CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Professor Susan Russell
Department of Anthropology

There is only one predominantly Christian country in all of Asia. The Philippines is approximately 85 percent Christian (mostly Roman Catholic), 10 percent Muslim, and 5 percent 'other' religions, including the Taoist-Buddhist religious beliefs of Chinese and the 'indigenous' animistic beliefs of some peoples in upland areas that resisted 300 years of Spanish colonial rule. The purpose of this lecture is to explain how a small number of Spaniards converted the bulk of the Philippine population to Christianity between the mid-1500s and 1898--the end of Spanish rule. It also discusses some of the variety of forms of Christianity practiced today in the Philippines.
Historical background:
In the 1500s, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan encountered the Philippines while sailing under the flag of Spain in search of a western route to the East Indies, the source of the spice trade. He and his men landed on the island of Cebu in the central Philippines.
At this time period, almost nothing was known of the Philippines, and so our sources of information about pre-Hispanic societies in the country date from the early period of Spanish contact. Most Philippine communities, with the exception of the Muslim sultanates in the Sulu archipelago and Mindanao, were fairly small without a great deal of centralized authority. Authority was wielded by a variety of individuals, including 1) headmen, or datu; 2) warriors of great military prowess; and 3) individuals who possessed spiritual power or magical healing abilities.
The absence of centralized power meant that a small number of Spaniards were able to convert a large number of Filipinos living in politically autonomous units more easily than they could have, say, converted people living in large, organized, complex kingdoms such as those Hinduized or (later) Theravada Buddhist-influenced kingdoms in mainland Southeast Asia and on the island of Java in Indonesia. The Spanish were unsuccessful in converting Muslim Sultanates to Christianity, and in fact warred with Muslim Filipinos throughout their 300 year colonial rule from 1521 - 1898. Nor did they successfully conquer certain highland areas, such the Luzon highlands, where a diverse array of ethno-linguistic groups used their remote, difficult mountainous terrain to successfully avoid colonization.
Magellan's arrival in Cebu represents the first attempt by Spain to convert Filipinos to Roman Catholicism. The story goes that Magellan met with Chief Humabon of the island of Cebu, who had an ill grandson. Magellan (or one of his men) was able to cure or help this young boy, and in gratitude Chief Humabon allowed 800 of his followers to be 'baptized' Christian in a mass baptism. Later, Chief Lapu Lapu of Mactan Island killed Magellan and routed the ill-fated Spanish expedition. This resistance to Western intrusion makes this story an important part of the nationalist history of the Philippines. Many historians have claimed that the Philippines peacefully 'accepted' Spanish rule; the reality is that many insurgencies and rebellions continued on small scales in different places through the Hispanic colonial period.
After Magellan, the Spanish later sent the explorer Legaspi to the Philippines, and he conquered a Muslim Filipino settlement in Manila in 1570. Islam had been present in the southern Philippines since some time between the 10th and 12th century. It slowly spread north throughout the archipelago, particularly in coastal areas.Had it not been for Spanish intervention, the Philippines would likely have been a mostly Muslim area.
'Christianization' Strategies Employed by the Spanish:

Early Spanish Chapel, Luzon

In little more than a century, most lowland Filipinos were converted to Roman Catholicism. There are a number of reasons why Spanish missionaries were successful in this attempt:
1. Mass baptism - the initial practice of baptizing large numbers of Filipinos at one time enabled the initial conversion to Christianity. Otherwise, there is no way that such a small number of Spanish friars, or Catholic priests, could have accomplished this goal. It is said that many Filipinos associated baptism with their own indigenous 'healing rituals', which also rely on the symbolism of holy water--very typical of Southeast Asian societies.
2. Reduccion policies - in areas where Filipinos lived scattered across the landscape in small hamlets, the Spanish military employed a resettlement policy that they had used successful in Central and Latin America. This policy was called reduccion, and essentially meant a forced relocation of small, scattered settlements into one larger town. The policy was designed for the convenience of administration of the Spanish colony's population, a way for a small number of armed Spanish constabulary to control more easily the movements and actions of a large number of Filipinos. It was also designed to enable Spain to collect taxes from their Christianized converts. Throughout Spanish rule, Christianized Filipinos were forced to pay larger taxes than indios, or native, unChristianized peoples.
The reduccion policy also made it easier for a single Spanish Catholic friar to 'train' Filipinos in the basic principles of Christianity. In reality, the policy was successful in some areas but impossible to enforce. Spanish archives are full of exasperated colonial officials complaining about how such settlements were 'all but abandoned' in many cases after only a few weeks.
3. Attitude of the Spanish clergy in the early phase - Spanish friars were forced to learn the native language of the peoples they sought to convert. Without schools that trained people in Spanish, the Spanish friars had no choice but to say Christian mass and otherwise communicate in the vernacular languages of the Philippines. There are over 200 native languages now; it is unknown how many existed in the beginning of Spanish rule.
In the first half, or 150 years of Spanish rule, friars often supported the plight of local peoples over the abuses of the Spanish military. In the late Spanish period, in contrast, Spanish priests enraged many Filipinos for failing to a) allow otherwise 'trained' Filipino priests to ascend into the higher echelons of the Catholic Church hierarchy in the Philippines; b) return much of the land they had claimed as 'friar estates' to the Philippine landless farmers; and c) recognizing nascent and emerging Filipino demands for more autonomy and a greater say in how the colony was to be managed.
4. Adaptation of Christianity to the local context - Filipinos were mostly animistic in their religious beliefs and practices prior to Spanish intervention. In most areas they revered the departed spirits of their ancestors through ritual offerings, and also believed in a variety of nature spirits. Such beliefs were central to healing practices, harvest rites, and to maintaining a cosmological balance between this world and the afterlife. Spirits were invisible, but also responsible for both good and bad events. Spirits could be blamed for poor harvests, illness, and bad luck generally. Yet Filipinos believed that proper ritual feasting of the spirits would appease them, and result in good harvests, healthy recovery of the ill, and the fertility of women.
The legacy of Spanish conquest and colonial rule in the Philippines, as is true of all colonial attempts to 'master' or manage indigenous populations, is mixed. On the one hand, Spanish clergy were very destructive of local religious practices. They systematically destroyed indigenous holy places and 'idols', or statues and representations of indigenous spirits, gods or goddesses. They also tried to stamp out all examples of native scripts and literature for fear that Filipinos were using exotic symbols to foment rebellion. The Spanish also imposed new 'moralities' on Filipinos by discouraging slave holding, polygamy, gambling, and alcohol consumption that were a natural part of the indigenous social and religious practices.
At the same time, Hispanic rule left a legacy of syncretic, rather than totally destructive, elements. Spanish clergy introduced some very European features of Catholic practice that blended well with indigenous ritual practices. Spanish Catholic priests relied on vivid, theatrical presentations of stories of the Bible in order to help Filipinos understand the central messages of Christianity. Today, this colonial legacy lives on whenever Filipino Catholics re-enact through religious dramas the passion of Christ, or Christ's martyrdom, during Holy Week.

The beginning of a Pasyon play, Manila	Christ and two disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane	The Devil tempts Christ

Christ is led away by Roman soldiers	The Crucifixion of Christ and Two Thieves

Other Filipino ceremonies also mark the Christian calendar, such as during the rituals surrounding death. Death is always an occasion that marks a society's traditions, and in the Philippines funerals are usually accompanied by somber village processions and music, essential parts of Roman Catholic ritual practice. Filipino indigenous religious beliefs traditionally celebrated rice planting and harvesting times, the death anniversaries of departed ancestors, and these have been blended in meaning and timing with Catholic rites such as All Saint's Day and Fiesta de Mayo. In this kind of religious syncretism, blending the rites and meaning of two totally separate societies, the outcome is often a surprise rather than a foregone conclusion.
On October 31, for example, children in rural villages in the Philippines often go house to house asking for small sums of money--a traditional almsgiving. Filipino families also spend much of the evening visiting their ancestral graves, showing respect and honor to their departed relatives by feasting and offering prayers. In contrast, American children honor October 31 as 'Halloween', or the night of the dead, going house to house and asking for treats. Christian families in the U.S. do not consider this occasion a time to 'visit' and feast with their departed ancestral or kindred spirits. In the U.S., the proper time to 'visit or honor the departed spirits' is Memorial Day at the end of May. In the U.S., too, it is considered unseemly to 'feast' or celebrate one's dead relatives by having picnics in cemeteries.
Similarly, Filipinos set up small altars and chapels decorated with flowers in the spring during the Fiesta de Mayo, or festival of May 5 (traditionally a Mexican holiday celebrating their revolution). Every Catholic town in the Philippines celebrates an annual barangay, or 'barrio', fiesta in honor of their patron Catholic saint. During this period, there are large processions and parades throughout the town, with the saints, the mayordomo or sponsor of the fiesta, and school children marching through the settlement to band music or music played on a videocassette. In addition, each family visits other neighbors and relatives to share home-cooked, special 'feast' foods during the fiesta. In many coastal or riverine communities, fishers celebrate by carrying the image of the patron saint on boats in a fluvial procession to bless the waters and fish. The sacred days of the Roman Catholic calendar also affect traditional livelihoods. For example, Good Friday, the day Jesus Christ was crucified, even today is considered a 'taboo' day for fishermen. It is an omen of terrible fates, and fishers fear for their lives if they go out fishing on that day. In the past, every Friday was deemed to be a risky day to go fishing, but these beliefs have been modified over time.

Flores de Mayo, Batangas

The Roman Catholic emphasis on godparents became known as compadrazgo, which celebrates the alliance of two families in marriage. The godparent institution is a common and important institution in countries like the Philippines (and Malaysia) where marriages traditionally were arranged between families. In these areas, long before the advent of Islam or Christianity, it was considered customary and desirable for the heads of two friendly families to cement their 'alliance' by arranging an appropriate marriage for their children--in many cases while their children were still very young. The goal of such arrangements was to ensure that each family's child (and eventual married couple) would always have concerned advice and support from all of their affinal (or in-law) relatives as well as blood relatives so as to enable them to establish themselves firmly in the future.
Christianity in the Philippines Today:
Christianity in the Philippines today, unlike during the Spanish period, is a mixture of nationalistic efforts by local peoples to 'Filipinize' Roman Catholicism and the efforts of a variety of Protestant missionizing successes. In the American colonial period, 1900-1946, a lot of Protestant teachers and missionaries came to the Philippines to 'purify' what they viewed as the incorrect or 'syncretic' characteristics of charismatic blends of Filipino Roman Catholicism. The Aglipayans were among the first to try to Filipinize Roman Catholicism and were popular in the early part of American colonial rule. The Iglesia ni Kristo is another Filipino-founded sect that has found strong support among well-to-do Filipinos.
In remoter parts of the Philippines, where Spanish colonialism and Roman Catholicism never penetrated until the beginning of the 20th century, a variety of Christian missionaries compete for new converts. Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses typically go door-to-door, spreading the specific messages that their sects support. In traditional, staunchly Roman Catholic areas, their missionizing efforts and attacks on syncretic forms of Roman Catholicism are often unwelcome. In areas where Roman Catholicism is still fairly recent, the missionaries carry messages that are more carefully listened to by local Filipinos. What was once a truly Roman Catholic country in terms of the population has given way to a variety of forms of Christianity.
In the Luzon highlands, for example, where many indigenous ethno-linguistic groups resisted Spanish rule, Roman Catholic or Anglican priests today have a fairly comfortable accommodation with indigenous forms of ritual and belief. Local peoples follow traditional customs related to burial rites, but often invite Christian priests to celebrate the last rites or formal burial rites in addition. The advantage of this kind of syncretism is that people's beliefs and support for their traditions are not lost, but simply accommodated with beliefs and practices associated with the newer religion. Many recent Protestant missionaries, in contrast, fail to recognize the value of supporting indigenous customs, and simply attack local religious practices as evil. Their meager success in attracting converts speaks to the need for understanding the context in which American religious practice can flourish.

Roman Catholic Cathedral, Baguio City

Most recently, 'El Shaddai' is a fundamentalist Christian movement within Roman Catholicism in the Philippines that has attracted a large number of converts, both in the Philippines and among Filipinos working abroad. Like charismatic fundamentalist Christian sects in the U.S., the El Shaddai movement, led by 'Brother Mike' Velarde, relies on 'healing' rites, mass congregations, and radio and t.v. appearances and broadcasts to appeal to a large number of people seeking messages and solutions to their poverty or problems. In the rallies in Manila that are broadcast throughout the Philippines by the media, vast numbers of Filipinos seek redemption or a better life by listening to what is essentially 'Filipino' gospel. Filipinos of all walks of life attend these rallies, sometimes to have their passports blessed so they can more easily attain jobs abroad that will help their families, and sometimes to have their bank books blessed so they can more easily save money. In any case, they, like many Americans who become enamored with t.v. evangelists, are looking for messages that promise not only salvation in the afterlife, but a better living standard in this life. Religious belief, as always, is based on the ability of a religion to offer answers to the questions, concerns, and needs of people in different cultural and economic circumstances.



source:Recommended References: Fenella Cannell, 1999, Power and Intimacy in the Christian Philippines. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
David J. Steinberg, 1982, The Philippines: A Singular and a Plural Place. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.


http://www.seasite.niu.edu/crossroads/russell/christianity.htm

GOD'S WAY IS BEST

One day I asked God a bunch of beautiful flowers,


but instead, he gave me a cactus with thorns?.....


Later I asked him to give me butterflies,


but instead, he gave me worms...... 


I was disappointed and I wept.....




But few days after I have noticed that the cactus bloomed with beautiful flowers and the worms soon became butterflies.....




God wants us to wait for the right time, for he knows all the best that he can give......

:)

imrui.deviantart.com

God's Image

God made man in God's image: God's image of what man should be. God made woman in God's image: God's image of what woman should be. God made butterflies in God's image And oak trees And raindrops And the sun And each hydrogen atom. Each hydrogen atom in the universe Is made in God's image Of exactly what a hydrogen atom should be. Do you think there is only one image in God's mirror? Why limit your image of God to that? If God is everything, In everything, The energy which orders and composes everything, How can God's image be limited To one lonely, Anthropocentric, Sexist, And much too narrow Idea? Sure, you were made in God's image, But look around! How can you imagine that the rest were not? Who else was there To do the imagining, The creating? Who else can there possibly be To imagine this diversity, These wonders, This beauty? God made man in God's image And it is time to start becoming, Through love, acceptance, and an open heart, The image we, With God, Can be. http://frank.mtsu.edu/~jsanborn/relig2.htm

Lord Let Me Live

BY  Robert Service

Lord, let me live, that more and more Your wonder world I may adore; With every dawn to grow and grow Alive to graciousness aglow; And every eve in beauty see Reason for rhapsody. Lord, let me bide, that I may prove The buoyant brightness of my love For sapphire sea and lyric sky And buttercup and butterfly; And glory in the golden thought Of rapture You have wrought. Lord, let me linger, just for this,-- To win to utterness of bliss; To see in every dawn design Proof of Your Providence divine; With night to find ablaze above, Assurance of Your love. Lord, for Your praise my days prolong, That I may sing in sunny sort, And prove with my exultant song The longest life is all to short: Aye, even in a bead of dew To shrine in beauty--YOU. http://www.quotesandpoem.com/poems/SelectedPoemByTopic/Service/Spiritual/%20%20%20%20Lord%20Let%20Me%20Live/288/

BAPTISM

When someone decides to “get right with God,” part of the “outward sign” of accepting Jesus as their savior is being baptized. It is an exciting time, but there are many questions regarding baptism that should be clarified, since so many conflicting ideas regarding this topic developed over the centuries. The questions often come from four basic areas:

 Can you go to heaven by being baptized?

 What is baptism?

 When should someone be baptized?

 Why should someone be baptized?

Let's take a look at each of these questions.

Can you go to heaven by being baptized?

People are saved (and get to go to heaven) by believing that Jesus is the Christ and putting their faith in Him. Baptism alone does not save. However, salvation (being saved) and baptism are always tied together, as we explain on our “Getting Right With God” page.

What is baptism?

The process of baptism is very simple. You begin by standing, sitting, or kneeling in some water. Another Christian then lowers you under the water and then brings you back up out of the water. You could also literally call this “immersion.”

Because some faiths sprinkle water on people instead of immersing them, the obvious question is whether this is OK. Since the only consistent answer around the world comes from the Bible, we recommend using it to find your answers. It is interesting that nowhere in the Bible does anything but “immersion” take place. That is, baptism is always by immersion.

This makes sense if you realize that “baptize” is a transliteration of the original Greek word baptizw (baptizo). In turn, baptizo comes from the root wordbaptw (bapto), a term used in the first century for immersing a garment first into bleach and then into dye, both cleansing and changing the color of the cloth.[1](Note its similarity to baptism's cleansing of sin and becoming a new person through Christ.) Stated another way, when you process cloth to change its color, you are said to “baptize” it. If sprinkling of any kind was to be practiced, a different Greek word would have been used, but it was not.










http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/get_wet.shtml
www.youtube.com

The God Particle Articles

The God Particle

"Vetra was on the cutting edge of particle physics," Kohler said. "He was starting to fuse science and religion ... showing that they complement each other in most unanticipated ways." 
-- Dan Brown, Angels and Demons, 38-39.

In Dan Brown's thriller, Angels and Demons, the hero Robert Langdon observes the title of one of the books in Leonardo Vetra's library: The God Particle. The book actually exists and is in print. It was written by Leon Lederman, a Nobel laureate and particle physicist.

The Higgs Boson

What Dr. Lederman calls "The God particle" is the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle that is postulated to exist, but (as of March, 2009) has not yet been detected. This particle has been postulated because, according to current physical theory, its interactions with other particles in the subatomic realm would offer some explanation of the masses of these particles. Finding it would be a spectacular confirmation of what has been called "The Standard Model" for explaining the realm of the smallest particles.

Why has the Higgs boson proved so elusive? If it exists, it is probably quite massive as subatomic particles go. The more massive the particle, the more energy it takes to create it, according to Einstein's famous principle of the equivalence of mass and energy. The energy must be concentrated in a very small area. Particle physicists do this by accelerating particles such as protons to nearly the speed of light. The high speed implies high energy. But the higher the energy, the larger must be the equipment used to impart the energy and to hold the accelerated particles.

The two most massive facilities for accelerating particles are Fermilab, near Chicago, Illinois, and CERN, the French acronym for the European Organization for Nuclear Research, with its main campus near Geneva, Switzerland. Both facilities have already searched for the Higgs boson with energies up to 170 GeV, but without success. The Large Hadron Collider, the key instrument at CERN, is slated to be powered up in 2009 with energies high enough to detect the Higgs boson if it exists. Particle physicists are waiting with excitement for the first results. News media have had some discussion, with predictable use of the expression "the God particle."

Part of the CERN site.

Below is a photo of the tunnel (a circular tunnel 27 kilometers in circumference) holding the "Large Hadron Collider," the most massive particle accelerator in existence. 

Meaning of the God particle

Would the discovery of "the God particle" bring us any closer to the discovery of God? Not really. The God particle is merely a particle, not God. It would be an exciting discovery in the highly specialized field of particle physics. But our ordinary world would go on just as it did before.

Why then has the Higgs boson been singled out and given its exalted name, "the God particle"? Physicists would like to get "to the bottom" in understanding the physical character of the smallest particles, and the Higgs boson would in one sense be a temporary bottom. (I say "temporary" because many physicists think that still more remains to be revealed at even higher energies.) Getting to the bottom gives scientists the feeling that they have achieved a God-like knowledge. So it is not completely arbitrary to have given the Higgs boson its whimsical alternate name.

Knowing the mind of God

Albert Einstein is reported to have said that his career in physics was an effort to "know the mind of God." Einstein was not a Christian believer, but his statement is not a facetious statement. If physicists discovered the Higgs boson, they would have confirmed at a deep level the understanding of the world that they call "the Standard Model" for subatomic particles. That understanding would then reflect the very nature of the world as created and sustained by God.

We can go a little further. The consistent patterns of physics extend down to the "bottom" consisting in the smallest constituents of matter. The consistency is a rational, lawful consistency. It shows a mind. (See the discussion of the character of scientific law.) The wisdom of that mind—yes, it is the mind of God—is displayed spectacularly if physicists can predict the existence of a new, yet-to-be-discovered particle that beautifully completes patterns already recognized. (See the discussion of the discovery of antimatter.)

source: http://www.truthaboutangelsanddemons.com/the-god-particle/articles/the-god-particle.html

The book of Revelation(part1-2)

prayer - "The Inner Secrets of Prayer"

The Inner Secrets of Prayer.

Only God will know the glory of God.
Only God will know His power and His creation. Amin.

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Tajuddin ibn Zakariyya (Ral.) of the lineage of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (Rad.), says: If one, knowing Allahu ta’ala Nayan, seeks Him in the prayer that is prayed in the joining of the outer (zahir) and the inner (batin) prayer, he will derive great benefits thereby. For the treasures he acquires through performing both the outer and the inner prayers-the perfecting of his purity (Islam) and his certitude of faith (iman)-will carry him to the station of union (jam’), in which his heart merges with God. As a result, all worldly desires will leave him, and he will attain the station of barakat, the blessings of the Treasure of grace.

Thus, until such time as one acquires the certitude that arises from wisdom, the prayer most acceptable to God will be the one performed from the combined stations of batin (inner) and jam’ (union). To disregard one and do only the other will be a sin. You must worship with the steadfast certitude and the good actions of both stations.

The Benefits of Prayer

Prayer endows you with the purest form of restraint—the devotion that is acceptable to Allahu ta’ala. Further, it eliminates impurities and makes you complete. Thus it renders you fit to dwell in close proximity to God.

What is this like? In the same way that a subject remains in humility, respect, and reverence in the presence of a king, a devotee who has true love for God will restrain and contain himself with humble reverence and devotion in the constant remembrance of God.

And just as one would humble himself in serving true gnostics and sages (‘ulama’) or kings and sultans, if you will rid yourself of your pride and your deep-rooted evil qualities, then you will certainly become one who worships Allahu ta’ala with steadfast certitude of faith and will merge with God.

With subservience to the commands of Allahu ta’ala; control your thoughts and keep your mind still. Further, do not walk the earth carrying tales of backbiting or committing treachery.

Do not place your trust in the world, believing that this life is a life of happiness. Do not interfere in the affairs of others.

If one has ascended to a state in which he eliminates his evil thoughts and intentions (through actions filled with Gods grace), God will reside as the perfection of inner purity within him. If he were to remain in his earlier state, how could his prayers be fulfilled?

On the other hand, when his prayers have been correct and have reached fruition, his fulfillment will be in his coming face to face (mushahadah) with Allahu ta’ala; and, drawing even closer, coming into His presence (hudur). Therefore, a truly virtuous one (salih) will give up his evil qualities and will draw good qualities to himself. Then he will leave the lower station, which is shari’at, and become one who has progressed toward the highest station of bliss—the excellent station of lahut, or union with God.

In a verse of the Qur’an that deals with purity of prayer, Allah has mentioned the four steps (of spiritual ascendance). In Tamil they are called: sariyai, kiriyai, yogam, and gnanam; in Arabic: shari’at, tariqat, haqiqat, and ma’nfat. These correspond to the stations of nasut (the elemental world), malakut (the angelic world), jabrut (the world of divine power), and lahut (the world of absolute divinity).

A true slave of God (an insan kamil, or perfected man) attains these fours stations and experiences the bliss of liberation. He becomes one who is the plenitude of perfection, and all of his words will be heard everywhere. For, the one who speaks from such a station (haqiqat) is none but Allahu ta’ala. Himself.

Muhaiyaddeen ‘Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (Rad.) (1) ‘qaddasallahu sirrahu (2) has said:
Purity may be of two kinds: The first kind is outer (zahir) or worldly purity; which his achieved by washing with water as prescribed in shari’at. Thus, when the purity achieved by the ablution of shari’at is broken by the release of emissions (najis), it can be restored by cleansing with water. The second kind is inner (batin), which is achieved by repentance (taubah) and by the instruction (talqin) of the spiritual guide (murshid) guiding him to the dhikr (3) helping to cleanse him of evil qualities, and always guiding him on the path that leads to the realization of the Reality.

The Stages of Inner Purification (batin)

Taking the essence of the ‘five actions’ (five-times prayer), one continues to purify himself through dhikr, the constant remembrance of Allah. As one’s inner purity increases, the dhikr becomes deeper and deeper:

adh-dhikrul-lisan—the dhikr of one who is worthy to worship.

adh-dhikrnl-qalb—the dhikr of one who worships with his innermost heart.

adh-dhikrur-ruhi—the dhikr of one who worships with his life (or soul).

adh-dhikrur-sirri—the dhikr of one who worships with the secret of life.

adh-dhikrur khaft—the dhikr of one who loses himself, and worships God, standing in the state of God.

Hadith
(Words of Grace of the Messenger of Allah)

Our beloved Prophet (Sal.) has said, “True purification occurs only when one cleanses oneself with the intention for inner purity. If one revives his purity, then Allahu ta’ala will revive his iman.”

Thus, if inner purity (the purity of batin) is broken (by haughtiness, inner pride, jealousy, envy; backbiting, slander, or falsehood, or by sins caused by the eyes, ears, hands, or legs; or by other such evil qualities or the baser religious practices), that purity can be restored only by asking for unqualified pardon for those sinful qualities or base actions and by removing those qualities and actions at their roots-by doing good acts, by removing self-pride, by incessant pleading for forgiveness, and by keeping one’s intention firmly fixed on God.

Therefore, if one who is a gnostic (‘arif) wishes to achieve perfection in his prayer, he must guard and protect his repentance, as well as his asking for pardon.

And while the outer purification of zahir is designated to be performed only at certain times and in certain places, it is decreed that the inner purity of batin must be unceasingly maintained with great vigilance until the ripeness of age.

Amin, Ya Rabbal-‘alamin.
As-salamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi
wa barakatuhu kulluhu.

May it be so. O Lord of the universes.
May all the peace, the beneficence,
and the blessings of God be upon you.

1) Known as the Qutubul-Aqtab (Qutb of all qutbs), and as the reviver of the din, the path of perfect purity.
2) May Allah sanctify his secxret.
3) Remembrance of God with every breath.

Article Source: http://www.godarticles.com

wisdom: world religions - "Which Religion Can the Connection between Man and God be Established?"

A disciple asked his sheikh, “O my sheikh, my true sheikh, in which religion can the connection between man and God be established?”

The sheikh replied, “Son, in a town many roads and paths meet at the marketplace, enabling the people of the countryside to come to the supermarket and buy all kinds of things. People come to buy what they need and then they return to their homes. No one stays in the marketplace.

“Like that, many paths and many religions lead to the marketplace of the world. Religions are paths. People go to the marketplace of the world, buy what they want, and then go back to their houses of arrogance, karma, and maya; tarahan, singhan, and suran (the three sons of maya); obsession, hatred, miserliness, attachment, fanaticism, envy, intoxicants, lust, theft, murder, and falsehood. They buy what they want in the world market, then return to where they were before.

“In the marketplace they buy the teachings of the seventeen puranas, the sixty-four kinds of worldly knowledge, the sixty-four sexual games, the four religions, the six horoscopes, and the ninety-six energies. Then they return to the place of birth, the place in which they were conceived. They put the things they bought into the place of birth and give them form. Man cannot become man-God following any of these paths, nor can he become a perfected man, an insan kamil. You must think about this.

“You asked in which religion can man and God be connected, did you not? Adam and Eve (A.S.) are our original father and mother. In Tamil they are called Iswaran and Iswari; in Arabic they are called Adam and Hawwa’. They are the original mother and father of all mankind. Everyone belongs to the one family of mankind. The Creator of the family is also one. He is God. He is the one God who is the Father of all creation.

“O Son, man is one family. There is one God. But mind and desire buy the rejected things of the world and then go back to the seventeen houses mentioned before. There the fighting begins because of ‘mine’, ‘yours’, and ‘who is greater than I’? My son, these seventeen try to rule the world. Their qualities obscure the connection between man and God.

“If you understand this with wisdom, you will see the performers in the marketplace acting out their murders and sins in the dark ignorance of torpor and maya. Cut off this ignorance with wisdom. Cut off the hypnotizing religions and the bigotry which separates one man from another. If you dispel them with wisdom, if you act with God’s qualities and actions, if you act with equality and compassion, if you regard other lives as you regard your own life, if you do selfless duty, you will see the connection between man and God. This is the good way, the religion of gnanam, the religion of grace, the religions of the Ruler of grace.

“Understand this with wisdom, O my son. Then you will understand your Father, the one family, your true prayer, the state you must attain, and the station you must occupy. If you pray with true understanding in the same way God does, throwing away what is wrong and taking only what is right, that is the straight path. You will see one family and one God. You will know that He alone is worthy of worship, and you will say, ‘La ilaha, there is nothing other than You.’ Then with the true feeling that flows from a melting heart, you will reach that place.”

Article Source: http://www.godarticles.com

Passion of the Christ(part1-12)

The Christian Tradition: Living, Holy, and Relevant

Everybody has a tradition. The United States has a cultural tradition. Certain businesses have "traditions of excellence." Our English word "tradition" comes from the Latin traditio, meaning "a handing down." The Greek word used in the Bible both positively and negatively, paradosis, means the same thing as the Latin. Thus, whenever somebody learns something from someone else, tradition occurs. If you are a Christian, you have some type of tradition, whether it is the "Baptist tradition," "reformed tradition," or even the "anti-tradition tradition." Catholic and Orthodox Christians place special emphasis on Tradition, so much that we often call it "Holy Tradition." We say this because we believe that just as the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, the Holy Spirit has guided the Church throughout history, and today, producing Tradition.

As a background, without the work of the Holy Spirit through the Christian Tradition, most churches would not be the same. We would not have a coherent doctrine of the Trinity. We would not have the Bible as we know it, since the Church chose the books that it contains (The Bible did not come with a Table of Contents). Even many other minor matters we often take for granted come from tradition: celebrating Christmas and sitting in pews. Thus, Tradition has influenced the way in which we view many doctrines, practices, and ethics. Even those in denominations that came from the radical Protestant Reformation (such as the Anabaptists) owe a large debt to Tradition, even though many are slow to admit it.

In opposition to Tradition, some quote Jesus when he says to beware of the "traditions of men." Jesus did indeed warn against manmade traditions, however, he also followed many of the Jewish traditions without question, including the Festival of Lights, which had its origins in the period during which the book of First Maccabees was written. St. Paul also had good things to say about tradition. He exhorted his readers to adhere to the written and verbal traditions that he and other Christians had received (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15, 3:6) (1). Paul freely quoted from Jewish tradition that is not in the Bible, when he named the magicians in Exodus as Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim 3:8). Thus, the Bible distinguishes between good, Apostolic, Tradition and bad tradition. An analysis of early Christian writers shows that Scripture and Tradition were equally revered and seen to complement, rather than contradict, one another. One early Christian writer, Papias (c. 150 AD), said he preferred the many oral traditions about Jesus to written books. We must remember that in the ancient world, very few people were literate. A sizeable number of Christians were probably illiterate, and the oral traditions would have been the normal means of communication for them. Also, since the Gospels were written between 60-100 AD, the Church relied heavily upon oral Tradition, namely the preaching and teaching of the Apostles and their followers, even before writing down the truths they knew.

Many Christians have been shaped by the Reformation tradition of sola scriptura, which views the Bible as the sole foundation of Christian belief, although to be accurate, the subjective interpretation of the Bible by the individual reader, a kind of tradition, plays a huge role. So many ask, "if scripture is the foundation, then how can tradition have a place?" In a sense the Scriptures have a place that later Tradition does not, since they are the earliest written testimony to God's activity. However, we must remember that The Church is not static: she is a living. We are a part of the same Church that met in Jerusalem in the book of Acts, and that convened at Nicaea. As such, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have never put up a wall between Tradition and Scripture, seeing them both as integral to the Church's beliefs. As the Catholic Catechism says,

 source: Google.com

We Believe in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church

Millions of people worldwide say "I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church" every week, yet rarely reflect on the meaning. This article gives a brief history of the Catholic Church, and explains what the Catholic Church is.

The word "catholic" comes from the Greek word katholikos, which is a combination of the words kata (according to) and holos (the whole). Besides meaning, "according to the whole,"katholikos has the common meaning of "universal" or "general." To be a Catholic Christian is to be a Christian according to the whole, to possess the fullness and completeness of Apostolic Faith and Praxis. In the early Church, "Catholic" designated a Christian who confessed the ancient faith, a Christian in communion with the united and worldwide Church. This was in contrast to the regional and novel sects. Apostolic just simply means "from the apostles," the source of Catholic belief and practice. In the early Church, even in St. Paul's day, competing versions of Christianity began to arise, primarily early versions of Ebionism, Gnosticism, and Docetism. These sects so mangled the gospel received from the apostles that early Christian bishops spoke out against these heretics' particular views, opposed to the universal (Catholic) views of the Church, derived from the apostles themselves. St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. AD 110) was bold to write, "wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic Church," implying of course that Jesus was only truly preached and proclaimed within the borders of the universal Church. He also implies that the Catholic Church, under the authority of bishops, was sanctified with Jesus' presence, being holy and set apart (Ignatius to the Smyrneans).

In Against Heresies, St. Irenaeus (d. AD 200), bishop of Lyons, testifies to the prolific, yet united, character of the universal and apostolic Church. The Catholic Church, derived from the apostles, Irenaeus argues, is spread throughout the whole world, yet agrees as one mind. The heretics do not have this universality or ancient origin, and are thus not "according to the whole" because their doctrines and practices are confined to local regions, or are recent, non-apostolic developments. Lactantius (313 AD) writes about the various sects named after their leaders or originating locales, including the Phrygians (Montanists), Novatians, Valentinians, and Marcionites. Then he contrasts these to the universal, worldwide Church that is descended from the apostles, that "alone retains true worship" (The Divine Institutes, IV:30). The major creeds of Christianity, the Apostles and Nicene Creeds, both require belief in the Catholic church, although some modern translations incorrectly "soften" the text to say "Christian" rather than "Catholic" (1). The writings of the Church Fathers all attest to the importance of being both catholic and apostolic, i.e. universal and ancient. For them, there was no other option except heresy (false belief) or schism (willful separation from the church). After all, the early Christians were not modernist individualists. Faith was not just an individual matter, but had serious communal implications, and assenting to the beliefs and practices of the whole Church was the only way to guarantee genuineness of belief. The Greek word from which our word heresy is derived is haireo, to choose. This underscores the particularity of heretics, who "choose" their own way forward, as opposed to the universality of Catholics, whose wills are aligned with Christ.

source: Google.com

Right Church Atmosphere

I found myself marveling at today’s church’s take on what’s happening to the congregation. I object strongly to what appears to me to be a very worldly church. I’m talking about churches that used to be spirit-filled. I’m talking about churches that are still trying to follow the Bible. 

On several occasions I have verbalized my objection to the way people are dressed in churches today, especially the lack of modesty among the girls and women, and I was promptly corrected for my wrong attitude. I already did two articles on dress that is not what this one is intended to be about. This is about the church’s attitude toward any criticism of the modern church. 

The response I’ve been getting to my remark about how people at church are dressed is standard. It is “Well, you have to give people time to learn how to dress.” or something similar. I reply, ”I’m talking about how Christians are dressing, not the world.” I get “that look” and they reply, “Maybe God hasn’t been able to teach them in that area yet. They are God’s children and He will develop them in His timing. He sees them as the finished product not how faulty they are today.” or “You’re talking about the bride of Christ, He’ll get them ready in His timing.” 

That part about giving God time to teach them won’t fly, because I see more and more Christians, (some who were taught how to dress and why, years ago) dressing in the shameful worldly fashion of today. For those of you who would point out that fashion has caused Christians to dress immodestly in the past also, I say, they too were back-slidden. 

Then there were others who reacted with; “I’m sure God is not going to judge people by how they are dressed.” or “It’s not important how people dress it’s that they are there to worship God.” My answer to that is, “Maybe not, but He does care about whether we are considering others and whether we are putting a stumbling block it their path or not.” And how you dress is a part of your worship--your whole mind-set and lifestyle are a part of your worship. That’s my point. 

My motive in all of this is not to find fault, but I’m coming from a genuine concern for the church. I care what the church looks like, I care what she says, and I care how she acts. I will show you from scripture that how she conducts herself is very important to the her whole function and reason for her being here. 

Right conduct and deportment are a powerful witness: 

1Tim: 2:9-10: In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10: But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 

(I do not use this verse to insist upon a Jewish outlook toward women. I am using the verse to show that the Christian manner for women should be modesty, humility, consideration, and kindness, not one of flaunting you feminine attributes, being bold in your body language, showing no consideration for those who may be hurt by bold flaunting females, and behaving the opposite of what godliness is described as in the Bible.) 

1Tim:3:2-15: A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3: Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4: One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5: (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6: Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7: Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8: Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9: Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10: And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11: Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12: Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13: For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 14: These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 

Titus:2:3-4: The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4: That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 

The church is to be prudent in conduct that the name of the Lord be not blasphemed: 

1Tim: 6:1: Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 

Titus: 2:5: To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 

(Notice the mindset in the above answers--don’t mess in God’s business--don’t criticize God’s kids. Those who come back at you with a defensive answer instead of agreeing that the appearances and behavior of Christians has deteriorated tremendously, have been taught to think that way. It’s almost as if the church folk have more reverence for their concept that they are God’s kids, or that they are the body of Christ, or that they are the bride of Christ--touch them not--than they have reverence for God and Christ. What do I mean? Below are some scriptures that lead me to believe the church is supposed to be holy.) 

Matt:5:14-16: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15: Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

Matt:5:27-30: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 

Matt:7:12: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Do you women like your husband looking at women who are dressed in a manner that stirs up their testosterone? Society would have you believe that dressing that way makes you look attractive, but the truth is it’s not the right kind of attracting. It’s the kind that leads to trouble and problems not the kind of attractiveness that is a attribute. Think about it! Many Christian men have enough trouble keeping their minds pure without this!) 

Matt:7:13-14: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (The way to life is straight and narrow--this manner of dressing is of the broad way.) 

2Cor:6:14-18: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15: And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16: And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18: And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

There are many more verses that I could use to try to get you to see that we are not supposed to think like the world and we are not supposed to look like the world. I hope you are beginning to grasp how important our whole manner of life is? And can you see that Christians are giving people more space and God’s Word less reverence? 

The church needs to step back and see how God handles things in the Bible and then do the same. The plans is: 
Repent and turn from your ways to God’s way. 
Ask God’s forgiveness and ask Jesus into your heart. 
Know that you are entering into Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrection. You are now dead to the world and alive in Christ and subject to His Spirit within you. 
Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Rom:12:1-2) 

Where in God’s teaching does He give new Christians the opportunity to continue in the world until He can drag or coax them out of it, one step, one issue at a time? 

You want to reverence the body of Christ? His body is led by His Spirit. 

You want to reverence the bride of Christ? She is spotless because she is washed by the water of the word and sanctified by the truth. (Eph:5:26-27, Jn:17:15-17) 

source: Google.com

The Supremacy of Christ: Power, Purity and Promise

He is the greatest man to ever walk the earth. He was perfect in his morality. He was unsurpassed in his purity. He was ultimately compassionate and just. His justice stirred him to clear the temple of those who would desecrate it. His compassion was revealed when he wept at the news of the death of a friend. His humility was displayed when he threw the towel over his shoulder and washed the feet of his disciples. His thirty-three years on this earth were brief. His three year ministry is just a microscopic spec on the timeline of eternity. Yet, his words and his actions profoundly changed the world forever. Jesus is the true author of genuine hope and change and he bought that possibility for all of mankind by submitting to a brutal death on a cross protruding from a small piece of earth called Golgotha. 1. He is supreme in his power. He could awaken or paralyze a storm by the mere sound of his spoken word. His power was such that the mere touch of his hand could bring the dead back to life. The power that emanated from him was capable of healing those who could reach the hem of his garment. He amazed his followers by turning water into wine, feeding five thousand people with a few fish and loaves and cleansing the leper by the mere touch of his hand. Never has any living man been able to demonstrate power like Jesus did. He often chose NOT to reveal his power. He once looked out over the hills of a sinful city, Jerusalem, and instead of calling down deserved destruction as was done at Sodom and Gomorrah, he was overcome with compassion and cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37) He didn’t prevent the brutal death of John the Baptist, he could have. He could have resisted his arrest by the Roman soldiers, he chose rather to accept the will of the Father. They hung him on the cross. They mocked him and tortured him and in their arrogance they challenged him, if he was indeed the Son of God, “come down from the cross and save yourself!" (Mark 15:30) They laughed and slapped each other on the back as they invented new ways to humiliate Jesus. But then their laughing stopped. It was the power of Jesus hanging on the cross that caused the earth to shake. By his power the skies turned dark. It was the incomprehensible power of Jesus that ripped the veil of the temple in half from top to bottom. And in his mercy he checked his own power but please know: He could have called ten thousand angels To destroy the world and set Him free. He could have called ten thousand angels, But He died alone, for you and me. 2. He is supreme in his purity. Jesus never sinned. Some would argue that he was the Son of God, it was not possible for him to sin. I would beg to differ. Scripture tells us that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) There has never walked on upon this earth one who was sinless and pure like Jesus. We must know Him in his purity because his holiness qualifies him to be our Savior. If Jesus was not sinless the lamb slain upon the cross is weak and helpless to save us from our sin. Satan knew that the purity of Christ would save the souls of the lost. So he led him out into the wilderness for forty days of temptation. Satan did everything in his power to steal away the innocence of the Lamb. He took him to a high spot and offered him the kingdoms of the world as if they were his to offer. But Jesus refused to take the easy way and instead he chose to purchase his kingdom with his own blood and the purity of Jesus was preserved and we should praise him and worship him because of the supremacy of his purity. 3. He is supreme in his promise. We are so careless to break promises. 50% of Americans marry and promise their spouse everlasting love and then break that promise. We find ourselves in serious trouble financially or relationally or emotionally and we make promises to God, “If only you will get me out of this mess.” And when we feel comfortable again we forget our promises to him. Please know this: Jesus never broke a promise. “He has given us great and precious promises….that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” (2 Peter 1:4) a. Do you question where you are going? He promises to give direction to our lives. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) b. Are you tired? Do the hardships in your life make you feel weary? Do you feel like throwing in the towel? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) c. Do you feel weak? Is the road too hard? Is the task too overwhelming? Is the mountain too steep? Have the dark clouds rolled in and taken away your joy? Do you feel like the little five year old boy I heard recently who said, “I’ve lost my happy.” “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31) We must know him in the supremacy of his promises because he has said that “he will supply all our needs according to his riches in glory.” (Philippians 4:19) He has promised us that “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:37-39) We must know the supremacy of his promise because it is by this promise that we are saved. If we grasp and act on this promise we will live with Christ for all of eternity. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)  source: Google.com