Truthcaster aka Conrad J. Obligacion (resbak.com)

Thanks to Mr. Cenon Bibe for this post Truthcaster at ang Resbak.com

PAULIT-ULIT po tayong INIIMBITAHAN ni TRUTHCASTER sa kanyang BLOG.

PINAGBIGYAN po natin SIYA at DINALAW NATIN ang kanyang BLOG na may pamagat na RESBAK.COM

GUSTUHIN man po nating PAGBIGYAN si TRUTHCASTER na DALASAN NATIN ang DALAW sa BLOG NIYA ay SORRY po kung HINDI NATIN SIYA MAPAGBIBIGYAN.

NAKAKITA po kasi TAYO ng ILANG NAGLALAKIHANG PROBLEMA sa BLOG ni TRUTHCASTER.

Una po, HINDI PO NAGPAKILALA si TRUTHCASTER.

SINABI lang po roon na ang AUTHOR niyon ay "filipino male blogging out of the SF bay area. i’m blogging about my current interest mainly religion, history, tech, news!

"Currently on assignment and based in Munich, Germany!"

WALA pong KONKRETONG PAGPAPAKILALA.

Ano po yon? IKINAHIHIYA ba ni TRUTHCASTER ang SARILI NIYANG BLOG?

Kung IKINAHIHIYA ni TRUTHCASTER ang KANYANG BLOG ay MAYROON naman pong MALINAW na DAHILAN: MARAMI po (o baka KARAMIHAN) ng NILALAMAN ng KANYANG BLOG ay PANINIRA LANG sa IGLESIA KATOLIKA o sa SIMBAHANG KATOLIKO.

MARAMI po SIYA roong SINASABI na LANTARAN at TUWIRANG HINDI TOTOO. MARAMI rin po SIYA roong pag-QUOTE sa mga REPERENSIYA na SOBRANG OUT OF CONTEXT. At MARAMI po sa mga BINABANGGIT NIYANG FACTS ay DISTORTED o BINALUKTOT.

PAMILYAR po ba? Katulad po ba ng TAKTIKA ng mga NAKAUSAP NATIN DITO na mga KAANIB ng INC?

E baka po DAHIL KAANIB din ng INC si TRUTHCASTER, hindi po kaya?

Sabagay, KITANG-KITA naman po natin na NUNG SI TRUTHCASTER NA ang NAGSABI sa mga KAANIB ng INC na TUMIGIL NA sa PAKIKIPAG TALAKAYAN DITO ay SINUNOD NAMAN SIYA AGAD ng mga KAANIB ng INC.

Hindi po kaya, MATAAS ang KATUNGKULAN ni TRUTHCASTER sa INC kaya animo SUNUD-SUNURAN sa KANYA ang mga KAANIB DOON?

Anyway, NAITANONG LANG PO NATIN.

Ngayon, WALA pong PROBLEMA kung MARAMI sa mga SINASABI sa BLOG ni TRUTHCASTER ay HINDI TOTOO at SADYANG PANINIRA LANG. NAPAKADALI po NATING MASASAGOT ang mga IYAN.

At DIYAN po LUMALABAS ang PANGALAWANG MALAKING PROBLEMA sa BLOG ni TRUTHCASTER.

HINDI po MALAYANG MAKAPAG-RE-REACT o MAKASASAGOT ang mga GUSTONG MAG-KOMENTO.

MERON pong CENSORSHIP at PINIPILI LANG ang mga REAKSYON, KOMENTO at PUNA.

Sa PAGKAKAUNAWA KO po, ang NAGSI-CENSOR LANG ay yung MARAMI ang ITINATAGO.

May sinabi po si TRUTHCASTER sa ATIN na ang hindi lang daw niya pinalulusot ay ang mga "kabastusan."

MAY KATWIRAN po SIYA roon.

Pero sinabi na po sa atin ng ilang SUMUBOK MAG-KOMENTO SA BLOG NIYA na HINDI NAI-POST ang KANYANG KOMENTO. NA-CENSOR.

Dahil po sa mga iyan ay MASASABI NATIN na WALANG KREDEBILIDAD ang BLOG ni TRUTHCASTER at HINDI NARARAPAT na BIGYAN ng SERYOSONG PANSIN.

Marahil kung gusto lang ninyong MAINIS e puwede kayong magbasa ng mga sinasabi roon pero sino ba ang gustong mainis, di po ba?

So, SALAMAT na lang, TRUTHCASTER pero MARAMING SERYOSONG BLOG na PUWEDE NATING PAG-AKSAYAHAN ng PANAHON at HINDI KASAMA sa mga IYON ang BLOG MO.

SORRY na lang.

PERSONALLY, MARAHIL kung MAKAKAHANAP KA ng TAPANG na ILAGAY ang PANGALAN MO sa BLOG MO ay BAKA MABAGO PA ang ISIP KO.

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME.

I am proud to introduce to you Mr. CONRAD J. OBLIGACION the author of resbak.com who stole the title being used by INC's rival, Eliseo Soriano of ADD.

Non-Abrahimic Religions Support Copts

Hindus and Sheiks Come Out to support Copts









Thanks to Islamizationwatch.org

Nokia E71 Could have been Hacked by Catholics!

Guess what!

If you have Nokia E71, try to navigate its Dictionary software installed. Type the word "church" and you will see this:

Could be, that Catholics hacked the Nokia E71 for having the Catholic Church as an example of a church. It should have been the Iglesia ni Cristo® as Christ's "restored Church" to its pristine beauty?

Just for a laugh today!

God calls by name!

Have you noticed in the Bible a clear pattern how God calls someone to do His special mission? He calls them by name and changed them according to how they would carry out their divine assignments.

God established his Covenant to Israel. Even today, Israel still is the Chosen Nation belonging to God. No matter how stubborn the Israelites were, He never deserted them nor had God replaced Israel to something else. Even in their tenacity God NEVER found another “Israel” nor did He abandoned his Chosen Nation and form another. God keeps his promises. He is true to his words and he never changed yesterday, today and forever, says St. Paul.

From the time when he first called Abram to be the “Father of all Nations” He gave him a very difficult test by asking him to offer his son Isaac as a sacrificial offering. With trust and confidence he obeyed God, not giving to his love Isaac. And as we know, later his son was spared however God was pleased with him of which his name was changed to Abraham which means “Father of all Nations”. (see Genesis)

God changed Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah!

Through Abraham, his son Isaac bore two sons through Rebekka; Esau and Jacob. Jacob who’s the younger one obtained his “first-born” sonship when Esau sold it to him for a bowl of porridge. Realizing how he was duped by Jacob, in fear of Esau’s vengeance, Jacob was told to spend his time in Mesopotamia (now Iraq). Years past Jacob is known to have wrestled with an angel the night before he reunited with his elder brother Esau (see Gen. 32:25-30). The angel renamed him “Israel” for he wrestled with God and still he’s victorious.” And we all know that Israel became a nation to this day.

God changed Jacob to Israel!

Israel had 12 sons of which the story of Joseph being sold to Egyptians was recorded in Genesis. The time had come when his descendants became slaves in Egypt they cried out to the Lord for deliverance.

Keeping his promise of old through Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, he called Moses from among his own people and used him to free the Israelites from bondage. Throughout the life of Moses he mediated between God and his people however after seeing all the wonders and miracles God did in their midst, the Israelites remained stubborn people. But God kept his promise never to abandon them until they set all their foot in the Promised Land (now Israel) no matter how they were unwilling.

Here you see how God kept his promised to his people. As Marshall Taylor said in his book 'The Crucified Rabbi', no matter how stubborn the Israelites were, he never created a “Protestant Israel” nor he changed his covenant with them. He never sends prophets and sages and helped Israel back to its right path. He has his words and his promised fulfilled.

As in the Old Covenant, God continues to call someone to carry out a special mission in the New Testament. Out of Twelve (12) Jesus called Simon bar Jonah. After Simon confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, he was given a special leadership to His Church by calling Simon “PETER” which means “ROCK” that “upon this ‘ROCK’ he will build his Church” and that he promised, hell could never snatch it away from him (see Matthew 16). He specifically entrusted him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, that whatever he binds on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever he looses on earth would be loose in heaven. Simon Peter’s role was to be the Twelve’s arbiter. Record of his function was accounted in the Council of Jerusalem (see Acts…) when he first acted as the head of the Twelve.

God changed Simon to Peter (Rock) and that through this ‘Rock’ he would build HIS CHURCH, and promised not to abandon it. He will never forsake his Church nor he would leave them desolate like widowed. Just as God kept his covenant with the stubborn Israelites, he promised NEVER to abandon his own Church. Nor the gates of Hell could take it away.

St. Paul of Tarsus was another. His former name was Saul, known to be Christians fierces persecutors. While on his way to Damascus (Syria), he was blinded by a great light and he heard Jesus. From there he was converted (metanoia) and was instructed by Jesus to meet his Ananias in Damascus to restore his sight. Soon after, he was known to have met St. Peter and St. James in Jerusalem before he set his missions outside Israel.

Christ changed Saul to Paul and made him the apostle to the Gentiles.

Because of that pattern, in the Catholic Church, each elected Pope has to change his name which reflects his mission to lead Christs’ flock. Today, Cardinal Ratzinger is known as Pope Benedict XVI emulating St. Benedict.

Why I am saying this is because I want to establish the fact when God calls someone for a special mission, he calls them by name and changing their names emphasizes the nature of their mission.

In the case of FELIX Y. MANALO who claimed to be God’s chosen “Last Messenger” he was a special because they cannot establish any proof of how God called him in a pattern he did from old until today. Nor did he receive any revelation from God that he would be as such and that from now on his name would changed to something else. All we know is that he was a confused former Catholic and pastor of different protestant sects until he finally decided to register his own cult as a Corporation Sole.

His original name FELIX MANALO YSAGUN was given him when he was baptized as a Catholic. Later on he alone decided to change his own name preferring his mother’s last name over his father’s and thus the name FELIX Y. MANALO came to be.

God didn’t changed his name! He did it all alone by himself and credited God for it.

When he was caught red-handed over allegiations that he molested women in his congregation, like Rosita Trillanes and some other wives of his ministers, sensing he’d be losing control over his own cult by that controversy which went public in gazzettes, he alone by himself decided to teach HIM BEING AN ANGEL then cut-paste biblical verses that he thought would back-up his claims!

In fact, Felix Manalo’s teachings reflects none of God’s way of calling. Here’s what he had changed about God, Christ and his Covenant with his people- Israel and the Church.

1. He teaches that God deserted his Covenant by abandoning his Original Church and sent someone to register another church in the Philippines under the Tagalog name ‘Iglesia ni Cristo.’
2. He teaches that God created another ‘Covenant’ by saying Christ totally disposed of his own Church and established it again in the Philippines through him as “his Last Messenger” leaving all his apostles, sages, saints and martyrs insignificant witnesses.
3. He teaches that God lied to Simon Peter and that the gates of hell actually did prevailed in his Church.
4. He teaches that Christ abandoned his Church when in fact God never abandons his own Chosen People no matter how stubborn they have been.
5. He teaches another God—a lying God!
6. He teaches a liar Christ—a man, mortal, completely exposed to sinfulness and imperfection when the Bible says He is Logos-God, made flesh.
7. He teaches a man only Christ and exulted him to the heights of “angels’.
8. He teaches people to worship God alone but prays to a man named Jesus for deliverance and forgiveness of sins when only God can do such forgiveness.
9. He teaches that no one is saved unless baptized in his Iglesia ni Cristo and that each believe Felix Manalo was the ‘Last Messenger’
10. He teaches that all those who were not baptized in the Iglesia ni Cristo® has already been condemned to Hell.

Therefore, Felix Manalo is a liar, apostate, false prophet, fallen angel and that his Iglesia ni Cristo® is the modern day god baal whom they so revere and pledge allegiance to death. Aside from copy-paste carefully selected verses from different Bible Translations of their choices, they cannot establish any proof that God called Felix Manalo. Following that simple litmus test of how God calls his sages, Felix Manalo falls short and therefore he belongs to those whom he said “apostate”. All those who were not baptized in the Iglesia ni Cristo® are already condemned he said.

From his own mouth comes his own condemnation to Hell!
-----------------------
Sources:
Examine Iglesia ni Cristo
Answers.com
Web Archive
About.com
Adherents.com
Catholic Answers
Into the Maw of the Cult
CIA Facts
Iglesia ni Cristo in a Nutshell
Marshall Taylor - The Crucified Rabbi
Emily Jordan Blog

Priests are told by Pope to 'Go Forth and BLOG'

Pope to priests: Go forth and blog (Washington Post)
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI has a new commandment for priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog.

The pope, whose own presence on the Web has heavily grown in recent years, urged priests on Saturday to use all multimedia tools at their disposal to preach the Gospel and engage in dialogue with people of other religions and cultures.

And just using e-mail or surfing the Web is often not enough: Priests should use cutting-edge technologies to express themselves and lead their communities, Benedict said in a message released by the Vatican.

"The spread of multimedia communications and its rich 'menu of options' might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web," but priests are "challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources," he said.

The message, prepared for the World Day of Communications, suggests such possibilities as images, videos, animated features, blogs, and Web sites.

Benedict said young priests should become familiar with new media while still in seminary, though he stressed that the use of new technologies must reflect theological and spiritual principles.

"Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ," he said.

The 82-year-old pope has often been wary of new media, warning about what he has called the tendency of entertainment media, in particular, to trivialize sex and promote violence, while lamenting that the endless stream of news can make people insensitive to tragedies.

But Benedict has also praised new ways of communicating as a "gift to humanity" when used to foster friendship and understanding.

The Vatican has tried hard to keep up to speed with the rapidly changing field.

Last year it opened a YouTube channel as well as a portal dedicated to the pope. The Pope2You site gives news on the pontiff's trips and speeches and features a Facebook application that allows users to send postcards with photos of Benedict and excerpts from his messages to their friends.

Many priests and top prelates already interact with the faithful online. One of Benedict's advisers, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the archbishop of Naples, has his own Facebook profile and so does Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles.

In Saturday's message - titled "The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: new media at the service of the Word" - Benedict urged special care in contacts with other cultures and beliefs.

A presence on the Web, "precisely because it brings us into contact with the followers of other religions, nonbelievers and people of every culture, requires sensitivity to those who do not believe, the disheartened and those who have a deep, unarticulated desire for enduring truth and the absolute," he said.

Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, who heads the Vatican's social communications office, said that Benedict's words aimed to encourage reflection in the church on the positive uses of new media.

"That doesn't mean that (every priest) must open a blog or a Web site. It means that the church and the faithful must engage in this ministry in a digital world," Celli told reporters. "At some point, a balance will be found."

Celli, 68, said that young priests would have no trouble following the pope's message, but, he joked, "those who have a certain age will struggle a bit more."

Geert Wilder's Speech on his Trial in Denmark

Here's Mr. Geert Wilder's Speech before his hearing today- (Source: JihadWatch.org ):

Mister Speaker, judges of the court,
I would like to make use of my right to speak for a few minutes.

Freedom is the most precious of all our attainments and the most vulnerable. People have devoted their lives to it and given their lives for it. Our freedom in this country is the outcome of centuries. It is the consequence of a history that knows no equal and has brought us to where we are now.

I believe with all my heart and soul that the freedom in the Netherlands is threatened. That what our heritage is, what generations could only dream about, that this freedom is no longer a given, no longer self-evident.

I devote my life to the defence of our freedom. I know what the risks are and I pay a price for it every day. I do not complain about it; it is my own decision. I see that as my duty and it is why I am standing here.

I know that the words I use are sometimes harsh, but they are never rash. It is not my intention to spare the ideology of conquest and destruction, but I am not any more out to offend people. I have nothing against Muslims. I have a problem with Islam and the Islamization of our country because Islam is at odds with freedom.

Future generations will wonder to themselves how we in 2010, in this place, in this room, earned our most precious attainment. Whether there is freedom in this debate for both parties and thus also for the critics of Islam, or that only one side of the discussion may be heard in the Netherlands? Whether freedom of speech in the Netherlands applies to everyone or only to a few? The answer to this is at once the answer to the question whether freedom still has a home in this country.

Freedom was never the property of a small group, but was always the heritage of us all. We are all blessed by it.

Lady Justice wears a blindfold, but she has splendid hearing. I hope that she hears the following sentences, loud and clear:

It is not only a right, but also the duty of free people to speak against every ideology that threatens freedom. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States was right: The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

I hope that the freedom of speech shall triumph in this trial.

In conclusion, Mister Speaker, judges of the court.

This trial is obviously about the freedom of speech. But this trial is also about the process of establishing the truth. Are the statements that I have made and the comparisons that I have taken, as cited in the summons, true? If something is true then can it still be punishable? This is why I urge you to not only submit to my request to hear witnesses and experts on the subject of freedom of speech. But I ask you explicitly to honour my request to hear witnesses and experts on the subject of Islam. I refer not only to Mister Jansen and Mister Admiraal, but also to the witness/experts from Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Without these witnesses, I cannot defend myself properly and, in my opinion, this would not be an fair trial.

------------------------------------------
Please remember Mr. Geert Wilder in your prayers today!

Terrorism: It's Time to Break our Silence!

Thanks to AtlasShrugs2000 for these up-to-date photos!

"Allah" not for Christians (says who?)

The "Allah" war widens in Malaysia: Non-Muslims could face fines, jail for using list of 35 terms now reserved to Islam
(Thanks to JihadWatch) "Kuala Lumpur: Non-Muslims in Malaysia's Selangor state have been asked to refrain from using 35 Islamic terms and references, including the word "Allah", either orally or in writing to propagate their religion.

If a formal complaint is lodged, the violator could be charged in a court under Selangor Shariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1995 and can be fined upto RM3,000 (about 35,000 rupees) or face two years' in jail or both.

The list of terms not to be used by non-Muslims include Allah, Firman Allah (Allah's decree), solat (daily prayers), Rasul (prophet), mubaligh (missionary), mufti, iman (faith), Kaabah (the Holy cubicle), Qiblat (direction in which the Muslims pray), and Haji (Muslims who have done his pilgrimage), Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director Mohammed Khusrin Munawi said.

"These are listed under the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religious Enactment. They cannot be used to promote religions other than Islam," he noted...."
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Read more: Malaysia: Even more more churches firebombed over use of "Allah"

Churches of the Middle East: witnesses of Jesus in a world with more shadows than lights

The working document of the Synod for the Middle East outlines the situation of Christians in the region and their future prospects. Life in Muslim countries as non-citizens, and while political Islam is growing. The need for ecumenical dialogue. The difficulties of Christians living in Arab countries and relations with the Jewish world.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Minorities in countries that do not understand, and do not accept religious freedom, divided therein, by a "wavering and perplexed" faith, Christians in the Middle East must rediscover their role as "witnesses" of Jesus, by promoting dialogue between Jews and Muslims, respect for human rights and peace, that are vital for the region. They must also abandon the temptations of " self-preoccupation and fear of others”. This is the future perspective outlined in the working document, the "Lineamenta", for the Special Synod for the Middle East, which will be held 10 to 24 October 2010, presented today at the Vatican.

The 28 page document - entitled "The Catholic Church in the Middle East: communion and witness," was drafted by a pre-synodale council composed by seven patriarchs, two presidents of Episcopal conferences and four department heads of the Roman Curia. It is an analysis, point by point, of the reality in which Christians in the region live and the prospects for their continued presence. Each chapter ends with a series of questions put forward for the reflection of the "synod fathers".

The political and social framework that is outlined has decidedly more shadows than lights. "The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories makes everyday life, freedom of movement, economic and religious life difficult"; "the war in Iraq has unleashed forces of evil" and "Christians are among the main victims of the Iraqi community because they are the smallest and weakest", in Lebanon, “Christians are deeply divided along political and confessional lines, and nobody has a project that may be accepted by all", in Egypt,"the growth of political Islam on the one hand and disengagement of the Christians in civil society expose them to intolerance, inequality and injustice ", in Turkey, "the current concept of secularism continues to pose problems for the religious freedom of the country".

All this in a general framework that on the one hand sees the growth of political Islam and on the other the disinterest of world. The first, in a region where the majority is largely Muslim, "sees the cause of all evils in the distancing of Islam". "The solution, therefore, is a return of the origins of Islam". "To do that some do not hesitate to resort to violence." "These extremist currents are a threat to everyone, Christians and Muslims, and we must face them together." As for the second, "the game of international politics, often ignores the existence of Christians".

Further aggravating the picture is the fact that "too often our countries identify the West with Christianity," for which "the political choices of Western states are ascribed to the Christian faith". "This confusion, which is explained by the fact that the Muslim world does not distinguish easily between politics and religion, greatly harms the churches of the region" and "puts Christians in the delicate situation of non-citizens." The confusion between politics and religion also leads to the prohibition by the state legal systems of the conversion to a religion other than Islam. "Religious freedom and that of conscience, are unknown in the Muslim mentality”. “In Islam there is no secularism, except Turkey; Islam is, in general, the state religion, the main source of legislation, inspired by Sharia”.

As for the other great faith in the region, "Given the political situation of conflict between the Palestinians and the Arab world on the one hand and the State of Israel on the other, dialogue is poorly developed in the churches of the region. Relations with Judaism are the of prerogative of the Churches of Jerusalem". However, there are "many associations of Jewish-Christian dialogue." On the theological level is appropriate to explain to our faithful the religious bonds between Judaism and Christianity, based on the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, to avoid the political ideologies that undermine that relationship". As for the political issue proper, "it is up to us, as Christians, to encourage all peaceful means which could lead to peace through justice."

This is the "outside" reality in which the churches live, all the many churches (the Catholic churches alone are seven) in the region. One of the first issues, then, is coexistence and cooperation among Christians. "Relations are generally good and friendly" even if there are "some difficulties" of a pastoral nature, like the claim of some churches that in case of mixed marriage insist on baptising the Catholic partner again or "insurmountable difficulties" that oppose the unification of dates for the celebration of Christmas and Easter or the "difficult relationships" in the Holy Places. Nevertheless, "The ecumenical dimension is fundamental if the Christian witness is to be genuine and credible."

Witness is the answer proposed by the "Lineamenta". It calls for "a personal conversion of Christians, starting with the pastors, through a return to the spirit of the Gospel." The Churches of the Middle East "are active: there are numerous projects, many movements of young people, many educational institutions and charities, etc.. Sometimes these activities are professionally effective, but they are not always a witness. "

In conclusion, "our current situation and rather reduced presence is a consequence of history. But we, with our behavior, can improve our present and even our future. On the one hand, the global policies are a factor that will affect our decision to remain in our country or to emigrate. One the other, the acceptance of our vocation as Christians in and for our society will be a major factor of our presence and witness in our countries. " (FP)

Pope's Visit to Jewish Synagogue in Rome

Catholics-Jewish Strenghtened Relationship

Nigeria: Muslims Light Church on Fire With Worshippers in it!

(Photo Credit: radionewjerusalem) (Article Source: Loganswarning)
(Blessed are you when they persecute you because of me,for great is your reward in heaven!)

"The recent list of Churches under attack by Muslims is as follows. Algeria, Egypt, and Malaysia. Today we unfortunately get to add Nigeria to the list. This will only get worse, as Islam is a religion of war.

Angry Muslim youths set fire to a church filled with worshipers, starting a riot that killed at least 27 people and wounded more than 300 in Jos, in northern Nigeria, officials said Monday. Sani Mudi, a spokesman for the local imam, said 22 people died in fighting between Christians and Muslims after rioters set fire to a Catholic church on Sunday. Five others died Monday from their wounds. More than 300 people were killed in inter-religious violence in Jos in 2008. "

[Thanks to AtlasShrugs2000 for the link]

The TRUE CHURCH is Irrevocably Committed to Ecumenism

The Catholic Church through the leadership of the Successor of St. Peter, Benedict XVI has reiterated the Church's commitment to unite all Christians.

Benedict XVI: The Church is irrevocably committed ecumenism [Source: H2onews.org]

“The Second Vatican Council committed the Catholic Church irrevocably to following the path of the ecumenical venture.” This is what Benedict XVI said during his encounter with the Ecumenical Delegation of the Lutheran Church of Finland that is currently visiting Rome. The Pope said he was pleased with the commemoration the 25th anniversary of their traditional visit to Rome for the celebration of the Feast of St. Henrik.

In regard to relations between Lutherans and Catholics, Benedict XVI praised the recent work of the Nordic Lutheran-Catholic dialogue on questions deriving from the “Joint Declaration” and expressed the hope that this dialogue “will contribute positively to the path which leads to the restoration of our lost unity.” The unity of Christians, the Pope noted, is in fact the duty of all Christians so as to carry out the path that Christ indicated to humanity and the Church.

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Visit Pope2U for a regular update on the Pope.

Ventilacion: Felix Manalo is the Head of the Church (Iglesia ni Cristo®)

Thanks to Bro. Cenon Bibe of Tumbukin Natin

From Tumbukin Natin: "There is only one flock. There is one church. There is only one shepherd. That shepherd is Bro. Felix Manalo, not Jesus Christ." - Jose Ventilacion (INC® Minister)

Comment from a username Grade 1 in Tubukin Natin: TUMPAK! YOU HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON ITS HEAD!

[Transcript from the Video]: - "...that is why, that is why, We cannot accept," We cannot accept", that the Catholic Church is the true Church, they are the fulfillment of the apostosized Church. We beleive then that when" Christ said "I shall have other sheep! there shall be one flock,"thats one Church", there will be one sheperd," THAT SHEPERD IS BRO FELIX MANALO","NOT JESUS CHRIST" because Christ said "There Will be", that is in the FUTURE. [Jose Ventilacion]

Hindi na raw kay Kristo ang pastol kundi kay Bro Felix MAnalo raw? dahil daw si Kristo mismo ang nagsabi na "There Will be" ang pakahulugan daw ay future.. ( correct me if Im wrong..)

Ibig sabihin Hindi na kay Kristo ang kawan kundi kay Bro Felix Manalo na? HA???

Inagaw na ni Felix Manalo ang tupa ni JESUS???"

Where is the "True Church of Christ" for Haiti?

(Photo Credit: CNN and lists of Charity Institutions in the USA for Haiti)

While non-believers like pagans, agnostics, atheists and churches belonging to the “Devil” (according to Felix Manalo) such as the Catholic Church (founded by Christ) and the Protestants; political rightists, leftists, extremists, terrorists, jihadists; non-Christians like Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Red Cross, Red Crescent-- all united for earthquake victims in Haiti, the “TRUE church” Iglesia ni Cristo®” has failed to flex it’s mission to help those who are deeply in need according to the Gospel values they preached on TV.

The Iglesia ni Cristo® Corporation in the Philippines, which claims to be the “restoration” of the “true” church of Christ after it apostatized (unspecified in history), through its direct heir to the throne, Eduardo V. Manalo (grandson of the billionaire founder Felix Manalo) issued no directives to rally its members to raise money for the victims-- not even a letter of sympathy.

Common sense would dictate that a TRUE Church should worry about helping and saving poor and suffering souls while the FAKES would worry about its adherents, its registered name, and its monies.

"Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday urged a generous response to the "tragic situation" in Haiti where hundreds are feared dead following a massive earthquake.

The pope lamented Haiti's "tragic situation (involving) huge loss of human life, a great number of homeless and missing and considerable material damage."

"I appeal to the generosity of all to ensure our concrete solidarity and the effective support of the international community for these brothers and sisters who are living a time of need and suffering," the pontiff said at the end of his weekly general audience. - AFP"

CRS raised its funding commitment fivefold to $25 million and is pouring supplies into Haiti's capital of Port au Prince in the aftermath of a 7.0 earthquake.

Iglesia ni Cristo Donation for Haiti is ZERO

Catholic Donation for Haiti is generously mounting to thousands and is still counting...

To send your donations, please Help CARITAS INTERNATIONAL for Haiti!

Taylor Marshall's The Crucified Rabbi now in Google

Taylor Marshall - "I came to believe that the Church is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the People of God. In the Old Testament, the People of Israel were not free to create a “new Israel” or to form a new denomination of “Protestant Israelites.” No matter how corrupt the priests, the high priests, and the kings of Judah became, the covenant of God remained in effect. As I reflected on this, I perceived that the Protestant Reformation rejected the scriptural belief in a united, visible Church—a nation taken for granted in the Book of Acts and the epistles of Saint Paul.

My wife and I entered into full communion with the Catholic Church on may 23, 2006, along with our four children. I became a Catholic Christian because I realized that the Catholic Church alone could trace her doctrine, liturgy, customs, and morality back to those Jewish beginnings when a rabbi named Jesus roamed the Holy Land with a band of Jewish disciples. As a Catholic Christian, I am linked not only to the early Church, but also to the ancient tradition of the Old Testament. I can now say with the Apostle Paul (who was a Rabbi Saul): I share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all. – Romans 4:16" Read more Taylor Marshall's The Crucified Rabbi

Unity in the Catholic Church

Between the fake churches of Christ and the genuine Church Christ himself founded, the former teach division while the latter teaches unity in faith. Thanks to DENISE BOSSERT for this article below:

Church Unity: The Desire of Our Lord’s Heart
By Denise Bossert

Church Unity: The Desire of Our Lord’s Heart On the night he was betrayed, Jesus Christ said a very important prayer. Many Christians don’t remember it. I didn’t anyway, and as the daughter of a Protestant minister and former wife of a United Methodist minister, it should have been a memorable part of my faith formation. But if someone had asked me what one thing Jesus prayed for on the night of the Last Supper, the night he was betrayed, and the night of his arrest, I would have had to answer, “I don’t know.” In the Gospel of John chapter 17, our Lord prays to the Heavenly Father, proclaiming that the hour has come, and He asks His Father to bring him glory, the same glory that they had at the beginning of the world. And then He prays for His fledgling Church, saying,


I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them (John 17: 9-10).
I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me (John 17: 20-23).

What did our Lord pray for on the night of his betrayal? He prayed that we would be one. That the people gathered in that room would be one, and that all who came after them would be one. When I reread this passage a couple of years ago, I found myself wondering what that kind of unity would look like? If we could fully understand our Lord’s deepest desires as He prayed this prayer, what would the fulfillment of the prayer be?

Is there even a possibility that our Lord would be content with the way things have turned out? I wondered. Could we read between the lines of His prayer and infer that He meant for His Church to be a loosely connected set of people who call themselves Christians – and that it in no way bothered Him that they had divided into more than 33,000 denominations (according to David B. Barett, World Christian Encyclopedia) and had reached a point where they couldn’t seem to agree on any set of spiritual truths?

Is there even a remote possibility that our Lord’s prayer for unity would resemble the state of the “union” as it appears today? I had my doubts.

And if that isn’t quite what He had in mind, I said to myself, what would it look like? By “one” did Jesus mean for all of us to be Methodist? Assembly of God? Congregational? Was it even possible for all the Protestant denominations to abandon their separate branches of the faith and settle on another reformed branch as the one, true Church? Or was there another possibility?

Was it possible that Jesus meant for us to be one Church, with one deposit of faith, and that we were to remain faithful to that Church because Jesus promised to remain faithful to Her? Could it be that the Church our Lord had prayed for still existed somewhere? Was it possible that there was a Church that had stood the test of time, one that could trace Her roots back to that room and to the Apostles and to Peter and his keys to the kingdom? Was there a firm foundation, a core Church, a place of refuge and source of unity for all Christendom?

For the first time in my life, it didn’t seem that much of a stretch. In fact, it was beginning to make sense that Yahweh would want His Church to be one. After all, this is the same Lord who proclaimed, Hear Oh Israel, the Lord your God is One God. The God who is One God would want nothing less than complete unity for His Church.

The beauty, strength, diversity, and historical significance of the Catholic Church called to me. I realized that the Catholic Church effectively and completely fulfills our Lord’s prayer for unity. This was the nagging truth that kept me exploring the Catholic Faith after spending the first forty years of my life in Protestant denominations. When I was ready to turn tail and run, this prayer haunted me, and I couldn’t abandon the call.

Somehow, I had to find out if my suspicions were true. I imagined a world that contained one unified Church, and I realized what kind of impact that would have on non-believers. How could anyone dismiss Christianity if we were truly one visible Church, I asked myself. When I imagined the world’s response at seeing all the churches come back together as one, it made me shiver with delight.

And I realized that Jesus had predicted this in that same prayer when He shared the reason He desired unity among believers: “that the world may know that you sent me.” That just breaks my heart. Our lack of unity has given the world a reason to dismiss Jesus Christ as the Messiah, God’s Son. How can any of us ignore the call to unity when we look at it that way?

I have come to realize that the Catholic Church alone is the full expression of Christian unity. In this, she is unique.

Her Ten Visible Signs of Unity:

Lives of the Saints and Early Church Fathers
Seat of St. Peter and Apostolic Succession
Teaching Magisterium
The Eucharist and the Holy Mass
Diversity without Division
One Baptism
Witness to the World
Access to the Family
Expression of Truth and Beauty in all Human Existence
Call to All People; Come Let Us Reason Together

There is Diversity in the Catholic Church!

"The Catholic Church is the only place where diverse worship styles and callings can find common ground. If you are Catholic, you might be charismatic. You might prefer traditional forms of prayer. You might be a quiet contemplative. You might be active in social justice. If you are Catholic, you might identify with the spiritual practice of St. Benedict (Benedictine) or St. Francis of Assisi (Franciscan) or St. Dominic (Dominican) or St. Francis de Sales (Salesian). Maybe you are a Jesuit and studying for a doctorate in microbiology. Or a Carmelite who prays two or three hours every day.

Or maybe you belong to a lay apostolate and are active in pro-life activities or evangelism or worship or ecumenism. Maybe you have a call to feed the poor and clothe the naked. So you work at the St. Vincent de Paul Center or give to Catholic Charities. Maybe your heart breaks for the victims of hurricanes or tsunamis or earthquakes or wars, and you are drawn to Catholic Relief Services where you can help victims rebuild their lives. Or maybe you are active in your local parish, where you give generously of your time, talent, and treasure. In the Catholic Church there is a dynamic youth program for your children. They can go to World Youth Day in another country or to a local diocesan retreat just for them.

Marriage enrichment retreats are available for couples. There are homes for unwed mothers. And monasteries that open their doors so that individuals can have a quiet retreat with the Lord. There is no other church that has so many opportunities to give, so many ways to serve, and so many styles of worship. There are countless ways the Catholic Church encourages and provides for unity in diversity. I’ve only begun to plumb the depths of this beautifully diverse, yet unified Church..." read more HERE.

Muslims attacked Church in Malaysia for using "Allah"

Fourth church attacked in Malaysia as Allah row deepens

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Arsonists in Malaysia struck a fourth church on Saturday as the government tried to soothe tensions arising from a row over the use of the word "Allah" to refer to the Christian God.

The unprecedented attacks risk dividing the mainly Muslim nation of 28 million people, which has significant religious minorities, and complicating Prime Minister Najib Razak's plan to win back support from the non-Muslims before the next elections by 2013.

The row, over a court ruling that allowed a Catholic newspaper to use Allah in its Malay-language editions, prompted Muslims to protest at mosques on Friday and sparked arson attacks on three churches that saw one Pentecostalist church gutted.

While Najib visited the badly damaged Pentecostalist church and offered a government grant of half a million ringgit ($148,100) to maintain "a harmonious society," church leaders said they wanted more concrete assurances of safety.

"We ask the government to make a strong statement to these wrongdoers so we can worship in peace on Sunday," Reverend Hermen Shastri, secretary-general to the Council of Churches Malaysia, told Reuters.

Malaysia is mainly Muslim and Malay but there are substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities who mainly practice Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.

These minorities handed the government its biggest losses in 2008 state and national elections in part due to feelings of religious marginalization and growing disillusionment with corruption.

In the latest attack on early Saturday, unidentified attackers flung a home-made petrol bomb at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in a suburb in Selangor state. The two-storey bungalow sustained minor damage, church officials said.

Police said they have stepped up security at all places of worship but faced a manpower shortage. Inspector General of Police Musa Hasan told churches across the country to hire more security guards.

ALLAH

Christians account for nine percent of the 28 million population, with a sizable number of non-English speaking Christians in Malaysia's Borneo island states of Sabah and Sarawak who have used the word "Allah" for decades.

Najib's handling of the issue will determine whether he can keep the support of the Malays and win back ethnic Chinese and Indian voters to solidify his grip on power after taking control of the government last year.

"Till today we are protecting the interests of other races besides championing those of the Malays," Najib was earlier quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.

"Don't point fingers and say UMNO is racist...when churches are burned," he said referring to his party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) that is the linchpin of the National Front that has ruled the country for 52 years.

But Malay-Muslims, including those in UMNO, fear the word could be used by Christians to proselytize to Muslims, which is already illegal in the Southeast Asian country.

More than 169,000 Malaysians have joined a group page on social networking site Facebook called "Protesting the use of the name Allah by non-Muslims," a fourfold increase from the start of this week that signals growing Islamic anger.

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Comments can be read at JihadWatch.org.

Sharing our Catholic Faith - A Practical Guide

Sharing Our Catholic Faith - A Practical Guide (by Fully Catholic )

The word Catholic means universal; and a basic aspect of our Catholic faith is that of spreading it or rather sharing it with others. One of the real beauty of our faith is to come to Jesus Christ in a real and powerful way. It can be equated to that of a priceless treasure or a pearl of great price. The great thing about this experience; the beauty of this treasure; the real value of this pearl of great price is that there is more than enough of it to be shared with the whole world. In fact, the Catholic faith attains its real value when it is shared with others. The Catholic faith is something that is alive - in fact very much so - and active.

Our Catholic faith is not meant to be an experience that is restricted to the time spent in church or religious assemblies, but transcends way beyond these boundaries into every facet of our being. If our Catholic faith is not lived in this way, then it becomes but another temporary fad. Speaking of which, there is a very dangerous trend that is currently taking place, where a number of religious items, in particular rosaries, of being worn as fashion statements. This is something that I believe that we as Church must guard against since it undermines and belittles much of our faith. I will not go too much into this at this time as it is something to address and pray about in later articles... Read More!

Questions and Answers to Catholics & Non-Catholics

ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOR CATHOLIC AND NON-CATHOLICS (thanks to Catholic Come Home

Here are some of the good questions everyone should know the answer.

Why does the Catholic Church believe Christ is really present in the Eucharist?
Why can't non-Catholics receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church?
Why Protestants not believe John 6 when it says that Jesus' flesh is real food and that His blood is a real drink?
Is the Catholic Mass really the same all around world everytime it is celebrated?

Iglesia Ni Cristo Church Of Christ Incorporated

"Iglesia Ni Cristo Church Of Christ Inc. is a private company categorized under Miscellaneous Denomination Church and located in Everett, WA. ..."Iglesia ni Cristo Inc.

The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church within the Everett area isn't Incorporated for that matter because it's not a business but a Church. Other parishes within Everett are found here.

IRAQ TO BUILD MASSIVE MOSQUE OVER THE TOMB OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL

Source: thelastcrusade.org
DESECRATION OF SACRED SITE PROMPTS LITTLE ATTENTION
by
Paul L. Williams, Ph.D.
thelastcrusade.org

The Iraqi government plans to convert the Tomb of the Prophet Ezekiel, one of the most sacred sites for Christians and Jews, into a massive new mosque.

What’s more, the Iraqis intend to erase all Jewish markings from the tomb so that no indication of its historic significance will remain for future generations.

The plan to transform the ancient burial site into a mosque was reported this week by Ur News, the Iraqi news agency, and Shelomo Alfassa, Director of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries.

Mr. Alfassa says that Iraq’s Antiquities and Heritage Authority “has been pressured by Islamists to historically cleanse all evidence of a Jewish connection to Iraq – a land where Jews had lived for over a thousand years before the advent of Islam.”

The desecration of the tomb, Mr. Alfassa adds, is taking place under “the pretext of restoring the site.”

Similar confirmation comes from Professor Shmuel Moreh, Israel Prize Laureate in Arabic Literature and Professor Emeritus at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who says that he is aware that the Hebrew inscriptions have been erased and that the plans for the new mosque are well underway.

The ancient burial site of Ezekiel is located in Al-Kifl, a small town south of Baghdad.

Ezekiel, whose prophecies included the Valley of the Dry Bones and the return of the Jews to Israel, lived in the sixth century B.C., having accompanied the exiled Judeans to Babylon.

Throughout the centuries, thousands of pilgrims visited the site of his tomb annually before Iraqi Jewry came to an abrupt end in 1979 with the rise of the Islamic Revolution. Though well over 100,000 Jews lived in Iraq, this number has been decimated to no more than eight, Professor Moreh said. “There are others,” he added, “but they barely know that they are Jews; in many cases, their parents did not tell them.”

Now the remaining Christians are killed or forced into exile. Over the holiday season, increased attacks by Islamists have taken place on churches and convents and a dozen Iraqi Christians have been put to death.

The violence, according to Monsignor Louis Sako, Archbishop of Kirkuk, is part of a project of “ethnic cleansing” against the Iraqi Christians that is taking place with the covert blessing of the Iraqi government.

According to local sources, nearly 2,000 Christians have been killed in Iraq since 2003, the year of the fall of Saddam Hussein; thousands more have been driven into exile.

Iraq – the Biblical Mesopotamia -is almost as rich in Jewish history as the Land of Israel. It is the land where Abraham discovered monotheism, and where the prophets Ezra, Nehemiah, Nahum, Jonah and Daniel, along with Ezekiel, are also buried.

The plans for the mosque over the bones of the prophet have met with scant media attention and little outcry from Jewish and Christian communities.

Personal Attack by an unidendified INC® reporter Conrad J. Obligacion

There’s one thing certainly the Iglesia ni Cristo® members can’t directly refute—FACTS!

In history, the Catholic Church is the only Christian Church that traces it’s origin to the first century making it one of the oldest intitutions in the world and has existed for more than 2,000 years. In fact the history of the Catholic Church is directly integrated to the history of Christianity and the history of Western Civilization as a whole (see answers.com).

In the same way, the history of the Iglesia ni Cristo®, traces its origin from 1914 ("July 27 – Felix Manalo registers the Iglesia Ni Cristo with the Filipino government." wikipedia) according to its records at the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission making it one of the many “churches’ founded and managed by individuals. The cult is known to have been founded and registered by Felix Y. Manalo in Sitio Punta, Sta. Ana in the city of Manila in the Philippines as a Corporation Sole owned and managed by the Manalo Clan.

Unlike the Iglesia ni Cristo® of Felix Manalo, the Catholic Church is NOT registered in any government in the world because it existed even before these governments became nations.

From the time of St. Peter, our present Pope Benedict XVI is the 265th Popes (see list here) of the Universal Church which has direct lineage to the Petrine See established in the Vatican, in whose “keys of the kingdom” was given to him “Thou art Peter (Rock) and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you loose on earth will be loosen in heaven.”

Unlike the Iglesia ni Cristo®, neither the Popes nor the Bishops transfer their power to any of their relatives. However since the Iglesia ni Cristo® as a Corporation Sole owned and managed by the Manalo family, it is logical that Felix would confered his inheritance to his son Eraño. After Eraño died his son Eduardo inherited the Iglesia ni Cristo® corporation from his father Eraño. Indeed the Iglesia ni Cristo is a more than a business than a church.

In 1820 A.D. Joseph Smith claimed that Christ’s Church apostatized and that he came to re-established it. Later, he proclamed himself the “Last Prophet”. Another man in 1914 by the name Felix Manalo claimed also the same but at this time he claimed to be the “Last Angel (Messenger)” of God, Christ and the Apostles.

Unlike the Iglesia ni Cristo® cult, the Popes do not own not a single pebble found in the Vatican. Its beautiful museums and artifacts, paintings and sculptures are not owned by neither any Pope nor Bishops residing in the Vatican. Among the vast contradictions between the original Church of Christ and the many wannabees churches of Christ, the Iglesia ni Cristo®’s wealth is not known to any member except that the Manalo clan has closely monitored every single cent added to their account (read Iglesia ni Cristo in a Nutshell). Each dollar to its last cent is owned by the Manalo family and every trademark (Iglesia ni Cristo® ) and its buildings, to the last pebble found in their temples are owned by the Manalo. The Republic of the Philippines has stipulated that the Iglesia ni Cristo® Trademark belongs solely to Felix Manalo and his clan—no other individuals can register any similar name unless one has to register a name like "Iglesia de Cristo”

These are FACTS!

Iglesia ni Cristo® members has their own way of refuting my arguments. Either they invite you to meet a Minister in their localities or — put you to shame by PERSONILITY/CHARACTER ASSASSINATION tactic!

An unidentified Iglesia ni Cristo® reporter who was into hiding by using a name he stole from Mr. Soriano, the founder of the Ang Dating Daan (see Public forum) was silenced. In other forums, he’s known as “truthcaster” “c_amalon” “cedric_amalon” etc. but he is one and the same person.

Spitted out from forums for being rude, unprofessional, annoying, committed bigotry, character assassination, malice, slander, foul language, naming names, spreading malicious information, stealing names, he was later known to be the owner of a blog solely for retaliation (resbak.com --which he NEVER posted any comments challenging his stand!).

Identified as CONRAD J. OBLIGACION (he too stole my name and created a bogus blog that bears my name at Catholic Ivatan) he posted the photos of Fr. Abe from Splendor of the Church while he hides behind the skirts of his mother providing no photo in his personal blog. Out of desperation he even threatened me in my blog:

Mr. Conrad J. Obligacion is COWARD! While feasting on someone's identity like Father Abe, he hide his real identity from the public! What a COWARD SISSY(sorry for my language)!

Mr. Conrad J. Obligacion is the embodiment of EVIL in its purest sense, something typical to members of any cult like the cult he belongs to. In fact his own god-angel, Felix Manalo preached in Davao demonizing the Pope and every Catholic by saying that the Pope is the anti-Christ, Catholics are sons (and daughters) of the Devil, priests as ministers of the Devil and the Catholic Church not by Christ but the Devil (Pasugo, August, 1962, p. 9 and Pasugo October, 1956, p. 1).

Mr. Obligacion has mastered what he got from the Father of Lies (Satan), and has inherited darkness from his own cult (Iglesia ni Cristo® Corporation). He bears no Christian values whatsoever in his articles. He fabricated lies and sowed them and made people stumble in the the darkness he created. He published false statements against Christ's own Church (Catholic Church) but defended the Iglesia ni Cristo® cult just like pagans lifting god Baal to the heights worthy of God alone!

Like any Iglesia ni Cristo® member, he esteemed Felix Manalo and the Iglesia ni Cristo® more than Christ God and the Church Christ himself established (in Jerusalem) which he promised to keep. He reduced Christ to a mere man but lifted Felix Manalo to the heights of angels (and gods).

His lies can NEVER be hidden (and soon he will be revealed). God will not let the light of Truth be hidden under his darkness. God will exposed him (God-willing) and his lies. The lights of the Bible has exposed what should be done to anyone who preaches another gospel like Felix Manalo. God will do the same to anyone who preaches another gospel like Conrad J. Obligacion.

Here's the truth. Be it a warning to all Catholics (see Galatians 1:6-9 ).

"I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by (the) grace (of Christ) for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed!

As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!"

St. Paul says, let that man who preached another gospel be accursed. Felix Manalo must be accursed now in Hell and Mr. Obligacion is following his footsteps. Mr. CONRAD J. OBLIGACION neither carries the truth therefore he rightly deserves to be called the 'LIECASTER'. Just like Satan, a LIAR is unworthy of our belief.

Pope Urges Terrorists to Abandon Violence

Says a New Path Is Possible With God

VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org), JAN. 1, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is urging those involved in violence of any kind to stop and reflect and thus embark on a path of peace.

The Pope made this exhortation today before praying the first midday Angelus of the year with those gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Holy Father acknowledged that for those involved in violent groups, a change of life might seem impossible. But, he assured, God can make it happen.

The Pontiff's brief Angelus message focused both on the New Year begun today and the path of peace, as Jan. 1 marks the World Day of Peace. The theme for this year's World Day celebration highlighted the importance of protecting the environment.

"To all of you I express my wish that the year just begun will be a time in which, with the help of the Lord, we can find Christ and the will of God and thus as well improve our common home, which is the world," he said.

Regarding the issues of climate change and the disappearance of resources, the Holy Father affirmed that global action is urgently necessary.

But, he continued, "I would like to highlight the importance that each one's decisions have in defending the environment -- the decisions of families and local administrations."

"'We can no longer do without a real change of outlook which will result in new lifestyles,'" he said, citing his World Day of Peace Message. "In reality, all of us are responsible for the protection and care of the created world. Therefore, in this field too, education is fundamental."

The Bishop of Rome continued: "If we should care for the creatures that surround us, what consideration we should have for people, our brothers and sisters! What respect for human life! On the first day of the year, I would like to call out to the consciences of those who form part of armed groups of any kind.

"To each and every one, I say: Stop, reflect and abandon the path of violence! At first, this step could seem impossible to you, but if you have the courage to do it, God will help you, and you will feel return to your hearts joy and peace, which perhaps you've forgotten for a long time now. I entrust this call to the intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God, Mary."

Finally, the Holy Father reflected on the Christmas message, as the octave draws to a close.

"Today, the liturgy reminds us that eight days after the birth of the Child, [Mary] and her husband Joseph brought him to be circumcised, according to the Law of Moses, and gave him the name Jesus, which had been given him by the angel," the Pope recalled. "This name, which means 'God saves,' is the fulfillment of the revelation of God. Jesus is the face of God. He is the blessing for each person and for all populations. He is the peace of the world.

"Thank you, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the Savior, the Prince of Peace!"

"Allah" for Catholics

Finally, the highest court of Malaysia rulled that Catholics are allowed to published their articles using the word "Allah" for God.

Malaysia rules Catholic paper has right to use 'Allah' (AFP News)

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia's high court ruled Thursday that a Catholic paper had the right to use the word "Allah" after a long-running dispute between the government and the weekly in the Muslim-majority nation.

The ruling overturns the government's controversial threat to cancel The Herald's annual publishing permit.

"The applicant has the constitutional right to use the word 'Allah'," Judge Lau Bee Lan told a packed courtroom, declaring the government's ban on the paper's use of the word "illegal, null and void".

The weekly used the word "Allah" as a translation for "God" in its Malay-language section but the government argued "Allah" should be used only by Muslims.

Lau said the home ministry, which licenses all newspapers in the country, had taken into account "irrelevant considerations" when making the paper's publishing permit conditional on it not using the word.

She said it had shown no evidence that the use of the word by Christians was "a threat to national security".

The Herald's editor, Father Lawrence Andrew, said he was pleased with the decision and the paper would use the word 'Allah' in its upcoming Sunday edition.

"This also means that... the Christian faith can now continue to freely use the word 'Allah'... without any interference from the authorities," he added.

Government lawyers have not yet decided whether to appeal the ruling.

The Herald is printed in four languages, with a circulation of 14,000 copies a week in a country with about 850,000 Catholics.

The court case was among a string of religious disputes that have erupted in recent years, straining relations between Muslim Malays and minority ethnic Chinese and Indians who fear the country is being "Islamised".

Religion and language are sensitive issues in multiracial Malaysia, which experienced deadly race riots in 1969.