I read an article by Dr. Bruce Baker of Faith and Facts before entitled "Is Haiti Cursed?" Just like Haiti, the Philippines was the recipient of so many calamities before that if we will closely examine the Bible, we can also conclude that yes indeed, the Philippines is cursed. Why? Just like Haiti which is steeped in voodooism, witchcraft, superstition and idolatry, the Philippines also willfully violated many commandments of God. Foremost of these is the second commandment: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Exodus 20:4-6). The problem is, this particular commandment was stricken off from the list of the Ten Commandments by the Catholic church in all her cathechetical literatures and split the tenth commandment to compensate for the omitted 2nd commandment. Thus the ninth commandment of the church reads, "Thou shalt not covet they neighbor's wife" and the tenth - "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods" whereas both of these are combined in the original 10th commandment. In the Old Testament, the Lord punished the Israelites every time they worshiped man made idols until their punishment became so severe that they suffered exiles to Assyria for Israel and to Babylon for Judah. Just like Haiti, religion and folklore or pagan practices co-exist side by side in the Philippines where people, especially those living in the provinces, still believe in folklore like dwarfs, elves, gnomes, witches, witchcraft, ogres and other folk and pagan beliefs. They try to make their own ways to salvation like crucifying themselves, self flagellation or attending the procession of the miraculous Black Nazarene. John 4:23-24 says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit and His worshipers must worship in Spirit and in truth." Is the Philippines cursed? Read the Bible to know the answer.
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Philippines, Haiti, Curse, Dr. Bruce Baker, Faith and Facts, Calamities, Voodooism, Witchcraft, Bible, Commandments, Idol, Old Testament, Assyria, Babylon, Gospel, Word of God
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational
18 comments:
I don't think Philippines iscurse Sir mel. It just so happen that we are located in a tropical place. we are still lucky to have just el nino compared to other countries got affected with earth quake, tsunami and more. Just hang in there Philippines magiging maganda rin ang araw. We have had that el nino every year so, i guess we dont have any choice but to get used and find ways to survived. Thanks forthe post.
Hi Shy,
I know that this post will be very controversial and I will be offending many of my catholic friends but I feel I have to write it anyway to open the eyes of everybody to the truth as written in the Bible. The problem started when Constantine became emperor of the Roman empire and embraced Christianity as a state religion. But the entire Roman world then was under widespread pagan influences that he was forced to embrace many of the pagan beliefs and incorporate them in the doctrine of the fledgling Christian church. So the statue of Jupiter or Zeus became Jesus, the statue of Juno or Hera became Mother Mary, and so on and so forth. This was in contradiction against the second commandment of God against worshiping man made objects. There are still so many rituals and beliefs that originated from pagan practices. If you will notice, those countries which are practicing idolatry like the Philippines and the catholic countries of South America and even the rich countries of Spain, Portugal and Italy and the countries that practice polytheism like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other Buddhist and Hindu nations are also recipients of these curses. It's either we believe the word of God or not. Praying, kneeling down or leading statues to processions are forms of adoration and can never be termed just veneration. There was no such thing as veneration in the Bible. We can only know the truth if we will immerse ourselves in the word of God and know His real will for our lives. The Bible says that, "a blind man can not lead another blind man for they will both fall into the pit." It will be very hard for people to follow a church without knowing whether it is the repository of the truth of God or has veered away from the truth. I do not wish to debate or quarrel with anybody. I just want people to open their eyes and learn the truth about God not from the lips of priests or pastors or any teachers of knowledge but from the very word of God which is the Bible. The only point here is: do you believe in God? If you do, why not study His very words and be guided accordingly. The Bible says, the people during the time of Noah were oblivious of what will happen to them when the universal deluge came. Shall we become like them and perish because of lack of knowledge? Thanks for your visit and comments. God bless you all always.
mahirap mag pasya ng sagot..ang masabi ko lang anuman ang dulot ng kalikasan ay tanggapin..ang lahat dito sa mundo ay nilikha ng diyos..wala tayong karapatan na magreklamo dahil ang kalikasan ay gawa ng diyos..kung tayo ay magrereklamo sa isang dulot ng kalikasan ay para na ring tayong nagrereklamo sa ating panginoon..
Hi Arvin,
Hindi naman ako nagrereklamo tungkol sa kalikasan. Ang sa akin lang ay dapat malaman nang tao ang kalooban nang Diyos base sa Kanyang salita. Madaling magsabi nang naniniwala ako sa Diyos at hindi naman aarukin ang kalooban Niya. Pinagaaralan natin ang siyensiya at lahat nang karunungang halaw nang tao pero ang tungkol sa Diyos ay isinasa isantabi natin. Wala akong sinusulat sa lahat nang artikulo ko na halaw sa sarili kong pananaw kung hindi nagko quote lang ako sa mga salita nang Diyos. Ang problema, yung mga taong walang panahon na alamin ang kalooban Niya base sa Kanyang salita ang nagrereklamo. Tumatayo sila sa pantaong pananaw kaysa sa salita nang Diyos. Duon nagkakaiba ang pananaw natin. Salamat sa dalaw at komento. Pagpalain ka nang Diyos tuwina.
I don't think God created a cursed place Kuya. It is just the location where our country is... Every country has its won downfalls not just ours..
kala ko I left a comment on this post...waaaaaaaaa...nawala ata eh!
napaka controversial nga ng post na ito...daming nataranta at d nag comment...joke lang po...ehehhehe!
It is hard to judge....only God knows kung bakit nagka ganyan ang klima ng pinas....pray nalang tau na sana maraming tao ang mag survive sa phenomenon na ito...buti nga walang lindol.
_______
salamat po pala kuya sa dalaw at comments...ehehehhe!
oo, tupi ng damit...haahha...mahirap kasi pag ikaw ang yaya sa sarili mong pamamahay...lol!
nako, korek! sana may mag fix na sa sign na yon...we passed it kasi on our way to my SIL's house...ehehehe!
natatawa ako sa comment mo about sa isda...hahahaha!
Hi Rose,
I respect your opinion Rose. God do not create a cursed place or country. It is what the people do that will attract such curses. I am basing my post on God's prohibition as written in Exodus 20:4-6. I am aware that I will be offending the sensibilities of my Pinoy friends who are Catholic but I still had to post this to jolt people to study the word of God. Complacency more often than not destroy people. The Bible says, "people perish for lack of knowledge." People's ignorance or their indifference can never shield them from accountability to God. Ang gusto ko lang, maging aware tayo sa kung ano talaga ang gusto nang Diyos base sa Kanyang mga salita. You can ask John for his opinion on this and if he will give you an honest answer, I'm sure he will agree with this. Huwag naman sana kayong magagalit sa akin. Nagpapaliwanag lang ako. Thanks for your visit and comments. God bless you all always.
"Random Thoughts (International Blog)" has been included in this weeks Sites To See. I hope you like the image I featured, and I hope this helps to attract many new visitors here.
http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2010/03/sites-to-see.html
Hi FishHawk,
Thank you so much for including this blog in your recommended blogs to see. I really appreciate that. Thanks for your visit and comments. God bless you always.
Mel,
I like that you always talk openly about very controversial issues. This does not mean that I agree with everything. Nobody is infallible.
All churches are based on the Bible, and all the churches interpret the Bible by their own criteria.
The Bible also tells us that God's people will pass many difficult experiences. I think that Philippines are God's people.
See how the fundamental law of God is interpreted. If the 10 Commandments of God will be respected - would be a paradise on earth. We do not need to have the different laws.
God bless you and your family!
Hi Krystyna,
I always respect your views and opinions. I only wrote this post to jolt people to their senses and encourage them to read the word of God which most Catholics neglect. I love my country and I love my people and I will be the last one to disparage or dishonor them. But I want them to be informed of God's words so that they will be prepared for any eventuality. Most people synthesize different beliefs thinking that by the confluence of these beliefs, they will arrive at the ultimate truth. As I have been there before, studying all beliefs and trying to synthesize them into an aggregate truth, I found out that these other beliefs can never go hand in hand with Christian principles. Its either you embrace one and reject the other. Thus, when I became born again, I decided to embrace the word of God as the ultimate truth. I will live and die by that. Thanks for your visit and meaningful comment. God bless you always.
Hi Dhemz,
Tama ka, ang alam ko nasagot ko na rin yung commnt mo. Buti na lang binalikan ko ang post na ito at nakita kong hindi pa pala. Actually, ang intensyon ko sa pag post nito ay para ma jolt ang mga readers ko at mainganyo silang basahin ang Biblia. Nakalulungkot kasi na karamihan sa katoliko ay mangmang pagdating sa salita nang Diyos at lalong nakalulungkot na mas binigyan nang halaga nang simbahan ang kanilang tradisyon kaysa sa pagtupad nang salita nang Diyos. Wala akong intensyon na siraan ang Pinas at Pinoys. Gusto ko lang talagang maging masidhi ang pagaaral nila nang salita nang Diyos. Salamat sa dalaw. God bless you all always.
Hello brother mel.. I'm Catholic but I do respect your opinion.
I don't like to think that we are cursed. I'd like to think there is a forgiving God to those who repent. In these trying times, we need to pray and keep the faith that the Lord will always be there for us..
My late mom taught me Psalms 46 (God is our refuge and strength...)
Hi Meretrisha,
It was never my intention to disparage the Filipinos nor Catholics in my post. My only intention is to encourage people to read the word of God in the Bible so that they will be aware of God's will for all of us. You can still become a good Catholic and a learned one at that if you will just study the Bible. There is no doubt that God forgives people especially if they act out of ignorance but the Gospel is now preached to the whole world even to the non Christian countries so that people will have no alibi when they come before God for judgment. God will make an accounting why they refused to know His will in His words. And there is no escape from that. Nice thing that your mother taught you Psalm 46 but that's what is wrong with Catholics, they just pick their favorite verses in the Bible and stop there. Catholicism is steeped in traditions and cultures and some of them are so contradictory to the very teachings of God especially in the worship of images as stated in Exodus 20:4-6. Why don't you open your Bible and look for Exodus 20:4-6 so that you will understand what I am pointing at. My only purpose my friend is for you to be aware of God's words as contained in the Bible. The enemy wants us to maintain this indifferent attitude towards our faith so that he can easily manipulate us with his deceiving teachings. Thank you so much for being courteous and for your meaningful comments. God bless you always.
Religion is not to be blamed for such a curse. It is people's sins. Though religion cannot save you nor can also be a basis of judgment, I believe it is people's disobedience to God. The problem with the Philippines, because of its Catholic traditions, many of them are blinded and deceived by its teachings. I am not here to condemn Catholicism, but this religion is flawed and not based on the basic tenets of the Bible.
God did not appoint priests to forgive sins and ask people for penitence. Penitence is not necessary because Jesus Christ already paid for our sins and redeem us, so what's the use and significance of His death if we try to earn righteousness by praying Hail Mary 's 10 x? Righteousness can never be earned but the Catholic church teaches that---through novenas and praying to saints, and going to churches diligently. No matter how many times you pray Hail Mary's, bleed your knees to death praying novenas, go to church without fail and pray to saints, if one's heart is not renewed in conformity to the Holy Spirit , and there's unforgiveness in one;s heart , disobedience to God's will, and pride and arrogance towards neighbors, one is not a Christian. I don't think God "punishes" or "curses" ---He has to send signs of calamities, sicknesses and disasters to remind people to stop their ways, turn back to Him , rely on Him , and change their ways.He is a loving God and a forgiving God who has nothing but goodness and love for all of us----the thing is we forget Him, we ignore Him and we act as if He does not exist at all. As I've said in my post too, God reminds us through all these occurrences so we might go to Him.
But the problem in the Philippines, they are blinded and deceived because of their beliefs about God taught by Catholicism.
I was born Catholic and I had never found meaning in God or who really God is until I became born-again. God and His purposes to His people became clear to me when I learned to know more about Him. I could never have this knowledge if I continue in my Catholic ways of earning righteousness.
I don't know what to say.. I always want to be careful when giving comments. When we talk about our views and opinions regarding our own beliefs, cant help na ma-misunderstood ng iba kaya topics like this may become controversial..
Anyway, in my own opinion, there's no such thing as cursed country. Sabi nga nila, lahat naman dinadaanan ng natural disasters.. I think the problem in our beloved country is the system -- government, construction, laws, people, etc -- example na lang kapag may bagyo, konting ulan lang sa manila, super baha.. i once experienced being trapped in the flood, 5 mins squall lang, bigla ng tumaas ang tubig sa may Espana.. WHat Im saying is sana ayusin ng gobyerno natin ang dapat ayusin para maiwasan mga magiging epekto ng kalikasan (ex nalang ang typhoon).. Kung tutuusin, our country is so rich with natural resources, perfect pa ang klima, sayang lang kung aabusuhin natin..
Hi Bambie dear,
I do respect your opinion as I do the opinions of others. I do not premise my claim on the natural disasters that are passing through our country. I premise my claim on the word of God. My only purpose for posting controversial topics like this is to encourage people to read and be familiarize with the word of God. Kung pwede lang ay pakibasa lang yung Exodus 20:4-6 at saka ka mag coment tungkol dito. If we believe that the Bible contains the word of God, then we should believe what it says. Madali kasing maging fence sitter na lang at magkunwari na everything is all fine maski na ang lahat nang senyales ay nagtuturo nang papalapit nang pagdating nang Panginoon. We will all be judged according to God's words and professing ignorance of them will never exculpate our accountability. Thanks for your visit and comments. God bless you all always.
Hi Bingkee,
I cannot contradict you on what you said although I would have put it more diplomatically. But I agree with you that we can never earn our own righteousness and salvation because salvation is a grace of God and all we have to do is accept that salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. There is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus Christ. But the church put so many mediators like Mary, the saints and priests. Remember, the reason why Martin Luther protested against the Catholic church was precisely the selling of indulgences, relics and acceptance of donations by the Catholic church which could merit points for salvation as if salvation could be bought. They also invented the doctrine of Purgatory to justify the offering of masses for the dead for a fee. There are so many sins and errors of the Catholic church that it is already ripe for condemnation. It will be judged by God upon His return on earth. Instead of educating its members, they tolerated the erroneous and pagan practices of its members like self flagellation and self crucifixion and the pagan inspired processions like the Ati Atihan, the procession of the Black Nazarene and other pagan inspired practices. It is up to Catholics to educate themselves against the erroneous teachings and practices that the Catholic church espouse. Thanks for your visit and comments. God bless you always.
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