The Sinfulness of Sinulog

Sinulog is upcoming, explaining the heavy traffic. The Black Nazarene is already one idolatrous event. Now, we’re going to talk about Sinulog. Sinulog is the celebration of the Child Jesus. Back as a child, I was told about the story of the fire and an image of the Child Jesus (dubbed as Senor Santo Nino) survived the fire. This is what I heard of as a child, and this is often used to justify the celebration of Sinulog:

The Black Nazarene is Idolatrous, Plain and Simple

The news that the image of the Black Nazarene has arrived at Quiapo Church is very disheartening. Many incidents with the Black Nazarene are very disheartening. Back in 2014, there was a news that over 50 people got injured. What’s even worse is that some people end up dying as a result of the mayhem with the Black Nazarene. I do expect some crazy comments from Catholic fake defenders (which I prefer not to debate with in contrast to real Catholic apologists) praising and trying to justify the feast itself. I’m sure people will hate me, but I must lovingly give this message. To deny Roman Catholics the truth they need to hear is a callous thing.

Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms for Judah

I believe that writing about good King Hezekiah will not be an easy task. There’s also the battle with Sennacherib, which I believe should be written as a separate entry. Like every king of Judah, I have to bounce back between 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. His history can be found in 2 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. 2 Chronicles has a very extensive narrative of the reforms. It would probably mean trying to review Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Fortunately, it’s the New Testament now or pastors will have to wear the priestly attire. I doubt it’d be easy to make a miter. I can’t imagine attending a Sunday service and the pastor must wear the prescribed attire of the Old Testament priest. 1 Peter 2:9 talks about a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people as every believer now has equal access to God. I really found reading Hezekiah’s reforms to be, “Can I really fulfill this?” Hezekiah did all of that by God’s grace.

Fundie Conspiracy: Christmas Trees in Jeremiah 10?!

Photo by Iryna Kostsenich on Pexels.com

With Christmas around the corner, Christmas trees are already being bought, right? I’m really so amazed that I actually bought the lie. Jeremiah 10:3-5 is often used to quote why Christians shouldn’t get Christmas trees. The verse from the KJV is spelled out as:

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil neither also is it in them to do good.

Jeroboam I’s Sinister Religion Proves You Can’t Serve God the Way You Want

There’s always the excuse of a man that one can serve God the way one wants. Sadly, that’s a very poor case because God isn’t Someone who can be easily interpreted by man’s ways. We keep hearing the post-modern statement that all religions serve the same God. We have the Vatican II Council in embracing religions. I’m not surprised that a Hindu man married his Catholic wife in a Jesuit parish. I’m not surprised that a Muslim Arab married a Catholic Filipino woman. I’m not surprised many members of the Jesuit parish I once served have three religions at once–they’re Catholics who are also Buddhists and Taoists! I was born into a confusing world of being a Catholic who’s also a Buddhist and Taoist! Does the confusion end there? That’s why I struggled if Catholics were ever my brethren (because I had to unlearn a lot of things after getting saved) or the mission field. It’s because my folks were showing signs of not being saved (such as idol worship) or had a very crooked view of God.

The Incident with Dagon Proves the LORD God Yahweh Will Not Share His Worship with Other Gods

1 Samuel 5-6 covers the events after the fall of the children of Eli. Eli, while a good high priest, was a terrible father and was already disqualified from the pastorate of the Levitical priesthood for that reason. The Ark of the Covenant was taken and placed into the temple of Dagon at that time. I wonder if this was the same place Samson destroyed and got rebuilt decades later or an entirely different temple. Samson destroyed Dagon’s temple during his time to prove God won’t share his worship with idols. Now, the Ark of the Covenant, a holy object that none must touch or die, was placed in the Temple of Dagon. Would Yahweh share His worship with Dagon? Not a chance!

Micah the Ephraimite, the Levite Priest for Hire, and the Gross Idolatry of the Tribe of Dan

After Samson’s death, we would soon proceed to the next story of Michah from the Tribe of Ephraim. Something is really wrong with the Tribe of Ephraim considering their quarrel with Gideon and later Jephthah. We would read the story of Micah the Ephraimite, his idolatry, and his Levite priest for hire in Judges 17-18. Today, we could compare that to cults and their preachers for hire. This is still very true even today.