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Sebastian Scheiner / AP
Catholic priests carry palm fronds at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem's Old city, April 1. Palm Sunday marks for Christians Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem when his followers laid palm branches in his path, prior to his crucifixion.
"It's the holiest place in the world for Christians and it's important for me to come here at least once in my lifetime," said Etienne Chevremont, 49, a visitor from Paris who attended the Jerusalem Mass.
-- Reported by the Associated Press
Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters
A woman prays on a hill with wooden crosses after a procession celebrating Palm Sunday in the town of Oshmiany, 88 miles northwest of Minsk, Belarus, April 1.
Kacper Pempel / Reuters
Women hold palm fronds as they take part in a Mass celebrating Catholic Palm Sunday at Saint Anna church in Warsaw, Poland, April 1.
Vincenzo Pinto / AFP - Getty Images
Pope Benedict XVI leaves after celebrating the Palm Sunday mass in St Peter's square at the Vatican, on April 1. Palm Sunday marks the start of the holy week of Easter in celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jon Nazca / Reuters
Spanish actor and director Antonio Banderas, center, sings a song to the Virgin inside a church as he takes part as a penitent in the "Lagrimas and Favores" brotherhood in a Palm Sunday procession at the start of Holy Week in Malaga, southern Spain, April 1. Hundreds of processions take place around the clock in Spain during Holy Week, drawing thousands of visitors.
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I celebrate with my palm almost everyday!
Black!
I use mine every day, it is called a Palm Pre, wonderful phone, cordless charging, just drop it on the touchstone like my HP Tablet. OH this is about religion, I better go, I exist in 2012 CE not 212CE like the stupids, stupid religious sub humans and silly people revering a moron wearing moron looking hats. Waiting for the hater comments from the ancient belief "people".. Tony too funny, do you oil it up first? yes, thanks for the snicker;) Bill
At least the catholics are using their palms instead of breaking more laws. Maybe the heterosexual ones will stop reproducing for a day as well.
It's being clebrated everywhere except at the corner of Vocke Road and Winchester Roads in LaVale Maryland where Plam Sunday is being celebrated.
that's your problem too bad for you idiot
Can I get some of these people to come trim my palm trees?
If you have turned away from God because of the sins of others (your mother, father, priest, etc. unto you) please forgive them for your own sake. It was not your Father in heaven or His Son who sinned against you. He awaits you recognize this, and would forgive you for all you may have thought or done against Him. To be angry with God, is to know God. So you also know He loves you and knows all - even those events that caused you to turn against Him. Seek to reconcile.
Seek not to meddle in the lives of others with your fairy tales...
Tony-1307379:
You're supposed joke is in very poor taste; as you probably are as a supposed human.
One thing I am perturbed about the Palm Sundays around the world is their lack of unity.
Whether you are Catholic or Protestant we should all share the same glory in Christ no matter what happens in our lives. Not just Palm Sunday or Christmas but everyone should dwell in the Hosanna no matter what happens. Christ died for us and Palm SUnday was that sign to everyone that He was going to suffer, FOR YOU AND FOR ME. Remember, Christ died not only for those who were righteous but for sinners like you and me. So I challenge everyone who reads this short article to do 1 thing:
Pray for your friends but not only your friends and neighbors but for YOUR ENEMIES. Remember, we were enemies of God until Christ set us free. That's all I ask of you and if you can to fast 1 meal this week, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner. I also will fast my lunch this week, so remember be strong in the Lord and Live for the Glory of the Lord, Amen.
Thank the inaugural scandal of Martin Luther for your beef about "lack of unity."
And actually, Palm Sunday is not about Christ "going to suffer." He rode in Jerusalem a King, with the masses lauding Him. That's the initial point -- that He is both an earthly king and the heavenly king (the latter getting him into trouble with Pilate, and reaffirm that His kingdom is not of this world).
Your second paragraph is much more on-point. Pray not only for your earthly enemies, but pray for those on earth who willingly mock the One, True God (including those who worship and honor the vast array of false gods).
Strangely, your request for fasting is something steadfast in Roman Catholicism for centuries. Reduced consumption of red meats in Lent, abstinence of meat on Fridays and fasting between meals with reduced meal/caloric intake was something the Catholic Church required in law until the Protestant-meddling errors loosened by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.
And let us thank our Lord for what he did for us so unselfishly, and to pray that we can show our gratitude by being forgiving, and by serving one another with faith, hope and love and respect from the beginning until the end. Amen
Yeah, its not really that shocking considering all of you believe different versions of the same fairy tale... I could sit here and debunk your religion all day, but I don't really want to offend you. Just something to think about -- if religion were true, and a God actually existed, don't you think we'd have the story straight by now? Seriously...
Spot on Jay, I spit on the windshield of my Audi Avant today, the moron in the BumMerW in front of me had plate frames that said Real men Love Jesus, I avoided my desire to use my wicked blue 1000 mw lazer to burn out his not connected to a brain eyeballs , morons, must be why I leave it at home, like those twits should
I don't have a problem with any person being spiritual and having their faith. I'm strictly against religion -- nothing has caused more suffering, cruelty and inhumanity in the history of the world.
Jay Jackson, I believe you said you could sit there and debunk my faith in God all day. Try. I won't be offended. And God is true. The only reason we haven't gotten it straight yet is the fact that people like you are to closed-minded to see the truth. You are also to PROUD to admit that there may be a God who is more powerful that you.
I was in the Philippines once during Holy Week. They actually had this Filipino clown that some other religious fanatics that wanted to evidently "play Jesus" tied the one fool on this wooden facsimile of a cross apparently made of used/salvaged lumber that had nail holes and paint splotches on it. Then these bozos that were apparently reinacting the crucifixion of Christ, adorned in make shift Roman soldiers outfits, actually tied up the fool that was playing Jesus. Then they tied his wrists and feet up. They then put large spike like nails through this fool's wrists and one through the metatarsal area af both feet that were placed upon some kind of wooden standoff.
With my Nikon digital camera I got some AWESOME photos of these particuar barbaric Catholic religious fanatics.......nail up this fool that was screaming with delight. However, the reinactors did not use a wooden mallet as paintings suggest. Instead the used an old beat up claw hammer that was worn down and apparently welded on to a piece of galvanized pipe for a handle. The claw hammer appeared also to have splotches of dried paint and other paint related goo on it.
I would respectfully ask the question of Catholics: Why is your Catholic Church so goddam barbaric, sick, and perverted that you would want to celebrate Easter in this manner?
If I had not have seen and photographed this sickening mockery of the death of Christ, that also probably badly damaged the metacarpals and metatarsals of some crazy Filipino Catholic religious fanatic .......I would never have believed that such sickos exist.
However, the Catholic sickos are better off doing that instead of their clerics sexually abusing children and the handicapped.
You need to ask Filipinos of their cultural traditions. It is not something mandated by the universal Roman Catholic Church.
Get out from under a rock, please.
If they want to destroy their bodies, mangle themselves, blow their brains out to honor Christ or the Catholic Church............I am the last person in the world that is going to try to stop them'
I only found it very perverse that this kind of, if you will, "self mutilation/self desecration/insanity "was purportedly done in the name of Jesus and the catholic church, and even a couple of priests in the area.
If this kind of crap is what the Catholic Church encourages among "its faithful" is is no wonder that the Catholic Church is diminishing in North America and Europe.....that used to pay forward to the Ratican all the big money.
I really am glad that I had the opportunity to take the photos and the vieo. They are on Youtube if you care to watch them. Just don't watch them with a large container of Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion in the AO.
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
The is a cultural thing, not a Roman Catholic Mandate. in Costa Rica, we have processions on the street with the faithful singing songs, and praying.. usually starting at the center of town and ends at the church entrance with everyone coming in. The children play a part by dressing up as angels. Each Country has their own traditions, but the madates of the Church as the same.. You start palm sunday at the entrance of the church with the reading of the Gospel first, then the entrance Hymm. Then the Passion of Christ is read at the time of the mass where the Gospel normally would have been read. So Rattus, please be well verse on a topic before you show your lack of knowlege on a public forum and dispect our church.
If the Catholics aren't crucifying themselves,they're chasing the kiddies.God have mercy on them! It is certainly true.....the true Christian Church (headed by Christ) and the Roman Catholic Church (headed by the old Pope) are quite distinct entities.
Well, some of them also protect Catholic child molesters from law-enforcement investigators and thereby allow their Catholic pervert brethren to go on to molest more innocents.....but they don't care...as long as thier institution is protected from scandal...well it has backfired on them...and for good.
Lets not forget the ritualistic cannibalism that Catholics enjoy as "communion." Amazing, not only that they actually believe this is flesh and blood, somehow, but they actually make their CHILDREN enact this madness.
Ame123,
Yes, when I was growing up my mother never let us eat red meat during Lent. During school (Catholic K-12) I had to attend Chapel and Mass every WED. When I married at 33 I made it a point to not marry a Catholic or any rendition of a Christian,
V/r,
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
Within just one week following Palm Sunday, Jesus Christ had paid for mankind's sin and proven He is LORD of life. Hallelujah to our matchless King of Kings.
Amen!!!!
bawahh, rofl at fools, yes fools, crips, morons, idiots flat landers, so sad, hey morons, it is 2012 CE not 212 CE,,, morons
He hasn't proven a single thing to me. Or you. The Bible is a story written by devious men. Try opening your mind.
Yes, yes. Put on the funny robes, clutch the symbols of your beliefs tightly, they make you worthy...and don't forget to squint your eyes shut real tight because it makes your God hear you better...when you talk with him in your head...or out loud. Makes no difference. And wave your arms in the air like a fool, that acts like an antenna!
Yup, keep the traditions of goat slaughtering nomadic desert dwellers from two millenia ago alive, and we will have peace here on Earth. Oh, wait....
Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is alive and quite well, I hope you have the pleasure of learning about him one day. Whether you aknowledge it or not, He reigns.!
And most importantly, He loves you! Enough to die for you. That is what it is all about. Whether you accept it or not, whether you believe it or not. That is your choice.
And oh, yes...I pray with eyes wide open!
So, then why did you bother to not only read this article, but to comment on it? If you dislike Palm Sunday so much, why click on a story about it? This makes no sense whatsoever.
666NoOctane, you speak what you know not of. You live in the Old Testament like so many others, to include Mr. Obama's ridicule of Jesus Christ's sermon on the Mount. Jesus Christ is the New Testament, He bridges mankind with God, through the redemption of our sins by His sacrifice. I will pray that Jesus Christ touches your heart and shows you True Love, not as the world knows, but as He lived it. PRAISE BE TO JESUS CHRIST!!! AMEN.
Actually, most atheists speak in facts, and its you theists who speak in things you DO NOT and COULD NOT know. For one, the New Testament was written once human beings started becoming more advanced and the old "rules" seemed silly. Instead of your preaching -- I *HOPE* that one day you will open your mind, as most of the rest of the world knows -- and stop living by a fairy tale written to control the weak.
Most eastern orthodox and many eastern catholics won't be celebrating it until next Sunday. This year, the two christian calendars are a week apart. Well, at least the eastern orthodox and catholics will get their peeps at half price.
:) peeps ...
@Jerry LOVE the quip about the peeps! rofl
Tony-1307379:
Your joke is in poor taste; as you probably are as a person!!!
There are many that have brought shame to Christianity by their disgraceful actions. However, Jesus remains perfect. He took our shame upon the cross. "He who knew no sin became sin for us." His forgiveness is still available to anyone. Those who have harmed others while under the auspices of any church know who they are. Jesus Himself can never be conquered. He will never be toppled off the throne of the universe. Even by the shameful hypocrisy of many who have caused evil to be spoken of regarding His followers. He will judge all perfectly.
They are not fanatics, not bozos, not clowns, not perverts, and not fools. They are the penitents. What you observed about the way they re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus is their way of punishing themselves for the great sins they did to others. If you are happy with your religion and deeply affected by your faith and belief to it (your religion), you will have in you the humility to respect others way of expressing their belief system. With the way you attack the Filipino penitents, I strongly believe that you are not happily reconciled with your own religion. You need to soul-search to attain humility.
...and you can call an ice cream cone a shovel, but it doesn't change what it is.
Your denial of what these people are is actually pretty spot on, but your analysis of we who do not approve is far less accurate.
Hey Evan Cat,
I thought that in Leviticus it states that one is not to descrecate thier bodies? I personally do not care if these people hang themselves, blow their brains out, or crucify themselves, if you will, "getting off playing Jesus at Golgotha." I am saying, and I am no orthopedic surgeon. that the "Filipino that played Christ on the cross," probably did a lot of damage to his tendons, bones, and perhaps bilateral Median Nerves. Also the dude's feet were, "if you will, worse for wear."
So if this kind of crap is what the Catholic Church wants out if its penitents,,,,,,why don't you lose a few lbs. and do it? I was told that they repeat this "sick and psychotic process every year!" Anyway, after seeing it, we went to Makati and had some "smokin good Chinese food!" No joke, the Chinese food in Manila is really good.
V/r,
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
Again, get on the case of Filipinos about their cultural need to play out the Passion in this manner.
The Catholic Church is a univeral denomination. There is NOTHING in Church doctrine or laws about all Catholics worldwide conducting their Lent or Holy Week (or Good Friday between 12 and 3) in this manner.
Then why do these crazy fools do it while money is being collected from "an adoring crowd and handed over to apparent priests that "have some serious grins on while taking those baskets of Pisos (Philippine currency)
Why does this crap go on every year, or at least since Christ was a private?
Why does the catholic church not step up to the plate and tell "these particular faithful Catholics that the Vatican does not approve of this self mutilation? Is it the baskets of money, that are watch carefully by "decons to keep the givers from taking out more than they give?'
No, I think that the Roman Catholic Church knows about this and since they benefit from it both in mind control and social control.........they just hope that nobody sees it.
You obviously are in a state of denial ........ "and I was always taught to never underestimate the power of denial."
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
Now Ame123,
Why did you go and post something factual. These threads are much more entertaining when the self-appointed experts drone on and on about how wrong others are and how morally (and by default, intellectually) superior they are.
Shame on you...
No surprise Lt. Bigot was complementing the Chinese food in the Philippines. Hearts and minds and we know who he was talking to. It gives these two dementional nobodys a sence of self worth to attack an age old institution they could not possibly begin to appreciate. An open Western culture with all the heavy lifting and responsibility on the shoulders of the Catholic Church vs the Chinese and their uni-race goosestepping comunist agenda. There is nothing new under the sun, lucky the Catholics remember this. If there are people in the Philippines that need to perform the passion to experience the passion that is fine. I would rather have that then the fake State owned Bishops the Chinese use to combat the teachings of the Cardinal in Hong Kong. The Church does more than any army for freedom, so you should show some respect.
Amie123,
If you say the Catholic Church "is stongly aginst "playing Jesus on the cross being nailed by his Roman buddies,: I will believe you because you tell me this in good faith as you know it to be, I was a "cradle Catholic" and I would no longer accept something as mundane as Pope Benedict "telling me it was 3 o'clock in the morning, unless I had a calibrated timepiece/GPS "that confims that it happens to be 0300."
Look, I put some of the video of some "Filipinos in Manila, playing "It's Easter again, let's get out the spike and claw hammer and nail J.C. up againg. before we dine!"
With all due respects, I was quite appalled by seeing and recording this grishly act of self mutilation and something akin to what I have seen the Taliban do to people."
However, if the Catholic Church in the Philippines "is so much against this sick and loathsome practice....why did they so carefully safeguard the MONEY that this degrading spectical brough it that day.
My Youtube of this disgusting Catholic practice is on the www, however, it is not the only one of this ungodly disgrace and outrage offered up to Jesus via the Roman Catholic Church. The CIA factbook now tells us that the Republic of the Philippines is being rivaled now in Numbers by their "Iglesia Ni Christo." Moreover, that same source informs us that the Philippines is now a firm 20% Sunni Islam.
At anyrate, thank you for the information. However, leaving the Catholic Church and just being spiritual is one of the best things that I have ever done.
I wish you a happy Easter!
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
Benja'75,
Somewhat well put. However, it is not Lieutenant, retired. It is Lieutenant Colonel, USA, ret. And I thank you for paying my retirement with your tax dollars.
If you approve of "these particularly demenent Pinoys" "nailing themselves up on Easter and getting their rocks off by "playing Jesus"........there is still time during Holy Week for you to book a cheapie flight to Manila......and bribe Archbishop Tagle......and appropriate amount of PISOS/DOLLARS........and instead YOU CAN GET NAILED UP AND PLAY THE JESUS ROLE.....THE LEAD ROLE IN THIS "SICK CATHOLIC COMEDY." And the Chinese food in Manila is goddamm good. And you should apologize to the Chinese in the Philippines as THE IN FACT DO LOVE JESUS.....THAT IS WHY THEY PUT CATHOLIC CHAPELS NEXT TO THE ISLAMIC CENTERS IN ALL THE LARGE SHOPPING MALLS THAT THEY OWN!"
V/r,
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
Silly nonsense! Pathetic.
Religious faith is a cognitive disfunction and a moral vice. To believe in the supernatural is to believe that things can act in ways that are beyond their abilities conditioned their characteristics. The belief in gods of the spirit world who have powerful magic is primitive; it's sad to see it persist in the era of spaceflight and the iPad. I really wouldn't care much about what these people believed except for their outrageous moral views and their willingness to impose them on others. Dropping religious faith is a prerequisite to a rational consideration of ethics--the pious are way of the rails.
Should be: "conditioned by their characteristics"
Sorry.
Mel,
I am curious. What "ethics" do you abide by?
I am what many would call a free-thinker. But I cannot find a better guide to life than the Ten Commandments, and the Sermon on the Mount. Do you have a better guide?
BTW---the amazing thing about believers, and non-believers---they both rely on the same thing to support their belief. Faith.
Spike-322306, you are an imposter! NO ONE who can call accurately themselves a "free thinker" will give the kind of value you ascribe to the Biblical "Ten Commandments" or the "Sermon on the Mount", both of which are highly religious and Judeao-Christian in nature, mired squarely in god-belief. This excludes free thought, it imprisons it.
Your second assertion is also patently false. I am an atheist, and faith does not guide me. I either understand a given phenomena, or I do not. I don't "believe" anything. I may proceed from a judgement call given the preponderance of evidence on any subject that is not absolute, but that is not faith.
Your entire post reeks of a theistic zealot attempting to give value to religion by identifying yourself as a person on the other side of that fence. I think you're a liar.
Free thought. Let me ask you a question: do you live in a three dimensional world? I would guess your answer to be "yes". If it could be demonstrated that more dimensions exist (empirically) would you agree that any of this "religious nonsense" may be applicable and that faith and the spiritual world you so fully deny exist beyond your weak understanding of all that is possible?
99octane,
Cannot understand the spirit of a statement that uses the word, "guide", can you? What are your guidelines?
An atheist's belief IS based on faith, since neither the existence, or non-existence of God can be proven---only believed.
Yes, his existence can be proven. If you are willing to open your eyes and actually see the truth. Whether you believe it or not 'God is real'! A day is coming that you will have to admit it.
it takes no faith to be an atheist we look for evidence not supernatural claims which you have to believe to be a christian, a christian is an atheist to zeus so ask yourself logically why you don't believe in zeus & that's why i dont believe in your god
"Yes, his existence can be proven. If you are willing to open your eyes and actually see the truth. Whether you believe it or not 'God is real'! A day is coming that you will have to admit it"
god may be real but which one ?
First, show a little courtesy. Christian, Zeus, and God should be capitalized. Writing like Rosie O'Donnell does nothing to increase legitimacy of thought.
Spike! Once again, your argument is easily debunked. You're wrong but somehow can't accept that. Gee, could that be due to your faith? The non existence of supernatural beings like your imaginary "God" is the DEFAULT position of reason, logic and understanding. It is the believer that makes the claim of the existance of such beings, and the burden of proof is ALWAYS on the claimant, not on the rest of us to prove you're wrong. Get that through your head already.
99,
Read SLOWLY! I never claimed to be a believer. Get it? Understand? Show me where I ever stated that I believed in a supreme being? PLEASE, SHOW ME! I would love to see it!
The only thing more dense than a religious zealot, is an atheistic zealot. Neither can read, nor comprehend the written word.
Spike, you don't get it at all, not one tiny bit. I read every word of your posts. You stated that you placed a lot of value in the Ten Commandments, which is HIGHLY religious. It's not a code of conduct, it's a religious instruction. You call me dense without knowing me or putting any value on what I've typed here.
What YOU have typed, however, is incorrect from the first word to the last. Your posts indicate clearly to anyone who can think that you are a believer in freethinker clothing, if you will. You're a phony.
Look up the definition of "guideline".
Sure, the Ten Commandments presents a fairly solid ethical code to live by. Don't kill people, don't bang your neighbors wife... but considering that the FIRST commandment is a direction on how to think about a non-existent being, you lose a lot of your ground here.
Cassie: You say you have proof of God's existence? What exactly, since you are presenting it as TRUTH. Your faith may tell you that, but you have zero basis in ACTUAL FACT to make the statements you made. Good day.
How Beautifuly Said Very Beautiful
Who are you (we) to judge the spiritual state (reason) of/for our existence? Do you truly believe that you are merely an animal evolved here with no purpose and no reason to be? You are so much more than that and I hope and pray that you may come to realize that. Your three dimensional world is a chalkboard. There is so much more! May God bless you all in your ignorance and your knowledge.
Close, but not quite. I understand that I am an organic being, a member of the species we call homo sapien-sapiens, one of millions of organic species still extant on this planet, representing less than 1% of all the organic species to ever exist on this planet in the past half billion years. I understand that I DO have a purpose; to survive and to reproduce. Beyond that is philosophy, which is a creation of our species. But the original question of my puropse has been satisfied if not my own personal need to feel important.
I understand that my genome is encoded in only four protiens; guanine, cytosine, adenine, thymine... the "GCAT" letters of our DNA that are combined and recombined trillions of times to lay out the genetic instructions fo making me. I also understand that these same four proteins, combined slightly differently, comprise the genetic instructions to make every living organic thing on Earth. The least different of which is the Chimpanzee, a species we share between 98% and 99% of our genes with.
I understand that we have evolved an intelligence and cognitive ability that allows us to consider ourselves and our world outside of linear time, making it possible for us to contemplate a time before we existed, and a time after our death. Indeed, it makes us aware of death. But our species is one of problem solvers, and to "solve" the problem of mortality, our many different societies, separated by distance, slowly created gods and demons to explain all that we wanted to understand, but had no way of gleaning the factual answers from the physical world and the universe beyond. So we invented a world beyond the physical (i.e. "supernatural") to explain it.
Each group holds this myth in various forms, it too evolves as time passes and cultures merge or go extinct. But there are so many different beliefs, so many variations on this theme, and your Judeao-Christian-Islamic belief system/s are at odd with eachother, self-contradictory and mutually exclusive, nevermind the beliefs that do NOT fall under that original umbrella.
So we, the logical members of our species, have realized there are only two possibilities. Either all religions and all the splintered sects within it are wrong EXCEPT ONE, or all of them are wrong, period. Given this realization, the choice is obvious, if not altogether comforting - this life is it, make the most of it.
Now, I'm not Mr. Spock, despite how I wrote all that. I am filled with emotions and fears and hopes, but I am not slave to them, nor will I allow a suspension of my understanding of reality to embrace a falsehood that might seem comforting. And neither should any other thinking person.
Great prose, pulled from whatever corner of your mind, text book, etc. You have yet to answer the question. "Do you live in a three dimensional world? I would guess your answer to be "yes". If it could be demonstrated that more dimensions exist (empirically) would you agree that any of this "religious nonsense" may be applicable and that faith and the spiritual world you so fully deny exist beyond your weak understanding of all that is possible?" I mean, how could you think that all you perceive is all that is? Then, well, you must be your own god! There is so much more than you!
I wrote it, word by word, here in this thread. It is not copy / pasted from any other source.
As for your attempt to corner me with your questions on dimentions, I'll say simply this; yes we live in a three dimentional world because that's part of our reality, as WE PERCEIVE IT. The existence of other dimentions (the fourth of which could be described as time itself) is another matter.
We evolved in the three dimentional universe, on this planet, using these three (plus #4, time) to interact with the world around us. The others are not part of our sensory experience, but rather dependant on mathematics or complex equiptment to detect / demonstrate.
HOSANNA!! Zechariah 9:9-10
To HanktheBank, I agree! Every church should participate in the Hosanna.
Question: are there more Catholics or Muslims in the world?
Musilms outnumber Catholics, but Christians still outnumber Muslims ... at least for the time being
Affirmative. However, the data regarding the number of actual Muslims is not as reliable. There are far more Muslims in the U.S. than are stated to exist. Some sources also cite that Sunni Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S. Probably due to high birthrates, extreme immigration of well educated Muslims that are very fertile and good at petitioning relatives, and ordinary Americans that are just not moved by Christianity and convert to Islam/
Good subject to study.
I really enjoy seeing how different cultures celebrate various holidays (including religious traditions). I also really enjoy living my life not criticizing other people and going out of my way to disrespect other cultures. Who am I to put down another group of people? Who are you? I thank my parents for raising me to be open minded, welcoming and nice to other people. Have a great day!
There is a God. His son is Jesus. We all have the Holy Spirit inside of us. This makes the trinity. If you're Christian, you should be Catholic. It is the true Christian religion founded by Jesus Christ. Any other Christian religion was a branch off started by somebody who is not the Son of God.
Being atheist takes the most "faith" of them all. Listen to your Holy Spirit atheists. It's in there. It's spoken to you before. It speaks to you now. Listen.
I do not agree with you. I am a Protestant Christian who reads the Holy Bible KJV faithfully and have some issues with the Catholics. Jesus died for our sins so that we would be saved and so we would not be under the law anymore but under grace. This means that instead of us being stoned to death for every sin we committ, we could go to God through Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness. We do not have to talk to a priest and confess our sins to him, but we can go straight to God and confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.
Being an atheist doesn't take a single bit of "faith" -- The only thing required of being an atheist is a belief that one or more deities do not exist. And no, imaginary voices do not speak to me, nor have they ever.
Also, you make all kinds of statements with the implication that are you speaking the fullest of truth, with no questioning -- even though you could not PROVE a single statement. Atheism just rejects the idea that a deity created the universe, it is not an alternate explanation of what happened.
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for your sins. Only God has the power to forgive sins, not man.
Yes........it is certain that Catholic child molesters and those Catholics that have protected Catholic child molesters from criminal investigators cannot forgive sins, and certainly are not mediators betweeen God and man (i.e. confessors).
The Roman Catholic Church has elevated the most loathesome crime of child molestation to "a perfected higher Canon Law that a priest must follow in order to be eligibile to become a monsignor, bishop, or cardinal. I bet old Pope Benedict had to wash a lot of stuff of his little crank on his way up in the Catholic Church. False testimony, money laundering, and bacstabbing are not sufficient in and of themselves in the Western World's largest and oldest criminal organization,
Yeah, the fact that the leader of the Catholic Church had to be issued a pardon by a U.S. President in order to step foot on our soil ought to be a clue to people that the whole damn religion is corrupt. Religion was created to control the masses, what better way to get a group of stupid people to fall in line? Threaten their "soul" if they don't live by the tenets another human wrote down...
If this whole outlandish story of J.C, being executed by being nailed....it was his own fault for refusing to stop running his mouth to Procurator Pilate. A man in Pilate's position could not have been made to look small by some malcontent or labor leader.
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
When will people stop being religious it's all made up, why would God allow someone to be sacrificed. It is made up until the day a God or a spirit appears in front of me. Have a nice day!
When you appear before God, it'll be to late for you to ask Him to forgive you.
Forgive ME??
He's the one who is going to have to kiss my a$$ before I forgive him!
And I'm not going to appear before him, either... if that swine wants a word he can damn well appear before me!
Praise be given to the lord of lords,king of kings,our savior, JESUS CHRIST!Remember that Jesus loves you!
jesus will love anyone who has $10 and a bottle of gin.
Condoms optional.
Sorry my delusional friends, but no sale.
What I dont seem to understand is (in regards to Mel's statement)...If people (believers in a diety in conjunction with any religion) don't interest you...then WHY are you on here criticizing (us) because of how you believe??? This article had nothing to do with imposing anything on others. If you just want to be technical. ANYONE WITH ANY KIND OF BELIEF (or lack thereof) IN POSITIONS OF POWER CAN (and have) IMPOSE THEIR VIEWS ON OTHERS!!! DUHHHRRRRR!!!
EXAMPLE:
There are about 2 Billion Christians alone...there are over 6 billion people on this earth....WHERE'S the impositon? Throughout history the government body in itself have imposed other things other than even religion on people. If you've read a history book like I have, I won't have to get into any specifics on what those (other) things have been.
Im no scholar, no super-educated "enlightened" individual but one of the worst things that is happening to us as a society are people believing that they are "too educated" for a "God". Its incredibly foolish. A RATIONAL mind would believe (even if you didnt claim a particular faith) that everything has a SOURCE!!! Freedom of speech is all well and good (I'm using it now) but stop wasting your time (and ignorance) on things that you are too simple to understand and moreso don't concern you (i.e. this news article) :)
99octane:
You say 'I don't "believe" anything.'
Then you must believe nothing.
Then what is reality? For you in must be a mine field of doubt. Do you question existence itself? Is 'nothing' real?
Pilot asked Jesus "What is truth?" then turned and walked away.
Perhaps Jesus would have told him, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life!" If he had just waited for the answer.
Hope you empty world doesn't leave you...empty.
gary coppper 1672336, I do not use the word "believe" the way you obviously do. You try to take me to task using the terminology and (non)logic of your religion, which is obviously Christianity, and then assume my world is empty. Sorry to break it to you but it's very full, with good times and bad, people I love and many friends.
So, yeah, what's your point again? Aside from a lame attempt to marginalize me and insult me based on those errant assumptions...