Sex, Sex, and God

The Catholic Church has during the past centuries turned love from something that should be cherished and considered a gift from God to something that we should be afraid of. Something that was a duty. Even though the Church has lightened its approach to sex, we still have some stupid laws. Many priests think that AID’s is a punishment from God, we must not use condoms, sex is for married couples etc etc

If you look at the sex industry, you will see that not everyone agrees with the Catholics. Pornography and prostitution are two areas in the sex industry that makes billions of pounds every year. Prostitution itself is probably one of the oldest jobs that we have in history. It has been around since the dawn of day. Unfortunately society does not respect it, and many prostitutes have a pimp that takes most of their money, gets them addicted to drugs and worse take their self-esteem. The problem with prostitution is not the act itself. It is that others make a profit from prostitutes, mainly pimps. I think it should be legal, as I cannot see anything wrong with it, if the woman is treated well by her pimps and gets the money she deserves.

Pornography is another sex industry, and in the Western world, we can’t keep our hands off of it. There is a lot of pornography out there. Imagine what would happen if I put porno in this blog. The amount of visits would increase. Lets face it; the Internet is full of porno of every kind. Some one is making a stash of money and many girls are getting famous for doing something the most of us would not admit to. Porno is a very old trade. We can see it in old mugs and frescoes. In my view, Pornography should also be legal as long as the people involved consented.

Sex is a strange thing. There are so many fetishes.
- Men dressing as women
- Sex in rubber
- Men and women dressed as a baby
- People that adore feet.
- And a lot more.
While some fetishes confuse us, and other fetishes make us laugh, I think they are cute. Take for example a woman I know that loves being dressed as a baby. Sex for her is someone changing her diaper and being fed baby food and all that. I think it’s cute. She is hurting no one, and it turns her on. That is a very important element of sex. It means something different to everyone, but as long as they are not hurting anyone, who cares.

In fact sex is something people boast about. How big their privates are… how many of the opposite sex they have been in bed with… This shows that people appreciate sex, and some are even proud of their achievements.

Maybe the Church should change their view of sex. Sex should be between two consenting partners. Sex should be enjoyed. Sex is a gift from God. When you think of the act of sex, it shows that God has a good imagination and it was meant to be a gift. There are misuses of sex (e.g. pedophilia, sex with animals, sex by human trade, sex slaves). These misuses are sin and quite serious. They do not take into account two consenting people.
Let us remember that sex is a gift from God. Let the Church review its rules on contraception and finally thank God for the gift of sex

Leave a comment here and write what you think of sex

The right to be a child

Welcome to this weeks Children of God. Last week over 1,000 people have visited this blog. I am overwhelmed and humbled to the success of the blog. Of course 999 could have found the page by mistake and maybe they didn’t read anything. But I am optimist. I can see the most popular page in the blog is PROTECT THE CHILDREN. So I decided to expand this topic and write about how we treat children and why religion should be part of their life.
Feel Free to leave any comments on what you think.

To do this, I should start by writing what an idea child is. What is important in a childhood?
A child with a perfect childhood is a child that plays. Playing strengthens a child’s social skills as well their motoric skills. A child plays out situations in life (e.g. a visit to the dentist) that is hard to understand. Playing is more than just fun; it is extremely important part of a child’s development.
A child also explores. This makes common sense. A child enters a world that is as global and complicated as our world has to explore. Exploring how things work can also be a part of a child’s play. Anyone that has taken care of a child will know how many questions a child asks. Anyone that looks at a child’s game can see a child exploring new and better possibilities. In time, a child explores with one or more children.
When a child explores or plays, they learn. We expect a child to be social and have knowledge of the world when he/she reaches adulthood. We spend billions and billions of dollars/pounds (etc) educating our children. Education is a right that every child has; yet millions of children across the world have no education. What can they contribute to society when they are older? They might be stuck in the poverty cycle that so many people in this world are.
One thing that we do associate with children is their innocence. I disagree with anyone that says we carry the sins of our fathers. We cannot be held responsible for a sin that another person has committed. The proof of this is in a child’s innocence. A child does not know such things as war, discrimination, sex abuse, hatred and many other sins. A child learns the darker side of life. I think it is important that we keep the child’s innocence for as long as possible. We know that they grow up far too quickly. Lets give each child a childhood.

Many do not have my views of what a childhood should be. Here are a few examples:
One of the things that sadden me most are child soldiers. Hitler used them, and we see them in many conflicts across the world. It is saddening when you turn on TV, and see a child holding a gun. How can this child be old enough to decide which side to take? How can this child be old enough to be able to decide to kill another human being? There is no doubt, that being a child soldier has a negative effect on every child. It is not play, it is serious life. A child that experiences death and killing cannot develop to an adult without serious mental problems.
On the other side of the scale, we have slave labour, or as others call it child labour. Due to poverty many children are forced to work in dangerous surroundings. We all have seen films where children work in landfills and in other places with dangerous chemicals. We also seen children work in factories, again many hours with nearly no pay. Is slave labour or child labour good for children? We support it by buying cheaper products. We support it by not helping poverty in the world. These children are shoved in the adult world far too early.
Of course we have children that are sexually molested. This happens across the world. It is where adults look at children as a sexual object. Take it from me, that have experienced this myself, that I can summarize child abuse to an adult using his perverse knowledge and lust to manipulate a child. We all hear stories that the pedophile warns the child not to tell others about the molesting. This secret itself can destroy a child. The far too early sex can destroy a child. One thing I am sure about, child molesting does not benefit the child in any way. I wont write more about it here, as you can read PROTECT THE CHILDREN. These children needs our prayers, needs someone that they can tell, and needs the abuser to pay for what he has done.
So far, I have explained situations that could be seen in Asia or Africa. In the west we have what I call adult children. These children have to take responsibility for the family because their parents are drug addicts, or alcoholics, or mentally ill. The child is forced to take care of younger members, make sure that there is food in the house and the house is clean. We don’t expect parents to have a license when they get children, but some children have to act as parents because their own parents can’t.

There you have it. What I consider a child should experience, and what many children experiences. Does it help to pray? I think it does but action is also needed. We must combat poverty in every country.

What about religion so? Should parents force their child to have a belief and be part of their own church? My quick answer is yes.
A child should have a choice by the time he/she is to be confirmed. If we taught the child at a young age what it says in the Bible and what a good Christian is, then the child can have a real choice and confirm that he/she is a member of Gods family when he is confirmed.
There is nothing wrong with the Christian message. It is full of love, forgiveness and that we will always have a friend in Jesus. It tells us how to treat others, “Love your neighbour”
Can it be wrong to teach a child this?
Write your comments here….

Baptism: Celebration into God's Family

This week, I want to write about being a member of the largest family on earth – The Christian family. Baptism is the way in which we enter the family of God.

Like anything in life, there are different practices concerning Baptism. Catholics and most Protestant churches baptize babies, while others such as the Mormons and apostle Church baptizes as adults. I always found this difference quite interesting as it really explains how different Churches thinks our relationship with God is.

Contemporary Catholics spend a great deal of time preparing for their own or their child's Baptism. There are new clothes to buy, and classes to take, and godparents to select, all leading up to that moment at Mass when the waters of Baptism touch the new initiate. But Baptism-and all sacraments, for that matter-are much more than the moment of celebration.

The ritual of Baptism does not bring God's love into being as if that love did not exist before the ceremony. Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God who first loved us from the moment of our conception. Baptism celebrates a family's and a community's experience of that love in the baptized.

There are other life experiences-birth, death, washing, growing and so forth-that are celebrated in Baptism. The water represents life, death, cleansing and growth, and it recalls the floodwaters of Noah's day and the saving waters of the Red Sea parted by Moses. The candle symbolizes our status as an "Easter people" and signifies the way that the Church "passes the torch" of Christian commitment to those being baptized. The white garment represents the Church's belief that Baptism sets us free from Original Sin.

Obviously, infants cannot understand the change of allegiance, the putting off of the old and putting on of the new, the dying and rising, the new life, or the sharing in the life of Christ. However, the parents of those infants can understand and live those values and pass them on to their children. They can also experience the support of the community in living those ideals, and that is extremely important.

Infant Baptism only makes sense if parents are true Christian disciples. If they are not, then it makes little sense to initiate their children into a Church, which calls for a commitment to living the mission of Christ.
The Rite of Baptism for Children emphasizes the importance of faithfulness on the part of parents when it says to parents: In asking to have your children baptized, "you are accepting the responsibility of training them in the practice of the faith." That word practice is crucial; it calls for Christian modeling on the part of parents.

Children learn to be Christian by osmosis, by experiencing Christianity at home. The "domestic church" prepares children for the local and world Church. It is in the home, in the domestic church, that children first learn basic trust, which is the foundation of faith. Without the experience of faith, hope and commitment in the home, children will not be able to know and understand the larger Church.

There are many that do not have the faith that decides that a child should not be baptized. Some are disappointed if a child decides to be baptized later. Others decide that their children are not baptized because it has something to do with their faith. I think it’s a shame when children are not baptized as an infant. I think that it is a lovely celebration that a child is now part of God’s family. It is like we are forgetting a part of a child’s upbringing if he/she is not “officially” a part of God’s family. The argument that a child cannot decide is important for some but I think a child can decide when they are being confirmed if they want to be Christian or not.

Parents have a huge responsibility. It is not enough that we just splash some water over a child’s head. We also have to introduce the child to what it means being part of Gods family. My parents prayed with us, made sure that we attended Sunday school and Church. We had Bibles that we could read and Grandparents that supported the faith. This has given me the foundation of a faith. I don’t go to Church anymore, for reasons Ill explain later, but I do pray.

Baptism was one of the best presents my parents gave me.

Different religions living together

News: Hindus boycott Indian Catholic villagers for not honoring traditions
BANGALORE, India (CNS) -- The 800-member Catholic community in a village in India is facing a social boycott for refusing to follow traditions to appease Hindus gods. "We are Christians and we are not bound to follow Hindu religious practices," Father Philip Rock, pastor at St. Sebastian Parish in Mangalawada village, told Catholic News Service in early September. The village in India's Karnataka state has about twice as many Hindus as Catholics. Following the spread of cholera in the village, Hindu leaders announced steps to appease their gods and ward off evil. These steps included special fasts and the banning of regular work in the village on all "inauspicious days," including all Tuesdays and Fridays. Father Rock said the Hindus indicated that nobody should eat during the day, wash clothes, work in the fields, open their shops, or repair or wash their vehicles on such days. Pointing out that the government supplies water to the dry village only on Tuesdays and Fridays, Father Rock said, "How could I tell our people to follow these conditions?" The refusal of the Catholic families of Mangalawada to follow the directives angered the Hindu majority. Hindu leaders called a meeting and declared a "social boycott" against the Christians in late August. Father Rock said Hindus were told to have nothing to do with the Christians and were threatened with a fine of $11 for violating the ban on interacting with Christians. Since then, Hindus have stopped buying from small Christian shops, selling to Christians or using vehicles owned by Christians

Children of God thinks:
Like many others in the world, I believe in one God, that is a trinity. That means that there is God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I believe that Jesus has died for our sins, and the only way to heaven is to believe that he is our salvation.

As many as there are that have the some belief than I do, there are just as many that does not. Islam, Jews, Buddhists, atheists, and many more. Even within the Christian Church, there are different beliefs: Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Jehovah, Baptists and many more. The big question is why can’t we live together? In most cases we can. But as I said in another post, God is the fault for many Neighbour fights and even war. It seems like at times it is hard to live together, as the news story above shows.

We all remember the Danish Cartoon crises, where an artist drew Muhammad in satire pictures. In an ordinary society, people would show their disgust at an artist that took Freedom of speech too far. Only a handful of people bought the newspaper. That didn’t stop the crises. Some Muslims in Denmark traveled to the Middle East to tell what has happened. Of course, Muslims in the Middle East expected a government apology and the artist imprisoned. The Middle East did not understand the Freedom of Speech that Denmark has. A relatively unimportant event turned to be International crises. We have experienced that little Denmark was now hated in the Middle East. Flags were burnt, embassies were bombed. The artist himself was put on a death list. The situation now is not much better. Danes do not understand Muslims. Danes thinks that Muslims are a threat to National security and Danish traditions. The Cartoon crises have split the population, where a greater majority does not understand why some/many Muslims are fanatic.

This is where religion becomes dangerous. When we become fanatics. While I will never understand Al Queda’s use of violence in the name of Allah, the IRA’s violence in the name of God, I will never understand fanatics. God does not want Jihad. He does not want people to discriminate and make others suffer in the name of religion. I think he wants us to live together.

In fact when you look at religions, most have something that resembles the 10 commandments. All religions have the golden rule: “Do unto others, as you would like them to do to you”.

So how do we live together?
- Understand our own faith. This is extremely important. If we understood our faith, we would not have to feel uncomfortable every time Mormons or Jehovah knock at our door. We could simply say that we understand our own faith and we do not need them. This is the same when we have a religious debate with another faith. We can tell what we believe in.
- At the same time, it does not hurt to understand other religions. It is important that we understand what is good in every religion and expect that there are some fanatics that want to interpret some aspects of the religion in a narrow minded way or under any circumstances cannot expect that we have our own beliefs.
- Finally, we have to respect that people have a right to choose their own religion and worship their God as they wish, as long as it does not hurt others. We expect them also to respect our choice.

So what do you think, can different religions live together? Leave a comment here.

Protect the children

Children are our future. Their development and happiness should be the concern for every parent, every teacher, every government. It is a problem when our generation cannot protect children and allows them to be hurt.

It is a problem in the Catholic Church. Sometimes I get the impression that the Pope and priests are turning a blind eye towards a big problem in many parishes, where a priest molests a child. Many priests are simply moved to another Parish, and you can bet that they continue what they have started. The Vatican has had one approach, To take care (protect) of the priest that abused a child and try to silence the allegations. This has outraged many Catholics, and no wonder why. The Church should never protect pedophiles. The Church has to protect children.

Child abuse is a great sin and the abuse can be seen all over the world. Men and women abuse the innocence that every child has. We hear of children being groomed. That is, that they get used to the idea of getting abused. We hear that pedophiles uses lies and power to manipulate the child. I have spoken with many pedophiles, and a common element is that they think that a child should learn about sex. I say why? I believe that a child be given the opportunity to play, and be with other children. To learn social values and knowlegde that they will need later. This does not mean sex with an adult.

Lets get one thing straight. Children have a sex life. The important thing is that if their sex life becomes active, it is with another child. This is OK, as both children are experimenting with their sexuality. It is an even relationship that is not based on manipulation, but two children that are experimenting with each other. This is the main point pedophiles have to remember. An adult could never have an equal relationship with a child, as an adult knows too much about sex.

So what should the Catholic Church do?
The most important thing is that the Church should be open and admit that there is a problem. The Cardinals and Pope should not hide behind closed doors and hope that thousands of victims can be silenced.
The priests should be prosecuted at bought to Justice for their crime.
The Church should say sorry to the victims and explain how they will help to bring justice to the situation.

There are other things the Church can do, like allow married priests, but lets give a few suggestions that the Church can do. Failure to do this means that the Church is trying to manipulate the public, and lets face it, we are getting too smart for that.

What we can do is pray. Pray that the Church will be more open about their pedophile priests. Pray for the victims and pray for the abusers.

Heaven vs hell

One thing that is very important in religion is the after life. Earth is a journey to something better and an eternity with God. This is a relief to all that is worried about death. The idea that we will spend eternity with God is overwhelming. Of course its scientifically hard to prove. There is no proof of heaven and there is no proof that we will go there. I believe in Heaven and I believe that we will all be with God. I do not need science to prove this. To me it just makes common sense, when we die, we go to heaven. It is a question about faith.

One thing that does annoy me is that people are threatened about heaven. If we do not do 600 hundred things, we will go to hell. The whole threat of hell, where we will burn for eternity conflicts with the God I know and love. The use of hell is a threat by the Church (not just the Catholic Church) to keep us in line. To show us that sin has consequences. I know that this could be extreme, and I respect that many believes in hell. But then we would have to define what hell is. Is it a fiery place, where we are tormented for eternity, or is it a state of mind, where we realise the sins that we have committed and regret them. I believe that hell is a state of mind, where we realise our weak sides and repent and are very sorry about them.

Hell should be here on earth. Madonna once said that she was raised as a Catholic, and even though she is now something else, she will always be a catholic. The Catholic church has taught her to have a conscience. This is very true. I believe that all humans, religious or not realise what they have done something wrong. The problem is when we have the Victorian mentality, that it is only wrong when we are caught. Which is of course wrong. Hell is here on earth. What do I mean by that? When I realise I committed a sin, I should reflect on why it was a sin. A sin to me is where I have hurt God, others or myself. The hell is realising that we have hurt someone. Who really wants to hurt someone? So to me, we should start thinking that hell is here on earth.

It is not only ourselves. There is sin everywhere. Look around you. I do not have to list them here. The problem is that the Victorian mentality that I have spoken about is still popular. People do not have time to reflect on where they sin. They do not have time to ask for forgiveness. We think more about time than we do about our actions. For these people, they will experience their hell when time catches up to them. It can be when have a life crises, go on pension or even sit on the toilet. The Hell is how did we waste our lives on things that do not matter? How can we have hurt ourselves and others? This has happened to me. I was hit by a life crises, and then asked myself how could I have been such a lousy husband, father and friend. How have I sinned so much, that so many people have been hurt? This was a hell on earth for me and forced me to evaluate my life.

This is the positive thing with the concept of hell. It is not a threat of fire and whatever, It is a personal hell, that forced us to evaluate or lives, and repent. The most important thing here is that we learn by our mistakes and improve. We become better people. A personal hell leads to repentance, improvement and more love. Imagine what the world would look like if we all believed this?

The bottom line for me is that God is not a sadist, that wants us to suffer. He wants us to be responsible enough to take responsibility for our sins, and work at becoming better people. This means that Hell is here on earth. Earth is a travel to something better. The "hell" is the work and pain that it involves

The Church

Before I start, I have added a few things on the left side of the page. You can be a follower, which means you will get updates when something is written here. There is also a radio, quotes and some art. I Hope you like them. Please become a follower.

This time, I would like to talk about prayer, and where we pray. I was watching a TV program. I was shocked that in one city, a lot of money was used on who the had the highest steeple in the town. Was it the Muslims? Was it the Christians or Jews? The town kept rising their steeple to show pride or who had the best place of worship. To me this sounded like a the Babel Tower. It made me laugh at how stupid humans can be. It made me also sad at the image of God we have. Does he really care who has the nicest church. The Vatican is one of the nicest Religious centers in the world, and is an image for millions of people. But how many died during this prestige project. How many were fooled by indulgences. While The Vatican was being built, we have seen how low a religious organisation could go. Is this something that God is proud about, or is it something we are proud of? Lets hope not that the Vatican or any other church is not because of pride, as pride is one of the seven deadly sins.

I must admit, when I enter a church. I feel a special presence and atmosphere. I honestly do feel the presence of God. I blame my grandmother for this, It was her that took me to churches and we always lit candles. The thing that I think about is this because I was together with my Grandmother? I tried passing this tradition to my children when they were younger. I do not think it had the same effect. There is no doubt that we feel the presence of God in churches, but is this because of the building or the people in the building?

I remember once that I tried to get some local scouts to work with a local priest on making an open air service. It was not Catholic, It was the Church of Denmark. It took a lot of persuading to even get the event off the ground, and there were a lot of guidelines. These Open air services were one of the best religious experiences I had. The only thing I regret is that I could not sit with my wife at that stage and my children. She and I both had responsibilities so we were busy. But the main thing is when we were praying in the middle of the forest, you could look up at the sky. You could look at the small flowers swaying in the air. You could feel the rustle of the trees. It would be a mistake if we could not feel the presence of God here. The trees acted as steeples, that could stand higher than any prestige project. I had no problem with that, as the trees were Gods prestige that he done himself.

Jesus says, "Where two or three are gathered in my name." that they can pray. Has 2,000 years of tradition and practice made us forget this? Do we have to pray in churches. Is our prayers confined to Bible reading, meeting in a church, or kneeling besides the bed?

This article is about is where we pray, and how we pray, and why we pray. To answer this, we would ask what prayer is. Prayer is another word for communication. It is us talking with God. It could be giving praise, or thanking him for something. It could also be saying what you have experienced today. This is communication.
Do we have to communicate in a church? No! It is actually rarely that I go to church anymore. I will explain this in the future. But a while ago, I was walking my dog, and this leaf hit me straight in the eye. This was once that I wished I was wearing glasses. While my dog was smelling everything that could be smelled, I thought back to my school days, when I heard how leaves fell to spread their seeds. Then the childhood realisation came back that God was ultra cool and smart when it came to organising how things worked. I suddenly found myself thanking him for nature and the work he put in it. This was a prayer. A prayer in the middle of a field with some trees. I also asked him if´he could make it so that leaves will not blind me in the future. But maybe this was a wake up call.

Jesus visited Synagogues, but most of his praying and preaching was done in the open. Remember when he preached from the sea? He did not need a cathedral to pray and preach. He did it where he wanted. Why then are we restricted?
I will be honest. I pray in the toilet, when I am on my scooter, when I hear bad news about a friend, when I am worried about my children or their mother. When I lie in bed and could see the stars out of my window. Not that that is too often in Denmark.
It is important to remember that there is a difference between a church (small c) and Church (capital C). A church is just stones and bricks, built by man. A Church is the people itself that follows Jesus. Which is more important, people or bricks. We as a Church do not have to pray in a church. We can pray where we want and when we want, even though it is in nature, which is God's temple.

So next time you are in a traffic jam, try to communicate (pray), Maybe another person behind you is doing the same.

Traditions???

I think this will be problems in many churches, where traditions are not relevant for the times that we live in. One good thing about the Catholic Church is that it started well, and then committed some of the worse crimes every seen in history, but now seems to have its act together. One thing I do like about the Catholic Church is that compared to other Churches, it is a modern Church. None the less, there are traditions that I question or totally disagree with. If I went through all the Catholic Traditions and beliefs, then this would be a book. So I will take the major ones.

Traditions are good. Or are they? Some traditions that annoy me could be a vital part of another persons religion. Yet I might see them as crap and a waste of time. It is important to question the traditions. I believe we should not accept them that we do not agree with, after studying the purpose of them.

One tradition that I really question is the Mass. I think its a great idea that we all meet in prayer. At the same time, I always think does God ever get tired of hearing the same thing every single week. Actually there is a mass every day. But the words in the mass, the prayers and the structure is the same. At times I think do we even think about what is being said. I mean that we say the same thing every week, so after a while we sound like a flock geese that are mumbling prayers. Prayers and texts that we say every week and are just words that recite. And as I said, God must be very tired of hearing the same thing every week. The tradition of preying together, or service or mass is good. But maybe we should change it so it is our service/mass. Not something that was created 1,000 years ago.

Prayer is a good thing. No doubt about that. But I never did get the idea of Rosaries and Novenas and those things we have in the Catholic Church. I know they are important for my mother. She is always sending novenas to me. To those that don't know it, a novena is a prayer you say over nine days. I tried the Rosary, but I get caught up so much in counting the hail Marys, that I do not have time to meditate. This is the whole idea of the Rosary, to meditate. This is a deep catholic tradition. Reciting prayers and other things. Personally the only prayer that means anything to me is Our Father. The tradition of reciting prayers means nothing if you do not think of what you are saying and why you are saying it

One controversial thing about the Catholic Church is the saints. A lot of people pray to saints. Again I do not understand this. Why do we not pray to God himself? Why do we need all the middle people. As of yet. no one could give me an answer about this. OK, I admit once in a while I talk with my grandmother, whom is dead. Its a question about comfort as I have always been close to her. But the concept of praying to saints and Mary is something that goes against the commandments, Tho should not have more than one God. When we pray, we should primary pray to God. Not mainly to the saints.

One last thing, I would bring attention to is the hierarchy. We have the pope, that is a sort of dictator. He could proclaim something as if its the word of God. This only happens every 100 years. The problem when he does this, is that it cannot be changed. We have arch bishops and then priests. At the bottom is us. One could also provoke by saying at the bottom are women. This hierarchy always annoyed me, as it leaves the people far away. I always thought about democracy in the Church. Like some protestant Churches, why can we not choose what priest we want? What priest we need? Why can we not vote for the Pope? We live in a modern age where that is possible. I am sure that if we did this, many people would take an interest in their local church as well as the Vatican.

Not to appear as a whiner, I also have written my favourite traditions:
- Prayer: This is of course the same with every Church. But thanks to my parents, I have learnt the importance of prayer and I can testify that it does effect my life.
- Mary: I know that many non-Catholics think we think too much of Mary, and indeed saints. I do not pray to them, but It is great that we have some people that who's example we can follow. My favourite is St. Bernadette
- Fasting: I do not fast on official times or when the Church tells me. I do it when I think I need to. I do not tell anyone. Fasting is a sign to myself that I am giving myself to God and using this time to be closer to him
- Family: This is the most important part of being religious or a Catholic. I can say that it is my families identity. It is what holds us together. Family strengthens our bonds and our relationship with God. My parents were visiting here a month ago. They were chanting the rosary at night when they thought I didn't hear. Another mistake I made when I was married. We forgot to be together with God. But my parents remembered it, and as much as I hate the rosary, I found myself reciting it.

War

In who's name?

Think of how many wars were/are in the name of God?

The crusades? Was this done in God's name to keep the holy land Christian, or was it because some Kings were bored and wanted to be remembered?
Northern Ireland? Was this because there were a problem between protestants and Catholics, or was it because social problems?
9/11? Was this an Islam war against the USA or was it a group of people that were jealous of the USA? That misunderstood Islam or simply was mad at the USA?
History is full of wars and conflicts in the name of God or Allah. I am surprised at 2010, we do not know that God or Allah does not want war. Religion is based on Respect, understanding and love. It even says in the Bible that we should love our enemies. I read one poster that said Religious wars is people fighting over who has the best imaginary friend. This is true. Those that kill believe in a God or Allah that we do not know.

The latest we have is this so called war of terror. The 9/11 was a disastrous event that opened everyones eyes. This was done in the name of Allah. Again I doubt that. I remember that day and the weeks that followed. I remember hearing about suicide letters where they were promised a place by Allah's side. That makes me sad and even mad. I will not judge who comes in heaven and who doesn't, but I doubt people that kill other people will make God or Allah happy.

One place we see where hatred was the cartoon incident in Denmark, where a Danish journalist drew Muhammad. They were satire, and many thought they were insulting. I would have expected that this incident would be forgotten. Six months after they were printed, the Muslim world were in an uproar. Danish flags were being burnt. Danish goods were being boycotted. Danish embassies were being bombed or burnt. After all is said and done, it is a question about respect. The Danish journalist shown no respect for Muhammad. The whole discussion was Freedom of speech, and if the Muslims didn't overreact, then I would have understood them. Freedom of speech does not mean you insult others. But the Islam demonstrations turned to hatred and violence. For the Muslims, it was a bad PR. The Danes who have not noticed the cartoons were outraged after the violence. Hatred spread hatred. Muslims has isolated themselves more in Denmark. Is this in God's or Allah's name?

I was speaking with this Muslim on MSN. He assured me that I would not get to heaven because I would not convert to Islam. It does say in the Koran that a Muslim should convert others. The problem is that the Bible says the same! So what happens when we go around converting each other. Does convert mean we torture and force people to be a religion, or do we just inform and let them make their own minds up. This war on conversions is also something that can annoy me. It is foolish and does not show respect for people to make up their own mind.

Religions should learn that people have different ideas of who God is. It is important that we know our own religion. Then we will be able to learn about others while protecting our own faith. When we understand and respect other religions, then the world will be a better place. We do not have to accept what other religions say if we do not believe in it, but we have to respect that people believe in another religion

When we do something in Gods name, we should think if it is in Gods name, our name or our imaginary friend

Priests

The ideal of priests has existed from the start of the Church. They are men that know the churches teachings and of course what the Bible says. Their job is to inspire us and teach us about what it means to be a Christian. They are to remind us of God's love and forgiveness. In 2010, we need this more than ever. In a world where there is so may distractions. Where sins are not determined by the ten commandments, but in what is politically correct, where it is nearly embarrassing to say you are a Christian, we need priests more than ever.

I have studied to be a priest. In my short period of deciding whom I wanted to join, I have been with 6 different orders. One thing in common is their strong belief in God. Good memories is when we have prayed with each other and discussed things. However when I was studying, I noticed that priests were lonely. They spent the night alone in prayer but need companionship. Some priests were close to being alcoholics while others were sexually frustrated. The old priests didn't really know what was going on in the outside world. Many would say that this is very provocative, and it is. But it is my experience. When I was in the priesthood, I learnt how to drink.

It is important that we remember two things:

We need priests. As I said we need them more than ever. We can also read that there is a huge shortage of priests.
We also have to remember that priests are human. They have the same desires and problems as we have.
Priests have to have a better understanding of what life is like outside their houses. They have to know what economical problems that people have as well as family problems. It is my view that we should make life both easier for the priests and harder for them by allowing them to get married. This will give them experience and knowledge to understand what other people are experiencing. It works in protestant churches, and they have good experiences. I think that it would solve many problems in the catholic church.

Another suggestion I have is to let normal people help the priests. Visiting the sick and needy. Helping with prayer groups and give the priest more time to reaching out to people that he ordinary can't reach.

But until then, we owe the priests our gratitude and our respect. They have sacrificed a lot to be servants of God

The Church and the Times

As I said before, never before in history have we needed the Church. I am not talking about the growth of the Islam faith. I am talking about the morality and materialism. We need spirituality more than ever. The fact that many would frown and laugh at that shows just how much we need spirituality

If you look at the picture, it shows a priests room. If this is the situation the Catholic Church is in, then we can be afraid of the future. It shows a priest in his room with a little glimpse of the outside world. We need priests and bishops that knows what is happening in the world. That is not afraid to preach and talk about Christianity, also outside the church buildings.

This reminds me of Mother Theresa that worked in the streets with the people. She did not lock herself in the convent. She worked and lived with the people every day. Pretty much the same as Jesus did. I pray for priests and their work, and that they will not isolate themselves from the huge responsibility that they have

The Church still faces its challenge that we had from the start of time. To help us build a relationship with God. To help us become better friends. To spread love across the world and create a world where we live as neighbours. This love might sound a bit hippie but imagine a world without hatred?

The world faces new challenges...

Sex: This is something that the church has to deal with. It is a big problem in many countries, especially in Africa where Aids is a major killer. Catholics are often teased because people thinks we are breeding machines. Contraception is not allowed. Neither is Abortion. While I think we should be against abortion, the Church should accept contraception and condoms. We should practise safe sex, and consider it as a present from God, not a curse.
Poverty: This has always existed. The Church should so everything in its power to fight poverty in the world. There is no excuse for poverty in 2010. Part of this is going out and helping the poor. This is not a conversion campaign. It is simply helping those that really need it, as Jesus did
Media: As I said, the Church should preach outside Church buildings. When we see something that is wrong. When we see human rights being broken, then forget about nice diplomacy. Stand up against it and say that we cannot accept it.
Materialism: Is it a Taboo to say that you believe in God. Is materialism more important than spirituality? In todays world, would people come to a mass if we had a choir in Bikinis? The answer is yes, and this shows that we need to take care of the soul just as much as we think about our stomach. The challenge is making the message of the love of Jesus and the friendship God offers us modern, and not something that sounds ancient.
Our Prayers: We need to follow the times and make our mass and prayers our own, not something that our ancestors prayed
Image: Sometimes I think that the Church is too protective about its image. When the Vatican becomes to protective and wants to please everyone, it becomes a museum not a church. The Vatican should realise that it is not perfect. Their are some priests that are committing crimes. Do not protect the paedophile priests. Do not protect the priests that no longer believe. If the Catholic Church is to change the world, it cannot be rotten.
There is a need for the Catholic Church. It has to role its sleeves up and get to work. At the same time it needs our prayers

Women in the Catholic Church

The Status of women in the Church today

Why does the Church think there should be no woman priests?

From the earliest centuries until our time the constant practise of the Church has been not to ordain women to the priesthood. The existence of prejudice does not invalidate the fact that the practise constituted Church Tradition. The early ministries of women had no relation to the sacramental priesthood.

The Fathers of the Church rejected women priests whenever the question arose.

In medieval church law and theology women were excluded from validly receiving ordination

The doctrine was so firmly settled in later centuries that the Church did not need to publicly defend it.

The priest acts "in the person of Christ". Since Christ was a man, only a male priest can signify Christ at the Eucharist.

In the symbolism of salvation Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is his Bride. A man should therefore represent Christ in the priestly ministry. The priest’s acting in the name of the Church is of less importance.

Human rights, such as equal rights for women, do not apply in the context of the ministries. Women who believe to have a priestly vocation are not guided by the Spirit. For only the Church controls who is called and who is not.

What Can the truth be

Lets start by saying that this is 2008. Much of the teachings and beliefs is believed on what status women had for hundreds of years ago. So I repeat. This is 2008!

Even if we go back, we will see that Jesus respected women. He allowed them to travel with him, although they were not his own official apostles. Jesus realised that woman are equal to men, and that they are no less spiritual or m

Jesus respected women. This can be seen with mis mother, Mary of Magellan, and many others. If Jesus can respect women, then why can't we?

There has been a tradition that men were smarter and better then a man. However now we are wiser. How often do you hear that behind every great man, there is a better woman. Look at the last President elections. We have nearly voted a woman in the White House. Instead we voted an African American. Which both makes me think that humans are starting to learn something. In no way is women inferior than men. They often can do the job better.

We can also see that women does make a difference in the Church, without having the sacred vows. My favourite is St. Bernadette of Lourdes. Then of course we have hundreds of others that every day brings Gods love and friendship to where priests fail to go. Anyone that says that woman can contribute as priests, bishops or even the pope has not really been looking.

When we look at the priesthood and the Pope. It is only allowed for men. Now what is the benefit of any marriage. A man and woman thinks and acts differently. They suppliant each other, The support each other. Imagine if we had this chemistry in the Catholic Church.

I mean, It works in other Churches where there are women priests