With the recent revelation that Susan and Chad (both from the Parish Council) are, in fact, a married Catholic couple with divergent views, I wondered how on earth these two could be a happily married couple. Apparently with 8 children (in total between them from current and previous marriages). One of whom is gay.
What is clear from this table is that there are no deletions by anyone. Every church uses a summary for easy memorisation, but a summary does not mean they have removed anything from the Bible.
The Catholic Church simply doesn't have the influence in modern society to get such a law right, even if it wanted to. It will never happen anyway, but if it did, the world would have to change a LOT. It would be an extreme law, requiring a situation much different to that of today.
Vaccines and the huge benefits they have brought are a matter of science and history and fact, and there is plenty of evidence for those who are willing to look at it. I'll briefly comment on some aspects of vaccine success and discuss some legitimate instances where vaccines are inappropriate, and I'll give useful links below; my purpose here is to make a statement and not to provide several years worth of studying science on one page. I'll also touch on the valid problem of…
In Part 1 we looked at a striking and honest Adventist acknowledgement of the type of dishonesty that forms part of Adventist culture. Here we'll look at specific common examples of how dishonest Adventists spread fake facts and fake history.
Adventist Today: "We have in this denomination nurtured a class of people who have little regard for verifiable truth. Some lie intentionally and boldly, such as those who altered that article and passed on the letter as factual. Of the rest, it is unclear to me whether they lack the ability to distinguish a spurious story from a true one, or just prefer to believe any bit of mythology that feeds their hunger for novelty, and affirms their fears. ... They preferred titillating myths ..."
Adventists like Scheifler persist in trying to squeeze blood out of a stone. Adventists - please try to deal with facts, not your tradition. By carrying on with this nonsense, your witness then only serves to witness against you as an apologist for Adventism, and people won't take you seriously.
Adventists shy away from anything to do with the sun. Sun worship, they say. But comparing God to the sun is not wrong.
It's a common belief that Easter is pagan. One claim is that the name is derived from Ostare or Eostre, a pagan goddess. I tweeted in response to various tweets claiming such nonsense. I had an interesting discussion with a very opinionated lady. I want to post a few notes here on how seemingly educated people are drawn into this nonsense, and how bizarre their arguments can be.
I think that biological monogenism is not hard to maintain, and I think it's actually hard to avoid.
Adventists believe some strange things. Some Adventists believe even stranger things. There's a small but vocal group within Adventism that denies the divinity of Jesus Christ, a core teaching of biblical Christianity. Some other groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses and Christedelphians teach this too.
Some time back I wrote a comment on Taylor Marshall's blog. I'm putting my comment up here too now. My point was to argue that there are two separate issues that are often conflated.
My view on the Old Testament atrocities is that human history, and especially the activities and rules in the Old Testament, are a play laid out by God to teach us something at the end.
Some baptise by immersion, full or partial, and some by pouring. Some restrict baptism to full immersion. What does the Bible say?
Some Christians don't like to celebrate the events in Jesus' life, and they follow a pseudo-Jewish calendar that includes passover and the other Jewish holy days.
Three times the Bible refers to Passover as the Passover of the Jews. John 2:13, John 6:4, John 11:55.
Did Jesus die on a Friday and rise from the dead on a Sunday? Or did he die on a Wednesday or Thursday? And did he rise from the dead on a Saturday?
Pope Francis has demanded and obtained the resignation of the head of another sovereign state, and will appoint his own temporary supervisor until the state elects a new head of state approved by the pope.
With no weekly 7th day sabbath under the New Covenant, Christians chose the most important day of the week to hold as special - Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead.
Adventists, and others, dislike the way the Catholic Church has set aside various days of the year for celebrating Jesus Christ. They label such things as "pagan" even if they aren't pagan at all. (The word "pagan" is a synonym for "Catholic" amongst many of this crowd, irrespective of actual religious origins of any practice or teaching.)
To complete the collection of posts I have on the virginity of Mary, I'll address the brothers of Jesus named in the Bible.
Someone emailed me and wrote: "The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 in the Torah match the Ten Commandments in the KJV and all the protestant bibles. That in itself is proof that the Catholic Church changed the Ten Commandments."
While Catholics and Lutherans (and some other Protestants) have agreed that both sides mean the same thing when they use different words, there remains tension with some regarding salvation by faith alone vs salvation by grace alone. Our response to grace is sometimes mistakenly seen by Protestants as being our own works, and therefore of no value to God.
Adventists, and other anti-Catholics, claim that popes have taught that they are God. Anyone who knows anything about the Catholic Church knows that the pope doesn't consider himself to be God.
Adventists like to present a fake papal title as evidence that the papacy is linked to the number 666 found in Revelation 13:18.
It has been suggested to me over time that I write a book on Adventism. At last I've put together the more important posts from this blog into an ebook, which is free on this website and on Lulu, and minimally priced on Amazon.
People sometimes complain that the Vatican is rich, and should sell all their stuff and donate the money to the poor. This article shows what drivel that idea is.
In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant contained the glory of God. In the New Testament, the Ark of the New Covenant contained God himself in the flesh. Important parallels regarding the content of the Ark: Manna – Eucharist (Jesus’ body and blood) Rod of Aaron – Rod of Jesse (Jesus) 10 Commandments – Gospel One of the most striking parallels in Scripture is 2 Samuel 6 and Luke 1, which have so many parallel phrases one has to be blind or stubborn…
By various means, people have calculated that it was 50 days (inclusive) after Passover that the 10 Commandments were give by God to Moses.
Previously I was asked about my understanding of the end times and the correct interpretation of Revelation.
I was told that I was being unreasonable in not providing an alternative theory for Daniel's prophecies. If I wanted to refute Adventism's interpretation of Daniel, I needed to provide an alternative theory in addition to showing why Adventism was wrong.
At this time of the year, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and the Incarnation of God the Son in human form, scoffers appear. Adventists are amongst these. Some Adventists celebrate Christmas, some don't. Those who don't rely on two key arguments - 1) it's not commanded in the Bible, and no permission is given to do so, and 2) misinformation.
Adventists and others accuse Catholics of disobeying Jesus by calling our priests "Father". But the interesting thing is that Ellen White referred to William Miller, the founder of the Millerite movement that started Adventism, as "Father Miller".
Some Christians dislike halos. That is often just another excuse to dislike the Catholic Church.
The wolves (or donkeys, depicted on the right) cannot read, or don't want to read. They see the words "failure of the cross" and abandon context and honesty in order to promote their nasty agenda. I don't see how any honest person can read the entire paragraph, notice the words "humanly speaking", and misunderstand. The wolves bear false witness. It's what they do.
Today, on the centenary of Ellen White's death, we pray for Adventism, that its members may share the faith of the Saints of the Church, and share in their glory in heaven with Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, the Apostles, the Patriarchs, and all the Saints of God. We pray, on the eve of Ellen White's birthday, that her teachings diminish and the teachings of Christ through his Church increase. We ask Ellen, along with all the angels and saints, to pray with us…
This blog is about Adventism, but the Maria Divine Mercy cult is much like Adventism - false prophecies, teachings contrary to the Bible, etc. In fact they're quite similar to Adventism in some ways, as Supertradmum points out on her blog Etheldredasplace: WOW from A Reader
Mike Senseney wrote the following on a Facebook forum, and he's given permission for me to share this. He's an ex-Adventist who found his way home to the Catholic Church.
It's a current trend to post why one remains Catholic. There are many reasons, but I think mine are mostly historical. I believe that the first century Christians developed into the second century Christians, who developed into the third century Christians, and then into the 4th century Christians. ...
Ellen White has a history of making up history. She also has a history of taking completely non-Adventist groups like the Albigensians and Waldensians and claiming they were proto-Adventists. (The Waldensians were far too Catholic to come close to being Adventist, and the Albigensians were gnostics who shunned marriage and believed in a set of two Gods - the evil God of the Old Testament and the good God of the New Testament.)
An Adventist is possibly amongst those running for the throne that is arguably the most powerful position in the world. Dr Benjamin Solomon Carson Sr., a retired neurosurgeon and a Republican, is potentially the next US President. And he is a Seventh-day Adventist.
Often in discussion with Adventists, they will use strange ways to avoid answering a question, or to refute an argument in an imaginative (almost schizophrenic) way. Often they’ll just change the subject. But sometimes they make themselves look very, very weird. You sometimes wonder if they can even reason properly. I’m not sure why that is – are they just trolls baiting you, or is there some sort of mental block against the obvious preventing them from seeing it? Here are some examples. I started…
Adventists baptise only by full immersion (submersion), and they don’t consider other forms of baptism to be real baptisms. They also don’t baptise infants, but that’s another story for another day. As with the Sabbath, Adventism’s doctrine is based on selected texts and not the entire biblical picture. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, recognises all three modes of baptism depicted in the Bible. We baptise by immersion (single or triple) and by pouring, and while we don’t baptise by sprinkling, we recognise its…
Do you consider eating pork to be contrary to the Bible? Do you believe that the prohibition against eating pork applies to Christians under the New Covenant? Take this quiz and see what the Bible says.
Adventists have a reputation for their dishonesty, and not just among Catholics. Out there in real life and on the internet there is a huge collection of anti-Catholic propaganda waiting for gullible Catholics, and others, to ensnare them. When a Catholic meets a certain type of Adventist, this sort of propaganda abounds.
When Christians study the Bible and reach different conclusions, how can they figure out which conclusion is the correct one? Is there a way to know that one is right, apart from the conviction that the Holy Spirit has led one in one's study of the Bible? When someone has a different interpretation of the Bible to ours, how do we know the Holy Spirit has led us, and not them? How can we be sure that we are right? Or is there a possibility…
For those who find the Mass somewhat strange, and wonder where on earth we got it from, the answer is short - it's based on Jewish liturgies, importantly the Passover seder.
No, Pope Francis is not making people get microchipped. I've seen this nonsense in two places now.
Over at the Knights of Columbus website, there is a page with links to prayers and devotions.
The short answer, no, but that won't satisfy Adventists and other anti-Catholics. Over at Almost Not Catholic, Brent has a good article debunking Adventist claims - Myth Buster: Constantine Founded the Catholic Church.
For some time now, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate have been in the news. Marc Aupiais over at the South African Catholic News Service asked me to write something about them. In short, there is too much opinion and not enough fact out there - we don't have all the details, and are unlikely to. I've expressed my own opinion in the op-ed on what may have gone wrong, and whether or not the action taken may be justified. Also worth discussing is whether…
"In 2007 the Vatican made an unprecedented decision. After over half a century of bitter conflict within the Church, an ancient, almost forbidden rite was finally unleashed. For some it was the beginning of the end. For others the battle had finally begun." - Reclaiming the Sacred Productions
A possible Eucharistic miracle has occurred at the Syro-Malabar Catholic parish of Christ the King in the village of Vilakannur, in the Kannur district of Kerala, India.
Reborn Pure, about whom I've blogged before, has posted her introduction to the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Catholic Churches on YouTube. Really worth watching. And a video on salvation (the Protestant vs Orthodox views) by Fr Steve Robinson.
Here we look at Catholic explanations, showing that this concept of the 10 Commandments being part of the Old Covenant legal code, and therefore not the legal code in effect today, is indeed believed by Catholics and supported by Catholic teaching.
No, Halloween is NOT a pagan holiday adopted by Catholics and passed on to Protestants. That's a myth perpetuated by anti-Catholics and those who, contrary to the Bible, fear what has been offered to pagan gods. So, in reality, Halloween is a safe and fun secular practice with Christian origins. If you don't believe that, or dislike the type of Christian faith it originated in, follow Paul's advice. If you don't feel you can go that far yet, don't complain about those who have a…
As the symbol of the Church, and as the first Christian, Mary is now what we will become. She birthed God into the world; we are called to bring God to others. She was sinless; we will be made spotless. She was taken body and soul into heaven; we will ultimately be resurrected and our bodies reunited with our souls in heaven.
"Cathoolic - New Evangelization and Apologetics. Countering "sheep-stealing" from the Catholic Church" Cathoolic is run by Godwin Delali Adadzie from Ghana, and he also runs two other sites on Catholicism - About the Rosary and Are Catholics Christian? He's got a short book on the Rosary - visit his Rosary site to get it for your Kindle / PC / other reader.
Continuing my posts on young Catholic apologists/evangelists, this is part 2 of 3. A young guy called Joseph has a YouTube channel with (currently) 38 videos defending various Catholic teachings. "To all Catholics in good standing with the Church, I hope that you learn something from these videos that will help you in your life later on. To all non-Catholics and cafeteria Catholics, please be opened to the truth and let God show you the correct path."
"New Catholic Generation is an organization composed of all Catholic Teenagers on YouTube testifying to their faith in Jesus Christ." These people are clearly Catholic apologists in their own right. They know what they believe and share it with others. Most Catholic apologists I follow are older than I am. These apologists of the future are probably all just under half my age. If the Jesuits had the vibrance and spirit of these people, the world would be converted in a matter of weeks.
The Latin Mass is growing in popularity around the world, and over the last few years I've seen several reports of how young Catholics are attracted to the ancient Mass. This is a growing movement that I don't believe can be stopped.
This is a series of e-mails I got from a lady who converted from Anglican to Adventist, spent 20 years as an Adventist, realised how wrong it was, went back to the Anglican church for a while, and then finally converted to the Catholic faith. ... "I have only recently discovered your Catholic help webpage on the net and wish to thank you for your courage in sharing your faith, plus the extensive biblical/Early Church Fathers debunking of SDA teachings re Catholic Christianity, salvation, the…
Catholics (and most other Christians) believe Sunday is a special day to be celebrated, because it is the day Jesus rose from the dead. The Jews kept the Sabbath on Saturday, and this is reflected in the 10 Commandments. However, only the moral code of the Old Testament is applicable to Christians - we don't need to sacrifice animals, keep Passover, Yom Kippur, or the Sabbath, and we are free from the dietary restrictions as well.
I have been planning to write a series of posts over the next year or so that will cover some of the major points on which Catholics get hassled by non-Catholics, and in particular by Adventists and other Sabbath-keeping groups. Finally I have managed to get round to it. My intention is to present or explain what the Catholic Church believes, what the biblical evidence is, and why the commonly heard objections are faulty. I will not be writing a complete thesis on each topic,…
When one group of Christians needs to lie about another group of Christians in order to look good and promote their cause, what does that say about them? The commandment not to lie is part of the same set of 10 that contains the commandment to keep the Sabbath. Yet some Sabbath keepers are more than willing to tell lies about the Catholic Church to promote their agenda.
In his new book, Waking Up Catholic, Chad Torgerson describes his journey into the Catholic Church. He discusses how his faith in Christ developed over the years, from Lutheran, to agnostic/atheist, to born-again Protestant, and finally Catholic. Specifically, he brings in how his relationship with Christ was influenced by his study of Catholic teachings and practices, and shows how they can bring one closer to Christ. The book is easy to read, but gets to the point of complex issues remarkably well without becoming too…
As mentioned previously, a priest, Fr Noel, from the Archdiocese of Cape Town recently attended the Latin Mass training course at Ratcliffe College in England, which was organised by the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales. Fr Noel has kindly given me some photos to share.
Adventism is well know for those members and clergy who misrepresent the Catholic faith. Not all Adventists are dishonest, and I've had apologies from Adventists who acknowledge and regret their church's dishonesty. Unfortunately, via Tesa Beem at "It's Okay NOT to be a Seventh-day Adventist", I've seen another example of gross misrepresentation of Catholicism by Adventists.
The two videos below show the differences between some modern Catholic and Orthodox Masses / Divine Liturgies. Eastern rite Catholics are similar to the Orthodox.
On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Holy Father will preside over a special Eucharistic adoration that will extend at the same time all over the world involving the cathedrals and parishes in each diocese. For an hour, at 5 PM (Rome time), the whole world will be united in prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
There is a website called Come, Pray the Rosary that is an "online Rosary for participation in worldwide or individual prayer" - a perpetual Rosary. I'm not sure how many people use it.
I've posted new videos of the Mass / Divine Liturgy / liturgical celebrations on my page The Mass - video collection.
A priest from the Archdiocese of Cape Town attended the recent training course for the Latin Mass in Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, UK. More photos will follow, but here are a few from the organisers, used with the permission of Joseph Shaw of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales.
Adventists, and others such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and those groups continuing Herbert Armstrong’s legacy, often claim that Easter is derived from a pagan festival. In fact, there are two important points to raise in response to them – a) whether or not Easter is pagan, and, for the Armstrong followers, b) which days of the week the Crucifixion and Resurrection were.
The late Adventist scholar Samuele Bacchiocchi was influenced by the teachings of Herbert Armstrong, and promoted the observance of Jewish holy days instead of Christian holy days. In his Endtime Issues #43 he rearranges the historical evidence to form a revised version of history to support his arguments. He beautifully provides us with a typical example of how historical evidence is misapplied.
I don't want to become a general Catholic blog, or go into (too much) general apologetics. I want my audience to be a) Catholics who need a defence of their faith specifically from Adventist arguments against Catholicism, and b) Adventists seriously interested in understanding Catholicism and why we don't accept their arguments as sound. I have a few ideas I'm working on for future topics. For the few visitors I get, please mention what you think I could write posts on. Thanks.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has delivered a national apology to victims of forced adoption practices that were in place in Australia from the late 1950s to the 1970s. I can imagine that one day humanity will say these words about abortion.
I just found the Y-Jesus site, which has some good arguments as to why Jesus is God, and why Jesus actually did claim to be God. And then Dave Armstrong's detailed argument, which I've mentioned before.
The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople has invited Pope Francis to travel with him to the Holy Land next year to mark the 50th anniversary of the embrace between Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI, the pioneers of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. During their private meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis explored possible paths towards unity, including theological dialogue, environmental defense, and a visit to the Fanar, after going through proper diplomatic channels.
God said to St Francis of Assisi, "Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins". So, what needs repair?
Will Pope Francis suppress the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, allowing us only the Ordinary Form, thereby reversing the much-needed liturgical reform? He has that authority. He can bind and loose with the authority given to Peter. But I don't believe he will.
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam. Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Georgium Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglio. Qui sibi nomen imposuit Francisco.
Over at WikiAnswers, someone asked how Pope Benedict XVI got his helicopter pilot's licence. The answer given is quite correct - "By taking lessons, and then by taking the exam." He was even allowed to fly the papal helicopter in the earlier days of his papacy.
Pope Benedict also likes cats. Apparently Pope Paul VI had to be persuaded not to eat the frogs in this pond.
La Stampa has a lovely walk-through of how the new pope will be elected. Very educational. I didn't know that the way things are done changes with the 34th ballot. Pope Benedict XVI changed the simple majority back to a 2/3 majority for all the ballots, though, so it could run well beyond 34.
Liturgical dancing - abolish it! It looks silly. It looks like moon worship. It's not Catholic. I hope Cardinal Arinze is elected pope. He'd be a good pope.
Understanding the Eucharist, by Scott Hahn
Pope Benedict made his last pipatum yesterday, 28 February. -- "Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives."
Thanksgiving Video for Life and Ministry of Pope Benedict XVI
The final blessing: Pope Benedict's last general audience
The Southern Cross, the weekly South African Catholic newspaper, has a letter and an article hoping for something that will not happen. ... Abandon the Sign of the Cross? ... Deus avertat! Hopefully they will recognise that we need another Pope Benedict. We need orthodoxy.
Pope Benedict XVI is a cat lover. He even started an encyclical on cats, which he unfortunately never got round to finishing - it was to be his 25th encyclical.
The Catholic Church consists, currently, of 23 different Churches sui iuris. "Sui iuris" means autonomous, although all are united under the leadership of the Pope. Each Church is known as a particular Church, and the Pope, in addition to being leader of all 23, also has the authority over the Latin Church that the Patriarchs have over their sui iuris Churches. All except the Latin Church are Eastern Churches. Not all Churches have Patriarchs - some have Major Archbishops, some Metropolitans, and the rest have…
I remember exactly where I was on the evening of Tuesday April 19 2005. I was in Parow, in a Pick 'n Pay grocery store, near the frozen meat isle, and got a call from my mother. I was absolutely thrilled. The cardinal I had been inspired by for several years, and respected tremendously, and whom I hoped would be pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
I’m not a woman who has suffered abuse, but I have an opinion on domestic abuse. I’m not a man, but I have an opinion on funding for prostate cancer research. I’m not a slave, but I have an opinion on human trafficking. I’m not a soldier or live in a war zone, but I have an opinion on Canadian military engagement. I’m not an Aboriginal person, but I have an opinion on the Idle No More movement.
Though I'd read work by other Christians who laid out compelling cases for their beliefs, there was something about Pope Benedict's particular style that reminded me of the people I knew growing up. Many times I thought that if my father and his scientist friends were to become believers and explain why they believed, this is what it would look like. When I read the Holy Father's encyclicals, speeches, and books, I didn't feel so lost in the Christian world anymore. I learned what it…
Arthur and Teresa Beem are ex-Adventists who became Catholic. They have a book, which I blogged on previously and I will eventually move that post to this new blog. Very, very good and insightful book. They have two blogs which I highly recommend.
On 28 April 2009, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI left his pallium lying on the tomb of Pope St Celestine V. At the time there was speculation that this indicated that Pope Benedict XVI would follow in the footsteps of Pope St Celestine V. Pope St Celestine V resigned on 13 December 1294. He had been pope for 5 months. There was no pope for two years prior to that - the election that resulted in him becoming pope took 27 months. 11 Cardinals participated…
This is a very sad day for the Catholic Church, but it was inevitable that his reign come to an end. He has been a tremendous force in bringing the Church back in line, and turning people back to God. I don't think he will lose his status as my favourite pope. He is my 4th pope - I was born in the reign of Pope Paul VI, who was followed by Pope John Paul I, and then Pope John Paul II.
One common dispute against the Catholic Church by well meaning but misinformed Protestants is the assertion that the Catholic Church “added” books to the Bible. As it is commonly known, Protestant Bibles only contain 66 books, as they do not include Sirach, Baruch, Judith, Tobit, Wisdom, 1 and 2 Maccabees, as well as parts of Esther and Daniel. In this two part series, with part two coming out next week, I hope to provide some guidance on defending the original 73 book canon of the…
These comments were originally posted in the comments section of Dr Francis Beckwith comes home. They have been moved here. This is an example of a futile debate with an Adventist who only wishes to preach at Catholics. This is one of the reasons Adventists have little credibility with other Christians.
I am tired. Hence the long break between posts. I am do tired. And I wish the above comment would come true. Then I might have more energy. I dread the election of the next pope. What if he's not another Benedict?
Over at Answering Catholicism, Erol is making some interesting claims about the Catholic Church. Apart from subscribing to the long discredited Vicarius Filii Dei = papal title myth, he has a number of less unreasonable articles about Catholicism, to which he objects.
As Christ said that the truth will set us free, and it has often been said that when people discover what the Catholic faith is really about, instead of hearing what their tradition wants them to believe about it, they will come to love it for what it is instead of hating and fearing what it isn't.
Teresa and Arthur Beem resigned from the Adventist denomination in 2002. Their resignation letter was made public and was widely discussed in cyberspace. Since then, they have written a book to let people know about their experience in, and leaving, the Adventist movement. This is their continuing saga.
I went to Mass here in Umtata tonight. This time they said the creed. Communion was via the "take and dip" method, with no extraordinary minister of the Eucharist assisting - the chalice was on the altar, the priest down below. Interestingly, half the congregation didn't self-communicate. And at least they said the creed this time.
The letter you see above is a parody of Roland Martin's letter, written by me, to depict what an early dissenter from the Apostolic faith may have said back then.
My second post at Re-Inventing the Adventist Wheel has just gone online. It is entitled "God reaching out through space and time" and deals with sacraments, hoping to explain in less mystifying terms, and more in terms of Adventists' experience, how we view sacraments.
There are a few comments going on at the end of one of my posts, mainly regarding closed communion and Catholic sacraments being available to non-Catholics. This post was created to continue those discussions, and served to only result in further topics being discussed - see below.
I have been invited to be a contributor on one of the progressive Adventist blogs out there in the Adventist blogosphere - Re-inventing the Adventist Wheel. God's visible grace is the title of my first post there. Quite a debate ensued here and there.
Dr Francis Beckwith, current president of the Evangelical Theological Society, has converted back to Catholicism.
Recently, the Vatican's International Theological Commission allegedly released a document indicating that Limbo, the place where unbaptised babies go after death, may be restrictive, and that there are good reasons to hope that they might be in heaven.
One of the witnesses was a nurse who testified that she had watched Haskell put scissors into the head of a twenty-six-week Down syndrome fetus while "the baby's little fingers were clasping and unclasping, and his feet were kicking." ... Some women treat their dogs better than their own unwanted litters.
South Africa's brief debut this year on the U.N. Security Council has tattered its reputation. It has prompted human rights activists to condemn South African President Thabo Mbeki for abandoning the human rights principles that defined the anti-apartheid movement and for routinely siding with some of the world's worst human rights abusers.
Today is the Holy Father's 80th birthday. He was born on April 16, 1927, on Holy Saturday.
Fifty percent of all pregnancies in South Africa end up in abortion and more than 500 000 women have had the procedure done since the introduction of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act in 1997.
I've been waiting years to hear this most logical 14 Nisan crucifixion timing from a Catholic priest. And now I hear it from the pope himself. I always get given the 15 Nisan story. The explanation above goes a long way to explain why the Wednesday crucifixion theory of Herbert Armstrong is wrong, so ironically it was Herbert Armstrong who was adamant that Jesus died on 14 Nisan.
The Catholic bishops of Southern Africa have issued a statement condemning human-rights abuses in Zimbabwe, echoing the stand of the bishops in that country.
Adventism seems to like sticking up anti-Catholic billboards. This time it was an Adventist spin-off denomination, Eternal Gospel Church. This was around the beginning of February, and commented on at Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
I applaud the Adventists, and others, who have seen the significance of Easter and Lent, and choose to celebrate Christ's resurrection as the early Christians did, and set time aside in their calendar for preparation for that celebration, along with the rest of their brothers and sisters in Christ, throughout the centuries.
Lent has changed in the past, it can change again. It's not dogma. It's just a practice. When I become Pope I'll have to change things to my preferred Lenten calendrics. Until then, we'll be confused.
Why doesn't my church observe Lent? You can find the answer here, and find out about how Lent is returning to Christian worship.
A case of a failed abortion for reasons of eugenics that ruined the plans of the parents.
"Could there be a way we Adventists can overcome the spectre of indiscriminate anti-Catholicism and embrace of the spirit of Ash Wednesday?"
"I suggest that we tend to confuse the beginning of the faith journey with its entirety. Yes, believe in Jesus—that's the first step. Yes, invite Jesus into your heart as your personal Savior. Then, empowered by God's grace, embark on the journey of discipleship, in which you seek to love God with every fiber of your being, to love your neighbor as yourself, to live out God's moral will, and to follow Jesus where he leads you, whatever the cost."
The date for Easter, as most people know it, is calculated according to rules defined by the Catholic Church centuries ago. Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Dutch Reformed, and other Protestant churches that celebrate Lent, a 40 day preparation before Easter, along with most Catholics, keep Lent the way most people know it.
Ash Wednesday was this week. Ash Wednesday began Lent, a period of 40 days of preparation for Easter, when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Sometimes Catholic English and Protestant English use different definitions for the same words. If people want to understand each other, that is am important factor to take into account. You can't judge a statement unless you know what was intended by it.
In summary, Jesus paid the full price for our sins. That is the atonement, which relates to justification. But he did not take away the chastisement necessary for our growth as Christians. That is sanctification, and Catholics call its completion purgatory - they are one and the same thing. So there is no conflict at all with the atonement achieved for us by Christ. That atonement is not what we complete by sanctification.
On Dave Armstrong's blog there is a post containing a tremendous amount of evidence for the divinity of Christ. If you've got Jehovah's Witnesses or Christadelphians or other Arian religions to deal with, this is really worth reading.
Maybe this is too progressive for some. But the ProgressiveAdventism blog has taken a look at how Catholic practices are seen as positive experiences by some Adventists ... all the way down to liturgical chants.
For those who find the Mass somewhat strange, and wonder where on earth we got it from, the answer is short - it's based on Jewish liturgies, importantly the Passover seder.
Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion.
A group of monkeys attacked the Orthodox monastery at Mount Athos in Greece with crowbars and sledgehammers on Wednesday.
Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church is the first Anglican Use parish, established on August 15, 1983. They now have a blog, in addition to their website.
Again from the SDA2RC blog, something the Worldwide Church of God splinter groups, Jehovah's Witnesses, and some Adventists, such as Bacchiocchi, need to consider - the evidence that Christmas was not derived from a pagan celebration.
Michael Schiefler has been trying to squeeze more water out of a stone on his anti-Catholic website. I commented on it before. He seems to think he has the name of the Pope that changed the Sabbath to Sunday nailed down - Pope Sylvester I. Scheifler is basing his claims on second-hand information based on what are probably spurious documents.
We ask for what reason our Lord was unwilling to state the time of His coming (cf. Mk. 13:31-32). If we ask it, we shall not find it is owing to ignorance, but to wisdom. For it was not to our advantage to know; in order that we being ignorant of the actual moments of judgment to come, might ever be as it were on guard, and set on the watch-tower of virtue, and so avoid the habits of sin; lest the day of the…
The Eastern Orthodox Churches often object to the western / Catholic concept of original sin. The SDA2RC blog lists two excellent articles by Orthodox authors about why this may simply be a misunderstanding of terminology, with both sides quite compatible in their beliefs.
The SDA2RC blog has an article on Christmas from the Catholic News Service. Wikipedia and Truth or Fables also have articles showing that Christmas is truly Christian, not a pagan celebration. Something worth reading for those who object to "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"
The prophecies in Daniel are one part of the Bible that Adventists love to interpret to their heart's content ... and to misinterpret. Daniel provides Adventism with a lot to fuel their anti-Catholic desires. And when you don't accept their interpretation of the prophecies, they often want an alternative interpretation.
Fr. Reginald Foster, one of the most renowned Latinists in the world, was fired last week from the Gregorian University by the Society of Jesus, stating that too many students were taking Fr. Foster’s classes without paying tuition. - from the Catholic News Agency
"Prayer is spiritual breathing; when we pray we breathe in the Holy Spirit; "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 1:20). Thus, all church prayers are the breathing of the Holy Spirit; as it were spiritual air and also light, spiritual fire, spiritual food and spiritual raiment."
Obviously, then, the challenge to the Catholic comes on several fronts; first, we must examine the argument that the seventh-day Sabbath was truly "given as a sign forever, and a perpetual covenant"; next, we must show from Scripture that the apostles did, in fact, worship on Sunday; finally, we have to answer the accusation that it was a pope (or council) who imposed the change, and that this was not done until (at the earliest) the mid-to-late 4th century.
Six Imprisoned Health-Care Workers in Libya Are Pawns in a Far Larger Strategic Game
Common Declaration by Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Bartholomew I “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” (Ps 117:24) This fraternal encounter which brings us together, Pope Benedict XVI of Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, is God’s work, and in a certain sense his gift. We give thanks to the Author of all that is good, who allows us once again, in prayer and in dialogue, to express the joy we feel as brothers…
Lutheran and Roman Catholic members of the dialogue "concurred that prayers for the dead have their basis in Scripture and tradition, and that heaven is not a place of rejoicing individually in the Lord but of our being 'together' with him and with one another in joyful communion," said the Rev. James Massa, executive director, USCCB Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.
Adventists are true Protestants in the sense that they protest whatever is Catholic. Catholics believe that the mother of Jesus, Mary, had no other children apart from Jesus. Some Adventists, therefore, make it an article of faith, a doctrine, that Mary did indeed have other children.
Anima Christi, sanctifica me. Corpus Christi, salva me. Sanguis Christi, inebria me. Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Yes, he does, at times, "commend the pope for addressing the socio-political issues of our time in a responsible way" ... but he says that on such issues, Adventists and Catholics should not be united in their work towards that goal.
Jesus was God in Mary's uterus. Mary was his mother. She was not the mother of the Godhead. She did not pre-exist Jesus. But her son was God, and she was his mother - the mother of God incarnate.
"The modern widespread majority Protestant view on the Matthew verse agrees with the Roman Catholic view, and disagreements about primacy stem from doctrinal sources, and disagreements such as disagreements over the identification of Simon Peter with the Pope."
The following debate on alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic shows how people often misunderstand the concept of Mary being the Mother of God.
The idea that Jesus was not a biological child of Mary is a novelty not supported by the Bible, and merely a reactionary stance.
If the truth gets attacked, and those preaching and preserving it get attacked, the rest of us need to defend it. That can happen in different ways - and a website showing why Adventism is wrong about its claims about Catholicism is one way of doing that. If we don't, we lose people to the traps set by those outside, and unbelievers get to laugh anyway.
Dies Domini "is a internet research center, dedicated to promoting an ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Seventh-day Adventists. Founded by former Adventists who embraced the Catholic faith, this ministry exists to glorify Christ in faithful service of His Church."
Rom 4:1, James 2:21, Luke 1:73, and Acts 7:2 have Abraham being called a father, in an ancestral/spiritual sense. Rom 4:16 has Abraham called the "father of us all." Isaac is called "our father Isaac" in Rom 9. Timothy's father was a Greek, says Acts 16. That's not metaphorical or figurative. Yet this man was called Timothy's father, when Timothy was a Christian whose father was God. 1 Cor 4:15 has Paul calling himself a father in a spiritual sense.
He chopped out the word "commandments" in Exodus 16:28, and replaced it with "Sabbaths" - he may well be quoting from the Clear Word Bible, but I am not sure of that. The Clear Word Bible is an Adventist composition that makes tremendous changes to the actual text in order to support Adventist teachings.
Adventists often make the claim that Catholicism claims to have changed the Sabbath. They then cite their proof - unofficial texts, usually newspaper quotes, statements that disagree with the official Catholic position. This is a classic Adventist ploy. I've discussed it further here. Without that, Adventism can't pinpoint which pope they claim changed the Sabbath.
If people are not willing to be civil, to engage in reasonable discussion, I'm not interested. I have no time for rhetoric and misguided propaganda. How can they claim to be answering Catholicism when they aren't able to even represent its teachings properly when they disagree with them? They can serve as an example ... that's all such a discussion can do. So here it is.
In summary, this seems to be a denomination on the very fringe of Christianity, even further out than the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, who also have a peculiar set of beliefs. They appear to be Oneness Pentecostals ... who, in my experience, are not good at honesty when it comes to Catholicism and others they disagree with.
It looks like there is a strong case for the Catholic origins of modern democracy. Modern democracy can be traced back to Catholic roots, and was not the product of the reformation. There is convincing evidence that Thomas Jefferson, , knew of the political teachings of Robert Bellarmine, a Catholic Cardinal. Even before Bellarmine, a Jesuit, Thomas Aquinas taught the idea.
My grandmother passed away on 16 June. We will miss her terribly. Right until the end, she was very independent, living on her own in a flat at the age of 93 (she did have my aunt and uncle living next door.)
I don't have the time now to blog properly on this - so instead I will simply post an e-mail I just sent off on the website of The Da Vinci Decode, a book written by Grenville Kent and Philip Rodionoff (Adventists) in Australia. It's really worth reading - no matter what your denomination. It can be downloaded here.
Here we see a case of a girl being denied the Eucharist because of coeliac disease. In short, she cannot eat wheat-based products, which means that, in the Catholic Church, it can range from uncomfortable to potentially lethal to take communion in this form.
A post on the Fifth Column blog, Pagan Flesh, Protestant Bones, caught my attention the other day. It suggests that Protestant anti-Catholic tendencies are what have resulted in the current attempt by secularists in America to wipe Christmas from the calendar. They were the first to attack Christmas; the anti-Christians are just finishing what they started. He has another article on that particular topic here - How the Christians Stole Christmas.
Here is an interesting - and detailed - letter of resignation from the Adventist church. Tesa Beem's Letter of Resignation
The Adventist Review's response (by David Marshall) to The Da Vinci Code is critical of the book/movie, but still continues on to agree with it on matters that have long formed part of Adventist mythology.
On AllExperts, there are two useful articles on the Sabbath and soul sleep, by a Catholic responding to Adventist questions.
My cat, Maggie, died today. I had her since she was a kitten, got her on 17 December 1990 - more than half my life.
The New England Journal of Medicine's latest edition has a free full text commentary and free audio on the ethics of the death penalty from a medical perspective. Quite graphic, and very insightful. One wonders why abortion is different.
Our first list of New Testament books that includes all the books we use today comes from the Catholic bishop Athanasius, who was instrumental in defining the Trinity as doctrine at the Council of Nicaea in 324-5 AD. This was also the first list to exclude texts not considered as canonical today.
In his latest Endtime Issues newsletter, Samuele Bacchiocchi makes an error that has been corrected many times in the past. One shouldn't have to point out such facts to a scholar who claims to have researched issues like this, but then one must take his agenda into account.
Jesus left the Apostles in charge of his Church. He told them to go and teach, not write a book. Yes, the Bible is the word of God, but neither Jesus nor the Bible tell us that the Bible was to be our sole authority once the Apostles, the original Church leaders, had finished writing it. Even Paul tells us to continue believing both what he wrote to the congregations, and what he taught verbally. A bit pointless if all he taught had been put into the texts…
All of the criticisms were the result of twisting and misunderstanding Catholic teaching.
This looks like a powerful attempt to end abortion in the USA. I am skeptical - I don't believe that the pro-abortion lobby will stand for it, and will somehow get it right to have this fail. I hope I am wrong. The people promoting this are the Ultimate Coalition for Unborn Children. Pray for them!
There seems to be silence now from the Pastor X front ... no further groans from his flock. No further defence of his attitude. I think they are ashamed ... either that, or too busy finding other people to call devils.
My message to anti-Catholics: Leave aside your objections to Catholic theology for a moment, and try to understand what Catholics actually believe. Otherwise you're just arguing against something we don't believe, and we remain unconvinced. That is what happens with 99% of the fundamentalist attempts to "witness" to Catholics. SermonAudio is a prime example.
Pastor X's church is NOT representative of Christianity. In fact, this type of church is very much in the minority. Unfortunately, their hatred of anything different to them leads them to be more vocal than most. And, equally unfortunately, all denominations have this type.
Via Mark La Roi's blog, I found out that the person who exposed China's forced abortion policy has been put under house arrest.
"Liu said that the medical officials would only stop an abortion if an expectant mother was in labour."
Karl Keating's website, Catholic Answers, has a good article on relics and why they are not some sort of mystical nonsense invented by Catholics or adopted from pagans. Quite biblical in fact. This refers back to a recent post commenting on Bacchiocchi's latest newsletter.
The German-born Pope delighted the crowds at his weekly audience by wearing a red velvet cap trimmed with white fur along with his scarlet cape as he drove around the square.
In his latest Endtime Issues (#141,) Samuele Bacchiocchi again criticises the papal stand on moral issues, and the commitment of Catholics to the support of Catholic moral teaching. It looks like moral strength is a sign of the end-time evil power. Or so many Adventists would have us believe.
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