The Pope On Faith

As much criticism as I have laid on this pope, I have found common ground based on the report quoted below [1], [2]:

Understanding God's commandments and church doctrine is useless if those truths aren't put into practice, Pope Francis said.

"A faith without bearing fruit in life, a faith that doesn't bear fruit in works is not faith," the pope said in a Mass homily, focusing on the day's first reading from the Book of James (2:14-24).

Professing the faith without giving a witness makes the Gospel "words and nothing more than words," he said Friday during his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.

"We, too, make this mistake many times," he said. It's often the case when a person thinks, "'But I have lots of faith. I believe everything.'"

However, look at how that person lives life. It may be "a lukewarm, weak life" where "faith is like a theory" and not lived out in practice, the pope said.

"You may know all the commandments, all the prophesies, all the truths of the faith, but if this isn't put into practice, is not translated into works, it serves nothing." As the Apostle James noted, even demons know the Creed, but that doesn't mean they have faith, the pope said.

Christians can be this way, too, he said, seeing the faith "as a system of ideas." But in reality, such people are what James considered them to be, "the anti-Christ, ideologues of the faith," the pope said.

"Having faith isn't having knowledge," the pope said. Instead, it is "receiving God's message" as brought by Christ.

There can be people who know very little or nothing about doctrine, "but have lots of faith" because rather than embracing "abstract truths," they embrace the living Christ, the pope said.

"Faith and witness are indissoluble," he said. "Faith is an encounter with Jesus Christ, with God," and always leads to witnessing.

"A faith without works, a faith that doesn't get you involved, isn't faith," he said. "It's words and nothing more than words."

[1] http://ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/pope-professing-faith-without-good-works-just-spouting-hot-air
[2] Because I find this pope to be lacking in holiness in so many ways, Ambroise de Lombez, OFM, Cap. was right when he wrote, "[I]t is not my wish to guide myself.  I will obey the guide appointed for my soul, and my obedience would be entire, if  his conduct was more perfect.  Some trifles displease you in his manners, and your fear of being misled aggravates you extremely.  Suppose this is so and even worse.  He may not be a fervent priest, but he is a good confessor.  Perhaps he possesses not that recollected piety full of tenderness and grace that you desire to find in him, but he tries to lead you to it.  Should he be unworthy of these gifts, he would be not less the channel of them for you.  The grace of his vocation will not be taken away for his personal defects." [Emphasis added].  From the book by Ambroise de Lombez, OFM, Cap.  A Treatise On Interior Peace.  Trans. Sister Marie Celeste, SC.  (New York: Alba House, 1996), 32.

Pope John XXIII

I know nothing about Pope John XXIII except that he will be canonized a saint next month, on April 27, 2014.  Based on a quick glimpse of what he was like on a personal level, I find him to be smart, funny and likeable.  Here is the article from which I came to my conclusion [1]:

Blessed John XXIII, who will be made a saint April 27, is remembered by many for his warmth, simplicity, social conscience and sense of humor.

Pope Francis, who will canonize "the Good Pope," recalled his predecessor as being holy, patient and a man of courage, especially by calling the Second Vatican Council.

"He was a man who let himself be guided by the Lord," Pope Francis has said.

But the Italian Pope John was also guided by his cheerful disposition, his simple, peasant background and tongue-in-cheek, wisecracking Italian culture.

Here's a look at some of this soon-to-be saint's funny quips:

1. Visiting a hospital, he asked a boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. The boy said either a policeman or a pope. "I would go in for the police if I were you," the pope said. "Anyone can become a pope, look at me!"

2. "It often happens that I wake up at night and begin to think about the serious problems afflicting the world and I tell myself, I must talk to the pope about it. Then the next day when I wake up I remember that I am the pope."

3. In reply to a reporter who asked, "How many people work in the Vatican?", he reportedly said: "About half of them."

4. When a cardinal complained that a rise in Vatican salaries meant a particular usher earned as much as the cardinal, the pope remarked: "That usher has 10 children; I hope the cardinal doesn't."

5. When he went to visit a friend at the nearby Hospital of the Holy Spirit in the evening, the nun answering the door said: "Holy Father, I'm the mother superior of the Holy Spirit." He replied: "Lucky you! What a job! I'm just the 'servant of the servants of God.' "

6. Not long after he was elected pope, Blessed John was walking in the streets of Rome. A woman passed him and said to her friend, "My God, he's so fat!" Overhearing what she said, he turned around and replied, "Madame, I trust you understand that the papal conclave is not exactly a beauty contest." 

7. He once wrote: "There are three ways to face ruin: women, gambling and farming. My father chose the most boring one."

8. When he was cardinal and patriarch of Venice, the future pope was talking with a wealthy city resident and told him, "You and I have one thing in common: money. You have a lot and I have nothing at all. The difference is I don't care about it."

9. When a journalist asked the then-patriarch of Venice what he would be if he could live his life all over again, the future pope said, "Journalist." Then he said with a smile, "Now let us see if you have the courage to tell me that, if you could do it all over again, you'd be the patriarch!"

10. A Vatican official told the pope it would be "absolutely impossible" to open the Second Vatican Council by 1963. "Fine, we'll open it in 1962," he answered. And he did.

[1] http://ncronline.org/news/people/jokes-quips-wisecracks-john-xxiii-lived-keen-sense-humor 

Fate Of Missing Boeing 777 - Only God Knows?

It is not likely that only God knows the fate of the missing Boeing 777.

Welcome to the new, new world of electronic non-detection.  While one camp is working assiduously to spy on everyone and everything around the globe, another camp is working fervently to evade all detections.  Based on the failure to find Malaysia airline flight MN370, a Boeing 777, 21 days after its disappearance on on March 8, 2014, I conclude that the latter camp is winning.

Who are behind this latter group is anyone's guess but whoever they are, they are being paid handsomely, especially after this magic act [1].  Hanoi believes that the aircraft disappeared over Vietnam. [2]  Others believe that the disappearance had something to do with the owner of a patent on a microcontroller used by Freescale Semiconductor, a publicly-traded company headquartered in Austin, Texas. [3] The worth of this patent is uncertain [4] and its potential applications are even more secretive.

With a growing undercurrent of intriguing possibilities, the on-going unsuccessful searches in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean for evidence of a the missing plane based on the assumption that it had crashed are mystifying.

There seems to be something more than meets the eye here.  While the apparent participation by the military of more than two dozen countries [5] in a coordinated search may suggest that the world is largely at peace, something far more ominous, perhaps a conflict of major significance, is probably lurking just beneath the surface.  Whatever that outcome is, God only knows.


[1] Making a Boeing 777 vanish in airspace with 239 people on board is probably the biggest magic act on the world stage.
[2] http://rt.com/news/malaysia-airlines-plane-beijing-570/:

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 carrying 239 people crashed into the sea, reports Vietnamese state media citing a Navy official. The craft disappeared from radars early on Saturday morning [of March 8, 2014,] over Vietnamese airspace.

Vietnamese Air Force planes have spotted two oil slicks which they suspect may have come from the missing airplane, AP reported. The Air Force said the slicks were discovered off the southern tip of Vietnam and resemble the kind of trail left by fuel from a jetliner.

Earlier Vietnamese state media said the plane came down close to Vietnam’s Tho Chu Island, however these reports have not yet been confirmed by Malaysia Airlines who still describe the flight as "missing". At a press conference in Beijing, representatives from Malaysia Airlines said no wreckage has yet been found and they have deployed boats and helicopters in the area to verify reports from the Vietnamese Navy.
...
Despite local news reports, Vietnamese and Malaysian rescue crews have not located the plane’s signal, but Hanoi believes the craft disappeared in Vietnamese airspace. 

[3] http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/24972/56/
[4] http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/586287-freescale-semiconductor-remains-silent-on-missing-employees-yet-malaysia-airlines-rothschild-theories-still-abound/
[5] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2582326/From-islands-Indonesia-steppe-Kazakhstan-Hunt-missing-flight-MH370-switches-land-covers-ELEVEN-countries.html

Confessions, Confessor & Penitent

Dictionary.com defines "confessor" as "a person who confesses" and "a priest authorized to hear confessions." [1]  That can be confusing at times but in the following quoted passages from A Treatise On Interior Peace [2], it seems clear that the confessor is the priest who hears confessions and not the priest who confesses:

7.

God Himself assures you that you may walk without fear under the guidance of those He has charged with your direction, that when you hear them, it is Himself you hear, and He considers the obedience you show to them as shown to Himself, or on the contrary when you show them contempt, it is Himself you despise [3]; that He has given them command to watch over you, and you may depend upon them as upon guardians and sentinels who are charged to answer for your soul, and even for your mistakes, if they proceed from their advice and not from your indocility.
       After all these assurances, you still require certainty before you will go a step.  This is either a want of faith or presumption -- want of faith, if you believe not the word of God; presumption, if you refuse subjection to the order established.  To wait for the daylight before you proceed is either to want confidence in your guide, or to refuse his assistance.

 8.

No, you will reply, it is not my wish to guide myself.  I will obey the guide appointed for my soul, and my obedience would be entire, if his conduct was more perfect [4].  Some trifles displease you in his manners, and your fear of being misled aggravates you extremely.  Suppose this is so and even worse.  He may not be a fervent priest [5], but he is a good confessor [6].  Perhaps he possesses not that recollected piety full of tenderness and grace that you desire to find in him, but he tries to lead you to it.  Should he be unworthy of these gifts, he would be not less the channel of them for you.  The grace of his vocation will not be taken away for his personal defects.  The best physicians do not always enjoy the best health, nor is their regimen always most exact.  Choose your confessor with care and discernment, and then go simply and confidently as he directs [7]. [Emphasis added.]

[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/confessor?s=t
[2] Ambroise de Lombez, OFM, Cap.  A Treatise On Interior Peace.  Trans. Sister Marie Celeste, SC.  (New York: Alba House, 1996), 32-33.
[3] "Ouch."
[4] Precisely how I feel.
[5] This would include a known fornicating priest, a child-molesting priest and a bigoted and hypocritical priest.
[6] Should a penitent confess to priest who is a known fornicator, an adulterer (a priest is "married" to his vows), a pedophiliac, a bigot or a hypocrite?  Can such a priest be trusted to lead one away from sexual addiction of all kinds, bigotry and hypocrisy?  The reply is difficult to refute and is making me revisit my judgments.  If such priests are such good confessors, and they continue to sin in their ways, should they continue to be part of the Catholic church and clothed with apparent authority to hear confessions and administer the Holy Eucharist?  On second thought, maybe I ought to adhere to my condemnation of such priests -- but then we are not to judge.  Instead, we are to hope that one day that such sinning priests would repent and be forgiven by God.  Since God is love and will forgive, who are we, ourselves sinners, not to forgive and to love in order to be forgiven and loved by God?
[7] Did the author send a warning to his readers by these words: "Choose your confessor with care and discernment"?  Is it possible that the author is trying to caution the penitent to walk not into a confessional or the confessor's office blindly and trustingly and be seduced or molested, but instead to go "simply and confidently" as the confessor directs (in whichever manner that pleases him) only after choosing him "with care and discernment"?

Armenian Christians Massacred In Syria

The report quoted below is from CatholicCulture.org [1]:

[On March 21, 2014] [2] Syrian rebel forces affiliated with Al-Qaeda and based in Turkey crossed the Turkish-Syrian border and attacked the town of Kesab, whose population is predominantly Armenian and Christian

“Armenian churches were reportedly desecrated and Armenians driven from their homes,” Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom, said in a statement. “The continued attacks against Christians, including Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Christians and Armenian Catholics, in Syria are unacceptable.”

The head of the Armenian Catholic Church, Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, told the Fides news agency that “the Christians fled at dawn, some of them in pajamas, without being able to bring anything with them, as soon as they heard the sound of gunfire. The rebels came from the mountains on the border with Turkey. They were many and well armed.”

Christians were slaughtered and this very popular pope and those under him have said nothing.  Their silence is especially deafening in this Lenten season.  The article quoted below reported the massacre of 80 Christians [3]:

Muslims entered the Armenian village of Kessab on March 21st, and killed eighty Christians and desecrated several churches.

They forced the civilians to flee up to the hills. The Syrian Army and the Self Defense Force militia (SDF) fought for three days and drove the jihadists out, on March 25th.

What is very significant is the fact that that these jihadists were sent by the Turkish government, and that the Turkish government was actually shelling the village of Kessab. Here is a video obtained by Shoebat.com, of a villager revealing how the Turks shelled the village, and of a poor Christian weeping as he explains how the Muslims attacked him and shot his wife in the head as they were driving, and how he drove in a hot chase pursuit as the terrorists shot at him. Watch the video and see the misery and pain these people go through: [video omitted]

The Muslim attackers took two guard posts overlooking Kessab, and Islamic snipers then began to aim and fire upon the Christian civilians. The local Armenian leadership committee was able to evacuate 670 families into areas in neighboring Basit and Latakia (may God bless them!)

On March 22nd, Syrian soldiers executed a counteroffensive on the jihadists, but on the 23rd the Muslims took the remaining Armenian families hostage and then proceeded to desecrate the town’s three Armenian villages.

[videos omitted]

Bashar al-Assad’s government protested to the UN to take Turkey into account for giving cover for the terrorists as they crossed the border into Kessab. Ken Hachikian of the Armenian National Committee of America made it clear that it is Turkey who is responsible for this attack on the village, and made this protestation:

The Armenian-American community stands united in seeking to reverse the events of the last several days, which has seen militant extremists stream into Kessab from Turkey. We are strongly urging our government, led by President [Barack] Obama and congressional leaders, to send a firm message to Ankara that the safe haven and safe passage being offered to these militant groups intent on destroying Kessab must end … Turkey’s facilitation of al-Qaeda affiliated foreign fighters and their attacks on innocent civilians in Syria undermines ongoing US and international efforts to bring peace to a country ravaged by violence for far too long. For Armenians in the region and around the world, Turkey’s actions are a horrifying and bitter reminder of the genocide committed against the Armenian, Pontian and Syriac communities by Ottoman Turkish authorities from 1915-1923.

Shoebat.com has been for years exposing Turkey’s plans to revive the Ottoman Empire, and there is no doubt that they want to resume and ultimately finish where they left off in the Armenian Genocide. Shoebat.com reported on the human slaughterhouses going on in Syria right now, and how they are massacring Armenian Christians in these houses of slaughter. Turkey is the driving force behind the jihad in Syria, and there is no doubt that they are organizing this violence to annihilate the Christians there.

Did the pope know about this?  If he did, is he praying for the massacred and the survivors?  Why is there no mention of these Christians and the many more who are suffering in the Mideast at Catholic masses?  Do they not collectively bear the face of the suffering Christ?

The Catholic church is an embarrassment and an abomination.  It is an institution that is political rather than holy, that looks after its own selfish and secular interests rather than God's divine plan for the salvation of souls, that utters words without the force of the Holy Spirit, without relevance to the tortured flesh of Christ and without the presence of God's living Love. [4]

The world truly needs the real Francesco d'Assisi (the alter ego of Jesus) as distinguished from this pope who is trying to impersonate the saint, to rebuild the defiled and rotting Catholic church.

While the world is waiting for the next Francesco d'Assisi, the massacred, their families, the refugees and those suffering, in the Mideast and elsewhere around the world, ought to be remembered that they, too, represent the suffering Christ.


[1] http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=20901
[2] https://shoebat.com/2014/03/26/muslims-massacre-80-christians-horrific-massacre-descrate/
[3] Ibid.   See also http://asbarez.com/121007/reports-cite-80-dead-in-kessab-churches-desecrated/
[4] The more I analyze the church, its actions as well as its inaction, the more it repulses me.  I still consider myself a Catholic but one who is incapable of coming to her defense.

A Killer's Encounter With God

Quoted below is an excerpt from Catholic San Francisco [1]:

In 2005, 26 years after Wimberly’s conviction for participating in the murder of his best friend’s parents, he said he experienced the assurance of God’s love for the first time while on a Kairos prison ministry retreat at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. He admits that what he had most wanted from the retreat at the time was the attendance certificate that could improve his chance of parole. He got the certificate and more.

A Zen Buddhist at the time, Wimberly was nonetheless open to the possibility of an encounter with God.

He recalled sitting motionless with his eyes closed and asking God to reveal himself if he was “for real.” He said he sensed a tiny dot of light near him grow larger and brighter until, he said, “it filled me up so much I literally thought I was about to die.”

“The way I see it, I received a pinhole vision of heaven,” Wimberly said. “I met Christ that day.”
- See more at: http://www.catholic-sf.org/ns.php?newsid=22&id=62313#sthash.x9Cq3vl4.dpuf

In 2005, 26 years after [Kent] Wimberly’s conviction for participating in the murder of his best friend’s parents, he said he experienced the assurance of God’s love for the first time while on a Kairos prison ministry retreat at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. He admits that what he had most wanted from the retreat at the time was the attendance certificate that could improve his chance of parole. He got the certificate and more.

A Zen Buddhist at the time, Wimberly was nonetheless open to the possibility of an encounter with God.

He recalled sitting motionless with his eyes closed and asking God to reveal himself if he was “for real.” He said he sensed a tiny dot of light near him grow larger and brighter until, he said, “it filled me up so much I literally thought I was about to die.”

“The way I see it, I received a pinhole vision of heaven,” Wimberly said. “I met Christ that day.” 

Although the article did not mention it, I would think that the vision was as vivid for Kent Wimberly as it was nine years ago on the day he recounted it during the interview with the reporter.

Does anyone believe Kent Wimberly had the vision?  I do, without a doubt.  However, I would like to disagree somewhat with his conclusion that he met Christ that day.  I believe he encountered the Holy Spirit as opposed to the resurrected Christ.  From my personal experience [2], I believe that the Holy Spirit is immense, so much so that nothing contains it.  It is boundless, and coextensive with time's timelessness.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit starts out small and gentle, almost inconsequential.  One can even describe It as shy but when you welcome It, It is not longer shy, no longer a whimper as It steadily expands, bigger and bigger within you until your body is physically unable to contain It any further.  Indeed, if you do not ask It to please stop, It will suffocate you and probably break you.  When It leaves, you can breath again and you have your life back.  At that moment, you love your life because you were just a second earlier near death.  On the other hand, what better death can one hope for than death by the Holy Spirit, a part of the Holy Trinity?

A death sentence was not what God had in mind for Kent Wimberly.  Who are we then to judge and sentence anyone to death?  Should we not allow sinners time to repent and return to God?

Speaking of judging, which I do a lot of especially with respect to the direction of the Catholic church today and her custodians, one ought not to for the very reason that even a murderer can experience God of Whom the Holy Spirit is an integral part.  I do not foresee myself stopping my judgments anytime soon, but I will try to reduce my occasions of judgment and remain neutral, and move on to holier and happier topics.  Hopefully, I will succeed.

Fast forward from 1979, 35 years ago when Kent Wimberly was convicted for participating in the double murder of his best friend's parents [3], Oscar Pistorius is on trial for killing his girlfriend an ocean and a continent away in South Africa [4].  Who is to judge who was wrong in this case?  Was Oscar Pistorius wrong in killing whoever was in the bathroom at the time?  Even if he knew his girlfriend was in the bathroom, was Oscar Pistorius the only wrongdoer here?  Of course, Oscar Pistorius should not be firing his gun at anyone in case someone gets killed.  As it happened, someone was killed.  Was his girlfriend partly to blame?  In a text message, Oscar Pistorius said, "'I was upset that you just left me after we got food to go talk to a guy and I was standing right behind you watching you touch his arm and ignore me.'" [5]  This is a 27-year old man who is physically handicapped and who had a tragic childhood. [6]  Can he be blamed for being a bit insecure when his girlfriend flirted with another man? [7]  Was she after all the one who walked into his life when he was dating someone else?  The flip side of this is Oscar Pistorius cheated on his former girlfriend: "Another witness who testified Friday, former Pistorius girlfriend Samantha Taylor, said their relationship ended when he cheated on her with Steenkamp." [8]  Neither party is completely innocent.  It does take two to tango, so to speak.

Even if Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend with premeditation, or perhaps in rage, would he find God some time in his life?  It took Kent Wimberly 26 years to find God.  If Oscar Pistorius takes the same amount of time, he would be 53 years old if he does.  That is not too late.  It could be too late if one dies Godless but one never knows the breadth of God's forgiveness and the depth of God's love so it might not be too late.  The prayer of Fatima would help those souls who have most need of God's mercy. [9]  Any soul could be a candidate and I am mindful of that.



[1] http://www.catholic-sf.org/ns.php?newsid=22&id=62313
[2] Perhaps someday I will write about it.
[3] http://www.catholic-sf.org/ns.php?newsid=22&id=62313
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/world/africa/prosecution-rests-case-in-pistorius-murder-trial.html?_r=0
[5] Ibid.
[6] http://www.biography.com/people/oscar-pistorius-20910935
[7]   http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/world/africa/prosecution-rests-case-in-pistorius-murder-trial.html?_r=0
[8] http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/07/world/africa/oscar-pistorius-trial-fifth-day/
[9] "Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy."  See http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/fatima-prayers.html , or "Domine Iesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra, salva nos ab igne inferiori, perduc in caelum omnes animas, praesertim eas, quae misericordiae tuae maxime indigent."  See http://catholicforum.fisheaters.com/index.php/topic,2636472.0.html, line 1.

In 2005, 26 years after Wimberly’s conviction for participating in the murder of his best friend’s parents, he said he experienced the assurance of God’s love for the first time while on a Kairos prison ministry retreat at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. He admits that what he had most wanted from the retreat at the time was the attendance certificate that could improve his chance of parole. He got the certificate and more.

A Zen Buddhist at the time, Wimberly was nonetheless open to the possibility of an encounter with God.

He recalled sitting motionless with his eyes closed and asking God to reveal himself if he was “for real.” He said he sensed a tiny dot of light near him grow larger and brighter until, he said, “it filled me up so much I literally thought I was about to die.”

“The way I see it, I received a pinhole vision of heaven,” Wimberly said. “I met Christ that day.”
- See more at: http://www.catholic-sf.org/ns.php?newsid=22&id=62313#sthash.x9Cq3vl4.dpuf

Behind The Façade Of Today's Catholic Church

Architecturally significant churches, cathedrals and basilicas with stained glass windows around the world are visited by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  Of the throngs of tourists who enter them, how many actually enter with their hearts with genuine love for and complete faith in Jesus, the beloved Son of God and the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God?  My guess is not many, including those who are in religious garbs.

Not only is interior of the hearts of people lacking in true love for and faith in God, but also the words and actions of the one at the head of the church in the Vatican is a kaleidoscope of begrudges, hypocrisies and contradictions. [1]

There have been recent articles written on the current pope's first year.  Of everything that he had said, the one statement he often repeated has been: "Who am I to judge?" This comes from the words of Jesus, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." [2]

Do not judge simply means not forming an opinion.  Not having an opinion means not having to be merciful.  Only after  one has judged and then condemns another does one need to extend forgiveness and have mercy.  For instance, a puppy, or rather a young and innocent child unexposed to the wiles of society is always trusting and accepting of all that comes his way.  He does not judge and sees no wrong.  Forgiveness is irrelevant and therefore there is no occasion for him to express mercy.  However, if one must judge, then one must forgive in order that he may be forgiven. [3]

This pope, however, mixes up the non-judgmental heart and the merciful heart in such a tortured, non-directional and convoluted way that gives me the image of a straight rope being twisted into a Gordian knot. [4]  Making things complicated is what the Enemy does best.  Truth is always simple and Satan is always out to obscure it, but I think this pope is trying to battle Satan even as he is being strangled by Satan.

His efforts in battling Satan seem to be as complex as his heart and mind which I think are in turmoil.  What is interesting as well as revealing can be found in this pope's March 23, 2014, radio address in which he talked about a "small and egotistical heart" and "I myself a sinner" (I suppose in reference to himself).  If this is in some round-about way a public confession, this pope whom I have deduced has a small, vengeful and egoistical [5] heart has hope.  Compared the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, he has a long way to go.  I hope he wins his battles.

Whether or not he triumphs over Satan, his fans, including his closest collaborators who are cardinals and bishops [6] should realize that Christ, not the pope, is their boss.  The only sinner I am aware of who has allowed people to see through him and into the face of Christ is San Francesco d'Assisi.  This pope is no way resembles the true saint even though he chose to name after him.

I look upon many of the the caretakers of the Catholic church, no matter their rank, as a bunch of politicians [7] with an agenda far from the path to holiness.  It is about the control of money and exercising power over the poor.  All they do is talk about lifting the poor from poverty but at the same time, they are keeping them in poverty, in discontentment and leaving them in a perpetual state of powerlessness.  They want the poor to support them lest they become literally poor, discontent and powerless themselves. [8]  God forbid should that ever happen to a select bunch of well-fed, well-sheltered, well-pampered, over-educated and anal-retentive hypocrites, a far cry from the image of the suffering Christ.

A spiritually dilapidated institution festering in sin, despite all the imposing structures with appealing façades representing it, is my view of today's Catholic church.  I have come to this conclusion based on what I see, read and surmise.  It disappoints me greatly and I wish that I did not have to so conclude.



[1] This is my opinion, formed on what I have seen and read.  Citing every article read or photo seen supporting it is beyond the scope of this entry.  I could be wrong and I would gladly be wrong if it this pope would open up his conscience to the world make a full and complete confession of his sins before God.
[2] See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A37&version=NIV
[3] Ibid. 
[4] The pope's radio address on March 23, 2014, is partially quoted below:

“Make the heart grow! ‘But I myself am a sinner.’ ‘Who am I to judge?’ This statement, ‘Who am I to judge this? Who am I to gossip about this?... Who am I, who have done the same or worse?’ The heart grows! And the Lord says, ‘Judge not, and you will not be judged! Condemn not, and you will not be condemned! Forgive, and you will be forgiven! Give, and you will receive!’ This [is] generosity of heart! And what will you receive? A good measure, pressed down and overflowing will be poured into your lap. And the image of the person of the person who goes out to collect the wheat with the apron and makes the apron larger so as to receive more, more wheat. If you have a wide, large heart, you can receive more.”
The merciful heart, said Pope Francis, “does not condemn, but forgives, forgets” because God has forgotten my sins; God has forgiven my sins. Enlarge the heart. This is beautiful,” the Pope said: “You are merciful.”

Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/03/17/pope_francis:_the_way_to_peace_is_through_mercy/en1-782247
of the Vatican Radio website 

[5] The pope said, "God has forgotten my sins ..."  See Ibid.  Really?  God is loving, merciful but also forgetful?  God has Alzheimer's disease?  He ought to keep both his "egotistical and  egoistical hearts in check.
[6] http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/03/09/pope-joins-cardinals-on-bus-for-weeklong-lenten-retreat-before-busy-easter/
[7] Birds of a feather flock together.  See invitation by United States politicians inviting a media-manipulating pope to speak before them at http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/boehner-invites-pope-francis-speak-congress
[8] Another fear they have is losing the poor (think donations) to the Evangelicals and therefore it is with urgency that this worldly pope is asking all Catholics to evangelize, and his priests, bishops and cardinals to emerge from the comfort of their surroundings and smell like the sheep they shepherd.  And if he does what he preaches and if he is truly taking after the image of San Francesco d'Assisi, this pope himself will also live among his sheep and smell like one.  See http://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/pope-francis-priests-should-be-shepherds-living-with-the-smell-of-the-sheep/13439  I suppose that day will be the day the sun no longer rises.

Immortality Found

Turritopsisdorhrnii is a jelly fish that reveres itself to its pre-adult stage after it reproduces:

Turritopsisdorhrnii, also known as the “immortal jellyfish.” This small jellyfish, found in the Pacific waters off of Japan as well as in the Mediterranean, is unique upon animals in that once it reproduces,instead of aging into a post-reproductive state, it rather reverses its aging process and reverts to polyp form through the process of transdifferentiation. Scientists compare it to a caterpillar who becomes a butterfly and then turns back to a caterpillar to start over again. Exactly how it happens is still under investigation, but it’s a fascinating lead to follow. [1]

Does anyone genuinely wish to be immortal on this earth?

An immortal can live forever biologically but that does not mean he will.  An immortal must consider all sorts of risks, including the risk of being murdered by one's enemies (if one lives that long, one is bound to have enemies who could very well be a spouse or a relative), the risk of being in a fatal accident, the risk of a heart attack resulting from worrying too much about his premature death (any death is premature for an immortal) and the risk of having a interminable illness or disability that attaches to an immortal's DNA regardless of the number of times he transdifferentiates [2] or regenerates [3].

Suppose immortality can be attained by popping a pill, one that will be affordable under any socialist country's health care program, then imagine an ever expanding population and an ever shrinking pool of natural resources that is needed to sustain life [4].  Will war break out?  Will neighbor kill neighbor?  Will brother poison brother?

What about boredom?  An immortal has been there [5], and done that, not once but many times over.  What about family?  How many centuries can one relate lovingly to one's spouse, one's children, one's parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so on?  What about finances?  Can an immortal afford immortality?  Can the United States Post Office afford immortality? [6]

Perhaps the reason that immortality is not being sought is because humans intuitively know this Truth: that they are unable as a species live with each other forever. [7]

Only when the soul is perfected after death will it be able to exist forever in a realm that is perfect: Heaven.  Only then, can the concept of timelessness of time be truly appreciated and an eternity of bliss be had in the presence of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Trinity.



[1] http://www.tested.com/science/life/460391-how-researchers-want-help-humanity-live-forever/
[2] Ibid.
[3] http://www.tested.com/science/life/460391-how-researchers-want-help-humanity-live-forever/item/planarian-worms/ 
[4] Even the turritopsisdorhrnii cannot live or transdifferentiate without water.
[5] With immortals populating the planet, nobody will be able to get anywhere fast, if at all.  Roads and freeways would be jammed packed like a parking lot and it would take forever to get anywhere, so one would need to be immortal for sure, assuming one does not die from thirst or starvation on the way to the grocery store.
[6] I am pretty certain that in a world of immortals, those "forever" stamps that the United States Post Office sells will be issued with an expiration date.
[7] "You might expect that, having learned of the existence of immortal life, man would dedicate colossal resources to learning how the immortal jellyfish performs its trick. You might expect that biotech multinationals would vie to copyright its genome; that a vast coalition of research scientists would seek to determine the mechanisms by which its cells aged in reverse; that pharmaceutical firms would try to appropriate its lessons for the purposes of human medicine; that governments would broker international accords to govern the future use of rejuvenating technology. But none of this happened."  See http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/magazine/can-a-jellyfish-unlock-the-secret-of-immortality.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 

Ukraine's Problems Are Just Beginning

Losing Crimea to the Russian Federation is the least of Ukraine's problems and ironically  the start of them.  Without Russian support, Ukraine's economy will suffer and nobody is quick to offer help.  There is talk, however, but talk is cheap. [1]  So what happens now?

The best scenario that can unfold, in my imaginary world, would be for the Ukrainian Orthodox church to change its name to Russian Orthodox church.  That way, at least the church-goers would receive assistance from the Russian Orthodox church, which means they would receive, indirectly, support from Russia.  When their lives are comparably better than those non-church goers, Ukrainians would realize how much better off they could be under Russia than under the EU.

Under the EU, all Ukrainians would have is a symbolic loan from the west they can never hope to pay off. [2]  They would, in effect, be slaves of the west.  Slavery is not what Vladimir Putin wants for the Ukrainians.  I believe he respects them and wants them to have dignity.  He sees them as a part of Russia but some puppet Ukrainians of the west would rather become a part of the secular west, and rise to the level of decadence and self-absorption of a Godless society because they have been paid off, perhaps with the equivalent of 30 pieces of silver adjusted for inflation over two millennia (but more likely political power than currency), to betray their own country.

I have never been to Ukraine but somehow I have an affinity toward the Ukrainians.  I like their ethnic costumes, music and dances.  I wish all Ukrainians well and a future that rejects corruption and temptations but retains all of Ukraine's rich traditions.



[1] I think the phrase originates from this truth: cheap people without money can only talk.
[2] When Ukraine has need of a "$35 billion over two years to stave off bankruptcy" there are certain voices who are offering a measly $1 billion.  What imaginary world are they in?  Certainly not mine.

The Fatima Prayer

I had hold out hope for the safe return of the crew and passengers aboard Malaysian Flight MN370 that departed March 8 from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing.  That hope is becoming more and more unrealistic now that the search has entered its 10th day.  My new hope is embodied in the Fatima prayer. [1]

A New York Times article suggested that the passengers could have died soon after the plane made a turn around and soared to 45,000 feet. [2]  And "[i]f the flight did land safely with the passengers and flight crew still healthy, whoever was in charge of the aircraft would also face a formidable task in any attempt to provide food, water and shelter for more than 200 people." [3]

And when the plane was flying at low altitudes around Maldives [4] the deceased could be dropped into the Indian Ocean.

Those behind the hijacking of this plane are probably not looking for ransom by keeping the hostages alive but are instead looking to use the Boeing 777-200 to achieve nefarious ends.  By putting the world on alert that something sinister could happen anytime, anywhere using the commandeered plane and fear into the hearts of many with their utter silence, they are already succeeding.  These people are especially in need of Christ's forgiveness and mercy.


[1] "Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy."  See http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/fatima-prayers.html , or "Domine Iesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra, salva nos ab igne inferiori, perduc in caelum omnes animas, praesertim eas, quae misericordiae tuae maxime indigent."  See http://catholicforum.fisheaters.com/index.php/topic,2636472.0.html, line 1.
[2] "... Passengers would have quickly become unconscious if the plane depressurized as it soared to an unusually high altitude right after the turnaround, pilots said. Whoever diverted the plane could have disabled the release of oxygen masks.
"Dr. James Ho, an associate professor of medicine at Hong Kong University, said that death could come within minutes ... [It would be] equivalent [to someone stepping] outdoors at 45,000 feet."  See http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/world/asia/questions-over-absence-of-cellphone-calls-from-missing-passengers.html?_r=0
[3] Ibid, (last paragraph).
[4] See article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10706853/MH370-Maldives-Islanders-claim-to-have-spotted-low-flying-jet.html quoted below:

The global hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight has shifted to a tiny island in the Maldives, where residents spotted a “low flying jumbo jet” hours after the aircraft disappeared.

Several witnesses in Dhaalu Atoll saw a plane heading south that bore the red stripe and white background of Malaysia Airlines planes.

The sightings, reported by a local news outlet, would have occurred more than seven hours after the plane, carrying 12 crew and 227 mainly Chinese passengers, lost contact with air traffic control and took its sudden westward turn during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in the early hours of Saturday March 8.

“I’ve never seen a jet flying so low over our island before. We’ve seen seaplanes, but I’m sure that this was not one of those. I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly,” said [a] witness.

Hope Is Alive - It Unites, Divides

Not only are the relatives of the passengers on the still-missing Boeing 777 aircraft flown by Malaysia Airlines that departed from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 hopeful (and I assume some are praying to Buddha as well) that the airplane had landed somewhere on the planet and the people who were on board are still alive, but also thousands of Malaysians, many of whom Muslims, are also hoping (and praying to Allah) for the same outcome, [1] as I am sure, some Christians too share the same hope and have been praying for the safety return of those aboard Malaysia Flight MN370.

It is interesting that people are not that much different from one another.  We all have hopes, because hope is part of our common constitution that comes from God Who made everyone and is in some unexplainable way part of everyone, even agnostics and atheists.  But that is where unity ends.

Enter Satan, the Master of Perversion.  The Original Hope [2] It perverted was accomplished by the introduction of a lie into a hope, the hope that by eating the Apple from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, Eve and Adam would be like God.  From that point forward, every hope is perverted except for the purest and I cannot imagine any hope that is inviolate and pure. [3]  Since every hope is tainted by Sin, they contradict each other.  Conflicts arise when individuals and countries each has a different set of hopes.

As an example, on the issue of Crimea's secession, the hope of some Ukrainians is different from the hope of other Ukrainians, leading to disagreements in the international community that is unfolding as a result of a vote this Sunday, March 16, 2104, in Crimea by the people living there choosing to cut political ties with Ukraine and be a part of Russia.

People's hopes are often in conflict and in order to have peace all sides must yield.  Sadly, on the world stage, ego, power trips and revenge takes precedent over common sense and consequently people suffer, to the delight of Satan.

While I am not hopeful that peace on earth will occur anytime soon because of Sin, I am hopeful that prayers that are said, in any language of any religion would be heard by Divine Love.  More immediately, whatever the outcomes of Flight MN370's pilots, passengers and crew and whatever the consequences of Crimea's secession from Ukraine, Divine Love would have intervened because of prayers [4] in ways that only Divine Love comprehends and they are beyond human understanding.


[1] http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2014/03/13/13/23/pqijl.St.4.jpeg, http://media.sacbee.com/smedia /2014/03/13/13/23/aDsFG.St.4.jpeg, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20140316/eca86bd9ddb4148f609019.jpg, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20140316/eca86bd9ddb4148f609019.jpg, http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/26/75/70/6020625/3/628x471.jpg
[2] I believe the Original Hope is the one and only hope that God intended for us to have which is to choose freely to love God fully and be united with God forever.
[3] Jesus and His mother, the Virgin Mary, do not need to hope.  They both know the Truth, the Divine Truth.  One does not need to hope when one knows the Truth.
[4] Prayers are hopes expressed by man.  Since hopes are in conflict, so will prayers be in conflict.  Divine Love will be able to see the Truth, and they will always coincide with each other.  In other words, Divine Love and Divine Truth are never in conflict.

The New Satan

The new Satan would mimic Jesus' humble beginnings.  It [1] would grow up disadvantaged (economically, ethnically or otherwise) in a society or a world that would discriminate against It.  It would be ridiculed and rejected, despised and devalued, belittled and banished.  It would be an outcast but It would not be stupid.  It would play the "disadvantaged and discriminated" cards.  It would be a Victim, with a capital "V" because It would be the Victim of all victims.

Since It would want everyone to see It as a Victim, It would be unlike Jesus Who was a Victor, with a capital "V" because He wants everyone to be victorious like Him, to defeat Evil by resisting Its temptations and rising from Sin's consequence which is Eternal Death so that Eternal Life can be possible.  This is not the only difference between the new Satan, the Victim and Christ, the Victor.

For people who disagree with "The Victim", insult It, reveal Its lies, uncover Its masks, It would not turn the other cheek. [2]  It would be ruthless in the way It seeks vengeance.  Revenges would be carefully planned and timed.  They would be crafted in ways that would conceal the Evil originator so that It can maintain a semblance of innocence and deceive the public.  It would fool a lot of people and It has fooled me. [3]

All the fools would fall into Its trap of lies.  It keeps telling you that you are a victim of injustice.  It wants you to be angry and envious and It wants you believe that you are destined to be a victim and can never be victorious.

To win Its game of deceit, the New Satan has to make everyone a victim.  Its tactic would be to continuously identify new classes of victims and stir up envy and anger in each of their hearts, and turn them into armies of new Satan incarnates and eventually against each other.

The new Satan can be successful in creating discord between strangers as well as between brothers because It knows that God's gift of perfection necessitates differences that actually create harmony but that delicate perfection is easily perverted so that differences would be interpreted as injustices that have to be avenged or as wrongs that have to be righted.  This leads to never-ending animosity and strife, hate and war.

Class warfare is not new.  It stems from inequality and the rudiments of inequality began with Cain and Abel. [4]  The new Satan simply wants to amplify it by pitting one class of interest against another, and the classes of interest can be as unique as they are numerous.  It wants armies of victims of inequality to even the score, as if it can be done.  Satan wants blood to be spilt among the classes to ensure that warfare would be guaranteed through time in the same way that warfare has been unending between the Jews and the Palestinians. [5]  It wants to see neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

Presently, battles that are being waged in many countries, even in countries where war has supposedly ended, conflicts are continuing.  The new Satan, Itself a Loser, is carrying a torch from Hell and continuously lighting fires in the hearts of all the world's losers (victim puppets without fortitude that have fallen victim to the Victim) who in turn set peace ablaze with hate and turn earth into burning Hell. [6]


[1] I use the pronoun "It" in this entry to denote the new Satan. "It" could be a "he" or a "she" or have some kind of artificially twisted gender.  It is singular and It is plural.  It is singular when It is the Evil One Itself; It is plural when It exists in and as all Its incarnates, and they are everywhere: they are the poor and the rich, the powerless and the powerful, the rulers and the ruled, the secular and the religious, the Godless and the Gotchas.
[2] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A27-29&version=NIV
[3] Satan is very smart, very articulate and very smooth and beguiling.  The trap is enticing.  It devours.  You know you are dealing with pure evil as soon as you wake up to your senses.
[4] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+4+%3A1-6&version=NIV
[5] Are they not distant relatives?  "Jews and Palestinians in the Middle East share a very similar gene pool and must be considered closely related and not genetically separate."  See http://www.datehookup.com/Thread-831369.htm
[6] Any place that is ablaze from conflict is hardly "spring" when bees collect honey from fragrant blossoms.

Theories Surrounding The Missing Boeing 777 Reflect Man's Limitations

This is Day 5 and the Malaysian Flight MN370 that departed Kuala Lumpur is still missing. [1]  So I started a search, not for the aircraft but a religious theory among many secular ones for the disappearance of the Boeing 777 destined for Beijing that never arrived, and I found it [2]:

Re: Six important facts you're not being told about lost Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

IT[']S THE RAPTURE!

Probably this is not the rapture [3] unless more planes begin to disappear in midair, ocean liners vanish at sea and people vaporize without a trace.

Whatever happened to Flight MN370 and the passengers on board, the inability to find any trace of it, for 5 days and counting, given all the sophisticated technology and intellect we humans around the world pride ourselves having is a bit humiliating, is it not?

Now think about how small and insignificant humans are compared to God Who can perform miracles that defy the laws of physics, chemistry and biology combined.  Therefore, be humble, for there is no choice.  In other words, before God, humility is man's only option.


[1] http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/10/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-knowns-unknowns/
[2] http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message2503461/pg1 (toward the end of the page 1)
[3] http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/a/whatisrapture.htm

A Lenten Confession

"Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection." [1]

Lent began last Wednesday for most Roman Catholics.  The disciplined ones went to church and had ashes in the shape of a cross placed on their foreheads.  I consciously skipped it.  I did so because I would invariably fail to sacrifice anything during Lent.  I also find it rather silly to make a sacrifice for 40 days and then go back to normal the rest of the year.

Here are my questions:

1. If fasting and repenting during Lent is to remind oneself of Christ's sacrifice, then is it unimportant or unnecessary to reflect on the meaning of Christ's suffering outside of this period when one is free to indulge in all kinds of uninhibited consumption, and all sorts of addictions and sinning?

2. If what one does during Lent in one year is carried over to the rest of the year, year after year, then after a number of years, would everyone who observes Lent annually be a saint like San Francesco d'Assisi or Santa Chiara d'Assisi?

3. What sacrifice has this pope made during Lent this year?  He did not say.  Was he afraid to tell?  Why should it be a secret?  Is it because of humility or is he afraid of hypocrisy?  Let us assume that his sacrifice is repentance, and that he repents and tells the whole Truth for 40 days, what happens after Lent?  Does he revert back to his sinful ways?  If he does not need to repent anything during Lent, is he sinless?

4.  Last year, this pope washed and kissed the feet of inmates who were minors on Holy Thursday [2], [3].  As a sign of true humility, will he ever kneel before his predecessor Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and wash and kiss his feet?  Will this pope kneel before his cardinals [4] and wash and kiss their feet too?




[1] http://christianity.about.com/od/holidaytips/qt/whatislent.htm
[2] http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1301429.htm
[3] http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/pope-francis-female-foot-wash-upsets-traditionalists-article-1.1303260
[4] I would like to see this pope wash and kiss the feet of the some of the Cardinals on the short list to be pope after Pope Benedict XVI retired, like the feet of Cardinal Angelo Scola (Italian), the feet of Cardinal Peter Turkson (African), the feet of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith (Sri Lankan), the feet of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippino), the feet of Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco (Italian) and the feet of Cardinal Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga (Honduran).  See the complete short list at http://www.ktvb.com/news/196893931.html.  And one must not forget also the feet of Cardinal Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone (Italian), even though Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was not on the referenced short list.  I named some of the Cardinals whose feet ought to be washed and kissed by this pope because of their diversity and other Cardinals whose feet also ought to be washed and kissed by this pope because of their possibly "not-so-close" relationship with this pope (I believe that familiarity breeds contempt).  Washing and kissing the feet of these "mature" male Cardinals would really show this pope's true humility, would it not?  Or show his real self if he chooses again to wash and kiss the feet of young women who are minors?

Antidote To Satan

Some have said the antidote to Satan is love.  I disagree.  The antidote to Satan is resistance, not love.  One can love Satan, I suppose, but Satan does not want your love.  Satan despises man and finds him inferior.  Satan is proving again and again that It is right, that man is inferior and is unable to resist Its temptations and Its false promises.

Christ was the perfect antidote to Satan.  Jesus resisted all of Satan's temptations and certainly did not love Satan.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” [1]

[1] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+4%3A8-10&version=NIV

Another Look At The Apostle John - Jesus' Special Disciple

John was Jesus' special disciple who was not martyred and according to many, he was the only disciple who died a natural death [1] and that he was the disciple who wrote the Book of Revelations, the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John [2], [3], [4], [5].  And John was also the disciple to whom Jesus gave His Mother. [6] That act alone was special enough for not only did John become the son of Mary, he also became Jesus' brother.  The life that Christ had chosen for John was none of Peter's business. [7], [8] 



[1] https://www.reclaimingthemind.org/content/Parchmentandpen/DeathoftheApostles.pdf
[2] https://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN500APOSTLES%20FATE.htm
[3] Book of Revelations - http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=5379618
[4] The Gospel of John - http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/john.htm
[5] Letters of John - a synopsis - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/304635/letters-of-John
[6] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019:26-27
[7] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+21%3A20-23&version=NIV
[8] In the eyes of Jesus, there was no need for Peter to be jealous, envious or bitter, just as there is no need for anyone to be jealous, envious or bitter if some people are more beautiful, more talented, more healthy, more athletic, more wealthy, more powerful than others.  However, jealousy, envy and bitterness exists, even among the beautiful, talented, healthy, athletic, wealthy and powerful.  Such vices exist because Satan is wielding Its power across the globe and Its armies of Godless, power-hungry, small-minded, envious, bitter, jealous, intolerant, unforgiving, unloving, vindictive pawns are everywhere.  Sometimes, they get beaten back and but new armies of Satanites emerges.  They are stronger, more cunning, more ruthless with different faces.  The battle between God and Godlessness wages on.

Hoping For Holiness In The Yet-To-Be Eurasian Nation

The quoted paragraphs below are selected from a Boston Globe article online dated March 9, 2014: [1]

When it comes to Putin’s long-term strategy, however, there is at least one concrete plan that offers some insight, and one specific date that Russia observers are looking ahead to. That date, Jan. 1, 2015, is expected to mark the birth of an important new organization linking Russia with an as-yet-undetermined constellation of its neighboring countries—an alliance Putin has dubbed the Eurasian Union.

Currently, only two nations besides Russia, Belarus and Kazakstan, have signed on. A number of other post-Soviet states, including Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, have signaled interest in joining.

One intriguing argument that’s been made by Russia observers in recent weeks is that the Kremlin’s very high-profile campaign against gays [2] and the increasingly intimate relationship it has established with the Russian Orthodox church are part of a broader effort to “brand” Russia as the bedrock of traditional values working to fight back the tide of moral corruption emanating from the West. This, too, could strengthen its role as the center of a new Eurasian power structure. “Part of this idea of contrasting Eurasia from the West is that they live according to different values,” said Mankoff. “So Putin talks about how the West has become decadent...and its embrace of gay marriage as being an example of that.” (Emphasis added.)

Russia has spent of its existence in a kind of tense suspension between Europe and Central Asia. Its landmass lies mostly in Asia, but its proud history of music, art, and literature are more closely associated with Europe. 

To that list should be added religion ("Christianity").

To this end, I would like to see a holy Eurasian nation that is devoted to God that emphasizes charity while rejecting egoism, secularism, relativism and decadence.  If that can be true, then Vladimir Putin is correct: that Russia is not located between the West and the East but that the West and the East are to the left and right of Russia. [3] 

In an ideal world, there would be no corruption and Putin's Eurasian Nation would be a nation of devoted Russian Orthodox Christians and Christianity would spread to its left and right, and the countryside would look something like Altyn Arashan in Eastern Kyrgyzstan [4], [5]:

[1] Here is the link to the entire article: http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/03/09/putin-long-game-meet-eurasian-union/1eKLXEC3TJfzqK54elX5fL/story.html
[2] I do not think Vladimir Putin is against anyone who is gay per se but is against the Godless gay political agenda. 
[3] Ibid.  Last paragraph, paraphrased.
[4] http://www.jessekhall.com/tag/kyrgyzstan/
[5] Another even more beautiful (close-up) photo of the same place can be seen on this website: http://prezi.com/y5fuycmourui/copy-of-kyrgyzstan/ (click on the arrow "=>" and wait for processing to complete to see the photo)

Solutions For The Ages

Deception and denial are man's solutions for the ages but in reality they create more problems than they solve, making Satan happy.  Satan is the Master Of Deception and man is the Master Of Denial who has learned from Satan the art of deception.  Some of the craftiest deceivers are not magicians but politicians.  Once in a while, a leader speaks the truth. [1]


[1] Vladmir Putin said that the people in Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the central square in Kiev, have seen "one set of thieves being replaced by another" in the government, and that those in power engaging in "dishonest privatisation" have become rich and powerful.  See http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/putin-ukrainian-corruption-has-reached-dimensions-that-are-unheard-of-here-in-russia-transcript-part-1-338376.html  Is Putin hinting at the possibility that the $1billion loan guarantee to be spent on energy costs for the Ukrainian people will mostly end up in the hands of corrupt politicians, leaving the people without heat in the winter?  See http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/04/politics/ukraine-us-aid/  Does throwing money at an intractable problem solve anything?

The Pope In His Mother Tongue Said The Unholy Word: "Cazzo"

"Cazzo" in Italian is "fuck" in English.  Pope Frank whose parents were Italian said "fuck" in Italian ("cazzo") during an address at the Vatican. [1]  I suspect that it was not just any slip of the tongue but a Freudian slip that could possibly uncover layers upon layers of prickly evidence concealed in the ultra-private (some say "humble") and suspiciously quiet life of a man before he became pope. [2]  Whether such evidence actually exists or is perhaps hidden in the villa miseria of Buenos Aires is anyone's guess.


[1] See and hear it at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/mamma-mia-he-said-what-pope-francis-uses-distinctly-unholy-language-as-he-drops-the-fbomb-during-mass-in-st-peters-square-9165923.html, a repetitive but louder version is on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BziUYGPLzbg.
[2] If I had the talent for writing, I would write a fiction about a pope that loves fornicating.

Ukraine -- Part Of RU or the EU?

No matter what country you travel to, you can see people going about their daily lives.  The vicissitudes of life in Santiago, Chile are not much different from those in Helsinki, Finland.  In a fundamental sense, people all want to be healthy, happy and loved.

People are people.

People are also different from one another, even members in the same family are different.  If a person has a certain God-given talent, it is still a God-given talent no matter his background or citizenship.  To prove my point, with the benefit of hindsight, a gold-medal Olympian (Victor Ahn) is still a gold-medal Olympian whether he is representing South Korea or the Russian Federation in the Winter Olympics. [1]

Similarly, if a person is proud, small-minded, envious, insecure, bitter, possessive, jealous, unforgiving and vengeful, even if he is gifted, he is going to be the same person in the south pole as he would be in the north pole, and he is going to be the same as a ruler with power or a homeless pauper.

My point here is that it makes no difference from a human standpoint whether Ukraine is part of the European Union or the Russian Federation. [1], [2]  The Ukrainians are still going to need whatever they need economically, whether they ask for it in the Russian, Ukrainian or English. [3]

If the issue is injustice, one must remember that it is part of creation, and that it is incumbent upon everyone to look into one's soul, at the gift of life and at the capacity to love (the equalizer of all that is unequal) and thank God for both, no matter how challenging, and not do the work of Satan and live in pride, in envy, in vengeance and in hate.

It is Satan's hate that creates strife and causes suffering but it is God's love that nullifies hate and lead to peace.




[1] Read about the gold-medalist speed skater Victor Ahn here:  http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/russia-gold-usa-silver-mens-5000-meter-short-track-speedskating-relay-022114
[2] If it is well-known that Russia spy on their citizens, then Edward Snowden has shown the world that no one on earth should labor under the delusion that an individual's right to privacy still exists.
[3] If capitalists think that Ukraine would be better off as part of the EU, they can look at Greece and think again.