Stephen K. Ray's Blog, page 507

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Chinese Episcopal Ordination Valid?

My friend and Canon Lawyer Ed Peters writes:

"Was the Chinese episcopal ordination valid? I almost blogged about the Chinese episcopal ordination ceremony last Saturday, but held off for lack of concrete facts and because of the eruption of another story the same day. But a line in the HSPO press release today suggests that maybe my earlier hunches were correct. So here goes: If I were the Chinese government, I would not be so sure that Saturday's episcopal ordination ceremonies had, in fact, resulted in the ordination of a bishop."

Read more here: http://canonlawblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/was-chinese-episcopal-ordination-valid.html

What do you think …

… of our cool new trailer for Egypt & Jordan?

For more information, call Suzanne at 800-727-1999 or at sparran@ctscentral.net.

Comedian with a Secular Audience…

… this was NOT in a church. Attached is a short video showing Steve Harvey, a comedian, addressing a secular audience.

The subject is "How Would You Introduce Christ to a Room Full of People?"

It's hard to imagine that this is a comedian and not a preacher, and this is an audience… and not a congregation.

With all the vulgar, four-letter-word laced profanity that so many comedians spout today… this introduction from comedian Steve Harvey to a secular audience was absolutely awe-inspiring.

I thought it might brighten your day. Enjoy…

Steve Ray's New Facebook Page

Can you have too many friends? Facebook says YES. At the 5,000 friend threshold, Facebook forces us to set up a new page.

My old page at www.Facebook.com/JerusalemJones will be discontinued on January 1, 2011 and this new page will replace it.

The new site is now available at www.facebook.com/CatholicConvert.

All posts and comments will now be on the new page. Go to www.facebook.com/CatholicConvert and CLICK ON THE "LIKE" BUTTON ON THE TOP – THE BUTTON WITH THE THUMBS UP –

Click on that THUMBS UP and you will automatically a friend on this new page. Sorry for the hassle; thanks for the friendship. God bless you!

Two Stories: Carol's and Martin's

To read Carol's Conversion Story, click here. It is a short and instructive read, especially for those who love conversion stories. She moved from Methodist to Baptist to Catholic

Martin really traveled the religious map: he went from Evangelical to Baha'i, to Eastern masters, to Eastern Orthodox before finally coming home to Rome. You can read his story here.

For hundreds more of such stories from every conceivable background, or to add YOUR conversion story, click here.

An Atheist Comments on the "Priestly Scandal"

Though I obviously do not agree with everything this atheist writes on the matter, I think he is being more objective and fair than most anyone else in the secular media with all their hysteria and exaggerations and ready accusations. I think this is a good read for honest people to get a better perspective on the matter — and that from an atheist.

"With all the newspaper headlines about predatory paedophiles in smocks, terrified altar boys and cover-ups by officials at the Vatican, it is hard to think of anything worse right now than a sexually abusive priest. Yet today's reaction to those allegations of sexual abuse is also deeply problematic. For it is a reaction informed more by prejudice and illiberalism than by anything resembling a principled secularism, and one which also threatens to harm individuals, families, society and liberty."

For the whole article, click here.

For my previous posts on this topic especially the bias against the Catholic Church when this problem is far more prevelent in other institutions especially Protestant churches, click here .

Questions I Answered on Catholic Answers Live

Tonight the topic was "The Power of Kindness in Apologetics" and the phone lines were hopping! For info on various ways to listen to the archived show, click here. I will post the link to listen on-line when it's available on Tuesday.

First, I promised Sheila I would post a link to my blog on Water Baptism and Becoming Born Again. Her boyfriend has "accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior" which he calls "baptized in the word," but he has not been baptized in water.

I would suggest Sheila read the blog I wrote as a starting point. You can read it here.

These are the questions I answered tonight:

1. How can I approach my daughter about returning to the Catholic Faith?

2. I haven't seen my brother in years and he is married to a non-Catholic. How do I bring up the Faith in the short time I am with him?

3. How do I explain the importance of water baptism to my boyfriend and his family?

4. My brother is gay and our conversations always get emotional. Can you offer any advice?

5. My husband is Muslim and our children are favoring his religion; what should I do? (answer short due to time.)

Are you Born Again by "Water and the Spirit"?

It seems that God is kind of predictable in a way :-) since He always starts new things in the same way – with "water and the Spirit". Consider the following:

1) The first creation came from the the earth which was covered with WATER and the SPIRIT hovered over the waters and from the water emerged land and man and God's first creation (Gen 1:1-2).

2) A new humanity was started with Noah through WATER and SPIRIT. The ark went through the water and a dove (representing the Spirit) hovered overhead with an olive branch. Peter said this represents baptism which "now saves us" (1 Peter 3:18-21).

3) The nation of Israel was created through the WATER of the Red Sea (baptism) with the cloud and fire of the Holy SPIRIT overhead — my oh my, again we have water and Spirit (Ex 14; 1 Cor 10:1-4).

4) Ezekiel then describes what the New Covenant will look like and he said we will be sprinkled with clean WATER and his SPIRIT will be placed in us (Ez 36:25). Born again, I suspect.

5) Then Jesus, right before saying you must be born of "water and the Spirit" had just gone down into the WATER of the Jordan and the SPIRIT came down and landed on his head. Again, water and the Spirit (Mt 3:16; Jn 1:29).

6) Jesus teaches Nicodemus that he must be born again, or from above which is accomplished through "WATER and the SPIRIT."

7) When Jesus finished these words what was the first thing he did? He went down and baptized people in the Jordan with his disciples (Jn 4:1-2).

8) At the first Holy Ghost Gospel Revival meeting :-) Peter stood up at Pentecost and said,  "Repent, and be baptized (WATER) every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy SPIRIT" (Acts 2:38).

9) Peter also says "Baptism now saves you" (1 Pet 3:18), and Paul is told "Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16), and Paul writes that we are saved "by the washing of regeneration (WATER) and renewal in the Holy SPIRIT" (Titus 3:5).

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Too bad many Evangelicals and Fundamentalists refuse to see it but the Bible is pretty clear about new birth through the sacrament of baptism. Jesus is not ambiguous in this matter and he is alluding quite clearly to new beginnings in the Old Testament. The Early Church is also very clear and so is the teaching of the Catholic Church today.

(Picture to right is the place in the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized. Click for larger image.)

St. Augustine said, "Who is so wicked as to want to exclude infants from the kingdom of heaven by prohibiting their being baptized and born again in Christ?"

When someone asks me "Have you been born again?"  I simply answer "Absolutely, but I've been born again the Bible Way!"

Nuns on Oprah AGAIN!

From my friend Sister Joseph Andrew:

We'll be on Oprah's Show again on Tuesday (Nov. 23) – if you wish to watch!  She could not have been more happy to see us!  God is touching her heart, it certainly appears!! She even mentioned her rosary which the Sisters gave her last time….no idea whether that will make it through the editors!  Please spread the word and beg God to be able to use our efforts for His greater glory!