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Quote from: islander on September 25, 2013, 02:11:04 PM
luoy bitaw uy.  may that city find peace soon, in god's/allah's grace.

alhamdulillah!

was it the incredible lea salonga?

4 miles into the trail. i decided to take pictures of some colorful berries. reminded me of the berries in bohol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PtIWwRSI6Q#

Quote from: islander on September 26, 2013, 03:39:48 PM
jean valjean of course, and eponine.  they're round characters.  cosette and marius are too flat and uninteresting.

aha! she's my favorite character as well. when she sings "on my own", the hairs on my back rise. beautiful , truly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWOjYZgxoL0#ws

Taken at Paul Douglas Bike & Hiking Trail in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
September 22, 2013


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XclEtnS1MQ#

Quote from: islander on September 26, 2013, 03:28:10 PM
don't cry for me, argentine cow...

years ago... told the banana republic i can't be in new york without going to broadway.  had wanted to watch "the music man" at that time (for the songs, naturally, like "till there was you" and "76 trombones").  no luck with the tickets.  we went to "les miserables" instead.  no regrets. 

oh yes, you're right. les misables was and is my all time favorite. you and your husband have excellent taste on plays.

ps. who's your fav. character in les mis?

hahaha. nowadays my dad doesn't sport the beard. he said that it was a necessity to wear kono in the region at the time. religious police used to hound him on wearing a beard and all since he used to inspect new buildings , many of which were mosques.

at present, he's sporting the mustache look.

hoffman estates' paul douglas hike trail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4FX_W8eFh8#

This weekend I took a splendid hike / jog to Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago. It was a wonderful day for a walk / jog. My friend at work, Pim, came with me.

Enjoy the colorful pictures !

Next time we're going to watch "Bewitched", which is scheduled to play on January - February of 2014.

My two favorite ladies at work. Dr. Dayriz and Dr. Maria.
Dr. Maria is the head of the Department of Pediatrics in a major hospital in Chicago.
She's such a lovely and wonderful physician,..and lady. A mother-figure in the hospital to me.

Dr. Dayriz and I all ecstatic.
Dayriz is a graduate of La Salle College of Medicine in the Philippines. She is a practicing Internist in Chicago.
She's also , like myself, fond of plays and musicals. super cool in my book.

Evita.

This past weekend, I saw the musical "Evita" on Broadway here in Chicago. It was very entertaining.

Definitely I highly recommend this for those who love musicals/plays.

Nindot baja.

QuoteJULY BABY

Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. spazzy at times. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be with friends . Always broods about the past and the old friends. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

That sounds about right.

fully bearded.

dad again on the left. nagpa macho macho lageh.

my papa at 28. taken in some highway outside the city of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
this picture was back in 1986.

my dad worked in riyadh, kingdom of saudi arabia for 12 years. when i asked him about his tenure there as a civil engineer , he said to me that his experience was, overall, very good.

this summer i took my father to a middle eastern restaurant in chicago. i was surprised he still knew the names of the dishes, and spoke to the server in almost-perfect arabic.

bwahaha.

Quote from: chicogon on September 26, 2013, 02:09:33 PM
Or it could be scripted... after all they can afford to pay a good script writer bwahahaha

bwahahaha, mao pod.

besides, what's 10 million pesos for this mega-star? mega barato ra man ning 10 million pesos.

billion ra...

that and they cook really good spicy food.

and he said, "baaaaaaa...AaAaAaAaAa"

ha ha ha!

who's watching the watcher?

protecting her inbestiment segoroh?

The incorruptible body of St. Padre Pio. He was buried almost 60 years ago, and he was not embalmed. He has not suffered decay at all!


Blessed St. Padre Pio, pray for us !
Send our prayers to the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me Lord, because I am weak, and I need Your strength, so that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me Lord, for You are my light, and without you, I am in darkness.

Stay with me Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me Lord, for I desire to love you very much, and always be in Your Company.

Stay with me Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late, and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgment, eternity approach. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile.

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to you, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation because I do not merit it, but the gift of Your presence, oh yes, I ask this of You.

Stay with me Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant,
St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
with the gifts of the Spirit.
You marked his body with the five wounds
of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness
to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son.
Endowed with the gift of discernment,
St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional
for the salvation of souls.
With reverence and intense devotion
in the celebration of Mass,
he invited countless men and women
to a greater union with Jesus Christ
in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
I confidently beseech You to grant me
the grace of (here state your petition).

Glory be to the Father… (three times). Amen.

Thank You, Nong Balong for the prayer and keeping me in your thoughts. May Our Lord Jesus Christ always protect all of us in body and in spirit.

I will save this prayer, Nong Balong. Thank You, my friend.

Quote from: hofelina on September 24, 2013, 06:18:45 PM
St. Pacifico of San Severino
(1653-1721)


Pacifico was born into a distinguished family in San Severino in the Marche of Ancona in central Italy. After joining the Friars Minor, he was ordained. He taught philosophy for two years and then began a successful preaching career.

Pacifico was an ascetic man. He fasted perpetually, eating no more than bread, soup or water. His "hair shirt" was made of iron. Poverty and obedience were two virtues for which his confreres especially remembered him.

At the age of 35, Pacifico contracted an illness that eventually left him deaf, blind and crippled. He offered his sufferings for the conversion of sinners, and he cured many of the sick who came to him. Pacifico also served as the superior of the friary in San Severino. He was canonized in 1839.


Comment:

Pacifico lived out the words of St. Francis cited below. His preaching and ministry were linked to his life of penance.

Francis urged his brothers to proclaim the Word of God without fanfare or self-interest. In that way, their words were truly God’s and directed toward the welfare of their listeners. The way Pacifico lived made his preaching all the more effective, for his listeners knew the power present in his words.


Quote:

"Moreover, I advise and admonish the friars that in their preaching, their words should be examined and chaste. They should aim only at the advantage and spiritual good of their listeners, telling them briefly about vice and virtue, punishment and glory, because our Lord himself kept his words short on earth" (St. Francis, Rule of 1223, Ch. 9).

St. Pacifico, Pray for us. Amen.

Quote from: hofelina on September 23, 2013, 08:52:44 PM
St. Padre Pio da Pietrelcina
(1887-1968)


In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Blessed John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. "This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio's teaching," said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to "a privileged path of sanctity."

Many people have turned to the Italian Capuchin Franciscan to intercede with God on their behalf; among them was the future Pope John Paul II. In 1962, when he was still an archbishop in Poland, he wrote to Padre Pio and asked him to pray for a Polish woman with throat cancer. Within two weeks, she had been cured of her life-threatening disease.

Born Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy. Twice (1898-1903 and 1910-17) his father worked in Jamaica, New York, to provide the family income.

At the age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name of Pio. He was ordained in 1910 and was drafted during World War I. After he was discovered to have tuberculosis, he was discharged. In 1917 he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, 75 miles from the city of Bari on the Adriatic.

On September 20, 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side.

Life became more complicated after that. Medical doctors, Church authorities and curiosity seekers came to see Padre Pio. In 1924 and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was questioned; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain of these decisions, which were soon reversed. However, he wrote no letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.

Padre Pio rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon. He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day; penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them have said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned.

Padre Pio saw Jesus in all the sick and suffering. At his urging, a fine hospital was built on nearby Mount Gargano. The idea arose in 1940; a committee began to collect money. Ground was broken in 1946. Building the hospital was a technical wonder because of the difficulty of getting water there and of hauling up the building supplies. This "House for the Alleviation of Suffering" has 350 beds.

A number of people have reported cures they believe were received through the intercession of Padre Pio. Those who assisted at his Masses came away edified; several curiosity seekers were deeply moved. Like St. Francis, Padre Pio sometimes had his habit torn or cut by souvenir hunters.

One of Padre Pio’s sufferings was that unscrupulous people several times circulated prophecies that they claimed originated from him. He never made prophecies about world events and never gave an opinion on matters that he felt belonged to Church authorities to decide. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.


Comment:

At Padre Pio's canonization Mass in 2002, Blessed John Paul II referred to that day's Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) and said: “The Gospel image of 'yoke' evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the 'yoke' of Christ and indeed how light the burden are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”

Quote:

"The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain" (saying of Padre Pio).

Related St. Anthony Messenger article(s)

Padre Pio, Pray for us!

Quote from: hofelina on September 24, 2013, 06:19:19 PM
Be Not Afraid    Minute Meditations
When we begin things in adoration and prayer, God can and will work through our fears, uncertainties, and inefficiencies to allow the Holy Spirit to do impossible things through us.

   â€" from The New Evangelization and You

oh thank you for this wonderful saying. yes, we all should spend more time with our Lord in prayer. Holy Spirit, come into our hearts and heal any wounds, remove any anxieties, and console our hearts of whatever ailment affects it. Holy Spirit, my consoler, my comforter, please forgive me for all of my failings today, and renew me for tomorrow. I invite you oh Dear Holy Spirit to always guide me towards your salvation...amen.

September 25

So long as we are on this earth, we must realize that we cannot avoid imperfections, because we are all human. We must convince ourselves of this reality; we should not get all upset in seeing ourselves as imperfect beings. The Lord has asked us to say every day those words of the Our Father, "Forgive us our trespasses..." This is a directive that has no exceptions, because we all have need of it.

(Spiritual Treatises XVI; O. VI, pp. 296-297)

Hahaha ! i like this thread. ka kyut lageh.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on September 25, 2013, 11:38:50 AM
Thank you Doc Bran. Wala nako naga take ana nga med 2 weeks ago.. three times ra ko naka take, by that time, relax gyud akong pamati..it was recommended by a friend kasi she's suspecting that the cause of my allergies / itchiness is not the chicken only but also for being stress at work.. halos wala nako'y time for rest.. wala pod ko'y problem sa akong panan-aw, no seizures or cardiotoxicity... now that i know, dili na pod ko... super likay na pod ko ug mga foods like chicken, eggs, uyap ug other foods nga maka cause ug allergy ....

Thank you so much Doc!!! ^___^

You're welcome, Jenneth. I know that your friend meant well, but its good to know the side effects of certain prescription medication.

Quote from: wardiflex on September 25, 2013, 02:23:43 PM
happy birthday orchids... blooming every day as always:)

amen, brother wards. amen.

Quote from: islander on September 25, 2013, 02:19:46 PM
amen.  yes, she really was young and great.  now she's young and great forever.  i wasn't around yet when she was active, but two years ago i read all her posts, and was touched by her joie de vivre.  happy birthday everyday, orchids!

amen ! she was, indeed, like a mother to all of us here in this forum. i miss so very much her postings of flowers, which she did so frequently. orchids.

i told her once, why did you choose orchids as your name? she answered and said that it was her favorite kono.

i told her that orchids are also my mommy's favorite.

may god bless virginia's children...!

Quote from: Lollapalooza on September 25, 2013, 12:42:26 PM
Amen Bran... For me, it's her 5th birthday being an Angel ^__^

awwww! yes, you're so right, jenneth.


thank you for remembering her , jenneth.

yes, this is true. it was studied that after a person has died, there is still some activity of the inferior coliculi, which is responsible for auditory perception. what does this means? it means that the dead can still hear even after they were declared dead. the activity within the inferior coliculi ceases around 5-10 minutes after the person is declared physiologically dead.

this means, that loved ones can still hear us, when we are with them after they just died. sons, daughters, grandchildren, wives, husbands, who talk to their loved ones who passed away, are heard by their 'dead' relative. the dead may not be able to respond , but they can hear. hearing is the last to fade before the individual enters total death.

then, all the thoughts, consciousness, all the things that make a person that person...goes somewhere else.

Today is your 5th year death anniversary diay. I thought of you today at work. The thought of you entered my mind. You are in my prayers, my friend...


O Lord,
the God of mercies,
grant unto the souls of Thy servants
the anniversary day of whose burial we are keeping,
a place of solace,
of peaceful rest,
of glorious light.

Through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

pas pas ra jud diay ang panahon. it is so hard to believe that it has been around 5 years since her passing. god rest your soul, ms. orchids. know that we are thinking of you.

i forgot to wish  you a happy birthday diay ! belated happy birthday, Ms. Orchids.

“If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master’s presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in Our Lord’s presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.”

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.

St. Francis de Sales

Quote from: islander on September 25, 2013, 03:09:41 AM
yes they truly are.  great for meditations to find out how we stand in terms of true spiritual values. 

and i thought this would be a source of inspiration for you, Tita,



     ''Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you.... Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.''

St. Francis De Sales

i would also like to add these profitable words of wisdom from this most wonderful saint.

he speaks to us still.


     ''There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine loveâ€"every man works his oar voluntarily!''

St. Francis De Sales (1567-1622), French churchman, devotional writer, Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church., quoted in Bishop Jean-Pierre Camus, The Spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, ch. 7, sct. 3 (1952).

Quote from: Lorenzo on September 25, 2013, 02:56:32 AM
i think this is pertinent, indeed.



September 24

It is necessary not only to combat hate and distaste of one's neighbor, but to abstain from a common but quite harmful defect, namely, to complain and to keep repeating these complaints. This is an evident sign of a stubborn heart that has not even a spark of charity in it. Strong and generous hearts sometimes are saddened when there is a very serious cause, but even then they do not fall into exaggerated anguish. Have courage. The few years that remain to us here below, please God, will be for us the best and most useful for eternity.

(Letters 817; O. XV, pp. 288-289)

guapo lageh ang words of this most blessed and wonderful man of the faith, si St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church.

i think this is pertinent, indeed.



September 24

It is necessary not only to combat hate and distaste of one's neighbor, but to abstain from a common but quite harmful defect, namely, to complain and to keep repeating these complaints. This is an evident sign of a stubborn heart that has not even a spark of charity in it. Strong and generous hearts sometimes are saddened when there is a very serious cause, but even then they do not fall into exaggerated anguish. Have courage. The few years that remain to us here below, please God, will be for us the best and most useful for eternity.

(Letters 817; O. XV, pp. 288-289)

Who is to deny communion to anyone? The Holy Eucharist, through the Holy Sanctification in Transubstantiation, becomes the True Jesus Christ. The wine becomes the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. When offered to us, we are receiving the The Lord Jesus Christ , and he nourishes us physically, and spiritually. And we receive Untold Divine Graces in this when we receive the Holy Eucharist.

Christ is offered to us just as Christ offered his life to all of us in Calvary. He did not offer himself to only to the righteous, the perfect (then again, who is perfect? None but god. For all have sinned fall short before the Glory of God [Romans 3:24])

Catholics receive the Holy Eucharist. Sinner and saint. Let us not judge na lang, let us leave that up to God.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to be merciful. But we must all strive for it. We were told by Christ,

"Be perfect like your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48)
Despite our human failings and frailties, we are instructed by The Lord Jesus -- to always strive for holiness, mercy, and love. All the traits that Our Heavenly Father shows unto us-- His children and beloved.



Wew! Felt the Holy Spirit tingle my back when i just wrote that.

Quote from: islander on September 25, 2013, 01:44:26 AM
goodness me.  this article leaves a bad taste in the mouth.  maybe we should learn from this:

Time magazine distills Francis interview into four themes. First: The church must have a pastor’s heart. Second: Faith demands putting people over issues, not the other way around. Third: Stop constricting Christ’s message to abortion, gays and contraception. The Gospel’s message is not to be “reduced to some aspects that, although relevant on their own, do not show the heart of Christ’s message.” Fourth: “We must work harder to develop a profound theology of women.” (from Nitpicking Rules by Juan Mercado, Cebu Daily News, Tuesday, September 24th, 2013)

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/493957/nitpicking-rules#ixzz2ftc6WA2O

Ma luluoy bitaw ang Ginoo sa tawo nga naay daghang sins, failings. Merciful kaayo ang Ginoo...

mao bitaw. when i read this article, i thought of one person: Paul.

Prior to Paul's conversion, where in which he saw Christ, he was a hardened Pharisee, and was the enforcer of the Jewish laws. In fact, Paul was known as the terror of the Christians, as he was responsible for the arrest and punishing of the earlier christians. But, the Lord is Good. If God, was able to change the heart of the man that was to be known as Paul (and the 12th apostle), who's to say that He cannot change the heart of Mrs. Pelosi? Besides, only Mrs. Pelosi knows her own relationship with God.

After-all, it is the Lord who reads us not through appearance, hearsay, but through the heart. He can see through our heart and soul.

----

Its interesting. Christ called men such as Zachaeus, Paul, and even Nicodemus. And all of them opened to His Truth....

The writer does have a point tho. In the end, all have free will, and all decide their own path in life. We can only pray that the Holy Spirit gives wisdom to Mrs. Pelosi, that and ask God to forgive her for her pro-abortion standing. We should consider a silent prayer for the untold millions of innocents who are silenced every year here in the united states. May God welcome them in Heaven...

Don't involve religion in politics ! This will only invite anti-Catholics to start attacking Holy Mother Church.

bwahaha. kun switzerland man gani, adto lang ko sa carmen.

kun palao man ganeh, adto lang ko sa anda og damaluan beach.

Jenneth,

If your food allergy is that discomforting for you, as in itching, it may be due in part to your body's sensitivity to chicken. The reason why you get itchy when you eat chicken -- that is because your immune system, particularly your body's b-cells have been sensitized to it. It considers the chicken as an antigen. Your b-cells have developed specific antibodies to chicken, and thus when you eat it, the b-cell created antibodies which bind to the chicken. this then attracts the migration of specific immune cells such as your macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, and mast cells. The mast cells and basophils release a chemical called HISTAMINE, which is responsible for allergic reaction activation. It contributes to bradykinin release, which is the cause of coughing. Histamine causes vasodilation of the blood vessels, increased body temperature, and pruritic itching.

Ang kaso ani, Jenneth, is the fact that your body is naturally allergic to chicken. It was sensitized to it.

To effectively alleviate this symptom is to stop eating chicken period.

However, if you like to eat chicken, then you need antihistamine drugs such as benadryll or chlorpheniramine. These are drugs specifically targeting the release of histamine and does not deal with neurological consequences such as ATARAX.

I hope you are more informed. And please, update me if you are having symptoms of the side effects i listed in my previous post. If you do, go to your attending M.D.


Be safe, my friend !

Quote from: Lollapalooza on September 22, 2013, 11:37:18 AM
Bran-kun, could please tell me more about Iterax? Nagsugod ko ug tumar (pero not all the time) kadtong pagsugod nako ug allergy sa chicken.. 10mg lang nuon, nawala baya ang itchiness ato, tapos I feel sleepy and relax pod kada mo-take ko ato..

Hi Jenneth,

Did your MEDICAL DOCTOR prescribe that to you or did you buy that yourself? ITERAX is also known here in the United States via ATARAX, the drug name is Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride. This drug is used primarily here in the United States as an indication for GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) , psychosis, atypical depression and severe forms of obsessive compuslive disorder. Basically, its a neuroleptic. It has a mechanism of action that can effectively lower NOREPINEPHRINE, increase GABA (this is an inhibitory neurotransmitter), and can increase SEROTONIN (neurotransmitter associated with feelings of satisfaction, happiness, feel-good effect).

Sometimes, ATARAX  can be used for allergic reactions, however, the mechanism of action is still being researched, and quite frankly, i don't think you should be taking this drug , Jenneth, unless you are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, have depression, have psychosis, or have ocd. this drug, jenneth is a neuroleptic.

In addition, due to the pluripotency of this drugs (meaning has the ability to affect many receptors in the body), it has also a wide side effect lists including vision problems, seizures, cardiotoxicity, respiratory depression, and addictive qualities.

In fact, we don't even give ATARAX is not even the drug of choice for anxiety disorders, for those we give them: benzodiazepines (clonazapam etc), buspirone or SSRI (serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors such as citalopram). We do this because these drugs a less severe side effect.

Again, to reiterate to you that ATARAX is primarily an neuroleptic drug that is given to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, psychosis, and obsessive compulsive disorders.

There are better forms of anti-allergy medication to treat your allergic reaction to chicken. In fact, you don't even need to recourse for prescription medicine like ATARAX for that. If you are allergic to something, particularly a food source, the best way to treat this is behavioral modification. Stop eating the chicken. Your body has developed antibodies to it and thus it attacks it everytime you eat it. that is why you hare having systemic symptoms. If , however, you do eat chicken accidentally and you get an allergic reaction, consider benedryll.

You are tired and sleepy because ATARAX is an anxiolytic and neuroleptic drug. If you are not diagnosed with GAD , Atypical Depression, Psychosis, Mania, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, then I highly recommend you stop taking this drug at once.

If you have symptoms of cardiotoxicity, seizures, visual problems, please stop taking this drug and consult your attending M.D.



Sincerely,
Bran

Quote from: islander on September 22, 2013, 11:42:43 AM
i hope this thread is active most of the time, right there at the forefront.  thanks for reviving this, loll.  here are hopes that lorenz reads this today.

I just read this now. And i also saw that i promised to post more videos. I'll have to remedy that soon.

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 22, 2013, 06:42:47 PM
Ta-dah!

Sorry, my young friend. Angay bitaw unta kong mananghid sa akong kaberks diris TB. I was so engrossed with some trivialities (as you all know) that I almost forgot about my scheduled vacation.

Hello, everyone. Greetings from the Maldives.

hahaha! surprise diay eh! I'm glad you're doing okay , Nong. Am praying that you enjoy your stay there in the Maldives, have fun and be safe. Take some pictures too if you can. I'd love to see some sights there. To be honest, i've never been there and always heard so many good things about Maldives. Enjoy the spicy food there !

Warm Regards!
God Bless !

PPS

i thought of you last night when i was at work. i guess your call came to me. hehehe!

Hi Tita,

Sorry for my absence, I was held up with excessive work requirements. I'm still trying to get myself used to driving to the hospital , drive to the college (to teach a night class, am teaching a class on medical pharmacology & calculation) and then perform doctoral research. I didn't expect to teach the class, but i couldn't let go of the pay contract they offered me, lol. Anyways, it's only an adjunct contract, so this way it won't take too much of my time. I was just so surprised when i came to my class last night (last night was the first day), when i went to the room, all of my students were women. haha! no men at all.

Yesterday I was greeted by the college dean, Dr. S, who heard my voice from the stairways. Ingon dajon, "Dr. Lorenzo ! Is that you?", to be honest i have missed Dr. S, she was always such a wonderful and pleasant colleague to work with. She's Filipina (married to a German-American; and she's Ilokana). I was able to thank her for the home-grown tomatoes, amapalya and squash that she gave me last month. Hugged her and we exchanged warm pleasantries.

I'm happy because the college class i teach is only 2 days a week (every monday and wednesday, for 4 hours each day; from 5:30 p to 9:30 p).

Please forgive me for not posting or reading this thread. Just know that i did miss you and everyone here, reading everyone's posts and finding out how everyone is. But i know and i trust that our Lord Jesus Christ will always keep us all in the palm of his hands and protect all of us! We just have to always trust in Him and in His plans for us, and to offer all our worries, our plans, and our thoughts to Him.

How are you doing? I hope and pray that you are doing well and that your family are doing super well. May Our Lord Jesus Christ always bless you and protect you and your entire family!



With prayer and love,
Toto

Quote from: islander on September 21, 2013, 08:05:10 PM


he almost always wore one.

he somewhat looks like phil Collins in the first picture. suave.

I've missed your posts here these pas 2 days. Quite frankly I've been so used to signing on to Tubag Bohol to read your latest updates on animals, nature, health news, Philippine regional news (I like it because you always post in Cebuano), and of course your message-in-a-bottle like posts. Please post some more and come back here because Tubag Bohol is not the same without Hubag Bohol.





A fellow Bol-anon,
I Remain,
Bran Lorenzo

Quite frankly, I prefer the interaction here to face book. I love the intellectuals here, the great minds of Bohol. We even have our own resident priest, lawyer, animal rights specialist(s), editors, geneologists, apologists, theology students, business specialists, health care specialists, tax specialists, education specialists and marketers. wowzers!

Quote from: TUBAGBOHOL.com on September 17, 2013, 04:12:15 AM
By Betsy Morais

Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg both quit Facebook about a year ago. “I felt that I had developed an unhealthy addiction to lurking and creeping,” Cederberg, who is twenty-three, told me. Late at night, he would find himself staring at his computer screen, clicking mindlessly from one page to another. “I’d end up on some girl from Bangladesh’s Facebook account, and I’d be angry that I couldn’t see her profile.”

“I just don’t see what the plusses are,” Woodman, twenty-two, said. He senses the incredulity among his peersâ€"“You’re just trying to be supercool when you say you don’t have a Facebook”â€"but, he tried to explain, “I’m not a very public person.”

Read more from the source: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/09/how-a-relationship-dies-on-facebook.html

Yup, I deleted my facebook account back in 2010. It was an unhealthy addiction.

Now look, I'm addicted to Tubag Bohol.  

Getting ready to go watch 'Evita' in Broadway this afternoon. Going with two lady friends, Dr. Maria and Dr. Day.

I'll post pictures later.

i will continue this thread tomorrow. till the morrow, dear friends and fellow colleagues !

5. Arianism (4th Century)



Arius taught that Christ was a creature made by God. By disguising his heresy using orthodox or near-orthodox terminology, he was able to sow great confusion in the Church. He was able to muster the support of many bishops, while others excommunicated him.

Arianism developed around 320, in Alexandria Egypt concerning the person of Christ and is named after Arius of Alexandar.  For his doctrinal teaching he was exiled to Illyria in 325 after the first ecumenical council at Nicaea condemned his teaching as heresy.  It was the greatest of heresies within the early church that developed a significant following.  Some say, it almost took over the church.

Arius taught that only God the Father was eternal and too pure and infinite to appear on the earth.  Therefore, God produced Christ the Son out of nothing as the first and greatest creation.  The Son is then the one who created the universe.  Because the Son relationship of the Son to the Father is not one of nature, it is, therefore, adoptive.   God adopted Christ as the Son.  Though Christ was a creation, because of his great position and authority, he was to be worshipped and even looked upon as God.  Some Arians even held that the Holy Spirit was the first and greatest creation of the Son.

At Jesus' incarnation, the Arians asserted that the divine quality of the Son, the Logos, took the place of the human and spiritual aspect of Jesus, thereby denying the full and complete incarnation of God the Son, second person of the Trinity.

In asserting that Christ the Son, as a created thing, was to be worshipped, the Arians were advocating idolatry.

Arianism was solemnly condemned in 325 at the First Council of Nicaea, which defined the divinity of Christ, and in 381 at the First Council of Constantinople, which defined the divinity of the Holy Spirit. These two councils gave us the Nicene creed, which Catholics recite at Mass every Sunday.

4. Sabellianism (Early 3rd Century)

The Sabellianists taught that Jesus Christ and God the Father were not distinct persons, but two.aspects or offices of one person. According to them, the three persons of the Trinity exist only in God’s relation to man, not in objective reality.

Sabellius, a third-century theologian and priest, was a proponent of modalism. Modalism is a non-Trinitarian heresy claiming that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are simply different modes of God and not distinct persons within the Godhead. Little is known about Sabellius, who was excommunicated in 220 AD, but the teaching attached to his name became infamous and is still with us today.

The modalists were rightly concerned with maintaining the oneness of God as well as the full deity of Christ. However, this led them to the error of seeing any suggestion that the Son was a distinct person from the Father as creating a duality within the Godhead. Early historian Hippolytus summarized the modalist position as one in which the names “Father,” “Son,” and “Holy Spirit” did not stand for real distinctions in the Godhead, but rather mere names that described the actions of the one God at different times in history. In other words, “Father,” “Son,” and “Spirit” are merely adjectives describing how the one divine Being acts and is perceived. Sabellius used the analogy of the sun to explain his position. In the same way that the sun gives off both light and heat, so also the single divine being radiates in history in different fashions. In creation, the divine Being acts as Father; in redemption, as Son; in the lives of believers, as the Holy Spirit.

Why Does All This Matter?

Sabellianism is one of the heresies in Christendom that keeps appearing again and again in different forms. Anyone who has sat in a Sunday School class and heard that God’s Tri-unity is like water in that it appears to us in three forms (liquid, steam, and ice) has been exposed to a contemporary variation of modalism. God is not one person that exists in three different forms at three different times, but three distinct persons concurrently sharing one common essence.

3. Montanism (Late 2nd Century)


Montanus began his career innocently enough through preaching a return to penance and fervor. His movement also emphasized the continuance of miraculous gifts, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy. However, he also claimed that his teachings were above those of the Church, and soon he began to teach Christ’s imminent return in his home town in Phrygia. There were also statements that Montanus himself either was, or at least specially spoke for, the Paraclete that Jesus had promised would come (in reality, the Holy Spirit).



Montanus, the false prophet

2. Gnosticism (1st and 2nd Centuries)


"Matter is evil!" was the cry of the Gnostics. This idea was borrowed from certain Greek philosophers. It stood against Catholic teaching, not only because it contradicts Genesis 1:31 ("And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good") and other scriptures, but because it denies the Incarnation. If matter is evil, then Jesus Christ could not be true God and true man, for Christ is in no way evil.

Thus many Gnostics denied the Incarnation, claiming that Christ only appeared to be a man, but that his humanity was an illusion. Some Gnostics, recognizing that the Old Testament taught that God created matter, claimed that the God of the Jews was an evil deity who was distinct from the New Testament God of Jesus Christ.

They also proposed belief in many divine beings, known as "aeons," who mediated between man and the ultimate, unreachable God. The lowest of these aeons, the one who had contact with men, was supposed to be Jesus Christ.

Quote from: Lorenzo on September 21, 2013, 06:02:00 PM
1. The Circumcisers (1st Century)


The Circumcision heresy may be summed up in the words of Acts 15:1: "But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’"

Many of the early Christians were Jews, who brought to the Christian faith many of their former practices. They recognized in Jesus the Messiah predicted by the prophets and the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Because circumcision had been required in the Old Testament for membership in God’s covenant, many thought it would also be required for membership in the New Covenant that Christ had come to inaugurate. They believed one must be circumcised and keep the Mosaic law to come to Christ. In other words, one had to become a Jew to become a Christian.

But God made it clear to Peter in Acts 10 that Gentiles are acceptable to God and may be baptized and become Christians without circumcision. The same teaching was vigorously defended by Paul in his epistles to the Romans and the Galatiansâ€"to areas where the Circumcision heresy had spread.

The people of Galatia were following the heresy of the circumcisers, which was being repudiated by Apostle Paul.



Paul later went to Rome to repudiate the same heresy which spread to the capital of the Roman Empire.

1. The Circumcisers (1st Century)


The Circumcision heresy may be summed up in the words of Acts 15:1: "But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’"

Many of the early Christians were Jews, who brought to the Christian faith many of their former practices. They recognized in Jesus the Messiah predicted by the prophets and the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Because circumcision had been required in the Old Testament for membership in God’s covenant, many thought it would also be required for membership in the New Covenant that Christ had come to inaugurate. They believed one must be circumcised and keep the Mosaic law to come to Christ. In other words, one had to become a Jew to become a Christian.

But God made it clear to Peter in Acts 10 that Gentiles are acceptable to God and may be baptized and become Christians without circumcision. The same teaching was vigorously defended by Paul in his epistles to the Romans and the Galatiansâ€"to areas where the Circumcision heresy had spread.

What Is Heresy?






Heresy is an emotionally loaded term that is often misused. It is not the same thing as incredulity, schism, apostasy, or other sins against faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him" (CCC 2089).

To commit heresy, one must refuse to be corrected. A person who is ready to be corrected or who is unaware that what he has been saying is against Church teaching is not a heretic.

A person must be baptized to commit heresy. This means that movements that have split off from or been influenced by Christianity, but that do not practice baptism (or do not practice valid baptism), are not heresies, but separate religions. Examples include Muslims, who do not practice baptism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, who do not practice valid baptism.

Finally, the doubt or denial involved in heresy must concern a matter that has been revealed by God and solemnly defined by the Church (for example, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the Mass, the pope’s infallibility, or the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary).

It is important to distinguish heresy from schism and apostasy. In schism, one separates from the Catholic Church without repudiating a defined doctrine. An example of a contemporary schism is the Society of St. Pius Xâ€"the "Lefebvrists" or followers of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvreâ€"who separated from the Church in the late 1980s, but who have not denied Catholic doctrines. In apostasy, one totally repudiates the Christian faith and no longer even claims to be a Christian.

With this in mind, let’s look at some of the major heresies of Church history and when they began.

Persistence of heresy



We have seen how heresy originates and how it spreads; we must now answer the question why it persists, or why so many persevere in heresy. Once heresy is in possession, it tightens its grip by the thousand subtle and often unconscious influences which mould a man's life. A child is born in heretical surroundings: before it is able to think for itself its mind has been filled and fashioned by home, school, and church teachings, the authority of which it never doubted. When, at a riper age, doubts arise, the truth of Catholicism is seldom apprehended as it is. Innate prejudices, educational bias, historical distortions stand in the way and frequently make approach impossible. The state of conscience technically termed bona fides, good faith, is thus produced. It implies inculpable belief in error, a mistake morally unavoidable and therefore always excusable, sometimes even laudable. In the absence of good faith worldly interests often bar the way from heresy to truth. When a government, for instance, reserves its favours and functions for adherents of the state religion, the army of civil servants becomes a more powerful body of missionaries than the ordained ministers. Prussia, France, and Russia are cases in point.


Reference:
Catholic Encyclopedia
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm#REF_I

Spread of heresy

The growth of heresy, like the growth of plants, depends on surrounding influences, even more than on its vital force. Philosophies, religious ideals and aspirations, social and economic conditions, are brought into contact with revealed truth, and from the impact result both new affirmations and new negations of the traditional doctrine.

I) The first requisite for success is a forceful man, not necessarily of great intellect and learning, but of strong will and daring action. Such were the men who in all ages have given their names to new sects.

II) The second requisite is accommodation of the new doctrine to the contemporary mentality, to social and political conditions.

III) The last, but by no means the least, is the support of secular rulers.


A strong man in touch with his time, and supported by material force, may deform the existing religion and build up a new heretical sect. Modernism fails to combine into a body separate from the Church because it lacks an acknowledged leader, because it appeals to only a small minority of contemporary minds, namely, to a small number who are dissatisfied with the Church as she now is, and because no secular power lends it support. For the same reason, and proportionately, a thousand small sects have failed, whose names still encumber the pages of church history, but whose tenets interest only a few students, and whose adherents are nowhere. Such were, in the Apostolic Age, the Judeo-Christians, Judeo-Gnostics, Nicolaites, Docetae, Cerinthians, Ebionites, Nazarenes, followed, in the next two centuries, by a variety of Syrian and Alexandrian Gnostics, by Ophites, Marcionites, Encratites, Montanists, Manichæans, and others. All the early Eastern sects fed on the fanciful speculations so dear to the Eastern mind, but, lacking the support of temporal power, they disappeared under the anathemas of the guardians of the depositum fidei.


Reference:
Catholic Encyclopedia
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm#REF_I

Before we continue, let us define the word: HERESY.


The term heresy connotes, etymologically, both a choice and the thing chosen, the meaning being, however, narrowed to the selection of religious or political doctrines, adhesion to parties in Church or State.

Heresy differs from apostasy. The apostate a fide abandons wholly the faith of Christ either by embracing Judaism, Islamism, Paganism, or simply by falling into naturalism and complete neglect of religion; the heretic always retains faith in Christ. Heresy also differs from schism. Schismatics, says St. Thomas, in the strict sense, are they who of their own will and intention separate themselves from the unity of the Church. The unity of the Church consists in the connection of its members with each other and of all the members with the head. Now this head is Christ whose representative in the Church is the supreme pontiff. And therefore the name of schismatics is given to those who will not submit to the supreme pontiff nor communicate with the members of the Church subject to him. Since the definition of Papal Infallibility, schism usually implies the heresy of denying this dogma. Heresy is opposed to faith; schism to charity; so that, although all heretics are schismatics because loss of faith involves separation from the Church, not all schismatics are necessarily heretics, since a man may, from anger, pride, ambition, or the like, sever himself from the communion of the Church and yet believe all the Church proposes for our belief (II-II, Q. xxix, a. 1). Such a one, however, would be more properly called rebellious than heretical.

Both matter and form of heresy admit of degrees which find expression in the following technical formula of theology and canon law. Pertinacious adhesion to a doctrine contradictory to a point of faith clearly defined by the Church is heresy pure and simple, heresy in the first degree. But if the doctrine in question has not been expressly "defined" or is not clearly proposed as an article of faith in the ordinary, authorized teaching of the Church, an opinion opposed to it is styled sententia haeresi proxima, that is, an opinion approaching heresy. Next, a doctrinal proposition, without directly contradicting a received dogma, may yet involve logical consequences at variance with revealed truth. Such a proposition is not heretical, it is a propositio theologice erronea, that is, erroneous in theology. Further, the opposition to an article of faith may not be strictly demonstrable, but only reach a certain degree of probability. In that case the doctrine is termed sententia de haeresi suspecta, haeresim sapiens; that is, an opinion suspected, or savouring, of heresy.


Reference:
Catholic Encyclopedia
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm#REF_I

Let's study the heresies !

What is so very beautiful and humbling is that Holy Mother Church invites ALL people into its fold.

It is beautiful in seeing the Catechism being truly lived by the blessed Holy Mother Church:

"FATHER, . . . this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" - than the name of JESUS."

[Prologue, Catechism of the One, Holy, Roman Catholic Church, ]

Do you know about the great heresies of Christianity?

Indeed, both religions did have very bloody histories. The climactic , and very unfortunate instances, were the great crusades. Early christian crusaders , too, were guilty of massacring innocents when they arrived in Jerusalem and surrounding districts. Sadly, many of them came to the holy land for wrong reasons, or their reasons were corrupted for fiscal greed. The sad story of the --knights templars -- is an example. In fact, if we study the history of the knights templar, they were , in the end, guilty of idol worship, heresy.

Quote from: islander on September 21, 2013, 05:18:25 PM
i'd rather look at things more simply and hope that doing so does not go against my own faith.  there are 3 monotheistic religions in the world, each believing in the one true god; god for christianity, allah for islam, and yahweh for judaism.  the difference is in the manner of worship, not in the belief of an almighty creator, who could be one and same regardless of how he is called.

Indeed. Its just interesting to study the history of the evolution of the name Allah and some practices in the religion that is Islam. It's interesting to see that prior to arrival of Muhammad and his revelations, Allah was already worshiped as a major deity in the Meccan pantheon of deities. In fact, Allah, was considered the physical incarnation of Hubal (Ubal).

It was only when Muhammad conquered Mecca and Medina and massacred the Qureishi, that he instituted the worship of one deity instead of 300. However, he retained the name of Allah, which the patron deity of the Qureishi. He retained the pagan practice of praying around the altar of Hubal (Allah), and thus muslims walk around the kaaba to this day. The site of the kaaba used to be the main altar to the god Hubal (Allah).

Quote from: islander on September 21, 2013, 05:10:33 PM
isn't allah just the muslim name for god, as god is for english and ginoo is for visayan?

To a degree, yes. In pre-christian Philippines, one of the popular deities that the pagan malays prayed to was Bathala (Batala).

In regards to the Bisayan use of Ginoo, I'm not sure if there is a pagan historical use for the term. Please correct me if i'm wrong, but the word Ginoo is used to refer to Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Allah was known to the pre-Islamic Arabs; he was one of the Meccan deities.

 Hugh McNichol is a Catholic author that writes freelance works on topics that involve Catholicism. He writes a daily column, verbumcarofactumest.blogspot.com

http://www.pewsitter.com/view_news_id_7306.php

From a Catholic/Christian perspective it is just good business to seek new followers, and we welcome all converts of Islam and any other religion. Our religious evangelization as Catholics includes a peaceful message of Gospel love, which is not determined by stipulations that acknowledge the superiority of one religion over another. We simply ask for total conversion to the message of Jesus Christ. If indeed this conversion is not acceptable to sensitive Islamic believers, then please continue on your path of religious convictions. We openly proclaim you indeed have the right to be wrong about God and the proper understanding of faith. However, we will not intimidate, or otherwise manipulate you into religious submission.

We believe in God’s unfolding plan for all peoples and faiths. We pray that the message of Jesus Christ will ultimately manifest itself among the peoples of the Islamic world, and our peaceful message will prevail over the violent message of Islamic political and social domination. In the meanwhile, as faithful believers in the same ultimate God, Islam should recognize the intrinsic human rights of religious freedom and expression for all faiths, not just the secular sponsored faith of Mohammed.

 Why does Islam fear freedom and the free exercise of religion? Could it be they know that if given such freedom, many Muslims would convert? If not, why are they afraid of competing in arena of religious faith. The Catholic Church does not fear such competition. It welcomes it. The Church recognizes and accepts that all people have the freedom to choose to worship in whatever manner they choose. However, whether Muslim, Buddhist, Episcopalian, Jew, Protestant, or a member of any other faith, our ultimate goal is to have them embrace the faith - - but of their own free will - - not a coerced conversion at the edge of a sword .

 The religions of the West have made considerable efforts to maintain an open and evolving relationship with the followers of Islam. What the followers of Islam need to realize and acknowledge is the firm conviction on the part of the Catholic Church that outside of the Church there is no salvation. While we can diplomatically and politically hope for a nurturing of relationships between our faiths, ultimately we seek their total religious conversion to Christ. In a period that constantly suggests political correctness and attempts to refrain from any type of offense against other faiths, Catholicism honestly put is in the business of converting everyone to the precepts of our faith.

Catholicism does not need to make any public proclamation regarding the existence of the Islamic faith. Consistently the Church has proclaimed that the Islamic faith is not considered as a legitimate path towards salvation. Faith in Jesus Christ and Christian baptism are the only vehicles that ultimately bring about salvation. The mere fact that the Church proclaims Islam and other faiths in error of proper and correct religious convictions is proof enough of the Church’s acceptance of the existence of Islam and other non-Christian religions.

Since its inception, Islam has maintained a consistent campaign of theological terrorism, waged against non-Islamic believers. Not only have Islamic countries imposed Islamic rule over all faiths, they have made any faith outside of Islam a punitive crime against society. The blood of thousands of faithful Christians indeed acknowledges the presence of Mohammed’s religious convictions. The Catholic Church continues to suffer persecution by the same alleged religious group. One only needs to recall the Chaldean Archbishop’s death in Iraq earlier this month to be reminded of this fact.

Saudi Arabia Says No To A Catholic Church:
The Islamic Fear of Freedom of Religion

By Hugh McNichol
Pewsitter.com








There was news last week about Vatican discussions with Saudi Arabia for the building of a Catholic Church in that country. Within the last twenty-four hours there are several news stories stating the Saudi Arabia will not agree to this until the Catholic Church acknowledges the Prophet Mohammed.

The Saudi government needs to acknowledge and affirm the essential human right to worship freely throughout the world regardless of religious affiliation. The real issue that needs to be considered is the freedom of all people to publicly practice their faiths, regardless of what religion dominates the political landscape.

The Islamic community in the Middle East should not require the Catholic Church’s public acceptance of the Prophet Mohammed as part of its negotiations towards establishing a Catholic presence in Saudi Arabia. In the same manner, Catholics should not require any Saudi proclamation that favors Christianity either.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no country that requires a public proclamation of any specific religion before the right to assemble and worship is permitted. There are, of course, areas that have religious persecution in the world; Islamic countries often prohibit public displays of Christianity. However, a public proclamation regarding the superiority of Islam over Christianity is something that undermines the entire concept of religious freedom and tolerance.

4. Sounding the depths of the mystery which is the Church, this sacred
   Council remembers the spiritual ties which link the people of the New
   Covenant to the stock of Abraham.

   The Church of Christ acknowledges that in God's plan of salvation the
   beginning of her faith and election is to be found in the patriarchs.
   Moses and the prophets. She professes that all Christ's faithful, who
   as men of faith are sons of Abraham (cf. Gal. 3:7), are included in
   the same patriarch's call and that the salvation of the Church is
   mystically prefigured in the exodus of God's chosen people from the
   ....

   [1. Cf. St. Gregory VII, Letter 21 to Anzir (Nacir), King of
   Mauretania (PL, 148, col. 450 ff.).]

3. The Church has also a high regard for the Muslims. They worship
  God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the
  Creator of heaven and earth,[1] who has also spoken to men. They
  strive to submit themselves without reserve to the bidden decrees of
  God, just as Abraham submitted himself to God's plan, to whose faith
  Muslims eagerly link their own. Although not acknowledging him as God,
  they worship Jesus as a prophet, his virgin Mother they also honor,
  and even at times devoutly invoke. Further, they await the day of
  judgment and the reward of God following the resurrection of the dead.
  For this reason they highly esteem an upright life and worship God,
  especially by way of prayer, alms-deeds and fasting.

  Over the centuries many quarrels and dissensions have arisen between
  Christians and Muslims. The sacred Council now pleads with all to
  forget the past, and urges that a sincere effort be made to achieve
  mutual understanding; for the benefit of all men, let them together
  preserve and promote peace, liberty, social justice and moral values.

2. Throughout history even to the present day, there is found among
   different peoples a certain awareness of a hidden power, which lies
   behind the course of nature and the events of human life. At times
   there is present even a recognition of a supreme being or still more
   of a Father. This awareness and recognition results in a way of life
   that is imbued with a deep religious sense. The religions which are
   found in more advanced civilizations endeavor by way of well-defined
   concepts and exact language to answer these questions. Thus in
   Hinduism men explore the divine mystery and express it both in the
   limitless riches of myth and the accurately defined insights of
   philosophy. They seek release from the trials of the present life by
   ascetical practices, profound meditation and recourse to God in
   confidence and love. Buddhism in its various forms testifies to the
   essential inadequacy of this changing world. It proposes a way of life
   by which men can with confidence and trust, attain a state of perfect
   liberation and reach supreme illumination either through their own
   efforts or by the aid of divine help. So. too, other religions which
   are found throughout the world attempt in their own ways to calm the
   hearts of men by outlining a program of life covering doctrine, moral
   precepts and sacred rites.

   The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these
   religions. She has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct,
   the precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from
   her own teaching, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which
   enlightens all men. Yet she proclaims and is in duty bound to proclaim
   without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 1:6).
   In him, in whom God reconciled all things to himself (2 Cor. 5:18-19),
   men find the fullness of their religious life.

   The Church therefore, urges her sons to enter with prudence and
   charity into discussion and collaboration with members of other
   religions. Let Christians, while witnessing to their own faith and way
   of life, acknowledge, preserve and encourage the spiritual and moral
   truths found among non-Christians, also their social life and culture.

DECLARATION ON THE RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS

                               Nostra Aetate

                              October 28 1965


1. In this age of ours, when men are drawing more closely together and
   the bonds of friendship between different peoples are being
   strengthened the Church examines with greater care the relation which
   she has to non-Christian religions. Ever aware of her duty to foster
   unity and charity among individuals, and even among nations, she
   reflects at the outset on what men have in common and what tends to
   promote fellowship among them.

   All men form but one community. This is so because all stem from the
   one stock which God created to people the entire earth (cf. Acts
   17:26), and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His
   providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all men
   (cf. Wis. 8:1: Acts 14:17: Rom. 2:6 7: I Tim. 2:4) against the day
   when the elect are gathered together in the holy city which is
   illumined by the glory of God, and in whose splendor all peoples will
   walk(cf. Apoc 21:23 ff.).

   Men look to their different religions for an answer to the unsolved
   riddles of human existence. The problems that weigh heavily on the
   hearts of men are the same today as in the ages past. What is man?
   What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is upright behavior, and
   what is sinful? Where does suffering originate, and what end does it
   serve? How can genuine happiness be found? What happens at death? What
   is judgment? What reward follows death? And finally, what is the
   ultimate mystery, beyond human explanation, which embraces our entire
   existence, from which we take our origin and towards which we tend?

QuoteBesides Allah and other Gods, the Nabateans also worshipped two other gods (probably lesser to Allah), namely; ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim. Both ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim were devoutly worshipped together in conjunction with honor and prestige. The Qur’an, surprisingly, retains the names of these two Pagan deities, though claiming that these two names belong to Allah.

Where do we see the retention of ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim ?


Answer: In the Bismala:

بسÙ... اÙ,,Ù,,Ù‡ اÙ,,رحÙ...Ù† اÙ,,رحيÙ...
"bismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm"
(In the Name of God, The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)

Very interesting

We might be amazed at so many different versions of Allah. But hold on. Does not the Qur’an say that Allah has many names? If fact, the Islamic scholars insist that Allah has ninety-nine names (including Allah, this makes it a century, to be precise). Although we do not find any verses in the Qur’an which specifically spells out this number (ninety-nine), we should not be surprised at so many names (in reality, different versions) of Allah. The only problem is: if we read the Qur’an carefully, cover to cover, several times, we might find many more names of Allah than the ninety-nine as claimed by the Islamist scholars. We should not be amazed if we note that there are around three hundred (yes, three hundred) descriptions of Allahâ€"to be exact.


http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/AbulKasem60530p9.htm

Allah frequently changes His residence.



From the very short history of Allah narrated above, we can draw the following conclusions about different versions of Allah. Here is a short list of Allahs (plural!) and their probable places of residences.



The Sumerian Allah: ( Sumer , Babylon ; and then Mecca ).
The Alaha Allah: ( Syria , then Mecca ).
The Elh Allah: ( Syria , then Mecca ).
The Ilah Allah: ( Syria , then Mecca ).
The moon Allah: (south Arabia, then Mecca ).
The sun Allah (Baal): ( Egypt , then probably Mecca ).
The Hubal Allah: ( Syria , then Ka’ba, Mecca ).
The Jehovah Allah: (probably, Palestine , then Mecca ).
Elohim Allah: (central Arabia, then Mecca ).
Ila Allah : (central Arabia, then Mecca ).
The ar-Rahman Allah: (north Arabia, south Arabia, then Mecca ).
The ar-Rahim Allah: ( Yemen , then Mecca ).
Sin Allah: (Hadramawt, then Mecca ).
Hallah Allah: ( Syria , then Mecca ).
Ilu Allah: ( Babylon , Syria and then Mecca ).
El Allah: ( Palestine , then Mecca ).
Wadd Allah: (Minaean, then Mecca ).
Almaqah Allah: (City of Saba , then Mecca ).
Allah Taa’la, the most high Allah: (Ka’ba, Mecca ).