Wolves in sheep's clothing

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http://sureshjoseph2009.blogspot.in/2012/10/blog-post.html 

Wolves in sheep's clothing

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is an idiom of Biblical origin. It is used of those playing a role contrary to their real character. "A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put in on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep". Both Aesop's Fables and the Bible contain explicit references to wolves in sheep's clothing.

For more than two decades, the Catholic church has grappled with a series of clergy sexual abuse scandals and lawsuits. Why can't Catholic priests get married ?...There is no Biblical mandate that Priests are to be celibate. In fact, we know apostolate peter was married, he was already married before being called by Jesus Christ. Likewise, in the Old Testament there are two individuals, who were intimate with God. One was Daniel; another was Moses. One was single; one was married. Thus, marriage was not a factor in determining intimacy with God.  Holy Bible says... "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him". (Genesis 2:18 – 24)."It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." (1st Corinthians 7:1-2). If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence, for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God ? (1 Timothy 3). If God created man and woman and sexual union, God does not expect those that serve God to deny God's own works. So nuns and priests should be allowed to get married insted of making issues. It will stop the molestation of the young boys and nuns within the Catholic Church. After all Priest are only human. I don’t see any reason why they cannot marry, before ordination or after. If The ban on marriage of priests is based upon the notion that Jesus was never married and that He was celibate for his entire life, It is very clear that celibacy does not work for many priests with the resulting extramarital affairs, homosexuality and child abuse.

The sexual abuse scandal in Los Angeles archdiocese announced the larjest church settlement of sexual abusement, mostly resolved in 2007 when a settlement was reached in which the archdiocese agreed to a pay 508 victims $660 million.

Rev.Fr Brenden Smyth, who was exposed as the most notorious child-abuser in the history of the Irish catholic church. During a period of over 40 years, Smyth sexually abused and indecently assaulted over 120 children in parishes.

                                                                          Father Brenden Smyth                              

On june 2004, Father Simon Palathingal was arrested and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco religious order United States. who admitted to repeatted sexual assaults of a nine year old boy Nick janovsky in early 1990's.

                                                                          picture Courtesy-www.mugshots.com                               
                                                                          Father Simon Palathingal

Scandals And the Kerala Catholic Church

Sister Abhaya

In our Gods own Country kerala, Sister Abhaya was found dead in Pious X'th Convent's water well on march 1992, sixteen years later, on November 2008, two priests and a nun were arrested by the CBI and charges of murder, destruction of evidence, and defamation were filed against the three.The key witness in this case claimed that former Kottayam Archdiocese Bishop Mar Kuriakose Kunnassery had an illicit relationship with Sr Lousy, who was staying at the convent at the same time the murder of Sister Abhaya took place.

Bishop Kuriakose Kunnassery

Father Thomas M Kottoor , Father Jose Puthrukkayil and Sister Sephy

In 1999 police registered a case against Fr.Cyriac Karthikappally belongs to Changanacherry archdiocese. He lured a 16 yrs old school girl in 1995 and sexually used this minor girl for further two years, later she gave birth to a female baby.

 On june 2008, the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel expelled the 37-year-old nun, whose identity is being withheld, soon after a video showing her having sex with a driver for a Catholic hospital in Aluva was circulated over mobilephones and internet.

On same june 2008, Fr. Kuriakose Mangalath, film director Rajan Sithara and two others were taken to police custody in connection with famous Thoppumpady Sex Scandal 2002.

                                

                                           Sister Anupa Mary

On August 2008, Sister Anupa Mary from St. Mary’s convent Kollam, committed suicide. She left a suicide note that accused a senior nun, in the convent, of sexual harassment.

                                                    
                                                                      Bishop John Thattunkal

On october 2008, Pope Benedict XVI suspended  the 34'th Bishop of the Diocese of Cochin
John Thattunkal, who was involved in a major controversy after he adopted a 26 yrs old woman Sony Joseph. Bishop met the woman during a pilgrimage in Europe. She was lodged in the bishop's house several times. He apparently was not the first. She used to be under the "guardianship" of Fr. C K Joseph, a priest of the Thumpamon diocese.

On octoberer 2010, twelve year old sunday school girl Shreya found dead in a pond on the premises of the ACCEPT Counselling and Aftercare Centre at alleppy.

On August 2011, Sister Mary Ancy found dead in the underground water tank of convent at Poonkulam near Kovalam in Trivandrum.

                                                                               Fr. Jaison Kollannur

On December 2012, The Catholic Bishops' Council of Kerala dismissed the secretary of its youth commission Fr.Jaison Kollannur, who allegedly tried to traffic 42 young Indians to America, under the pretext of attending a student exchange program which ended in June 2012. Police said Fr.Jaison allegedly offered jobs to Catholic youth members in exchange for 155,000 rupees (US$3,000) each as an advance. About six million rupees is thought to have been transferred through youth commission bank accounts. Father Jaison was also the state director of the KCYM. Kerala Catholic Youth movement.
And in another controversy two biographical accounts,"AMEN" by Sr. Jesmi Raphael and another by Fr. Shibu Kalamparambil had in the recent past,dented the reputation of the Catholic priest community. In "AMEN" Sister Jesmi says when she became a nun she discovered priests were forcing novices to have sex with them. There were also secret homosexual relationships among the nuns and at one point she was forced into such a relationship by another nun who told her she preferred this kind of arrangement as it ruled out the possibility of pregnancy.

                                                                          Sister Jesmi Raphael

Sr. Mary Chandy

And now Catholic Church in Kerala is set for another attack by a former nun Mary Chandy, is ready with her biographical sketch to be realeased this week. Sr. Mary says that nuns getting pregnant and trying to kill the newborns are common in convents. She claims to have saved a newborn baby when the mother, a nun, tried to kill the baby by pushing it inside the tank of a toilet. "That boy is a student who lives the life of an orphan".

These above stated incidents pointing priests and nuns should be allowed to get married. It will stop the molestation of the young boys and nuns within the Catholic Church. After all Priest are only human.

Father

Catholics taught to call their priest "father" as a religious title of respect. Why are priests called Father ?. Bible teaches ! Doesn't Jesus Himself say, Call no man on earth your father, for you have one Father who is in heaven. (Mathew 23:9).

Virgin Mary and Worship

Catholic church holds Mother Mary in a special regard as Virgin Mary. Mathew 1:25 says that Joseph kept Mary a virgin until the birth of Jesus. The implication is that she stopped being a virgin after the birth of Christ when they consummated their marriage. They were taught the Mother Mary never had sex, after Jesus was born and that Jesus had no brothers and sisters. Bible tells us, (Luke 8:19)..."And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. And it was reported to Him, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You. But He answered and said to them, My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Is not this the carpenter's son ?. Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas ?. And His sisters, are they not all with us. Where then did this man get all these things. (Mathew 13:55-56). The Catholic church teaches that the Mary in these passages is the mother of Jesus, but James and Joseph, 'brothers of Jesus,' are they, sons of another Mary ?, Incredible !!. Rome's veneration of the virgin mary is simply a continuation of the virgin mother-devine child in the old PAGAN SUN GOD tradition.

The Holy Bible says there is only one mediator between God and man. Is mary that one mediator ?. "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)

The brides of Christ
If you're looking for the word "Nun", you won't find it in Bible, There is nothing in Scripture that explicitly describes the practice of nuns.The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that all nuns are mystically betrothed to Jesus Christ. In this actual marriage ceremony a young woman dressed in white, makes a public vow to the Church. After this public profession, the young woman is told that she has become the bride of Christ and must consecrate herself to God “until death”. But Genesis 2:24 says... Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh.
Why does the Catholic Church insist upon having a “convent” or “religious” lifestyle for women ?... because nuns are the backbone of the Catholic schools and Catholic hospitals. Both of these institutions have been instrumentals of having foreign funds to Catholic Church. Nuns are not only responsible for the daily operations of these institutions, but they also teach the tenets of the Catholic Church and warn of the consequences of disobedience to those tenets. To acquire this enormous workforce, the Catholic Church has circumvented the legitimate vows of marriage and family by replacing them with the vow of chastity and a lifetime devotion to the Catholic Church. Scripture calls young women to be married and have a domestic lifestyle, but never mentions living in convents. The whole concept of nun's life is totally opposite to the life for which God has created women. Reserchers claims that, nuns are at an increased risk of dying from breast cancer like any other women who don’t have child. And the  God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him (Genesis 2:18). Sadly enough the Catholic Church has capitalized on this naive youthful zeal in order to fill its job vacancies.

 Worshipping Idols

Catholic people regularly bow down to idols, icons and images of Jesus, Mother Mary, Saints and the apostles, kissing the feet of the man-made statues and praying to them. Does the 2nd commandment approve of bowing down and kissing idols ?.

Bible teach us..You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them. (Exodus 20:4-5). Catholics commit idolatry by praying to DEAD saints like Saint Sebastian, Francis and mother Mary etc. Rom teaches that catholic faithful are to honor and invoke the saints in heaven, who offer prayers to God for man. But Holy Bible says…” It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to silence” (pslams 115:17).

Rosary Beads

Hindus are thought to have introduced the concept of praying with beads to the world. Catholics belive that Mother mary appeared to St.Dominic in AD 1208 and revealed the rosary beads to him. Mathew 6:7 tells us, "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words".

Infant Baptism

Catholic church baptizes babies by sprinkling a little water on them but Jesus baptized by full immersion in the Jordan River. I know that babies have no faith and cannot repent, and are therefor not really valid candidates for baptism. Baptism is for adults and older children not for infants, because it is to be administered only after one has undergone a "born again" experience that is, after one has "accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior." Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.(Mark 16:16)

              Catholic faith tells us that infants inherit their parent's sin at conception and are therefore spiritually condemned and totally wicked. but Ezekiel 18:20 tells us "The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity,nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity". Jesus said...little children are better models of purity and conduct than adults."Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven".(Mathew 18:2-3)

Praying for the Dead

Oftentimes people who have lost a loved ones are encouraged to pray for those who have passed away and for their families.The Bible teaches that the eternal state of mankind is determined by our actions during our lives on earth. The reality is that at the point of death, one’s eternal destiny is confirmed. Either he is saved through faith in Christ and in heaven where he is experiencing rest and joy in God’s presence, or he is in torment in hell.

            The story of the rich man and Lazar the beggar provides us with a vivid illustration of this truth. Jesus plainly used this story to teach that after death the unrighteous are eternally separated from God, that they remember their rejection of the Gospel, that they are in torment, and that their condition cannot be remedied (Luke 16:19-31).

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Here we understand that no change in one’s spiritual condition can be made following his death either by himself or through the efforts of others. (30-40'th day of demise & Death anniversaries). After Death, no amount of praying will avail a person of the salvation he has rejected in life.

          "And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7).  At  death, the body returs to dust and the spirit (breath) of every person who dies, whether righteous or wicked, returns to God. The spirit that returns to God is the breath of life. When the breath departs, the soul ceases to exist because it is a combination of two things, unless body and breath are combined, there can be no soul.

The souls of the unrighteous (past and present) are held in Sheol until the Day of  judgment.

The souls of the righteous who have lived in the past (old testament), went to Abrahams bosom. When Jesus died, he went there and took them to paradise.They will remain there until Jesus returs to earth and they with him.

The souls of the present righteous (After Jesus rose from the dead) go straight to paradise.

            It is clear to all those who read the scripture carefully. then why catholic priests mislead people to damnable teachings ?.

Death is not the end, however everyone who has died will experience a resurrection and will live again. John 5:28,29 tells us: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

Is the Catholic church, the church you read about in the Bible ?  May God bless catholic church to  born again of water and of the Holy Spirit.

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                                                                                                                    With Love.

                                                                      

DISCLAIMER- All pictures used here are not mine, have taken from public domains and these pictures were the property of their respective owners/sites.

Posted 17th April 2012 by SURESH JOSEPH