Tradition/Culture can be weird (nasty) sometimes!

I usually avoid writing or talking about things that really piss me off, for when I do, I get carried away.  Yesterday happen to be a day that three things that piss me off occurred.  So here goes.

I am trying to establish a new/used retail clothing store for my caregiver and two sisters in Davao. They have been loyal to me for over ten years. I will not live forever and I want them to have a means to support themselves. We have had a stall at the Davao Street Market in order to get familiar with vendors, suppliers and customers. Now it is time to go bigger.

We do not want a typical Ukay-Ukay store that you find in the Philippines.  We want everyone regardless of economic status to have a pleasant buying experience. It will be a super, super, super small SM Department Store.  First class fixtures, organized, clean, signage, room to move around in, men/women/children new (Factory Overruns) and Pre-Loved Clothes.

We finally found the place in the St. Pedro Cathedral area.  I thought it was the place God picked - WRONG!  The rent was more than we wanted to pay, but I decided to take the risk and pay one year in advance rent. The owner was out of town, but we knew it was our place when she returned - WRONG!  We discovered she did not want Muslims leasing her property, because they were dirty and ALWAYS used it as a business and a place to live in the back. I guaranteed her it would not happen and if it did she could  keep deposit and advance rent.  That did not satisfy her. She just did not want to do business with Muslims.  Remember now I am a retired Catholic Priest.

Yes, we were disappointed.  We had heard from retailers in the area where the property was, that, "The old lady and her daughter that owns that property are bitches and no one that knew them would rent that property."  I thought maybe they are wrong or do not want competition. I was wrong about the mother for sure!

I cannot stand a caste system that is really what slavery in the southern part of the USA was.  I am originally from Alabama.  I had my taste of family that loved segregation days, which in their eyes was a milder form of slavery. Went off to college and met Dr. Martin Luther King and join the protest marchers. My mother made me promise on my life I would never let a family member know what I was doing. I hated discrimination then and I hate discrimination now. Those sixty years between then and now the hate is just as strong.

That was PISS off number one. Now Piss off number two.  I schedule to get to an appointment thirty minutes early. That way I am never late. I simply take a book and read until the time for the appointment. Being punctual is very important to me. My time is valuable to me and I assume others time is valuable to them. Being late is RUDE!  If an emergency arises CALL do not keep the other person wondering and waiting.

I am having some work done on my house. The man is talented and like able, but three times he said he would be at my house and did not come.  Surprisingly I did not say anything until yesterday. I may be old and in a wheelchair, but you are not going to disrespect me.  I think he now understand you do not waste my time.

That was PISS off number two.  Now number three. I ordered 200 factory overrun dresses from Manila. They had called and ask could they ship another brand of the same quality. I agreed. The delivery man came and I was alone. I went to the front balcony and advised the driver I would come down on my elevator, but it would take time. He said okay.  I go down, open the gate, he says "Are YOU Father Tom Martin" and I say, "Yes".  He says, "Do you have a picture I.D."  I NICELY tell him if he thought I was going to struggle to go back inside for a picture I.D. He was crazy. He says, "You do not look like a Father."  I said politely of course, "Young man. I am eighty years old, sick and in bed until you came. I am sorry I did not shave or comb my hair before I came down.  But, I will share a secret with you.  Your parish priest wakes up in the morning goes to the toilet, showers, brushes his teeth and then puts on his clothes and goes to work JUST like you. God does not do those things for us. I no longer work so I do what I want."  Side note the dresses were not the same quality. I guess that was PISS off number four. I hate liars and dishonest people.

What do you believe and why?

What are some of your most deeply held beliefs or convictions? Why do you believe them? For most of us, our parents played a key role in shaping our beliefs.  Many of our beliefs have been shaped by personal experiences, teachers, peers, society, ministers and traditions.  They are not our original beliefs, but someone else’s.

What we believe matters.   What we believe can lead us down a path that leads to good or bad, success or failure, safety or danger, happiness or sadness, humility or pride and even love or hate.   One set of convictions or beliefs shapes those  that belong to the Ku Klux Klan or The Black Panthers or ISIS and another set of beliefs shapes those that belong to charitable organizations, support groups, community service that benefits all, etc.  What we believe really does matter.

From the earliest times Christians made attempts to summarize their essential beliefs the Apostle’s Creed is an example of that.  I know of no church organization that does not have a statement of beliefs and I know of no fraternal organization that does not have a statement of beliefs.  Beliefs matter!  They define our values, morals and relationships.  They shape our goals, ambitions, hopes, and dreams.  It is important we know what we believe in and be able to defends those beliefs.

Unfortunately we can be so rigid in our beliefs and convictions that we cannot listen to those with different beliefs or convictions.  This is especially true in the religious world.  Regardless of what we believe about God, humanity or our world, we will lack certainty and that lack of certainty should lead us to humility in our convictions and in our interactions with those who disagree with us.  How can anyone prove beyond a shadow of doubt  what they believe is absolute truth and that there is no other way?

I learned long ago that what I believed was sometimes flawed and not only hurt me it hurt others.  This is not going to set well with many, but there was a time that I believed if you did not accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you COULD NOT go to heaven.   Pastor Joel Olsten is criticized by many in the religious community because he will not state point blank that your destiny is hell if you do not accept Jesus Christ.  I am not God and God has inspired men in scripture to write, “My ways or not your ways”, I am not to judge, but leave that to Him, that He can do anything He pleases and does not need our permission. 

I once believe that abortion was an unforgivable sin.  I once believed people that divorced and remarried without jumping through the church's legal loops to get an annulment could not partake of the sacraments.  I once believed if you were not baptized you could not go to heaven and that babies who died before being baptized were in LIMBO.  I once believed in purgatory.  I once believed priest had a special power to represent God when it came to forgiving yours sins.  I once believed we needed to sacrifice Christ over and over again at every mass as if the one sacrifice on the cross was not enough.  I now do not believe any of those things.  Not only did I sincerely believe those things I taught them to others.  I believed them because that is what my parents believed and my church believed.  I did not know any different and did not think I had the right to question them.

What we believe has a significant impact on our lives.  Our beliefs influence who we marry , the career we choose, the way we see right and wrong, how we see our parent and our children, what we do with our time and money, and how we face adversity.  Those beliefs lead us to say no to many things we may have said yes to and yes to things we might otherwise have said no to.

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”  I believe Christians must believe there is a God, a Supreme Being, that created the universe.  How God created it may be open for debate, but it is essential that a Christian believe that God did create all things.  I believe Christians must perceive God not simply as a force of nature, but as an entity, a Being, that is both intelligent and powerful.

Men like Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, and Galileo, who, despite the church’s blunder in criticizing their conclusions, continued to maintain their faith in God.  I do think science and faith are compatible.  I also believe these men were far more intelligent than me.  There are some scientist that do not believe in God, but there is just as many that do.

 Jesus Christ is our defining story.  Jesus demonstrates who God is, what God is like, and what God’s will is for our lives. His life and ministry, His death and resurrection shape how we see ourselves and how we see the world.  Jesus Christ provides us with a different perspective on life.  Christians believe we were born with purpose, our lives have meaning and when our mortal body is finished, we’ve only just begun to live. 

Richard Dawkins (who I believe to be evil) once wrote, “We are survival machines—robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes.” But faith in Jesus says that we were made for more than this.  In fact, the pain and brokenness in our world are largely the result of our living as “robot vehicles” blindly focused on serving the self.  Jesus calls us to be authentically human, to love, give, serve, and rise above our selfish genes.  As we do so we not only make the world a more just and compassionate place; we find joy in the process.  I pity Richard Dawkins and I am willing to show him mercy because of his broken body that may influence his beliefs.  Regardless of what Richard Dawkins says about Jesus Christ or what anyone else may say I know Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for over 2000 years and I doubt that Richard Dawkins will be.   

When God sought to communicate His love for us, he sent Jesus. It was in His Son that God’s message came to us and became our defining story. Through Jesus, God was saying: You matter to me and I love you.  In Jesus, God showed that He cares about those who are lost and those who are made to feel unimportant.  He showed us compassion for the sick.  He showed us how to love, to forgive, to give, to serve.  In Jesus’ death on the cross God showed us the depth of His love and the price of grace. And in Jesus’ resurrection, God defeated our evil, hate, sin, and death! 

My church has put so much emphasis on Mother Mary that our people know little about the Holy Spirit.  Many Christians in our church haven’t been taught about the Spirit, nor encouraged to seek the Spirit’s work in their lives. As a result, their spiritual lives are a bit anemic and they are trying to live the Christian life on their own power and wisdom.  That is impossible!

What are the voices you listen to, and what are the powers that shape your life?  I find there are voices in my own life that would lead me to give in to hate, indifference, desire, pride, infidelity, selfishness, or greed. But when we listen to the voice of the Spirit and open ourselves to the Spirit’s active work in our lives, we find that we are led to a very different place and to become very different people.

The Spirit convicts us and quickens our conscience when we’re doing wrong. The Spirit, through persistent nudges, urges us to act selflessly in our care for others. The Spirit makes us long to be more than we are at the present and to become more like the people God intended us to be.  in Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  The Holy Spirit gives us these gifts and no where in the Bible does it say Mother Mary does. 

How different is this fruit than the fruit of our own hearts, and the culture around us.

The “Holy” and catholic (universal/unity) church.”  When many people view the church today, it looks neither holy nor catholic. It seems filled with hypocrites and judgmental people; in fact, this is one reason why many have turned away from “organized religion” and why so many young adults today say that they are “spiritual but not religious.”  Interestingly, these same young people have great admiration for Jesus, but far less admiration for His people, the church. They see neither holiness nor catholicity (unity) when they look at the most vocal Christians and the most outspoken churches today. 

The word holy in the biblical context means belonging to God, or “sacred to” God or “set apart for” God. You’ve likely heard it said that the church is not a country club for perfect people, but instead a hospital for broken and sinful people who are slowly being made well. We need to make sure the non-churched understand that we know that and stop pretending we are bunch of perfect people.  The church does not belong to us it belongs to God.  The next time you try and tell someone they are sitting in your seat at church remember that. The church is holy when we love Christ and seeks to be faithful to Him.  The church is holy when we are not attacking one another for interpreting a scripture differently. 

Christ tried to forestall the divisions among His followers by telling His disciples not to judge one another, and to love one another and forgive one another. Nevertheless, the church divided and continues to divide to this day.   Our belief in the holy, catholic church (universal/unity) is an ecumenical belief that all who call upon the name of Christ and seek to follow Him as Savior and Lord are, despite their denominational or nondenominational names, part of one universal church.  The Roman Catholic Church is a part of that one universal church, and so is the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, nondenominational churches, and all the rest.  What right do you have to say Catholics are not CHRISTIANS?  Does it make you feel more important than Catholics, more loved by God?  PRIDE!

I still believe in the importance of the church, but unfortunately at the moment I find that I cannot attend and that certainly has affected my life in a negative way.  I pray one day before I die I will be able to find a church that I can return to and feel at home.  I have not stopped looking.  People need to be able to express differences of opinion within the church and be respected and loved.  I knew that once in a church in Galveston, Texas and I will never forget it. 

Excuse me, but FAITH and CHURCH are not the same thing!

It is obvious some people don’t realize that faith and church are not the same thing.  I say this from the comments I have received.  It might surprise you, but some of the greatest accomplishments in the church have come from people who had the courage to question the church. 

Each of Christ’s apostles did not doubt the church they doubted that Christ would be resurrected. It was incomprehensible to them… even after having witnessed a man walk on water and raise the dead. All of the original apostles had doubts. And, some of you want to stone me because I doubt the actions of some of the hierarchy in the church and yet you are willing to follow men that even had some doubts about Christ.  GET REAL!

Each of them, one by one, sat there witnessing the mighty miracles that came from this Nazarene. They had questions and problems with much of what Christ had taught, but their minds were open not like some of you. 

The problem exists when a person thinks that they are beyond FAITH. That they are too logical for miracles. That their intellect exceeds the need for faith. I have never said any of those things. People who are honest enough to admit their doubts and then face them head on without becoming antagonistic, making hardline rash decisions, or ruling out the need for faith are some of the greatest contributors to this kingdom. 

If you want to follow men blindly that is fine with me - go ahead!  I am not that naive. You may trust the words of men. I trust the Holy Spirit.  I can reason right from wrong by comparing what man says and what scriptures says. I am not going to rely on tradition and rituals to support the words of man when they are contrary to the words of the Bible. 

Mary the Mother of God - WHO?

I have often said and written many Catholics recite words at Mass that have absolutely no meaning to them.  They recite Catholic prayers out of habit that they memorized long ago.  They have become just words.

Then to my shock I found that I am as guilty as anyone else.  "Holy Mary Mother of God" - "Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you,- blessed are you among women, blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.  HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD...."  I have said the rosary thousands upon thousands of times and just recently it hit me - Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ.

Many Catholic prayers have in them "Mary the Mother of God".

Those of us who believe in a triune God believe there is ONE God, but three separate and distinct Beings. The Trinity is really impossible to explain and one must except it on faith.  I was told in seminary to describe it like this - water is a liquid, water can become ice and water can become steam.  That is not really a good analogy because water is not liquid, solid and gas ALL at the same time. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist all at the same time.

The Jehovah Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (Mormons), Christian Scientists and others do not believe in the Trinity.  Some Christians teach Christ was born with divinity and others say Christ got His divinity on earth from the Father.  It is said by some when Jesus was baptized and the Father spoke from heaven and said, "This is my beloved Son" is when Jesus Christ got His divinity.

There is much about God that man or woman cannot and will not understand while on this earth.  It is a shame that a lot of theologians believe they must be able to answers everyone's questions instead of saying "I DO NOT KNOW".

If Mary was the mother of GOD that would mean she was before GOD (Father) and no one believes that. Many will say that is not a big deal so why even mention it.  I say we should think about what we say because I am sure the atheist think about every word we say.

Did men in the Catholic Church centuries ago use "Mary Mother of God" to put more emphasis on Mary?

I wish I could take credit for realizing what we were saying, but I did not.  In all my ministry no one every question me about that phrase, but an eight year of little girl recently ask me "Father, is Mary the mother of the Father and the Son or just the Son?" WOW!  I guess the poor child was thinking something weird is going on here if Mary was the mother of the Father and the Son.

We must accept that the nature of the Trinity is debated among Christian denominations.  Trinitarian denominations use quotes from the Bible to support their interpretation and those that do not believe likewise can quote scripture to support their beliefs.  It is all in the interpretation.  Who is right and who is wrong - I DO NOT KNOW, but one day we will know.

I do not think God holds us responsible for honest mistakes.  I would leave any church or denomination that said, "You must believe our way or you are destine for hell". What  arrogance to think you are on God's level and understand everything God said the way He meant it.

The Forgotten Man - Jospeh

All the attention is given to Mary the Mother of Christ, but what about Joseph?

Joseph had as much to do with raising Jesus as Mary and maybe even more. 

After the bar mitzvah the Jewish boy became the responsibility of the father. That is how Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem. Jesus got separated from his parents after his bar mitzvah and they started home. Going he would have traveled with His mother and returning it would have been the custom for Him to travel with his father. Each parent probably thought Jesus was with the other. 

There is not much said of Joseph in scripture. He is only mentioned by name about 17 times. The preachers do not mention Joseph much and do not preach sermons on Joseph. Sometimes he is mentioned on Father's Day.

I know my denomination teaches there were no other children than Jesus, but I personally do not believe that teaching is correct. I do not accept the doctrine that my denomination uses to explain away the reference in the Bible of Jesus siblings in order support the doctrine of Perpetual Virginity.

We do not know much about Joseph, but we do know he was a carpenter and trained Jesus to be a carpenter. We do know he was an honorable man. He married Mary in spite of the pregnancy.

We can use our imagination and assume since Joseph was a carpenter (craftsman) he would have been creative, patient, dedicated, disciplined, took pride in what he did, quite and humble. I say humble because God always chose the humble for great things in scripture. Scripture makes clear God always looks into a mans heart when judging him.

Joseph did not build houses because he worked with wood and houses were not made of wood in Israel. He made furniture, doors, shutters, etc. requiring great skill and dedication to perfection.

I would also assume Jesus had a good relationship with Joseph and called him daddy, since Jesus called His Heavenly Father Abba meaning daddy.

Yes, I would say Joseph was a good father and a good man all together. Jesus had a good role model on earth.

We can learn much from Joseph, especially daddies. If we do perhaps 26 percent of young men that were surveyed in the U.S. in 2016 when ask next year about their relationship with their father’s will not say they have a bad relationship with their father's.

What have we all done (mothers, daddies, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles) to be good role models to children and young people today? We need to model our faith in order to pass it on to the next generation. We need to demonstrate love of God, others and self.

You would be surprised how many men and women avoid a relationship with God the Father because they had a bad experience with their earthly father.

Random Thoughts - Christmas

Well it is about time for all of us Christian to celebrate another pagan holiday. I have no problem celebrating Christ birthday, but if we are going to do so then why not do it at a more appropriate time.

Most people know that Christ was not born in December.  It snows in the mountains of Israel in December and no Shepherd would be carrying his sheep to the fields to graze.

There was a priest named Augustine, not Saint Augustine. He was sent on a mission trip and had tried to get Catholic Christians to stop celebrating the pagan holiday that came around December 25th.  He contacted Pope Gregory and said no matter how hard I try I cannot stop them from celebrating the pagan holiday. Pope Gregory replied basically, "If you cannot beat them then join them".

Guess what? A Christian holiday came to be at the same time as the pagan holiday and it was Christ-Mass (get it) Christmas. Now the Christians could celebrate the pagan holiday and it would be a Christian holiday. I am sure they thought they had it all figured out.

The Christmas tree is a carry over from the pagan holiday. They would cut down a large tree and burn the stump and have a bond fire.  The office party is a carry over from the pagan holiday. The people could drink alcohol during that time as much as they wanted. The mistletoe and holly is a carry over from the pagan holiday. During the  time of that pagan holiday they were allowed to have casual sex.

I first really became annoyed about how we celebrate Christmas when I moved to Davao, Philippine. On Christmas morning a priest and some altar boys came carrying a cross and crib with the baby Jesus in it (DOLL). I went to the gate and one of the young boys lifted the baby Jesus (DOLL) out of the crib so delicately and put it right in front of me. He said, "Father, you can kiss baby Jesus and you will be bless next year."  I gave them the donation they came for, but I did not kiss a DOLL!

The Catholic Church teaches against superstition, but out of cultural tradition it is allowed even if it goes against the Bible. Jesus Christ is no longer a baby He was 33 years old when He was crucified. I do not dress up like a baby on my birthday and I doubt if you do. No one pretends I am a baby on my birthday.  Many homes and businesses in the Philippines has statues of they baby Jesus in them and often have a candle burning by it. Folks that is not Jesus in 2016.

The nativity scene we Christians have is not even accurate according to scripture.

By the way the doll they brought to my house on Christmas morning had BLUE eyes and pale, pale skin that is not how Jesus would have looked - He was a Jew.


I have no objection to celebrating a holiday on December 25th. If families want to gather, have a meal, pray, and exchange gifts that is fine with me. I enjoy it myself. But, I think it is time we take CHRIST out of a pagan holiday that has been commercialized.

Christians wouldn't act that way - really!

Really: How do they act:

You have a “I love Jesus sticker on your bumper” and you pass me going twice the speed limit in a school zone.

I look in my rear view mirror and I cannot tell if you are pushing me or following me, but you do have a cross hanging from your rear view mirror.

You have a “What would Jesus do?” sticker on your rear window and I am sitting behind you watching you blow your horn and shoot the finger at someone taking too long at the stop sign.

You leave church an when you get to the parking lot you see someone has parked too close to your car and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is “Goddamn fool”.  I witness that two Sundays ago.

Its almost laughable when I see people at church (my neighbor) treating others as if they were mortal enemies. Gossiping behind others backs, silently and verbally wishing for their failure, and coveting their possessions.

There’s nothing wrong with a friendly debate among people of the same or different denominations…but when you end up telling me I am not a Christian because I am Catholic and insist on holding it against me…then you have forgotten what Christianity is all about.

When you post Bible verses on my email and go to church each week and I know you are married and using a singles site on the Internet. It makes me question if I even want to be a Christian.

How do you think you’ll ever be able to convince someone that they should investigate Christianity if their only interaction with Christianity is you and you demonstrate qualities even the unbeliever does not want to have.  Have you ever considered that you’re actually hurting Christ more than helping Him with how you treat others? Do you really think that showing up on Sunday and listening to the band or singing in the choir is going to bring others to Christ?

Christ said that you should “let your light so shine” so that others will want to come unto Him. Is your shining light a a red warning light to avoid Christians? Perhaps you are like a fire hydrant extinguishing any light that might be burning faintly within others.

If you call yourself a Christian…then just start loving others and overlooking their faults. Stop trying to make everyone else pay for their sins. God’s got that under control. Become an ambassadors of mercy instead of trying to replace God by being judge and jury. If you make that change you’ll never have to beg someone to listen to your message about Christ again.

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t see some conservative going on and on about how the Republican party is the party of “good Christian values” and everyone else (specifically liberals) is waging some kind of war on religion. Going to church doesn’t make someone a Christian. Christianity is based on a belief in Jesus Christ and one’s attempt to live their life based on the values for which He taught.

I have really noticed from the comments following the Orlando shooting on social sites and media sites how many conservative Christians base their devotion to their faith on how strong their opposition is to homosexuality.

These are some other things that I have really noticed over the last eight years -Prosperity minsters make all Christians sound like our religion is based on GREED. It seems some Christians believe Jesus Christi would have an AR-15 strapped to His back - that is not a Christian issue that is a political issue. Christians should be  teaching acceptance and tolerance of others, but many are not.  That we’re all humans and it seems some have forgotten that - we all sin.  That we should treat each other with respect and kindness - calling others derogatory names does not seem to fulfill that Christian obligation. Some of the comments certainly do not reflect love and kindness.  Many Christians seem to have forgotten that whole “love our neighbor” thing. Do we should think we should try and FORCE our beliefs on others and judge them stupid heathens if they do not agree with us - God does not - that is why God gave us ‘free will". God gave us the right to choose to believe or not believe. God said “fear not” why are so many Christians on social media sites expressing fear of those that do not agree with their beliefs – I have faith God will prevail. 

Our actions outside of church are what matters the most to others wanting what we claim to have.

A religious label no longer fits me - Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical or Independent

I confess I do not agree with all Catholicism and Evangelism teachings. There are some of each that I like. There are some of each I believe. There are some of each I follow in my personal walk with God. There are some of each that I believe have it all wrong. Neither of them any longer totally satisfy me. I have come to believe most Catholic priest read and study the Bible with their mind and a lot of Evangelical ministers read and study the Bible using only their hearts.

Being a product of the seminary I loved those deep discussions on theology and philosophy. But, I finally realized I knew God with my mind, but I did not have a real personal heart relationship with Him.

The Bible may have become just another academic course I had to complete to be ordained. I take responsibility for it, but I also blame the priest that trained me. It was a shock when I entered the reality of ministry and found some parishioners really had a better personal relationship with God than I did - with all my book smarts. It was also a shock when I started to watch Christian television and on occasions stumbled on an Evangelical minister that had something worthwhile to say and was not begging money.

I now realize how important it is to read the Bible with both the heart and mind. I now know how important it is to stop and pause and allow God to speak to us as we read and study.  We can memorize all the scripture we want, but if it does not touch our heart we really have accomplished nothing. I guess as many Christians do we can use it to impress others.

I recently read a book on brain/thought/mind and quite time. This may sound foolish to some of you that are smarter than me, but I always thought of my brain as the organ that produced action and thought. After reading the book and spending a lot of time thinking about what the author wrote I came to believe the brain only reacts to what our mind (thought) tells it to. I wonder if the Bible really means ‘mind’ when it speaks of heart so many times.

If you are like I was you may be spending time in daily Bible study aimed more at interpreting the text than at meditation and experiencing God. You may also find your prayers are more ritualistic or formal than personal. Is your prayers dominated by petitions for needs and confession of sins. Mine was. If you are Catholic yours are probably taken from a little prayer book. It saddens me when I see Sunday after Sunday people with their little paper prayer books praying from them instead of having a simple conversation with  God.  The words used by great men of the church is not what God wants to hear. God wants to hear from us.

I began to notice many years back that parishioners were leaving the Mass after some of the priest delivered their homily without getting any practical knowledge to take with them to apply in their daily lives – a waste of time. The priests were delivering the same stuff that was delivered to them in the seminary without feeling, personal experiences or practical application given. I have found that in a lot of the Evangelical churches the congregation leaves full of emotional feeling (Adrenalin)and little mental comprehension. There needs to be a balance. What is the point in going to church if you are fed book knowledge or given an Adrenalin high that does not carry you through the week and cannot be applied to real life situations.

I am opposed to those speed reading Bible assignments that some ministers believe produce such great fruit. Read only with your mind and not your heart and you will not accomplish anything. Reading the Bible should be about establishing a personal relationship with God. I have had relatives that are more interested in CHECKING off the daily reading list given by the pastor or purchased in bookstores than really understanding how it applies to their life. That yearly Bible reading goal should not interfere with the big-picture of having 365 daily opportunities to feed your soul in God’s word.

If I am pressed for time and do not have the time to read scripture and then meditate on what I read I put it off until later in the day, but if possible always accomplish it before I go to sleep that night. Reading the Bible should not feel like an obligation it should be something you enjoy and want to do. After reading scriptures you need to take time to ponder on them (meditate) and seek how they can apply to your daily life. I have a relative that was in the hospital for about a week and unable to read her Bible. When she got home the first day she caught up on all the daily reading she had missed and called me to confirm that she had. I did not have the heart to tell her I was not impressed. I would have preferred she just picked up with the daily reading on the day she got home.

Research shows nearly six in ten (59%) of young people who grow up in Christian churches end up walking away from either their faith or from the institutional church at some point in their first decade of adult life. Sadly when asked what has helped their faith grow, “church” does not make even the top 10 factors. Instead, the most common drivers of spiritual growth, as identified by Millennials themselves, are prayer, family and friends, the Bible and their relationship with Jesus.

This tells me the organizational church is failing the young people. We need to stop blaming society and start looking within our own walls. Perhaps the organized church has allowed itself to fall out of step with modern times – I believe it has.  I think many young people feel the organized church is not relevant’ or see attending worship services ‘a boring duty’. If that is true then it is the Churches fault. I do not think most churches today offer the depth young people need to deal with their everyday life decisions. Modern life is complex!

Many Evangelical Churches have created a Young People’s Country Club or Night Club and that is not the solution in my opinion. They are looking for the same thing we adult Christians are looking for - a personal relationship with God, a place where they can be accepted for who they are and to be given an opportunity to take a meaningful and productive role in the church.

I think people have the right to expect from their church:

Acceptance

People want to feel not only welcomed and loved but also wanted. I think the Catholic Church does an awful job of making visitors feel welcome. A lot of Protestant Churches go to great pain to make first time visitors welcome and forget about them after that. Is your Church a place that welcomes people on the first visit and beyond the first visit?

Accountability

People want to be held accountable. They want someone to follow up with them and make sure they are understanding what has been taught and how it can be used in their daily life. Is your Church a place that motivates and provides  partnership to the goal of serving Christ?

Discipleship

People desire to know more about their faith whether it’s newfound or not. People want to understand what they are doing, why they are doing it and how to improve what they are doing. Is your Church a place of learning that equips the believer with the tools necessary to survive in the Christian walk? 

Opportunity

A growing Christian wants an opportunity to get involved in the ministry of the church they attend. People want to be a part of something. People want to serve, and we must not forget God wants them to serve as well. As a Church we must be excelling at preparing our members for service. Giving them an opportunity to serve Jesus. So many times we can fail because we wait too long to get new members involved in serving. They want to serve, and we must let them. Is your Church full of opportunities to serve?

Is your Church a place of acceptance, accountability, discipleship and opportunity or is it a place where the leadership has expectations for everyone else, but not themselves.

I am Catholic and I do not believe in Purgatory

I do not deny it I no longer believe in purgatory.  Regardless of what some say I am as much a Catholic as those that do believe in purgatory.  For non-Catholics purgatory is that place, according to the Roman Catholic Church doctrine, where everyone who is saved must go for a time to be purged of their sins and purified before they can enter into God’s holy presence. If that doctrine is true Christ did not accomplish His purpose for coming to the earth and it was not finished on the cross as Christ said and Christ did not pay the price of our sins.

I make no apology that I believe Christ paid for all our past, present and future sins and that Christ did accomplish His purpose for coming to earth.  I said ‘all’ Christians go through purgatory, but that is not true those declared ‘Saints’ by the Catholic hierarchy are exempt according to Roman Catholic Church doctrine.

There is nothing in Scripture about purgatory. The concept was added to Catholic theology long after the New Testament age. There is no need for a Christian to go there or anywhere else to be purged of sins. Jesus accomplished that task once and for all on the cross. Through faith, we have our sins purged and we are purified only by his grace and imputed righteousness.

I am a Christian a follower of Christ before I am Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, etc.  I am an American even though I do not approve of everything the leaders of my country do. I am Caucasian, but I am not proud that my ancestor owned slaves in Alabama. I consider myself a Texan even though I was born in Alabama. I am what my convictions lead me to believe I am what I believe myself to be rather than what anyone says I am.  Yes, I am Catholic, but I am not going to follow any man blindly.

Oh by the way, I believe I can forgive those that sin against me, but I do not believe a Pope, Cardinal, Bishop or priest can forgive me of my sins – only God can.

The Bible states - God will not put more on you than you can stand - NOT TRUE!

The Bible states, “God will not put more on you than you can stand” – NOT TRUE!

If you believe me wrong read 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 and Matthew 11:28-30 again it does not say what you may have thought it said or some sentimental Christian or religious leader told you it said.

People are surprised to find that at no time in the movie Casablanca does Rick ever say, “Play it again, Sam.”  It is also surprising to know that in over 79 Star Trek episodes and 6 movies, no one ever actually says, “Beam me up, Scotty.” But people all assume that those clichés and many others are from the films and movies they attribute them, too.

It works the same with the Bible.  There are all kinds of things that people assume the Bible says but it actually doesn’t.  At the top of that list is “The Lord helps those who help themselves” with something like 80% of Christians believing that quote is from the Bible. It’s actually from the Ancient Greeks by way of Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac.

But in a close second is the statement: “God never gives you more than you can bear.”  It is frequently “quoted” to people in times of distress with great certainty.  Everything will be alright—the suffering one is told—God wouldn’t have given you this trial if you couldn’t get through it. It is quite comforting to those suffering until they find out it is not true and then they begin to doubt God because of you ‘YOUR’ biblical untruth.

There is a quote like it; but there is nothing that says “God will never give you more than you can bear.”  The quote that is frequently used to back up the idea, from 1 Corinthians, doesn’t really say what people think it does. It actually says, “No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people … God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities ...”

Paul is reminding his readers that God will not allow people to be tempted beyond their abilities.  That is, there is no temptation that you should feel you are powerless against, because God would not allow you to be tempted by something you couldn’t resist. If you’re being tempted, in Paul’s thinking, it’s something you are strong enough to resist. That is a far different thing from claiming that nothing bad will happen to you or that you will not have to bear a burden that you cannot bear alone, without God.

Paul even states they suffered burdens they could not bear in their own strength, “We were weighed down with a load of suffering that was so far beyond our strength that we were afraid we might not survive.” (2 Corinthians 1:8). We are also told in Psalm 38:8, “I’m worn out, completely crushed; I groan because of my miserable heart” and in Psalm 38:4, “My wrongdoings are stacked higher than my head; they are a weight that’s way too heavy for me.” Elijah was told by an angel:  “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” (1 Kings 19:7). Let us not forget Jesus, too, who died in agony on the cross, cried out “My God, My God, why have you left me?”

Not only is it not found in scripture our life experiences do not bear it out. There are all kinds of things that happen that we cannot bear. Sometimes our lives come crashing down around us.

Trite platitudes that are designed to make people feel better are harmful to Christianity. Can you imagine someone saying to an inmate at Auschwitz don’t worry - God never gives you more than you can bear or saying it to a woman whose children are killed by a long buried landmine while they were playing or a refugee who survived the massacre of her entire village or someone who has just been given a diagnosis of a terminal illness?

I am thankful that we Catholic’s have the crucifix and not just a cross for it reminds  us that our faith is driven by the hope and the promise of the Resurrection, but that we still live very much in a world defined by the Crucifixion – pain and suffering.

When you tell suffering people that God never gives them more than they can bear and they are being crushed at the time by problems you are causing them to question what is wrong with them?  What are they doing wrong?  Why isn’t God helping them? You are not bringing them to God you are pushing them away from God. If you do not have more comforting words than that to give them then keep your mouth shut and listen.

If you truly believe no problem comes your way that you cannot bear then you are making it about you and not God. Why do you need God if you alone can bear all your problems? Christ said, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” Christ did not tell us to go it alone. Our faith is demonstrated by our recognition that we cannot bear the burdens ourselves and trust in the grace of God who bears them with us.

The church should be a place where you can come and say, “I have a burden that I cannot bear” and instead of being judged for having a weak faith, you are surrounded by a network of love and support that will bear that burden with you.  Just as Christ takes upon himself the burdens we cast upon him, unfortunately to many church going Christians and religious leaders have forgotten that.

The Gospel reminds us that our problems do not disappear because we have become followers of Christ, but we are promised that in those sufferings we are not alone. God does not make us suffer alone He is always with us. God will stand beside us in our times of trouble.

“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest.”

Do not beat yourself up when you fail and give in to temptations that you told God in prayer that you would not do again.  God is happy for all the days that the temptation came up and you did not give in and does not hold against you the days that you did. God will is patient!  Just pick yourself up and try again.  God is a God of more than one chance.

Do not accept biblical half-truths as truths!

Today I spent a boring two hours in the doctor’s waiting room listening to two Christians arguing about something they really knew nothing about. The discussion got a little heated. I thank God they did not get me involved and I tried to stay as far away as I could.  Since one was a follower of Apollo C. Quiboloy, the founder and leader of The Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the other was a follower of Iglesia ni Cristo founded by Felix Y. Manalo neither would have been interested in what a Catholic had to say, since they do not believe we are Christians.

I stated they knew nothing about what they were talking about not to be rude, but because they only knew what their CHURCH LEADERS had told them. Every time they began a topic they would say, “Our church believes” or “Pastor Apollo said” or “They said on INCTV”. I did not hear them say one time “I believe”. But, of course they are obligated in both of those churches to believe what the leaders teach or be put out.

About the only thing they had in common, but did not agree on, were they both believe that THEIR church is the only true church - the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the reestablishment of the Church.

These are only partial or half-truths they have been told - everything happens for a reason, God helps those who help themselves, God won’t give you more than you can handle, God said it, I believe it, that settles it and love the sinner, but hate the sin. These were not the only half-truths these ladies had been fed by their religious leaders.

It is important for us to examine these and other half-truths for ourselves regardless of what our religious leaders have taught us. I think they sometimes hurt people. I think they lead people to conclusions about God that are not only untrue, but turn people away from God. I know there had to be some people in that waiting room today that were turned off to Christians and Christianity because of those two women. There were several Muslims in that waiting room. The ladies may have boosted their own personal egos, but they accomplished nothing for God or Christianity.

Some of these half-truths are used by religious leaders to avoid careful thinking about complex issues. Some are used to justify their own biases or prejudices. It is important to read any Scripture in the light of its context and the Bible’s broader message. It is not enough to find a passage or two to support a particular view. We should interpret all Scripture in the light of Jesus’ life and teachings, as well as with the help of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom of scholars, and our own intellect and life experiences. If you only believe what you have been told then you really know nothing.

What do you think non-Christians think of Christians when they hear one Christian telling another, “You are not a REAL Christian because you are Catholic” or “You only have some of the truth, not all of the truth because you ignore tradition"? I prefer to say “I respect what you believe, but I have a different interpretation of that Scripture and either of us could be right.” When you take a stand that your interpretation or your denominations interpretation or your church leaders interpretation is the only TRUE interpretation you are PLAYING God. My bishops and priest are wrong lots of time and my Pope is wrong sometimes. No one is always right. If someone can convince me I am wrong I am willing to change.

Sunday after Sunday Christians are hurt and many eventually leave the church because they hear religious leaders say God loves you and will protect you and keep you from harm. Believe me there are religious leaders in every denomination teaching that. There is some truth to their teachings, but they fail to point out that the rain falls on the good and the bad. When people are hurt they generally blame God not their religious leader or their denomination for only teaching half-truths.

It is a shame that many Christians are not given the freedom to question their religious leaders when they have experienced what they are saying not to be true in their lives or they have studied Scripture and interpret it differently. It is the responsibility of the religious leaders to let their people know they are free to question any and all things they say – of course in a polite way.

One of the biggest half-truth that is taught Sunday after Sunday is accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and life will be smooth sailing from then on. God did not promise that so why do many religious leaders say He did. God only promise to be with us at all times, good and bad. He did not promise to prevent any bad from ever happening to us.

I think God requires more than just an altar call where you kneel down and say ‘yes’ for us to become and stay a Christian. We must understand what we are doing and be committed to change. The Christian life is not easy; there is a price to pay. My friend at Community Gospel Church use to teach that altar calls and saying ‘yes’ was enough and he could prove it because so many in his church came and left once made whole again. He claimed they no longer needed the church. His membership was like a swinging door. I suggest they left disappointed and found that his teachings did not work in real life.  

I had a person come to me that had left the church when she was a teenager because she had been led to believe the Christian walk was a guarantee from adversity. She ask me, “Where was God when I was raped, where was God when my mother died of cancer my senior year in high school, did He abandoned me or is there no God?” As I stated earlier half-truths cause unnecessary pain.

When religious leaders and denominations take stands against groups of people (gay, women, divorced, etc.) and prevent them from having full participation in the church they are not leading people to God they are pushing people away from God. It forces people who want to be active in church to keep secrets and feel guilty. Jesus loved and loves the poorest of the poor. He spent time with the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and the people with the worst reputations, and loved them unconditionally, contrary to the culture they were a part of. God wasn't God of only the rich and powerful, but also God of the outcast and enslaved. He freed oppressed people and stood for the rights of the downtrodden.

It is OK to doubt your faith from time to time and challenge your religious leaders. In fact, doubting your faith and asking questioning helps your faith grow. Many times I have been told that I am not a Christian. People have said my ideas were "heretical" "UN-biblical" and couldn't believe that I was allowed to continue in ministry. That is okay with me. I have never asks anyone to believe as I believe. I have only asks people to think for themselves and not turn off their brain when they enter the church. I am not going to teach something I do not believe without offering alternative views. I will teach what my denomination wants taught and preface it with the statement ‘this is what the Church teaches’. Besides I do not answer to people I answer to God when it comes to my religious beliefs.

You have to know what and why you believe.  Just saying I believe it because that it is what my preacher, priest or religious leader said should not be sufficient for you to believe. If you cannot explain why you believe it you do not know it. Parrots can repeat what you say over and over and will not challenge you, but have no real understanding of what they are saying. Are you a parrot?

Religion can be harmful!

Religion can be harmful!

Religion can be dangerous because it is usually run by men. Religion usually ends up in the hands of a few men that determine the interpretation of God’s words for us; they make all the rules and traditions that we are to follow. Religion is often fueled by fear and it is anchored in our conscious. Our conscious can be right or wrong. Our conscious has generally been shaped by some type of religion, a religion that we have been taught by men. We tend to listen more to men of the church than the Holy Spirit. Religious followers tend to turn to men of the church rather than God when in doubt.

There are usually a group of dedicated followers that are dependent on a group of men to understand where they stand with God. These men determine who will go to hell and heaven by how they interpret God’s words.

Jesus did not come to improve or extend the legalistic temple model of religion.  Jesus came to start something new. I have only recently realized this during a serious bout of bad health that kept me in bed for approximately six weeks. I once believe Jesus did not come to establish a new religion (Christianity), but to improve the Jewish religion. I no longer believe that.

I now believe Jesus came to establish something entirely new. Something without thousands of rules and traditions made by man, but one simple commandment LOVE! One simple law LOVE! One simple rule LOVE! This one law is what all our decisions should be based on.  When we are not sure what we are to do we should ask ourselves what love requires of us?

Jesus did not come to establish a place (a House of the Lord).  Jesus came to establish a new movement of people. Jesus came to establish a movement that was for all people for all times. It was a movement that was to be focused on people (one another) not the temple or a church building.

Jesus did not want the old mixed with the new, but unfortunately man has mixed the old temple ways with the new Jesus movement and they have ruined what Jesus came to establish. The only thing that counts is faith expressed through love, love expressed for other people. Too many are trying to express love through a denomination (a church building) a denomination or building created by man not Christ.

Our bodies are TEMPLES, our bodies are sacred, and no building or denomination is more sacred than we are. Our bodies are holy and contain the Spirit of God.

The early Christians had only one thing and that was an extraordinary love for one another. They had no Bible not even the Old Testament.  They followed one law LOVE ONE ANOTHER! They put the person next to them ahead of themselves.

Constantine, an emperor, built the first churches.  He passed a law churches did not have to pay taxes so all the rich people started turning their property into churches to avoid taxes.  They would take in orphans and overnight Christianity became inseparable from the empire.  Christianity became more empire than Christianity. Men then began to determine how God’s word would be interpreted by all.

The Nicene Creed was the results of a political issue. Some believed Christ received his Divinity as a reward for what He accomplished on earth and other believed He was born with his Divinity. Constantine did not want the debate to continue. Constantine who was not a theologian put out an edict all material relating to Jesus not being born Devine should be destroyed and if not destroyed the person holding it will be put to death. Thereafter believing the wrong thing was a crime. Christians arrested Christians for believing the wrong thing. Man became the gate keeper to heaven and hell and in many instances it remains that way in 2016.

We Christians talk about the Crusaders killing pagans, but few know we also killed Jewish men, women and children for crucifying Christ and taking all their possessions. Hitler was not the first to take revenge on the Jews. This all followed the Council of Trent. It was all done in the name of God.

1517 Martin Luther wanted to reform the Church not destroy it. Scripture not the Church became the authority and the Protestant movement began. We began to move back to the command to love, but we have never really returned to the original movement Christ came to establish among people. In my opinion denomination is still more important to many than love and we see this in the denominations anti-gay movement just as the church was pro-slavery and segregation. The Church denominations still use the Bible as weapon instead of an instrument of love. Protestants and Catholics continue to beat people over the head with their interpretations of the Bible today.

What we see as sin has been shaped by man. Some feel guiltier about missing Mass or church services than mistreating others. Some fear over the eternal life of their child who dies and was not baptized because of the interpretation of men and not God. Putting water on the head of anyone does not determine if they go to heaven or not.  Does other people’s failure make you feel superior instead of making you sad if it does you do not love as Christ commanded us to?

If everyone got up thinking God is fine with me and now I must make myself fine with others the world would be what Jesus Christ wanted it to be filled with LOVE? If you truly love others you are in line with the Gospel. If you love like Christ commanded you will love God. Love will be the basis for your interpretation of God’s word.

When we begin to live by God’s command and not man the people of the world will know we are Christians by our love.

STUDY-PRAY-READ-LISTEN TO ALL SIDES-TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT IS BEST FOR OTHERS- THEN THINK FOR YOURSELF.

Euthanasia - a pagan word to most, but not me!

There was a time when I would not have considered or approved of euthanasia in any form. If it had been put to a vote I would have definitely voted against it. I like millions around the world had a closed mind to the idea. I could support my decision with ethical and religious reasons. I think my greatest fear was if the practice was allowed it would be abused and to a certain extent I still fear that. I am still against anyone other than the sufferer making the decision to end their life.  

Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide and more loosely termed mercy killing, means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to end  extreme suffering that cannot be relieved otherwise. In the majority of countries euthanasia or assisted suicide is against the law.

There are two main classifications of euthanasia:

Voluntary euthanasia - is euthanasia conducted with consent. Since 2009 voluntary euthanasia has been legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the states of Oregon (USA) and Washington (USA).

Involuntary euthanasia - euthanasia is conducted without consent. The decision is made by another person because the patient is incapable to doing so himself/herself.

There are two procedural classifications of euthanasia:

Passive euthanasia - this is when life-sustaining treatments are withheld.

Active euthanasia - lethal substances or forces are used to end the patient's life.

Active euthanasia is a much more controversial subject than passive euthanasia. Individuals are torn by religious, moral, ethical and compassionate arguments surrounding the issue.

I think that two factors should be considered when contemplating euthanasia: (1) is the illness or disease non-curable and (2) the extreme suffering involved cannot be relieved by other means.

In many other countries a patient can refuse treatment that is recommended by a doctor or some other health care professional, as long as they have been properly informed and are of sound mind. I think this decision should only be made by the person suffering.

Doctors regardless of the law are forced with making decisions concerning death all the time and they take into consideration what is in the best interests of the patient. Doctors consider what is in the patient's best interests based on: (1) What the patient wanted when he/she was competent, (2) The patient's general state of health and (3) The patient's spiritual and religious welfare.

Doctors and families have to decide the best option for a patient who is declared clinically brain dead and if they should switch off the life-support machines; equipment without which the patient will die. The doctor in charge will talk to the patient's family. However, the final decision is the doctor's, and strict criteria must be met. Is that not a form of euthanasia which we have come to accept?

I have stood with families when a decision had to be made to remove life support machines and I know how difficult it is. It is especially difficult when the decision is made based on suffering and not being brain dead. I would have to advise them what our church teaches about the matter and then I would go against the churches decision and tell them after seeking help from the Holy Spirit through prayer they would have to make a decision based on what they thought their loved one would want. 

I watched as a young man suffered for weeks and the doctors were telling the family he was only alive because of the life support machines. The mother finally requested the machines be taken off and the doctor refused. This was in a Catholic hospital. I ask the doctor if his faith in God allowed him to believe God could perform miracles and he said, “Yes”. I then ask the doctor if he thought if the life support systems were removed and God wanted the young man to continue to live he would and he again he said, “Yes”. I then ask the doctor if that is all true why then are you afraid to remove the life support system. He removed the life support and the young man passed away within ten minutes.

Do you remember the Karen Ann Quinlan case? She was hospitalized and eventually lapsed into a vegetative state. Several months later, while being kept alive on a ventilator, her parents asked the hospital to discontinue active care, so that she could be allowed to die. The hospital refused, there were many legal battles, and a court eventually ruled in her parent's favor. Quinlan was removed from the mechanical ventilation in 1976, but she went on living in a persistent vegetative state until 1985, when she died of pneumonia. The development of advance health directives (living wills) occurred as a result of her case. In 1977, California legalized living wills and other states soon followed.

I watched and prayed while my brother suffered with cancer in 2004. I will never forget him looking up at me and saying, “Bubba, please do not pray that God keeps me alive any longer I am hurting too bad. I am ready to go.” I took his hand and told him, “Raymond, I stopped praying that days ago and have been asking God to take you as soon as possible.” He grasps my hand tighter, his wife leaned over and kissed him and he smiled and died.

The English medical word "euthanasia" comes from the Greek word eu meaning "good", and the Greek word thanatos meaning "death".  Euthanasia is mentioned in the Hippocratic Oath. The original oath states "To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death." Even so, the ancient Greeks and Romans were not strong advocates of preserving life at any cost and were tolerant of suicide when no relief could be offered to the dying.

Suicide was a criminal act from the 1300s until the middle of the last century; this included assisting others to end their lives. Thomas More (1478-1535) - An English lawyer, scholar, author and statesman; also recognized as a saint within the Catholic Church, once envisioned a utopian community as one that would facilitate the death of those whose lives had become burdensome as a result of torturing and lingering pain. Since the early 1800s euthanasia has been a topic of debates and activism in the USA, Canada, Western Europe and Australasia.

An anti-euthanasia law was passed in the state of New York in 1828. It is the first known anti-euthanasia law in the USA. In following years many other states followed with similar laws. Several advocates, including doctors promoted euthanasia after the American Civil War. At the beginning of the 1900s support for euthanasia leveled off in the USA, and then rose up again during the 1930s. In 1935 euthanasia societies emerged in England and in 1938 in the USA. Doctor assisted suicide became legalized in Switzerland in 1937, as long as the doctor ending the patient's life had nothing to gain. During the 1960s advocacy for a right-to-die approach to euthanasia grew.

I now believe the patient should be given the option to make their own choice. Only the patient is really aware of what it is like to experience persistent, unstoppable suffering; even with pain relievers. Those who have not experienced it cannot fully appreciate what effect it has on ones quality of life. Apart from physical pain, overcoming the emotional pain of losing independence is an additional factor that only the patient comprehends fully. Every individual should be given the ability to die with dignity. It is more humane to allow a person with persistent suffering to be allowed to choose to end that suffering. If a loved pet has persistent suffering we put it down. It is seen as an act of kindness. Why should this kindness be denied to humans? Why should a patient be forced to experience a slow death?

Several religions see euthanasia as a form of murder and morally unacceptable. Some see voluntary euthanasia as a form of suicide, which goes against the teachings of many religions. They claim Euthanasia weakens society's respect for the sanctity of life. Does religion have the right to force their beliefs on everyone?

Some claim there is a risk patients may feel they are a burden on resources and are psychologically pressured into consenting. They may feel that the burden - financially, emotionally, mentally on their family is overwhelming. My father wanted to die and for eleven days he begged that he not be kept alive because of the cost and he did not want to leave my mother financially insecure – that is a valid argument in my opinion and should have been his right, but at the time I opposed.

According to the 1980 declaration from the Vatican, Jura et Bona, "euthanasia", or "mercy killing" is defined as "an action or an omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may in this way be eliminated." Some in the Catholic Church say to eliminate all suffering sounds very nice, but it is very unrealistic and also very pagan. They say suffering has value and I agree some types of suffering does, but I question the point in physical suffering when no end in sight. Some in the Catholic Church claim suffering provides us with an occasion to grow in wisdom, character, and compassion - to me that sounds very nice, but may be unrealistic if you are the one suffering.

One priest ask if I Remembered the song, "He Ain't Heavy; He's My Brother". He said, “Advocates of euthanasia do not see the ill this way, but only as a burden. God forgive them.” I am not talking about someone else taking my life. I am talking about me having the right to make a choice if I want to continue to suffer and be a prison to pain and poor health. It is easy to quote grandiose religious and philosophical principles if you are not the one suffering. He claims I have become ungodly and I claim I have just become realistic. He claims all life is worth living, but has he lived in constant pain and unable to leave the house or hospital? He even ask me this stupid question, “If your car breaks down do you throw it away or have it repaired?” I have my car repaired and when it reaches the point that it can no longer be repaired I junk it – euthanasia. I also do not view a human as a “thing” so I think his example is totally asinine.

The Catholic Church is even against “Living Wills” - Catholics must follow the moral teachings of the Church in these matters and should consult a priest in specific cases. But by all means avoid "Living Wills."  I have a “Living Will” I do not want a stranger making that decision for me and I do not want to put that burden on a friend or family member. My “Living Will” states they can try to resuscitate me without using any machines to do so.

No, I do not believe in abortion because the baby does not have the right to choose to live or die, but I now believe in Euthanasia giving the person suffering the right to make the choice to die. Please do not try and tell me there is no difference because taking a life is all the same. I beg to differ with you and I respect your belief.

The reason this subject came to my mind is because yesterday I picked up my Bible and it opened to Psalm 88. The author is unknown, but most likely someone ill and suffering. He pleads with God to hear his prayers. He says he is near death; he is living, but like the dead; he feels like he is drowning; he feels like he is trapped in a prison of bad health; he feels God is not hearing his prayer; he is isolated from his friends and he pleads for a miracle. Psalm 88 sums up how I feel.

I will continue to suffer as long as God gives me the strength to do so, but when the time comes that I can no longer bear the suffering I will choose to end it. I see no glory in suffering for the sake of suffering when you are nearing the end and can no longer contribute to society. This is not a decision I made lightly. I believe if God wants me to live I will live without life support or medication. In fact I believe putting all my faith in God speaks more of my faith than to fight to stay alive by artificial means.  I do not want anyone who has not walked in my shoes to tell me what I should or should not do. I do not judge them and do not want them to judge me – please let God be God and do the judging. 

Can you distinguish between a religious leader and politician today - I can't.

Americans have lost respect for our religious leaders not God. I personally would prefer religious leaders to stay out of politics and in the pulpits. I am tired of turning on the news and listening to religious leaders acting like political pundits.

Religious leaders should not try to influence how the American public votes in elections. Religious leaders should not try to use their power to influence political leaders. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, disagrees with me and claims, "There's no definition for 'religious leaders,' there's no definition for 'involved,' there's no definition for 'politics.' So people are left to their own interpretation." Perhaps the lack of definitions is the problem.

I believe religious leaders should offer help and support to the people that share their religious beliefs through spiritual and moral guidance. He or she leads public worship and other religious ceremonies not political rallies. They are involved in teaching the Word of God, charity work or social work. Jesus Christ should be the model religious leaders follow and they should take note He did not get involved in politics. Perhaps religious leaders should return to the belief that their profession is a ‘calling’ from God and not a career path to fame and fortune.

Politics is about gaining power or authority and I do not think that is what our religious leaders should be seeking. Politics is about managing public affairs in a way that benefit all people regardless of their religious beliefs.  How can a religious leader be true to his or her ‘calling’ and support legislation that may benefit the majority of citizens, but violates their religious beliefs – birth control, homosexuality, divorce, etc? It is impossible to keep your oath to both offices or serve two masters.

Religious leaders and Christians should vote on Election Day. Religious leaders should be involved in teaching their members the importance of voting and should instruct them in Biblical moral teaching so they can make informed decision when it comes to voting.  They should not become publicly involved in actually campaigning to get legislation passed, become publicly involved in foreign affairs or publicly campaign for a particular candidate.

Involvement is one issue Richard Land and I disagree on he believes that “religious leaders ought to deal with what the Bible has to say with public policy issues, and we should be looking for candidates who endorse us." He makes it an ‘us against them’ issue and that is not what a democracy should be about. That is divisive and is Obama politics which Richard Land probably does not agree with. Catholic religious leaders believe a good candidate would be one that would prevent artificial birth control. I do not believe that and I am Catholic and Richard Land who is Baptist should not believe that to be criteria for a person to be a good candidate.

Richard Land plays with words he says, religious leaders should not endorse candidates, but then he says religious leaders should endorse candidates that endorse us. Is that a way of expressing endorsement of religious leaders to get around Federal laws which govern such things. I frankly do not get the difference you endorse me and I will endorse you; I endorse you if you will endorse me.

Richard Land is against the Republican Party taking a hard right stance on immigration. He is against deporting large number of illegal aliens. He is for bringing in the refugees from Syria. These are issues that the majority of Americans are not for, but he is trying to use his religious influence to influence the Republican leadership and the Republican Party Platform.  I call that too much involvement in politics for a religious leader, obviously he does not.

The 1970s and 1980s brought about changes in the amount of involvement religious leaders had in politics with the rise of new conservative religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell of the Moral Majority and Pat Robertson of the Christian Coalition. "Get saved, get baptized and get registered to vote," Falwell urged his evangelical audiences. Falwell has passed on, but that mentality continues to resonate in this year's elections, especially with Republican Primary candidate Ted Cruz.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan appeared on Face the Nation and said, “…religion and politics cannot be separated.” If you want to get a good picture of mixing politics and religion just take a look at the Philippines. The Catholic Church leadership fought the people of the Philippines over birth control. The people got a Reproductive Bill passed that called for artificial birth control, but specified that it could not cause abortion. Everyone thought the issue was resolved until the 2016 Budget was approved and the people discovered the Catholic Church leadership had persuaded enough politicians not to allocate any funds for birth control thus ending the Reproduction Bill that the people fought for and got passed.

Cardinal Dolan thinks religious leaders must be involved in politics since it was politicians that executed Jesus. He claims that was a “blatant political move” a blatant political move of Jewish religious leaders and Roman politicians. I really cannot determine which were the most guilty religious leaders or Roman politicians.  

Where does faith end and political loyalty begin? Can we reasonably expect religious leaders not to bring their deepest convictions, which should always be religious in nature, to the political arena? Under no circumstances should religious leaders ever be given political power merely because they are part of a religious hierarchy. Some religious leaders have gone too far when it comes to their involvement in politics.

I support the involvement of religious leader’s in issues pertaining to family matters, morality, crime, poverty, discrimination, prejudices, racism, and charity from the PULPIT, but not in the media trying to influence politicians with block votes.  

I will not get into the details of the extravagant lavish lifestyles of many religious leaders that have caused some of us to lose respect for them.  Private jets, million dollar vacation homes and luxury cars have become the norm for religious leaders. 

If the CEO of your favorite charity was enjoying these perks, you would probably be outraged and never donate to it again. Fortunately, the IRS requires most charities to file financial statements that show they are spending the public's money for charitable purposes, not private gain. This financial disclosure is the cornerstone of wise giving. Without it, the public would have no idea how charities are spending donor money.

Churches, synagogues, and mosques, however, do not have to follow these same rules. They do not have to file annual reports with the IRS or state charity regulators, which allows them to avoid being rated by AIP. They receive the same tax benefits as other charities, including tax-exempt status and the ability to accept tax-deductible contributions with none of the reporting obligations or oversight.

The advent of televangelism has changed everything for the worse. Mega-churches run by televangelist have huge followings. Through television, radio, Internet and appearances in public arenas they can reach millions of people around the world. Because televangelists have such large followings it can be difficult for their members to hold them accountable.

One of the tax benefits bestowed on ministers is the "parsonage allowance," which allows ministers to exclude the rental value of their homes from their taxable income. This statute was adopted in 1954 out of concern for clergy, most of whom were making less than $2,500 annually, according to the Legislative Committee. Although a lot has changed since 1954, this tax provision has not, and today's millionaire and billionaire televangelists are still able to take advantage of it. 

Senator Grassley's Committee reported that some churches allegedly ordain friends, family members, and employees solely for the purpose of getting them the income tax exclusion. Currently, there is no limit on the number of residences for which a minister can receive a parsonage allowance, meaning a minister can exclude the rental value of a second home or a vacation home from his or her taxable income. One of Kenneth Copeland’s tax free homes was valued at $8 million in 2008.

Senator Chuck Grassley, who spearheaded the Committee's review of six evangelical televangelists, wrote in his final report, “"The challenge is to encourage good governance and best practices and so preserve confidence in the tax-exempt sector without imposing regulations that inhibit religious freedom or are functionally ineffective." They remain self-regulated to this day. For many politicians, the idea of taking a strong stance on reform is too risky because they do not want to be perceived as anti-religion by voters. I think expecting churches to be accountable and their leaders not to live extravagant and lavishly off of tax-exempt funds should not be perceived as anti-religion.

People have not lost respect for God they have lost respect for our religious leaders!