St Maurice and the Theban Legion
Another wonderful installment in David's series on Coptic saints: St Maurice and the Theban Legion
posted by Bent El Neel at ١:٢٣ ص
1 comments
الأربعاء، أبريل ٢٦، ٢٠٠٦
الثلاثاء، أبريل ٢٥، ٢٠٠٦
Great Catholic Saints: St Benedict of Nursia
This post will mark the start of a series on "Great Catholic Saints" that I hope to post with God's help. It coincides with my good friend David's posts on Coptic saints, which in my view is a wonderful initiative on his behalf.
The aim was to introduce Coptic saints to the Western Christian community. Which prompted me to research great Western saints who may not be very well known to the Eastern Christians. Basically, we hope to celebrate what we all share as the children of the one living God. Considering St. Benedict of Nursia is the founder of monasticism in the Western world, his story is more than relevant for this purpose. You see, the father of Monasticism is St Anthony of Egypt. And so he and his brother in Christ who founded this great tradition in the West St Benedict are a perfect illustration of the bond and the tradition all Christians share.
St Benedict
St. Benedict was born to a wealthy family in Nursia around 480AD, a twin brother to his sister Scholastica.
"His boyhood was spent in Rome, where he lived with his parents and attended the schools until he had reached his higher studies. Then "giving over his books, and forsaking his father's house and wealth, with a mind only to serve God, he sought for some place where he might attain to the desire of his holy purpose; and in this sort he departed [from Rome], instructed with learned ignorance and furnished with unlearned wisdom" (Dial. St. Greg., II, Introd. in Migne, P.L. LXVI). There is much difference of opinion as to Benedict's age at the time. It has been very generally stated as fourteen, but a careful examination of St. Gregory's narrative makes it impossible to suppose him younger than nineteen or twenty. He was old enough to be in the midst of his literary studies, to understand the real meaning and worth of the dissolute and licentious lives of his companions, and to have been deeply affected himself by the love of a woman (Ibid. II, 2). He was capable of weighing all these things in comparison with the life taught in the Gospels, and chose the latter, He was at the beginning of life, and he had at his disposal the means to a career as a Roman noble; clearly he was not a child, As St. Gregory expresses it, "he was in the world and was free to enjoy the advantages which the world offers, but drew back his foot which he had, as it were, already set forth in the world" (ibid., Introd.). If we accept the date 480 for his birth, we may fix the date of his abandoning the schools and quitting home at about A.D. 500. "
Considering his family's wealth, St Benedict could have lead an easy prosperous life and enjoyed all the world could offer. But as if to show those who can't comprehend the power of God's love, he easily abandoned the world to enjoy the one true pleasure in his heart: God's company.
"At Enfide Benedict worked his first miracle by restoring to perfect condition an earthenware wheat-sifter (capisterium) which his old servant had accidentally broken. The notoriety which this miracle brought upon Benedict drove him to escape still farther from social life, and "he fled secretly from his nurse and sought the more retired district of Subiaco". His purpose of life had also been modified. He had fled Rome to escape the evils of a great city; he now determined to be poor and to live by his own work. "For God's sake he deliberately chose the hardships of life and the weariness of labour" (ibid., 1). "
The story of St Benedict takes us to a cave on a steep mountain face where he lived and prayed alone with God for 3 years.
"During these three years of solitude, broken only by occasional communications with the outer world and by the visits of Romanus, he matured both in mind and character, in knowledge of himself and of his fellow-man, and at the same time he became not merely known to, but secured the respect of, those about him; so much so that on the death of the abbot of a monastery in the neighbourhood (identified by some with Vicovaro), the community came to him and begged him to become its abbot. Benedict was acquainted with the life and discipline of the monastery, and knew that "their manners were diverse from his and therefore that they would never agree together: yet, at length, overcome with their entreaty, he gave his consent" (ibid., 3). The experiment failed; the monks tried to poison him, and he returned to his cave. From this time his miracles seen to have become frequent, and many people, attracted by his sanctity and character, came to Subiaco to be under his guidance. For them he built in the valley twelve monasteries, in each of which he placed a superior with twelve monks. In a thirteenth he lived with "a few, such as he thought would more profit and be better instructed by his own presence" (ibid., 3). He remained, however, the father or abbot of all. With the establishment of these monasteries began the schools for children; and amongst the first to be brought were Maurus and Placid. "
He spent the rest of his realising the ideals of monasticism, and so the Benedictine Rule was established. The Benedictine Rule was written by St Benedict and addressed to all who wish to live a life of obedience to Christ. The fact he addressed his Rule to everyone and not just to church clergy shows that he saw his life away from the world and its pleasures, a simple offering to God. He clearly didn't place himself above the average laymen, but sought to teach the willing about the way to a life lived in God's grace.
This is a very brief explanation of the Benedictine Rule:
The aim was to introduce Coptic saints to the Western Christian community. Which prompted me to research great Western saints who may not be very well known to the Eastern Christians. Basically, we hope to celebrate what we all share as the children of the one living God. Considering St. Benedict of Nursia is the founder of monasticism in the Western world, his story is more than relevant for this purpose. You see, the father of Monasticism is St Anthony of Egypt. And so he and his brother in Christ who founded this great tradition in the West St Benedict are a perfect illustration of the bond and the tradition all Christians share.
St Benedict
St. Benedict was born to a wealthy family in Nursia around 480AD, a twin brother to his sister Scholastica.
"His boyhood was spent in Rome, where he lived with his parents and attended the schools until he had reached his higher studies. Then "giving over his books, and forsaking his father's house and wealth, with a mind only to serve God, he sought for some place where he might attain to the desire of his holy purpose; and in this sort he departed [from Rome], instructed with learned ignorance and furnished with unlearned wisdom" (Dial. St. Greg., II, Introd. in Migne, P.L. LXVI). There is much difference of opinion as to Benedict's age at the time. It has been very generally stated as fourteen, but a careful examination of St. Gregory's narrative makes it impossible to suppose him younger than nineteen or twenty. He was old enough to be in the midst of his literary studies, to understand the real meaning and worth of the dissolute and licentious lives of his companions, and to have been deeply affected himself by the love of a woman (Ibid. II, 2). He was capable of weighing all these things in comparison with the life taught in the Gospels, and chose the latter, He was at the beginning of life, and he had at his disposal the means to a career as a Roman noble; clearly he was not a child, As St. Gregory expresses it, "he was in the world and was free to enjoy the advantages which the world offers, but drew back his foot which he had, as it were, already set forth in the world" (ibid., Introd.). If we accept the date 480 for his birth, we may fix the date of his abandoning the schools and quitting home at about A.D. 500. "
Considering his family's wealth, St Benedict could have lead an easy prosperous life and enjoyed all the world could offer. But as if to show those who can't comprehend the power of God's love, he easily abandoned the world to enjoy the one true pleasure in his heart: God's company.
"At Enfide Benedict worked his first miracle by restoring to perfect condition an earthenware wheat-sifter (capisterium) which his old servant had accidentally broken. The notoriety which this miracle brought upon Benedict drove him to escape still farther from social life, and "he fled secretly from his nurse and sought the more retired district of Subiaco". His purpose of life had also been modified. He had fled Rome to escape the evils of a great city; he now determined to be poor and to live by his own work. "For God's sake he deliberately chose the hardships of life and the weariness of labour" (ibid., 1). "
The story of St Benedict takes us to a cave on a steep mountain face where he lived and prayed alone with God for 3 years.
"During these three years of solitude, broken only by occasional communications with the outer world and by the visits of Romanus, he matured both in mind and character, in knowledge of himself and of his fellow-man, and at the same time he became not merely known to, but secured the respect of, those about him; so much so that on the death of the abbot of a monastery in the neighbourhood (identified by some with Vicovaro), the community came to him and begged him to become its abbot. Benedict was acquainted with the life and discipline of the monastery, and knew that "their manners were diverse from his and therefore that they would never agree together: yet, at length, overcome with their entreaty, he gave his consent" (ibid., 3). The experiment failed; the monks tried to poison him, and he returned to his cave. From this time his miracles seen to have become frequent, and many people, attracted by his sanctity and character, came to Subiaco to be under his guidance. For them he built in the valley twelve monasteries, in each of which he placed a superior with twelve monks. In a thirteenth he lived with "a few, such as he thought would more profit and be better instructed by his own presence" (ibid., 3). He remained, however, the father or abbot of all. With the establishment of these monasteries began the schools for children; and amongst the first to be brought were Maurus and Placid. "
He spent the rest of his realising the ideals of monasticism, and so the Benedictine Rule was established. The Benedictine Rule was written by St Benedict and addressed to all who wish to live a life of obedience to Christ. The fact he addressed his Rule to everyone and not just to church clergy shows that he saw his life away from the world and its pleasures, a simple offering to God. He clearly didn't place himself above the average laymen, but sought to teach the willing about the way to a life lived in God's grace.
This is a very brief explanation of the Benedictine Rule:
- The great disciplinary force for human nature is work; idleness is its ruin. The purpose of his Rule was to bring men "back to God by the labour of obedience, from whom they had departed by the idleness of disobedience". Work was the first condition of all growth in goodness.
- Work is not, as the civilization of the time taught, the condition peculiar to slaves; it is the universal lot of man, necessary for his well-being as a man, and essential for him as a Christian
- Life apart from one's fellows, the life of a hermit, if it is to be wholesome and sane, is possible only for a few, and these few must have reached an advanced stage of self-discipline while living with others
- The Rule conceives the superiors as always present and in constant touch with every member of the government, which is best described as patriarchal, or paternal (ibid., 2, 3, 64). The superior is the head of a family; all are the permanent members of a household.
The most outstanding feature of Benedictine monasticism is the commitment to working to serve the community.
Another beautiful part of this great saint's life story is his meeting with his sister Scholastice before her death:
"They met for the last time three days before Scholastica's death, on a day "when the sky was so clear that no cloud was to be seen". The sister begged her brother to stay the night, "but by no persuasion would he agree unto that, saying that he might not by any means tarry all night out of his abbey.... The nun receiving this denial of her brother, joining her hands together, laid them on the table; and so bowing her head upon them, she made her prayers to Almighty God, and lifting her head from the table, there fell suddenly such a tempest of lightening and thundering, and such abundance of rain, that neither venerable Bennet, nor the monks that were with him, could put their head out of door" (ibid., 33). Three days later, "Benedict beheld the soul of his sister, which was departed from her body, in the likeness of a dove, to ascend into heaven: who rejoicing much to see her great glory, with hymns and lauds gave thanks to Almighty God, and did impart news of this her death to his monks whom also he sent presently to bring her corpse to his abbey, to have it buried in that grave which he had provided for himself" (ibid., 34). "
St Benedict was a gentle, humble and God loving man who cared very much for those around him. Monasticism is often misunderstood by the world as a way of escaping the hardships of life, or failure to face one's problems. Through the life on St Benedict we can see that this is simply not true. He may have escaped the world, but it wasn't for fear of failure. Like St Anthony, he was the son of a wealthy family and he wouldn't have faced too many failures in life. But what he wanted was greater and more pleasurable than life itself.
Yet when he later lived amongst monks as their Abbot and father, he carried out his duty toward them with love and humility. He taught them, encouraged them, cared for their spiritual wellbeing and helped them so that they could help the world be a better place around them.
For more on miracles performed by this great saint: see this link
and link
All excerpts above are taken from New Advent.
posted by Bent El Neel at ٢:٥٤ م
3 comments
الاثنين، أبريل ٢٤، ٢٠٠٦
David's Coptic Saints: St Moses the Black
The second saint in this wonderful celebration of Coptic saints is St Moses The Black. Be sure to check out his inspirational life and David's wonderful contemplation of the life of this great saint (link)
May the blessings of his prayers be with us all.
May the blessings of his prayers be with us all.
posted by Bent El Neel at ٢:٠٢ م
0 comments
الأحد، أبريل ٢٣، ٢٠٠٦
And on the Last Day of Easter My True Love Gave to Me...
Eternal life
Forgivness
Hope
An open door to Heaven
Victory over sin and death!!
And what beautiful gifts they are.
Aside from the day long prayer service on Good Friday, the Easter celebration on the Saturday night is an absolute must experience. My favourite moment takes place immediately before the mass starts.
All church lights are turned off, and a hush falls on the crowd (and believe me that is one huge achievement for a crowd of Egyptians!) The priest recites a verse from Psalm 24 in a beautiful traditional Coptic tune:
7Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Deacon replies:
8Who is this King of glory?
Priest
LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
and then again:
9Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory?
LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory
At this, the lights go on, the bells toll and the priest, deacon and people raise their voices in unison to praise God and announce the Resurresction of our Lord. It's a wonderful, joyful and emotional moment.
Christos Anesti! Alithous Anesti!
Happy Easter to all Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters.
Forgivness
Hope
An open door to Heaven
Victory over sin and death!!
And what beautiful gifts they are.
Aside from the day long prayer service on Good Friday, the Easter celebration on the Saturday night is an absolute must experience. My favourite moment takes place immediately before the mass starts.
All church lights are turned off, and a hush falls on the crowd (and believe me that is one huge achievement for a crowd of Egyptians!) The priest recites a verse from Psalm 24 in a beautiful traditional Coptic tune:
7Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Deacon replies:
8Who is this King of glory?
Priest
LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
and then again:
9Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory?
LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory
At this, the lights go on, the bells toll and the priest, deacon and people raise their voices in unison to praise God and announce the Resurresction of our Lord. It's a wonderful, joyful and emotional moment.
Christos Anesti! Alithous Anesti!
Happy Easter to all Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters.
posted by Bent El Neel at ٢:٥٣ م
12 comments
الجمعة، أبريل ٢١، ٢٠٠٦
because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many
(Isiah 53:12)
Today is Good Friday in the Coptic church. The church spends the whole day praying and meditating the happenings that preceeded the most significant event in the Christian history: The sacrifice on the cross. Then we acknowledge His agony as He puts His life down to give us back ours.
Like the verse above says: He was numbered with the transgressors...even though He was without sin, He carried ours onto His shoulders and paid the price.
25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4:25
The readings of Holy Week in the Coptic church and especially the readings for today seem so timely and relevant at this particular time...as if it's God's way of showing us that He is there, His word is there and we are not alone.
The readings tell us of Jesus' teachings to His disciples before the crucifixion. This is the message He left with them to give them strength and comfort before He leaves them to carry out te sacrifice:
33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.John 14:33-35
And John 16 is also a favorite of mine and features in the Holy Week prayers quite a lot. The very last verse of that chapter couldn't be more relvenat right now:
33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
We thank you Lord for your infinite love and your sacrifice for our sake. The world may refuse us for your sake, but if God is with us, who is against us?
Today is Good Friday in the Coptic church. The church spends the whole day praying and meditating the happenings that preceeded the most significant event in the Christian history: The sacrifice on the cross. Then we acknowledge His agony as He puts His life down to give us back ours.
Like the verse above says: He was numbered with the transgressors...even though He was without sin, He carried ours onto His shoulders and paid the price.
25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4:25
The readings of Holy Week in the Coptic church and especially the readings for today seem so timely and relevant at this particular time...as if it's God's way of showing us that He is there, His word is there and we are not alone.
The readings tell us of Jesus' teachings to His disciples before the crucifixion. This is the message He left with them to give them strength and comfort before He leaves them to carry out te sacrifice:
33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.John 14:33-35
And John 16 is also a favorite of mine and features in the Holy Week prayers quite a lot. The very last verse of that chapter couldn't be more relvenat right now:
33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
We thank you Lord for your infinite love and your sacrifice for our sake. The world may refuse us for your sake, but if God is with us, who is against us?
posted by Bent El Neel at ٣:٣٦ م
4 comments
David's Coptic Saints
Just a note that David has started posting about Coptic saints on his blog. The first post is on St Mark the Apostle and Evangelist, the founder of our Coptic church.
As we agreed during our discussion back then, I'll also start posting about Catholic saints as of next week.
These stories are a blessing and a celebration of what we share as children of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we agreed during our discussion back then, I'll also start posting about Catholic saints as of next week.
These stories are a blessing and a celebration of what we share as children of the Lord Jesus Christ.
posted by Bent El Neel at ٣:٢٦ م
0 comments
Dear Mohamed: The Original Sin and the Salvation on the Cross (part I)
Continued from Dear Mohamed
In this post and all the ones to come, I'll attempt to answer your questions. To do this I'll state what I believe as an Orthodox Christian, and also reference what I say to some sources that you can go to for further information if you wish. Understandably, there is so much information on the points you raised, and so I'll try to summarise as much as I can without distorting the message. I'd also like to extend an invitation to anyone who comes across here, especially my blog-brothers-in-Christ (Pete, David, Xavier and Jack :D), to contribute to this discussion if they'd like to or to correct me if I misrepresent something.
Your question:
*How I carry the sin of my grandfather whatever the sin was big or whatever towards whom?!!!!!It's not fair at all!
That's a fair question. But to understand the concept of the oroginal sin, we have to differentiate between the original sin and sin.
Sin is prretty simple: it's the acts we commit against God and His commandments. Sin in this sense is not transferable between generations. If I commit a sin today, say lie to someone, I and only I am responsible for this sin. My daughter won't be punished by God for this sin.
The original sin refers to the consequence of the sin committed by Adam when he disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. Adam was living in the garden of Eden with Eve, in the presence of God. Adam and Eve could talk to God and hear His response
8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)
When Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them by removing them from paradise, removing them from being present with Him in His grace.
17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Genesis 3:17)
This punishment was consequently handed down to their decendants...they were separated from God and so all their decendants (us) are born away from the presence of God that they enjoyed before they sinned.
For a more eloquent explanation see this link especially these statements:
"Original sin is not an act but..., a state, a permanent privation..."
and:
"Our dogma does not attribute to the children of Adam any properly so-called responsibility for the act of their father, nor do we say that original sin is voluntary in the strict sense of the word. It is true that, considered as "a moral deformity", "a separation from God", as "the death of the soul", original sin is a real sin which deprives the soul of sanctifying grace"
Another good reference is Catholic.com
"original sin is called ‘sin’ only in an analogical sense: it is a sin ‘contracted’ and not ‘committed’—a state and not an act" (CCC 404).
We are born with a fallen nature, a nature that is separated from God as a result of Adam’s sin. We have to be born again to become joined to God, to be in Christ, to become a member of the body of Christ, to be saved. We are born of Adam’s body into condemnation. We are born of Christ’s body unto salvation."
So just to sum it up:
We don't inherit the original sin because God is unjust, or because we're responsible for it. We inherited the punishment of Adam and Eve. If they hadn''t sinned, we would have been born in paradise, in God's grace. But because they were banished, their offspring can't enjoy God's grace.
If I could use an analogy, think of a prince who made an unforgivable mistake against his father (the king). If this prince is banished as a result, any children he has after that time will be born in exile, and won't be able to inherit the kingdom as they would have naturally. His offspring will not be included in the "line for the throne" anymore.
Now that we know we have inherited this separation from God, we come to the need for salvation. Although I'd hate to sound like a TV host, I have to say; join me next time for a discussion of the doctrine of Salvation in Christianity.
Until then, the peace of the Lord be with you my friend.
In this post and all the ones to come, I'll attempt to answer your questions. To do this I'll state what I believe as an Orthodox Christian, and also reference what I say to some sources that you can go to for further information if you wish. Understandably, there is so much information on the points you raised, and so I'll try to summarise as much as I can without distorting the message. I'd also like to extend an invitation to anyone who comes across here, especially my blog-brothers-in-Christ (Pete, David, Xavier and Jack :D), to contribute to this discussion if they'd like to or to correct me if I misrepresent something.
Your question:
*How I carry the sin of my grandfather whatever the sin was big or whatever towards whom?!!!!!It's not fair at all!
That's a fair question. But to understand the concept of the oroginal sin, we have to differentiate between the original sin and sin.
Sin is prretty simple: it's the acts we commit against God and His commandments. Sin in this sense is not transferable between generations. If I commit a sin today, say lie to someone, I and only I am responsible for this sin. My daughter won't be punished by God for this sin.
The original sin refers to the consequence of the sin committed by Adam when he disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. Adam was living in the garden of Eden with Eve, in the presence of God. Adam and Eve could talk to God and hear His response
8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)
When Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them by removing them from paradise, removing them from being present with Him in His grace.
17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Genesis 3:17)
This punishment was consequently handed down to their decendants...they were separated from God and so all their decendants (us) are born away from the presence of God that they enjoyed before they sinned.
For a more eloquent explanation see this link especially these statements:
"Original sin is not an act but..., a state, a permanent privation..."
and:
"Our dogma does not attribute to the children of Adam any properly so-called responsibility for the act of their father, nor do we say that original sin is voluntary in the strict sense of the word. It is true that, considered as "a moral deformity", "a separation from God", as "the death of the soul", original sin is a real sin which deprives the soul of sanctifying grace"
Another good reference is Catholic.com
"original sin is called ‘sin’ only in an analogical sense: it is a sin ‘contracted’ and not ‘committed’—a state and not an act" (CCC 404).
We are born with a fallen nature, a nature that is separated from God as a result of Adam’s sin. We have to be born again to become joined to God, to be in Christ, to become a member of the body of Christ, to be saved. We are born of Adam’s body into condemnation. We are born of Christ’s body unto salvation."
So just to sum it up:
We don't inherit the original sin because God is unjust, or because we're responsible for it. We inherited the punishment of Adam and Eve. If they hadn''t sinned, we would have been born in paradise, in God's grace. But because they were banished, their offspring can't enjoy God's grace.
If I could use an analogy, think of a prince who made an unforgivable mistake against his father (the king). If this prince is banished as a result, any children he has after that time will be born in exile, and won't be able to inherit the kingdom as they would have naturally. His offspring will not be included in the "line for the throne" anymore.
Now that we know we have inherited this separation from God, we come to the need for salvation. Although I'd hate to sound like a TV host, I have to say; join me next time for a discussion of the doctrine of Salvation in Christianity.
Until then, the peace of the Lord be with you my friend.
posted by Bent El Neel at ١٢:١٢ ص
15 comments
الخميس، أبريل ٢٠، ٢٠٠٦
Dear Mohamed
Dear Mohamed
Thank you so much for your response in a previous post and please accept my sincere apologies for taking this long to get back to you. As you are aware, it's been an eventful week.
You raised many points in your comment that need to be addressed properly. If I attempt to do this in one post, I might break the record for longest post in a blog, so I'll do what I always do and break it up somewhat. But before I do, I want to clarify to you that the aim of this is not to convince you of my point of view, rather it is to present you with the truth as I personally see it.
And why you say that half of population believe in it?If it was really the fact,so I know that an ardhothox Church don't admit that a protestant Church is Christian!!
That's not true! The protestant and Orthodox churches have some differences but they are both Christian churches who believe in the divinity of Christ, the salvation on the cross, and the resurrection.
The Protestant church may not be an Apostolic church like the Catholic and Orthodox churches (Apostolic because they are founded by the Apostles Paul, Peter and Mark)...but it is certainly recognised as a Christian church.
And to say that there is no good deeds by Muslims nowadays it will be so unfair.
You are absolutely correct and I'm with you 100% on this one. I do like the way Jack put it on So Much To Mourn. Take a look at his comment.
Basically, this isn't about all Muslims being good or bad...nor is it about all Christians being good or bad. This is about a reality we live in that involves injustice and attacks on one group of people by another, purely as a result of their religion. No matter, we'll come to that later on in the discussion I am sure.
And a last word about Books..not because the book opposites your belief so it must be offensive,but when it use good language and follow the calm way so it isn't offensive.This is the measure
There's another measure to a balanced debate. You must accept the right of your opponent to respond. This is absent from the culture in most Islamic countries, because the right of the church to respond would be viewed as blasphemy against Islam. Honestly, criticism isn't taken very well in the Islamic world. Look at Fr Zakaria for example. He never swore, or insulted but he's been demonised by the media for responding to accusations pointed at the church by so many Islamic scholars.
I think the rest of your comment can be pretty much divided into the following headings:
1) The original sin and the concept of salvation
2) The divinity of Christ
3) The concepts of "God is Love" and "Love thy enemy"
4) Violent text in the Torah
5) Scientific facts in the Quran
If there's more that I missed out, I'll pick it up at the end :)
So Mohamed, grab a cup of tea and lets go on this journey. My hope is that at the end of it all, you will see things through the eyes of an average Christian. So when you form your opinion at the end, you could say you've examined it from both sides.
Thank you so much for your response in a previous post and please accept my sincere apologies for taking this long to get back to you. As you are aware, it's been an eventful week.
You raised many points in your comment that need to be addressed properly. If I attempt to do this in one post, I might break the record for longest post in a blog, so I'll do what I always do and break it up somewhat. But before I do, I want to clarify to you that the aim of this is not to convince you of my point of view, rather it is to present you with the truth as I personally see it.
And why you say that half of population believe in it?If it was really the fact,so I know that an ardhothox Church don't admit that a protestant Church is Christian!!
That's not true! The protestant and Orthodox churches have some differences but they are both Christian churches who believe in the divinity of Christ, the salvation on the cross, and the resurrection.
The Protestant church may not be an Apostolic church like the Catholic and Orthodox churches (Apostolic because they are founded by the Apostles Paul, Peter and Mark)...but it is certainly recognised as a Christian church.
And to say that there is no good deeds by Muslims nowadays it will be so unfair.
You are absolutely correct and I'm with you 100% on this one. I do like the way Jack put it on So Much To Mourn. Take a look at his comment.
Basically, this isn't about all Muslims being good or bad...nor is it about all Christians being good or bad. This is about a reality we live in that involves injustice and attacks on one group of people by another, purely as a result of their religion. No matter, we'll come to that later on in the discussion I am sure.
And a last word about Books..not because the book opposites your belief so it must be offensive,but when it use good language and follow the calm way so it isn't offensive.This is the measure
There's another measure to a balanced debate. You must accept the right of your opponent to respond. This is absent from the culture in most Islamic countries, because the right of the church to respond would be viewed as blasphemy against Islam. Honestly, criticism isn't taken very well in the Islamic world. Look at Fr Zakaria for example. He never swore, or insulted but he's been demonised by the media for responding to accusations pointed at the church by so many Islamic scholars.
I think the rest of your comment can be pretty much divided into the following headings:
1) The original sin and the concept of salvation
2) The divinity of Christ
3) The concepts of "God is Love" and "Love thy enemy"
4) Violent text in the Torah
5) Scientific facts in the Quran
If there's more that I missed out, I'll pick it up at the end :)
So Mohamed, grab a cup of tea and lets go on this journey. My hope is that at the end of it all, you will see things through the eyes of an average Christian. So when you form your opinion at the end, you could say you've examined it from both sides.
posted by Bent El Neel at ١١:٤٢ م
2 comments
السبت، أبريل ١٥، ٢٠٠٦
So Much to Mourn…
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday for Coptic Orthodox Christians. There will be mass in the morning to celebrate Jesus Christ’s return to Jerusalem. After the celebrations, the Holy Week officially starts, and the church is shrouded in black. We start a week of deep spiritual prayers, we attempt to share with Jesus as He prepared to sacrifice Himself for our sake, and we mourn Him and His pain.
This year however, there are more reasons to mourn. As we approach the Holy Week, others sought to inflict harm on the Body of Christ…His children...even as they pray.
Alexandria
ABC link
BBC link
For photos of the aftermath (caution: may be distressing)
Free Copts
A cowardly attack on a group of people gathered to pray. And perhaps the Egyptian police was listening to you Peter, for they claim that the attacker is mentally unstable. Or maybe you just know them too well! That is of course after they edited the events and said there is only one attacker…initial reports say there were 3. The number of those injured varies as well.
I guess we’ll never know!!
But we do know that one man died. A man in his sixties killed as he prays in church. According to Dubai news which was shown on SBS here in Australia today at 11:30am, the priest of one of the 3 churches attacked said the attacker shouted “Islamic slogans” as he walked into the church.
Mentally unstable. Seems like the new craze (pardon the pun) in the Arab and Islamic world these days. Well at least Western countries can take a bit of a break from being the “cause-for-everything-that-goes-wrong” in that part of the world. It’s more fashionable now to blame mental illness.
Abdul Rahman converts….He is obviously mentally ill
Zakaria Moussaoui is facing death penalty… he suddenly starts acting crazy
A man (or 3 men) attacks worshippers in a church….he (they) are mentally ill
Is there an epidemic of mental illness in the Mid East??
Pakistan
Our good friend Xavier brought this one to my attention
Link
A Christian Pakistani woman is spending Easter in jail. Her charge: she desecrated a Muslim sacred image of the Kaba. The real story: she protested to seeing the cross on a heap of rubbish. The irony: those drawing the cross on the rubbish were protesting the Mohammad cartoons!!!
“Naseem saw the protesters draw a cross on top of a rubbish help and so she went out to protest the desecrating gesture.” The woman told the demonstrators they were violating a sacred symbol of Christianity while protesting about exactly the same offence against their own faith.”
That’s OK Naseem; maybe they too are mentally incapacitated to see the hypocrisy. Perhaps they are too mentally ill to know that images are forbidden (haram) in Islam anyway, so that image of the Kaba they claim you desecrated was a desecration in itself!
So as our Western Christian brothers and sisters celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, and as we embark on a week of solemn prayers, we all raise our hearts to God in prayer:
For all those who are persecuted for their faith
For all those who have to spend these blessed days grieving for their loved ones
For all those who are living in fear
We take comfort in Your words Lord:
17And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18But there shall not an hair of your head perish. (Luke 21:17-18)
And last but not least, we pray for all those who seek to harm the church; the children of God, that they may be forgiven and to know the love and light of Christ.
This year however, there are more reasons to mourn. As we approach the Holy Week, others sought to inflict harm on the Body of Christ…His children...even as they pray.
Alexandria
ABC link
BBC link
For photos of the aftermath (caution: may be distressing)
Free Copts
A cowardly attack on a group of people gathered to pray. And perhaps the Egyptian police was listening to you Peter, for they claim that the attacker is mentally unstable. Or maybe you just know them too well! That is of course after they edited the events and said there is only one attacker…initial reports say there were 3. The number of those injured varies as well.
I guess we’ll never know!!
But we do know that one man died. A man in his sixties killed as he prays in church. According to Dubai news which was shown on SBS here in Australia today at 11:30am, the priest of one of the 3 churches attacked said the attacker shouted “Islamic slogans” as he walked into the church.
Mentally unstable. Seems like the new craze (pardon the pun) in the Arab and Islamic world these days. Well at least Western countries can take a bit of a break from being the “cause-for-everything-that-goes-wrong” in that part of the world. It’s more fashionable now to blame mental illness.
Abdul Rahman converts….He is obviously mentally ill
Zakaria Moussaoui is facing death penalty… he suddenly starts acting crazy
A man (or 3 men) attacks worshippers in a church….he (they) are mentally ill
Is there an epidemic of mental illness in the Mid East??
Pakistan
Our good friend Xavier brought this one to my attention
Link
A Christian Pakistani woman is spending Easter in jail. Her charge: she desecrated a Muslim sacred image of the Kaba. The real story: she protested to seeing the cross on a heap of rubbish. The irony: those drawing the cross on the rubbish were protesting the Mohammad cartoons!!!
“Naseem saw the protesters draw a cross on top of a rubbish help and so she went out to protest the desecrating gesture.” The woman told the demonstrators they were violating a sacred symbol of Christianity while protesting about exactly the same offence against their own faith.”
That’s OK Naseem; maybe they too are mentally incapacitated to see the hypocrisy. Perhaps they are too mentally ill to know that images are forbidden (haram) in Islam anyway, so that image of the Kaba they claim you desecrated was a desecration in itself!
So as our Western Christian brothers and sisters celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, and as we embark on a week of solemn prayers, we all raise our hearts to God in prayer:
For all those who are persecuted for their faith
For all those who have to spend these blessed days grieving for their loved ones
For all those who are living in fear
We take comfort in Your words Lord:
17And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18But there shall not an hair of your head perish. (Luke 21:17-18)
And last but not least, we pray for all those who seek to harm the church; the children of God, that they may be forgiven and to know the love and light of Christ.
posted by Bent El Neel at ٦:٠٨ م
25 comments
الجمعة، أبريل ١٤، ٢٠٠٦
Judas and Dan
This post is in response to Sara's comment on the post: The Bible in the Quran:Â
Why the Holy Bible is not a fake
Hi Sara, it's good to hear from you again. Please allow me to address your comment.
1-Judas
I haven't actually seen the documentary you mentioned, but I have heard and read alot about it. There is an excellent article about the Gospel of Judas written by Mark D. Roberts who is a pastor and a theologian. Here's the link: http://markdroberts.com/#apr906
You will find there a link that allows you to read the Gospel of Judas itself (or whatever is recovered from it). Basically Sara, citing the Gospel of Judas as evidence of the corruption of the Bible is very weak.
The Gospel of Judas contrasts wildly with the Gospels of St Mark, Matthew, John and Luke. The concepts in that Gospel (Judas) are a reverse of everything else in Christianity.
You say:
...and the shock that the bible or the book was written by the copts in egypt called epistemics....and that bible of judas were written 200 years after Jesus (PBUH)...
So are you saying the Gospel of Judas is a fake? If so why are we having this discussion? Christians also don't acknowledge this Gospel. It was rejected in 185 AD. It was rejected because the other Gospels were already accepted by the church.
(By the way it is the Gospel of Judas not the Bible of Judas. The Bible is the Holy book containing the Old and New Testaments.)
what was a more shocking that all the acadimis and bible proffesors said the all the four bibles of the disciples were documented after their death.....
Did they now? Well, I suppose they didn't explain how they arrived at that conclusion?
There is a lot of evidence that the Gospels of St Mark, Matthew, John and Luke were in fact written before the year 70 AD.
Here are some examples:
+ The earliest quotation of Matthew is found in Ignatius who died around 115 A.D. Therefore, Matthew was in circulation well before Ignatius came on the scene.
+ None of the gospels mention the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D.:
Jesus Has predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple saying: "As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down," (Luke 21:5, see also Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1). This was indeed fullfiled in the year 70AD. If the Gospels were written after then, they surely would have mentioned this event:
a) It was an extremely significant event
b) It was a fulfilment of Jesus Christ's words
+ Even the books following the 4 Gospels such as Acts fail to mention the destruction of the temple. The book of Acts is considered a historical account of the early church, immediately after the ascension of Jesus Christ. Again, an even as significant as the destruction of Jerusalme and the temple would surely have featured in it.
+ The Gospel of St John the Evangelist is considered to be the last of the Gospels to have been written. Papyrus fragments containing St John's Gospel were found in Egypt in the year 135AD. They were dated then to have been written in the 80's.
If you are interested, here are my sources:
http://www.gotquestions.org/when-Gospels-written.html
http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/patrology/schoolofalex2/chapter03.html
www.carm.org/questions/gospels_written.htm
2-Dan
go and read a wonderful story called " the da vinci code"....
You said it!! a story. The Davinci Code is a novel, filed under "fiction".
was the best seller at 2003 and sold more than 30 million copies allover the world...
Yeah, and the "Satanic Verses" was and still is a best seller too. Your point is...?
that story pushed a lot of priests to publish books defending the christinity!!!!!!!!!
Christianity didn't need to be defended. If there were books written to counter the claims made by Mr Dan Brown, what is wrong with that? At least he wasn't declared an apostate by the Vatican, and there was no money offered for his death.
This book, the Davinci Code, is a murder mystery which weaves alot of conpiracy theories through the plot to spice it up. Mr Brown wasn't the first to bring up those conspiracy theories. He has in fact just been trialled for plagiarismm.
More importantly, all the claims he makes in the books are easily destroyed. He says he based the events on facts and real locations. His references: Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Templar Revelation are not history books though. Go to any university teaching history or theology, check their curricula...you certainly won't find those references in there.
Sara, if you want to refute the Holy Bible and the Christian faith, I'd recommend you refer to a "real" book not to a novel.
last words...both..the programm of Gospel of JUdas and the story are non muslim sources..once a swizz chanel ..the other is an american author...
Here's a little fact about Christian history: Even before Islam, there were heretics who were actually Christians before they lost their way.
Here's a little fact about the Western world today: It's secular. A Swiss, American, British, Italian...researcher can say what they please about whatever they want to.
Being a Swiss or American doesn't automatically make their findings the absolute truth. There has been hundreds of Western and Eastern theologians and writers who also refuted the Quran and the Islamic faith. But you'd call those "Anti Islamic sources" I guess, and I suspect youu would strip them of all credibility too!!!
Finally, you still haven't answered my questions from the last post:
1) If you acknowledge that God gave Moses and Jesus the Torah and Injil, how do you explain that the Almighty couldn't protect His word from corruption?
2) Who is responsible for altering the original Bible? Jews or Christians?
I look forward to learning your thoughts regarding the above questions.
Hi Sara, it's good to hear from you again. Please allow me to address your comment.
1-Judas
I haven't actually seen the documentary you mentioned, but I have heard and read alot about it. There is an excellent article about the Gospel of Judas written by Mark D. Roberts who is a pastor and a theologian. Here's the link: http://markdroberts.com/#apr906
You will find there a link that allows you to read the Gospel of Judas itself (or whatever is recovered from it). Basically Sara, citing the Gospel of Judas as evidence of the corruption of the Bible is very weak.
The Gospel of Judas contrasts wildly with the Gospels of St Mark, Matthew, John and Luke. The concepts in that Gospel (Judas) are a reverse of everything else in Christianity.
You say:
...and the shock that the bible or the book was written by the copts in egypt called epistemics....and that bible of judas were written 200 years after Jesus (PBUH)...
So are you saying the Gospel of Judas is a fake? If so why are we having this discussion? Christians also don't acknowledge this Gospel. It was rejected in 185 AD. It was rejected because the other Gospels were already accepted by the church.
(By the way it is the Gospel of Judas not the Bible of Judas. The Bible is the Holy book containing the Old and New Testaments.)
what was a more shocking that all the acadimis and bible proffesors said the all the four bibles of the disciples were documented after their death.....
Did they now? Well, I suppose they didn't explain how they arrived at that conclusion?
There is a lot of evidence that the Gospels of St Mark, Matthew, John and Luke were in fact written before the year 70 AD.
Here are some examples:
+ The earliest quotation of Matthew is found in Ignatius who died around 115 A.D. Therefore, Matthew was in circulation well before Ignatius came on the scene.
+ None of the gospels mention the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D.:
Jesus Has predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple saying: "As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down," (Luke 21:5, see also Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1). This was indeed fullfiled in the year 70AD. If the Gospels were written after then, they surely would have mentioned this event:
a) It was an extremely significant event
b) It was a fulfilment of Jesus Christ's words
+ Even the books following the 4 Gospels such as Acts fail to mention the destruction of the temple. The book of Acts is considered a historical account of the early church, immediately after the ascension of Jesus Christ. Again, an even as significant as the destruction of Jerusalme and the temple would surely have featured in it.
+ The Gospel of St John the Evangelist is considered to be the last of the Gospels to have been written. Papyrus fragments containing St John's Gospel were found in Egypt in the year 135AD. They were dated then to have been written in the 80's.
If you are interested, here are my sources:
http://www.gotquestions.org/when-Gospels-written.html
http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/patrology/schoolofalex2/chapter03.html
www.carm.org/questions/gospels_written.htm
2-Dan
go and read a wonderful story called " the da vinci code"....
You said it!! a story. The Davinci Code is a novel, filed under "fiction".
was the best seller at 2003 and sold more than 30 million copies allover the world...
Yeah, and the "Satanic Verses" was and still is a best seller too. Your point is...?
that story pushed a lot of priests to publish books defending the christinity!!!!!!!!!
Christianity didn't need to be defended. If there were books written to counter the claims made by Mr Dan Brown, what is wrong with that? At least he wasn't declared an apostate by the Vatican, and there was no money offered for his death.
This book, the Davinci Code, is a murder mystery which weaves alot of conpiracy theories through the plot to spice it up. Mr Brown wasn't the first to bring up those conspiracy theories. He has in fact just been trialled for plagiarismm.
More importantly, all the claims he makes in the books are easily destroyed. He says he based the events on facts and real locations. His references: Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Templar Revelation are not history books though. Go to any university teaching history or theology, check their curricula...you certainly won't find those references in there.
Sara, if you want to refute the Holy Bible and the Christian faith, I'd recommend you refer to a "real" book not to a novel.
last words...both..the programm of Gospel of JUdas and the story are non muslim sources..once a swizz chanel ..the other is an american author...
Here's a little fact about Christian history: Even before Islam, there were heretics who were actually Christians before they lost their way.
Here's a little fact about the Western world today: It's secular. A Swiss, American, British, Italian...researcher can say what they please about whatever they want to.
Being a Swiss or American doesn't automatically make their findings the absolute truth. There has been hundreds of Western and Eastern theologians and writers who also refuted the Quran and the Islamic faith. But you'd call those "Anti Islamic sources" I guess, and I suspect youu would strip them of all credibility too!!!
Finally, you still haven't answered my questions from the last post:
1) If you acknowledge that God gave Moses and Jesus the Torah and Injil, how do you explain that the Almighty couldn't protect His word from corruption?
2) Who is responsible for altering the original Bible? Jews or Christians?
I look forward to learning your thoughts regarding the above questions.
posted by Bent El Neel at ٥:٠٥ م
5 comments
The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. (John 16:2-3)
بَلْ سَيَأْتِي وَقْتٌ يَظُنُّ فِيهِ مَنْ يَقْتُلُكُمْ أَنَّهُ يُؤَدِّي خِدْمَةً لِلهِ
وسيفعلون هذا بكم لانهم لم يعرفوا الآب ولا عرفوني
As we approach the conclusion of Holy Lent, and Good Friday when Christ suffered for our sake, we are reminded of His words to us in the Gospel of St John the Evangelist (see above). For His children are indeed being cast out and persecuted for His name.
_________________________________________________
1) In Qena:
http://freecopts.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=9
An attack on a Coptic community in Upper Egypt...the cause: they were suspected of building a church.
No you're not experiencing deja vu. This is a fresh attack. The third this year for the same reason. I really don't have much more to say about this other than to say to those who insist there's no religiously based persecution in Egypt: How do you explain this then?????
_______________________________________________
2) In Saudi Arabia
http://italiancatholic.blogspot.com/2006/04/catholic-priest-arrested-and-expelled.html
The priest was , shock horror, praying!!! Who knew you could get arrested and chucked out of a country because you are praying?? And not any country, mind you. This is a country that claims to be the guardian of Islam. Islam which we've been hearing tonnes about its tolerance and respect for other religions.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for respecting a country's laws while you are on their land. What gets me is the hypocricy and the double standards. Had this happened to an Imam in Australia, well...you all saw the post-cartoon hysteria.
_____________________________________________
Yes Lord, even in this day and age of intellectual and scientific advancements and awareness of human rights and freedoms...your children are still being persecuted.
We pray for the safety of all Your children, and we pray for the salvation of those who don't know You that they may experience the true light, for You have said:
46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.(John 12:46)
انا قد جئت نورا الى العالم حتى كل من يؤمن بي لا يمكث في الظلمة
بَلْ سَيَأْتِي وَقْتٌ يَظُنُّ فِيهِ مَنْ يَقْتُلُكُمْ أَنَّهُ يُؤَدِّي خِدْمَةً لِلهِ
وسيفعلون هذا بكم لانهم لم يعرفوا الآب ولا عرفوني
As we approach the conclusion of Holy Lent, and Good Friday when Christ suffered for our sake, we are reminded of His words to us in the Gospel of St John the Evangelist (see above). For His children are indeed being cast out and persecuted for His name.
_________________________________________________
1) In Qena:
http://freecopts.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=9
An attack on a Coptic community in Upper Egypt...the cause: they were suspected of building a church.
No you're not experiencing deja vu. This is a fresh attack. The third this year for the same reason. I really don't have much more to say about this other than to say to those who insist there's no religiously based persecution in Egypt: How do you explain this then?????
_______________________________________________
2) In Saudi Arabia
http://italiancatholic.blogspot.com/2006/04/catholic-priest-arrested-and-expelled.html
The priest was , shock horror, praying!!! Who knew you could get arrested and chucked out of a country because you are praying?? And not any country, mind you. This is a country that claims to be the guardian of Islam. Islam which we've been hearing tonnes about its tolerance and respect for other religions.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for respecting a country's laws while you are on their land. What gets me is the hypocricy and the double standards. Had this happened to an Imam in Australia, well...you all saw the post-cartoon hysteria.
_____________________________________________
Yes Lord, even in this day and age of intellectual and scientific advancements and awareness of human rights and freedoms...your children are still being persecuted.
We pray for the safety of all Your children, and we pray for the salvation of those who don't know You that they may experience the true light, for You have said:
46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.(John 12:46)
انا قد جئت نورا الى العالم حتى كل من يؤمن بي لا يمكث في الظلمة
posted by Bent El Neel at ١٢:١٤ ص
3 comments
الخميس، أبريل ١٣، ٢٠٠٦
The Lost Boy who Found the Way
Monday night has got to be one of my least favorite nights of the week. As we settled in after dinner to watch Andrew Denton's "Enough Rope" on the ABC this week however, we were rewarded with a wonderful "show and tell" segment.
For those of you not living downunder, Enough Rope is a TV show very similar to Parkinson. Basically Andrew Denton (the host) interviews a couple of celebrities. However, in my opinion, Andrew has got to be the best TV personalities on Aussie TV. He really knows how to bring out the best in his interviewees. There is a segment at the end of each episode called "show and tell". Anyone can register on the ABC website for this segment. You just need to have experienced something extraordinary or exceptional. If you're selected, Andrew interviews you for a few minutes at the end of an episode.
Show and tell of this week's episode was with Clement Deng, a Sudanese man whose very survival is nothing short of a miracle. You'll find the transcript of the interview in the link in this post's title. Basically he was the victim of the horrendous civil war in Southern Sudan, at the tender age of nine.
Clement Deng looks like a mild mannered, somewhat shy and quiet man. His speech is calm and he had a sweet smile as he spoke to Andrew. As he told of being attacked, beaten, branded and then being separated from his family, my heart broke a thousand times...
For all that I take for granted,
for the frightened children,
for all the grieving mothers
for the cruelty we are capable of as human beings
for the grace of this man who above all spoke of love.
Clement: So I just see that we need to bring love, because love is the mother of compromise, and when you love somebody and you actually criticise that person in context of love, you cannot reach the level that you want to take the life of a person away
Mr Deng; I tip my hat to you sir. You may have been lost to your home and family as a boy, but you certainly never lost yourself. Praise God who protected, not just you life, but your soul.
For those of you not living downunder, Enough Rope is a TV show very similar to Parkinson. Basically Andrew Denton (the host) interviews a couple of celebrities. However, in my opinion, Andrew has got to be the best TV personalities on Aussie TV. He really knows how to bring out the best in his interviewees. There is a segment at the end of each episode called "show and tell". Anyone can register on the ABC website for this segment. You just need to have experienced something extraordinary or exceptional. If you're selected, Andrew interviews you for a few minutes at the end of an episode.
Show and tell of this week's episode was with Clement Deng, a Sudanese man whose very survival is nothing short of a miracle. You'll find the transcript of the interview in the link in this post's title. Basically he was the victim of the horrendous civil war in Southern Sudan, at the tender age of nine.
Clement Deng looks like a mild mannered, somewhat shy and quiet man. His speech is calm and he had a sweet smile as he spoke to Andrew. As he told of being attacked, beaten, branded and then being separated from his family, my heart broke a thousand times...
For all that I take for granted,
for the frightened children,
for all the grieving mothers
for the cruelty we are capable of as human beings
for the grace of this man who above all spoke of love.
Clement: So I just see that we need to bring love, because love is the mother of compromise, and when you love somebody and you actually criticise that person in context of love, you cannot reach the level that you want to take the life of a person away
Mr Deng; I tip my hat to you sir. You may have been lost to your home and family as a boy, but you certainly never lost yourself. Praise God who protected, not just you life, but your soul.
posted by Bent El Neel at ١١:٤٨ م
0 comments
I'm Back!!
Hey everyone
Well I certainly missed blogging over the past few days. But here I am, late night snack and hot drink on hand, working week over for 4 days (yayyy) and the brain cells already firing up. Not that I have been completely away from the blog world. I must admit I checked in on a few of my favorite blogs and posted some comments here and there on my lunch breaks ;D.
So if you've posted me a comment or a question, look out for the response over the next few days. But first I have a few things on my mind that I want to share.
See ya around!
Well I certainly missed blogging over the past few days. But here I am, late night snack and hot drink on hand, working week over for 4 days (yayyy) and the brain cells already firing up. Not that I have been completely away from the blog world. I must admit I checked in on a few of my favorite blogs and posted some comments here and there on my lunch breaks ;D.
So if you've posted me a comment or a question, look out for the response over the next few days. But first I have a few things on my mind that I want to share.
See ya around!
posted by Bent El Neel at ١١:٤١ م
1 comments
الأربعاء، أبريل ٠٥، ٢٠٠٦
Feed my sheep
15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Matthew 21:15-17
My regular blog friends may be wondering why I am posting after indicating that IÂll be awayforr a few days. Well guys, I didn't want the occasion of the passing of Pope John Paul II to pass quietly on this blog! So I just wanted to pay tribute to a great man, chosen by God to guard His flock.
Pope John Paul II inspires so many wonderful feelings of respect, awe and love in me. He, like my Coptic Orthodox pope Shenouda III, has placed great importance on the
youth of the church. Pope John Paul also worked hard towards church unity, something so close to the hearts of many Christians around the world. Not to mention his compassion for the poor and oppressed, and his affirmation of church doctrine.
But the one thing that clearly showed the world how the love of Jesus Christ can elevate us to higher spiritual grounds, was His Holiness forgiveness to the man who shot him. In my humble opinion, that single event demonstrated more than words can say, that it is indeed possible to live by GodÂs commandments no matter the time or place we live in or who we are or who we live amongst.
So, while time may pass, Your Holiness will always be in the thoughts and prayers of those you shepherded whether Catholics or not. Thank you for setting a fine example of what it takes to guard GodÂs sheep. Thank you for showing the world what it means to live Christianity, not just to be Christian.
16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Matthew 21:15-17
My regular blog friends may be wondering why I am posting after indicating that IÂll be awayforr a few days. Well guys, I didn't want the occasion of the passing of Pope John Paul II to pass quietly on this blog! So I just wanted to pay tribute to a great man, chosen by God to guard His flock.
Pope John Paul II inspires so many wonderful feelings of respect, awe and love in me. He, like my Coptic Orthodox pope Shenouda III, has placed great importance on the
youth of the church. Pope John Paul also worked hard towards church unity, something so close to the hearts of many Christians around the world. Not to mention his compassion for the poor and oppressed, and his affirmation of church doctrine.
But the one thing that clearly showed the world how the love of Jesus Christ can elevate us to higher spiritual grounds, was His Holiness forgiveness to the man who shot him. In my humble opinion, that single event demonstrated more than words can say, that it is indeed possible to live by GodÂs commandments no matter the time or place we live in or who we are or who we live amongst.
So, while time may pass, Your Holiness will always be in the thoughts and prayers of those you shepherded whether Catholics or not. Thank you for setting a fine example of what it takes to guard GodÂs sheep. Thank you for showing the world what it means to live Christianity, not just to be Christian.
posted by Bent El Neel at ٤:٠٧ م
11 comments
السبت، أبريل ٠١، ٢٠٠٦
The Bible in the Quran:…Why the Holy Bible is not a fake
The purpose of me starting to publish a blog was actually so I can talk about things I am passionate about. The Coptic persecution issue is such a topic. Of course once I started talking about it, many discussions ensued, mainly between me and Muslim guests. One of the points that kept coming up was the claim that the Holy Bible is a fake and so we Christians have been lead astray.
Although they say curiosity killed the cat, I can’t help being a curious person. So I set off looking into this claim, not because I actually doubted the veracity of the Holy Bible…but because I was curious to know where people would come up with this idea!! I thought about whether to publish what I found or not, finally deciding that because my faith and my Bible definitely qualify for “things I’m passionate about” status, and that I don’t intend any offence to anyone, nor do I intend to prove that “my religion is better than yours”…that I will publish it after all.
I have refered in my search to the following websites:
http://www.al-islam.com/arb/
http://www.equran.org/
and I focused on how Allah refers to the scriptures delivered before the Quran. None of the explanations are my own, rather they are "tafseer" (explanation) of such Muslim scholars as Al Tabari, Al Qurtobi, and Ibn Katheer (see first link above).
___________________________
Q1) Do you believe that the Quran is the unaltered word of Allah?
Q2) Do you abide by all the teachings of the Quran?
Q3) Do you believe that Allah is capable of protecting His Holy Books?
If you answered yes to any/all of the above please consider the following Quranic verses.
1) 4:136 O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messenger., and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray.
Al Qortobi explains that the scripture sent before the Quran refers to all scripture given to previous prophets. AlTabari explicitly refers to these scriptures as the Torah and Injil.
******
2) 57:27 Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our apostles: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel; and We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him Compassion and Mercy
3) 5:46 And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.
In 2) and 3) Allah clearly says that He gave Issa (Jesus) the Injil (the Gospels), to light the way for people and confirm al torah (Al Tabari)
******
4) 10:94 If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt.
In the explanation of Al Qortobi, he explains that those who read the books before thee are the Jews. This is corroborated by the explanation of Ibn Katheer and Tabari.
******
5) 29:46 And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)."
AlTabari again explicitly says that the people of the book are the Jews and Christians.
******
6) 5 :43 But why do they come to thee for decision, when they have (their own) law before them?- therein is the (plain) command of Allah. yet even after that, they would turn away. For they are not (really) People of Faith.
In AlTabari’s explanation he says that this means why the Jews would go to Mohammad and accept his judgment when they can find resolution in the book that I gave to them. So a clear admission that the Torah is the Book of God
******
7) 21:7 Before thee, also, the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.
Those who possess the message or Ahl Althikr are the people of the Torah and Injil according to Al Tabari’s tafseer.
******
8) 10:37 This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah. on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds.
________________________________________
So, from the above we learn that:
• Allah gave Jesus and Moses the Torah and Injil (which constitute the Holy Bible)
• The Quran is a confirmation of what Allah has delivered beforehand (Torah and Injil)
• Allah advises Mohammad that if he is in doubt, he should refer to the people of the Book (torah and injil)
• Therefore Muslims must believe in the Torah and Injil as well as the Quran
Ok, now for another set of questions:
1) Was the Bible falsified before or after Islam/Quran?
If it was falsified before the coming of Islam, then no doubt Allah would have known that. Why is Allah telling Mohammad all these great things about it if it has been corrupted? Why refer him to books that He knows are false?
Whether before or after Islam and the Quran: if you claim that today’s Bible is false, surely you must have compared it with what you believe is an original. Where is the original unaltered copy that this claim is based upon??
2) What of the copies of the Holy Bible in museums al around the world from different eras in many languages?
If someone wanted to corrupt the Bible, wouldn’t that have been found out already by comparing the corrupt version with the older versions displayed or kept in many locations around the world? or have they all been corrupted too? and how is that feasible?
3) Who falsified the Bible, Christians or Jews?
The Holy Bible consists of the Old Testament which we the Christians share with the Jews, and the New Testament which belongs to the Christians only.
If the Christians wanted to alter the Bible, is it reasonable to believe that the Jewish scholars let it slide?? And the opposite is true, if the Jews wanted to corrupt the Torah, wouldn’t the Old Testament in the Christian Bible be different to the Torah today? Is it reasonable to believe that the Church let it slide?
Unless the Jews and Christians corrupted it together? But how does that make sense when the very essence of Christianity is the belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, which our Jewish brothers and sisters are still waiting for?
4) There have been many councils in the history if Christianity, to discuss and quell heresies and preserve the faith of the church. Wouldn't there have a council also to stop the falsification ofthe Bible?
Furthermore, when the church split into Orthodox and Catholic, it was mainly over the translation of ONE word in the creed....is it then reasonable to believe that a falsification of the Holy Bible would have gone unnoticed by either church??
5) Last but not least; how would God allow His word to be altered?
Did He not say in sura 10:64
10:64 For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity.
And in Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Surely God the Almighty would have protected His word from the hands of misguided men. Surely God keeps His promises.
*******************************************
Injil= Gospel in Arabic
Although they say curiosity killed the cat, I can’t help being a curious person. So I set off looking into this claim, not because I actually doubted the veracity of the Holy Bible…but because I was curious to know where people would come up with this idea!! I thought about whether to publish what I found or not, finally deciding that because my faith and my Bible definitely qualify for “things I’m passionate about” status, and that I don’t intend any offence to anyone, nor do I intend to prove that “my religion is better than yours”…that I will publish it after all.
I have refered in my search to the following websites:
http://www.al-islam.com/arb/
http://www.equran.org/
and I focused on how Allah refers to the scriptures delivered before the Quran. None of the explanations are my own, rather they are "tafseer" (explanation) of such Muslim scholars as Al Tabari, Al Qurtobi, and Ibn Katheer (see first link above).
___________________________
Q1) Do you believe that the Quran is the unaltered word of Allah?
Q2) Do you abide by all the teachings of the Quran?
Q3) Do you believe that Allah is capable of protecting His Holy Books?
If you answered yes to any/all of the above please consider the following Quranic verses.
1) 4:136 O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messenger., and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray.
Al Qortobi explains that the scripture sent before the Quran refers to all scripture given to previous prophets. AlTabari explicitly refers to these scriptures as the Torah and Injil.
******
2) 57:27 Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our apostles: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel; and We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him Compassion and Mercy
3) 5:46 And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.
In 2) and 3) Allah clearly says that He gave Issa (Jesus) the Injil (the Gospels), to light the way for people and confirm al torah (Al Tabari)
******
4) 10:94 If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt.
In the explanation of Al Qortobi, he explains that those who read the books before thee are the Jews. This is corroborated by the explanation of Ibn Katheer and Tabari.
******
5) 29:46 And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)."
AlTabari again explicitly says that the people of the book are the Jews and Christians.
******
6) 5 :43 But why do they come to thee for decision, when they have (their own) law before them?- therein is the (plain) command of Allah. yet even after that, they would turn away. For they are not (really) People of Faith.
In AlTabari’s explanation he says that this means why the Jews would go to Mohammad and accept his judgment when they can find resolution in the book that I gave to them. So a clear admission that the Torah is the Book of God
******
7) 21:7 Before thee, also, the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.
Those who possess the message or Ahl Althikr are the people of the Torah and Injil according to Al Tabari’s tafseer.
******
8) 10:37 This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah. on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds.
________________________________________
So, from the above we learn that:
• Allah gave Jesus and Moses the Torah and Injil (which constitute the Holy Bible)
• The Quran is a confirmation of what Allah has delivered beforehand (Torah and Injil)
• Allah advises Mohammad that if he is in doubt, he should refer to the people of the Book (torah and injil)
• Therefore Muslims must believe in the Torah and Injil as well as the Quran
Ok, now for another set of questions:
1) Was the Bible falsified before or after Islam/Quran?
If it was falsified before the coming of Islam, then no doubt Allah would have known that. Why is Allah telling Mohammad all these great things about it if it has been corrupted? Why refer him to books that He knows are false?
Whether before or after Islam and the Quran: if you claim that today’s Bible is false, surely you must have compared it with what you believe is an original. Where is the original unaltered copy that this claim is based upon??
2) What of the copies of the Holy Bible in museums al around the world from different eras in many languages?
If someone wanted to corrupt the Bible, wouldn’t that have been found out already by comparing the corrupt version with the older versions displayed or kept in many locations around the world? or have they all been corrupted too? and how is that feasible?
3) Who falsified the Bible, Christians or Jews?
The Holy Bible consists of the Old Testament which we the Christians share with the Jews, and the New Testament which belongs to the Christians only.
If the Christians wanted to alter the Bible, is it reasonable to believe that the Jewish scholars let it slide?? And the opposite is true, if the Jews wanted to corrupt the Torah, wouldn’t the Old Testament in the Christian Bible be different to the Torah today? Is it reasonable to believe that the Church let it slide?
Unless the Jews and Christians corrupted it together? But how does that make sense when the very essence of Christianity is the belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, which our Jewish brothers and sisters are still waiting for?
4) There have been many councils in the history if Christianity, to discuss and quell heresies and preserve the faith of the church. Wouldn't there have a council also to stop the falsification ofthe Bible?
Furthermore, when the church split into Orthodox and Catholic, it was mainly over the translation of ONE word in the creed....is it then reasonable to believe that a falsification of the Holy Bible would have gone unnoticed by either church??
5) Last but not least; how would God allow His word to be altered?
Did He not say in sura 10:64
10:64 For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity.
And in Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Surely God the Almighty would have protected His word from the hands of misguided men. Surely God keeps His promises.
*******************************************
Injil= Gospel in Arabic
posted by Bent El Neel at ١٠:٢٣ م
60 comments
من أنا
- الاسم: Bent El Neel
- الموقع: Australia
Bent El Neel means Daughter of the Nile in Arabic. Neferteeti is an Ancient Egyptian queen. I am an Egyptian Australian woman and I love both my home countries very much. This blog is for things I am most passionate about: Motherhood, The Coptic cause, Christianity, The rights of the opressed to name a few.
Good mates of this blog
- David's Blog (Italian American Catholic and Allthogether Strange)
- The Eyewitness
- Jack's Blog(Black Coffee Reflections)
- CMinor's Blog (The Minor Premise)
- Carolanne's Blog (C outside the box)
- Lanternix
- Kareem Amer
- Mohammed Fadly's Blogs
- Xavier's Blog (Buscaraons)
- Bint Alshamsa Blogs
- Amillennialist's Blog
- Viva's Blog
- Edit-Me
My Links
Previous Posts
- الرد على تساؤلات "احساس لسه حي" -- جزء 2
- ردا على سؤال "احساس لسه حي" بخصوص زى المرأه في الم...
- An Attorney and his Sons Hire a Mob of Thugs to De...
- Muslim Extremists Call for Violence against Christ...
- AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL NEWS MEDIA
- Attack on St Mary’s Church, Dakhlia
- IGNORANCE; Thy Will be Done. In Malaysia as it is...
- Beware: This is a strictly ONE-WAY religion
- We're a Nation of Lying Convicts and Our Women are...
- Merry Christmas! (and a white one at that!!!)
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