₦airaland Forum

@Kola Oloye

I am waiting . . .

Na wa ooo. If not interested instead of keeping mute at least do the honourable of declining.

@Kola Oloye

Hi, I think Olaadegbu is tackling the symptoms and not the root cause with you.

If you dont mind and have the time let's jaw-jaw on Yahoo Instant Messenger

Responses would be instant without delays or having to wait as its presently here

Drop me your yahoo email address at the below details

b1594753@lhsdv.com

We will ask questions and post the answers here to confirm & authenticate each other before proceeding

Are you game?

[size=14pt]Vatican probes disgraced order's cultish lay group[/size]
Conditions endured by mainly female members so alarmed Pope that he ordered rare investigation

https://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/100925-legionaries-hmed-7a.grid-6x2.jpg
^{New deacons prostrate in front of the altar
during their ordination mass at the Legionaries of Christ center in Rome in June.}

VATICAN CITY — [b]It's a life regimented in excruciating detail, down to the way they eat an orange. Silence is the norm, information is limited, e-mail is screened, close friendships are discouraged and family members are kept at bay — all in the name of God's will.

Known as consecrated women, they are lay Catholics affiliated with a conservative religious order who dedicate their lives to the church, making promises of chastity, poverty and obedience similar to the vows taken by nuns.

But the cult-like conditions they endure so alarmed Pope Benedict XVI that in May he ordered an extremely rare full Vatican investigation of the obscure group, which operates in the U.S., Mexico, Spain, the Philippines and a dozen other countries. The inquiry is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

The alleged abuses came to light during an eight-month Vatican investigation into the Legionaries of Christ, a secretive religious order beloved by Pope John Paul II but now discredited because of revelations that its charismatic founder sexually abused seminarians and fathered at least three children.[/b]

Global community
The women belong to the order's lay wing, Regnum Christi, a global community of some 70,000 Catholics in more than 30 countries who have families and regular jobs yet participate in the mission of bringing people closer to Christ.

Only about 900 are consecrated — nearly all women, but also a handful of men. They give up possessions and ties to their former lives much in the way nuns or priests do. They adhere to Vatican-approved statutes that require them to "voluntarily renounce the use of their capacity for decision-making" — pledging unswerving obedience to their superiors.

In interviews with The Associated Press, eight former members from the U.S. and Mexico told of enduring emotional, psychological and spiritual abuse at the hands of superiors who told them they would be violating God's will if they broke any rules. They said their experiences left them, at least temporarily, unable to cope with real life once they got out.

"I feel like I was brainwashed," said J., an American who joined the movement shortly after graduation from a Catholic university in the late 1990s and asked that only her middle initial be used. Like most of the women who spoke to the AP, she did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation from the Legion.

"I really thought it was a mortal sin to break any one of the little rules that were laid out by the statutes or the directress," she said.

'Moment of growth'
Four current members denied the movement was a cult, saying the rules were aimed at creating uniformity while fostering spirituality. Still, they acknowledged problems with the way women were recruited, saying that 18-year-olds shouldn't make lifelong promises after a six-week candidacy program.

"I think that what is happening to us, even if it's painful, to be very honest I think it was necessary," said Silvia Vernudez, a 37-year-old teacher from Venezuela who directs a house for consecrated women in the Philippines and was visiting the mother house in Rome.

"This is a crisis," she said. "There's no way we cannot say that. But it's a moment of growth."

The Vatican investigation of the consecrated women is the latest step in its crackdown on the Legionaries of Christ, founded by the Rev. Marciel Maciel in Mexico in 1941. Dogged for decades by allegations he sexually abused seminarians, no action was taken until 2006, when the Vatican sanctioned Maciel and ordered him to a lifetime of penance and prayer — though it did not say for what.

Only after his death in 2008 did the order admit publicly that he had fathered children and that the abuse allegations were true, spurring the Vatican investigation. In a May 1 announcement, the Vatican said it was taking over the order and would rewrite its constitutions. A little-noticed line of that directive also announced an investigation into Regnum Christi's consecrated members.

Rare inquiries
Such inquiries have been carried out only rarely, including the probe of U.S. seminaries after the sex abuse scandal exploded in 2002. While there have been no sex abuse allegations within Regnum Christi, the problems uncovered in the Legion — abuse of authority, suppression of dissent and a power structure built on unswerving obedience — are also rampant in consecrated life.

Former consecrated members told of having their lives manipulated by strict rules that occupied nearly every waking minute of their day and by an endless search for new recruits.

Nine years after she left the movement, J. can still rattle off the time stamps that dictated her day, starting with morning wakeup in which a woman would run into the dorm room at 5:20 a.m. and shout "Christ our King!" and the others would shout back "Thy kingdom come!"

"5:20 a.m. to 5:50 a.m., get ready," J. continued. "Morning prayer from 5:50 to 6 a.m. Six to 6:30, morning meditation. Six-thirty to 7:05 Mass. Seven-ten to 7:30 breakfast, 7:30-7:35 free time, then 7:35 chores."

Malise Lagarde, who left in August 2009 after 13 years, said she was reprimanded by her superiors when she asked questions about Maciel's double life, and was told that if she persisted, she would be putting her vocation at risk and abandoning God's will.

"Members are not allowed to question or think outside group-think," she said. "I know that members totally dismiss any discussion of the Legion and Regnum Christi as a cult — I did when I was still part of it — but it sure looks like one once you get out."

Silence required of women
Mary, a 36-year-old American who was consecrated in 1996 and left eight years later, still shudders at the silence required of the women. Conversation was allowed only during certain times of the day and there was no talking at meals, except on certain feast days.

"Inside, the life we lived was a religious life that was even stricter than a lot of the convents in the world," said Mary, who is now a married mother in the Washington D.C., area. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared legal action.

Other former members recalled how close bonding with other women was frowned upon, so they grew emotionally dependent on their spiritual directors. Parents could call only once a month and visit once or twice a year. Women who lived overseas were allowed to return home every seven years.

Some of the more granular rules, obeyed by members but not approved by the Vatican's central authority, extended into every facet of life.

Members were told how to eat a piece of bread (tear off small pieces; never bite into it) and an orange (with a knife and fork). They were told how many movies they could see a year (six, selected for content); what television programs they could watch (news, debates, some sporting events, no drama or music shows); and to refrain from reading in the bathroom. Mail and e-mail were screened. Women who made mistakes were often publicly humiliated.

While a highly regimented life and isolation from friends and family are common for cloistered nuns and monks, such extreme rules are highly unusual for a lay Catholic movement, according to canonists and experts in religious law.

"There is not one community I'm aware of that has similar rules," said the Rev. Francis Morrisey, a canon lawyer at Ottawa's University of Saint Paul, who has written about warning signs in new religious movements.

Uniform standards
The Rev. Andreas Schoeggl, a Legion spokesman in Rome, stressed the dining etiquette was designed to create uniform standards in an international movement where some members might feel uncomfortable with the table manners of others.

He claimed the obedience rules were modeled after the statutes of the Jesuits, with whom Maciel studied, and said they by no means implied a renunciation of decision-making or free will.

However, a Jesuit canon law professor, the Rev. Ladislas Orsy of Georgetown Law School, said sections of the Regnum Christi statutes, which were approved by the Vatican in 2004, could lead to potential abuse.

"No one can give away a basic component of his or her humanity and renounce totally his or her 'decision-making capacity' — unless (they) want to become a zombie," Orsy said in an e-mail. "It opens the way for an ignorant and unwise superior to mislead and to harm — seriously, permanently — his subjects."

Former superiors now say there was something terribly wrong with the way they exercised authority. Denisse, who ran a house for consecrated women in Mexico, said she left last year after more than a decade when she realized the psychological harm the movement was causing.

"If you had a fragile personality, people who wanted to be perfect, they broke you psychologically," the 40-year-old Mexican woman said.

The Catholic Church distinguishes between three "states" of life in the faith: clergy, lay people and consecrated people, which includes nuns and sisters, as well as hermits and monks.

Being consecrated implies a definitive separation or setting apart from society.

Poverty, chastity, obedience
When the women of Regnum Christi become consecrated, they pledge poverty, chastity and obedience before a Legion priest in a ceremony during which they receive a Bible and a crucifix.

After two years, they get a ring signifying their "marriage" to Christ

Among other things, what makes them different from being a nun is that they are making private promises to a person, not public vows made to God and approved by church authorities.

The consecrated women also lack certain canonical protections. For example, it's extremely difficult to kick out women who join religious orders like the Carmelites or Dominicans — an important provision given they have no income.

But former Regnum Christi women said when their superiors no longer wanted them, they were made to believe they didn't have a vocation and should leave.

"In a traditional structure, yes, you dedicate your whole life to the order, but the order also looks after you," particularly as you grow old and need medical care, said Pete Vere, a canon lawyer who has studied the Legion and Regnum Christi.

"It's like marriage — for better or worse. ,  But here, it seems, they're benefiting from the youth and the zeal and they're telling these people: 'You have this vocation ,  but we can cut you off at any time.'"

No specific protections
Schoeggl acknowledged there were no specific protections for lay consecrated members, but he stressed that canon law allows for interpretations that cover them.

The movement says it is proposing changes to some rules, such as the screening of e-mails and how often women can visit their parents. It also wants to see that women are more sure of their vocations before joining.

J. said she was totally unprepared for life on the outside.

"I didn't have a checking account. I had to find a car," she said.

"You come face to face with the world. You're not folding laundry for the salvation of souls anymore, you're selling perfume because you need to pay the rent."

---

---

Readers comments:

Michael-2024517:
Wow, I thank God everyday that I'm a devout atheist. -

Jogree: The worst hoax EVER perpetrated on mankind. Organized Religion. -

Chris-749391:
I am a Christian.

And I believe that religion is part of the social "glue" that holds civilization together.

Without religion as a compass (and I apply that to many, many religions) people would have to make every moral and ethical choice anew with no standards to try to adhere to.

But churches, and I include many, many religions in that, have become nothing more than corporations with religion as a commoditized and commercialized product.

As such, they apply the ethics and morals of corporations (essentially none) to their product.

I sincerely doubt that if Abraham or Christ or Mohammad or Buddha returned to this earth, that they would approve of anything done in his their [u]name[/u]s.

Christ would be laughed out of modern churches as some sort of bleeding heart liberal radical who does not understand the Bible. -

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39354888/ns/world_news-europe/

TV01:
May l see it please.

Thanks
TV

@TV01

Excerpt! . . .

This is a great expose by the late Dr. E.L. Martin. It documents the true history of the Samaritans, the meaning of the word "peter" in the ancient world and the "church" that was established at Rome by Simon the Sorcerer.

---

Acts 8:9-24 NIV:
 
⁹Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,

¹⁰and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power."

¹¹They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.

¹²But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

¹⁵When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

¹⁶because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁷Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money

¹⁹and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

²⁰Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

²¹You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

²²Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

²³For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

²⁴Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."

---

Right from the very beginning, Satan had his counterfeit "messiah" operating right in the true Messiah's backyard. His name was Simon Magus or Simon the Sorcerer and this man, and not Simon Peter the Apostle, went on to found the Universal Roman "church." His career was the history of Roman Catholicism in miniature. For a long time he bewitched the people with his false miracles. Since the year 800 A.D., Rome has bewitched the world with her false miracles of transubstantiation.

Simon believed and was baptized. Outwardly he was a Christian but his belief was only superficial and he was still a pagan at heart. He coveted the apostolic office and saw the opportunity of using  Christianity to make money — a business corporation masquerading as the church of Christ!!

From Simon Magus we get the word simony which means to buy a religious office with money.

After his encounter with St. Peter, this magician went to Rome and by tricks and false miracles established a "Christian church" in that city. This man can truly be considered as the first of the age long dynasty of Popes — many coming in Christ's name and deceiving many (Matt. 25:5) . . .

More?

Click link http://www.reformation.org/simon_peter_versus_simon_magus.html

nuclearboy:
. . .  - a helping from one pair of brea.sts (not 72), a burp (not ogogoro in a prayer keg), plenty of sleep, change of diapers and we're ready to go again. 

Enjoy your day - my "whining" is finished FOR NOW. Hope to whine some more soon when jealous Uncle Vedaxcool (I will report you to my daddy) repeats the question in another way. 

@nuclearboy

Is that so? A pair of chesticles will really suffice?

Video about the Nigeria project starting . . .

"When God gives a vision mission

He supplies the provision for the mission"

[flash=480,385]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YTYaRFYKo4&hl=en_GB&fs=1[/flash]

---

okunoba:
[flash=200,200]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq8_Y4fP6pI&hl=en_GB&fs=1[/flash]

This man by his deeds showed himself to be a true Christian unlike the Nigerian so called men of  God

who are only interested in buying fancy cloths, expensive cars and private planes while the majority of their congregation live in extreme poverty. 

The late Millard Fuller gave up a very successful Business to set up a Foundation that provides low cost houses for the poor all over the World

"The Fuller centre was founded in April 2005 by philanthropist, Millard Fuller, who passed away in the state of Georgia, USA, last year.

He was also the Founder of Habitat for Humanity, a worldwide Christian housing ministry that has built more than 200,000 homes around the world.

Renovating houses

The Fuller Centre is currently building and renovating homes in 17 countries around the world and in 57 communities in the United States;

“Here in Nigeria, a pilot project has begun near Abuja where The Fuller Centre, Nigeria, 80 units of one room apartment will be built.

“The homes are being sold for as little as N480,000 and home owners are required to deposit N80,000 only and to repay the remaining N400,000 in

five years, paying at least N8000 a month,” he stated"

What stops churches like Redeem, mountain of fire and all the other big churches from doing the same thing as this great man,

instead of buying private planes, building big churches and expensive universities that must of their congregation cannot afford.

Nigerian churches are a disgrace to humanity. These so called men of God should cover their faces in shame.

@^^^

Admirable. I doff my hat to this amiable general

"What stops churches like Redeem, mountain of fire and all the other big churches from doing the same thing as this great man?" was asked

Video mark 8:24 reveals what is stopping them (i.e. it is not practical and half dont believe their messages)

Millard Fuller: ". . . even the Pastor who had counselled us thought we were nuts

then I said "Pastor dont you know that the Bible says "It is difficult for the rich man to enter the Kingdom and err  . . . y'know"

He said "Yeah you got to be practical"

<laughs> He didn't believe his own message"

---

---

. . . the Fullers began a Christian ministry at Koinonia Farm building simple, decent houses for low-income families in their community using volunteer labor and donations, and requiring repayment only of the cost of the materials used. No interest was charged, as it is with traditional mortgages, and no profit was made. These same principles guided the Fullers in expanding this ministry, called Partnership Housing, into a larger scale ministry known as Habitat for Humanity International. That vision was expanded in 2005 in the founding of a new non-profit housing organization, The Fuller Center for Housing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millard_Fuller

Image123:
Haha this woman skirt long o,

abi no be pastress annoyeded mrs dr rev white be that?

Anyway she's not under the law but perhaps under dis grace se

@^^^

"pastress" || pastormistress;

"annoyeded" || anointed;

"under disgrace se" || under hisgrace

Image123's on a roll exercising his latent comedy talents 

That skirt is saying "Arugbo soge ri"

SeanT21:
[img width=75 height=75]http://i28.tinypic.com/pccwo.jpg[/img]

False Prophet!!

@SeanT21

Hiya but you're 2 days late with this, Enigma beat you to it

Enigma (m) || Benny Hinn Dating Paula White? ? || « on: July 29, 2010, 06:02 PM »

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-487776.0.html

Enigma:
Even after the news broke, . . . . had the gall to ask his victims, er, partners

to give him 2 million dollars to cover deficit he claims to have suffered recently because people in some countries that he visited did not give.

Apparently, he has now removed the appeal from his website after ridicule just as he has removed his denial of the Paula White affair.

From http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/07/29/10/televangelist-benny-hinn-asks-2-m-donation

Televangelist Benny Hinn is asking his prayer partners to donate $2 million to his ministry because of financial difficulties.

In a message in his website, Hinn said his ministry accumulated the $2 million deficit in the last few months because of the poor economy, which translated to fewer offerings in some of his crusades in different parts of the world.

He cited one crusade in Jakarta, Indonesia recently where his ministry lost money "because the people could not give."

Hinn, who built his ministry through massive healing crusades and TV shows, said Benny Hinn Ministries has cut down on staff and expenses amounting to $21 million since 2008.

He added that the $2 million deficit is not a large amount and that God could surely provide. He pointed out, however, that some of his vendors "are asking for their money.

They have been very kind in helping us and standing with us, but the time has come for this deficit to be taken care of so that I can go on preaching the Gospel without pressure."

He then asked his prayer partners to sow a seed into his ministry so that the gospel would continue to be preached.

"Think about the impact, the negative impact it would have If I said, 'OK, I cannot travel anymore. The financial pressure is just too heavy on me. Let somebody else do it.' God would judge me.

Secondly, think about the souls that would not hear the gospel. Is it really worth? Of course not. $2 million, that's nothing. God can do that," he said.

@^^^

Maybe he should curb his high life lifestyle first

Downsizing or downgrading his 10 million dollars mansion to service the  $2 million deficit could be a start

  [flash=480,385]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4GsHJwass&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1[/flash]

Enigma:
I know this is gossip and I am breaking one of my own rules on trying to avoid focusing on personal relationships

or morality per se of these televangelists/prosperity"gospel" people unless context requires it.

However, I think the story/gossip is interesting enough!

The American rag National Enquirer reported on a romantic trip to Rome with pictures.

See pictures here: http://twitpic.com/288cb8/full

[img]http://slaughteringthesheep.files./2010/07/hinn-white-affair.jpg[/img]

However, both have "denied" 'immorality' or 'impurity' in their relationship.

See story and denials here: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/July/Evangelists-Hinn-White-Deny-Affair-Allegations/

[flash=300,300]http://downloads.cbn.com/cbnnewsplayer/cbnplayer.swf?aid=17188[/flash]

If you read each "denial" carefully, you will see that they don't clearly deny that they are dating

---- just that there is no 'impurity' or 'immorality' in their relationship ----- yet (if you read Benny Hinn's carefully);

and that is even if either of them can be believed.

While both Hinn, 57, and White, 44, have admitted to being friends for over two decades,

both issued statements denying that there is anything inappropriate about their relationship.

"There is nothing inappropriate or morally improper about my friendship with Paula White," Hinn wrote in a message on his Web site.

In a statement issued on her Web site,

White said she and Hinn have become closer since both have endured painful public divorces, but "our friendship has ,  Remained morally and spiritually pure."

Still, Hinn and White said in the future they would seek to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

"Because of my preeminent priority to my ministry and calling,

Paula and I have concluded that we should avoid the appearance that our friendship is biblically impure or violates Scripture in any way," Hinn wrote.

He added that the two had "independently determined that we will have no further social relationship until such time as my divorce has concluded

and only if we feel direction from the Lord to do so."

@^^^

This one gas ooo

Bodi no bi stone

We'll watch the space with keen interest to witness if/how/when things unravel

seyibrown:
As a child is involved, they should have sought medical help alongside prayer, seeing as they have a responsibilty to the state to care for that child.

Miracles happen where human efforts fail.

I recently had a conversation with an elderly couple about why the husband's Multiple Sclerosis still remained in their lives despite years of prayers. The husband said he had peace of God despite his condition and that this condition has actually created many opportunities to share the word of God with people who would not ordinarily speak with him. Non-xtians show kindness and compassion because of his disability.

We should not pray blindly, instead we should always pray 'according to God's will', in a way 'praying about it before you pray about it'.

@seyibrown

Chop knuckle

Mazaje:
I just find it hard to believe since neither you or me truly know if they have enough faith or not,

but why pray when you don't have faith at all that your prayers will work? . . .

Most people pray for healing  because they truly believe in their prayers else they won't bother to pray at all . . .

@Mazaje

The proof or taste of the pudding is in the eating

When there are no results, that's when it dawns that maybe one has bitten more than one can chew

Taking cue from weightlifters, they start with lighter weights and more reps to build up faith strength before notching up

Mazaje:
But in this case it was the parents together with the Church elders that both prayed for the child and the oil was applied by the mum

not the church elders . . .

@Mazaje

The mum was applying oil with no power in it

Yup the mum; the parents were in the same predicament as the gentleman that complained to Jesus

only that when these particular faith healers wondered why they underperformed,

they were slagged off for letting the gentleman down with their unbelief or lack of enough faith

Mazaje:
Unbelief?

Will the parents prefer to go to the church elders and use oil and prayers if they did not believe that such actions will cure their child? . . .

Do you truly believe that the parents will refuse their daughter whom I believe they love dearly access to medical help

and opt for the biblical alternative if they do not believe? . . .

@Mazaje

Aw c'mon now, you know better than this

Just as with the gentleman complaining to Jesus, the unbelief lies at the foot of the "faith healer" not the parents

mazaje:
OK, so why did it fail in this case?. . . . .

@Mazaje

Why it failed you want to know.

Looks like you need to do a bit of catching up. How did you miss that question gettting addressed earlier

Never mind, here it is reloaded

e36991:
Note the man in the below verses complaining to Jesus that "certain faith healers couldnt immediately heal his baby son"

Mark 17:15-16;18-20 KJV:
¹⁵Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

¹⁶And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

¹⁸And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

²⁰And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place;
and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Mazaje:
I am sorry to say but Faith healing remains a fraud . .

The fact that you and many other modern Christians don't rely solely on bible technology is also telling.

You know exactly how well it works fails.

This case illustrates the difference between BS and reality . . .

. . . Reinhard Bonnke on TV  telling people to come forward and get healed

. . . wonder when he is going to lay hands on himself and heal himself of his poor vision problems

since he obviously uses medicated glasses to aid his vision . . .

@Mazaje

No need to strikeout works

because sincerely we do know exactly how well faith healing works and how well/why it fails

Things happens . . . Dont be hasty painting others with the same brush used on loud-noise-making empty barrels

Oregon City: OREGON CITY
-- A Beavercreek couple who left their infant daughter's fate to God rather than seek medical treatment for a mass that grew over her left eye will face charges of first-degree criminal mistreatment.

The Wylands and their church reject medical care in favor of faith-healing -- anointing with oil, laying on of hands, prayer and fasting.

The parents testified at a juvenile court hearing last week that they never considered getting medical attention for Alayna.

According to court documents, Rebecca Wyland anointed Alayna with oil each time she changed the girl's diaper and wiped away the yellow discharge that seeped daily from the baby's left eye.

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2010/07/post_2.html

Mazaje:
[img width=100 height=100]http://media.oregonlive.com/oregon_city_news/photo/alayna1jpg-7e5bb9ccc2d6b094_large.jpg[/img]

Firstly the parents DID exactly what was instructed and written in the bible

"Is anyone among you sick?
Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:14-15).

Obviously this verse is a sham because it failed, it has failed many and it will continue to fail . . .

Where are all the faith healers to come and show their magic talent and immediately heal this baby? . . .

If christianity is true then christians are supposed to be magicians according to the bible.

Who are those that are always busy shouting and talking about miracles and wonders, will they pray for this baby and heal her? . . .

Or is faith healing a fraud as usual?

@Mazaje

"O ye, of little faith . . ."

There are several places in the Bible in which the above phrase is used

It is usually referencing instances where little faith or the lack of it prevents the move and demonstration of God's power (i.e healings or miracles)

This is not new.

Note the man in the below verses complaining to Jesus that "certain faith healers couldnt immediately heal his baby son"

Mark 17:15-16;18-20 KJV:
¹⁵Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

¹⁶And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

¹⁸And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

²⁰And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place;
and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

The verse is not a sham and faith healing is not necessarily a fraud

It is still the onus of the parent to safeguard the well being of the kid by all means at their disposal

Availing of medical assistance that likely already has a cure for the illness is an option that shouldnt have been shied away from

Pastor AIO:
. . .  But touch not the lord's anointed.

@Pastor AIO

Pastor AIO long time . . .

I know you're taking the mick

but anyways these tares havent got an ice block chance in hell King Saul's type immunity

They havent got the OT style-oil-anointing or the NT style-Holy Spirit-anointing

so without any fear of reprisals, these tares can be touched . . .

As a matter of fact their torched days are numbered.

https://www.channel4.com/assets/programmes/images/dispatches/britains-witch-children-reporter-feature/629d89ad-5252-4edd-b37d-60c00c92fb48_412x232.jpg
^{Undercover Reporter - Juliana Oladipo}

Juliana Oladipo, goes undercover for Britain's Witch Children and writes about her brutal and frightening experience.

The first time I sat in the back of the producer's car driving to a 'child deliverance', I was seriously afraid. I was a 23-year-old journalism student surrounded by a team of filmmakers. More importantly, how would my character, 15-year-old 'Buki' feel? She had just returned from Nigeria and because of one or two typical teenage tantrums, was being dragged into a dark church on a dark street with her mother to be assessed by a pastor.

I asked God to watch over me. Very out of character for Juliana,

Not a Religious Person

It was when I began studying at university that I realised I didn't consider myself a religious person. As well as being lured into the bureaucracy and at times complete coldness that comes from working and studying in an ego-driven newsroom, I became more aware and sickened by the hundreds of hate crimes and murders that take place across Britain each year, all in the name of God.

My Background

Although I was born and raised in London, taking into consideration that both my parents are Nigerian and religion plays such a predominant part in African culture, and more specifically in the upbringing of African children, I almost feel a touch of guilt when I say out loud that I have shied away from the church. In some corners, to deny the church is to deny your identity.

Getting Involved in the Film

I was initally apprehensive about signing on to the film when I was approached by the production company making it, Oxford Scientific Films.

The producers informed me that some children from an African background living in Britain, were being abused – sexually, physically and emotionally – by their parents and guardians as they believe their child has been possessed by evil spirits. In the case of Victoria Climbie, who was killed by her guardians in 2000, abuse could lead to murder.

Victoria Climbie

I was only 14 at the time but I can vividly remember the strong public outcry when details were released of how that little girl year had died. During their police interviews, both killers had claimed that Victoria was possessed and described her as 'satan'. They were also known to have strong affiliations with the church. Young Victoria's suffering included being burnt with cigarettes, being tied up for periods of longer than 24 hours and being hit with bike chains, hammers and wires.

Accused of Being Possessed by an Evil Demon

Still feeling slightly ignorant, I watched for the third time the award-winning Saving Africa's Witch Children. The film highlights the sickening plight of the poor and vulnerable, inflicted by people with a strong belief in black magic and sorcery.

Throughout the undercover filming process, I was confused and physically harassed by large male pastors. I was screamed at and accused of being possessed by an evil demon. As far as these pastors were concerned, I was 15 years old and had been locking my bedroom door at night.

Exploiting the Vulnerable

What happened to love thy neighbour and thou shall not judge? What happened to protecting our children from exploitation without making any excuses for the parents of the children being forced into these frightening, disturbing exorcisms? The people that these unholy African priests are targeting are on the whole ostracised by society. As well as having immigration problems, they are often unemployed, uneducated and lost in the system.

Is it a surprise then that children like 'Buki' (my character in the film) are so angry and disconnected from society? She and others like her are being blamed by pastors for being the cause of family grief because they are 'witches'.

If nothing else, my only hope is that the film highlights the serious and growing issue of child exploitation taking place in a small minority of our African churches.

Pastor AIO:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/4od#3109015

These demonic pastors just don't want to stop their deceitful wicked ways.

OLAADEGBU:
What do you think can be done to these charlatans and witches if you believe they exist?

@^^^

The tares look beautiful but it is a con. They are yellow and look like wheat but have smaller seeds

Tares seeds causes severe nausea, produces vomit, severe headaches and a host of other illnesses when eaten.

The farmer's helper was exasperated over the con too and asked what can be done about the tares.

He wanted to pull up and yank out the tares but was forbidden.

The farmer told him to let the tares and wheat grow together.

If any of the tares were pulled out now, it could destroy the roots of the wheat.

He was advised it is best to wait until the harvest to yank them out.

Another advice will be expose the tares as Dispatches did

If this video is anything to go by, goal celebrations have certainly come a long way since Roger Milla wiggled his hips down by the corner flag.

No longer is a mere dance good enough for some players, as Icelandic top flight side Stjarnan proved in their game against Fylkir at the weekend.

With the game seemingly heading for a 1-1 draw, the home side were awarded a penalty in the dying moments. Up stepped Halldór Orri Björnsson to score with a delightful chip over the keeper.

While it was undeniably a fine strike, if some way off the best penalty ever. But the goal will be remembered for what followed - a beautifully choreographed manoeuvre in which Björnsson cast an imaginary fishing rod before 'reeling in' team-mate Daníel Laxdal.

The 'fish' was then picked up by several members of the team and held aloft as if he were a trophy, while another team-mate 'took a photo' for posterity.

Stjarnan held on to win the match 2-1

[flash=480,385]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsJLxAUZfi0&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1[/flash]

Yefet:
Angels appear as humans
-- then vanish -- after making startling announcement that Jesus is coming "very, very soon"!!! And other supernatural confirmations of Christ's soon return!

by Jim Bramlett

Introduction. Numerous reputable people have told me, most unsolicited, of experiences with angels they either had personally or knew about. In most cases, the angels appeared to provide help in some distressful situation. However, several of the incidents, including the ones below, are particularly interesting for two reasons: (1) they contain a message (literally, the word "angel" means "messenger" and, (2) the incidents were brought to my personal attention under unusual circumstances, making me think God sent them my way. In each case, the angel delivered basically the same startling announcement of the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why me? Why did these stories come to me? My only guess is because I have the inclination to pursue them, to write about them, and to tell you about them. In God's great love, it may all be just for you. Caution. It is important to stress that any mystical experience, even messages from angels, must be carefully judged against God's Holy Word, the Bible. New Agers and other non-Christians claim angelic revelations while rejecting the cross of Christ which paid the price for our spiritual blessings and access to heavenly things. They are deceived and usually involved with demonic spirits. A pertinent fact about the experiences below is that they came to me after I had already concluded their general message from the Scriptures. Therefore, they were confirming messages. Nevertheless, judge them for yourselves . . .

Click the following link for the rest

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-486389.msg6458148#msg6458148

@^^^

I am always mindful of Hebrews 13:2

Hebrews 13:2:
Young's Literal Translation
of the hospitality be not forgetful, for through this unawares certain did entertain messengers;

GOD'S WORD Translation
Don't forget to show hospitality to believers you don't know. By doing this some believers have shown hospitality to angels without being aware of it[/]

[u]New International Version
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

New Living Translation
Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Image123:
What exactly is your business with that?

I mean, how does that edify anybody?

@^^^

Paul had a thorn in the flesh; so that information was inserted in the bible out of boredom, uh?

I hope you dont turn into a pain in the b. . . or shall I say where the sun dont shine

Every Scripture passage is inspired by God.

All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval.

God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work

jayon:
Please anyone got possible answers

@^^^

Any takers?

helovesme:
rubbish !

there is nothing weird or spectacular about that penalty

@HeLovesMe

Bwahahaha! Cast your vote then

[size=14pt]POLL: Is this the best penalty ever?[/size]

Quite possibly.

Spain U19 star Ezequiel Calvente shows just how it should be done by scoring an audacious 'switch-hit' penalty against Italy at the U19 European Championships in France.

This amazing penalty was scored yesterday (i.e. 24 July 2010) at the U19's European Championships.

The goal was scored in the Spain-Italy Game that ended 3-0 to Spain and was scored by Calvente. It was a very weird penalty, but it was amazing!

[flash=480,385]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBOGfg6YhaU&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1[/flash]

lagerwhenindoubt:
I thought it should go in the Religion Section because a Pastor delivered it

[flash=200,200]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIGCp1_JrGY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1[/flash]

@^^^

He is an Ugandan anti-homosexuality activist and his correct name is Pastor Dr Martin Ssempa

[size=14pt]Sammie Okposo Arrested In Aberdeen During Honeymoon[/size]

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-477036.0.html

A GOSPEL star from Africa has appeared in court in Aberdeen charged with making racist comments while on honeymoon in the Granite City.

[b]Sammie Okposo, who has won awards for Best Gospel Act in Africa and Best Gospel Artist of the Year, appeared from custody at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

The 31-year-old gospel singer was alleged to have acted in a racially aggravated manner at Jimmy Chung’s on Aberdeen’s Beach Esplanade on Wednesday.

Okposo was alleged to have caused alarm or distress to Ronny Shui Hung Yung by shouting, swearing and uttering racial remarks at the Aberdeen restaurant.

The African gospel singer denied the charg[/b]e.

Defence agent Mike Munro said gospel star Okposo had been in Aberdeen with his new wife on honeymoon at the time of the alleged offence.

Okposo, whose address was listed in court as 50 Tafawa Balewa Street, Lagos, Nigeria, was released on bail.

He is expected to return to Aberdeen Sheriff Court in September.

Read more: http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1819617?UserKey#ixzz0tJrWfhly

KunleOshob:
Mmmmh very funny, image123 who doesn't understand what it means to be a follower of christ is preaching to someone to accept christ

@image

I think you shd truly accept christ first and know his will before you engage in "evangelism".

Meanwhile how was church today? I am sure the tithes were rolling in as usual.

@KunleOshob

This response has nothing specifically to do with Image123

Now you need to realise that not all that follow Jesus, necessarily have Christ in them

People follow Jesus for all sorts of motives/reasons

Normally following Jesus and having Christ in you should be mutually inclusive but most cases that isnt often so

It is common for people to follow Jesus without having Christ in them

PS: ^{Vescucci I havent jettisoned you, will touchbase later . . .}