And right before Easter. Which got me thinking a lot about it this weekend, going to Good Friday service celebrating the crucifixion and then Sunday celebrating the resurrection which changed the world and birthed my faith.
Now what the Pope said is probably good news for people who live their lives based on hope that comes from believing heresy, but for Christians who believe in the bible that's just blasphemy.
I hope I don't offend any Catholics out there, but remember this is just my opinion. That's what this blog is all about, right?
So my opinion is that not only is this Pope a heretic, but I believe he is a Marxist as well. Too much social justice, wealth redistribution and other Marxist philosophy from this guy for me to believe otherwise.
Whittaker Chambers describes Communism as being based on a lack of belief in God. A communist believes in evolution, that man is the highest form of life in the universe. That man is the highest form of thought. That man was not created by an omnipotent God for a purpose but evolved from nothing. Something out of nothing. But they deny the existence of God. God is just too much for them to accept, but they believe the earth and everything on it came from nothing.
So, Communists believe everything that happens in this world is by man's action. That's how they can believe in the global warming hoax. In abortion. That men can turn into women and vice versa. Because if there is no God, anything goes. And only man can fix everything that is wrong in this world. Human inequality? Man can fix it.
So much of what this Pope expresses has faint and not so faint roots in Communist thought.
You see, it is not possible to be a true Christian and a Communist at the same time. They cannot coexist in the same mind. Man cannot be the highest, most important form of life in the universe if God exists.
So I really question this Pope. When he begins denying the fundamental tenents of his faith, one of the foundational doctrines that is in their statement of faith, I have to wonder what would cause the papal bull to fall away from his flock, and mislead them in such a dramatic and important belief? The only conclusion I can reach is he is led more by Marxist beliefs than God's teachings.
I think the Catholics need to deal with this before their church suffers the fate of all apostate churches. When God finds them guilty, and unredeemed. I wouldn't want to be there when that happens.
Putting your faith in a church instead of God is a very dangerous thing to do. Especially when the church is wrong.
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Solo Expedition...
I haven't really talked about it much but every other weekend I usually head out by myself. It's usually the day I seek out new fis...
Personally, I think he's the anti Christ.
ReplyDeleteBut then I'm just an old guy, so what do I know?
My wife who is Catholic has questioned this Pope ever sense he was installed always said there just isn't some thing right about him.. Now the plumber is done so I am taking the rest of the day off.
ReplyDeleteJust a few days ago as he was praising the poor little kids out there on the streets he encouraged them not to listen t their parents.
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong here but aren't we supposed to honor our mother and our father?
You can say what you want but in my opinion he's sending people to hell...
The "Church" is a little like the Democratic Party these days, IMO. Will do or say about anything to try to build up their sagging membership numbers.
ReplyDeleteWell no a fence to anyone but I will pass on this one, just don't fill comfortable. Must be that old thing again.
ReplyDelete(Feel), Gee's
DeleteThe pope is just a sinner like the rest of us and puts his foot in his mouth as well as I do. I think the Catholics put him on a much too high a pedestal. Same with their Saints and rituals. Then there is their confession, I know for certain, going to a priest to confess and be forgiven is not correct. You don't go to another person (aka sinner) as a go between. No Christ dies for us, the curtain was torn and we can go directly to Jesus.
ReplyDeleteAnother loophole like the social security rule obama made up? Police legally seizing guns in Seattle under 'red flag' laws. Family, roommates and police can petition the court for the civil order to take your guns for a full year. This is just ripe for abuse!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/04/02/police-legally-seizing-guns-under-red-flag-laws.html
The other day when y'all were talking about this - I posted:
ReplyDeleteRikkiMarch 29, 2018 at 1:32 PM
in y'all taking about Pope Francis - it bothers me greatly that he wants to change some of the wording in the Lord's Prayer and now this -
Kind of like when I had that detailed discussion with keri about the Holy Spirit... and the Trinity and her belief that there is a 4th being.... my point to her (long story made short) is that you cannot add to nor take away from what is written in the Bible.
--
Gary, you're one of my many friends and I treasure that. However, I beg to differ with you sort-a-kinda on the church's sagging numbers - I wouldn't lump all churches in the category of political parties.
The real reason to go to church should never be about politics.
I was raised Catholic, now I'm a Protestant. When hubby n' I got married back in '85 I asked him (he wasn't Catholic) if he would be open minded in going to church with me. He said yes, but if he couldn't grasp their beliefs would I be open minded enough to try a church he was used to - of course I said 'yes' because married folks are supposed to be together even at church.
Sorry for the little detour about my hubby n' me.
As for the 'sagging' numbers there's more at play there than what folks may realize..... work shifts aren't what they used to be...sometimes work situations takes people away from attending church and the majority of churches (speaking only for Protestant churches) stopped having Sunday night worship services. Now mind you, there's other factors involved in some peoples' choice in not attending church but mostly that isn't related to Democrat or Republican parties -
--
I have issue with Pope Francis - there's something not quite right and I'm in agreement with Sarge's wife Ghost on that one.
Now would be a good time to read Revelations if some haven't already delved into Revelations already.
.
I know it well, you will find in chapter 2 and 3 what Jesus says about the churches. Only 2 don't get a good butt chewing, Smyrna and Philadelphia, the other 5 have issues.
DeleteNo offense meant Ramona! Sorry. Sometimes this pinhead should keep his opinions to himself! I was raised in Methodist church, then as an adult was a deacon in the Presbyterian Church. Somewhere along the line, I have really become negative toward "organized religion". Just my own hang-up, not anyone else's fault.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWcoV90hR20
ReplyDeleteThis is a youtube link to the History Channel's Secret Access the Vatican.... the wealth that they have stashed away is just outrageous.
.
This documentary about the Vatican was aired before Pope Benedict (now Pope Emeritus)stepped down.
Delete.
Good morning Bunker people, I wouldn't think any normal people are up right now.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm not one of those so called normal people but I am up...
ReplyDeleteWell, I expected there would be a least two of us Dummies out here.
DeleteI wonder if SSAH is up yet? Most likely not he is practicing for retirement. Speaking of retirement you should be getting close right?
ReplyDeleteLater I do feel a nap coming on.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Fox News has grown a spine and are standing behind Laura Ingram in the wake of Hogboy's attempts to get her fired.
ReplyDeleteCaravan of illegals headed this way and they have a list of demands they expect to be fulfilled once they get here.
ReplyDeleteOne demand is to be provided dignified work so they can support their families.
Story Drudge...
This country has a Duty to defend its borders. And must do so.
ReplyDeleteA word on the theme of the decline of the church. It's a common theory these days that the church is in decline. Attendance is in decline. Membership in decline. People leaving the church and the faith in droves.
ReplyDeleteIt's not true friends. It's a myth (lie) created by those who don't like the Christian faith and would love for it to be true, but it just isn't.
There have been at least a couple of studies recently, one by Harvard, that shows the number of people who say they are bible believing, born again Christians is the same as it has been for years. Church attendance is not down, people are attending different churches.
The mainline denominations are struggling. Churches closing. Laying off staff. They are losing members steadily.
That's because they have ceased to hold to the faith and are trying to appeal to the world instead of Christians. And the Christians are leaving. They are going to independent bible teaching churches.
If you attend a church that teaches biblical truth, holds the word of God to be absolute and is teaching what it really means to be a disciple of Christ, you are probably seeing your church adding services, expanding their building and trying to figure out where to put all the people. And the mainline denomination church down the street is trying to figure out how to keep the lights on.
My church had a packed service on Good Friday, three packed services on Easter. We just finished a huge parking lot expansion and are drawing up plans for the next expansion to add classrooms and more space for children. Our Sunday Schools are packed practically to standing room.
Don't be fooled. God's church is not in decline. It's just on the move. Christians are seeking the truth. The don't want their ears tickled. They don't want to see homosexual pastors. They don't want to hear lectures on social justice. They want the word of God and the truth.
If the Catholic church doesn't wake up and realize they have a Marxist and probably and atheist leading their church, they will suffer the same fate as many other soft churches. In fact they already are.
I suppose it might be nice for some if you were correct regarding demographic trends among Christian denominations, but your conclusion is not supported by the facts. I do appreciate your mention of a Harvard study, that bastion of all things pointy headed and liberal, but you don’t cite your source. First, let’s take a look at evangelical churches. This is from the Christian Science Monitor, hardly a bastion of lefty commie socialist… whatever is the theme of the day is. I will provide the link.
ReplyDeleteThe title : Amid Evangelical decline, growing split between young Christians and church elders
“Today, however, there are signs that many of the same trends that decimated mainline Protestantism over the past few decades are now at work among evangelical denominations as well. According to a massive study by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) released in September, the number of white evangelical Protestants fell from about 23 percent of the US population in 2006 to 17 percent in 2016.
The finding, based on a survey of more than 100,000 Americans, “provides solid evidence of a new, second wave of white Christian decline that is occurring among white evangelical Protestants just over the last decade in the US,” said Robert Jones, head of the PRRI, after the study was released. “Prior to 2008, white evangelical Protestants seemed to be exempt from the waves of demographic change and disaffiliation that were eroding the membership bases of white mainline Protestants and white Catholics.”
And here is the link: https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2017/1010/Amid-Evangelical-decline-growing-split-between-young-Christians-and-church-elders
This was particularly striking:
“ It’s one piece of a cultural shift that has begun to affect even the nation’s most vibrant religious groups. The Southern Baptist Convention, one of the more conservative evangelical Protestant denominations, has lost more than a million members over the past decade. “
Roman Catholics have gained adherents over the last few years, but the growth has been painfully slow, and a breakdown of the demographics reveal something far more important than a slight gain in numbers. The Catholic Church’s cohort that most resembles mainline Protestants, i.e. mostly white, college educated white collar, and professional workers are leaving the church in numbers almost identical to mainline Protestants, and in some cases even higher. However, the losses have been made up by the influx of Hispanic immigrants. But this poses a huge challenge for the church: those most like mainline Protestants were underwriting the church’s finances. Those coming into the church a far less well off, and in fact depend on the Church for assistance. Several dioceses have in fact, declared bankruptcy for a number of reasons. Here is one source, but it is confirmed by nearly all others online I can find. This is from Salon:
ReplyDelete“ Nearly one-third of all American adults were raised Catholic, but a stunning 41 percent—four in ten of those who marched to the alter in their little white First Communion dresses and suits—no longer identify with Catholicism.
Why is the Catholic Church suddenly crashing? The reality is that the Catholic Church has been shedding adherents for a long time. But it was gaining new parishioners just as fast, thanks to the dramatic increase in Hispanic migration to the U.S. The influx of Hispanics, who are overwhelming Catholic, helped make up for the departing white, native-born parishioners and masked their continued defection from the church. As a result, one-third of Catholics in the pews today are Hispanic.”
And the link - https://www.salon.com/2015/05/21/the_catholic_churchs_american_downfall_why_its_demographic_crisis_is_great_news_for_the_country/
So, it’s always possible to take positions on any issue. But they’re meaningless without backing them up with facts. Christianity, and yes I consider myself Christian and attend mass regularly, is declining in virtually all branches of the faith. Yes, some individual churches are doing great, more power to them. But overall, the largest growing group are the so called “nones”, those who state they have no church affiliation at all. Nonetheless, we are in better shape than Europe. Christianity is on life support.
Nice copy and paste, I believe I read that before. So you know nothing, kind of like me, but I don't pretend...
DeleteNo one here understands that I know better than all of you.
ReplyDeleteHell, you can't even count your toes without taking your shoes and socks off - you should be grateful that I am here to educate each and everyone of you.
ReplyDeleteAlways nice to hear from the godless left and listen to them repeat the talking points handed down by the apparatus. Sarge spotted it right away. The usual copy and paste from a few google searches. And the usual "why, I'm a Christian too so you have to give my blathering idiocy some credibility".
ReplyDeleteSo thanks, but citing a cult religions publication is hardly a credible source.
Actually, I'm the genius around here. Allow my posts to enlighten your underprivileged minds.
ReplyDeleteI believe in inclusiveness. So in order for me to be inclusive, I have to associate myself with backwards underprivileged people such as yourselves.
ReplyDeleteIs that how you see yourself? No wonder so many posters have a chip on their shoulders.... HEY ! Hows's that stock market doing for ya ?? Tired of winning yet ??
DeleteAfter all, it does take all kinds to keep this old world spinning on its' axis.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Science Monitor is a "cult religion publication" ? LMAO..... Perhaps you'd like something from the Washington Times ? Oh wait, as much as people around here love to quote it, they will do so only when it serves to bolster some lame ass argument. But wait .... hey, it's owned by the Moonies !! Isn't that a cult ?
ReplyDeleteThere is no such thing as an underprivileged mind, just one that has been allowed to atrophy. Ignorance is bliss. So.... there's that....
You tired of losing yet?
DeleteFrankly, seeing as how Cadet Bone Spurs has decided to lead the stock market into another crash, yeah I am tired of losing. Money that is. Not all of us get housing for $600 bucks a months.
DeleteSon, if I could buy you for what you're worth, and sell you for what you think you're worth I'd have more money than Donald Trump.
DeleteAnonymous, Get a better job, or move, oh but not here in Kansas, once kicked out you stay out.
DeleteSo some specifics. From Glenn Stanton writing in the Federalist:
ReplyDelete"Religious faith in America is going the way of the Yellow Pages and travel maps, we keep hearing. It’s just a matter of time until Christianity’s total and happy extinction, chortle our cultural elites. Is this true? Is churchgoing and religious adherence really in “widespread decline” so much so that conservative believers should suffer “growing anxiety”?
Two words: Absolutely not.
New research published late last year by scholars at Harvard University and Indiana University Bloomington is just the latest to reveal the myth. This research questioned the “secularization thesis,” which holds that the United States is following most advanced industrial nations in the death of their once vibrant faith culture. Churches becoming mere landmarks, dance halls, boutique hotels, museums, and all that.
Not only did their examination find no support for this secularization in terms of actual practice and belief, the researchers proclaim that religion continues to enjoy “persistent and exceptional intensity” in America. These researchers hold our nation “remains an exceptional outlier and potential counter example to the secularization thesis.”"
He continues:
"The percentage of Americans who attend church more than once a week, pray daily, and accept the Bible as wholly reliable and deeply instructive to their lives has remained absolutely, steel-bar constant for the last 50 years or more, right up to today. These authors describe this continuity as “patently persistent.”
The percentage of such people is also not small. One in three Americans prays multiple times a day, while one in 15 do so in other countries on average. Attending services more than once a week continues to be twice as high among Americans compared to the next highest-attending industrial country, and three times higher than the average comparable nation."
So basically it's pretty safe to say the shrinking church myth is just another fake news godless left wing fabrication. And of course there are enough fake news left wing sources who provide cover for them, just as the communist party did for FDR and all the fellow travelers who worked to sew disruption in this country for many years. Until Tailgunner Joe started shooting them down.
The article you cited relies on the work of two scholars, but I disagree with your interpretation of their work. I would suggest you read the abstract. Schnabel and Bock argue that while overall, church attendance is down, as is religions identity, religions INTENSITY is on the rise. Here is an excerpt:
Delete"Clearly, America appears to be secularizing. We are not yet
convinced, however, by the assertion that the religious change occurring in the United States fits the secularization thesis. Is America really secularizing like other countries where religion is simply fading into obscurity? Or could average U.S.
religiosity be declining despite, or maybe even because of, persistently intense religion?
Most research on religious change in the United States has focused on the rise of the unaffiliated or on declining average religiosity. Therefore, we know less about whether and how intense religion2
(e.g., strong affiliation, very frequent religious
practice, biblical literalism, and evangelicalism)—arguably the most socially impactful type of religion—is changing. If the United States fits the secularization 686 Schnabel and Bock Intensity of American Religion thesis, then we might expect that the most intensely religious Americans are moving toward being moderately religious and the moderately religious toward leaving religion altogether. Rather than symmetric decline across all levels of religiosity,
however, religious change in the United States could be driven by a decline of moderate religion. The downward trend in average American religiousness may then be less the result of a society-wide fading of the importance of religion to people’s lives—which we would expect on the basis of the secularization thesis—and more a function of the politicization of American religion in the late 1980s following the
rise of the Christian Right. This politicization of American religion may have, as Hout and Fischer (2002, 2014) suggested, driven moderates out of religion but not necessarily decreased the intensity of American religion. "
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I would read the first and last sentences closely. The authors of the study are saying that while secularization is increasing... i.e. they do not deny that church affiliation and attendance is dropping, it does not follow the patterns found in other industrialized countries. What they note is that there is still a no doubt smaller group that continues their faith, but that it is MORE intense than it used to be. Okay, I have no problem with that. It appears we are having another Great Awakening that probably began in the 80's or so.
In Europe, such an intense, smaller, but intense group of Christians the authors are concluding, does not really exist, at least to the extent it does in America.
But that's not really their point. They agree the country is increasingly secular overall. Just more intense where religiosity exists. The Pentecostal movement for instance is much more mainstream than it was before. And no doubt, the Pentecostal churches will define Christianity more as the secularization continues. That's also by the way, what's happening in Central America. In countries like Guatemala which used to be 98% Catholic, they are now around 20% Pentecostal. And the mainstream church, in this case RC, begins to dwindle.
I would suggest you look at the graphs the authors provide. The most significant line is "No Affiliation". It has since 1990, doubled to around 10% to 20%. That is a huge shift. So, the point of the article that religion is becoming more intense for a smaller group of religions people. By the way, these authors are known to be extremely liberal, and left leaning. Here is the link to the Sociological Science article
https://www.sociologicalscience.com/download/vol-4/november/SocSci_v4_686to700.pdf
And Europe dying to the faith should be no surprise. Europe for the most part went communist in some form or another years ago. Like I said, you can't be a communist and believe in God at the same time. Just as you can't be a communist/godless left wing liberal and believe in individual achievement. To them, all good things come from the state. No other explanation is acceptable. The people in Europe surrendered their souls to the communists years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe European Union was the replacement for the Soviet Union, just without the gulags and mass murders. They chose surrender to the muslim hordes instead. And are now regretting it.
I see the loon has returned -
ReplyDeleteWell, that's the usual drivel.
ReplyDeleteActually, I would attribute any appearance of diminishing religion to the reality that God is weeding out the wheat from the chaff. There have always been pretenders to the faith like our long winded friend who in fact are secular godless left wingers incapable of experiencing God as a relationship, only as some abstract vision that can be graphed and charted.
The fact is, as the end times draw close the weak and shallow in the faith will indeed fall away. They were never true believers to begin with, only pretenders like the faux doc. And they will blow away like the chaff.
The believers will draw closer. Frankly, church attendance numbers mean absolutely nothing. Even though our bloviating friend has a big pile of manure to spread around it's still manure and is the usual fake propaganda the communists have tried to sell for years.
They are successful selling it to the dim, the weak minded. They buy it lock stock and barrel. Graphs!! Charts!! Phony articles in left wing Apostate publications!! It sells pretty well. That's what they have always done. In pre WWII days there were several publications regularly distributed by the communist apparatus that those same dim dull minded people read and believed and cited as proof of the evils of capitalism and Christianity.
Besides, when someone is a proven liar I pretty much discount anything they say.
Yes, said but true, I really did earn a medical degree. And I learned how to present ideas and cite sources. SSAH, you made an attempt to cite a scholarly article. Good for you. I used EXACTLY the same source - and now you ridicule it. " GRAPHS !! CHARTS !! Phony articles in left wing Apostate (sic) publications !! " Yeah the same one that was cited by your heroes at Harvard and Indiana U.
DeleteDang, watching this site is like watching a train wreck. You can't take your eyes away.
So, now we change our tune to " church attendance numbers mean absolutely nothing".
Well one thing is true; West Virginia has nothing on Kansas. So grab those hissing rattle snakes and start that clog. Kick your feet up.
Geez, you are killing poor Topeka. No wonder the meth epidemic is rampant. No wonder Kansas women vote for a man who wants to grab them by their private parts. As Cadet Bone Spurs would say, 'saaaad'.
Sarge, he obviously has us confused with people who give a rat's ass what he thinks. That would not be us.
DeleteHe's a snake oil salesman.
I'm sure when I want theological opinions I always turn to a egocentric godless Marxist. That's just what I do.
And I'm sure he has a medical degree. Just like the one I have, right? Hey, I'm an internet doctor! See...here's my degree hanging right on the wall. Oh, that's right. You can't actually see it. But take my word for it. I'm a doctor!
Did y'all hear Trump is thinking about putting the military on the border? Wouldn't the National Guard be a better option? I don't know. For some reason,
ReplyDeleteHeard it yes watched him say it, But that is his job and all law enforcement job is to defend the border. And Rose National Guard is the Military ,just the same as active duty Military, But I don't care who defends it just do it. Just Saying...
DeleteRose, it sounds like Mexico wised up and turned these invaders back. Fear of losing NAFTA for one thing.
ReplyDeleteThis was another attempt by the godless left to make our President look bad. They were hoping he might put troops of some kind on the border, and they were hoping a few invaders got shot so they could run on that in 2018.
But as usual, President Trump is light years ahead of them. All they did was make another stupid attempt at sabotage that backfired on them. Think this stupid move won any converts for DACA?
It's almost like President Trump has someone imbedded in the DNC giving them advice. Everything they do just makes them look worse.
Please democrat/communists. Run on DACA, eliminating our borders and flooding the country with muslims and illegals, and repealing article two of the bill of rights. That's a sure winner. Keep up the good work democrats.
Thanks for the info Sarge.
ReplyDeleteSSAH, I hadn't heard that news. I've been at a convention and just saw a small segment of news this morning. I need to catch up. The border crossing needs to stop. And the folks running/ruining California are getting on my nerves.
Laura Ingraham learned a good lesson the hard way: Don’t ever apologize to a Leftist. Leftists are never satisfied. Once you apologize, they will come back for more. Your apology will never be enough. They will only be satisfied when you are without a voice and begging on the streets for food. Never a truer statement.
ReplyDeleteHogg is on the national media stage and he’s complaining and attacking a talk show host who called him a whiner? Welcome to the world of politics where Pres. Trump has been described as the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini and nearly all conservatives have been described as racists and Nazis. He is a whiner and soon someone will kick his ass and give him something to whine about.
ReplyDeleteA Visit to Home Depot
ReplyDeleteWhile installing a new door, I found that one of the hinges was missing. So, I asked my wife Mary if she would go to Home Depot and pick up a hinge. Mary agreed to go.
While she was waiting for the Manager to finish serving a customer, her eye caught a beautiful bathroom faucet. When the Manager was finished, Mary asked him, "How much is that faucet?"
The Manager replied, "That's a gold plated faucet and the price is $5,000."
Mary exclaimed, "My goodness, that's an expensive faucet, certainly out of my price range." She then proceeded to describe the hinge that I had sent her to buy.
The Manager said that he had them in stock and it was $3.49, then he went into the back room to get one. From the back room the Manager yelled, "Ma'am, you wanna screw for the hinge?"
Mary shouted back, "No, but I will for the faucet."
This is why you just can't send a woman to Home Depot.
You do realize that wasn't the least bit appropriate, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure our dipshit doctor would approve...
Hold on Nelly, this is a bit early even for me! oh do you really think I give a shit what dipshit doctor thinks or doesn't think? I am glad he shows up now and then just so we have something to play with, hell he is so easy.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning CAT'S where ever you are. You also Nunya!!
ReplyDeleteGood morning Sarge... I hate to say it but I think my pro Trump blog from last week might be the reason cats bailed on us again.
ReplyDeleteIt was right after he signed that spending bill and people were dropping him left and right.
My intentions were to urge those of us who supported him not to bail on him now.
It wasn't meant as an attack on those who never supported him in the first place...
Oh hell I took that as a reminder of how far we had come and don't give up, we will never agree on everything, but sometimes this shit just gets to ya now and then, and you just have to walk away for awhile. And now look at you , you are stuck with this old goat and that my friend is your punishment. Heheeh
DeleteLol... It's burden I must bear...
ReplyDeleteWhat ya want to bet that yesterday's YouTube shooting story gets buried and buried quickly.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Because the shooter was a left-wing lunatic Iranian woman...
Yup!!
DeleteNew blog up.
ReplyDelete