blackshama's commentary on Philippine issues

Martin Luther is best remembered by people as the priest who by posting 95 theses for debate at the Wittenberg church door, unwittingly started the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation is a watershed period in Western history. As a result the Roman Church was forced to discard its worldly trappings and return to its spiritual roots and and other Christians were free to worship as what their understanding of Scripture would say. But personally I would like to remember Luther about his fondness for apple trees. Perhaps one of his most famous quotes is "If I knew that world would fall into pieces tomorrow, I will still plant my little apple tree" This quote is read by many as about faith. Another Protestant minister who started another Reformation in the 20th century United States (this time on civil rights) and shared Luther's name, Dr Martin Luther King Jr used the quote in his sermons. Thus people thought it was of Dr King but it was not. In the devastation wrought up...

Nothing shows that we are so far from Christ as Christmas. As Saint Luke tells us, the baby was born of a virgin, had no room for him at the inn, and was born where animals were kept in a manger. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes not the fancy one but what the poor have. Mary and Joseph were poor. The manifestation that this wasn't an ordinary baby came from what the shepherds say what the angels told them. The first visitors to see the baby were what the scriptures say are downtrodden. The baby was born empty of the trappings of one who has power. None of the shepherds offered a present as the Lucan gospel tells us. It was the magi who gave the precious presents of myrrh, gold and frankincense since they recognized that the child was of royal lineage and has absolute power. But the baby would follow the Israelite way of being refugees and flee to Egypt. This baby has experienced everything! Even this power had to be emptied and whatever power Christ exhibited during his earthly ...

Dear Bishops, Priests, Pastors, Self proclaimed "apostles" "brothers", "sisters" and "Messengers of God" As a Christian of the Catholic tradition in our country, I am sickened by the divisions you show because you have to find the "truth" but in reality you are just playing politics. Why should laypeople like me complain? The Christ of the Gospels have called you "whitewashed tombs". There is a way that you can all get out of this mess and ask God for forgiveness. I have always admired Pope John Paul II's decision to get all believers to pray at the holiest place in Italy, irregardless whether they believed in a mnotheistic God, or plytheistic gods or whatever. The present Pope, Benedict XVI then John Paul's PanzerKardinal did not very approve of this but John Paul evidently moved by the Spirit, pushed on. In 1986 John Paul called everyone to pray at Assisi at the Church of Saint Francis, the saint of peace, nature and...

My car almost went empty of gas after the gas stations ran out of unleaded ethanol blend. I had to buy the more expensive high octane fuel. What has this got to do with Christmas? Like a carrier shell that has collected the sea's junk our Christmas celebrations have accumulated parties, feasts, presents (which we expect), presents (which people expect us to give) and Christmas bonuses (money!) There was one baby born on this day with never had anything at all although he had all right to everything. One thing I have learned in the spiritual sense when studying environment and biodiversity is that nothing belongs to us. If there is a moral lesson to the global warming problem this is that the planet really isn't ours. To whom does the planet and the cosmos belongs? It belongs to the one who made them. Christians believe that God made everything and God became one of us (in doing so became part of the biosphere). He had to go through the stages of life starting with a zygote an...