Apologetics

In our Apologetics class in GLC, we were asked to critique an article. This is what I submitted. . .

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We always hear from our teachers questions such as: How can we detect a lie from the truth? How can we differentiate a fake from the original? How do we tell something is pure while another is not?

In all these questions, crucial is knowing the real thing. Knowledge of the truth prevents us from believing that which is untrue. Knowing what is true keeps us from deceptions and their consequences.

But what if a person has never heard the truth, thus the doctrine that he clings to is his only "truth"? What if the person's "truth" is inconsistent with the bible? What if the person is basing his belief on something other than the bible? What if that which he is basing his beliefs on tells him to do certain things contrary to the truth? Too many what ifs, but as I try to critique the article, I find myself asking these "what ifs".

In college, one of my favorite subjects was logic. As I read the article, this syllogism came to mind:

"If God can do anything, he can make a stone so heavy that he can't lift it."

The first premise establishes a deity that has the capacity and power to move other objects. The second premise establishes an immovable object impervious to any movement. If the first object capable of moving anything exists, by definition, the immovable object cannot exist, and vice-versa.

What does syllogism have to do with the article?

For one, the syllogism I mentioned above helps explain the article. To make a syllogism true, premises should not contradict each other. Accepting only one premise as truth means rejecting the other premise. In the above syllogism, each premise is exclusive because the validity of one nullifies the other. Though the article was not presented as syllogisms, in a way, the truth that the bible contains and the points indicated in the article can be viewed as contradicting premises in a syllogism.

These questions were posed at the beginning of the article then were answered as the article went along:

* How many times do we have to offer mass for the dead? The writer doesn't have any answer to this. According to him, this can only be answered if we are able to calculate how big the sins of the dead person is that still needs to be repaid and we have to know where that dead person is. And since this can not be determined, this question can not be answered.

* Who will go to heaven first, those who have received many masses or those who received only a few? To this question, the author said that the answer to this can not be determined as the persons we are offering the masses can either be already in heaven or in hell and can not be helped anymore.

* How do we know if a person is already in heaven? We will never know as God does not give this information.

To the question "Can mass help a person who has done so many evil things in his life?", the author didn't really give a straight answer. In fact, he said that people should not be judged as evil because they might have shown contrition before they died.
I take it to mean that the question is wrong in the first place.

Basing on the article, it seems that there are a lot of things that we can not know. It is like a hit- and- miss thing. It must be really tiring to believe these things as they give no assurance of anything at all.

Through the course of the article, the following ideas were pointed out:

* Mass has an eternal value, that one mass is enough to pay for all the sins of a person. However, we will never know how many masses a dead person needs for his salvation since we don't know where that person is and how big his sins that still need to be repaid.

* We can never know who among the dead that are being offered masses goes to heaven first because only God determines the effectiveness of the offered prayers. Since this is so, it is difficult to know the effect of the mass and how many are needed to save one soul in the purgatory.

* The grace we receive everytime we offer a prayer for the dead, if not applied to the dead, is given back to the church to be given to those in need.

* We really can not know whether a person is already in heaven or not as God does not give us this information.

I do not agree with the article because it directly opposes what the bible teaches. The entirety of the article discussed the issues of indulgencies, purgatory, and eucharist. The author's arguments were presented as he expounded on each point. With this, I will not repeat each point and rebuff but will attempt to address the whole article by focusing on the author's main points.

Although the author expounded on the issues of indulgencies, eucharist and purgatory, all the arguments he gave to support these stemmed from his belief on salvation. Clearly, he believes that a person can earn his salvation. He believes that there is still a way to transfer a person's destination even after he has died. He believes that there are three possible destinations after death: heaven and hell which are final or purgatory which is not final. The souls in the purgatory can go to heaven if they earn enough prayers for their salvation.

The bible says that upon death comes the judgment. While we are still alive, we can still make a choice on our destination but after death, that would already be too late. We can not do anything anymore to change our destination. The only chance we have in choosing is while we are still alive.

The bible also teaches that salvation is only through the blood of Christ. If we repent of our sins and believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins and put our faith in Him as our only savior and lord, then we are saved. There is nothing we need to add to that anymore. We are transferred from our supposed-to-be destination which is hell to the life of eternity with Jesus in heaven. Salvation is God's free gift and we can only avail of it by grace through faith. This is Jesus' work and this is complete. We can only accept it or reject it and nothing else because what Jesus did on the cross is complete; it is a finished work. 1 Peter 3:18 says Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God.

The bible does not support that mass can pay for all the sins of a person. What the bible says is that Jesus died on the cross for all our sins. Only Jesus is qualified to be the propitiation for all our sins because He is the only one who is blameless. The bible says there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Mass doesn't do anything at all for our salvation. People might sincerely believe that a mass can save people but they would just be sincerely wrong.

I really do not get how indulgencies can help save a person. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. Where is the sense of Jesus having to die on the cross if indeed we can earn our salvation? The bible says that "if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Galatians 2:21). A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified (Galatians 2:16).

Like I said earlier, the truths of the bible and the points articulated in the article are opposing premises in a syllogism. There is only one truth that we need to cling to and that is what the bible supports. We are blessed to hold the true end of it.

However, the "what ifs" I mentioned earlier still bother me.

What if a person has never heard the truth, thus the doctrine that he clings to is his only "truth"?

What if the person's "truth" is inconsistent with the bible?

What if the person is basing his belief on something other than the bible?

What if that which he is basing his belief tells him to do certain things contrary to the truth?

The author's points are understandably in error because he is a classic description or the subject of my "what ifs". I think the better question we need to raise now and the challenge for us is

KNOWING WHAT WE DO, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP A PERSON EMBRACE THE TRUTH FROM THE BIBLE?

Gong Yoo Fever

i am going through a funny phase. i have not felt this since highschool (which is a long time ago) wherein i had a huge crush on yves dignadice, pba player of san miguel. what crazy things i did then -- composing poems for him, writing to radio stations and confessing my undying love for him, writing him letters, exchanging letters with his fans, posting his pictures in my room, etc. etc. i thought i have graduated from that.

then i met arthur. . . .

arthur is gong yoo in the tagalized korean tv soap 'coffee prince'. i watched the first episode and i thought it was funny, something to help me de-stress after a long day of working and studying. before i knew it, i was hooked!

coffee prince was aired in the kapuso station for less than three months and for that whole time, i made sure not to miss any episode. as if that is not enough, i also watched the korean version with its english subtitle (and two more gong yoo soaps). it could have been more as i listed all of gong yoo's tv series and planned to watch them all. too bad, i couldn't find them here.

meeting 'arthur' has caused many changes in my life. my hobby now includes watching his videos and scouring the internet for pictures and stories about him. i became interested in korea and felt an affinity to everything korean. my goal is to visit korea someday. hay, i think i'm going crazy.

anyway, i wonder how long this phase would be.

for the meantime, let's enjoy gong yoo together.

What's the mood?

I was sorting my stuff last night and I came across this old notebook. In the notebook are some half-finished pieces ( I couldn't even call them literary art).

I guess it's so easy to guess what I was feeling then. *._.*
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(dated 11 March 2007)
How is it that the more I know about you
the more I realize my unworthiness,
The more I learn about your works
the more I am made aware of my sinfulness?
I am reduced to nothingness,
stripped of my so-called achievements
I don't deserve any praise
whatever I have is by your grace.

(dated 17 March 2007)
i know something died in me
i just don't know what could it be
can you please be with me
help me have a deeper look inside of me.

i used to be vibrant, so full of life
everything around me was so gay and light
the day i lost you, nothing seemed right
all my days turned into nights.

i couldn't blame you if you found someone new
i drove you away, i made you blue
i hope i can say i still love you
that it kills me to see you go.

(dated 18 March 2007)
tears drenched my pillow
because i miss you
i wanted to say hello
and that i still love you.

sadness fills my heart
because we are apart
can we have a fresh start
a chance to talk, to chat?

loneliness overwhelms me
knowing that you're no longer free
our time has ended i can clearly see
no one should be blamed but me.

oh, i love you so
i will love no one, only you
it kills me to see you go
what should i do, please don't go.

i guess it's time to say goodbye
to let you go and maybe cry
someday all my tears will dry
when i think of you i will just sigh.

i'll be fine i know
and i'm sure you'll be too
so please go there's really nothing to say and do
a happy life, that's my wish for you.

(dated 19 March 2007)
it's been to long feeling this way
i'm confused, i don't know what to say
i loved you, in fact i still do
i don't understand why i let you go.

they say it's the right thing to do
we're not good for each other so better to let go
if it were true, how come i can't forget you
in my heart there is only you.

Beyond What's Trivial

I could think of only two words to describe the time elapsed from my last blog and today -- BUSY, HECTIC.

Yes, life had been busy and hectic for me the past many weeks. Deadlines at work and at school plus family affairs filled my calendar. I realized that during those times, I made my most important relationship -- my relationship with God, take the backseat. God is God anyway. If I don't pray enough or if I don't spend quiet times with Him enough or if I don't read the bible enough, He would understand. He always understands.

But why do I feel bad? I feel that something in me has weakened. There is a part inside that dried up. I feel a certain longing that no amount of busyness or even happiness can fill. I feel a relationship estranged. I feel a fellowship broken. I feel a connection cut off. I feel a certain thirst and hunger that no food nor drink can satiate. I feel lost and deprived. I feel that I am missing a big deal.

I realized that I really AM MISSING A BIG DEAL out of life. I spent too many times running after the "good" things that this world can offer at the expense of what is essential. No wonder I feel lacking.

I realized that the more I pursue worldly things, the more I am left feeling in need of more. There seems to be no contentment. There is unending focus on the self and what the self can get more out of this world. There's that drive to get just a little bit more, and then a little bit more. . . That kind of life is tiring.

Last night I attended the bible study fellowship. Classes started last Tuesday but I was absent last week. Topic for this period is the book of Matthew. Assignment for last night was an overview of the whole book and the reference -- the whole of Matthew, all 28 chapters!!! It was overwhelming for me, especially after those many weeks of "rest" but I'm glad and excited to be back. I can now change my focus -- from myself and from trivial to something which is eternal. Hopefully, this would put a sense of order into the disarray which has become my life.

I'm still busy; my schedule is still hectic but this time, I'm keeping my time more worthwhile. my busyness goes beyond what's trivial. *._.*

Strengthening the Inner Man

Part of my major to dos of 2008 is making my physical body fit by trying (operative word -- trying) to have a healthy diet, enough rest and exercise. So as to follow through on this, I've been trying to fit in gym skeds into my already full schedule and experimenting on healthy diets. It stretches me a little but I know that a healthy body is important.

When I heard the church message last Sunday, I was rebuked. Here I am, trying things to have a healthy body but forgotten the state of the inner man -- the most important above all, the condition of my soul. I wonder, am i nurturing my soul with "healthy food" and "exercise"?

Admittedly, I couldn't say that "as the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after thee." I want to have that desire to grow not just in the knowledge but in the love of God. This song contains my very prayer:

Deeper In Love

There is a longing only You can fill
A raging temptest only You can still
My soul is thirsty Lord
To know You as I'm known
Drink from the river
That flows before your throne

Take me deeper
Deeper in love with You
Jesus hold me close in Your embrace
Take me deeper
Deeper than I've ever been before
I just want to love You more and more

How I long to be deeper in love
Sunrise to sunrise
I will seek Your face
Drawn by the Spirit
To the promise of Your grace
My heart has found in You
A hope that will abide
Here in Your presence
Forever satisfied

2008 Major To-Dos

At the start of a new year, it is a common practice for people to make a list of the things or habits they want to change or implement throughout the year. Some call it new year's resolution; I call it major to-dos. I don't know if the way it is called makes any difference to others but it sure does to me.

I've been used to making resolutions for many years and seeing those resolutions forgotten at the onset of the first quarter. I realized that maybe the reason I couldn't follow through those resolutions is because I put more effort in the writing than in the thinking of what really needs to be written. I make a list -- the longer the better without really committing into it. Besides, the frequency of this being forgotten made me think that resolutions are made to be broken. *._.*

This year, I made a careful assessment of my life and how I want to make some changes. These I put into a list and labeled it My Major To-Dos.

1) Topping my list is the one that concerns my physical health. I have gained too much weight throughout the year and this has caused me difficulty in breathing, lethargy and other associated ailments. This year, I would observe discipline in the food I will eat, in exercising and in taking rest and sleep. This is recognizing that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and so I must take good care of it.

2) I will also make my emotional and spiritual health glow. I commit to be consistent in my daily quiet times, devotions and prayer. I would surround myself with good friends who can help me in achieving this particular goal.

3) I would live simply so that I could cut down on my expenses. I will allot a portion of my salary to savings. This year, I would focus on my needs and not on wants. I will make a written budget and follow through it. I will pay off my bills the moment I receive them. As much as possible, I will pay the total amount due in all my credit cards. I will prayerfully consider maintaining just 1 or 2 cards to be used during emergencies.

4) I will be faithful in giving my tithes and offerings. I would be generous in my giving to my missionary friends and church.

5) I will deliberately reach out to people to show them God's love and be a channel of God's blessings.

6) I will endeavor to build up people and not to tear them down.

7) I will direct my complaints to the people concerned, or better yet, to God.

8) I will do something thoughtful for my loved ones at least every month.

I know that these won't be easy to do. There would be times that I would love to do the opposite of the things I've written, that I would fail. It's okay. I would just continue to keep in mind that the things I've listed are my to-dos; that if they do not get done today, then I still have the remaining days of the year to accomplish them. That is the antidote of quitting.

New Year's Blues

Which is harder to do, share in someone's joy or share in his/her sorrow?

Before Christmas, I heard that my discipler's brother died in his sleep. This same discipler's father passed away a month earlier. I didn't have a hard time sharing in her sorrow. I, together with the other D-12 ladies went to Baguio to attend the wake and the interment, and to help comfort the family in their time of grief. Sharing in the family's bereavement somehow came naturally.

A few minutes before the new year's day, my bestfriend (who is the sister of my ex) called. In the middle of our conversation, she mentioned that my ex's wife is already pregnant. It was a good news; everybody in their family has been waiting for the coming of a baby. However, I couldn't share in their joy. I felt a pinch somewhere inside my heart.

I couldn't understand my feelings. I thought I was okay-okay. My reaction to that news made me wonder if I was ever okay or I was just successful in hiding the pain for that long a time. Am I back to round 1 again? Will I traverse that long road of trying to let go and get over all over again? Haven't I accomplished anything?

(Sigh) . . . and so I had my new year's blues . . . .