People who are into the prosperity/faith doctrine get upset when I point out to them that the Pilgrims who settled America in the 1620's considered too much prosperity to be a sign of God's judgement, and something to be repented of. For some reason, they just get really angry.....

"Jesus is equated with God, when at least, in some sense, they are not one and the same. While I know that his philosophy words for mankind, I cannot equate him with God." An old Hymn adresses that question: Holy, Holy, Holy Reginald Heber, 1826 Copyright: Public Domain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Main subject: Praise Scripture: Isaiah 6:3 Nicaea John B. Dykes, pub.1861 Copyright: Public Domain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key: E♭ Meter: 12.13.12.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ view Scorch sheet music [.sib] play midi [.mid] Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Who was, and is, and evermore shall be. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see; Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Ah.

The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.

Separate, equal beings that are not three, but one single God: the Blessed Trinity.

“For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

According to John’s Gospel, the Word is Jesus Himself.

Last weekend, National Geographic’s Jesus was a pre-adolescent bully. Got me to wondering if NG was developing an agenda.

Where have I been?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=national+geographic+channel+jesus&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Whoops, I think that they have the name wrong. Instead of “Jesus Christ” I believe the proper term is “Mohamed”

Jesus is equated with God, when at least, in some sense, they are not one and the same. While I know that his philosophy words for mankind, I cannot equate him with God.

How is the 1st Commandment contradictory of the Catholic view?

I have always had a problem with the Catholic view of Jesus.

Right off the bat, I will say that I believe Jesus’ philosphy concern how man should behave is absolutely correct and has been proven now by thousands of years of demonstration. It is how man should treat his fellow man.

Having said that, the 1st Commandment states (paraphrasing) “I am the Lord thy God. You shall have no strange gods before me”.

Paradox.

That accusation is so first century.

Please cite where you got your statistics that half of all priests molest little boys.

Secondly, you stated, “Paul says if you find you can’t contain yourself, get a wife...” But that really doesn’t support your point, does it? After all, people who abuse boys wouldn’t be “contained” by having wives. They aren’t interested in women.

So, basically, you seem to have thrown out a fallacy and tried to support it with a specious argument.

The REAL answer is that celibacy is a beautiful solution to the problem: whether you like boys, men, or women, you live a chaste and pure life devoted to God. I’m sure God likes that sacrificial gift very much and it does much good for the person who practices it. That’s why St. Paul recommended celibacy as the highest course of action.

Which pope? Who EXACTLY was killed for translating the Bible. Give me his name and please post the actual charge made against him for the supposed crime of translating the Bible. Can you do that?

I got a better idea, you name the pope's that translated to other languages for the people to understand. Only when forced, did they do anything.

Streams of Bibles came into England after 1525 that were translated by William Tyndale (yes he was also burned at the stake at Thomas Cardinal Wolsey's request) into English. Yes this Bible predating the Douay-Rheims that the Catholics only put out to try and stop the Protestant Reformation. But it was too late, the cat was out of the bag.

I thought Jesus was sent by Vincente Fox to mow my lawn.

Who ever is propagating this lie has to explain that no other person in history has fulfilled more than 300 prophecies that were foretold in the Old Testiment....
Even for 3 of the prophecies being fulfilled, to do a mathematical equation would be astronomical....
From the time the King of Persia gave the decreed to rebuild Jerusalem would be 483 years... after that, the time of the Messiah would be cut off.

“Seems like in many of these threads the Catholics are using the Bible to win the game. “

So true. It’s probably because pretty much everything the Catholic Church teaches is based in Scripture—the original, uncut, uncensored Scripture used during the first days of the Church. The Church takes Scripture, oral tradition and teachings passed down from the Apostles, and two thousand years of historical study to formulate it’s doctrine.

As far as celibacy goes, it’s a higher level of commitment, obviously. Only someone really willing to give his or her entire being to the service of God would do it. Married ministers are a house divided. They serve their own family and their congregations. They have two masters. Celibate nuns and priests serve only one Master. It stands to reason that that would probably be a most pleasing lifestyle to God.

It’s also about leaving everything: father, mother, and family and following Christ. It’s about having no ties to hold you back or temper your fervor. Jesus spoke about that many times. I can never understand why people find fault with someone giving himself completely to God.

Satan would have never allowed himself to be mocked, spat upon and crucified by man. Satan hates mankind and cannot, by his very nature, abide any sort of ridicule or humiliation. Satan can only appear as a person of title or nobility.

I’ll give Orel Robert’s Ministry it’s due, he thought big, there was no over the top with him.

900 foot Jesus outside of Tulsa? Sure.

So the author’s thesis is that Jesus was a Democrat?

As any God-Fearing Christian knows, Satan is the master of confusion. The truth is not going to be spouted by any child of Satan.

Satan is the father of lies, the great deceiver. Like the media, twists the truth to deceive the masses. His game is thousands of years old. History repeating itself over and over.

I present his argument so that we may counter it.

? Ya really think anyone would believe this?

"Like burning people alive and saying they are condemned to hell?"

The same can be said for John Calvin, the early Anglicans and any number of other religious groups of the time that momentarily had the political upper hand.

" Rather than deal with what posted,"

You and I know exactly what you posted and what you meant. You are now demonstrating classic passive aggressive behavior.

Bring up vigorous anti-Catholic smears as much as you want. I hope you continue, so that the lurkers can sample the stench of your rotting fruit.

You mean the ones like the church apologize about years later? Like burning people alive and saying they are condemned to hell? Nearly six centuries later in 1999, Pope John Paul II expressed "deep regret for the cruel death inflicted" on Hus.

There is your fruit buddy. To keep power your church burned people until you couldn't keep it contained.

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

"What's that got to do with it??? I was responding to your statement that the scriptures were written by educated men... "

You said that the NT was written by uneducated fishermen. That was a wholly incomplete statement. Yes it is true that many of the books of the NT were written by the Apostles, but those works were selected from among many, many contemporaneous works, some written by peers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It took several councils of the "pious and educated men, guided by the Holy Spirit", that you discount, to aggregate this into the complete and inviolate work we call the Bible. If the process was valid then, why is it not valid for the Holy Spirit to perpetuate the process on other issues you call "tradition"?

Will you assume then that they molested children too?

Did I say all celibate people were child molesters??? Rather than deal with what posted, you guys always like to hop-scotch around it and then put your own little twist on it...

From: Luke 1:5-25

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

---

[5] In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of
the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name
was Elizabeth. [6] And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. [7] But they had no child,
because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

[8] Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
[9] according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the tem-
ple of Lord and burn incense. [10] And the whole multitude of the people were pra-
ying outside at the hour of incense. [11] And there appeared to him an angel of
the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [12] And Zechariah was
troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. [13] But the angel said to him,
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will
bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. [14] And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; [15] for he will be great before the
Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. [16] And he will turn many of the sons
of Israel to the Lord their God, [17] and he will go before him in the spirit and po-
wer of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient
to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

[18] And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old
man, and my wife is advanced in years.” [19] And the angel answered him, “I
am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you,
and to bring you this good news. [20] And behold, you will be silent and unable
to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not be-
lieve my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” [21] And the people were
waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered at his delay in the temple. [22] And
when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had
seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb.
[23] And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

[24] After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid
herself, saying, [25] “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when He looked
on me, to take away my reproach among men.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

6. After referring to the noble ancestry of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the evangelist
now speaks of a higher type of nobility, the nobility of virtue: “Both were righteous
before God.” “For not everyone who is righteous in men’s eyes is righteous in
God’s; men have one way of seeing and God another; men see externals but
God sees into the heart. It can happen that someone seems righteous because
his virtue is false and is practiced to win people’s approval; but he is not virtuous
in God’s sight if his righteousness is not born of simplicity of soul but is only si-
mulated in order to appear good.

“Perfect praise consists in being righteous before God, because only he can be
called perfect who is approved by Him who cannot be deceived” (St. Ambrose,
“Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

In the last analysis what a Christian must be is righteous before God. St. Paul is
advocating this when he tells the Corinthians, “But with me it is a very small thing
that I should be judged by you or by any human court. It is the Lord who judges
me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes,
who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the pur-
poses of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God” (1
Corinthians 4:3ff). On the notion of the just or righteous man, see the note on
Matthew 1:19.

8. There were twenty-four groups or turns of priests to which functions were allo-
cated by the drawing of lots; the eighth group was that of the family of Abijah (cf.
1 Chronicles 24:7-19), to which Zechariah belonged.

9-10. Within the sacred precincts, in a walled-off area, stood the temple proper.
Rectangular in form, there was first a large area which was called “the Holy
Place”, in which was located the altar of incense referred to in verse 9. Behind
this was the inner sanctum, called “the Holy of Holies”, where the Ark of the Co-
venant with the tablets of the Law used to be kept; only the high priest had ac-
cess to this, the most sacred part of the temple. The veil or great curtain of the
temple separated these two area from one another. The sacred building was sur-
rounded by a courtyard, called the courtyard of the priests and outside this, at
the front of the temple, was what was called the courtyard of the Israelites,
where the people stayed during the ceremony of incensing.

10. While the priest offered incense to God, the people in the courtyard joined
with him in spirit: even in the Old Testament every external act of worship was
meant to be accompanied by an interior disposition of self-offering to God.

With much more reason should there be this union between external and internal
worship in the liturgical rites of the New Covenant (cf. “Mediator Dei”, 8), in the
liturgy of the Church. Besides, this consistency befits the nature of man, com-
prised as he is of body and soul.

11. Angels are pure spirits, that is, they have no body of any kind; therefore,
“they do not appear to men exactly as they are; rather, they manifest themselves
in forms which God gives them so that they can be seen by those to whom He
sends them” (St. John Damascene, “De Fide Orthodoxa,” 2, 3).

In addition to adoring and serving God, angelic spirits act as God’s messengers
and channels of His providence towards men; this explains why they appear so
often in salvation history and why Sacred Scripture refers to them in so many
passages (cf., e.g. Hebrews 1:14).

Christ’s birth was such an important event that angels were given a very promi-
nent role in connection with it. Here, as at the Annunciation to Mary, the arch-
angel St. Gabriel is charged with delivering God’s message.

“It is no accident that the angel makes his appearance in the temple, for this an-
nounces the imminent coming of the true Priest and prepares the heavenly sacri-
fice at which the angels will minister. Let it not be doubted, then, that the angels
will be present when Christ is immolated” (St. Ambrose, “Expositio Evangelii Sec.
Lucam, in loc.”).

12. “No matter how righteous a man be, he cannot look at an angel without fee-
ling afraid; that is why Zechariah was alarmed: he could not but quake at the pre-
sence of the angel; he could not take the brightness that surrounded him” (St.
John Chrysostom, “De Incomprehensibili Dei Natura”). The reason for this is not
so much the angels’ superiority to man as the fact that the grandeur of God’s
majesty shines out through the angel: “And the angel said to me, ‘Write this:
Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he
said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’ Then I fell down at his feet to worship
him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you
and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God’” (Revelation
19:9-10).

13. Through the archangel God intervenes in an exceptional way in the married
life of Zechariah and Elizabeth; but the message he brings has much wider refe-
rence; it has significance for the whole world. Elizabeth is already quite old but
she is going to have a son who will be called John (”God is gracious”) and he
will be the forerunner of the Messiah. This showed that “the fullness of time” (cf.
Galatians 4:4) was imminent, for which all righteous people of Israel had yearned
(cf. John 8:56; Hebrews 11:13).

“Your prayer is heard,” St. Jerome comments, “that is to say, you are given more
than you asked for. You prayed for the salvation of the people, and you have been
given the Precursor” (”Expositio Evangelium Sec. Lucam, in loc.”). Our Lord also
sometimes gives us more than we ask for: “There is a story about a beggar mee-
ting Alexander the Great and asking him for alms. Alexander stopped and instruc-
ted that the man be given the government of five cities. The beggar, totally con-
fused and taken aback, explained, ‘I didn’t ask for that much.’ And Alexander re-
plied, ‘You asked like the man you are; I give like the man I am” (St. J. Escriva,
“Christ Is Passing By”, 160). Since God responds so generously and gives us
more than we ask for, we should face up to difficulties and not be cowed by
them.

14-17. The archangel St. Gabriel gives Zechariah three reasons why he should
rejoice over the birth of this child; first, because God will bestow exceptional holi-
ness on him (verse 15); second, because he will lead many to salvation (verse
16); and third, because his whole life, everything he does, will prepare the way
for the expected Messiah (verse 17).

In St. John the Baptist two prophecies of Malachi are fulfilled; in them we are told
that God will send a messenger ahead of Him to prepare the way for Him (Mala-
chi 3:1; 4:5-6). John prepares the way for the first coming of the Messiah in the
same way as Elijah will prepare the way for His second coming (cf. St. Ambrose,
“Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”; St. Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on
St. Matthew”, 17, 11, “in loc.”). This is why Christ will say, “What did you go out
to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom
it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare
Thy way before Thee’” (Luke 7:26-27).

18. Zechariah’s incredulity and his sin lie not in his doubting that this message
has come from God but in forgetting that God is almighty, and in thinking that he
and Elizabeth are past having children. Later, referring to the conception of John
the Baptist, the same angel explains to Mary that “with God nothing will be im-
possible” (Luke 1:37). When God asks us to take part in any undertaking we
should rely on His omnipotence rather than our own meagre resources.

19-20. “Gabriel” means “might of God”. God commanded the archangel Gabriel
to announce the events connected with the incarnation of the Word; already in
the Old Testament it was Gabriel who proclaimed to the prophet Daniel the time
of the Messiah’s coming (Daniel 8:15-26, 9:20-27). This present passage deals
with the announcement of the conception and birth of Christ’s Precursor, and it
is the time same angel who will reveal to the Blessed Virgin the mystery of the
Incarnation.

24. Elizabeth hid herself because of the strangeness of pregnancy at her age
and out of a holy modesty which advised her not to make known God’s gifts pre-
maturely.

25. Married couples who want to have children, to whom God has not yet given
any, can learn from Zechariah and Elizabeth and have recourse to them as inter-
cessors. To couples in this situation Monsignor Escriva de Balaguer recommen-
ded that “they should not give up hope too easily. They should ask God to give
them children and, if it is His will, to bless them as He blessed the Patriarchs of
the Old Testament. And then it would be advisable for both of them to see a good
doctor. If in spite of everything God does not give them children, they should not
feel frustrated. They should be happy, discovering in this very fact God’s will for
them. Often God does not give them children because He is ‘asking more’. God
asks them to put the same effort and the same kind and gentle dedication into
helping their neighbors as they would have put into raising their own children,
without the human joy that comes from parenthood. There is, then, no reason for
feeling they are failures or for giving way to sadness” (”Conversations”, 96).

Here is the authoritative teaching of John Paul II on this subject: “It must not be
forgotten, however, that, even when procreation is not possible, conjugal life does
not for this reason lose its value. Physical sterility in fact can be for spouses the
occasion for other important services to the life of the human person—for example,
adoption, various forms of educational work, assistance to other families and to
poor or handicapped children” (”Familiaris Consortio”, 14).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

I have managed to type two long replies to this and also managed to accidentally delete both of them by using that dictionary firefox extension and clicking the wrong "X" to close the tab it opens in.

I see a few others have piled on because I didn't post my source. That is cool, I have been rushed with kids all day and thought I had posted the source, I do remember highlighting it and thought I did post it. I have been on FR long enough to source, just didn't proofread this time. Big boy can take it though and it was fair game.

So I am gonna post this and hopefully get the other parts later as time permits and before I make a mistake and delete this post by accident again.

From: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a

Samson, God’s Nazirite from His Mother’s Womb

---

[2] And there was a certain man of Zorah of the tribe of the Danites whose
name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children [3] And the
angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are
barren and have no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son [4]
Therefore beware and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,
[5] for lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his
head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from birth; and he shall begin to
deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” [6] Then the woman came and
told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his countenance was like
the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; I did not ask him whence
he was, and he did not tell me his name; [7] but he said to me, ‘Behold, you
shall conceive and bear a son; so then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat
nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day
of his death.’”

[24] And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the boy
grew and the Lord blessed him. [25a] And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir
him.
*******************************************************************************************
Commentary:

13:1-21:25. History repeats itself once more (cf. 13:1): infidelity causes the
Israelites to lose the Lord’s favor. On this occasion they fall foul of the Philis-
tines, a Mediterranean people who had come down the coast and on to the
plains of Canaan; their military strength proved superior to Israel’s. However,
God again decides to send a liberator—Samson, of the tribe of Dan.

The story of Samson begins with the announcement of his birth; his parents
are told that he will be a Nazirite, consecrated to God, from his birth (13:2-24),
The account goes on to portray Samson as a rather empty-headed person
(14:1-19), and reports various feats which show that God endowed him with
a physical strength which enabled him to deal with his people’s enemies,
despite his personal defects (14:20-16:3). Still, he will end up being seduced
by Delilah and revealing to her the secret or his strength: as a result he will
fall into the hands of the Philistines and he imprisoned (16:4-22). Eventually
his hair will grow back and he will avenge himself for how he was treated,
losing his own life in the process but causing the death of many Philistines
(16:23-31).

After narrating the story of Samson, the sacred writer again tags on some
other stories as an appendix. To his account of the deeds of Deborah he
attached the ancient canticle celebrating her victory; and after the death of
Gideon he described in detail the (failed) coup of Abimelech one of Gideon’s
sons. Now he brings in two stories which are similar in so far as the protago-
nist in each is a Levite and both men were given hospitality by Ephraimites.
Their connection with the history of Samson is through the tribe of Dan, to
which Samson belonged. The first of these two accounts (17:1-18:31) is con-
nected with the migration of the tribe of Dan (from their original place, in the
Shephelah, beside where the Philistines were in control, towards the north of
the country, to the slopes of the mountains of Lebanon), and the protagonist
is a Levite,who is taken in first by a man of Ephraim and later by the Danites
(17:1-18:31). The second story deals with another Levite given hospitality by
an Ephraimitein Gibe-ah, but the Benjaminites of that city want to sexually
abuse him and they ill-treat his concubine so badly that she dies. This sparks
a concerted attack on Benjamin by the other tribes which almost wipes out
the Benjaminites (19:1-21:25).

Both episodes show ever more clearly the internal anarchy affecting the tribes
of Israel and the decadent state of morality to which they have been reduced;
there is no one capable of re-establishing order—as the text repeatedly says,
“in those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his
own eyes” (17:6 and 21:25; cf. 18:1 and 19:1).

Thus, the book draws to a close by illustrating that, despite the exceptional
patience and mercy of God who constantly forgave his people for their unfaith-
fulness and raised up one savior after another, Israel continued to sin against
him. Therefore, they could have no reason to complain against God if he left
them at the mercy of their enemies. When the sacred writer was gathering all
these ancient traditions during the Babylonian exile and composing this book
in its present form, he made it quite clear that they could not blame the course
of events on the Lord or argue that his power had weakened: history shows
that they themselves were to blame for what happened.

13:2-25. Samson’s vocation was decided by God from even before he was
conceived. This account has a structure similar to that of the calling of Gideon
(6:11-23). God sends his angel to a woman who is barren and tells her she will
have a son (v. 5), who will be consecrated to God as a Nazirite (cf. Num 6:1-21
and its note), and he will perform a specific mission—to save his people from
the Philistines. In this account, vocation, dedication to God and mission are
all closely linked.

The main features of vocation are outlined here. The initiative comes from God
who sees his people’s predicament and prepares, from birth onwards, a man
who will save them from their enemies. In due course he announces his plans
through a messenger: an angel presents himself to the wife of Manoah (v. 3)
— she sees him as a “man of God” (v. 6) — and he tells her about God’s plans.
The couple’s readiness to go along with God’s will is plain to see (vv. 8 and
12). As happens in some supernatural communications, in special circum-
stances the Lord offers some remarkable sign to demonstrate that the mes-
sage indeed comes from him and that what he says will happen (cf. 6:2 1; Lk
1:20, 36).

Some of God’s ways of acting to be seen in Gideon’s vocation (6:11-24) are
also found in the annunciation to Mary (cf. Lk 1:26-38). The way Manoah and
his wife make themselves available for God’s plan to work, as also Mary’s great
refinement and generosity in doing the divine will, are messages to the reader
of God’s word in Scripture—to check his or her own readiness to go along with
God’s plans.

*******************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

How could good be sent to evil or light to darkness? They exist on different realms.

Is Ted Haggard, Paul Crouch, or Jim Bakker heterosexual?

No

Being a religious figure doesn’t mean you are not a hypocrite.

I’m confused. The people that do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God also do not believe there is a being called Satan either.

Do you recall that Jesus had been accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan?

This is not really a new argument.

The Pharisees accused Jesus of doing miracles via demonic power.

Jesus answered this charge himself in Mark 3:29

29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”

Is this author a different J.H Hatfield than the one that wrote Fortunate Son and later commited suicide?

How then did the works of other uneducated fishermen like St. Thomas, Judas and their contemporaries like Mary and Philip get excluded from the Bible?

What's that got to do with it??? I was responding to your statement that the scriptures were written by educated men...

Apparently this guy believes that God is real and Satan is real. He just believes that his research has indicated that Jesus was not the Son of God, but rather sent by the Devil to deceive everyone.

Including that silly stuff like BAPTISM?

You think baptism is silly??? I don't think baptism is silly...

St. John Neumann and the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic Caucus)
Our Jewish Roots: The Immaculate Conception [Ecumenical]
I Love that Woman! My Unworthy Reflections on The Immaculate Conception
Mary Immaculate: Patroness of the United States [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Catholic/Orthodox Caucus: The Immaculate Conception: A Marvelous Theme - Novena Starts Nov. 30

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION - Satan's Mighty Foe(Catholic Caucus)
Historian reveals how Pius IX decided to proclaim dogma of Immaculate Conception (Catholic Caucus)
The Immaculate Vs. the Proud
Immaculate Conception Novena -- starts November 30th [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Blessed John Duns Scotus Champion Of Mary's Immaculate Conception (CATHOLIC CAUCUS)

The Crusade of Mary Immaculate - St. Maximilian Kolbe (Catholic Caucus)
The Early Church Fathers on the Immaculate Conception - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Three Reasons the Church’s Enemies Hate The Immaculate Conception
Her saving grace - the origins of the Immaculate Conception
Mary Is a Model Who Works With Us and in Us

U.S. Catholic bishops to renew consecration of nation to Immaculate Conception
Catholic Meditation: To the Immaculate Conception on this Election Day
My visit to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
On Solemnity of Immaculate Conception - "In Mary Shines the Eternal Goodness of the Creator"
Pope makes pilgrimage to Mary statue in Rome, marking the feast of the Immaculate Conception

Pope: Mary the Immaculate Conception... (text of BXVI speech)
"Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te" (The Immaculate Conception)
The Immaculate Conception — Essential to the Faith
"Who Are You, Immaculate Conception?"
TURKEY Ephesus: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception at Mary’s House
Coming Dec 8th. Feast of the "Immaculate Conception"

Why the Immaculate Conception?
Catholic Encyclopedia: Immaculate Conception (The Doctrine and Its Roots)
The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady December 8
Mary's Immaculate Conception: A Memorable Anniversary
Ineffabilis Deus: 8 December 1854 (Dogma of the Immaculate Conception)

Why do we believe in the Immaculate Conception?
John Paul II goes to Lourdes; reflections on the Immaculate Conception
Your Praises We Sing--on the Dogma of the Proclamation of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8th
Eastern Christianity and the Immaculate Conception (Q&A From EWTN)
Memorandum on the Immaculate Conception [Newman]

John 1:1:

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος

The way I understand the translation from my own meager research:

In the beginning (or at the foundation of time) there was the word (Λόγος meaning more than just a word, but a more comprehensive representation o somebody communicates or expresses to others--in this case God expressed on Earth).

And (καὶ) the "word" was with/face to face with God.

And the word WAS/IS God.

Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life

[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
 Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we  humbly pray,
 and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
 by the power of God,
 Cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
 Amen
+

I’m confused. The people that do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God also do not believe there is a being called Satan either.

Well, I think Google was sent to Earth by Satan to deceive.

The Church is the Body of Christ. The Church is the Bride of Christ. The holiness of the Church is from Christ and therefore cannot be damaged or destroyed by the sins of men in it.

Exactly...Do you know why???

Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

We sin but we are not counted as sinners...We will be presented without spot or wrinkle...

Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Act 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Act 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Act 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

Act 15:4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

Act 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

That's enough for now but there is plenty more...The 'church' that is in their house...

Does your Mystical Chruch need to be fed??? There is NO Mystical church in the scriptures...It is the deception put out by your religion that claims it has a tradition that is equal to the written words of the Holy Bible...

Your mystical church is a contradiction to easy to read and understand scripture and there's plenty of it...

The Church is the people in the houses as the scriptures tell you...

“.AND it IS to be universally accepted without question..”

Including that silly stuff like BAPTISM?

On Praying for Priests (Thoughts from St. Thérèse of Lisieux)
The Priesthood and the Mass
Vatican Aide: Priest Vocations Up in 20 Countries (England and Wales among them)
The Experience of ‘The Call’ (Discerning a Call to the Priesthood or Religious Life)

Priesthood Sunday - October 25, 2009
Health Care Council Letter to Priests, "A Priest at the Bedside of a Sick Person Represents Christ"
A Vocation to Be a Priest?
Do You Appreciate Your Priest? (with a touch of humor)
In India, Holy Orders

A priest’s chalice
Christ for Us: The Year for Priests [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
On Mary, Mother of Priests
Bishop Olmsted on the Devil and John Vianney
Catholic Caucus: Prayer for Our Priests (Year of the Priest)

Benedict reflects on Mary and the priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
The Priesthood — A Priceless Gift
Forming Those Who Form Priests: The Gift of Purity of Heart
Spiritual Mothers of Priests: Your Questions [Year of the Priest]
Eucharistic Season in the Year of the Priesthood

Pope's Address at Audience With New Archbishops: "Carry Deeply in Your Hearts Your Priests"
No Matter What, He Always "Acts Like a Priest" [Ecumenical]
On Priestly Identity
What Can I Do For the Year of the Priest?
The Rosary for the Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]

Pope Notes His Goal for Year for Priests
On the Year for Priests
WHY A YEAR FOR PRIESTS?
Curé d'Ars: Model Priest [Year of the Priest]
ZENIT Launches Column on Priesthood

[Justin] Cardinal Rigali on the Year for Priests
Church Being Given Chance to Rediscover Priesthood [Year of the Priest]
Celebrating the Year of the Priesthood
St. John Vianney's Pastoral Plan
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS [Catholic Caucus]

Year of the Priest Letter (Media immediately scrutinize its contents for controversy)
Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]
The Year for Priests [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Begins Friday
U.S. bishops launch website for Year for Priests