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June 11th, 2012
10:37 AM ET
8 killed in Nigerian church blast, clashesFrom Hassan John, For CNN Jos, Nigeria (CNN) - Three people died in clashes Sunday with police in Jos, Nigeria, hours after a car bomb killed five people during services at a church nearby. Angry crowds wielding makeshift clubs fought with police after chasing away security forces from the destroyed church. A man dragged part of a charred corpse through the street. The clashes broke out after witnesses said a suicide car bomber drove toward several churches in the area before plowing into the Christ Chosen Church of God. The attack injured at least 48 people, hospital officials said. Bruised and bloodied parishioners emerged from the rubble after the blast, which left splintered wood beams and twisted metal where the church once stood. There appeared to be a large number of casualties, including children. FULL STORY |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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The muslims set off more bombs in a Nigerian church today. Where is the international outcry? Where is the news story on CNN? If a Mosque was bombed their would be international outcry and rioting. Yet the story doesn't even make CNN...
Prayer changes things
Prayer doesn’t not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!
@"Jesus" what a sad, cold life you must have...
for any and all believers of any god(s) who may or may not exist:
we atheists need not prove the lack of existence of something that has no impact on our daily lives, however those that believe based purely on the idea of somethings existence is a bit disconcerting! Proof is the burden of those that believe. The real fact is that those who believe use the lack of proof to show how non believers can't show any proof of its non existence....circular agurments can be fun but i prefer ones that go places. Belief in god or any god type is nothing less then equal to that of children believing in santa – be good or else! Maybe that is what your believers problem is! – poor parental figures as children so you joined a cult who WHORships a make believe father ( who killed his son, btw)....not a very intelligent choice – but i guess i'd make pi$s poor choices too if i was taught to never lie all the while being lie too...that is gods way – don't lie but i can – double standard i believe is what its called! 🙂 go preach love while hating on more then half the human species!
Kindness
For you.
A thought to consider without an ego response
Accept Jesus christ as your lord and saviour. You never know how soon is too late. Transcend the worldly illusion of enslavement.
The world denounces truth....
Accepting Jesus Christ (for me) resulted in something like seeng a new colour. You will see it .....but will not be able to clearly explain it to anyone else..... Its meant to be that way to transend any selfism within you.
Also... much the world arranges "surrounding dark matter into something to be debated" in such a way that protects/inflates the ego.
The key is be present and transcend our own desire to physically see evidence. We don't know anyways by defending our own perception of dark matter.
Currently.... most of us are constructing our own path that suits our sin lifestyle. Were all sinners. Knowing that we are is often an issue. But both christians and non are sinners.
We don't like to Let go and let god. We want control to some degree. This is what Jesus asks us to do. "Follow me".
It's the hardest thing to do... but is done by letting the truth of scripture lead you (redemptive revelation)... as I said .
Try reading corinthians and see if it makes sense to you. Try it without a pre conceived notion of it being a fairy tale.
See the truth...
do we do what it says in todays society... is it relevant... so many have not recently read and only hinge their philosophy on what they have heard from som other person...which may have been full of arogance pride or vanity..
Look closely at the economy ponzi, look at how society idolizes Lust , greed , envy, sloth, pride of life, desire for knowledge, desire for power, desire for revencge,gluttony with food etc .
Trancsend the temporal world.
Just think if you can find any truth you can take with you ....in any of these things. When you die your riches go to someone who will spend away your life..... You will be forgotten.... history will repeat iteslf.... the greatest minds knowledge fade or are eventually plagerzed..... your good deeds will be forgotten and only give you a fleeting temporary reward . your learned teachings are forgotten or mutated..... your gold is transfered back to the rullers that rule you through deception. Your grave will grow over . This is truth .
Trancsend your egoism and free yourself from this dominion of satan. Understand you are a sinner and part of the collective problem of this worldly matrix... Repent.... Repent means knowing (to change) The Holy spirit (within) will convict you beyond what you think you can do by yourself. Grace is given to those who renounce the world. That are" in" the world but not "of " the world.
Evidence follows faith. Faith does not follow evidence..... Faith above reason in Jesus Christ.
Faith comes by Reading or Hearing the word of god from the bible . Ask Jesus in faith for dicernment and start reading the new testament... You will be shocked when you lay down your preconceived notions and ....see and hear truth ... see how christ sets an example ... feel the truth....
Read Ecclesiastes. Read corinthians.
You cant trancend your own egoism by adapting a world philosophy to suit your needs. Seek the truth in Christ.
Sell all your cleverness and purchase true bewilderment. You don't get what you want ....you get what you are in christ.
I promise this has been the truth for me. In Jesus christ .
Think of what you really have to lose. ...your ego?
Break the Matrix of illusion that holds your senses captive.
once you do . you too will have the wisdom of God that comes only through the Holy Spirit. Saved By grace through Faith. Just like seeing a new colour.... can't explain it to a transient caught in the matrix of worldly deception.
You will also see how the world suppresses this information and distorts it
You're all smart people . I tell the truth. Its hard to think out of the box when earthly thinking is the box.
I'ts a personal free experience you can do it free anytime . Don't wait till you are about to die.. START PUTTING YOUR TREASURES WHERE THEY REALLY MATTER >
Its awsome and It's just between you and Jesus
my testimony
Romans 10:9
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Kill yourself, save the planet.
...why just because you disagree with him or her you want them to kill themselves? That's a pretty messed up way of living life.
He is free to believe whatever he wants. I hate his spamming bullsh•t and for that he should hang himself from a rafter with a belt.
Is such dislike when ones such as Reality and Atheist post large cut and paste anti-Faith post on the Blog?
Absolutely, regardless of view, spammers are c•ck gobblers mark.
Click the report abuse link to get rid of this troll. Hopefully soon they'll block their IP address from posting.
If they were killed in a hardware store, would anyone care?
they were in Africa, no one cares...
Nigeria is a major oil exporter to the United States.... Even if you walk or ride a bike to work, the status of such countries matter at least on that scale... even if you do not care about the loss of life.
Nope. US takes what it wants.
Crude Oil Imports by the USA (Top 15 Countries)
(Thousand Barrels per Day)
Country Sep-11 Aug-11 YTD 2011
CANADA 2,324 2,240 2,157
SAUDI ARABIA 1,465 1,075 1,180
MEXICO 1,099 1,150 1,113
VENEZUELA 759 806 893
NIGERIA 529 854 826
COLOMBIA 510 365 364
IRAQ 403 637 473
ECUADOR 299 303 203
ANGOLA 283 311 323
RUSSIA 275 252 246
BRAZIL 163 213 225
KUWAIT 145 165 164
ALGERIA 139 140 204
CHAD 74 32 54
OMAN 72 52 39
Obviously, the following was not promulgated to the locals. Please forward it to them if you are in the vicinity.
Solving the issues in less than 100 words. This is so easy one wonders why it took so long: (from a PowerPoint slide)
SAVING 1.5 BILLION LOST MUSLIMS:
THERE NEVER WERE AND NEVER WILL BE ANY ANGELS I.E. NO GABRIEL, NO ISLAM AND THEREFORE NO MORE KORANIC-DRIVEN ACTS OF HORROR AND TERROR LIKE 9/11 AND NO MORE SUNNI/SHIITE CONFLICTS.
SAVING 2 BILLION LOST CHRISTIANS:
THERE WERE NEVER ANY BODILY RESURRECTIONS AND THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY BODILY RESURRECTIONS I.E. NO EASTER, NO CHRISTIANITY AND THEREFORE NO MORE VATICAN COVERUPS AND NO MORE CONFLICTS WITH NUNS.
SAVING 15.5 MILLION FOLLOWERS OF JUDAISM:
ABRAHAM AND MOSES PROBABLY NEVER EXISTED.
(prob•a•bly
Adverb: Almost certainly; as far as one knows or can tell.)
Added details upon request.
Who cares about Africa? Fvck it, let them kill themselves off. That continent only matters when we are rapn' it for resources.
>>>"Who cares about Africa?"
Nigeria sells 40% of its oil to the United States and is the 5th in the countries that we get oil from. I mean, if you do not care for Africans, there is a reason that you should be concerned.
ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html
Hey mark, they don't give a sh•t about the African people, only the resources they have to pillage.
Still not concerned....
Changing our direction to Burma/Myanmar:
Myanmar in state of emergency after Muslim minority attacks Buddhist villages
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/06/10/myanmar-in-state-of-emergency-after-muslim-minority-attacks-buddhist-villages/
The Muslims in Nigeria have been attacking Christians with the help of Mubarack and Ghadaffi since the "Biafra War", now they are murdering Christians and destroying their churches every other week, and the world is silent, the UN disinterested. Despite their sufferings and tragedy, the Christians preferred not to retaliate.
Changing out direction to Syria:
The 1,000 Christians remaining in al-Qusayr, a city of 30,000 in west-central Syria, were recently given six days to leave, according to an ultimatum delivered from the minarets of local mosques.
Amid attacks by Islamist rebel factions, the majority of the city’s Christians fled in early spring.
Sounds like the Christians need to leave
Eunuch, so what?
Yes, if they classed them selves as humans and did not judge others by the gods they think are running their lives, they may live in a more peaceful state....religion and gods are good for the undertakers..not for humanity.
The Blessings of God be upon the souls of all who died trying to worship Him! May He forgive them for sins committed in this life and grant them rest eternal, Amen.
God loves dead Christians
ATHEIST JUST SAYIN
Oh yes he loves even dead Atheists, Agnostics, Bhuddhists, etc who show faith in Him by living a spiritual life. If u love ur neighbor as yourself u will know the true depth of His love and the peace that passes all understanding! I love u as myself!
Nii because I don't follow your delusional insane savior, does not mean I am Atheist.
God knows,
History shows.
Mankind mocks,
Clock tick-tocks.
Help comes,
Engine hums.
Love wails,
Trying tales.
God lives,
He gives.
Being forgiven,
Life's driven.
Denying Life,
everyday strife.
Christ loves,
the doves.
Godfathered sons,
without guns.
Men created,
Christ waited.
Liars known,
Covers blown.
We see,
Cosmologies' tree
I see
bad poetry.
Bad to the bone!
Satan's luck
Gods a fvck
Thiestville dog
sucks my hog
Bad to the bone?
More like forever alone
Theistville Dog is pwnd by Raptor Jesus!!! Only on the internet....!
Part of God's plan
When will the muslem stog killing christians 4 God sake.
When you learn to spell....
When will Muslims and Christians stop believing in mythical beings?
When will the American Empire get out of the MIddle East?
If God wanted Christian America to have all the oil, why did he put it under the feet of all those Muslims?
Kill em all!
If we could get rid of the heaven fantasy, we could greatly reduced the number of people willing to blow themselves up.
That's like saying if we get rid of guns then folks will not kill each other. As long as we have blood diamonds, oil, water and other resources including women we humans will fall to the same "kill the other side" that has been with us since man moved from hunter gatherers to farmers squating on prime land. Or since Cain and Able, if you are a Christian 🙂
@Mark
Actually I think that Wayne has this right. Religion can encourage suicide attacks because it promises a reward after the completion of the attack, mainly in the form of honor in the after life. Wars fought for resources don't have this motivation because you cant enjoy the spoils of said war war once you are dead.
This is not to say that if religion disappeared so would war, but I imagine their would be fewer suicide attacks if religion no longer existed.
The HEAVEN FANTASY does not cause violence. It is people like you who wud rather be religious than spiritual! If everybody was Catholic there wud be peace-St Bartholomew's Day's Massacre. If everybody was Atheist there wud be peace-Cultural Revolution. If evrybody was Protestant there wud be peace
Cont.
If everybody wud be Protestant there wud be peace-100 yrs war. If everybody wud be Bhuddhist-the Boxer Rebellion. If everybody wud be Muslem-ongoing! A spiritual man is different from a religious man. If u know the difference u wud change the world. Love ur neighbor as urself!
>>>”Religion can encourage suicide attacks because it promises a reward after the completion of the attack, mainly in the form of honor in the after life. Wars fought for resources don't have this motivation because you cant enjoy the spoils of said war war once you are dead.
The sad thing is that in some scary way that is good point for the suicide attack in that you do not have to deal with that one again. Remember that more than a car bomb happened that day. Gunmen came and shot into a few churches, killing a few people. Guess what, they are alive to do it again and again.
Either in your scenario or mine, folks will kill other folks. Its human nature. Do not forget the child soldiers and even going back to the Russian Army during Nazi advance, where the families of the soldiers where threatened.
I just look at Wayne's offer and it is just another “dig” at the Faithful, that's all. Same as when most have a view, they wrap it up in such. Same as the if “we want less crime in the boarder states we need to start tossing all Hispanics back over the boarder, citizens or not.” The person just does not like Hispanics so to get everybody on board with his hatred he makes such a statement. Wayne is no better.
Also, to run with a Atheist theme statement....if you eliminate Religion, you feel that we will have less suicide bombers because they will not have a reward in Heaven. What is the flip side too that? If you eliminate the rewards for the negative actions, then you argument would have to expect that there are a good potion of society that is not putting claw hammers into each others skull's because they see it as displeasing to God or Gods and would block their reward in Heaven. Or did you feel that only good natured people would be left without the Faiths?
Remember it is a two way street with your view. For the few that feel that blowing themselves up for Faith is pleasing to God... I would wager there are more, way more, that not killing thou neighbor is also pleasing to God.
Your a total dipsh•t mark. Atheist aren't killing themselves or others in the name of atheism. Religion doesn't detour violence. In fact the most violent places on earth are the most religious
Mark from Middle River can't even spell Cain and Abel right but he's a wealth of knowledge and genius mind power lol.
Heck, I was thinking of the movie "The Program", there for a sec 🙂
Wealth of knowledge and a genius.. no, just a guy that sees that none of us are clean and clear in history. If folks want to judge folks on the actions of people that passed away long ago then they better be ready to have the ghost in their past be brought to the light.
Who cares... wow dude, name callin'? Geez...
I will challenge you this. The same places that are some of the most violent are also the places with a high level of the worlds resources. From the Congo to Afganistan ... do you think that the world even cares..but for the minerals and oil under the surface and who controls it. Nigeria, surprise one of the largest oil supplies in Africa and who controls it feels they will have control or a piece of the world action if they control it. Check out Sudan and South Sudan. Fight for oil with the mask of Islam vs Christianity.
>>>"Religion doesn't detour violence."
I disagree severely and there have been many Atheist post that have declared that those of Faith act in positive ways because we "live in fear" of God's judgment.
So, who is right, you or the other Atheist who say that we only do good acts because of fear?
Mark, you mean like Adam and Eve? People who didn't even exist who did nothing real and were condemned to being mortal because they did nothing wrong? And you christians say we are all guilty of sin because they did nothing wrong?
You mean ancestors like that? Those ghosts from your jewish past? Your non-existent jewish past?
Christians are the ones saying we are all guilty for something someone else did. And then they say we are also not guilty because of some other idiot who probably didn't exist as long as we "believe on him".
All this insanity of being held accountable for the actions of other people who probably didn't exist!
But that's what religious people are known for doing and they base it on words written by primitive thug-priests.
Where is the proof you are guilty of what Adam and Eve did? You can't even prove they existed. You can't even prove there is a god of any sort floating around in your empty head.
You want to make your religion a law to be laid on the necks of everyone – even those of other religions.
You want tolerance of all that is evil and wrong instead of protecting each person's rights.
Heck you must be a republican.
>>>”You mean ancestors like that? Those ghosts from your Jewish past? Your non-existent Jewish past?”
Hi No-Such. The ghost from the past I am speaking of are a bit more recent. The horrors in history can be laid on most of us in society. If you take a Feminist view, then if you are XY then a perponderance of the history can be placed on you. I mentioned on another section about African Americans who felt that our community is blameless in the horrors placed upon the Native Americans. Then a Native American points out the Buffalo Soldiers and then native American blood can be on our hands as well.
>>>”Christians are the ones saying we are all guilty for something someone else did. “
Hmm....
“What about white supremacist Christian terrorist groups like the Aryan Nations, Aryan Republican Army, Phineas Priesthood, and The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord?” Doc Vestibule June 11, 2012 at 11:32 am.
So, it appears that Christians are not the only ones. Unless Doc is a Christian? See, No-Such ...folks on the Atheist side have been pointing out acts in history and have been declaring that Christianity and other Faiths should be judged on the acts of the Faithful in the past. If you wish to cross that bridge then you can not have it both ways. We will claim all of the charity and good acts and ones like me will just show how hatred can be pointed right back by giving example after example of how it is just human nature for those acts.
>>>”People who didn't even exist …...Where is the proof you are guilty of what Adam and Eve did? You can't even prove they existed.”
Since, I did not mention Adam and Eve …. the burden is on you to back up your statement that they did not exist. 🙂
>>>”...for the actions of other people who probably didn't exist!”
Sound a bit unsure my Atheist friend? 🙂
>>>”You want tolerance of all that is evil and wrong instead of protecting each person's rights.
Heck you must be a republican.”
You make a lot of assumption statements. Take a deep breath and calm down because just like the Adam and Eve part and the Jewish part, you are making crazy leaps and jumps. I am a Republican and proud of it, but just like there are different types of Democrats there are different Republicans and only ones with blinders on attempt to put everyone into the same box.
I call for tolerance for all sides. While you are crying for rights, if a student wants to give a prayer at her graduation then it comes to a point that we are dealing with competing rights. If you feel that only the rights of the Atheist and student's of other Faiths are having their rights oppressed, then you are not open to all sides of the argument. Try to take a step back No-Such and listen to all sides, especially here on the Belief Blog. You will see post from Atheist that echo the worst from the 700 club crowd. Such as when the pastor wanted to put all of the Gays and Lesbians into a concentration camp type of setting. A few months ago a Atheist declared that the Faithful be put into concentration camps. Almost each article dealing with the Catholic church someone will declare that the Vatican be burned to the ground.
In the end I just laugh about it because in the middle the extremes sound so similar these days in their speech, that its hard to tell who is on which side. Just trying like everyone else, to not killed in their crossfire.
When I talk about the evils of what religious people have done in the past, I am pointing out that these people not only felt violence was okay, but that it was religiously motivated.
I have no interest in holding their descendants responsible in any way.
While humans can be violent, there is no guarantee that they will be violent regardless of what they say, believe, or where they hang their hat.
This is because each individual has individual tendencies in how they think, feel, and act. Their motivations can come from almost any direction.
With no god that exists, no motivation, guidance, dialogue, or anything can come from an imaginary being.
This leaves religious texts and personal religious beliefs and delusional bias as the de-facto influence from religion.
There is no influence from their imaginary gods, so what is left but biased views based upon religious texts if that is what they actually base them on?
But haters will hate regardless of belief or lack of belief.
Mean people will suck and nice people will be nice regardless of belief or lack of belief.
Yet here is the kicker: almost all religious texts contain violent rules, laws, and "commands" from these imaginary gods.
So a nice religious person is actually more at risk to commit violence in the name of "good" religion than a non-believing nice person. And religous people are more likely to violate the rights of others in our secular society because their beliefs are often held to be "above human law".
So in terms of wrongful action, religious people are vastly more likely to commit murder, mayhem, violence, and are more likely to attempt to "force" their religion and religious values on other people in clear violation of our laws.
An atheist simply does not follow a religion, does not have a set of religion-oriented perceptual biases or delusions and does not necessarily have any text to "follow" that commands them to violate the secular rights of other Americans.
Christianity is all about fake guilt trips that fool people into begging an imaginary god for "mercy" even though they have done nothing wrong – sin is all about what Adam and Eve did and Jesus is supposed to have "paid" for all of that.
Christians want me to believe I am guilty for being born. Guilty for having normal human range of emotions, instincts, reactions, etc. Christianity is about suppressing normal behavior and viewing everything as evil and abnormal or dirty and sinful. Christianity is about being s3xually repressed and seeking to repress others over every little thing.
And Christianity is about killing those who are viewed as evil according to the religion.
Come and put me to death. I am an atheist. I hate insanity and lies, therefore I will always fight all religions.
Don't worry, after you have murdered me you can ask Jesus for a clean soul and he'll do it just as fast as you can imagine it.
Funny how that works at just that speed and no other.
>>>”Yet here is the kicker: almost all religious texts contain violent rules, laws, and "commandsYet here is the kicker: almost all religious texts contain violent rules, laws, and "commands”
You mean such as ….
“Therefore the United States Code at 18 U.S.C. § 2381 states "whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death,”
Seems, that if you are a United States citizen and you give comfort to someone fighting against the United States …. the command of Death is the first option.
>>>”So a nice religious person is actually more at risk to commit violence in the name of "good"
It sounds as if you hold the ultimate definition of what is “good” or “bad”. I feel that a Atheist would be more likely to commit crimes and murder for any reason. In other words, it is “all on the table” for a Atheist where a person of Faith has more reason not to do a negative act. Maybe for some it is fear of God or Gods vengeance, maybe its karma , but for the most of us it is a question of what would Jesus do. Without such, in many occasions I could say that it would be safer to be around a person of Faith than an Atheist.
>>>”Come and put me to death. I am an atheist. I hate insanity and lies, therefore I will always fight all religions. Don't worry, after you have murdered me you can ask Jesus for a clean soul and he'll do it just as fast as you can imagine it.”
Wow, Drama and Theater major ?
What if I do as Jesus himself commands me to do... What if I just John 8:7 you? What would be your response to my Christian action based on John 8:7?
If you want to go to war with the Westburo Baptist of the world, then I can not stop you but at the same time, are you at war with those of us Faithful who are not at war with you?
L'Chaim
Reblogged this on To the Assembly, with love.... and commented:
Christians Killed, it's dangerous to be a Christian and persecution arises once again.
How about the Manmasi National Christian Army and the National Liberation Front of Tripura, who force Hindus to convert at gun point and are known to encourage the murder of Hindu children?
Those people are simply following Saint Augustine's doctrine of 'cognite intrare' – or 'lead them in' which justifies and encourages torture, vandalism, forced conversions and using violence to convert others in the name of Christianity.
How about The Army of God and other groups who kill doctors in the U.S. ?
What about white supremacist Christian terrorist groups like the Aryan Nations, Aryan Republican Army, Phineas Priesthood, and The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord?
It can be dangerous to be around Christians!
Christian terrorist are not "Christian" but just more evil doers. Evil can lie and call itself anything and by any name. That does not make it truth.
Jesus warned us of "wolves in sheeps clothes". He taught us that some would come presenting as his followers who really were just more followers of Satan.
@Steven
So even Saint Augustine wasn't a true scotsman?
Funny, those who are racist against Whites will point to the Native Americans and to slavery of African Americans. Add to that all of the Ja'panese civilians that were vapourized at the end of WW2 and just say that its dangerous to be around Whites.
I rememeber a few years ago a African American was talking about how the Whites killed all of the Native Americans in the Westward push. A Native American then pointed to the Buffalo Soldiers and asked the speaker who did he think the Buffalo Soldiers were fighting "out west".
This is when I am suppose to say "why are you not talking about those examples in the past". What happpened in Nigeria happened recently, but if you want to go into history and the evils of the past, then you, me, and most of us have in past some group that has destroyed and killed.
DOC VESTIBULE
No one said anything about St Augustine of Hippo in any of those groups as their inspiration. You are extrapolating. A St who is studied mostly for his work on grace not violence. He spoke about the Roman Empire integrating the Barbarians which if they had wud still be around.
@Nii
I'm not suggesting that folk like the KKK have actually studied Augustine, but his legacy has had a profound impact on Christianity.
"It is indeed better (as no one ever could deny) that men should be led to worship God by teaching, than that they should be driven to it by fear of punishment or pain; but it does not follow that because the former course produces the better men, therefore those who do not yield to it should be neglected. For many have found advantage (as we have proved, and are daily proving by actual experiment), in being first compelled by fear or pain, so that they might afterwards be influenced by teaching, or might follow out in act what they had already learned in word."
- Augustine, Treatise on the Correction of the Donatists
All throughout the middle ages, his doctrine was used to rationalize violent conversion of heretics.
Even in the 20th century, the idea persisted:
"The death sentence is a necessary and efficacious means for the Church to attain its end when rebels act against it and disturbers of the ecclesiastical unity, especially obstinate heretics and heresiarchs..."
– Pope Leo XIII
A prayer for the dead,
God our Father,
Your power brings us to birth,
Your providence guides our lives,
and by Your command we return to dust.
Lord, those who die still live in Your presence,
their lives change but do not end.
I pray in hope for my family,
relatives and friends,
and for all the dead known to You alone.
In company with Christ,
Who died and now lives,
may they rejoice in Your kingdom,
where all our tears are wiped away.
Unite us together again in one family,
to sing Your praise forever and ever.
Amen.
do not pray for those that are already dead – they need no prayers.....if you must, even as pointless has it is – pray for living – they still await the trials of life!
A prayer for those who mourn the loss of loved ones
Lord God,
no one is a stranger to you
and no one is ever far from your loving care.
In your kindness, watch over refugees and victims of war,
those separated from their loved ones,
young people who are lost,
and those who have left home or who have run away from
home.
Bring them back safely to the place where they long to be
and help us always to show your kindness
to strangers and to all in need
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
what a bunch a sh•t
junior,
... and they all lived happily ever after.
@junior,
One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking,
And he said, "Boys, I'm not turning
I'm headed for a land that's far away
Besides the crystal fountains
So come with me, we'll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
There's a land that's fair and bright,
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
And the birds and the bees
And the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs
Where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
All the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmers' trees are full of fruit
And the barns are full of hay
Oh I'm bound to go
Where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall
The winds don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
You never change your socks
And the little streams of alcohol
Come trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats
And the railway bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew
And of whiskey too
You can paddle all around it
In a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
The jails are made of tin.
And you can walk right out again,
As soon as you are in.
There ain't no short-handled shovels,
No axes, saws nor picks,
I'm bound to stay
Where you sleep all day,
Where they hung the jerk
That invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
....
I'll see you all this coming fall
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
Everybody must get stoned.