tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65956785890055047412024-02-20T03:51:12.684-08:00Everything According To ColinColin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-48745013452998560692018-03-05T04:07:00.002-08:002018-03-05T04:07:42.576-08:00An Explanation of the Nine Papal Titles<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
regard him as the Antichrist. Others regard him as a living symbol of bigotry
and injustice. Several regard him as one of the last guardians of morality,
tradition, and sensibility at a time of a great cultural crisis. Many more have
different opinions about the leader of the Catholic Church, but these are not
likely to carry away billions of believers who regard him as the only
legitimate representative of Immanuel on earth. Below are the nine papal titles
from <i>Pontifical</i> <i>Yearbook</i>, with my explanation for each of them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bishop</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rome</b>: This is the
oldest of the papal titles, still in use since at least the end of the first
century AD. Tradition states that the apostle Simon Peter became bishop of Rome
in about 54 AD after he served as bishop of Antioch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vicar</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jesus</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Christ</b>: Immanuel needed somebody to
continue one’s work after one returned to heaven, and one chose one’s apostle
Simon Peter to do so. Simon Peter had acted as a spokesperson for other eleven
apostles, and he probably continued to do so in his later years. The pope is to
Immanuel what the Canadian governor-general is to the British monarch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Successor</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prince</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Apostles</b>: Such a title applies
logically to the men who replaced Simon Peter, since the Catholic Church
regards him as the “prince” of the apostles. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Supreme</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pontiff</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Universal</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Church</b>: If the
first papal title is “bishop of Rome”, the main papal title is “supreme pontiff
of the universal church”. In fact, the adjective <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pontifical</i> is synonymous with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">papal</i>.
Critics of the Catholic Church use such a title to prove that the church is
pagan in origin, but the role that the title describes is in fact apostolic in
origin. Biblical scholar James Douglas Grant Dunn has argued that Simon Peter
played a significant role in holding together a nascent Christian movement by
taking an middle position between James the Just, who recommended compliance to
the Law of Moses for non-Israelite believers, and Paul of Tarsus, who
recommended the opposite measure. That made Simon Peter a bridge-maker or a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pontifex</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">maximus</i> according to Dunn. Even today, the pope must find ways to
handle diverse opinions within the church, so that the unity of the church
would be secure. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Patriarch</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">West</b>: This placed the pope as one of
the five leaders of the Christian community, alongside the patriarchs of
Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Pope Benedict XVI renounced
the title during his reign. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Primate</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Italy</b>: This alludes
to the jurisdiction of the pope over every church in Italy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Archbishop</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">and</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Metropolitan</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roman</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Province</b>: This alludes to the jurisdiction of the pope over every
church in the ecclesiastical province of Rome. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sovereign</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">State</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vatican</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">City</b>: This alludes to the exclusive
rule of the pope over the state of Vatican City. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9.)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Servant</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Servants</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">God</b>: This alludes to
the role of pope as a caretaker of believers, who must make sure that all of
them have faith in Jesus. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Microsoft Sans Serif","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-82549470126769950732017-06-01T05:00:00.001-07:002017-06-01T05:00:09.294-07:00A New Name for the So-Called "Civil Marriage"<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Labels do matter, despite the famous maxim by William
Shakespeare that “a rose by any other name is just as sweet”. This still holds
true especially in labelling things and abstract concepts. Inevitably, this
leads to adding more definitions to names and thus to the use of retronyms.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For example, people have attached the adjective <i>acoustic</i> to the word guitar to
distinguish it from the electric guitar after the advent of the latter.
Moreover, the show <i>Star Trek</i> that ran
from 1966 to 1969 gradually received the subtitle “The Original Series” after
the release of <i>Star Trek: The Next
Generation</i>, <i>Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine</i>, <i>Star Trek: Voyager</i>, <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i>, and <i>Star Trek: Discovery</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Such examples of coined retronyms might help explain why many
religious denominations, especially the Christian ones, object to governmental
extension of the definition of marriage to include non-heterocissexual people,
since they see it as conceptual appropriation. The dispute over such an
extension goes hand in hand with the struggle of such people to achieve the
same civil rights as everybody else, leading inevitably to a conflict with the
freedom of each citizen to practise one’s religion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> People from both the Right and the Left have been speaking
for and against marriage for non-heterocissexual people, and they have been
using various strategies to put their advocacies into practice. For example,
some countries have referring to their “civil marriages” as “civil unions” and
“domestic partnerships”, but such actions have failed to satisfy the rest of
the citizens. The author has drawn upon conjugal terminology to suggest a
better new name for “civil marriage”: <i>nuption</i>.
The author hopes that such a solution might satisfy all citizens from various
ideological persuasions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The suggestion would go like this: the word <i>marriage</i> would go back at the hands of
religious denominations, and the government would now label “civil marriage” as
nuption. The latter can do whatever it wants with nuption, but the author would
like to recommend some rules for nuption. First, appoint a “nuptializer”, a special
governmental officer whose sole function is to formalize nuptializations.
Second, require pairs under nuptializations to renew their pledges every year,
month, week, or day to eliminate the need for divorce. Third and lastly, require
a rigorous test on a pair to determine if they deserve to enter nuption. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The solution brings certain advantages on both religious and
nonreligious people. First, nonreligious people such as atheists with no ties
to any religion can enter an arrangement separate from marriage, which would
now return to religious domain. Second, religious ministers with objections to
extending marriage to include pairs of the same sex can now take a very deep
breath, as the government can no longer require them to formalize the unions of
such pairs. Third and lastly, such a solution would uphold the separation of
government and religion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 1.75in 2.0in 2.25in 2.5in 2.75in 3.0in 3.25in 3.5in 3.75in 4.0in 4.25in 4.5in 4.75in 5.0in 5.25in 5.5in 5.75in 6.0in 6.25in 6.5in 6.75in 7.0in 7.25in 7.5in 7.75in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Marginalized people such non-heterocissexual people certainly
deserve fundamental human rights, but it does not mean that any government
should force religious denominations that object to giving them the licence to
engage in non-coital intercourse in the form of marriage to do otherwise.
Crises sometimes demand more solutions that are creative and acceptable to all
at the same time. Let religion have the word <i>marriage</i> back, and let the government keep its <i>nuption</i>.</span><span style="font-family: Microsoft Sans Serif, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-87771657733960518532017-05-19T02:21:00.001-07:002017-05-19T02:21:52.128-07:00The Elohim are not Gods<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Psalm
82:1 in its original Hebrew version literally reads, “<i>Elohim</i> stands in the council of <i>El</i>.
He judges among <i>elohim</i>”. English
translators of the Bible have usually rendered <i>el</i> or <i>eloah</i> and <i>elim</i> or <i>elohim</i> as “god” and “gods”, respectively. <i>Eloah</i> is the long variant of <i>el</i>,
and it might have referred to a member of a group of <i>elim</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
appearances of such words in the original Hebrew version of the Bible have been
perplexing Christian translators for centuries, since translating them as “god”
and “gods” would undermine the cornerstone of Christian belief, monotheism or
recognition, belief, and worship of only one God. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
believe in a Bible that acknowledges the existence of many deities is
unpalatable, but this need not be the case. The author would take his cue from
the works of biblical scholar Michael S. Heiser to formulate a resolution to
the dilemma. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Elohim</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">
in Hebrew is plural, especially when the plural form of a verb antecedes it,
but its grammatical number is still unsure when a singular one does. Most
commentators have been regarding it as a plurality of “majesty” or
“excellence”, but the author would contend that <i>elohim</i> functions as a collective noun when the singular form of a verb
antecedes it. Such a function has a precedent in the Hebrew word for Egyptians:
<i>Mizraim</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Mizraim</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">
means “Egyptians” when the plural form of a verb antecedes it, but “Egypt” or
“Egyptian people” when a singular one does. Therefore, the Hebrew Scriptures
have indicated that a divine council (not a pantheon) headed by Yahweh guides
the course of the universe, as Heiser argued in his studies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How
would English translators of the Bible render the words <i>el</i> and <i>eloah</i>, as well as,
<i>elim</i> and <i>elohim</i>? They must keep in mind that only Yahweh can be God, so what
would such words mean? Heiser argued that the words refer to any dweller of the
dimension of spirits. He included angels, souls of dead persons, and daemons in
his description of <i>elohim</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linguists
have traditionally derived <i>el</i> and <i>eloah</i> from a proto-Semitic root that
meant, “To be strong”, conjuring the ideas of leadership and power. Therefore,
the author would define an <i>el</i> as a
divine master, <i>eloah</i> as a divine
manager, and <i>elohim</i> with the singular
form of a verb as a divine management. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the end, Christian believers need not despair whenever they encounter
supposedly unpalatable passages in the Bible. Nobody except Yahweh is God. There
is only a divine management consisting of divine masters headed by Yahweh.</span><span style="font-family: "Microsoft Sans Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-12278305579537050162017-05-18T01:50:00.000-07:002017-05-18T01:50:12.484-07:00Kohen and Hiereus Do Not Mean “Priest”<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every
Christian denomination affirms of every believer in Jesus to direct access to
God, but the denominations themselves have trouble conceiving it correctly.
Catholic and Orthodox churches criticize other Christian denominations for
supposedly making clergy even of their laities, while the latter have accused
the former of denying the right to direct access to God to theirs, just because
of the confusion over a simple word: <i>priest</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christians
have translated the Hebrew-Aramaic-Greek Bible into different languages,
including English. The word <i>priest</i>
comes from the Greek masculine comparative adjective <i>presbuteros</i>, which means “older”. However, English translators of
the Bible have used the word to translate not only <i>presbuteros</i>, but also the Hebrew word <i>kohen</i> and its Greek counterpart <i>hiereus</i>,
both of which denote a permanent attendant of a deity, since they can find no
other better word to translate both. <i>Sacerd</i>,
the Anglo-Saxon transliteration of the Latin word <i>sacerdos</i>, has all but disappeared in usage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As
a result, non-Catholic and non-Orthodox Christians have thought that there
should no distinction between the clergy and the laity, since they think that
all believers have direct access to God. Catholic and Orthodox Christians have
the fair share of the blame for overemphasis on clerical ministry at the
expense of lay ministry. The right way to perceive Christian ministry is this:
every believer has the right to direct access to God, but not all believers can
join the clergy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How
can Christians rectify such a problem? They should start to translate more
accurately. In ancient Israel, <i>kohanim</i>
as representatives of God sprinkled blood on the altar, tore the sacrifices,
and burned the pieces. The author would suggest the use of the word “officiant”
to translate both <i>kohen</i> and <i>hiereus</i>, leaving “priest” as the only
translation of <i>presbuteros</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Words
and their denotations do matter, and they change because of how people use
them, but they must not sully the actual message of the Bible. </span><span style="font-family: Microsoft Sans Serif, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-23650682348331913992016-12-30T03:55:00.002-08:002016-12-30T03:55:23.561-08:00REBORN FROM THE ASHES<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_3" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38;">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
(I made this story to see how the recently concluded television series Downton Abbey could be integrated with my dream PokéDC Universe, should Warner Brothers succeed in buying rights to both Pokémon and the show. Downton Abbey is a property of ITV. Superman is a property of DC Comics. Pokémon is a property of Game Freak and the Pokémon Company International. No infringement is intended.)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
HYPOTHETICAL CAST:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent.fmnl4-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p240x240/14068317_1601830040116230_4371399912236822604_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeFe90i9iF6cgo88N1Wpk90wQenYX_fTg5VnXgUOcMO2Rq33MLJ_xsiOkUg2SAkMEQAe5vRLa6Q3u4HW-qQQRWaLFTKEx-pN8dUgXtycsoNYuw&oh=28ce70a1170ade7329a83cb7555a072e&oe=58F3E7DD" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Nathan Kress as Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman </div>
<div class="_46-h" style="font-family: inherit; height: 158px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 157px;">
<img alt="Image may contain: 1 person" class="_46-i img" height="240" src="https://scontent.fmnl4-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p160x160/13872627_1601832420115992_6088388674217093089_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeGYwtW-XjixukNCOHP6Z8KhWhboXvgnyYaLJQU3iEL-AdvvR2RVWJOiUKlKIC4ZD4apen0gI_wZn3PzBm4xnAIVD5yrY43jkoaOAd0kW5XtOw&oh=b5f21ab6f617adc85fe60319f6d7cfa2&oe=58E9E947" style="border: 0px; cursor: move; left: -1px; position: absolute; top: -1px;" width="160" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
William Shatner as Perry White </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<div class="uiScaledImageContainer" style="font-family: inherit; height: 158px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 158px;">
<img alt="Image may contain: 1 person, night" class="scaledImageFitHeight img" height="158" src="https://scontent.fmnl4-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s180x540/13932712_1601831833449384_1002739550804145130_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeHc-I-05e01oiI0idl1rVJsH1Ad4ZNxxUgnrcM1aCxuuIc66rbdOYvoHrcOgZH5DdNJesoImOTOI4ClTd4hLFdBgOQkf-AByNHLLfoePKuZig&oh=6c54d77223158513f6c40832e559629f&oe=58EFE3CA" style="border: 0px; height: 158px; left: -11px; min-height: 100%; position: relative; width: auto;" width="180" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Felicity Huffman as Frannie Pendleton, leading reporter of the Daily Planet (my original character) </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Michelle Dockery as Dr. Regina Brooke Burton/Pounder (my original character) </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<a href="https://scontent.fmnl4-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p240x240/14068317_1601830040116230_4371399912236822604_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeFe90i9iF6cgo88N1Wpk90wQenYX_fTg5VnXgUOcMO2Rq33MLJ_xsiOkUg2SAkMEQAe5vRLa6Q3u4HW-qQQRWaLFTKEx-pN8dUgXtycsoNYuw&oh=28ce70a1170ade7329a83cb7555a072e&oe=58F3E7DD" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley/Slashburn</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<div class="_46-h" style="font-family: inherit; height: 237px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 237px;">
<img alt="Image may contain: 1 person, closeup" class="_46-i img" height="200" src="https://scontent.fmnl4-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p240x240/13962738_1601830783449489_7017787388622777763_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeEGtj3eaCBcBWz_u-DlFtKd9C9SzppjRcr6xejAZuS9WkZ-QhvfL3vb-bHPwre58kUlPp5zyjb5RaihQVPX-nDXyuEOxNmQHHts5Mk3YEKYyQ&oh=b270e863c03a74d034aef0ed8546d177&oe=58D98452" style="border: 0px; left: -1px; position: absolute; top: -1px;" width="150" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
STORY:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Silence and breeze virtually rule the cityscape of Metropolis in the southernmost part of Illinois. So far, no crime has touched the streets since Superman, Satoshi Yūzaki (Ash Ketchum), and their allies have defeated a clan of vampires trying to take over the United States.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Now, joyful laughs and funmaking dominate the building of the Daily Planet. From the editor-in-chief Perry White down to the receptionists, the entire staff celebrate the success of "Luthor Linked to Secret Arms Deal", a hit headline story by Frannie Pendleton, aunt to the young Lois Lane.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The newsroom is filled with people close to Frannie, including the neophyte Clark Kent and a certain Regina Brooke Burton, a scientist cursed by an industrial accident to turn into a giant rock monster, the Pounder, if provoked to anger.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The table on the newsroom is laid with assorted foods, a bottle of Martini, and posh glasses.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Oh, thank you, everyone for celebrating our paper's success, but I may not be able to write such an article if people like Brooke, Clark, and Perry didn't give me some insights on the case. The Daily Planet has become a family to me", Frannie expresses her gratitude.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"I know you can do it, Pendleton", Perry affirms.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Don't mention it, hun", Brooke says.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Hey, Mrs. Pendleton, you can even let me give your enthusiastic niece some journalistic training", Clark suggests.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The whole crew then proceeds to eating, drinking, doing charades, and singing at the karaoke.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
At nearly 1:00 a.m. does the party end. Clark, Perry, Brooke, and Frannie, as well as the other guests, exit the building. Then, they see a flame rocketing above the skies.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
It was bright enough, yet it is no ordinary flame. The flame appears to be heading towards Brooke, but it does not touch her or go near her. The flame looks human. Better yet, it is human, only endowed with superpowers.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Mary, my love, let us go home! George is waiting for our loving hands. We'll no longer have to part ways. I'm alive! Come with me please!", says the flaming human, hovering a few feet off the ground.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"You're mistaking me for somebody else", Brooke denies.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"But you are Mary. My eyes can't lie to me", says the flaming human.<br />"I'm sorry, whoever you are, but I'm Dr. Regina Brooke Burton".</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"You don't have to hide from me, sweet Mary Josephine Crawley".</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Then, those words from the flaming human gives Clark a clue on it really is.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Crawley, that's it! Certainly, you're Matthew Crawley, husband to Mary and father to George. I know you're from Downton Abbey! We mean you no harm, my friend, but Brooke is not Mary Crawley. I mean no offense, but Mary's still dead", Clark nervously explains to the resurrected Matthew.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"How do you know my name, lad?", Matthew asks Clark.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"I'm aware of a television series based on your lives, although I never watched it myself", Clark answered.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Ah, I see".</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Hi, I'm Clark Kent, reporter from the Daily Planet. This is my editor-in-chief, Perry White. This is my colleague Francine Pendleton, who takes care of the hard news. Well, there's, you know, the one who introduced herself to you".</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"I don't understand all of this. Why is my body on fire? Why did I live again if I died during the war in Europe? Who raised me from the dead and gave me the power to burn and fly and throw flames at anything!? Can somebody please answer me!?"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Matthew, we don't know how you got there, but we promise to help you find out".</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Thank you, Clark. You are of such good help to me for now".</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Atop the globe of the Daily Planet building stands the mighty Mewtwo, with his eyes looking at the five baffled souls, particularly Matthew, saying, "You will know at the right time why I revived you, my herald".</span></div>
</div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-28053559105535045632016-12-30T02:42:00.002-08:002016-12-30T02:42:24.890-08:00THE BIG SWITCH (A Story about the Community of LGBTIQ)<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
(Superman and Vartox belongs to DC Comics. Pocket Monsters belongs to Nintendo, Game Freak, and the Pokémon Company International. No copyright infringement intended.)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
HYPOTHETICAL CAST:<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Nathan Kress as Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman<br />Adam Sandler as Vartox</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
STORY:<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Vartox was walking around the lounge of the headquarters of the Catch-Alls at night when he saw a perplexed Superman reclining on a couch, with his hands folded against his lips and his eyes fixated on the ceiling, wondering what he must do next to save the world.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"You must be worried about something. You can tell me your problem, fella", Vartox offered Superman a chance for a good talk.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The last Kryptonian promptly agreed. "I badly wanted to help feminine men and masculine women without having them transition. I mean, I have no device that make swapping of bodies possible", he said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"OK, I get what you mean. C'mon, I'll show you something", Vartox replied.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Vartox and Superman then proceeded to the former's arsenal, still inside the headquarters. Vartox then pointed to a bronze tool that looked like a large set of handcuffs.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Is this what are you looking for?", Vartox asked Superman.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Tell me first what it is, just for me to know what it is", Superman answered.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Well, we Valeronians call this one the 'psychopneumatic exchanger'. It enables two persons of different sexes, races, or even species to exchange souls and spirits. That explains the name of the device. You would simply cuff their arms, press this blue button, watch their souls and spirits switch bodies, and presto, they're all set", Vartox explained.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"We'll have that one, but we need to put it to the test", Superman suggested.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Game", Vartox smugly agreed. "I've been seeing none of my inventions fail".</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The two later flew to Thailand, where "reassignment of sex" is in demand, looking for test subjects. They luckily found a pair at a beach in Phuket: a feminine man and a masculine woman, none of whom had transitioned yet.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Good evening, friends, you two are guessing why Vartox and I are here. My good man here has a device that could enable, let's say, a man and a woman, to swap bodies literally, and we're looking for our very first volunteers for the experiment. You can slap me for free if the experiment doesn't work. Are you two willing to volunteer?", Superman said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Why not, I'm all for it! I want to be a girl so badly", said the feminine Thai man. The masculine woman simply nodded.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"If you don't mind me asking you two personal questions, why does each of you wants to belong to the opposite sex?", Superman asked.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"I want to do girly things like having long hair and wearing fancy dresses", the feminine man answered.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"I want to do things like driving trucks, you know", the masculine woman answered.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Superman found their answers quite cliché. "Anyway, let's all proceed to the experiment, OK"?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Superman and Vartox cuffed the two queer Thais, and the former pressed the button. Then, a glowing blue light emanated from the two Thais. Superman simply gasped in disbelief.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The procedure took more or less 4 minutes, after which the light subsided. Superman was still skeptical about the process. "I wonder if this is some kind of a trick", he thought.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
This was the moment of truth. Superman must ask the two queer Thais again to confirm if their exchange of souls and spirits succeeded.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"How are you two feeling?", asked the Man of Steel.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Surprisingly, the man started to act masculine though confused. The woman became feminine though still confused as well. The procedure was a success! Vartox has made a breaktgrough. His invention would eliminate the need for surgery to switch from one sex to another. No longer would feminine men and masculine women to feel discomfort in their bodies for so long.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Well, Superman's alter ego Clark Kent constantly feels constrained being male. Would he take the process too?Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-29231963586581837152016-03-03T21:30:00.000-08:002016-03-03T21:30:52.217-08:00Feeling Like a Loser? Don't Worry. I Feel the Same Way, Too, and We Probably Know Why.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Imagine yourself as a member of a soccer team. You and four of your teammates scored plus points for the team, but the rest fail to score and even suffered penalties, while most players from the opposing team score more points during a match. The opposing team won, and the team of which you are a member lost as a result. What would you feel? You would usually feel bad about the defeat, even though you have nothing to do directly with it. Why is it so?<br />
<br />
Part of the answer may lie in the public generalization of a group in terms of its average character deduced from the performances of all of its members. A concrete analogy for this one is a stained shirt. The stain may not affect some portions, but the entire shirt has blemish.<br />
<br />
People certainly generalize a group positively if its members who perform positive actions outnumber those who perform negative ones. Some decent people may feel that the actions of others who belong to the same group as they do water down their efforts because of this.<br />
<br />
People usually tend to evaluate a group based on what its majority thinks, says, and acts, which could affect the rest of the group, as well as those to whom the majority does them. It could either spell benefit or damage to the psyches of the members of a group.<br />
<br />
For example, affected individuals take measures to prevent males from committing major crimes such as robbery, murder, or rape as their peers have done, because more males than females commit such crimes. Males protecting their females from other males, confrontational feminist slogans, and socio-legal and psychological deterrents to all males are examples.<br />
<br />
Experts call the positive phenomenon "basking in reflected glory" and the negative one "cutting off reflected failure".<br />
When a person "basks in reflected glory", one feels very positive for the accomplishments of one's peers and may even claim them for oneself. When that person "cuts off reflected failure", one tries to dissociate oneself from the shortcomings of one's peers, referring to them as "them".<br />
<br />
People tend to forget that they carry the reputations of their peer groups, and that public image DOES matter. I only hope that each of us will be careful not to do anything that could destroy our images and those of our peer groups.</div>
</div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-71515347479535385732015-05-05T06:54:00.000-07:002015-05-05T06:54:14.119-07:00On the Shortage of Priests and the Possibility of Clerical Marriage<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ak.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/2948401/preview/stock-footage-elderly-man-priest-or-holy-father-praying-to-religious-deity-or-spiritual-body-closed-eyes-and.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" class="irc_mi" src="http://ak.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/2948401/preview/stock-footage-elderly-man-priest-or-holy-father-praying-to-religious-deity-or-spiritual-body-closed-eyes-and.jpg" height="224" style="margin-top: 87px;" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A priest in the truest sense of the word</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the decreasing number of Catholic priests to administer the sacraments coupled by a growing number of cases of paedophilia, ephebophilia, rape, and other forms of sexual harassment and abuse by notorious (mostly homosexual) Catholic clergymen, the Catholic Church at large finds itself in a desperate situation to fill the gap made by these tragic moments in the history of Catholicism, at least in the Latin Rite. One example is the widespread though relatively unknown practise of ordaining as priests married male converts to Catholicism from mostly mainline Protestant denominations, while continuing their regular marital relations with their (lay) wives. In some cases, older men, single, divorced, or widowed, enter the priesthood as well (the so-called "late vocations"). The fact is, however, these solutions do little to alleviate the steady decline in the number of men wanting to become clergymen.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make things worse, some dissident voices within the Church are suggesting that the Catholic hierarchy ordain husbands, homosexuals, and women to the clergy, as well as allow single and widowed clerics, respectively, to get married and remarried (such as the priest-fathers in Iloilo). Schismatic "Catholic" groups are now doing them outside the auspices of the Church, as do rogue Catholic bishops in their respective dioceses (one sad case being the illegal ordination of seven women to the priesthood by Bishop Romulo A. Braschi of Argentina in a cruise ship in the River Danube back in 2002), with their actions being rewarded with excommunication.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These groups do have some point in justifying their actions (fighting inequality and injustice against women, restoring the original practise of the early church, eliminating sexual abuse by clergy, etc.), yet what they tend to forget is that they are not solving the shortage of clergymen in a properly appropriate way. They have no idea how to increase vocations to the clergy <i><b>without</b> </i>having to resort to breaking the canon law <i><b>and</b></i> apostolic tradition. Clerical celibacy <i>is</i> a discipline, not a dogma, but the Church may only go as far as ordaining husbands as priests, only to prohibit them for getting remarried should they become widowed. The Church would even think twice as to whether it could let single and widowed clerics, respectively, get married and remarried, or not. However, I think that there is a way for the Church to permit the latter to happen without stepping on both apostolic tradition and canon law. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is Clerical Celibacy? </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Narrowly defined, clerical celibacy (Celibacy came from the Latin adjective <i>caelebs</i>, meaning "unmarried", so celibacy <i><b>should</b></i> be synonymous with "singlehood", not "abstinence from copulation", contrary to what the so-called "celibacy advocates" perpetuate) refers to a rule of ordaining only bachelors (and occasionally, divorced men and widowers) and prohibiting them from getting married (and in cases of divorced men and widowers, getting remarried) to ensure continence (abstinence from copulation) on their part. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>When Did the Church Start to Implement Clerical Celibacy?</b> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We must recognize that the polity of the Christian church in the first century AD given in the Christian Greek Scriptures ("New Testament") is scanty. Nevertheless, we can infer from them that the early church ordained married fathers. Matthew 8:14, Mark 1:30, and Luke 4:38 narrated that Jesus Christ healed the <i style="font-weight: bold;">penthera</i>, which literally means "<b style="font-style: italic;">mother of the wife</b>"<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>in Greek, of his apostle Simon Peter (although it is possible that either Simon Peter was widowed, or he and his brother Andrew had other siblings who were married, thus accounting for the fact that they had a <i>penthera</i>. Father Joseph Francis Sheehan argued a century earlier that <i>penthera</i> could also mean "stepmother"). 1 Timothy 3:2 and 12 and Titus 1:6 instructed leaders of local churches to ordain a <i style="font-weight: bold;">mias gunaikos andra</i>, which literally means "<b style="font-style: italic;">man of one woman</b>" in Greek, who keeps "his children under control", as a bishop, priest, or deacon. Yet, Paul considers singlehood as superior to marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:8 and 34. Furthermore, he advises younger widows to get remarried in 1 Timothy 5:14. He warned his readers of people who would hinder anybody from getting married and who abstain from food in 4:1-5. Hebrews 13:4 praises marriage yet indicts sexual transgressors. In 1 Corinthians 9:5, Paul asks his readers whether he had the authority to "lead about" a "sister-woman" during his missionary journeys or not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
It was only after the apostolic period that the early Christian church came up with a clarified teaching on celibacy and continence of the clergy. Let us take an example from the Council of Elvira from about 305 AD: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Canon 33): <i>It is decided that marriage</i> [and remarriage] <i>be altogether prohibited to</i> [single and widowed] <i>bishops, priests, and deacons, or to all clerics placed in the ministry</i> [to laywomen]<i>, and that they keep away from their</i> [lay] <i>wives and not beget children; whoever does this shall be deprived of the honor the clerical office. </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is another example from the Council of Carthage from 390 AD: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Canon 3): <i>It is fitting that the holy bishops and priests of God as well as the Levites, i.e. those who are in the service of the divine sacraments, observe perfect continence, so that they may obtain in all simplicity what they are asking from God; what the apostles taught and what antiquity itself observed, let us also endeavor to keep... It pleases us all bishop, priest, and deacon, guardians of purity, abstain from conjugal intercourse with their wives, so that those who serve at the altar may keep a perfect chastity. </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The canons mentioned above were clear that the early church prohibited married clerics from copulating with their wives, whom the church <i><b>numbered among the laity</b></i>, and from getting remarried should they become widowed. Moreover, the church prohibited single clerics from getting married once the church ordained them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Throughout the medieval period, the church attempted in vain to enforce the norm with limited success. In fact, most of married clerics continued marital relations with their wives, and single clerics even got married after ordination. Corruption and nepotism was widespread as married clergymen passed their Only in 1139 AD did the church succeed when it decided that it would only ordain bachelors and widowers and ruling out marriage and remarriage for them after ordination. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Problems still ensued with the celibate clergy, however. Bishops, priests, and deacons siring children outside marriage was one of the issues from the late Middle Ages up to the time of Reformation, when Martin Luther and other Christian religious reformers denounced clerical celibacy as contrary to scriptural teaching. Subsequently, Protestant Christian churches dropped the requirement of celibacy for their ministers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Today, only the Orthodox Catholic Church and the eastern Catholic churches regularly ordain married men to as deacons and priests (but not as bishops, who must be either single or widowed), although marriage and remarriage is off-limits for single, divorced, and widowed clerics after ordination. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The Latin rite of the Catholic Church currently ordains married former ministers who converted from mostly mainline Protestant Christian denominations to Catholicism, provided that they remain widowed should their wives predecease them. It ordains widowers and divorced men as well. It is in the Latin rite that the faithful are starting to feel the worldwide shortage of clergymen to administer the sacraments. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Why Did the Church Implement Clerical Celibacy? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
Several factors contributed to the requirement of celibacy, widowerhood, and continence for single, widowed, and married clerics, respectively. The prevailing reason is the desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who was single himself. Another reason is the desire to devote more time to ministry, as per Paul's recommendation in 1 Corinthians 7:8, 25-33. Some speculated that the church instituted clerical celibacy to prevent ecclesiastical property from being passed to the wives and children of clerics, or keep the ministers pure of defilement from copulation, which the church no longer holds today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Some of you are complaining, "<i><b>But you have still not said how this relates to solving the issue of clerical celibacy!</b></i>" Well, let me explain how the church can allow both its single and widowed clerics, respectively, to get married and remarried. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<b>How Can the Catholic Church Let Its Single and Widowed Ministers Get Married and Remarried While Remaining Faithful to Tradition?</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Before we discuss the solution to the issue of clerical celibacy, we must acknowledge that the Catholic Church have enacted laws that govern the requirements for its clergy, which include celibacy. Some examples are: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Canon 277.1): <i><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px; text-align: left;">Clerics are obliged to observe </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px; text-align: left;">perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">Kingdom of Heaven. They are therefore bound to </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">celibacy. Celibacy is a special gift of God by which sacred </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">ministers can more easily remain close to Christ with an </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">undivided heart, and can dedicate themselves more </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">freely to the services of God and their neighbor. Clerics </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">are to behave with due prudence in relation to persons </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">whose company can be a danger to their obligation of </span><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;">preserving continence or can lead to scandal of the </span></i><span style="line-height: 16.3090915679932px;"><i>faithful. </i></span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Canon 1087): <i>Those who are in sacred orders invalidly attempt marriage.</i> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Canon 1042): <i>The following are simply impeded from receiving orders: 1.) a man who has a wife, unless he is lawfully destined to the permanent diaconate. </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indeed, the canons bar ordination for married laymen, marriage for single clerics, and remarriage for clerics. However, does canon 1087 <b style="font-style: italic;">specify to whom single and widowed clerics cannot get married? </b>I do not think so. Does canon 1042 <i><b>specify in which state is a married man unable to receive orders?</b></i> No. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Therefore, the Catholic Church can do something to get around the ambiguities in these canons and allow ordination of married men and marriage for single clerics as well as remarriage for widowed clerics. How can we do that? The answer is very simple: narrow the definition "<b><i>laity</i></b>", such as this one as defined in paragraph 31 of <i>Lumen gentium</i>, promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1964 November 21 (my revised translation): </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The term laity is here understood to mean all the faithful except those in holy orders and those in the state of religious life specially approved by the Church. These faithful are by baptism made one body with Christ and are constituted among the People of God; they are in their own way made sharers in the sacerdotal, prophetic, and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry out for their own part the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world. </i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is, we must define "laity" as a group that belongs to neither clergy or religious institutes. This way, the church can revise its canon law to prohibit marriage and remarriage of single and widowed clergy <i><b>only to laywomen</b></i>, allowing the former to settle down with women in the religious institutes (though a laywoman can join any religious institute should she fall in love with a cleric, which is some sort of practical).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Furthermore, the church must organize the religious institutes as orders of their own, in addition to the orders of bishop, priest, and deacon. This way, we can give the voice to women without having to ordain them as bishops, priests, and deacons. (Medievalist Nathaniel Campbell originally had this idea, so I credit him for that.) Make membership in any religious institute an impediment to the sacred orders. For example, a monk or a friar may not become a priest unless he leaves the religious institute of which he is a member. This would eliminate instances of having regular clergy, who are members of religious institutes, and secular clergy, who are not. Furthermore, this would allow single and widowed clerics who take no vow of chastity to be free to get married and remarried to whom they want, as long as they are not laywomen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, we cannot expect the Catholic hierarchy to do these steps very immediately. I think that the Catholic Church is still in the process of getting used to having married clergy (again) alongside celibate clergy, so it needs a long period of adjustment. This adjustment consist of the following steps: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Step 1.) For now, the Catholic hierarchy could ordain more and more mature, sane, and non-predatory older widowed fathers, whose children are all grown up and financially independent, and it should. As the entire Catholic Church is getting more used to them, the hierarchy can take steps to ordain married fathers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Step 2.) The Catholic hierarchy is ready to ordain mature, sane, and non-predatory married fathers, whose children are all grown up and financially independent. It would later take further steps to allow single and widowed clerics to get married and remarried, but only to women in the religious institutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Step 3.) The Catholic hierarchy now both recruits married fathers to the clergy, and allow both single and widowed clerics to get married and remarried and raise families of their own. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Step 4.) The Catholic hierarchy ordains only older men as priests. After all, the English word <i>priest</i> came ultimately from the Greek masculine comparative adjective <i><b>presbuteros</b></i>, which means, "older". Then, the hierarchy decides to have each priest specialize in only one specific sacrament. That is, the first category of priests would only perform baptisms. The second category would only do confessions. The third category would only officiate at marriages. The fourth category would only anoint the sick. The fifth category would preside at funerals. The sixth category would only celebrate the Eucharist.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may ask, "<i><b>How can we even support clergymen with large families without having to resort to increased stipend or tithing?</b></i>" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a simple solution to that. We could simply have the clergy contract a type of arrangement wherein they can pool their resources, thereby passing the property to other clergymen should one of them die, instead of their family, preventing nepotism and corruption. Their wives could do the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to that, we need more orthodox and more conservative formation of the clergy if the Catholic ministry is to survive. Of course, the Catholic Church will never permit divorce and marriage between two persons of the same gender.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everybody deserves a life full of happiness, ease, and serenity. We must leave nobody starving for healthy relationships, especially with the opposite gender. I wrote this article out of concern for single and widowed Catholic clergymen struggling with living alone and without support from a wife. Marriage is definitely enjoying though not absolutely blissful. If the Catholic Church to avoid being included among those mentioned in 1 Timothy 4: 1-3, allowing limited clerical marriage may be the answer. You can comment on this article, as long as it is polite. You may even suggest other ideas on solving the celibacy issue on the comments section, but make sure to be polite.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I post this article at the risk of being scrutinized by many.</span></div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595678589005504741.post-47199212684027417642015-04-21T04:22:00.000-07:002015-04-28T20:37:37.606-07:00Hello, Blogosphere!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi there! This has been my first time in my blog, and I wanted to say that I am very glad that I have stepped out of my cocoon of shyness to write my inaugural post. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, in this blog, we're gonna talk about everything under the sun. That means, we can have discussions about what's happening in the world, particularly in politics, show business, all things geek, and my favorite topic, religion (I am a Catholic Christian, by the way, and I am aware that many people from different faiths and denominations and even from within the Church who scrutinize and try to discredit beliefs and practices of the Church, which, I feel, breaks my heart, so I promise myself that I will join other Catholics in improving it for the better.) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On my next post, we're gonna talk about one of the most controversial issues challenging the Catholic Church today: the issue of clerical celibacy. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm gonna explain to you the entire topic of celibacy, when it was implemented, how it was implemented, and why it was implemented. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, I'm gonna discuss the possible ways to allow unmarried clerics to get married and widowed ones to get remarried after they are ordained without having to deviate from apostolic tradition. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay tuned!</span></div>
Colin Abliterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867957139347744826noreply@blogger.com0