I am completely in favor of dialogue between Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters in God that starts with establishing the firm and broad areas where there is complete agreement between the religions. The “differences” become much smaller when one understands why both religions serve God’s will.
Muslims are understandably confused by Christian denominations that seem to have forgotten God, replacing him entirely with the figure of Jesus. Muslims learn in the Qur’an that Jesus was born of Mary through the Holy Spirit, that he was blessed and empowered by God, and that he ascended into heaven. In some ways devout Muslims have a more reverent view of Jesus than many secularized Christians who totally forget about God and who “good buddy” Jesus and his teachings away from the discipline of faith and observance to God’s will. So I’d like to quote from Pope Benedict’s book “Jesus of Nazareth” as a reminder to Christians that Jesus always pointed AWAY from himself and toward God. Everything that Jesus said and did was to point people toward God, and not toward worshipping Jesus. There is no place in the Gospels that Jesus expressed desire to be the focus of worship; in fact, he would be horrified at that notion. He prayed to God, was illuminated and sustained by God, and tirelessly taught his followers about God, even teaching them how to pray to God. Here is what Pope Benedict wrote:
“The great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: What did Jesus actually bring, if not world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God. He has brought the God who formerly unveiled his countenance gradually, first to Abraham, then to Moses and the Prophets, and then in the Wisdom Literature-the God who revealed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises…He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about our origin and destiny: faith, hope, and love.”
If you read the Gospels you will see that virtually everything Jesus says is to shed light and honor upon God. Even the sacraments, such as the Holy Eucharist, are continuations of honoring and worshiping God in their New Covenant form, the bloodless sacrifice to God. The sacrifice and the worship are always properly directed by Jesus toward God. Jesus as Messiah became Redeemer and the bloodless sacrifice, replacing the rituals and animal sacrifices that had become corrupted (as illustrated by the money changers in the Temple and by the prevalent belief that the poor and ill deserved their afflictions). Jesus did not institute ritual and worship of him that detracted from full honor and worship of God. So this needs to be understood by both Muslims and many Christians that Jesus never intended the worship of the faithful to stray from God. [I’m often distressed with some Christian denominations and non-denominationals for this reason. One hardly ever hears of the mention of the one God, almost as if God has vanished.]
Now, having established and reassured Muslims that Jesus did not come in order to take worship from God to himself (and to the contrary, always pointed toward God the Father) one can ask why would God send the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) if God had sent Jesus to show God’s true face? Most Christians do not believe that God (Allah) inspired the Prophet Muhammad for this reason. They wonder why God would raise any Prophet after Jesus himself came from God to redeem and lead all to God. Likewise, Muslims suspect that the rejection of Jesus as Messiah by the majority of Jews indicated a failure of mission that God decided to remedy through final and explicit teaching in the Qur’an through Muhammad. Muslims conclude from their study of the Qur’an that it was God’s will that people did not believe Jesus and that Christianity became flawed.
The heart to understanding this seeming contradiction is to be more open to understanding that God does not have to operate in an “either or” manner. God is the ultimate expert in human nature. He knows that it is vital to humankind’s very survival that humans understand the true nature of the one God. This is why God has repeatedly raised up Prophets during the Old Testament times to continually shepherd, and force where necessary, people away from paganism and polytheism and back to understanding and knowing that there is only one God and that God is the God of Abraham, father of the three faiths, Jewish, Christian and Islam.
God’s message never changes. From Moses to Jesus, and also to Muhammad God reiterates over and over who he is, how humankind and the world was created, the consequences of sin, and the reality of eternal life, either in God’s presence in heaven, or in eternal suffering in hell. In the Old Testament the Messiah was predicted and promised. In the New Testament the Messiah arrived, taught, created the New Covenant, and ascended to heaven. There is the same God throughout. But God understands and sees that people believe or do not, stay faithful or stray and sin. It is not as though Muhammad received a message that denied Jesus and taught something anew. To the contrary, Muhammad actually received some information about Mary and Jesus that is beyond what is recorded in the Bible, so the role of Jesus is not depleted in the least. Likewise the early fathers, such as Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, the Prophets, and the Kings, such as David, are reiterated, not denied or modified. So it is clear to anyone reading the Qur’an that the same God is speaking who speaks throughout the Bible. What is notable is that Muslims are given a special charge and mission and that is to protect and affirm the knowledge of the One God alone with a special zeal and vigor against historic and future paganism, polytheism and secular denial that degrades morality in God’s sight. Muslims were not led by Muhammad away from God any more than Jesus wanted personal worship to replace worship of God. Through both the Messiah, Jesus, and through the raising up of a prophet centuries after Jesus, God was and is continually stating the same identity, the same morality by which humans must abide, and the same explanation of faith and the consequences of sin. God gives Muslims, however, the special charge and exhortation to be, if necessary, the last bastion of proclamation of One God now and always. This was in anticipation of the corroding effects of modernization and secularization, plus the constant temptations of humans to be pagan throwbacks who worship gratification over God, going so far as to deny God at all. This is why God raised up the Prophet Muhammad even though God had made his will absolutely clear and manifest through Jesus as Messiah and bringer of the New Covenant.
Much more can be written about this but I hope this is helpful as the essential fundamental comprehension about the consistency of God that must be understood in these dire times.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Important Sermon by Vatican's "Preacher"
http://www.zenit.org/article-20893?l=english
God Created Man for Life, Not Death
Gospel Commentary for the Feast of All Souls' Day
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap ROME, NOV. 2, 2007
(Zenit.org).- The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed is the occasion for an existential reflection on death.In Scripture we read this solemn declaration: "For God made not death, neither does he take pleasure in the destruction of the living … for he created man for immortality. God made him an image of his own nature. But death entered the world because of the devil's envy" (Wisdom 1:13-15, 24).
snip
Fear of death is written deeply into every human being. There have been those who have wanted to trace every human activity back to the sexual instinct and explain everything by it, even art and religion. But the fear of death is stronger still than the sexual instinct, and the latter is but a manifestation of the former. All of humanity cries out: "I do not want to die!"
snip
But the thought of death does not allow itself to be put aside so easily. So, all we can do is repress it or play down its seriousness. Men have never ceased to look for remedies to death. One of these is called offspring: surviving through one's children. Another is fame. In our day a new pseudo-remedy is spreading: the doctrine of reincarnation.The doctrine of reincarnation is incompatible with the Christian faith, which professes the resurrection of the dead in its place. "It is established that men die only once and after this there is judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
The manner in which reincarnation is taught to us in the West is the fruit of, among other things, a glaring error. Originally, reincarnation did not add to life, but rather added to suffering; it was not cause for consolation, but for fear. Reincarnation was a warning to humanity: "Be careful not to do evil because you will be reborn to expiate it!" It is like telling someone in prison who is about to finish serving his time, that his punishment has been extended and he must start all over.
Christianity has something quite different to offer in regard to the problem of death. It proclaims that "one has died for all," that death has been defeated; it is no longer a precipice over which all must plunge, but rather a bridge to the other shore -- eternity. Nevertheless, reflecting on death is also good for believers. It helps us, above all, to live better.Are you troubled by problems, difficulties, conflicts? Think about how these things will appear at the moment of death and see how they take on a different meaning. We will not then be resigned and paralyzed. On the contrary, we will do more things and do them better because we are more calm, more detached. Counting our days, the Psalm says, we "arrive at the wisdom of the heart" (Psalm 89:12).[Translation by ZENIT]
God Created Man for Life, Not Death
Gospel Commentary for the Feast of All Souls' Day
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap ROME, NOV. 2, 2007
(Zenit.org).- The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed is the occasion for an existential reflection on death.In Scripture we read this solemn declaration: "For God made not death, neither does he take pleasure in the destruction of the living … for he created man for immortality. God made him an image of his own nature. But death entered the world because of the devil's envy" (Wisdom 1:13-15, 24).
snip
Fear of death is written deeply into every human being. There have been those who have wanted to trace every human activity back to the sexual instinct and explain everything by it, even art and religion. But the fear of death is stronger still than the sexual instinct, and the latter is but a manifestation of the former. All of humanity cries out: "I do not want to die!"
snip
But the thought of death does not allow itself to be put aside so easily. So, all we can do is repress it or play down its seriousness. Men have never ceased to look for remedies to death. One of these is called offspring: surviving through one's children. Another is fame. In our day a new pseudo-remedy is spreading: the doctrine of reincarnation.The doctrine of reincarnation is incompatible with the Christian faith, which professes the resurrection of the dead in its place. "It is established that men die only once and after this there is judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
The manner in which reincarnation is taught to us in the West is the fruit of, among other things, a glaring error. Originally, reincarnation did not add to life, but rather added to suffering; it was not cause for consolation, but for fear. Reincarnation was a warning to humanity: "Be careful not to do evil because you will be reborn to expiate it!" It is like telling someone in prison who is about to finish serving his time, that his punishment has been extended and he must start all over.
Christianity has something quite different to offer in regard to the problem of death. It proclaims that "one has died for all," that death has been defeated; it is no longer a precipice over which all must plunge, but rather a bridge to the other shore -- eternity. Nevertheless, reflecting on death is also good for believers. It helps us, above all, to live better.Are you troubled by problems, difficulties, conflicts? Think about how these things will appear at the moment of death and see how they take on a different meaning. We will not then be resigned and paralyzed. On the contrary, we will do more things and do them better because we are more calm, more detached. Counting our days, the Psalm says, we "arrive at the wisdom of the heart" (Psalm 89:12).[Translation by ZENIT]
Spiritual Direction: If Judas lived, sought forgiveness
Here is a quick lesson about why one should never place anything before faith in God, specifically faith in God’s power to forgive and “fix” even the most horrendous error.
As an inspirational parable, imagine for a moment that the Apostle Judas did not commit suicide immediately after his betrayal of Jesus Christ. As readers of the Gospel know, Judas hung himself in despair after regretting his betrayal of Jesus. Despair is a sin against the Holy Spirit for this very reason: when one despairs as Judas did, one takes out of God’s hands the ability to forgive and to remedy.
If Judas had not killed himself, he would have either seen Jesus during the forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven or he would have certainly heard of it. Imagine that…. If Judas had held on to his remorse and only stayed alive, he would have seen the Messiah resurrected. It is very likely that Jesus would have sought him out and observing the abject remorse of Judas, he would have forgiven him, on the condition of course that Judas bear the ultimate witness to Jesus in evangelizing. As Jesus repeatedly said to sinners he healed and forgave, “Go your way and sin no more.” Imagine the incredible power of witness that Judas could have experienced and have shown that God can redeem the one who had been reviled as the greatest traitor of all time.
The idea that Judas had some “understanding” with Jesus to broker the death of Jesus is ridiculous. Recent “lost gospels” and so forth are nothing more than associates of Judas who sought to document “butt covering” propaganda, since anyone associated with Judas (he did have a family and associates like everyone else, after all) would have felt much shame and heat at his actions, especially after Jesus resurrected and saw their faith justified. So authors of apologetics on behalf of Judas were only looking to make their untenable position by association with him more acceptable long after the fact.
You also can be assured that Jesus would not make such an “arrangement” because the obvious “arrangement,” more properly called “God’s plan,” was that Jews would reject the New Covenant, but many would believe. Some believed as Jesus lived, and many more believed after he resurrected and the Apostles and disciples bore witness and evangelized. Judas had THE ultimate potential to be part of God’s plan, as everyone does. Judas could have just waited a mere three days and have found that he could have been forgiven and redeemed.
This is why presuming on the mercy of God in despair is such a grave offense against the Holy Spirit. Such a person is basically saying that there are some things God cannot fix. Jesus forgave his executioners AS he was being tortured and murdered! St Stephen, the first martyr, prayed for those stoning him to death AS they were doing it! So how could Judas not have understood that he could have repented and been forgiven? The answer is that he did not stick around to find out. He let despair grab him and he killed himself before Jesus even had the chance to resurrect.
So as powerful as the true story of Jesus as Messiah is, think about how you would feel, two thousand years later, if you were able to read that Judas controlled his despair long enough to actually have encountered again the resurrected Jesus. What a witness that would have been! Jesus taught that “with God nothing is impossible.” Jesus forgave those who killed him as they were doing so, through the infinite power of God the Father to redeem anyone and anything. Imagine how Judas could have been found by Jesus and forgiven – the ultimate “lost sheep.” As furious as the faithful Apostles and disciples were with Judas, if he had lived, sought forgiveness from Jesus and obtained it on the condition that he witnessed to the faith for the rest of his life, the Gospel writers would have verily recorded every bit of this, the ultimate story of redemption, conversion, and restoration. But instead, Judas thought he “knew better than God” because he took his own life thinking he had done something that was unbearable, unforgivable and unfixable. That is an incredible presumption upon God by assuming a human or any being can put a boundary on what God can do. Would not Judas, a zealot who was a firm believer in God, fear death more, facing God without having redeemed himself? In his despair he rushed to death and presumption, and thus lost the chance to have what would have been the most monumental and instructive forgiveness in the history of humanity. Imagine what Judas could have done as a forgiven evangelist. He had the chance and all he had to do was stay alive and believe in God as Jesus had instructed them all repeatedly, face to face.
As an inspirational parable, imagine for a moment that the Apostle Judas did not commit suicide immediately after his betrayal of Jesus Christ. As readers of the Gospel know, Judas hung himself in despair after regretting his betrayal of Jesus. Despair is a sin against the Holy Spirit for this very reason: when one despairs as Judas did, one takes out of God’s hands the ability to forgive and to remedy.
If Judas had not killed himself, he would have either seen Jesus during the forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven or he would have certainly heard of it. Imagine that…. If Judas had held on to his remorse and only stayed alive, he would have seen the Messiah resurrected. It is very likely that Jesus would have sought him out and observing the abject remorse of Judas, he would have forgiven him, on the condition of course that Judas bear the ultimate witness to Jesus in evangelizing. As Jesus repeatedly said to sinners he healed and forgave, “Go your way and sin no more.” Imagine the incredible power of witness that Judas could have experienced and have shown that God can redeem the one who had been reviled as the greatest traitor of all time.
The idea that Judas had some “understanding” with Jesus to broker the death of Jesus is ridiculous. Recent “lost gospels” and so forth are nothing more than associates of Judas who sought to document “butt covering” propaganda, since anyone associated with Judas (he did have a family and associates like everyone else, after all) would have felt much shame and heat at his actions, especially after Jesus resurrected and saw their faith justified. So authors of apologetics on behalf of Judas were only looking to make their untenable position by association with him more acceptable long after the fact.
You also can be assured that Jesus would not make such an “arrangement” because the obvious “arrangement,” more properly called “God’s plan,” was that Jews would reject the New Covenant, but many would believe. Some believed as Jesus lived, and many more believed after he resurrected and the Apostles and disciples bore witness and evangelized. Judas had THE ultimate potential to be part of God’s plan, as everyone does. Judas could have just waited a mere three days and have found that he could have been forgiven and redeemed.
This is why presuming on the mercy of God in despair is such a grave offense against the Holy Spirit. Such a person is basically saying that there are some things God cannot fix. Jesus forgave his executioners AS he was being tortured and murdered! St Stephen, the first martyr, prayed for those stoning him to death AS they were doing it! So how could Judas not have understood that he could have repented and been forgiven? The answer is that he did not stick around to find out. He let despair grab him and he killed himself before Jesus even had the chance to resurrect.
So as powerful as the true story of Jesus as Messiah is, think about how you would feel, two thousand years later, if you were able to read that Judas controlled his despair long enough to actually have encountered again the resurrected Jesus. What a witness that would have been! Jesus taught that “with God nothing is impossible.” Jesus forgave those who killed him as they were doing so, through the infinite power of God the Father to redeem anyone and anything. Imagine how Judas could have been found by Jesus and forgiven – the ultimate “lost sheep.” As furious as the faithful Apostles and disciples were with Judas, if he had lived, sought forgiveness from Jesus and obtained it on the condition that he witnessed to the faith for the rest of his life, the Gospel writers would have verily recorded every bit of this, the ultimate story of redemption, conversion, and restoration. But instead, Judas thought he “knew better than God” because he took his own life thinking he had done something that was unbearable, unforgivable and unfixable. That is an incredible presumption upon God by assuming a human or any being can put a boundary on what God can do. Would not Judas, a zealot who was a firm believer in God, fear death more, facing God without having redeemed himself? In his despair he rushed to death and presumption, and thus lost the chance to have what would have been the most monumental and instructive forgiveness in the history of humanity. Imagine what Judas could have done as a forgiven evangelist. He had the chance and all he had to do was stay alive and believe in God as Jesus had instructed them all repeatedly, face to face.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Buffoon Movie Recycles Titanic 2 Stupid 4 Words
The new Elizabeth I film which looks to be as stupid as the first one I had the odious chore to view some years ago:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/02/wvatican102.xml
snip
The Catholic News Service, which is run by the United States Bishops Conference, said: "With the single exception of Mary, Queen of Scots, all the Catholics in the film are twisted, embittered intriguers."
The National Catholic Register added: "The climax, a weakly staged destruction of the Spanish Armada, is a crescendo of Church-bashing imagery: rosaries floating amid burning flotsam, inverted crucifixes sinking to the bottom of the ocean, the rows of ominous berobed clerics sinking away in defeat."
My comment:
(ha ha ha, what losers.... it's so obvious the whole film was made to drag Titanic whiners across the screen again ha ha ha, what unoriginal dummies)
snip
It said that the film was more damaging to the Catholic Church than the Da Vinci Code.
The administrator of Westminster Cathedral has also been criticised for allowing scenes to be shot inside.
Mgr Mark Langham even greeted the film as a "spectacular and evocative must-see for the autumn", although he acknowledged that the history was "distorted" and that "it does appear to perpetuate the myth of 'killer priests'".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/02/wvatican102.xml
snip
The Catholic News Service, which is run by the United States Bishops Conference, said: "With the single exception of Mary, Queen of Scots, all the Catholics in the film are twisted, embittered intriguers."
The National Catholic Register added: "The climax, a weakly staged destruction of the Spanish Armada, is a crescendo of Church-bashing imagery: rosaries floating amid burning flotsam, inverted crucifixes sinking to the bottom of the ocean, the rows of ominous berobed clerics sinking away in defeat."
My comment:
(ha ha ha, what losers.... it's so obvious the whole film was made to drag Titanic whiners across the screen again ha ha ha, what unoriginal dummies)
snip
It said that the film was more damaging to the Catholic Church than the Da Vinci Code.
The administrator of Westminster Cathedral has also been criticised for allowing scenes to be shot inside.
Mgr Mark Langham even greeted the film as a "spectacular and evocative must-see for the autumn", although he acknowledged that the history was "distorted" and that "it does appear to perpetuate the myth of 'killer priests'".
Muslims who saved Jews in Holocaust
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/world/5266403.html
Though Islam has an anti-Jewish image, these were "Muslims who endangered their own lives to save Jews," she said. Six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II.
Albanians sheltered between 600 and 1,800 Jewish refugees, risking death or imprisonment, officials said. At the end of the war, Albania was the only European country with a larger Jewish population than before the war.
...
Though they had never met, Baruchowic agreed when Ali Sheqer urged him to flee to the woods. The young Jew hid while Sheqer's father feigned ignorance as he repeatedly stared down a Nazi gun barrel. He held out until the Germans left and then retrieved Baruchowic, hiding him for three years.
"My father was a devout Muslim," Enver Sheqer said. "He believed that to save one life is to enter paradise."
He said his father had to help Baruchowic because of the Albanian code of "Besa," which means "to keep the promise."
The exhibition is named after that code and features black and white photographs of Albanians holding family photos and awards honoring their heroism. Israel has honored 63 Albanians as "Righteous Among the Nations," a title granted to non-Jews who helped Jews escape Nazi persecution.
Though Islam has an anti-Jewish image, these were "Muslims who endangered their own lives to save Jews," she said. Six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II.
Albanians sheltered between 600 and 1,800 Jewish refugees, risking death or imprisonment, officials said. At the end of the war, Albania was the only European country with a larger Jewish population than before the war.
...
Though they had never met, Baruchowic agreed when Ali Sheqer urged him to flee to the woods. The young Jew hid while Sheqer's father feigned ignorance as he repeatedly stared down a Nazi gun barrel. He held out until the Germans left and then retrieved Baruchowic, hiding him for three years.
"My father was a devout Muslim," Enver Sheqer said. "He believed that to save one life is to enter paradise."
He said his father had to help Baruchowic because of the Albanian code of "Besa," which means "to keep the promise."
The exhibition is named after that code and features black and white photographs of Albanians holding family photos and awards honoring their heroism. Israel has honored 63 Albanians as "Righteous Among the Nations," a title granted to non-Jews who helped Jews escape Nazi persecution.
Tried for an Art Break from Society's Ruin
November Blog
I’m going to write a little bit about arts and crafts (the hobby, not the period of art design) because I’m just fed up with ranting about the depravity, phoniness, self destructiveness and meanness of people and societal structures today.
Hobby Lobby had a sale that included colored pencils and pastels, so I stocked up. I’ve just started using pastels, but I am a long time colored pencil affectionato. After some initial trepidation I’ve become thrilled with pastels. I bought several sets. When I opened the Rembrandt brand pastels I was delighted not only with the color palette but also that each of the thirty pastels comes wrapped in a translucent Rembrandt wrapper. I always use packaging and scrap paper in my art work (a trademark from my collage work) so I immediately had an idea. I went to Dollar Tree and found a wood frame, a warm teak color, about 6 x 8 size (for a 4 x 6 picture exposed area). The frame is about 1.25 inches wide around. It was on sale no less, so I paid $0.27 for it. Yesterday I slit lengthwise each Rembrandt wrapper on the opposite side of where the name runs lengthwise and removed each from the pastel. I trimmed each wrapper to include the “Rembrandt” followed by their trademark symbol, plus enough width along the top to carry along with it some of the dust color from the pastel. I then glued (using Elmer’s Glue) all thirty labels to cover the frame surface. The thirty labels ended up being a perfect fit for covering the entire front of the wooden frame plus the top and two sides. As I moistened each wrapper back with the glue I made sure to smear around the back any of the pastel color that came along with the wrapper. This color now shows through the translucent wrappers to give a subtle tint of the pastel itself. Once the frame dried I added a protective layer of Elmer’s Glue over all the labels by applying thin lines especially along the seams from wrapper to wrapper and then hand rubbing it evenly using my finger. Elmer’s Glue was the first poor man’s decoupage sealant and I still prefer it. It dries very soft and smooth yet non sticky and is much less toxic than chemical sealants.
I then needed a Rembrandt picture to put in the frame. My art books are in storage and I’m not near the usual arty sources, so I made a copy from my Saints book of Rembrandt’s “Saint Matthew Inspired by the Angel” (1661, Louvre, Paris) and used that. It looks great! It’s almost the perfect size for the frame. I made need to experiment to get a better copy on my copier (my printer is not working as a printer so I’m forced to just do traditional copying) since I have glare plus some irritating white margin, but my theory of what would be a really cool craft designed around the theme of Rembrandt worked out in that satisfying way (where what an artist envisions actually delivers as imagined). It’s sitting on my table next to this laptop computer now.
On the subject of phoniness I had the idea for an oil painting today. I’m not a figural painter so I just come up with the ideas and unless I find collage materials that match my idea I don’t actually paint the painting, just imagine it in my mind. I imagined a painting where I am standing to the right side of the canvas. In the middle facing me are all the people I know who are poseurs and pretending to be someone they are not, or hiding information from me, and or spying. That is represented by the people wearing masks and costumes, but they are all disguised only on the side facing me. Behind them, viewing their true selves, unmasked and uncovered with poseur clothes stands God the Father. They do not see him because they are all interested in “faking me out” so they are absorbed in facing me. I imagine in this painting God the Father reaching out to tap on the shoulder of the nearest poseur and clearing his throat with an “Ah-hem” kind of cough. He sees their real butts and back of their heads in other words ha. Because see, this is what really happens. It’s an important allegorical painting that shows what really happens when a person works to deceive or manipulate another. While you are dressing up in your mask and poseur costume and rehearsing your script lines, God is always there and sees all, knows all. He is standing right behind everyone all the time and knows and sees their not very charitable and in fact, their cruel and sinning selves even as the person thinks they are undetected. I’ve written about this before but doing spying and scripted activities to manipulate a person are mortal sins as they break two of the Ten Commandments.
Commandment Eight says that “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” When a person misrepresents themselves to another person they are effectively bearing false witness, because they are putting the person in a dishonestly gained disadvantage in order to exploit them. This leads to the second violated Commandment, which is Ten that “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.” If you are posing and manipulating a person you are doing so out of envy of who they are and what they have (even if it is abstract what they have, which is peace of mind and fairness.) By the way, by violating Commandments Eight and Ten in this way you are also violating the First Commandment, “I am the Lord Thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.” This is because if you are a poseur and a manipulator you are putting your interests ahead of God’s direct commandments toward neighbor, charity and truthfulness on this subject. I am amazed how stupid, dishonorable and venial (as in debased, not as in lesser gravity of sin) so many in Western society have become, and certainly nearly everyone I know. How stupid are people who rehearse doing hurtful things to me (and to others) and think that is a secret? The Bible repeatedly warns that NOTHING is secret from God. You don’t think God is watching when people plan their lines, writing up their liner cards, setting up the manipulative event of me, or the other person. Hell, I’m usually aware of it, so how can any idiot think that God doesn’t see each and every event? I think this painting would be informative for anyone who’s IQ is better than a head of cabbage and should give a hint of their fallen state of grace that they will have to answer for to God personally.
I’m going to write a little bit about arts and crafts (the hobby, not the period of art design) because I’m just fed up with ranting about the depravity, phoniness, self destructiveness and meanness of people and societal structures today.
Hobby Lobby had a sale that included colored pencils and pastels, so I stocked up. I’ve just started using pastels, but I am a long time colored pencil affectionato. After some initial trepidation I’ve become thrilled with pastels. I bought several sets. When I opened the Rembrandt brand pastels I was delighted not only with the color palette but also that each of the thirty pastels comes wrapped in a translucent Rembrandt wrapper. I always use packaging and scrap paper in my art work (a trademark from my collage work) so I immediately had an idea. I went to Dollar Tree and found a wood frame, a warm teak color, about 6 x 8 size (for a 4 x 6 picture exposed area). The frame is about 1.25 inches wide around. It was on sale no less, so I paid $0.27 for it. Yesterday I slit lengthwise each Rembrandt wrapper on the opposite side of where the name runs lengthwise and removed each from the pastel. I trimmed each wrapper to include the “Rembrandt” followed by their trademark symbol, plus enough width along the top to carry along with it some of the dust color from the pastel. I then glued (using Elmer’s Glue) all thirty labels to cover the frame surface. The thirty labels ended up being a perfect fit for covering the entire front of the wooden frame plus the top and two sides. As I moistened each wrapper back with the glue I made sure to smear around the back any of the pastel color that came along with the wrapper. This color now shows through the translucent wrappers to give a subtle tint of the pastel itself. Once the frame dried I added a protective layer of Elmer’s Glue over all the labels by applying thin lines especially along the seams from wrapper to wrapper and then hand rubbing it evenly using my finger. Elmer’s Glue was the first poor man’s decoupage sealant and I still prefer it. It dries very soft and smooth yet non sticky and is much less toxic than chemical sealants.
I then needed a Rembrandt picture to put in the frame. My art books are in storage and I’m not near the usual arty sources, so I made a copy from my Saints book of Rembrandt’s “Saint Matthew Inspired by the Angel” (1661, Louvre, Paris) and used that. It looks great! It’s almost the perfect size for the frame. I made need to experiment to get a better copy on my copier (my printer is not working as a printer so I’m forced to just do traditional copying) since I have glare plus some irritating white margin, but my theory of what would be a really cool craft designed around the theme of Rembrandt worked out in that satisfying way (where what an artist envisions actually delivers as imagined). It’s sitting on my table next to this laptop computer now.
On the subject of phoniness I had the idea for an oil painting today. I’m not a figural painter so I just come up with the ideas and unless I find collage materials that match my idea I don’t actually paint the painting, just imagine it in my mind. I imagined a painting where I am standing to the right side of the canvas. In the middle facing me are all the people I know who are poseurs and pretending to be someone they are not, or hiding information from me, and or spying. That is represented by the people wearing masks and costumes, but they are all disguised only on the side facing me. Behind them, viewing their true selves, unmasked and uncovered with poseur clothes stands God the Father. They do not see him because they are all interested in “faking me out” so they are absorbed in facing me. I imagine in this painting God the Father reaching out to tap on the shoulder of the nearest poseur and clearing his throat with an “Ah-hem” kind of cough. He sees their real butts and back of their heads in other words ha. Because see, this is what really happens. It’s an important allegorical painting that shows what really happens when a person works to deceive or manipulate another. While you are dressing up in your mask and poseur costume and rehearsing your script lines, God is always there and sees all, knows all. He is standing right behind everyone all the time and knows and sees their not very charitable and in fact, their cruel and sinning selves even as the person thinks they are undetected. I’ve written about this before but doing spying and scripted activities to manipulate a person are mortal sins as they break two of the Ten Commandments.
Commandment Eight says that “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” When a person misrepresents themselves to another person they are effectively bearing false witness, because they are putting the person in a dishonestly gained disadvantage in order to exploit them. This leads to the second violated Commandment, which is Ten that “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.” If you are posing and manipulating a person you are doing so out of envy of who they are and what they have (even if it is abstract what they have, which is peace of mind and fairness.) By the way, by violating Commandments Eight and Ten in this way you are also violating the First Commandment, “I am the Lord Thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.” This is because if you are a poseur and a manipulator you are putting your interests ahead of God’s direct commandments toward neighbor, charity and truthfulness on this subject. I am amazed how stupid, dishonorable and venial (as in debased, not as in lesser gravity of sin) so many in Western society have become, and certainly nearly everyone I know. How stupid are people who rehearse doing hurtful things to me (and to others) and think that is a secret? The Bible repeatedly warns that NOTHING is secret from God. You don’t think God is watching when people plan their lines, writing up their liner cards, setting up the manipulative event of me, or the other person. Hell, I’m usually aware of it, so how can any idiot think that God doesn’t see each and every event? I think this painting would be informative for anyone who’s IQ is better than a head of cabbage and should give a hint of their fallen state of grace that they will have to answer for to God personally.
Philadelphia Nightmare Worsens, Another Cop Dead
"This tragedy "calls into question the direction that we are headed in as a society," Street said at a brief news conference at police headquarters. This tragedy "will take many, many years to overcome."
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/20071101_City_to_hold_prayer_service_for_slain_officer.html
Cardinal Justin Rigali, who visited the wounded officer at the hospital on the day of the shooting, offered condolences today to the Cassidy family and police officers.
"I hope and pray for an end to the senseless violence plaguing the city of Philadelphia," the cardinal said. "The lack of regard for human life plays out tragically on city streets each day. I urge all people of good will to join me in working for an end to violence."
The doughnut shop, in the 6600 block of North Broad Street, remained closed today, the pavement stained where the officer fell. A sign reported that it would reopen Monday.
Council President Anna C. Verna announced at this morning's City Council meeting that Cassidy had died. A groan went up from the chamber, and then a moment of silence was held.
"Let's just hope that things change in this city," Verna said.
"This is not a time for political statements. This is not a time for anything other than sorrow, condolences for the family of the deceased, Sylvester Johnson said at the news conference.
Cassidy, was a 25-year veteran of the police department. He was married and had three children.
Those who knew Cassidy described him as unforgettable.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/20071101_City_to_hold_prayer_service_for_slain_officer.html
Cardinal Justin Rigali, who visited the wounded officer at the hospital on the day of the shooting, offered condolences today to the Cassidy family and police officers.
"I hope and pray for an end to the senseless violence plaguing the city of Philadelphia," the cardinal said. "The lack of regard for human life plays out tragically on city streets each day. I urge all people of good will to join me in working for an end to violence."
The doughnut shop, in the 6600 block of North Broad Street, remained closed today, the pavement stained where the officer fell. A sign reported that it would reopen Monday.
Council President Anna C. Verna announced at this morning's City Council meeting that Cassidy had died. A groan went up from the chamber, and then a moment of silence was held.
"Let's just hope that things change in this city," Verna said.
"This is not a time for political statements. This is not a time for anything other than sorrow, condolences for the family of the deceased, Sylvester Johnson said at the news conference.
Cassidy, was a 25-year veteran of the police department. He was married and had three children.
Those who knew Cassidy described him as unforgettable.
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