, the group also rejects all other denominations and Christian-related sects, believing that true Christianity can only exist within their own group." -UKApologetics

Tax-Payer's Money Used to Greet the INC 100th Foundation Anniversary

I share the views of Mr. Efren C. Carag who corageously pointed out the huge tax-payers money being used during the 100 Year Founding Anniversary of the INC of Manalo. This article was from Philippine Inquirer Online

On LGUs’ enviable recognition of INC
Nine pages of the July 27 issue of the Inquirer contained greetings to the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on its 100th founding anniversary, including one on full page from the Office of the Mayor of Manila! Wow! These were in addition to such greetings in the earlier issues of the Inquirer, including INC’s less than one-fourth-page acknowledgement of the greetings.

The Inquirer was not the only media outfit that ran or aired such greetings. Billboards and tarpaulin sheets printed with words of felicitations for the religious sect could be found in every available nook and cranny of Metro Manila and, of course, Bulacan, where the INC has built a multibillion-peso multipurpose complex. There must have been a lot more of these messages in the rest of the country. Nagkakandarapa ang mga tao na bumati sa INC. (People are scrambling to greet the INC.)

As a Catholic, I cannot but envy the importance accorded to the INC. I am now a septuagenarian and I do not recall the Catholic Church being the subject of recognition of such breadth and scale, let alone in paid advertisements in the Inquirer.

As a Filipino, I lament the attention given to the INC. That the organization is a vaunted political force and influence is a given. Without doubt or question, the advertisers wish to be assured of the continuing vote of INC members to perpetuate them, their family, their children, their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren in power.

Such is just one part of my grievance.

My other concern is the source of funds used to pay for the publication and/or printing of the greetings. Most likely, it was the city, province or political unit; more specifically the Filipino people, with the taxes and exorbitant fees they pay for government services.

By the way, I do not take issue with the Inquirer’s multipage feature article on the INC in last July 27’s issue. I respect our constitutional guarantees on the freedom of religion and freedom of the press. What I cannot countenance is the implication from all this: how distant we still are from political uprightness and integrity.

—EFREN C. CARAG,

caraglaw@yahoo.com

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Dr. Stephen Bullivant: An Atheist Philosopher Became Catholic

Shared from BrandonVogt Blog

NOTE: This interview originally ran at StrangeNotions.com, the website I created to bring Catholics and atheists into dialogue.


Dr. Stephen Bullivant has long been one of the most popular contributors at Strange Notions. Atheists appreciate his respectful, fair-minded articles while Catholics value his careful articulation of what Catholicism actually teaches about atheism.

Part of the reason he’s beloved by both groups is because he’s seen both side of the divide. After adopting atheism for many years, and devoting his doctoral research to the topic, he converted to Catholicism in 2008.

Since then, Stephen has authored two books, The Salvation of Atheists and Catholic Dogmatic Theology (Oxford University Press, 2012) and Faith and Unbelief (Canterbury Press, 2013; Paulist Press, 2014). He also just released a massive tome that he co-edited with the philosopher Michael Ruse, titled The Oxford Handbook of Atheism (Oxford University Press, 2013).

I recently sat down with Stephen to discuss his conversion from atheism to Catholicism, the role of Christianity in the rise of atheism, and what Catholicism teaches about the salvation of atheists. Enjoy!



Topics Discussed:

1:32 – How did you, as an atheist, become interested in researching Catholicism?
3:16 – What role have Christians played in the rise of atheism?
6:10 – What does the Catholic Church teach about the salvation of non-believers?
10:19 – What can Christians and atheists learn from each other?

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Why do Muslims like beheading so much? (WARNING GRAPHIC, RAW IMAGES)

The incredible spate of beheadings which are perpetrated by Islamic militants around the world had many asking the question, "Why do Muslims behead so many people?" In the modern age, there are swift and almost bloodless ways to kill, which makes the use of beheading subject to question.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Islamic terrorists continue their reign of terror over the world as they murder their way into our living rooms and television sets, iPads and offices, where we see the gruesome results of their handiwork. Hardly a person in the modern world has gone without witnessing some of the atrocities of the Islamic State or Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists around the world.

Muslim terrorists prefer beheading as the latest way to grab
headlines. Here, a terrorist prepared to saw off the head of
American journalist, James Foley.
Among their most astounding choices is the decision to brutally decapitate victims and film or photograph the deed. Many of the Islamic State terrorists have gone further and posed with the decapitated heads, distributing the images via social media. Twitter has recently started blocking some of these images, but the world has both a right and a need to see the truth.

Please come to the aid of persecuted Christians in Iraq.

It's a gruesome decision, to kill by decapitation. We live in an age where there are no shortages of ways to kill. We can kill swiftly will bullets, or painlessly with drugs. Furthermore, decapitation is a messy affair with the warm blood of victims spilling everywhere as they instinctively strain against the sawing blade. It's a lot of trouble to go through for both the killer and the victim.

So why is it happening?

First, most of the people being killed by the Islamic State and other terrorists are not killed via beheading. Shooting remains the most common form of execution, and the Islamic State is filming these executions, publicizing their handiwork. A large number of people are also killed by various means including suicide bombings. Exposure to the elements and live burial have been alleged in a few cases. However, the Islamic State and other terrorists are making a spectacle of beheadings in particular.

We are dealing with terrorism and the point of terrorism is spectacle. It's a way for those who feel disenfranchised to get their message noticed around the world. Historically terrorists hijacked airliners, performed car bombings, and suicide bombings. Within the past decade, beheading has become a way for terrorists to force their message back into the public spotlight.

The change in tactics is required because car bombings and suicide bombings have become cliche. They're so commonplace the media has stopped reporting on them in any detail. As for airliners, they've become very difficult to hijack so such deeds have become rare.

However, beheading has a gruesome allure that practically compels people to watch. The viewing of an execution or a killing has an illicit allure to people and even in a society steeped in violent media on the television and in computer games, nothing beats the real thing. It's a gruesome critique of our modern civilization that footage showing the horror of death in graphic detail is widely consumed.

This plays into the hands of the terrorists who want to propagate their message, however it also works against them. Instead of building sympathy it spreads fear and people do not always fly in the face of fear, sometimes they fight.

Indeed, beheadings of Americans by Al Qaeda have sparked major campaigns to find and kill or arrest those responsible for such deeds.

Yet this fact does not answer the question entirely. Muslims also behead because they believe they have a mandate to do so, granted by the Quran.

Several scriptural passages in the Quran mention decapitation of those captured in battle or as a punishment for alleged crimes. Historically, beheading has been widely employed by Islamic nations, including the Ottoman Empire which used the penalty to great effect throughout the centuries.

In 1480, Muslim raiders beheaded an entire village of 800 Italians after they refused to convert to Islam. The site of their mass execution in Otranto, Italy remains important to the Catholic Church.

The terrorists who are carrying out these executions prefer beheading because the act itself has precedent in Islamic tradition.

Islamic apologists will argue that the act of beheading does not have sanction in the Quran, and that the killing of "infidels" has no place in modern Islam. However, there is no question that today's terrorists would differ with these apologists and as far as the world is concerned, the knife is just the way to send the most prominent infidels to their doom.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Why the IGLESIA NI CRISTO does not support persecuted Christians in Iraq and Syria by Muslim Terrorists?

It's because they're CATHOLICS! The INC cannot accept that Catholics are banded as Christians by Muslims and media. And INC and Muslims have shared doctrine of denying the Divinity of Christ!

Elderly Iraqi Christians defy [Muslim] terrorist, flee camp
An elderly Iraqi woman fleeing violence gestures at the Al Waleed refugee camp in Iraq Aug. 19. One group of sick, elderly Iraqi Christians said they defied terrorist demands to convert to Islam or be killed.(CNS photo/Morris Bernard, UNHCR handout via EPA)
MANCHESTER, England (CNS/The Pilot) -- A group of 11 sick, disabled and elderly Iraqi Christians --including an 80-year-old woman with breast cancer -- defied terrorists who ordered them to convert to Islam or be beheaded, saying they preferred death to giving up their faith.

The united resistance prompted the Islamic State extremists to drop their demands and order the Christians to immediately leave their village of Karamless after first robbing them of their possessions, according to one of the survivors.

Sahar Mansour, a refugee from Mosul, told Catholic News Service in an Aug. 18 email that the group turned up at Ankawa refugee camp, where she is living, after they were released by the Islamist fighters. They had remained behind in Karamless because they were too weak to flee when the town was overrun by Islamic State militants the night of Aug. 6-7.

Mansour said she met the 80-year-old woman with cancer, who gave her name as Ghazala, in Ankawa Aug. 18 and heard her account of their escape.

"When the people of Karamless fled from the village they (the elderly) were alone," Mansour said. "She (Ghazala) told me when they woke up in (the) morning they were surprised when they saw nobody in the village."

Instead they were "afraid and terrified," she continued, when they met masked fighters from the Islamic State, who ordered them to go home and remain indoors.

Mansour said Ghazala told her that on Aug. 16, the terrorists assembled the group "and told them either to convert or to be killed by sword."

"Ghazala told me that all the people told the terrorists that 'we prefer to be killed rather than convert,"' Mansour said. She said Ghazala added that members of the group scolded the terrorists for ignoring Islamic sacred texts that forbade forced conversions of non-Muslims.

Mansour said the elderly told the militants that the Islamic State had nothing to gain from the conversion of a group of sick, disabled and elderly people.

"When ISIS heard that they told the people to leave Karamless immediately, without taking anything, to leave with only with the clothes they were wearing," she said.

"ISIS took all their money from all of them and their gold," Mansour said, adding that one person had the courage to ask the terrorists to return some of their money so they could buy food for their journey to the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.

The group of five men and six women later arrived at the Kalak checkpoint, the gateway to Kurdish-controlled territory, in two cars.

There, they were allowed to contact relatives already in refugee camps, who were taken to meet them, Mansour said.

Ghazala was reunited with her brother, and she is receiving medical treatment for her cancer.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Mga P**** Ina niyo mga Katoliko! -Nathan Faraon INC member


Rome will be conquered next, says leader of 'Islamic State'

Telegraph.co.uk - Muslims have been called to flock to the 'Islamic State' to gather for a battle against non-believers throughout the world

Isis demands all Muslims pledge obedience to its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, left

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed leader of the 'Islamic State' stretching across Iraq and Syria, has vowed to lead the conquest of Rome as he called on Muslims to immigrate to his new land to fight under its banner around the globe.

Baghdadi, who holds a PhD in Islamic studies, said Muslims were being targetted and killed from China to Indonesia. Speaking as the first Caliph, or commander of the Islamic faithful since the dissolution of the Ottoman empire, he called on Muslims to rally to his pan-Islamic state.



"Those who can immigrate to the Islamic State should immigrate, as immigration to the house of Islam is a duty," he said in an audio recording released on a website used by the group formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.

"Rush O Muslims to your state. It is your state. Syria is not for Syrians and Iraq is not for Iraqis. The land is for the Muslims, all Muslims.

"This is my advice to you. If you hold to it you will conquer Rome and own the world, if Allah wills."

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Friday, August 15, 2014

Tearful family members of victims of the ferry Sewol shared their stories with Pope Francis

[Papal Visit] Pope ‘listened, silently nodded’ to Sewol families
The Korean Herald

Pope Francis did not speak much as tearful family members of victims of the ferry Sewol shared their stories with him on Friday, but vowed to never forget the tragedy that left over 300 -- mostly high school students -- dead or missing.

“We (the families) asked the pope to urge the Korean government and the parliament to place efforts on passing a special bill on Sewol, and to embrace the father of a Sewol victim -- who is currently on a hunger strike demanding the bill to pass -- during (Saturday’s) Mass at Gwanghwamun,” said Kim Byung-kwon, a representative of the victims’ families.

The pope “silently nodded,” he added.

Their meeting took place at Daejeon World Cup Stadium shortly before the pope celebrated his first public Mass. He invited eight family members of ferry victims and two survivors for a private audience. A total of 36 survivors and relatives were invited to the Mass.

Pope Francis offers words of comfort to the family members of Sewol ferry disaster victims at Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Daejeon, Friday. (Yonhap)

Among the family members present at the meeting was Kim Hag-il, the father of high school sophomore Woon-gi who died in the April 16 disaster. Kim gave the pope a 5-kilogram cross that he had carried on a month-long, 900 kilometer walk from Ansan, where his son had attended school, to Daejeon.

INC -Iglesia ni Cristo and the mentality of exclusivity

A young member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo questions the teachings she has grown up with
By Malaya dela Cruz through Rappler.com

I’ve been an Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) member since I was born and my father is a minister. My siblings and I were raised to behold as absolute truth all doctrines without question. As kids, we’re brazen to tell our friends “Mag-Iglesia ka na kundi mapupunta ka sa dagat-dagatang apoy.” (Convert to Iglesia; otherwise, you'll end up in hell)

We’re flying with wings of righteousness holding the light to guide those lost in the darkness, we call sanlibutan; completely convinced that we’re indeed the chosen ones come judgment day. All we have to do is follow like sheep and salvation is certain. This is my myopic reality.

Into the darkness

Coming of age, I learned our creationist view is indubitably wrong given the insurmountable evidences against it, yet I find this mistake tolerable; assuming perhaps a scientifically-informed interpretation of the bible isn’t necessary for salvation. I was indifferent about this just as I am in overriding any of my rights for the sake of unity; trusting that it’s always for the good of the church.

What became unbearable is having my consciousness raised about the multi-dimensional causes of poverty. I cannot unlearn what I know now - that the terrible social realities we dismiss right before our eyes as normal is caused by injustice from existing power structures in society.

It was alarming for I was undeniably guilty of being part of a church responsible for reinforcing structures that sustain poverty through our social attitude and practice of ‘unity.’

We are INC first before we are Filipinos

It is our faith, albeit fatalistic, that the world will inevitably perish and no developmental agenda by man could prevent it; we are only travelers here for our true residence is the kingdom of heaven. Hence, we resign concern about matters outside our kingdom unless it might undermine doctrines or the church administration.

We show power in numbers through bloc-voting and secure key positions in the government in order to protect the interests of the church, never mind whether it’s a corrupt official as long as the church is secured. This is why INC was indifferent during the People Power I despite all the atrocious harm done towards the Filipino people - all because we allied with former president Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator.


Culture of apathy

Since our primary concern is the good of the church and not of the people in general, an apathetic attitude towards social issues is fostered among members.

We’re prohibited to participate in any form of social mobilization or unions because it’s against the unity of the church, even if such actions addresses concerns that directly affect the welfare of members.

Greedy corporations who operate with inhumane policies are fortunate as INC members are willing allies to preserve an unfair system. We abstain claiming accountability from power-holders in the name of ‘peace.’ - a peace that is oblivious of its implications.

Yes, we’re an obedient flock of docile sheep but we’re also subtle criminals and dignified perpetrators of injustices against our fellowmen. With brilliant pride we take the side of the oppressors.

Our brand of humanitarianism

The provision of generous aid to millions of non-members through medical missions, relief distributions and housing projects are token gestures, for “conversion” is our utmost motivation by exploiting the sense of utang na loob (debt of gratitude).

INC’s brand of humanitarianism does not involve championing the interest and welfare of the poor by addressing root causes of social issues. Our humanitarian cause is the 'noblest' of all: to save your soul from damnation by converting you to the one true Church of Christ.

Masters of mobilization

We’re taught that hardships and misfortunes in life are either caused by sin or are trials we must endure. However, evidence suggests that societal structures and how its citizens participate in shaping it in the course of history is the concrete reason for the everyday struggles of today. Poverty is avoidable, development is a choice.

The public witnessed INC’s power to amass more than a million people in its administrations’ behest. If the church could use its clout to truly help the nation by addressing long term needs and root causes of perennial social issues – such as lobbying and supporting genuine agrarian reform, a fair wage and other issues that affect the marginalized majority, where many of its own members come from, we shall contribute to societal change.

Aren't we humans first?

My conscience is disturbed when I saw my fellow brethren exalte upon news of famine, war, destruction and calamities where thousands of people lay dead. Some even said, “Makasalanan kasi ang sanlibutan, matuwa tayo dahil nalalapit ang kaligtasan natin.” (The people are sinful. We should be happy because our salvation is near.) They seem to forget we’re humans first before we even subscribe to any religion.

'Saving your soul' as a single mission is quite selfish in the face of human suffering. I understand it stems from fear and existential uncertainties, but It’s wrong to choose a convenient personal escape and say “kung gusto niyo rin maligtas, umanib na kayo” (if you want to be saved, join us) instead of engaging in collective action driven by empathy and compassion.

We glory over the Philippine Arena, Guinness records, and the thousands of congregations we’ve built like the elite ruler gloating over his empire.

There is harm in a mentality of exclusivity when we operate in the context of a larger society. Imagining a fragmented reality wherein we are only travelers goes against the truth that we have a responsibility to contribute and cooperate in facilitating change in the world. We can do this by renouncing apathy and using our power to mobilize for the good of people. - Rappler.com

*Malaya dela Cruz is a pseudonym. Rappler verified the identity of the writer, who asked her real name be concealed for her protection. She is a university student.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Apostolic Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Republic of Korea

The official Logo of Pope Francis' Pastoral Visit to the Republic of Korea
Pope Francis walks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye after landing Thursday in Seoul. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

MARIO JOSEPH: MUSLIM IMAM CONVERTED TO CATHOLIC CHURCH - A MUST WATCHED!

From Darkness to Light YouTube
"If you have doubt in this Koran which I give to you, go and read the Bible, or ask the people those who read the Bible... the holy Koran converted me to Christianity." [Video 42:24] As a Muslim imam, Mario Joseph was well-versed in the Koran and in the teachings of the Islamic religion. In fact, it was precisely the Koran that brought him to an encounter with Jesus Christ and with the truth of the Catholic faith. But his conversion did not come without difficulties; as a consequence, he has undergone grave persecution. How has he attained his intense love toward the Church, the Cross and Heaven? He himself tells us in this week's impacting episode of Changing Tracks.

Monday, August 4, 2014

All 45 Christian Institutions in Mosul Destroyed or Occupied By ISIS

Cross removed and replaced with black flag of ISIS - Church in Mosul.
Photo: AsifJaan via Twitter
Since taking over Mosul on June 10, ISIS has destroyed, occupied, converted to mosques, converted to ISIS headquarters or shuttered all 45 Christian institutions in Mosul.

Pravmir — July 31, 2014

(AINA) -- The following is the complete list of the Christian institutions in Mosul, grouped by denomination.
Syriac Catholic Church:
  1. Syrian Catholic Diocese – Maidan Neighborhood, Mosul
  2. The Old Church of the Immaculate – Maidan Neighborhood, Mosul (The church goes back to the eighth century AD)
  3. The New Church of the Immaculate – Maidan Neighborhood
  4. Church of Mar (Saint) Toma – Khazraj Neighborhood
  5. Museum of Mar (Saint) Toma – Khazraj Neighborhood
  6. Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation – Muhandiseen Neighborhood
  7. Church of the Virgin of Fatima – Faisaliah Neighborhood
  8. Our Lady of Deliverance Chapel – Shifaa Neighborhood
  9. The House of the Young Sisters of Jesus – Ras Al-Kour Neighborhood
  10. Archbishop’s Palace Chapel – Dawasa Neighborhood
Syriac Orthodox Church:
  1. Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese – Shurta Neighborhood
  2. The Antiquarian Church of Saint Ahodeeni – Bab AlJadeed Neighborhood
  3. Mar (Saint) Toma Church and cemetery, (the old Bishopric) – Khazraj Neighborhood
  4. Church of The Immaculate (Castle) – Maidan Neighborhood
  5. Church of The Immaculate – Shifaa Neighborhood
  6. Mar (Saint) Aprim Church – Shurta Neighborhood
  7. St. Joseph Church – The New Mosul Neighborhood
Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East:
  1. Diocese of the Assyrian Church of the East – Noor Neighborhood
  2. Assyrian Church of the East, Dawasa Neighborhood
  3. Church of the Virgin Mary (old rite) – Wihda Neighborhood
Chaldean Church of Babylon:
  1. Chaldean Diocese – Shurta Neighborhood
  2. Miskinta Church – Mayassa Neighborhood
  3. The Antiquarian Church of Shimon alSafa – Mayassa Neighborhood
  4. Church of Mar (Saint) Buthyoon – Shahar AlSouq Neighborhood
  5. Church of St. Ephrem, Wady AlAin Neighborhood
  6. Church of St. Paul – Majmooaa AlThaqafiya District
  7. The Old Church of the Immaculate (with the bombed archdiocese)- Shifaa Neighborhood
  8. Church of the Holy Spirit – Bakir Neighborhood
  9. Church of the Virgin Mary – Drakziliya Neighborhood
  10. Ancient Church of Saint Isaiah and Cemetery – Ras AlKour Neighborhood
  11. Mother of Aid Church – Dawasa Neighborhood
  12. The Antiquarian Church of St. George- Khazraj Neighborhood
  13. St. George Monastery with Cemetery – Arab Neighborhood
  14. Monastery of AlNasir (Victory) – Arab Neighborhood
  15. Convent of the Chaldean Nuns – Mayassa Neighborhood
  16. Monastery of St. Michael – Hawi Church Neighborhood
  17. The Antiquarian Monastery of St. Elijah – Ghazlany Neighborhood
Armenian Orthodox Church:
  1. Armenian Church – Maidan Neighborhood
  2. The New Armenian Church – Wihda Neighborhood
Evangelical Presbyterian Church:
  1. Evangelical Presbyterian Church – Mayassa Neighborhood
Latin Church:
  1. Latin Church and Monastery of the Dominican Fathers and Convent of Katrina Siena Nuns – Sa’a Neighborhood
  2. Convent of the Dominican Sisters, – Mosul AlJadeed Neighborhood
  3. Convent of the Dominican Sisters (AlKilma Monastery) – Majmooaa AlThaqafiya District
  4. House of Qasada AlRasouliya (Apostolic Aim) (Institute of St. John the Beloved)
Cemeteries:
  1. Christian Cemetery in the Ekab Valley which contains a small chapel.

"Why Islam is Worse Than Nazism" by Serkan Engin a Turkish Sunni Muslim Poet

Note from Robert Spencer author of JihadWatch: When Serkan Engin sent me this piece and asked me to publish it, I asked him if this could endanger him in Turkey. He responded, “I am ready to die.” I certainly hope that he encounters no difficulty as a result of making these public statements; what happens to him now will be a test of the health of the freedom of speech and Kemalist secularism in rapidly re-Islamizing Turkey. It is certainly not possible to say such things in the U.S. today without charges of “racism” and “bigotry,” without any discussion of whether there are Islamic texts and teachings that justify violence and hatred: the question cannot even be asked.

It should also be noted that I do not agree with Serkan Engin’s call for Islam to be outlawed. In the U.S., at least (to say nothing of Turkey or elsewhere), we do not outlaw ideas, and do not employ Thought Police. The criminalizing of thought is a hallmark of the totalitarian state. Even at the height of the Cold War, Communism was not outlawed. Once a people grants to the government the power to declare certain ideas illegal, that power can be turned against good ideas, to the detriment of the people. What needs to be done in response to jihad violence and Islamic supremacism today is an aggressive prosecution of any and all actions dedicated to subverting the republic; that is, however, not being done.

In any case, I may not agree with everything Serkan Engin says, but I will defend to the death his right to speak his mind. That is the fundamental principle of the freedom of speech, and the indispensable foundation of any free society. It is rapidly being lost.

Why Islam is Worse Than Nazism
by Serkan Engin

I am an atheist author and poet, who had lived as a Sunni Muslim for 23 years from birth, and I am still living in a Muslim country, Turkey. Also, my parents and all of my relatives are still Muslim. So, my critics about Islam can be easily consider this an inside view.

I know that the title of this essay seems assertive, but I will explain the rightness of this title step-by-step in this essay.

First of all, you have to learn about Islam that if you are an “outsider”, a non-Muslim, for example, a Christian, an atheist, a Buddhist, a Jew or whatever else, all Muslims have the “right” of killing and raping you, grabbing all your properties, your country, land, money and anything else. They take this “right” from the book of their belief, the Quran. In other words, they take this “right” from their belief’s core, the theology of Islam.

Here are some examples of this in verses from Quran.

This verse of Quran is about “all non-Muslims”, all “heretics”! — Christians, Buddhists, atheists, Jews, etc. — describing them “who wage war against Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad)”

Surat Al-Ma’idah (5.33)

“Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment.”

And this verse of the Quran is about the order to killing the humans who left Islam, the apostates:
Surat An-Nisa’ (4.89)

“They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper.”

Look at the current situation in Syria. How can Islamist terrorists slaughter Alawite people or rape Christian women so easily? Because they take this “right” from their belief and they believe that they will go to the heaven because of these vandalistic actions against “outsiders”, who are out of Islam, who don’t believe the same religious tenets — in other words, those who are the “heretics” according to their belief. Some Muslims say, “But they are not the real Muslims.” That is a big lie; that is the exact form of real Islam, because these vandalistic actions are in accord with the orders of Quran.
You have heard many times that “Islam is a tolerant religion”. That is the biggest lie that you can hear all over the World, and this lie is used as a mask to hide the terrible face of Islam. There is NO difference between Islam and Islamism. This is the main error that the modern world make about Islam. There are not different forms as Islam and Islamism, they are the same thing, and they have the same content. This separation is just only an illusion, and it is used by Muslims to hide the brutal, hateful, oppressive,murderous, genocidal face of Islam.

Islamic theology is based on the verses of the Quran and Hadith. Hadiths are the words and actions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and all Muslims must follow these words and actions in addition to the orders of Quran. For example, you have to defecate as Muhammad did, and you have to clean yourself as he did, or you can rape and enslave a “heretic” woman in a war as a sex slave as Muhammad did, or you can torture your enemy in a war to learn the place of his hidden money, as Muhammad did.

You “must” cut the hand of a thief as Muhammad did, not give him any prison sentence as do the modern laws.

You must stone a woman to death as Muhammad did, because she had sex outside of the rules of Islam (but you must only whip her partner a hundred times). If you are a Muslim, you can never set them free while considering that their sexual actions are about their own personal relations and freedom, in accord with modern laws. You must definitely apply the punishments of Muhammad such as stoning the woman to the death and whipping her partner a hundred times if you want to be a good Muslim.

You must kill the man who left the belief of Islam, as Muhammad did. You can’t say “This is his own choice and he has the freedom of thought and belief”, because it is an order of the Quran that you “must” kill the persons who were Muslim before and then left the Islamic religion.

You must kill all homosexuals according to the orders of Islam. No Muslims can say according to Islam that their sexual orientation is their own natural right, in accord with the human rights norms of our age.

You have the “right” to marry a little girl at 9 years old, as Muhammad did. In other words, you can rape a little child legally in Islam and make her a sex slave, and also a domestic slave till the end of her life.

You can lie alongside of your dead wife for 6 hours, as Muhammad did. In other words, you can rape the dead body of your wife for 6 hours after her death.

Here is Islam…Here is the “tolerant religion”…Here is the right way to the heaven…Here are the orders of Allah…Here are the actions of Muhammad…

You can easily see how civilized the Muslim countries of the world are because of Islam, such as Afghanistan, Nigeria, Turkey, Iran, Sudan and the others. You can see how much they have contributed to the history of philosophy, the history of art, and the history of science of the whole world. You can see how respectful they are to human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, the freedom of expression and thought, the freedom of the press, the freedom of belief, etc.

The first genocide wave of 20th century, the Armenian Genocide, the Assyrian Genocide and the Pontic Greek Genocide, was perpetrated by Turkish and Kurdish people of the Ottoman Empire and the new Turkish Republic, getting motivation from the “rights” that they had because of Islam: the “rights” of killing and raping the non-Muslims, enslaving their women and little girls as sex slaves and also domestic slaves, and grabbing their money, houses and lands. However, “The Committee of Union and Progress” (CUP) (Turkish: İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti) was based on Turkish nationalism; they used Turkish and Kurdish people easily for these genocides because of the Islamic religion’s content about non-Muslims. All the Turkish and Kurdish Muslims believed that they would go to the heaven if they killed more non-Muslims, as do today’s Islamist terrorists.

The owners of the second genocide wave of 20th century were Nazis, as you know. They 
took the genocides of the Turks as a sample. It is know that Adolf Hitler said to his military commanders, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?,” while they were talking about the reaction of the world about the genocides that they were planning to perpetrate.
Nazism was considered a legal and respectable ideology at the beginning of the 1930s, and then the world saw how dangerous Nazism was. Millions of people died because of Nazism, and today it is illegal to support Nazism in any civilized country. You can never make propaganda about Nazism legally. Today, Nazism is not considered as a genuine thought alternative, and it is not included in the freedom of thought and expression.

As I have detailed above, Islam is against the human rights norms of our age, and it has more dangerous content than Nazism. Islam is not a belief alternative, it is just a crime against humanity, and any crime shouldn’t have freedom in our modern world. So, Islam must be declared illegal all over the world, as is Nazism, because of its vandal content and commands that are against human rights. All actions about Islam must be forbidden and the propagandists of Islam must be judged because of instigating to the crimes of murder, rape, grab and crimes against humanity. Otherwise, the world will meet with a big tragedy when the Islamists will get more power, as the world suffered because of Nazism.

A socialist Laz poet from Turkey, Serkan Engin was born in 1975 in Izmit, Turkey. His poems have been published in English in The Tower Journal, Poetry’z Own, Belleville Park Pages, Far Enough East, Spilt Infinitive Lit Magazine, Empty Mirror, The Writer’s Drawer, Poetry Super Highway, Miracle E-zine, Industry Night Lit Magazine, Open Road Review, Shot Glass Journal, The Criterion and Mediterranean Poetry. Some of his poems appeared in Japanese in the leading Japanese philosophy and poetry journal Shi to Shisou.

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