Catholicism

Dear Readers,

Another delicate post, much like my post about Jehovah's Witnesses, I will talk about Catholic beliefs and why I am not Catholic. It is my sincere desire to not misrepresent the Catholic church or Catholicism. If there seems to be any misunderstandings on my part, please feel free to correct me. I am not above amending something that I have misconstrued. Unlike my post about the Jehovah's Witnesses, I could not find a direct website from them, thus Wikipedia was my main source of information. Therefore, I have all the more need for your comments to make sure that my understanding and information is correct.

Like with my other post, I will focus on the three questions of the soul:

Where did I come from?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

The Catholic church, an umbrella term I am using to refer to Catholicism in general, is comprised of an organization based around priesthood authority. Claiming lineage of this authority primarily through Peter, and therefore Christ Himself, passing down to Linus (2 Timothy 4:21) as the first recorded Pope (arguably Peter, but since he is still referred to as Saint Peter it is Pope Linus as the first Pope), then to Anacletus, Clement, Evaristus, Alexander, Sixtus, Telephorus, Hyginus, Pius, et cetera.

Under the pope are Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and Deacons. This is based much after the organization depicted in 1 Timothy chapter 3 minus the Cardinals, who are basically superior Archbishops.

It is interesting to point out that in the same chapter where this organization is set forth, there are also stipulation that are unmet in the Catholic church today, including Bishops being the "husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2) and Deacons as well (1 Timothy 3:12). This seems contrary to the current practice of celibacy required for the station of Bishops and other clergy. However, I must admit that though this seems to be a requirement, it does appear to be closely related to the "forbidding to marry" as warned about in the following chapter (1 Timothy 4:3).

Alas, this brings us to the doctrines taught. Though they teach from the Holy Bible, many of their practices and doctrines come from tradition and other liturgy written and formulated by former Popes and other leaders, including theological counsels.

Saint Birinus Catholic Church link

One of the most famous of these counsels was that of Nicaea. From the counsel was created the Nicene Creed which decrees the nature of God as the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, Spirit of God) all as one being in order to stand apart from the polytheistic (multiple god) religions of Greece and Rome.

Madonna (Virgin Mary) from All Saints Catholic Church St. Peters, Missouri

With this monotheistic (one god) extreme of combining the Trinity into one, other doctrines were set forth, including prayers, sacraments, and other forms of worship. One of the many forms of worship that other Christians often view as idol worship is prayers to Mary the mother of Jesus and various Saints. However, in the course of my research I have been able to discern why this isn't so, or at least, why Catholics do not view it that way.

Adam's Creation by Michelangelo Sistine Chapel Censored

God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing) in 6 literal days. Though, Catholic consign that evolution may have been the means of creating the first human body (Adam), God is responsible for creating his soul.

After Satan's fall, he tempts Adam and Eve into mortal sin. Mortal sin being unpardonable after death while venial sin is more forgivable. Baptism washes away mortal sin, thus with the fall of the human species, children have to be baptized to remove this original sin. Yet, this does not remove their agency.

Infant Baptism

While children, through baptism, have been cleansed form the original sin, there is a second conversion at 13 in which an individual expresses a personal willingness to serve God and thus, essentially, renew their baptism.

Though mortal sin can only be forgiven in this life through confession, penance, and a priest conferring absolution, venial sin can be forgiven after. This, therefore, allows for death bed repentance and thus salvation. According to Catholicism, when we die we are taken to God for judgment where we are set into one of three states of being.

Catholic Heaven as depicted in Simpsons season 16 episode 21

There is heaven (Mark 14:62), where those who are free from sin are raised in a state of "unspeakable joy that lasts forever" (wiki).

Depiction of Dante's Infero

Then there is hell, a state of eternal misery burning in fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10). Even though I find interesting the depiction of hell in Dante's Inferno, the description of nine circles is inaccurate according to Catholic theology. In this terrible state are all those who die with mortal sin remaining such as unbaptized babies, murderers, adulterers, et cetera.

Purgatory scene from 1999 The Haunting

Lastly, there is a temporary state of purgatory, where people who die with venial sins remain until they are purged by penance and prayers of others still living, on their behalf. Once they are cleansed, they are finally released to heaven or dragged down to hell. I like how this was depicted in the movie The Haunting, where an evil man clung onto children, thus holding them in purgatory with him until the demons finally dragged him down and released the children into heaven.

But what does this have to do with the "idolatry" of Saints? Because heaven is alive and well now, those who die and go there are currently alive and with God. Thus, prayers to Mary and other Saints are more like phone calls to someone not in the room. Also, with the doctrine of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, being one with God the Father, there is no mediator to plead for us in mortality other than the Saints. Wherefore, praying to Saints to ask God for blessings on our behalf is the only help we can receive beside from God directly.

With this knowledge, it also makes sense why Pope Francis recently talked about how having a personal relationship with Christ can be dangerous (youtube). It appears woven into their beliefs that without others you are alone. Without Saints pleading to God on your behalf, without friend and family at church praying for you after you die, or receive constant absolution from priests then your efforts by yourself, as an individual, could leave your soul in jeopardy.

Now that I have talked about their beliefs and even defended the Pope, lets answer the questions at hand.

Where did I come from? Our bodies are essentially those of an animal though in the likeness of God having a spirit uniquely created by God at our birth.

Why am I here? Our purpose is to not sin and worship God.

Where am I going? Depending on how well I did not sin and worshiped God, I either go to heaven or hell, everlasting bliss or misery respectively. There might be a brief stay in purgatory, but eventually it would be one of these two places.

Not having any memories before this life, personally, I could live with my mortal body being created at birth and God creating my spirit at that time, but mortality seems rather pointless, just scraping by to live and commit no grand sins in order to make it to heaven. Then in heaven, yes it is ultimate bliss, but what is the point?

It seems as though most of the incentive to keep from sinning comes from not burning in hell fire for eternity. As it stands, according to Catholicism, I would be damned to hell because I have not been baptized by their authority and thus being cleansed from the original mortal sin. It is interesting, however, to note some of that power and authority as laid out in the Holy Bible. Matthew 16:19 is Christ addressing Peter concerning the keys of authority He gives him, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

As anecdotal evidence, while on my mission I had an opportunity to talk to a Catholic who clearly had talked to missionaries before. He politely turned my companion and I away, but before closing the door he added that the "keys" to bind and loose are found in the Catholic church. I knew what he was referencing because as a missionary, we talk a bit about how the keys are restored and families can be bound or sealed together for all eternity. Thus his comment intrigued me. In all of my research of the Catholic church I have not found what they would use this authority for (if they indeed had it).

With confession and absolution it seems as though they openly exercised power to "loose" people from the binds of sin on earth and in heaven, but what do they bind? Catholic marriages are till death do they part, so they bind on earth, but NOT in heaven, where everyone is like an angel of God (Matthew 22:30) having no spouse or children but are all brothers and sisters or children of God. I truly do not know what they "bind" on earth and heaven and therefore it appears as though they do not in reality have this authority to which they profess and claim.

To sum up, though I do not think the Catholic church is God's church on the earth, I do find their desire to serve God by being proper Christians, and even their desire to pray and try to help those who have passed on to be admirable. Yet, their idea of the purpose of life leaves me much to be desired, including the results of the afterlife. It boggles my mind that God would create a spirit for a new born baby or infant only to damn it to everlasting fire and brimstone for simply not being born to a Catholic family. This philosophy portrays a God that performs much for pointless and futile reasons. Alas, with this viewpoint I recognize my bias and advise others to follow their own hearts and to pray, asking God, to learn and know truth for themselves.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Previous: Jehovah's Witnesses

Avatar 2: Avatar

Dear Readers,

Since I have posted about the general bending of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, I have decided to also talk specifically about the Avatar. Hopefully, this will clarify and combine your knowledge that you may comprehend more fully the beauty of the series, as well as the beauty of this world.

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Firstly, an Avatar is one who acts on behalf of someone else. Usually, this is corresponded with a computer or video game avatar, representing the gamer. It is after this manner that the James Cameron movie Avatar is named. Though Jake is human, he transfers his mind into a Na'vi avatar to represent himself and fit in. Though, in the past, an individual could be an avatar on behalf of a god, like Pharaoh was the avatar of Ra (the Egyptian sun god), or Ra incarnate. That is to say, Ra in the flesh. In a similar manner, the Avatar is to act like a Prophet, a spokes person on behalf of God, with the purpose of uniting the world, bringing peace to the land, and helping other return to God.

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Secondly, the Avatar is able to manipulate all of the elements. This would likely mean that they have the genes for all four bending proficiencies. However, because they are born, one in each country once per generation, it is more like they have the initial genetic trait, the one corresponding their their country, but are then given authority or "keys" over the others as well.

Because of this, I find that it is time to talk a little bit about how the priesthood works. Now, in the hierarchy of the Church, the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency hold all of the priesthood keys given to man on the Earth. Thought these are not literal, or physical keys, they are keys that open blessings and windows of heaven. However, only the Prophet, also called the President of the Church, has the authority or authorization to exercise all of the priesthood keys. The others hold the keys, but are not permitted to use them. By this manner, the priesthood keys are to remain upon the Earth, never to be taken away again.

Some of these keys include the authority to baptize, to bestow the Holy Ghost, to seal husband and wife, and parents to children for time and for all eternity, and to even endow blessings upon the children of God. However, there are keys that still have not been bestowed unto man. Two of these keys, that are known, are the key of resurrection and the key of creation (The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood by Elder Dallin H. Oaks). I do not wish to confuse resurrection with raising the dead, for the keys to raise the dead are indeed upon the earth. However, the keys to raise the dead to an immortal glorified state are not upon the earth (Our Great Potential by President Spencer W. Kimball).

By this manner, we could say that the Avatar holds the keys to bending all four elements. While others, due to their heritage and genetics, only hold the key of one of the elements. This is a clear reflection of how keys can be bestowed down the governing body of the Church. At the lowest, ward, levels, there are only three men who hold priesthood keys. The Bishop, the Teachers Quorum President, and the Deacons Quorum President.

Though there are only a few who hold priesthood keys, the priesthood itself is given to every worthy male in the church, at the age of 12 or above. Though the priesthood is divided into the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, also known as the lesser and the higher priesthoods, they both contain the authority of God. The lesser priesthood to administer in physical rights and rituals, like Aaron of old, and the higher priesthood to administer in more spiritual and eternal things.

Indeed, to this day, if a man were to prove that they are a firstborn direct descendant of Aaron, then by their genealogy and heritage they have the rite to the priesthood and the office of Bishop and its associated keys (Doctrine and Covenants 68:16-17). Thus, it is realistic that genes or heritage could be a marker for holding keys.

In addition to the priesthood and its keys, the priesthood authority can also be delegated down. This is how women in the church can act with the authority of God in their callings, whether in the Relief Society or in the Temple. By this manner, the authority of God can be used by every worth member of the Church, though they may work through the keys held by someone else.

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Thirdly, in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang is shown to have awakened what were called jugglers, but in contemporary knowledge are called chakras. Now, these chakras are not chakra from Naruto, though they do have some correlation with the chakra meridian system gates. I prefer to call these gates, or chakras, jugglers.

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The first juggler is Earth. It is located at the base of the spine, also called the root, and is associated with the desire to survive. This juggler is blocked by fear or grief. As in the movie After Earth, Will Smith's character Cypher Raige said, "Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice." Thus, fear can block us, paralyze us, and keep us from surviving from living.

The second juggler is Water. It is located in the sacrum, or tail bone, and is associated with pleasure. Because of this association, it is also correlated with sexuality. This juggler is blocked by guilt. Regret often times comes from actions not taken, or actions done for the wrong reason. Thus, being able to let go and forgive is the best way to unblock this juggler. However, grief is an important part. If you do not allow yourself some time to grief over the action, you will never learn from it, and you will never truly move past it.

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The third juggler is Fire. It is located at the solar plexus, or simply the stomach. This one is associated with power. Like Gibbs' gut feelings in NCIS, this is where power and insight can be felt. However, much like guilt vs pleasure, shame can block our power. In the movie The Edge, Anthony Hopkin's character mention that most people die in the wilderness because of shame. They blame themselves for something they didn't do, or a mistake they made. Shame differs from guilt in that it is an outward reaction. Guilt is how we feel about ourselves, while shame is what others think about us, or what we think other feel towards us. God said that Satan wanted His "honor, which is my power;" (Doctrine and Covenants 29:36). Honor, being loved, that is true power, and if we feel shame in place of love, how can we be honorable?

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The fourth juggler is Air. It is located in the heart and is associated with love. My blog post about the Heart sheds quite a bit of insight into this correlation. This juggler is blocked by the broken heart, soul wrenching feeling of grief. Grief is the sadness of loss, the unwillingness to let go. This is mostly profound when someone passes away, from this life to the next. Thus, the best way to get past grief is to realize that those we love are never really gone. We will see them again.

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The fifth juggler is Sound. This juggler is located in the throat, which makes sense because of the vocal cords. Also, this juggler is associated with truth and is appropriately blocked by lies. Though this can be taken in a literal sense, telling the truth will set you free while lies weave the web of chains that bind you down, there is also the internal aspect. We often tell ourselves lies, we are not beautiful, we are worthless, etc. The anime points out the greatest lie of all is the lie of separation. We are different from them, or I am different from them. Though individuality can be a serious strength, feeling outcast can be an even greater obstacle. We are all children of God, we are all part of His family and are descendants of Adam and Eve. We are all part of the same beautiful world.

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The sixth juggler is Light. This juggler is commonly called the third eye. It is associated with perception and insight. Illusions block our perception. Whether physical mirages, drug induced hallucinations, or the illusion of incorrect traditions or philosophy, these things and disorient us and lead us down the wrong path. Again, one of the greatest illusions is brought from the lies we tell ourselves about the world around us. In particular, the illusion of separation. Our bodies feel like ours, but they are of the earth. Our spirits, at least through mortality, are only borrowing that dust. We are not so different, not so separated.

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The seventh and last juggler is Thought. This juggler is associated with spiritual and cosmic energy and is located at the crown of the head. Like a nexus of energy, it is the reciprocal of the blessings of God to our minds and bodies. Our body heat flows from it. Our bio-electrical field emanates from it. Blessings are bestowed by the anointing of oil and the laying of hands upon it. Indeed, I have theorized that steeples on church buildings are conductors or amplifiers for its power.

Alas, this juggler is blocked by attachment. This is not the same as bonds of friendship. This attachment is towards worldly things. Having a love of money, or possessions. Sometimes, people can even bee this source of envy, greed and pride. It is these things that are to be cast aside. Matthew 19:29 "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." This scripture is not to say that we must forsake them, but if they become stumbling blocks, if they hold us back from God and from Christ, then we may need to rethink our priorities. Our loyalty, our love, should always be to God first. Then, to our spouse and families. As long as we keep that chain clear in our minds, God will be sure to bless us, and make any wrongs into rights.

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I think that it is interesting how it is by learning how to bend and use spirit energy that Aang learns how to removing an individual's bending ability, almost as thought it is the prophet's duty to remove and rebuke unlawful use of priesthood keys.

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I find it interesting how these jugglers or chakras are like the steps of the gospel. First we learn to have faith and trust in Christ, which dispels fear. Then we begin repentance by learning for forgive ourselves and allowing others to forgive us. If we truly repent, we begin to feel love and become more honest with those around us. With that freedom we begin to gain knowledge and intelligence, our thoughts are turned toward the things of God and our burdens are made light.

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Lastly, the 4th aspect of the Avatar is the reincarnations. I addressed this already in my post about Reincarnation. However, to sum up quickly, reincarnation does not exist. Though they are spirits of individuals they are all linked by the mantle of the priesthood they held, as prophets today are. Even Brigham Young, after the Prophet Joseph Smith passed away, spoke in a General Conference meeting with a countenance that made him appear as though he was the former prophet. Though a prophet dies, they still labor diligently for the good of the Kingdom of God.

I leave you with my testimony that there is a Prophet on the Earth today. That mantle of authority and the priesthood keys associated with it have been passed down from one prophet to the next since it was restored back to the Earth through Joseph Smith.

If you have any questions or comments about what I have written, I welcome and would love to read them. I hope that you have enjoyed this post.

Love,
Jacobugoth

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