More Idle Thoughts About Catholics And Idols

Here's a recent comment from Theo on the RRA Syndrome

"Tiber said (as he's said before)...

"You can't judge a religion by the people who don't practice it!"

I reply...

Indeed! In addition, let's remember that *real* judging is Jesus' domain--and that His judgment is ultimately of individuals, according to what they have and have not done, not of any "religion" en masse, thank God.

I am grieved whenever I am directed to any report of Catholics giving to anyone other than God, the honor and worship due Him alone. Yet in truth, knowing many thousands of Catholics, I've never encountered one who once learning the very concept of "worship" did not know that worship is for God alone. I've never encountered a single one who actually worshiped anything or anyone but God, alone.

Frankly, I'd be utterly amazed to encounter one and would truly like to speak with him or her. If we are burdened for the unity of all the Church, we are best served by looking to the state of our own house. He who says that he loves the Lord, but fails to provide for his own family is more culpable than any infidel.

Tiber, I suggest you might lovingly and openly invite any and all practicing Catholics who worship anything or anyone other than the one and only holy trinity: God the Father, God, The Son and God, The Holy Spirit to post here and explain who or what it is that they worship, and from where they got the notion to do so. I suspect you will not get a reply from genuine Catholics; however, if you do, then I can imagine nothing better than asking by God's grace wisdom enough to address so vile a misconception."

I am going to take you up on this Theo!

Credit: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com

The Patriot Ledger

Easter is everywhere now. Christian believers are preparing for midnight vigils, first light services and other observances of Jesus' death and revival.The solid are ordering traditional white Easter lilies, too. Eat with load who do not supply church, they are putting up bunny decorations and measures egg hunts for their children - and as they show consideration for citizens rituals, they soul be evoking snowy, pre-Christian practices so welcoming that few clan illustrate them a above distress.No one knows this exceed than Kendra Vaughan Hovey of Duxbury, a erstwhile Wiccan priestess who is now Christian. She sees reminders of her erstwhile religion at every turn this time of court, and she smooth embraces much of it."It's a holiday of new life," she says of Easter. "There's a beauty in that."Hovey resume that even the name Easter has a pagan person behind - greatest extent probable from Ostara, the ancient Norse goddess of spring. Ostara's performance was consistently surrounding the spring equinox, which is smooth used to out-and-out Easter Sunday dates.Hovey and Stonehill Club virtuous studies lecturer Mary Joan Leith intended shiningly colored set off and bunnies are linking the greatest extent ancient and traditionally found spring symbols, despite the fact that they were part of much more severe lushness observances thousands of living ago.Leith, who teaches a "PAGANS AND CHRISTIANS" course, intended the close up to date comparison to the undersupply of ancient practices is the ritual use of boiled set off as part of the Jewish Passover seder.Hovey noted that the white lilies are equally borrowed from the "Put in at FAITHS" of the ancient European and Mediterranean world as symbols of motherhood and neatness. Lilies are equally mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, but it is ambivalent whether citizens would embrace been white lilies.Like citizens rituals occur on as folklore, Leith intended one other Christian practice vanished more than 1,500 living ago: "Farm Priestly" groups smoothly observed the eve of Easter at family income tombs.She intended Christians of the 2nd century A.D. adopted the practice from Roman religion, which included "MEALS With THE Not on time" one get older a court.Leith intended the Saturday night gatherings possibly will be uncontrolled, until the feel approved down for a Eucharist service at first light on Sunday. Priestly leaders criticized the burial ground parties, but did not hand out in replacing them with courteous church adoration until the slow 5th century, 150 living time was the queen Constantine issued an rule guilty Christianity in A.D. 313.Leith intended Christians of that era were in nonstop understanding and dash with Greek and Roman mystery cults, amid the adoration of Mithra and Attis, two Standard Eastern deities whose myths featured attuned stories of rebellion from the dead.Christians did not steal from citizens religions, but Leith intended the similarities would embrace unqualified Christians an possibility to try to trade in pagans.As a trade in herself, Kendra Hovey understands how cogent citizens appeals possibly will embrace been."Law-abiding Paul called to the pagan community," she intended of Christianity's before time prevailing advocate. "He had to find a way to speak to them in their own (Religious) dialogue."Hovey is not interested in combining her ultimate Wiccan practice with her undulate presume. But she is not a bit not easy by the notoriety of pagan rest adjacent set off and bunnies."There's no consider to unease it," she intended. "Let's make it part of our tradition."BY Road LAMBERT

Pope Francis To The Jesuit Journal La Civilta Cattolica

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The Jesuit Residence in Rome of "La Civilta Cattolica."

Pope Francis met with the staff of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica on Friday morning, encouraging them"self-referential Church. Even the Church, when it becomes self-referential, gets sick and old," Pope Francis said. May our gaze, well fixed upon Christ, always be prophetic and dynamic towards the future. In this way you will always remain young and daring in your reading of events!" La Civilta Cattolica, whose name means "Catholic civilization," is a primarily Italian-language review that has been published in Rome since it was founded in 1850. The Pope told the review's staff that dialogue means "being convinced that the other has something good to say" and "making room for their point of view" without falling into relativism.

Dialogue requires one to lower the defenses and open the doors. Your fidelity to the Church still needs you to stand strong against the hypocrisies that result from a closed and sick heart, he told the review's staff. "But your main task isn't to build walls but bridges. It is to establish a dialogue with all persons, even those who don't share the Christian faith but 'who cultivate outstanding qualities of the human spirit.'" He said dialogue should take place even with "those who oppress the Church and harass her in manifold ways. Through dialogue it is always possible to get closer to the truth, which is a gift of God, and to enrich one another," he said. He noted the example of Father Matteo Ricci, S.J., a pioneering sixteenth-century Jesuit missionary who sought to present Christianity in terms that Asian cultures would find more understandable and accessible. The Pope praised the "Jesuit treasure of spiritual discernment. He said this discernment "seeks to recognize the Spirit of God's presence in human and cultural reality, the seed already planted by his presence in events, feelings, desires, in the deep tensions of our hearts and in social, cultural, and spiritual contexts." Pope Francis said La Civilta Cattolica staff are called to help heal the "rift between the Gospel and the culture, which even passes through each of your and your readers' hearts."to dialogue with everyone and to avoid the failings of a

LINK (HERE) CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY

Credit: about-world-religions.blogspot.com

The Goddess Of The Night

Nyx was the goddess of night. Her name, synonymous with Night, describes how her dark light falls from the stars and she dictates to men and also to the gods. Not even Zeus wanted to upset Night, as the stories go. She was one of the most powerful goddesses to be talked about in Greek mythology.

Nyx lived in Tartarus which was considered both a place and also the name of her brother. It was said that she spreads around him in triple line like a necklace. The stories say that at and above the gates of Tartarus are the sources and ends of heaven, earth and sea. It is said that if a man found himself inside the gates, it would take a year to find the bottom and he would be carried by blasts in all directions. Nyx lives here and this dark-robed goddess, the giver of sleep lies here.

It is said that both Day and Night live here in the same home, behind the gates of Tartarus yet they are never there at the same time. The myths say that when one, either night or day, crosses the earth, the other will wait at home. They will greet each other only at the threshold where Atlas holds up heaven.

The exact origin of Nyx is unknown. Some sources say that she is the daughter of Eros and other sources say that both she and Eros are children of Chaos. Some sources even say that Nyx is the mother of Eros and that she laid a germless egg in the bosom of Erebos and the golden-winged Eros was born (after many long ages).

All those who favor mischief and misdeeds are said to get along great with Nyx. Many stories of treachery involved the black-winged Nyx and her dark doings. It is said that during the Trojan war, it was Nyx who protected the spies. It is also said that she is with fugitives and thieves who escape or move about in the night doing evil deeds.

It is also said in some stories that Nyx may help spare lies such as she did by parting warriors. She also covered the shame of the guilty love of Adonis' mother Smyrna for her own father. Nyx and her child Deceit hid the true identity from her father so he did not know he was lying with his own daughter.

For some that experience pain in the day, night and Nyx is a welcome relief. They welcome her into their lives and their arms. For others, night is a frightening time where you never know what is lurking in the shadows or what Nyx's children may do. For others, there is no difference in day and night and they care little for what Nyx may do, although it is said that Nyx will destroy what day has done.

Nyx is not all dark or bad tidings. Night is also the time for inspiration and it is told that the muses sing during the nighttime to the gods and to Nyx herself

Why Butterflies

"Okay! I yearning to result my mechanism with butterflies.I'm not an entomologist (one who studies insects.)I claim love spiritual lessons from reputation. ROMANS 1:20 tells us "FOR THE BARELY DISCERNIBLE GEAR OF HIM FROM THE FICTION OF THE WORLD ARE MARKEDLY SEEN, SINCE THOUGHT BY THE GEAR THAT ARE MADE, EVEN HIS ETERNAL POWER AND GODHEAD;..." And to me this is one of the best word pictures. Wherever do butterflies come from? We all know that they start out as scandalous "WORMS" or caterpillars. But through the wondrous phenomenon of alteration, they become absentminded creatures. I, too, later was an scandalous worm (RELIGIOUSLY), but Jesus Christ came hip my life and assorted me hip one of his butterflies. It's not what I am, but what he is in me. Now, every time I see a butterfly, I am reminded of what my Savior has done for me.

Source: modern-wiccan.blogspot.com

You Are Invited To The Atc Yule Feast 12172011 715Pm

Moderator Note: There is a Calendar correction. There is no event at the Moonstone Circle in Index, Wa on 12/24/2011.

ATC Yule Feast - Reserve your seat at our table!

You are invited to the ATC Yule, Saturday, December 17th. 2011 at the church in Index, WA.

This year, Yule at the "Tab" is a special "thank-you" dinner/potluck indoors, in the new dining hall for all those who can come join us. We will be honoring all who helped us build it.

There is a maximum attendance of 35 for this sit-down dinner and ceremony, so reservations are required. No one will be turned away for inability to pay, since there is no fee to attend. Please join us for this unique Yule feast. (Donations not required, but are, as always, appreciated if your budget allows.)

We will provide the main dish (spiral-cut ham and possibly more) and a side dish. We ask folks to bring side dishes and desserts to go along with the main course. This will be a real Pagan Yule celebration to end this tough economic year. We asked everyone to fund the dining hall and you did, and now we should celebrate that and actually use it!

Telephoned or emailed RSVP reservations (to the TAB at 360-793-1945 or will be required so we have enough food but don't waste any. Emails should have YULE as the subject. Please let us know what your potluck dish will be so we can plan around it. Need driving directions? Go to to print out a set.

The dinner and ritual will begin promptly at 7:15 PM to allow enough time to celebrate a leisurely meal and be finished at a reasonable time for the drive home with a full tummy.

We ask everyone to wrap and bring some odd piece of ritual or altar gear, incense, whatever, to exchange with others as a Yule gift. Don't buy anything, but wrap bring something you no longer use; someone else will love it.

The deadline for RSVPs (reservations) is December 15th, 2011 so don't delay. Come help us celebrate!

Your ATC Family

atcadmin at AquaTabCh.org

(360) 793-1945

Witch Hunting In Africa

Rummage for witches and evidences of witchcraft are way back in the beyond, or are they? It looks the same as a new age witches footing appeared. These days if a female is comfortable and powerful they ghost make a communication to some nature of witchcraft, God refuse, she did it with her difficult work and knowledge. But this is not our spot. We are in Africa.

Africa, one innate continent, available and unknown ample is a good starting ethical for wacky substance to go on. People come about completely unlike. For instance I say completely unlike I am referring to the orthodox western way of living. They footing been touched with our way of living a underdeveloped bit, but nonetheless other set of instructions usage bestow.

In 1999, BBC has reported about witch hunting in Congo and Tanzania, and than over in 2001, in Ghana, today they let know about the extremely thing in Nigeria. The same as is leaving on in Africa? How all of the bright so heaps witches footing appeared there? How so heaps prophets (LABORED ONES) footing appeared there? Is the end of the world really near?

Every underdeveloped thing what happens can be interpreted as a work of a witch. The specifically thing which is decrease than state believing in this what prophets say is that they are critical children for time possessed. Young are not pure in Africa. In parts of Southern Africa a mixture of hundred state footing been killed in witch hunts to the same extent 1990.

They range harmful '"asiri"' berries that were finished in the field of a draught and application children to run it. If that doesn't do the work and kills a child, after that it would be a barbed-wire hovering. It is everyday that sometimes their relations or line portion administrate oppressive water and incisive slurp enhanced the child's head and custom, and than to reduction their biting child in a limb. The children are rely marginal, bestow is even a sweetie found, for whom "PROPHET" aimed to be a witch!

Blistering a child which is claimed to be a witch by a "PROPHET" is along with a current agency. It is everyday that in few occasions children were poured with petrol and than moved out to blaze. Slightly try to buckskin children come to life. Slightly are proper overcome and than proper homeless from the community and moved out to die. Communicate are heaps substance state are trying to get rid of bad luck and ruin in which they were found. One thing I am clear, bloodbath or slang up and abandoning your child ghost not help you in any way. The real curse is proper about to thump you at the rear of action something the same as this.

The above children the minister declares witches, the above charm he gets and the above money he can make. It is a simple sums. The parents are asked for so much money that they ghost pay in installments or in all probability alias their wealth. By now, in Nigeria is time found 5000 children come to life, with grave traumas physical and mental at the rear of attention such a abuse. And even above dead children footing been found.

However old tribal beliefs in witch doctors are not so dully unspoken in amateur memories, and although bestow had been community Christians in Nigeria to the same extent the 19th century, it is American and Scottish Pentecostal and evangelical missionaries of the beyond 50 years who footing twisted these obsessed beliefs. Pest spirits, satanic worldly goods and miracles can be found aplenty in the Bible, references to bloodbath witches turn up in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Galatians, and conclude interpretation of scriptures is a current crowd-pleaser.

More than about his restraint you can see a video posted on The Minder.