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CLICK TO WATHC VIDEO Before the 1800's very little artcifact was discover or known about the Bible. It is a good over view of the History of the world at the time of these events.

On Salvation Outside the Catholic Church Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. Monday, January 23, 2006 [originally uploaded on 15 June 1998; from The Catholic Catechism, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1975, 234-236] ***** The Catholic Church makes claims about herself that are easily misunderstood, especially in the modern atmosphere of pluralism and ecumenism. Among these claims, the most fundamental is the doctrine of the Church's necessity for salvation. Not unlike other dogmas of the faith, this one has seen some remarkable development, and the dogmatic progress has been especially marked since the definition of papal infallibility. It seems...

The Habit of Recognizing God’s Provision " . . . you may be partakers of the divine nature . . ." —2 Peter 1:4 We are made "partakers of the divine nature," receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, "Oh, I can’t afford it." One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut...

Mormons seeking recognition as a legitimate member of the Christian church is self-contradictory because the religion was founded by declaring it is the only existing true church, stated one of America’s pre-eminent evangelical leaders Friday. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, focused in his second blog entry on how, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ own definition, it cannot be considered part of the orthodox Christian church. “‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,’ as Mormonism is officially known, claims to be the only true church. As stated in the Doctrine...

Gentleness: The Mark of a Christian Gentleness, so sadly lacking in this world, should be evident in the life of a Christian. What is gentleness, and how can it be a part of your life? by Noel Hornor "I love those dear hearts and gentle people who live in my home town. Because those dear hearts and gentle people will never, ever let you down." The words of this song, written 47 years ago by Bob Hilliard, call to mind a time when the world was (at least in our collective memory) a more neighborly place. Do you sometimes find...

UNDATED (AP) — Coordinators of this Thursday's National Day of Prayer are taking hits from both sides.Jews on First and the Council on American Islamic Relations accuse the National Day of Prayer Task Force of turning the day into an evangelical event that excludes others. The Jewish and Muslim groups are calling for alternative gatherings that are more inclusive.Meanwhile, conservative Christian hosts on the VCY America Radio Network are criticizing the honorary chairman of this year's National Day of Prayer, Doctor Ravi Zacharias, for posting an official prayer that concludes “in God's holy name” instead of “in Jesus' name." They...

Evangelical Writers Challenged to Avoid Alienating the Unchurched Evangelical writers nearly always alienate non-evangelicals in their works, noted long-time Christian writer and editor Tim McLaughlin. Fri, May. 09, 2008 Posted: 12:04:29 PM EST PORTLAND, Ore. – “I have a bone to pick with you,” a Christian writer told a group of fellow evangelical writers Thursday. Evangelical writers nearly always alienate non-evangelicals in their works, noted long-time Christian writer and editor Tim McLaughlin. While most writers write to impact non-believers, as well as believers, the phrases they use and how they ignore some faith passages are real obstacles to reaching the...

Two times in two weeks I've had a conversation with friends about agnosticism. Both friends -- one a rational, intelligent person and another one who ... well, let's just say he wasn't as bright -- claimed to be agnostic when asked the very, very loaded question "Do you believe in God?" I used to just ignore it when people would answer "I'm agnostic," to such a question, even though I took issue with it. As an atheist, I knew that my so-called agnostic friends were really atheists. ...

The Habit of Rising to the Occasion " . . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling . . . " —Ephesians 1:18 Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10  ). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must...

I have been following and participating in these Protestant/Catholic debates for a while now, and there is something that is bothering me. Time after time, we get into dogfights with the people we are trying to debate. What is bothering me is the fact that we (myself included) are, more often that I would like to admit, responsible for starting these dogfights. While the official rules may not prohibit little snide comments, they only harm our cause. If we are going to speak the truth of Christ, it would be expedient of us to behave in a manor that is...

In late April, markomalley and gamecock made a trial run at a “respectful dialog” category for threads on the Religion Forum. The trial failed due to the inability of the posters to agree on what is or is not “respectful.” Then in early May, several other posters appealed for the elimination of posts which seek to tear down other poster’s beliefs (iconoclasm.) Meanwhile, the situation on the Religion Forum has been exacerbated by posters on the News/Activism forum inadvertently being exposed to religious debate as a result of choosing the “everything” option on browse instead of the “News/Activism” option. If...

The Habit of Enjoying Adversity " . . . that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body " —2 Corinthians 4:10 We have to develop godly habits to express what God’s grace has done in us. It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that "the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Son of God, or just the...

Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, wrote a letter of apology to the Catholic community. ...In so far as some of my past statements regarding the Roman Catholic Church have raised concerns in your community, I am writing in a spirit of respect and reconciliation to clarify my views. Out of a desire to advance greater unity among Catholics and Evangelicals in promoting the common good, I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful. After engaging in constructive dialogue with Catholic friends and leaders, I now have an improved...

[The following joyful announcement is lifted from the Rorate Ceali blog. --PP] The Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter and Paul has formally received into its fold, those members of the Assyrian Catholic Apostolic Diocese who, under the leadership of Mar Bawai Soro (pictured above), had asked to be reconciled with the Catholic Church last January 17, 2008. One bishop (Mar Bawai himself), six priests, 30+ deacons and subdeacons and an estimated 3,000 faithful were received into full communion during liturgical celebrations for the Feast of Pentecost. Mar Bawai Soro has long advocated the Primacy of the See of Rome....

Beijing - The son of American evangelist Billy Graham said Friday he is opposed to missionary work at this summer's Beijing Olympic Games. Franklin Graham, also an evangelist, was speaking to reporters Friday during a visit to Beijing for meetings with the Communist Party-controlled Protestant church movement. He said he wanted to encourage authorities to resolve conflicts with the church, but would not criticize policies that critics say limit the church's independence and religious rights. While some Christian groups have said they plan to proselytize during the August games, Graham said he was against that because Chinese law does not...

The Habit of Keeping a Clear Conscience " . . . strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men " —Acts 24:16 God’s commands to us are actually given to the life of His Son in us. Consequently, to our human nature in which God’s Son has been formed (see Galatians 4:19  ), His commands are difficult. But they become divinely easy once we obey.Conscience is that ability within me that attaches itself to the highest standard I know, and then continually reminds me of what that standard demands that I do. It is the eye of...

Catholic Mariology, Authority, and Various Other Qualms of Protestants Considering Conversion Tuesday, January 31, 2006 [originally uploaded on 11 February 2004] [Derived from actual correspondence with one such person (without violating any confidences): hence the use of first-person address] If you consider yourselves actually out of the Protestant position, then I will simply have to help persuade you of the Catholic one, so you can get out of this limbo. I know you are the type of people who want to be really sure of what you believe. That's good, and I admire it. I advise folks in this...

The Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter and Paul has formally received into its fold, those members of the Assyrian Catholic Apostolic Diocese who, under the leadership of Mar Bawai Soro (pictured above), had asked to be reconciled with the Catholic Church last January 17, 2008. One bishop (Mar Bawai himself), six priests, 30+ deacons and subdeacons and an estimated 3,000 faithful were received into full communion during liturgical celebrations for the Feast of Pentecost. The announcement by the Chaldean Catholic Church can be found here. The Black Cordelias blog has an earlier article here. Mar Bawai Soro has...

The Habit of Having No Habits " If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful . . . " —2 Peter 1:8 When we first begin to form a habit, we are fully aware of it. There are times when we are aware of becoming virtuous and godly, but this awareness should only be a stage we quickly pass through as we grow spiritually. If we stop at this stage, we will develop a sense of spiritual pride. The right thing to do with godly habits is to immerse them in the life...

'Love One Another' " . . . add to your . . . brotherly kindness love " —2 Peter 1:5, 7 Love is an indefinite thing to most of us; we don’t know what we mean when we talk about love. Love is the loftiest preference of one person for another, and spiritually Jesus demands that this sovereign preference be for Himself (see Luke 14:26 ). Initially, when "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" ( Romans 5:5 ), it is easy to put Jesus first. But then we must practice the things mentioned in...

A TRIUMPH AND A TRAGEDY James Akin I broke off a piece of the popsicle in my hand and placed it carefully in the mouth of my dying wife. Renee lay on her back, restless in the hospital bed, suffering from an advanced case of colon cancer which we had discovered a little more than a month before. She ate several more pieces of popsicle as I broke them off for her, then said she could eat no more, so I let her rest. When our parish priest arrived, he and I went into a conference room down the...

There is substantial evidence to show that Joseph Smith was sealed to the wives of other men. This occurred while the men were still legally married to their wives. Sometimes these second marriages even occurred outside the presence of their husbands. Many of the poor guys were on their missions when Joseph Smith married their wives. The most unfortunate men came back from their missions with their wives pregnant. How would you feel if the Prophet asked you for your wife? How would you feel if you came back from a business trip or a mission to find your wife...

“The Atonement at Work,” Ensign, Mar 2008, 39–41 I knew the Lord had a plan for my son, but when he chose a path I wished he hadn’t, I wasn’t sure how he was going to come back. I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1992 in the Netherlands. However, my husband didn’t join and wouldn’t allow our children, Alex and Petra, to be baptized (names have been changed). Even still, the three of us attended church and had regular family home evenings. . . .

Saturday, May 10, 2008 The Hypocrisy of Catholic Answers I had to break my hiatus to share two interesting campaigns by Catholic Answers. It appears from the two campaigns that the Catholic Church has a problem: the majority of Catholics are ignorant of their faith and susceptible to a variety of prey including Mormons, liberal Catholics, homosexuals and the dreaded “anti-Catholics�. In fact, according to Catholic Answers, the Mormons have been quite successful in gaining Catholic converts: “Many people have been doing just that—especially Catholics. In fact, in recent years the majority of converts to Mormonism have been Catholics....

They were not the most confident lot, this group of early followers of the One who was crucified and then raised from the dead. Even though they had seen Him defeat the final enemy, death, they were afraid as they gathered in that upper room. Right before He ascended He had promised that He would not leave them orphans but would send another comforter once He returned to the Father. He told them they would receive power from on high and be able to continue His work on earth until He returned. In that Cenacle, along with His mother, they...

Take the Initiative " . . . add to your faith virtue . . ." —2 Peter 1:5 Add means that we have to do something. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves— God does that. But God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not force us to walk correctly before Him. We have to do all that ourselves. We must "work out" our "own salvation" which God has worked in us...

Vatican City, May 9, 2008 / 10:05 am (CNA).- The Holy Father and His Holiness Karekin II, the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, met privately at the Vatican this morning and then went on to pray the Midday Liturgy of the Hours with the Armenians delegation. The Holy Spirit, the Pope encouraged in his remarks to the group, can work miracles to bring about unity between Christians if we are open to Him. The group of 75 Armenian faithful and 18 bishops gathered in the Clementine Hall with their patriarch to celebrate Midday Prayer, while the Holy Father...

Reaching Beyond Our Grasp " Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint . . . " —Proverbs 29:18 There is a difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision. A principle does not come from moral inspiration, but a vision does. People who are totally consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything. A person’s own idea of God and His attributes may actually be used to justify and rationalize his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah tried to excuse his disobedience by saying to God, ". . . I know...

Alex Jones: the evangelical who became a Catholic deacon One of the more celebrated Catholic converts -- and a recently ordained deacon, by the way -- is former evangelical Alex Jones. He now spends much of his time traveling the country, talking about his journey back to the Church. And a paper in Fort Wayne, Indiana profiles him this weekend: Ten years ago, Alex Jones was the charismatic preacher of a thriving black independent Pentecostal congregation, Maranatha Christian Church in Detroit. Today, he still preaches, but it’s as an ordained Roman Catholic deacon. Jones doesn’t like to use the word...

NEW YORK (CNS) -- For the first time, representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a papal prayer service -- and it all started over coffee. In an interview with Catholic News Service and other reporters before the start of the ecumenical prayer service at St. Joseph's Church in New York April 18, Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interrreligious Affairs, said that during a coffee break at a recent meeting a representative of the Latter-day Saints asked him if there was any possibility of their participation in...

The Faith to Persevere " Because you have kept My command to persevere . . . " —Revelation 3:10 Perseverance means more than endurance— more than simply holding on until the end. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in a while the saint says, "I can’t take any more." Yet God pays no attention; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, and...

The Catholic Church is taking steps to prevent LDS Church members from performing baptisms for Catholics, after their deaths. In a 2NEWS interview, Catholic Bishop, John Wester explains the church’s decision. The order was issued in a letter by the Vatican Congregation for Clergy. The Vatican’s directive calls the LDS practice of baptisms for the dead a “detrimental” practice and it directs each Catholic Bishop to “not cooperate with the erroneous practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.” Bishop John Wester told 2NEWS’ Brian Mullahy that he views the letter as an “internal” document and that the...

Confessions of a Catholic Convert by Elizabeth Ficocelli A few years ago, as I served as a sponsor for our parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, our class watched a video on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Although the piece was interesting in terms of its historical content, I felt it missed a great opportunity. The film reviewed proper procedure and obligation, but not once did it mention what a gift the Sacrament of Reconciliation can be for Catholics. As a convert myself, I always thought confession seemed a confusing and intimidating practice of the Catholic faith. What was the purpose...

On Christian Unity "Keep Alive the Flames of Faith, Charity and Hope" VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the greetings Benedict XVI gave today to Catholicos Karekin II, supreme patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and a translation of the catechesis he gave afterward during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * [English Greetings to Catholicos Karekin II] It is my great joy today to greet His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the distinguished delegation accompanying him. Your Holiness, I pray that the light...

The Prayer of Jesus echoes in the Church at the beginning of this new missionary age. We need to make it our own: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me."John 17:20-23 ... Pope John Paul II’s Encyclical Letter "Ut Unum Sint" (On the Commitment to Ecumenism, literally "May They Be One") was a monumental contribution to...

Both direct and circumstantial evidence in God's Word, the Bible, clearly disproves the Roman Catholic Church claim that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained a virgin, not only prior to, but during and after our Lord's miraculous birth. It was this "perpetual virginity" doctrine and several others that forced the infamous 16th century Council of Trent to declare "Sacred Tradition" equal in every way to the divine Scriptures, and to arrogate to itself alone the right to interpret both Scripture and so-called "Sacred Tradition." As we review the Scriptural evidence applicable to this false doctrine, it will become crystal clear...

Building For Eternity " Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it . . . " —Luke 14:28 Our Lord was not referring here to a cost which we have to count, but to a cost which He has already counted. The cost was those thirty years in Nazareth, those three years of popularity, scandal, and hatred, the unfathomable agony He experienced in Gethsemane, and the assault upon Him at Calvary— the central point upon which all of time and eternity turn. Jesus...

Rowan Williams Notes 2 Sides to Story of Vatican-Anglican Relations VATICAN CITY, MAY 5, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Canterbury, ahead of a private meeting with Benedict XVI, acknowledged that the Anglican Communion is going through an "unprecedentedly difficult time."Archbishop Rowan Williams told Vatican Radio before his encounter with the Pope today that he was expecting "a fairly informal and low-key meeting."Williams added: "I hope to bring him up to date on our plans about the Lambeth conference, perhaps to discuss with him a little what's going to be happening at the [Christian-Muslim] conference this week at Palazzola and...

The Vatican has said that the time has come for the Anglican Church to choose between Protestantism and the ancient churches of Rome and Orthodoxy. Speaking on the day that the Archbishop of Canterbury met Benedict XVI in Rome, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity, said it was time for Anglicanism to "clarify its identity". He told the Catholic Herald: "Ultimately, it is a question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Where does it belong? "Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -Catholic and Orthodox - or does...

Shower of Roses-- An Independent, Fundamental Baptist Becomes Catholic Through Mary's Intecession My entire conversion story is dedicated to my Blessed Mother, through whose constant intercession I rely on for help. I also thank her for the countless roses she has showered my life with, most particularly, her gentle direction in my life which allowed me to become Catholic. Where does one’s journey truly begin? I believe it begins in the mind of God, who knows, through our own choices, the paths that we will take and the consequences of those actions. I also believe that God gently allows particular...

Liberty and the Standards of Jesus " Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free . . . " —Galatians 5:1 A spiritually-minded person will never come to you with the demand— "Believe this and that"; a spiritually-minded person will demand that you align your life with the standards of Jesus. We are not asked to believe the Bible, but to believe the One whom the Bible reveals (see John 5:39-40  ). We are called to present liberty for the conscience of others, not to bring them liberty for their thoughts and opinions. And if...

In 1990 the Servant of God John Paul II, in his Encyclical Redemptoris missio, affirmed that the mission of Christ the Redeemer was far from completion, indeed it was still only beginning. Moreover, citing the words of St Paul — «"For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!"!». (1 Corinthians, 9, 16) — he said that on his numerous journeys to the far corners of the earth, direct contact with peoples who do not know Christ had convinced...

Pope Benedict XVI should be admired for his level of conviction but not for the particulars of his theological views, R. Albert Mohler Jr. wrote April 15 in an online dialogue about faith sponsored by The Washington Post and Newsweek magazine. Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is one of more than 60 panelists who post responses on the Internet to religious questions posed at least once a week. The forum, known as On Faith, is hosted by Newsweek managing editor Jon Meacham and Washington Post writer Sally Quinn. Pope Benedict recently visited the United States for...

  The short version:   I was one who ignored God for some time after leaving The Way.  When I got married I decided to join my wife’s church—Presbyterian.  At the time I didn’t know or care what the Presbyterian Church taught or believed.  It was a little weird sitting in a church with wooden pews that had stained glass windows.   Our first child came into our lives and I decided that we needed to find a church and raise our children as Christians.  But this meant we needed to start living as Christians as well.  I had never...

Judgment and the Love of God " The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God . . . " —1 Peter 4:17 The Christian servant must never forget that salvation is God’s idea, not man’s; therefore, it has an unfathomable depth. Salvation is the great thought of God, not an experience. Experience is simply the door through which salvation comes into the conscious level of our life so that we are aware of what has taken place on a much deeper level. Never preach the experience— preach the great thought of God behind the...

That the pope should come to American soil is a disgrace. That he should be here during Passover is an insult. The history of the Catholic Church is a history of persecution and oppression. Along with Protestants and Baptists, chief among its victims were the Jews. The pope is the head of this religious system. His stand in defense of human rights and the life of the unborn is a sham. Where were Benedict's predecessors when the church slaughtered thousands of Jews, Protestants and Baptists because they would not convert to Catholicism? What stand on the rights of the individual...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict is expected to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on Monday in only the second official meeting between the two religious leaders, a Vatican source said on Sunday. The meeting comes less than two months after the Vatican's top officials for relations with Islam criticised Williams as mistaken and naive for suggesting that some aspects of Sharia law in Britain were unavoidable. The spiritual leader for the world's 77 million Anglicans, Williams -- who sparked a political storm with the Sharia comments -- last held talks with the Pope in November 2006. Ties...

Vicarious Intercession " . . having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus . . . " —Hebrews 10:19 Beware of thinking that intercession means bringing our own personal sympathies and concerns into the presence of God, and then demanding that He do whatever we ask. Our ability to approach God is due entirely to the vicarious, or substitutionary, identification of our Lord with sin. We have "boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus."Spiritual stubbornness is the most effective hindrance to intercession, because it is based on a sympathetic "understanding" of things we...

Scripture, our Evangelical friends tell us, is the inerrant Word of God. Quite right, the Catholic replies; but how do you know this to be true? It's not an easy question for Protestants, because, having jettisoned Tradition and the Church, they have no objective authority for the claims they make for Scripture. There is no list of canonical books anywhere in the Bible, nor does any book (with the exception of St. John's Apocalypse) claim to be inspired. So, how does a "Bible Christian" know the Bible is the Word of God? If he wants to avoid a train of...

Vital Intercession " . . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . " —Ephesians 6:18 As we continue on in our intercession for others, we may find that our obedience to God in interceding is going to cost those for whom we intercede more than we ever thought. The danger in this is that we begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting up to a totally different level in direct answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from our close identification with God’s interest and concern...