Saturday, January 16, 2010
Divine Friday
I saw the eclipse in heaven this Friday morning. I attended a religious seminar afterwards. I thought this day was divine!
My cellphone was on an alarm at 6:30 am because of the Friday's annular eclipse. Plus there's a seminar I promised to attend to the same morning related to basic teachings of the Catholic Church.We departed from home at around 7:30 am but the sun was too bright in Alkhobar that I thought we will not catch a glimpse of the eclipse.
When we arrived at a seminar's venue (some twenty minute-drive from Alkhobar City), the area was covered by a thin fog.
Only then did we manage to get a glimpse of the eclipse.
The sight was divine (although the photos did not do justice to the beauty of that occurence)!
About the seminar.
The series of talks that I attended to was sort of a reminder of what Catholicism is about, the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the composition of Apostle's Creed, etc.
The speakers were all good although the whole seminar was quite lengthy. It was supposed to finish before six in the afternoon but at eight, we were still midway the Seven Sacraments.
Here's a page of my scribble about the topic.
Boredom also took over one of the attendees who gave me these caricatures: One of the speakers, the back of one attendee (wearing a hooded jacket), and I. Hehe.
Afterthought.
Throughout the seminar, I kept thinking of that line from Angels and Demons that says: "Religion is flawed...only because man is flawed."
Why? Because I personally thought the seminar tried hard to justify why some of Catholic Church's traditions and practices are not bible-based. Maybe because it was necessary for the speakers to explain the claims of other sects about the apparent fallibility of the Catholic Church.
But really, is it necessary to reply back to rhetorics of other sects claiming that their faith is better than mine?
What religion is not flawed?, I asked myself.
Isn't religion merely our vessel towards God?
There were philosophical exchange of ideas during the seminar. The Q&A portion was a bit distracting and, in the end, I went home entertaining more questions than answers.
This is my honest take on the subject: I am a Catholic. I believe in every word of the Apostle's Creed. And because God's Words are in the Holy Bible, then His Words must be a part of my life -- that and the good teachings of my Holy Church.
I will constantly plead God to continously give me His gifts of faith. And hope. And love.
Amen.
ECLIPSE
Di niyo na-capture ang sun 'yong nag-'annular' talaga? Sayang naman... Dito sa Australia hindi namin na-experience.
SEMINAR
Dami niyo ngang tanong, ah. Gusto ko sanang sagutin ang tanong niyong, "What religion is not flawed?" pero kapag ganito ang topic, mahaba at sensitive na usapin ito. Basta ako, ayaw ko nang magpalit ng religion, trabaho ko nalang ang papalitan ko.
Ituloy ko 'yong eksena sa Angels and Demons. Sabi ng cardinal, "Religion is flawed, only because man is flawed, and so with this man (referring and pointing to himself. Gives Galileo's Diagrama Veritas to Langdon.) And if you write about us, PLEASE BE GENTLE."
thanks for sharing sa glimpse of the eclipse.
about faith amen ako dyan bro. we have to ask for His guidance to strengthen our faith. It is not the religion that will save us but our relationship with God.
Have a nice working day!
RJ: Saglit rin lang un. Because as soon as the fog was lifted, hindi n nmin makita ng derecho ang araw. It was too bright na for us.
So you saw it too huh. Oo nga RJ, mahabang usapin ang relihiyon (and like politics, we too hav differing views about it). It's better I keep such things personal.
Jess: Have a nice working day din sa yo. True, only through God's guidance will we see through.
When we as human beings abandon our trust in the power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faith is admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable. With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth. Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed. If the outside world could see the church as I do, looking beyond the Catholic Dogmas and the Church rituals and traditions, even on a regular Sunday mass, we would see a modern miracle - a brotherhood of imperfect, simple souls wanting only to be a voice of compassion in a world spinning out of control. For they listen to their hearts and they listen to Jesus Christ the Lord. AMEN.
A blessed Saturday to you Nebz.
sayang di ko nakita yun annular eclipse, I went to the link you posted from your previous post but how come wala ang Japan dun? siguro wala dito...ganun ba yun? sabagay kahit meron dito di namin makikita kasi kanina pa nag-iisnow
well about religion, yes mahabang topic yan kanya-kanya tayong pananaw pero until now alam ko lahat yata ng pinag-aralan nyo sa seminar ah? hehehe I used to be a Catholic sagrado de kandado, di pukpok at di martilyo pa hehehe (i attended cursillo, legion of mary, catechism, etc)....kaya i respect you and others' belief kasi galing ako dyan (naks naman!)...yun nga lang meron akong questions na di nasagot yun bakit yun iba di bible-based nga...kaya ayun hahaha...sabi sayo mahabang topic yan haba na ng comment ko
di ko pa napanood yun angels and demons pero bumili na ko ng bluray ....busy kasi
George: Hindi kaya Pope ka talaga sa totoong buhay? Hehe. Yes, I believe in what you said: we should look at a celebration of mass as a miracle! Amen to that. (That's also my prayer when I attend masses: that I may be able to, in honor of Him, offer my thoughts, my heart and my being for one straight hour! Na hindi ako ma-distract ng mga alalahanin at imperfectness ng mga uma-attend). Thank you, George. Your faith inspires me.
Alice: Aha! So BA ka na pala ha! I respect that. I've attended BA gatherings before and that's what I thought was missing in Catholic masses. In our group, I always tell my churchmates to give their one full hour to God during the mass. When I say full, I mean including our hearts, our minds and our soul. Iyon kasi ang hinahangaan ko sa mga BA. When they conduct their praise and worship, you can really feel their praise and workship. And I also miss the bible studies. We are trying to incorp that in our group. Sana lang matupad. (Haaay...mahaba nga ang diskusyon ng relihiyon!).
Wow, you saw the eclipse. It's beautiful, even for a moment. :)
As for the topic on religion, each to his own and we respect each one's faith and beliefs. :)
- Sundrenched
nakalimutan namin yung eclipse...
haaaaayst.
waw!
tomorrow bonding moment nanaman sa church!
WoOOOoOOh!!!
:P
Wow! Nice....
Buti ka pa nasilayan mo iyan! Hehe :)
Whenever there's an Eclipse like this one, most of the time laging cloudy, or in this case foggy, don't you think?
And wow! parang nasa corte lang kayo dyan sa inyong seminar.may taga drawing pa.
About sa thoughts mo on religion being flawed..., ganyan din ako. Pero 'di ko nalang i-cuento baka isipin mo atheist ako. ha ha ha.
Thanks Nebz!
Nebz thanks for sharing photos of the eclipse. Nice take though!
Sarap sana din umatend ng seminar nyo para makapagtanong din example, bakit nga ba ang ibang mga turo di bible-based at pinalitan pa ang 2nd commandment. Thoughts ko lang...
"But really, is it necessary to reply back to rhetorics of other sects claiming that their faith is better than mine?"
super relate ako dito. dunno if you still remember that post of mine. sigh. you're the best Kuya Nebz!
I missed the eclipse, I was busy with other stuff. No religion is flawless. But I think the Catholics has more of "explaining" to do being the larger group and yes, because of practices which are not bible based. For me, at the end of the day, what matters most is that a person keeps his faith, feels and does good.
Wow! Galing nakuha mo kahit portion ng eclipse.
About the religion, it is a very sensitive topic like the line when you said about the Catholic Church's tradition and practices are not bible-based. It was also my question long ago.
About the religion being flawed, I believe that there is no religion that will save people - only through Christ, that is what the Bible says and I believe it.
Whenever I feel a doubt in my heart, the Bible is the only book I get answers and it is sufficient for me already.
Thanks for sharing this. Nakakatuwa yung mga drawing mo hehehe. Naka-hood pa pala ang nasa unahan mo. At ang galing ng self-portrait mo haha! Ako di ko kayang i-draw sarili ko.
Hindi ko rin nakita yang eclipse kasi tulog pa ako nyan...hehehe.
Kasama ka pala dun sa mga nag seminar nung friday....
From another point of view, religion plays a critical role in the development of civilizations. As the story goes, clerics are bearers of culture--the seeds of the intellectual class. In all of history, religion not only shapes culture. Religion does not merely influence culture---religion defines culture. As with all the great river civilizations--Egypt, Mesopotamia, China and India, so it is with the Americas and Africa and so it is with the Western civilization. The same Western civilization which would not be if the Church did not save classical learning doomed almost by the barbarian invasions. The same Western civilization which would not be if the Church did not found the University and the Schools. (The Scholastic tradition is in fact the seeds of the Renaissance.) Such is the role of the Church that even the most irreligious of Utopia cannot omit religion in its equation.
Man first and foremost is a spiritual being. He needs religion to articulate and, in effect, socialize that spirituality. Without religion, there would be no culture. Without religion it would be as if the Sun, center of the solar system, had been without and all the planets flung to oblivion. There is no solar system, civilization would not be.
Opps ang haba na pala. I don't want to be seen as cynical nor be judged as an agnostic or an atheist. Religion, for me still is a personal conviction, which goes to say that it must never be imposed nor be dictated upon you.
I am comfortable with my relationship with my god and I hope it is the same for everyone.
Nice post you've got.
Si jc gumawa ng blog entry sa comment box mo hehe :p
meron rin palang naganap na eclipse jan sa saudi, i didnt know dt.. tsk!
napadaan lang pala :)
@JayCee EmmDee
First and foremost – man is a sentient being. That is why he questions his existence. Religion only supplies half-baked hypothesis to quench his curiosity. Although we can’t deny that in some other ways, religion helps in molding history, its basic aim is not spiritual enlightenment but to control and put rules unto men. In the old days, without control and rules, man will remain barbaric and will not progress to what he is now.
It is not religion that created civilization, but mans understanding of his surrounding and the capability to learn to utilize it to his advantage. Science made it possible for man to achieve that goal. From the Dark Ages up to the Inquisition, civilization was thrown back by several centuries because of religion’s suppression of science. It is its anti-thesis.
Yes! Religion is flawed, because men who invent it are flawed. It is not the answer to spiritual enlightenment but rather man’s individual faith to his presumed God.
huwaaaaaaaaaaahh!!so eto ang krimeng ginawa ni jaycee :))
sayang hindi ko nakita ung eclipse..nice post pala!
wala. ako na nasa sudi din ndi nakita ang eclipse. im such a loser. anyhoo, inggit ako sa mga pics mo, what cam did u use?
=)) kala ko guest blogger yang jaycee na yan! hi sisturr! hahahaha
- canky
@BLOGUSVOX
Asalam 'Alaykum...
With all due respect to the owner of this blog, I am really impressed for your courage in blogging your insight about your belief and your religion, because I would always tell my friends, religion is a very complicated matter, that NO ONE WILL WIN IN ANY DEBATE, that is the principal reason, it was never an issue in any of my entries.
Please don't jump into conclusion and start blazing that I am anti-religion. I have nothing against religion or Christian faith for that matter. I think a lot of things that has happened and is happening in this world, the wars, the violence under the pretext of religion, the huge debate on what is morally right and what is wrong in relationships, nepotism, global warming, corruption, rich and poor's differences, earthquakes, typhoons, famine, destruction of nature, the most recent H1N1 pandemic... which all boils down from the fact that man is imperfect and these flaws resulted in less-than-desirable behaviors, actions and consequences.
When I was still in the university taking pre-med, I was surprised to see how my classmates would view religion as a problem. I saw how some of my classmates cried when a lecturer pointed out to them that they may not really have understood their faith, the fact that it was their families who chose it for them, thus making them foolish to believe what they didn't comprehend. I couldn't get why there are some of them who would harshly mock at those who practice their faith. Possibly it's a way of showing that they have reached that point when they are more or less legitimate to raise their opinions, as we are already adult, including that of condemning the other's set of beliefs. But I really didn't enjoy seeing them doing so.
I mean, who would have? Respect is of primary significance here. WHY NOT LET PEOPLE BE??
On the other hand, it doesn't escape to me that pretense, hypocrisy and self-righteousness abound any religious institution. Religion itself is not really up to saving mankind from eternal damnation. In fact, if you trace back history, what has become one of the greatest sources of people's misery? Isn’t it war from contradicting beliefs and religions? A lot of theorists have tried to explain religion, perfect examples of this were Marx:as it an opium of the people, Durkheim: it's a neurosis, blah, blah, blah..But religion continues to draw a lot of followers.
Your claim may be right, it may be wrong, WHO’S TO JUDGE?, but I still cling to my conviction that the world cannot live without religion. In fact for me, religion is a building factor, one basic reason why we have civilization.
Do I really need to say more? ?? It was clearly mentioned above, on my first comment, and I was like thinking that the readers of this entry may have perceived it as my disclaimer ... “I don't want to be seen as cynical nor be judged as an agnostic or an atheist. Religion, for me still is a personal conviction, which goes to say that it must never be imposed nor be dictated upon you.”
FURTHER DISCLAIMER: I do not want to be typed as a smart-ass-good-for-nothing-junior-doctor; all of the things mentioned above is the direct result of MY OWN thoughts and does not mean that there is imperativeness for everybody to agree, either to follow.
I ALWAYS RESPECT EACH AND EVERYONE'S OPINION and I am hoping the same. It is just a matter of respect. LIVE and LET LIVE.
Peace out!
@BLOGUSVOX
Asalam 'Alaykum...
With all due respect to the owner of this blog, I am really impressed for your courage in blogging your insight about your belief and your religion, because I would always tell my friends, religion is a very complicated matter, that NO ONE WILL WIN IN ANY DEBATE, that is the principal reason, it was never an issue in any of my entries.
Please don't jump into conclusion and start blazing that I am anti-religion. I have nothing against religion or Christian faith for that matter. I think a lot of things that has happened and is happening in this world, the wars, the violence under the pretext of religion, the huge debate on what is morally right and what is wrong in relationships, nepotism, global warming, corruption, rich and poor's differences, earthquakes, typhoons, famine, destruction of nature, the most recent H1N1 pandemic... which all boils down from the fact that man is imperfect and these flaws resulted in less-than-desirable behaviors, actions and consequences.
When I was still in the university taking pre-med, I was surprised to see how my classmates would view religion as a problem. I saw how some of my classmates cried when a lecturer pointed out to them that they may not really have understood their faith, the fact that it was their families who chose it for them, thus making them foolish to believe what they didn't comprehend. I couldn't get why there are some of them who would harshly mock at those who practice their faith. Possibly it's a way of showing that they have reached that point when they are more or less legitimate to raise their opinions, as we are already adult, including that of condemning the other's set of beliefs. But I really didn't enjoy seeing them doing so.
I mean, who would have? Respect is of primary significance here. WHY NOT LET PEOPLE BE??
On the other hand, it doesn't escape to me that pretense, hypocrisy and self-righteousness abound any religious institution. Religion itself is not really up to saving mankind from eternal damnation. In fact, if you trace back history, what has become one of the greatest sources of people's misery? Isn’t it war from contradicting beliefs and religions? A lot of theorists have tried to explain religion, perfect examples of this were Marx:as it an opium of the people, Durkheim: it's a neurosis, blah, blah, blah..But religion continues to draw a lot of followers.
Your claim may be right, it may be wrong, WHO’S TO JUDGE?, but I still cling to my conviction that the world cannot live without religion. In fact for me, religion is a building factor, one basic reason why we have civilization.
Do I really need to say more? ?? It was clearly mentioned above, on my first comment, and I was like thinking that the readers of this entry may have perceived it as my disclaimer ... “I don't want to be seen as cynical nor be judged as an agnostic or an atheist. Religion, for me still is a personal conviction, which goes to say that it must never be imposed nor be dictated upon you.”
FURTHER DISCLAIMER: I do not want to be typed as a smart-ass-good-for-nothing-junior-doctor; all of the things mentioned above is the direct result of MY OWN thoughts and does not mean that there is imperativeness for everybody to agree, either to follow.
I ALWAYS RESPECT EACH AND EVERYONE'S OPINION and I am hoping the same. It is just a matter of respect. LIVE and LET LIVE.
Peace out!
interesting read. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did you guys hear that some chinese hacker had hacked twitter yesterday again.
@JayCee EmmDee
Good day…
You are right. Discussing religion is complicated if comparison of merits with another religion is the issue. But when it comes to physical evidence, it doesn’t hold water if put in parallel with a self-correcting, self-regulating body such as science. Its only advantage is nobody can prove nor disproved its basic tenets. That’s why it’s called faith.
And no, I never mentioned nor trying to implicate that you are anti-religion. All I did was to clear things up regarding these two points - That man first became sentient, therefore, a thinking animal before becoming “spiritual”. And two, religion is not the foundation of civilization. As I said before – “It is not religion that created civilization, but mans understanding of his surrounding and the capability to learn to utilize it to his advantage.” Religion, along with language and arts, are just by-product of man’s unique ability and position in the animal kingdom’s hierarchy.
When it comes to faith, I respect other people’s beliefs or on how they conceive God to be. It is their natural right. But when it comes to facts, I try to disseminate what I know and absorb what I don’t know. But when one still insist on something even when one is given evidence, I let it be. One has the right and the entitlement to one’s opinion.
I could only point to the direction of the water. It’s up to the individual to decide if his thirsty or not.
ayan na! debate na to....any rebuttal on ur part jaycee emmdee?
inaabangan ng masang OFW...:)
Whew! Your comments are a better read than my post! (And I did enjoy reading the clash of ideas here! Honestly. Very enlightening.)
Kaya lang, I think it's better that I close this particular post for further comments.
I hope you all understand. But honestly, I thank you JayCee and Ed. I never had any post in my blog that merited this kind of exciting comments.
Thank you guys!
(Kasalanan lahat ni Pajay yan e. Haha).